What Joy awaits

 The most amazing thing happened yesterday.  WOW!  And yet, it is not the most amazing thing, it is purely another, another, another act of God.  He is so good.  We must believe He is who He says He is and venture into relationship with Him to truly know.  Relationship means communicating, trusting, taking what looks like risky steps to do what He says to do, go where He says to go.  There is no loss greater than the blessing of walking with Him.  I'm not saying there will be no loss, but that the blessings as we steadfastly walk with Him will come.  

I'm going to divert a little from the book that I've been working on to address this thing... the dark valleys and the mountain tops.  Some would say I just hit a mountain top, so of course I'm praising.  I have learned that I must continue to praise believing for the mountains.  This reminds me of my reading of Hind's Feet- I highly recommend this to anyone.  It is an allegory of a developing Christian that is beautifully written.  When we recognize in the valleys of our walk, before we even see the opportunity to climb, that we can submit to and praise God where we are, it's like getting on a ski lift.  We will reach new heights without even realizing we've climbed so high.  I say this not to put myself on a pedastal,  that I have done so well and deserve anything, but rather to encourage you and myself.  We must believe and walk in our belief.  True belief is risky, it says, "I believe so much I'm willing to put all I have on the line because I believe He has more for me."

In Matthew 13:44-46 Jesus tells us that his treasures are greater than any earthly value.  Is He talking just about our final reward- after we die- going to heaven?  I think He is talking about getting to experience "thy kingdom come, here on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-13- the Lord's prayer)."  He wants to bring heaven down.  He wants us to be the light of God that comes when we have met with Him in the secret place (for me before the sun rises in the morning), to consult with Him before the day starts.  To get our marching orders, and submit, believing pursuing His will is worth it.

Psalm 1 says, "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners or join in with mockers.  But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.  They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.  Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

But not the wicked!  They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.  They will be condemned at the time of judgement.  Sinners will have no place among the Godly.  For the Lord watchers over the path of the Godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction."

Jesus tells the parable of the three servants in Matthew 25:14-30.  This is a parable of trusting God for Heaven come down, and Heavenly reward.  When we believe enough to sow what He's given us: our life and .....  We must accept what He's given us, and submit it to not just take care of ourselves, but believing it is enough to make more, and that He will take care of us.  Don't hang out with the doubters, who run with it like little squirrels with a nut and bury it, forgetting the blessings we have.  Even the blessings we forget God will multiply, but He wants us to experience the multiplication!

Consider the same "wicked" is applied to the servant in Matthew 25:26, who did not invest what the master gave him, because he lived from the wrong vantage point.  He chose to live from a jaded perspective, and fear.  Fear is not from the Lord, but Satan will convince you to hold on to everything you have out of fear.  What?  It is wicked to be afraid?  It is wicked, to not believe and do as God calls us to.  The torment that follows is that struggle with knowing He has more and we're too afraid to step out.  And then we try to convince ourselves that we are living "satisfied", we should praise God and be satisfied, when our praise is in fact lacking because we don't believe in the fullness of God.  We feel it: our desire for more, to bless Him by blessing others, to keep growing will not let us be complacent and truly satisfied, we are in fact miserable.  Quite plainly, the parable is of us (the servant- we get to choose which one), and the master (God).  What we believe of Him is reflected in our pursuit of His will.

Read Psalm 2: our promise for accepting His will and pursuing it, ends with, "Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling... Submit to God's royal son... for what joy awaits those who take refuge in Him!"

When  we identify Christ as the King, our ruler from whom we take orders, we receive the blessing of sonship of the King.  God is not threatened by any other "power", but beckons us to submit to His power so that we can experience Life with His strength.  Everything we trust Him to do in His strength is multiplied.  Matthew 5:3-12, when we give our all, pouring ourselves out, He will exchange it for blessing!

So what actually happened?  I have been hearing God tell me, "your faithfulness will not leave you in poverty, and I want you to share this truth with others."  For me, that meant that adopting 2 children, to make a family of 6, on the same budget we were functioning off of for a family of 4, was an act of faith, and would not leave us in poverty.  I did not know what that meant, but I believed it, so much so that I started pursuing a non profit to help others believe that in their fostering to adoption journey.  Starting this non-profit would bring funds to help other families, but I could get no direct profits from it.  I have to start it anyway, others must know the grace and blessings of God.  So I did.  God saw, and He put it on the heart of the leaders of our church to bless us with a goodwill offering.  Within hours, it grew from the proposed goal of $5,500 to $20,000!  I'm believing for more.  This is for us and to multiply.  And, I'm believing God is going to give back to each giver, Luke 6:38, just as He has us.

Jaxon just woke up, and I told him, "God gave us money through the church to help build your playground, what do you think about that?"

His eyes lit up: "My clubhouse with a zipline and a slide and a swing!"  

Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  God gives us good things when we say "yes" to Him!