On the Move

Where God is, is home.

As I look forward to the next season of my life, I’ve noticed a deep insecurity about where I will be living. I am so scared to leave the familiar.

The other night, a friend spoke truth into this fear. She said, “The Idol is familiarity.”

Those words spurred so many thoughts. In the light of that truth, I was able to identify a huge source of this fear. The main reason I’ve been wanting to stay is because it’s comfortable and it’s familiar. Lately I’ve felt like I’m swinging in every direction and trying so hard to grab ahold of something. Perhaps the reason it’s so hard to grab onto truth is because my hands are too busy clinging to familiarity and comfort.

I, and a lot of other people, desire security. But comfort does not equal security, as I’ve been led to believe somewhere along this journey. The only thing that is secure is God and His faithfulness. We can be so comfortable yet so untouched by grace!

I’ve been reflecting a lot on the faith of people in the Bible. People were so willing to drop everything and go, even at a moment’s notice! The story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26 is a prime example of this. An angel of the Lord tells Philip to “Go south to the road -the desert road- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” Do you know what Philip does? He goes. He doesn’t question or get a U-Haul to pack his things, he just goes. I mean, this is the desert we’re talking about! Wow, to have that faith and willingness to travel to the desert.

Something else God has been convicting me about is what does my idea of comfort look like? I find a lot of comfort in knowing. When we know our surroundings well, it’s easier to trust. I’ve been realizing that I really desire the familiar, because it gives me a Plan B. Should something go wrong, I can “lean on my own understanding” and hopefully figure something out. This is what the Lord says to that:

 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:8.

I believe that stepping out in faith looks like having no other options besides God. See how faulty my Plan B mentality is? If I know where I’m going, why would I have to trust God on the journey? But when I am walking by faith, not by sight, I have no choice but to fix my eyes on Him.

The next question that God brought to mind was, “Who do you love?”

After people get married, they are oftentimes willing to move to another state, even country, to follow the one they love and be with them. We are willing to move away from our friends to start a new life with the one we love. Why wouldn’t I do the same for God?

We follow that significant other for the security they offer. But how much more secure is God? How much more will HE provide? How much more does HE love us?

God loves us with an unfailing love, and is the reason we are able to love in the first place. God’s love is sufficient. God’s love is greater than anyone else’s love in this entire world. If He promises unfailing love and to supply my needs, why would I be willing to follow a spouse and not God?

Maybe it’s so hard for us to move, because we have so many strings attached. Those strings are limiting our movement and freedom! Lord, cut those strings so that we might walk in freedom once again! Keep me from tying myself down with worldly comforts when your word says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!”

Increase my faith God! Remind me that I am deeply loved by you and that no other love unless satisfied first through you is safe. Give me the glow of a woman who is loved and give me the faith of someone who is chasing after you. Lord, wherever you call us is home. Because you are our home.

Home for a wandering sheep

The past day or two, God repeatedly keeps telling me “Where God is, is home.”  

I’ve also been reminded over the course of these days that I’m a sheep.  

The image comes to mind of a little lamb, wandering around through pastures. The hills around me are huge, and I’m so fragile. 

I keep longing for my home. I keep asking the shepherd to bring me home, to bring me to a place where I can rest. 

But then God reminds me that where my God is, is my home.  He gives me a picture of a tender shepherd picking up this lost sheep, and holding it close to his heart.

Home is not where we are or a destination we’re trying to get to. Home is my journey with my shepherd and rest is found, not in a place, but in his arms. Rest is found when my little legs stop moving and my ears listen to his heartbeat.

 God tells me that home is being carried by my shepherd.

John 1

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” 

John 1:29

Lately I’ve been having a hard time “walking by faith.” I know what God has promised, but I’m having a hard time believing that I will one day experience it! My soul wants to believe but my mind wants the proof.

A while earlier as I was reading in the 1^st chapter of the Book of John, I was blown away by the faith that I read about. From the first verse of that chapter, John was declaring that Jesus is the Messiah. John goes throughout Jerusalem telling everyone that “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me” and “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.” And I mean, He told everyone.

He who comes. Do you realize how much faith it takes to declare that? Although John has not yet seen the Messiah (at least not that I can find in the scriptures) he is declaring, not that He will come or might come, but He comes!

As I read through this chapter, I was amazed at how persistent John was and how he put His own reputation on the line by declaring (or announcing officially) that Christ has come! If I was in John’s position, I’d like to believe I would act similarly, but I have a feeling my thoughts would be more like this: What if he doesn’t come? What if I tell all of these people He’s coming and He doesn’t show up?

Guess what happens next, though? He comes!

As John is baptizing people with water and assuring them that “One mightier than I” is coming, He sees Jesus walking toward Him.

Can you even imagine that? Seriously, imagine that while you are speaking of something you are absolutely sure will happen, it happens right before your eyes! This is faith coming to life.

I long for this kind of faith! A faith that is true to its definition… trusting with confidence without needing to see proof. I have already heard and read the promises. The people in the Bible had not yet seen, but still they believed.

After reading this, I can’t help but draw a parallel to John preaching about the coming of Christ, and our own responsibility to announce that Christ will come again. Do we announce His coming with a whisper? Perhaps we announce it with a maybe? Worse yet, we might not announce it at all.

 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

God, help us to announce with confidence that Christ comes. At the end of this road, I pray that while we are in the midst of declaring and baptizing, we would be met with Christ walking towards us as we walk in obedience.