Why the long way?
When we took the road to Santa Clara, and the bottom fell out from under us and we were wondering how one earth we fell off the cliff of God’s will, I remember our pastor from back home said to me, “With God the shortest distance between two points is often a really long squiggly line.”
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Speaking of a squiggly line, can you see the red route that the nation of Israel took when God led them out of Egypt and into the promised land? Doesn’t that help put into perspective what is meant by “wanderings” in the desert? Good grief!
It’s a good thing that I can’t see a pictorial rendition of my own life’s wanderings. I know I’d see the endless red circles and shake my head: God, you’ve got to be kidding me.
I’ll admit it sometimes baffles me when I look at a situation, then see the way God “handled” it. I mean isn’t there a much simpler way? Even with church-planting, I shake my head sometimes thinking over the past year and the slow, circular, circuitous route we’ve often taken. Things are awesome now and even this past weekend had me overwhelmed with God’s power in establishing our little church body. But surely there is a shorter way??!
Why does God so often take us on a circuitous route? Let’s look at a few nuggets as related to the nation of Israel — perhaps a few will apply to where you are today.
1. The long way leads to our success.
Scripture says in Exodus 13 that
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines; although it was near. For God said, ‘Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.’ But God lead the people around the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea” (vv17-18).
God knew that no matter what way they took there would be opposition. Obstacles are inevitable. So He chose the path that would force them to keep moving forward–for they had no other option (Remember, He loves it when we run out of options!). He knew that if they could see a back door, they’d take it and hurry scurry back to captivity as fast as their sandals could carry them.
He chose the long route, which guaranteed they would stick to the plan.
In other words, it was His kindness that led them in circles. He was, by his sovereign plan, guaranteeing their success. Now, not all of them succeeded. An entire generation rejected God’s long way, complained bitterly, and perished in the wilderness because of their disobedience. But God’s plan succeeded. Had they gone back to Egypt, their children and all following generations would not have seen the promised land. But as it was, only those who rejected this long road died before seeing it–the children, and all the generations after that, did indeed see it.
God fulfilled His promise, and his Kingdom work with the nation of Israel remains today.
Wherever God is leading you in the long way, rest in His goodness and His plan.
The long way leads to your success.
{Do you believe that God will take you the long way so that you will succeed? So that you won’t turn back? Can you see how it is His kindness that makes the journey long? On Friday we’ll look at a few more reasons God leads us on the long way. Praying this can encourage you today. Thanks for reading.}
What to wear this season…
It’s asinine. Why on earth does it matter what I wear today? But for some reason, even though every single day, carefree, I pull on my favorite jeans and the next fitted tee from the stack, this day I stared at my closet looking for something cute.
I even told Heidi to please match.
Why? Why this day?
It’s not that something cute is bad. It’s that I’m not really into clothes, and could happily do the Jen Hatmaker deal and wear the save seven items for a month. What has me puzzled is, Why today does it matter? See, I don’t even sweat what to wear to speaking events. I ask God, something pops in my mind, and I put it on. It’s not a time-consuming endeavor.
So, I ask again, Why today?
There are plenty of innocuous reasons. To be appropriate. To fit in. Because it’s fun to doll up a little bit every once in a while.
But that slightly weird feeling in my stomach tipped the hand of my heart, revealing more of the root.
That day I was going to a place I hadn’t for a while. A place I had mixed feelings for. A place I’d experienced hurt. A place that, no matter how much I tried to muster up neutrality, I always wound up coming home heavy.
So if I was headed to this place, I had better at least be armed with a good outfit, right?
And one more time I’ll say it: There’s nothing wrong with that.
We all want something to wear that looks and feels good.
But it served as such a picture for me. Because as I knelt in prayer and echoed David’s plea:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my anxious thoughts! See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24)
This came to mind: You’re wearing the wrong thing.
Not physically. The wool cardigan wasn’t the problem. Spiritually:
I was wearing my own works.
When faced with resurfaced insecurity, I had spiritually reached to the back of the closet and pulled out an old filthy garment I hadn’t worn in a while:
My own righteousness.
Spiritually speaking I had tucked my trophies under my arm, slipped my spiritual resume into my purse, wrapped myself in a robe of my own successes, and headed out into the painful place armed only with … self.
No wonder I came home so bummed.
See, it’s so subtle, and it’s all a matter of the heart. The truth is that any time (no matter what clothes we have on) we base our confidence on our own successes or our own abilities, we’re wrapping ourselves in filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
But when, instead, we abandon self, freely confess our own inabilities, weaknesses, and insecurities, and allow God to clothe us, then do you know what we get to wear?
