The way I read it, Sarah had 25 years from when she first moved from Egypt to a foreign land searching for God to when He showed up, and showed up with a word. It took one year for her promise to be fulfilled...getting pregnant to birthing. That's some serious acceleration.
If any of us have had wilderness experiences (I'm gonna assume that we all have), the 25 years seem really long. Searching...searching...is this You or is that You? Can I have this baby? Do I need to go enlist Hagar? What the heck am I doing?
Everyone has their own journey to find Faith. Each journey comes with its own set of questions and sometimes un-answers. Each journey comes with it's own potential setbacks or challenges. Each journey comes with it's own skeletons in the closet...needing to be uncovered and restored.
My assumption is that even with her faults, something about that 25 years of searching brought Sarah to a place where she was ready for acceleration. Sure, she failed. Not trusting God, she had Hagar try to have "her" baby. Not a great idea, caused a lot of trouble. But somehow, it must have strengthened her character. It must have strengthened her resolve, pushing her closer to God and closer to faith, and further from fear. Where did fear get her? Nowhere...except more heartache.
And, so, in this journey, she must have chosen to move forward.
Running toward The Promise.
Moving toward Faith.
It's a refining process. It's a gutting process. And during it, she and we, have choices.
How does fear become faith?
Embracing our enemies. Instead of seeing challenges, failures, and wounds as a sign of weakness...look at them as a sign of great Grace. God's power is made perfect in weakness. If we didn't encounter some type of difficulty, it doesn't give God the opportunity to pull us from the ditch, to utilize the beautiful gift of Good Friday, to understand the Love of Abba.
And in the transformation, He turns fear to faith.
And instead of looking at circumstances as ruling you, you rule them. You tell that lie to shove it. You take that awful circumstance, and you embrace it. Give it a big hug, get all those emotions out. Let 'em flow and then offer them up. And then, you say "thank you" for making me a more alive person.
And in each step, in each embrace, the faith arises. You gain more territory.
And the Promise gets closer.
The confirmation of the covenant between you and God, it becomes more confident. You become more confident. Not in your own abilities...
...but in the abilities of the One who made you.
And you get swept up. In a big heap of Grace and Mercy.
Enjoying the ride.
Watching it all fall into place.
Part III up next...(I have no conclusions. I'm still in Part II, but I'm re-writing my assignment, so I'll share it with you.....).
(corresponding song: I run to you by Lady Antebellum)
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