He was at home, in his own land,
Among family, surrounded by familiar
He nestled in the security of the known
Until God called to a life of wandering.
Abandoning all, He entered the unknown
With no map and no guarantees.
The wise played the fool, by faith
The master surrendered to another
The lord turned a wanderer, who left all
To follow an unseen God into the unknown.
I love Scriptures. I do not just study to know them, I long to live God’s Word. My ultimate dream is to experience God in His Word in every aspect of life. I have lived the impossible with Him and I know that God is as real as the breath that fuels my life, and His Word as true as God Himself. One of the Scriptures that fascinate me is;
“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full . . . .” Deuteronomy 6: 10-11.
I always wondered how possible is this Scripture? How can one live in a house he didn’t build or at least rent? How can you enjoy what you didn’t work for? As a child, the possibility is real because you live under the coverage of your parents but as a full grown adult, it is almost impossible to imagine. Nevertheless, I have learned that God’s Word is true. If there are limitation in our experiences, it is not because God cannot do what He has said in His Word. It is because we have not allowed ourselves to come into the place where we make ourselves available for His Word to be fulfilled.
We are so used to our way of life that we leave little or no room for new experiences. We have our dreams all planned out and we are unwilling to allow God or anyone to interfere with our schedules and mess the security we have weaved tight around our treasures. We feel uncomfortable with the unusual. We are unwilling to dare an adventure with the Lord. We prefer our comfort zones.
I was afforded the opportunity to experience the above Scripture. I got into a situation that my money and connections could not help. I was at the mercy of God. I could have made my decisions but His grace abounded toward me in that season to relinquish the reins into His mighty hands. Following His seemingly weird instructions that did not make sense at the time, like Abraham, I gave up my miserly securities, took my eyes away from my savings and abilities, and focused my all on Him. God led me to live luxuries I couldn’t afford. I ate my fill of fruits I didn’t labor to plant or harvest. I lived large but nobody who didn’t need to know knew. It wasn’t something to be flaunted, it was a gift I understood the Source, the cause, and cherished. I unbelievably had no address but there was no shame in the liberality of my Abba: God was my Shepherd and like Sheep, all I did was pack up and follow. By simply obeying God and following in His step, one day at a time, I lived larger than reality could afford.
It was not convenient. I had not travelled that road before so the unfamiliarity triggered fear and discomfort but every single day, I had to make the choice to trust and obey God or trust my instincts and follow my fears. I have followed the latter to no good. Once upon a time, I had been placed in a similar position but because I was too worried about tomorrow, I needed security, I craved guarantees, I was unable to relax and enjoy the blessings of that season.
When God brought me into the Promised Land this time, I refused to bother about tomorrow, about giants in the land, about what could be said of me and my unusual lifestyle, about what may or may not happen, and more especially of “After now, what next?” Rather than the previous encounter where I allowed worry to ruin my ability to enjoy blessings that make rich, I chose this time to ignore the wailing and clamors of fear and relaxed into the comforting arms of my Almighty Provider.
Like a sojourner, I learned to live every moment by faith. To live light and to live smart. To will myself to forgo the comfort of current location and pack up whenever that Ark lifts, to take up my baggage and follow as He leads. Our problem is that we want to settle. We long to be settled. But with God, it does not mean the same. It means to relish the present and yet live in constant readiness, willing to pack and move at His Word, as often as is required. It can be a very tough way to live but this time I chose and learned to thoroughly enjoy every moment of my sojourn and moves with Abba.
When we choose to walk closely with God, then we learn that we are pilgrims on earth, not settlers. We are going somewhere far from here. It is not until we understand this that we can afford to live in tents though we are rich. That is how we will not quickly forget where we are coming from or headed. Even in the Promised Land, we will take our eyes from ensnaring glamor of this life and lock them steadfastly on the face of Him who has called us, who leads us, who provides, and who will continue to order every step of our journey until we are home. Then we can understand that we are in the world, not of it, for a purpose that surpasses what we see and feel and think and want.
It is then that we can handle tremendous riches without being swept away by the enormity of treasures passing through our hands. That is when we can impact the world without being polluted by the things of the world. That is when we can penetrate darkness for God and in His name without being corrupted. As I walk with God, I learn that all I can have here is house: home is not here. You settle at home. Home is God, Home is with God, Home is in God. Our home is wherever our God is – the Father’s House.
I am learning every day that we can live heaven on earth. We live the Word of God if we dare to believe that we can receive those sure promises. We can enjoy plenty in scarcity, peace amidst troubles, and love despite hatred. The needy can find help and the lonely can discover trusted companionship as God becomes everything to whoever looks up to Him for every need. He has all it takes to pull it off for everyone who would dare to believe. And all it takes is faith: sincere faith that is not inflated by assumptions or misguided by presumptions. Faith that takes God’s word in its simplicity and believes in its totality. Every day I am learning that every Word of God is possible if we can believe it enough, surrendering to God our gnawing vulnerabilities, and trusting Him through inescapable uncertainties, in order to experience the potency. May you experience the Word made flesh in your circumstances, amen!
Glory!