Four months from right now my wife and I will be in Tel Aviv, Israel. I have the opportunity to return to the Holy Land to work on another class towards my master's degree, and thanks to the generosity of the people who attended our wedding, my wife will be joining me for a twelve day tour of Israel and Jordan.
The last time I was there I was a senior in college. That summer I had the itinerary for the trip, and my plan was to read up on all of the locations we would be seeing so I knew as much about it as I could. That summer ended up being perhaps the busiest summer of my life. I had two internships, a job, was preparing to be a small group leader, and was spending a lot of time working out with my cousins. Once the school year started those plans were lost in the shuffle of being a senior.
But as I prepare to return, I've got a wife to keep me on task. As preparation for the trip we've been getting up around 6:15 every morning and studying one location a day through Bible dictionaries and the Bible. My professor should be very impressed with the notebook I hand in at the end of the class.
Today we were going to be looking at the city of Sepphoris, a place that is not mentioned in the Bible. It's a city in Galilee near Nazareth, and the traditional home of Mary's parents. It's extremely likely that Joseph and Jesus would have done work in this community. But since there is no Biblical reference to it the information in the Bible dictionaries I have is extremely limited. We got up a little later this morning and since we didn't want to rush the study, we just talked a little and prayed together.
I shared with her how I'm feeling. The future is full of uncertainty for us right now, and over the last few days it's taken a small toll on me. But this morning she said something that made me think, "You have what it takes."
John Eldredge, my favorite author (if you've followed this at all you probably guessed that by now), has a small booklet with that title which is composed of sections of his book Wild at Heart. In Wild at Heart there is a quote that I've used in a sermon that is very applicable to my life right now.
'Then the Lord intervened' is perhaps the single most common phrase about him in Scripture, in one form or another. Look at the stories he writes. There’s the one where the children of Israel are pinned against the Red Sea, no way out, Pharaoh and his army barreling down on them in murderous fury. Then God shows up. There’s Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who get rescued only after they’re thrown into the fiery furnace. Then God shows up. He lets the mob kill Jesus, bury him…then he shows up. Do you know why God loves writing such incredible stories? Because he loves to come through. He loves to show he has what it takes. It’s not the nature of God to limit his risks and cover his bases. Far from it. Most of the time, he actually lets the odds stack up against him. Against Goliath, a seasoned soldier and a trained killer, he sends…a freckly-faced little shepherd kid with a slingshot. Most commanders going into battle want as many infantry as they can get. God cuts Gideon’s army from thirty-two thousand to three-hundred. Then he equips the ragtag little band that’s left with torches and watering pots. It’s not just a battle or two that God takes his chances with, either. Have you thought about his handling of the gospel? God needs to get a message out to the human race, without which they will perish…forever. What’s the plan? First, he starts with the most unlikely group ever: a couple of prostitutes, a few fishermen with no better than a second-grade education, a tax collector. Then, he passes the ball to us. Unbelievable.
Honestly, some things in life right now feel like a charging Egyptian army. In other ways I feel like I'm in the middle of the furnace. And while I wouldn't say I've been crucified, I will say I've taken a beating. But as my wife reminded me this morning, if it wasn't for those times in life, we wouldn't need trust in God.
Over and over in the Bible, God shares stories just like ours. And over and over He comes through for His people. It usually comes down to the wire, and it's pretty much always when He is the only option. But every time He comes through. He never fails to do that. As it says in Psalm 37.23-26, "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends,and his descendants are a blessing."
God will never forsake the righteous. He has entrusted us with a mission, share the Gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ. We have been given a message of hope, life, and love to share with the world. My mentor said recently that during adversity Christ can be seen most clearly in us. It is how we act and respond through the hard times that truly show us to be His.
I have what it takes, because I have God. He has called me to be a minister of the Gospel. He will not fail to come through for me. He knows the time line we're on, and He knows the gifts, passions, and calling He has placed on our lives and marriage. So in all reality my problems aren't really my problems, they are God's. It is not my place to worry about the future, it's my place to trust God and watch Him come through. It's my place to focus on being Christ to the people I meet today, and continue to strive after Christlikness during this time of my life.
God will come through, He has for countless people over thousands of years.
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
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