Happy Birth Day!

Well, today is my birthday.  My day of birth.  The day God sent me to earth.  The day I began my journey back to Him.

Thankfully, I can say I have walked the path back to my Father, accepted Christ and have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

But the path doesn't end there.  Once I settled the decision of who I believe Jesus Christ to be, I learned I was a mere infant in my faith.  I was just beginning the most exciting part of my life and an adventure that has no ending.

The other thing I have learned is the adventure is only as wonderful as I allow.  This life with Christ is forever filled with choices.... my choices.

How much time will I spend with Him, getting to know Him and His voice?

How much will I trust Him?

How frequently will I say "yes" to what He asks of me?

How mature in my faith will I become?

How often will I be available for Him to use?

Last night I read:

Joshua 6:1-5  Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.  Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.  March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.”

I have read this many times.  Even taught this passage and acted it out with a group of elementary children before.  (That was way to much fun, I must say!)  However, yesterday I read this with new meaning.  I love how God's word is living and breathing and speaks anew to me over and over!  God is amazingly Good!

I had not thought of Joshua in terms of his military expertise and background.  The strategy that God proposed was nothing like anything in his military handbook or training.  In fact in the earlier passages God drastically reduced Joshua's army repeatedly. Given Joshua's experience, this strategy of God's might have seemed preposterous!

Definitely not the standard military battle plan.

But it is God's plan.  And that makes it perfect.

If Joshua had not spent time with God getting to know His voice, preparing himself for whatever God would ask of him, growing in spiritual maturity.... then the absurdity of this plan might have caused him to question himself right out of obedience.    He might have come up with his own "better" plan and not grown in trust and faith.

At the moment God calls you to something, ANYTHING..... whether it is to deliver a message that makes no sense to you, to become involved in situation where the world would say "you have no business there," wait for a love God will provide on His terms, take a stranger to dinner or walk around a fortress carrying horns and then after days shout for the walls to come down.... you must choose to take His hand and follow or not.

It doesn't matter the magnitude of the request, because in the moment when God calls, your heart will race, your head will be filled with questions and by the world standards the request rarely makes sense.

You will only know the voice, the Author of the instruction if you spend time with Him daily and know Him well.  Everyday, time must be spent developing this relationship or without question when we are called we risk missing the adventure with our Creator.  We simply won't be prepared to seek Him to calm our heart, to answer the doubts & questions and find the courage to be obedient. 

So, as I reflect on this last year and anticipate the next, I must ashamedly admit I have not spent the time I need to every day with my Father, I am thankful my passion is again burning bright and strong as I am pursuing and growing in my relationship with Christ with all that I am....EVERY DAY.

For this year to come I want to be prepared for every encounter with Christ!

I can't wait for what God has planned! 

Thank You, Father for Jesus Christ.  Thank You, Jesus for the Holy Spirit and thank You, Holy Spirit for the gift of daily guidance.  Thank You, Heavenly Father for the ability to choose what I believe and thank You for the life You have given me through my belief in Christ Jesus.  I pray this year I draw so close to You as touch the heels of Your feet with the tips of my toes as I walk in Your shadow.  My God, my Savior and my Guide I anticipate the coming year with You and desire to seek You in each moment.  You are my light and my life. Through Christ I come to You in thanksgiving.  Amen.