It's been a while since I last posted. Had a good streak going (about 100 weeks out of the last 106 or so) but I think God led me out into the desert for a few weeks to be tested and tried. The desert is a little dusty and the road not well paved but a few things really stand out there. First, you get hungry and you find out quickly were the food and water come from. Second, you drop a lot of excess weight because it's silly to carry a bunch of lead around in the desert. You carry what you need and leave the rest for the buzzards.
So what specifically have I learned during my little hiatus? Well, I'm not a spiritual giant but a needy little child of the Most High God. Not that I thought I was CS Lewis or the Apostle Paul but God reminded me that I rely on him for every nanosecond of my being, for every red blood cell that courses through my veins, and for every breath that passes my nostrils. He reminded me that the world is racing away from him at an increasing pace, Jesus is being stripped of his divinity, and the world's definition of Christianity is beginning to blur. He showed me that when I opened up the local paper to find a Sunday service there were "Christian" churches offering me psychic readings, interfaith prayer services, and yoga. He showed me that when I speak the name of Jesus it brought division if I wandered away from a few of the most pleasing and comforting verses. He reminded me that if we had read his prophetic word we wouldn't be surprised.
But then he showed me people who's hearts were hungry for him. Some who had seen their brokenness and sin then fallen with repentance at the feet of Christ and some who had a sense of God but just needed someone to give them some light. He showed me people who would hurt others for financial gain or for self satisfaction but then he reminded me how far I had fallen and how far he had raised me up. Then he told me to love. Not just when it was easy but especially when it was hard. He showed me how to pray for those who my fleshly man wanted to vilify. He faced me in the mirror to show me the plank in my eye then showed me that I needed to be very gentle at helping others remove the sawdust from theirs.
This past week has been especially difficult. I sat in a couple different nice hotels and opened up the travel guides on the coffee tables. I was told where to find the best strip joints. I'm sorry. They weren't strip joints but "Gentlemen's Clubs". I was told that if I was a guy who like guys then this was the city for me. I put down the city travel planner and flipped on the TV and was told that I could by an "Adult Film" and no one at the front desk would know. It didn't say whether or not my wife would know but I guess they didn't care. I had many options depending on my mood I guess and I could read a description of what I would be able to enjoy. I didn't think that that some of that was legal in most states. My heart was broken for what God must feel. I tuned off the TV and God showed me my past. Some very distant and some less distant then he reminded me of his grace. But I also had a very strong feeling that we weren't far from the end. Of course I won't be prophesying a date or hour because that would of course be blasphemous. But I saw the leaves change color and I felt the air cool so fall must not be too far away.
All this wind to say that God has given me new energy and a little fresh perspective. This weekend I look forward to some quality time with a few brothers and sisters who I know will join me in a little "Church". All that God has shown me hasn't caused me to feel defeated but fired up. Not an angry sort of fire but a fire filled with anticipation. God is in control now just as much as when Billy Graham filled stadiums with people hungry to hear the truth of his word.
Thanks for listening to me ramble tonight :)
Peace in Christ,
David
