Even though

Watering:

So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
though for forty years they saw what I did.

Watching:

 

“… during the time of testing”  the Lord gave proof of his faithfulness, proof of his provision and proof of his care and guidance. Daily in-your-face proof.

“… during the time of testing”  the Lord was patient (in that forbearing way of his). He had a bigger plan, an eternal plan – but the Israelites couldn’t see beyond their noses.

“… during the time of testing” God saved, fed, watered, and clothed his children.

And yet, even though they saw what He did for forty years

 

… they never really saw past their bellies.

 

Wondering:

So what about me?

For 56 years, God has surrounded me with his faithfulness and for 33 of those years I’ve wrapped myself warm in the blanket of His name.

But even though, for these many years I have seen what He’s done, like the children of Israel,

… too often I grumble and complain, looking for the cheese to go with all my whine

… too often I forget the parted waters, the manna, the quail, the shoes that never wear out… the pillow under my head, the sun streaming through my window, the wonder of breathing without thought

… too often I forget that my “promised land” is right in front of my eyes, smack dab in the middle of my camp:

God with me.

Not what He gives, but who. He. is.

He is my promise maker,

my promise keeper

… my Dad, leading me home.

and His presence alone is my promised land.

 

Waiting:

Lord, I will remind myself of all that you’ve done, and all that you are. You are God, alone, and I will praise you.

 

Watering Today

Hebrews 3; Isaiah 8,9,10

 

 

 

 

Everything We Need

Watering:

This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you.

Watching:

The Promised Land. A dream come true, (finally!)… laid out before them in all its glory.

Let’s just forget the fact that there’s a flooded river to cross, and all the mighty “Ites,” in all their fortified cities, are waiting around each turn…

… and did you see the giants?!

Yikes!

This time the people of Israel aren’t leaving their enemies behind them under a wind swept sea – no, this time they are headed toward them.

And this time the mighty Moses isn’t leading them.

And this time God’s guiding and guarding pillar of cloud is gone from their view.

Seemingly all they have now is a promoted, puny-in-comparison servant, and a weighty (in more ways than one) stone tablet, that’s housed in a teetering ark of promise.

…

Ah, but what they really have now is all. they. need.

… a sold-out servant,

God’s living Word,

and God’s powerful and perfect Presence.

 

Wondering:

It’s one thing to be getting away from an enemy. It’s quite another to be heading toward one.

A promised land, full of enemies and armies and giants , oh my!

How can this be God’s leading? Seriously. Where’s the manna? Where’s the quail? Where’s the everlasting shoes?!

… Where’s Moses?

How many times have I thought, “Surely this land is not where God was leading!” ? How many times have I questioned the struggle and looked right and left for a quick escape… instead of looking for the way through? How many times have I looked ahead and just wanted to give up before even taking the first step?

Don’t get me wrong,  there’s wisdom in walking circumspectly, in seeking favor, and in repenting those too-many ‘missteps’ that can detour us along the way.

But often our Promised Land just doesn’t look the way we imagined.

And often our whining and complaining taints the beauty of the promise.

And often we’d just rather duck our head in the sand.

Because too often we forget that:

God is greater.

His Presence leads.

His Word guides.

He never leaves us, nor forsakes us

… He is Emmanuel, God with us.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 49:10
They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

 Isaiah 52:12          “But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

There is nowhere we can go

NOWHERE

that the Lord our father – our promise keeper, our dragon slayer – has not gone before us

… or guarded closely behind.

 

Yes siree… in Him, we have everything we need.

 

Waiting:

Lord, when the enemy chases, and when the enemy waits, I will follow and I will trust you. Because you, Lord, love me, guide me. You make me a feast in the presence of my enemy and cause me to rest by still waters.

If you are for me, than who can be against me? No one.

Where can I go to escape your presence? No where.

You never leave me or forsake me. No way.

No matter where the road will lead. You, and ONLY you are the promised land – forever mine. Forever home.

Watering Today

http://youtu.be/F6oxXwRWFTo (overwhelmed)

through the eyes of a grasshopper

Watering:

 We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.

 Watching:

God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt – to the brink of His promised land. Just a skip, hop and a jump away.

Their job was to go check it out, bring back a sampling of its fruit, and report their findings.

…And they did.

But the fruit that filled their baskets, didn’t compare to the fear and grumbling that filled their heart.

They saw giants, and fortified cites. LOTS of them. They saw doom and gloom draped in fear.

… And they saw themselves as grasshoppers:

 Puny. Helpless. Ready to be squashed.

Wondering:

If you’ve been around this “God stuff” for a while… you know that this story is about seeing things through God’s eyes and, like Joshua and Caleb, coming back with a “good report” when obstacles seem too great.

It’s about Joshua and Caleb teaching us to see past  the “piddling” logistics of enemies and fortresses – and see instead, God’s Promises … ready and waiting to be taken, unwrapped and enjoyed.

 

Yet as I read this today, it dawns on me for the first time, that not only did Joshua and Caleb see beyond the thugs into the overflowing milk and honey of God’s gift,

but they must have also seen themselves as God saw them.

 They must have been listening to the good report about themselves as well.

 

… No grasshopper perspective from these guys!

 

Waiting:

 Lord, it is time to tune out all other input about me except yours. That includes: my own, the media’s, ANY comparison, and ALL of Satan-snide potshots even if they ring of Truth (because we all know he is master bender-deceiver in that arena.)

Today Lord, I want to know and feel like your child, your prized princess, the object of love so great it laid on the altar of the cross to buy entry to your arms.

Let me see your promises and provisions laid before me – beyond the giants. But also, more importantly I think, let me see your promises in me… your prized daughter.

And today, Lord, I will bring back a good report – filled with the stories of my Knight in Shining armor slaying dragons at my feet. I’ll see fruit collected and fortresses torn down. And in my tiny, beloved grasshopper heart, I will erect into a kingdom worthy of the Hero you are.

Watering Today

Prov 25; ps 25, 125; Leviticus 15-17; Acts 18