The garments of salvation. The robe of righteousness.
And these are no rags:
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)
I read it that very morning. Coincidence?
Never.
So how do we put on His clothes?
By faith. With our face to the floor. Casting all our crutches at the cross and leaning on Him alone for our salvation, joy, worth, confidence, peace.
Nothing looks or feels better than that.
{May you rest and revel in His garments of salvation this week. You’re beautiful in them, sister! Thanks for reading.}
While we are not looking…
It hung there, while I grew up.
An embroidered picture and poem, hand-sewn by my mom and framed in a simple wooden frame. It hung on the wall of our living room all my growing up years. I can still see it hanging there in my mind’s eye. I read it so often it’s etched in my memory. It now hangs in our loft, where the kids and I play, just to remind me:
I hope my children look back on today
And see a mother who had time to play.
There will be years for cleaning and cooking
For children grow up while we are not looking
In my life, I translate this poem, “There will be years for speaking and writing….” and I need to read it every day. I am in the thick of my busiest season. Many weekends I’m away. Many hours are spent studying.
But in every spare moment, I resolve afresh … to play. With all my heart. This week we colored on the front porch, zoomed matchbox cars down the wooden ramp on the back porch, and made high-pitched voices for the tiny princess dolls. Jeff read The Hobbit out loud to eager ears for six hours on his day off. Today I am reveling in a weekend of no speaking engagements and soaking up these sacred moments with all that is within me.
These years are so short, I resolve afresh to enjoy them. I resolve afresh to remember–they grow up while I am not looking.
There will be years for ________________.
Fill in the blank. What is it for you? What will be gone when you are not looking?
I pray no matter what your day looks like, you are able to savor whatever it is that will someday be gone while you are not looking. A child, a parent, a season, a day. However profound or however simple, may you enjoy today for what it is — a gift. Happy Friday; Thanks so much for reading.
When your support-system seems small…
I knew it was coming. That nagging, sinking feeling in my stomach told me so.
My phone rang. I picked up my cell and saw her name. I took a deep breath. Kari, it’ll be ok. It’ll be ok.
“Hey there!”
I love her so much. I knew that it was a heart-wrenching decision for them, last summer, to not join us in this new church-planting venture. They had thought they would, but God was clearly leading them in a different direction. Everything spiritual in me was cheering on their decision. I knew they had earnestly sought Him. I knew they were hearing from Him. I knew this was best.
But everything fleshly in me wanted to crawl up in a ball on my bed and pull the covers over my head and cry about how alone I felt knowing my dear friend wouldn’t be at my side.
See, I knew sometimes we have to run alone. I knew that not all my close friends would be able to do this adventure with me. But somehow I had inadvertently still put my hope in a few people I saw as “strong,” as “capable.” Somehow the thought that they’d be with us made me feel like everything would be ok. With this “dream team” of people surely this venture would be a success!
But then God dwindled my “dream team” and sent half of them somewhere else.
Just to be sure I knew the only dream team is the Triune God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
He’s done this before, right? You remember the story in Judges 7. Gideon–a scaredy cat like me–was called to battle, but first God took his army and sent a few of them home.
And by “a few” I mean 99%.
His team went from 32,000 to just 300. Yes. God sent 99% of the army home, and defeated the Mideoanites with just 1% of Gideon’s original army.
Why?
So they would not boast saying, My own strength has saved me. (Judges 7:2)
So no one else would get the praise.
God wanted to make sure Gideon did not put his hope in numbers, in strong soldiers, in any certain person … except God alone. He dwindled down his army so small that the there was nowhere he could trust except God. So that when the victory came there would be no doubt: That was all God and He alone gets all the praise.
It’s easy to see this in retrospect, but what if we chose to believe by faith and trust Him in the middle of the dwindling process? When your team is cut in half. When most of your doctors don’t know what to do. When your support system has shrunk. When you look around and wonder where everyone went.
When whatever it was that made you feel “ok” isn’t there anymore.
When God cuts your army by 99% you can rest assured, He’s just about to kick some tails on the battlefield and win a crazy victory.
He just wants to make sure that He alone gets all the praise.
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{Remembering this today. Where are you feeling alone in the battle today? Does it feel like your support system is suddenly small? Please know that God wants to be your all and wants to be sure that in this battle He gets all the praise. I pray you know His power, love, and tender care for you today! Thanks for reading.}