While the Moon Shines Through the Windows

Sometimes you just have to accept reality. Like right now.....I am awake at 1:14 am and have to be up in 4 hours - but my brain is fully alert and the last three hours of trying to sleep hasn't worked. So I might as well do something useful with my time. The reality is that I probably shouldn't have had a cup of coffee at 9:30 pm....but it sounded way too good to say 'no' to it paring perfectly with my gluten-free chocolate cake. But "reality", however, sometimes isn't what we can see. At times we just have to have faith even when His promises can't be seen in our lives today.

I've been thinking a lot about the characters in the Bible and their every day life. We only get glimpses of what happened. We don't get to see the minute by minute struggles they went through. How they wrestled....how they made it through....what things did they keep in front of them to keep going? I would love to just have a month to walk around with Abraham and see how he handled things and learn from him. He is stated many times in the Bible as a 'man of faith'. "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief" (Romans 4:20) - yet he also tried to take matters into his own hands with Sarah's maid servant. He is just one though there are so many others that gave their all for Christ. I have begun to realize....these people in the Bible weren't extraordinary...they were simply individuals who loved Jesus and chose to follow and believe Him when no one else would. The work God did in and through them was extraordinary - they were willing to do what He asked....they obeyed even if they went trembling....they believed Him to do the seemingly 'impossible' things. They trusted Him.

Following Jesus simply requires faith and trust in Him, as you walk in obedience to His Word. I think I tend to over complicate it to be something more.....if I am a font-lines missionary who is giving my all for Jesus then I'll be able to be a true disciple. That's not the path He has me on though....being His disciple means going where ever He wants me - not where I think I should be. If He wanted me to go to the front lines - He'd send me there - but no, He's called me here. I get to serve behind the scenes so many can serve on the front lines. Being His means more than what I can do for Him....in fact it really has nothing to do with that. God doesn't have to use me....but somehow He wants to....it brings Him joy bringing His kids into His work. He wants my heart, not just my service. He wants His name to be glorified in my life and people to know Him better by how they see Him in me.

See the goal isn't to get our lives together so we can live a happy life as believers. The goal is always Jesus...to be more like Him and to make Him known. Often times being made more like Jesus requires a lot of pain and suffering, for that is when our true nature is seen and God is able to mold us better. It is in our brokenness that He is able to remake us into a more clearer image of His Son. Whatever today holds, He is still God. He will use all things in our lives for good. Whether it's not sleeping at night or a hard relationship or losing a job or feeling like you don't know what to do or (insert the thing that seems biggest/hardest right now).....He has you. Don't give up. The light is breaking through the darkness. The darkness cannot stand with the Lord. Cling to Him as the trials come....He won't let you go....you will come out stronger ready to face the next mountain. Decide to follow Jesus, no matter what it looks like....you won't regret it. He's worth it.