I love to read; I have read six books in the last five weeks, and just started number seven last night. I read for pleasure and for escape, but I also read for knowledge, and to gain wisdom. There have been times I have read books that I shouldn't have read; books that graphically paint pictures in my mind that shouldn't be there, or books that haunt me in my dreams. There have been times, more recently though, that God has led me to books about Him; books that draw me closer to Him, and reveal more and more of Himself to me. I wrote in an earlier post about my discovery of If by Amy Carmichael, but since then I have read Fearless by Eric Blehm, and I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh. Each of these books have touched me deeply, and have brought about an inward examination of my own heart.
Fearless is the true story of a Navy SEAL named Adam Brown who overcame obstacle after obstacle in his mission to live for Christ, and to do exactly what God had planned for his life; nothing got him down. Through addiction, injury and many swerves in the road, he pushed forward, fearlessly trusting God's leading, and ultimately laying his life down on the battlefield in Afghanistan.
I Dared to Call Him Father is the true story of Muslim woman in Pakistan who, through God's power in her life and in her dreams, came to know Jesus. She converted to Christianity; she faced abandonment by her family, being viewed as a traitor by the Muslims in her country, and threats to her life and to the life of her grandson who lived with her. It is an amazing account of how God walks with us daily, and how He still clearly speaks to us when we choose to listen and to follow His leading.
The reason I'm mentioning these two books is because for the past few days I have felt a strong sense of God working in me; these books have aided in what feels like a revelation that my heart is on the verge of making. I can't quite put into words...yet...what is going on inside of me, but I made a list of what my mind has been meditating on in the light of what these books have taught me.
Number One: Tell your story. We all have a story of God's grace in our lives. If we have had stumbling blocks we've overcome, addictions we've conquered, fears we've let go of, tragedies we've found ways to rejoice in, if we have witnessed and felt, first hand, God's work in our lives...we need to share it. I am in awe of these stories that I have read, and of the courage it took to share them with the world. They were used to change my life...what's God's story in your life? Could it be used to help someone else?
Psalm 145:3-7 says, "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness."
That pretty much says it all right there...I'm meditating on God's mighty acts and great deeds because those who have gone before me told me of the work He did in their lives. Thank you Father.
Number Two: Have no fear. The title of Fearless speaks to that end. Adam Brown, attacked every task given to him with no fear; he trusted that God was in control of the outcome...so did his wife who walked hand in hand with him through drug addiction and the military life. In I Dared to Call Him Father, Bilquis Sheikh says, "...I was learning what it was like to live from hour to hour. It was the opposite of worrying. It was waiting to see what He was going to allow. For I was convinced that nothing occurred without His permission....I would just live hour to hour, staying near Him." There is no fear when we trust in Him.
In Mark 5:36, Jesus is talking to a father who has just been told his daughter had died; Jesus says, "Don't be afraid; just believe." Jesus brought the girl back to life. He works in mighty ways when we put our fears aside and trust fully in Him.
Number Three: I am spoiled. I have no idea what real suffering is; I have been hurt emotionally...horribly... but ultimately, I have no idea what it's like to stand in a life or death situation having only God to rely on. What courage and Godly strength it must take to stand firm in spite of severe opposition and to know with extreme certainty that you are doing exactly what God wants you to be doing in that moment. To be squarely in His presence. I'm not discounting the "suffering" that I have encountered in my life (or you in yours), but to read of missions on the "front line"...whether in a physical war such as in Fearless, or a spiritual war such as in I Dared to Call Him Father...it puts life into a different perspective, and it opens your eyes to see how much more you could do in the name of Jesus. Step by step, through injury, and strongholds of addiction and fear, God will walk with us and guide us when we are obedient to Him.
Number Four: I need to get in tune with God. I want with all of my heart to hear His voice, and to follow it. Again, in I Dared to Call Him Father , Bilquis says, "Part of the key to staying in His company was obedience. When I obeyed, then I was allowed to remain in His Presence." To be so close to God and in such obedience to Him that I continually feel His Presence with me...how I long to have that...to be that person.
Number Five: "The Moses' Rod Principle". In I Dared to Call Him Father, Bilquis describes this "principle". She says, "When we pray, He wants to work with us...If I just put the problem in the Lord's hands without stepping out in faith myself, I might never have gotten the clearance (speaking of a document she needed to obtain). I had to step out and do everything I could... Just as God required Moses to strike the rock with a rod, He asks us, too, to participate in the working of miracles" (Numbers 20). God wants me to do my part in the fulfillment of His plan.
Number Six: Give 100% all the time. In Fearless, Adam Brown gave all he had in every situation; no matter how menial the task given to him, he jumped in with both feet and worked until it was completed. In I Dared to Call Him Father, Bilquis Sheikh walked away from everything she had ever know, her traditions and her family, to follow Jesus 100%. That's what God wants from us: every part of us...glorifying Him in all we do... Why is that so hard sometimes?
Number Seven: I need to let go of worry. Again, in I Dared to Call Him Father, Bilquis says, "This nervousness is not founded in You. I cannot trust You and worry at the same time!" I think I need to post that on every wall in my house. Worry is not of God. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
As all of these thoughts roll around inside of my mind and my heart, I am confident of this: When we lay everything aside, when we "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" (Hebrews 12:1), and when we, in obedience, step out in faith towards Him, we find that true joy can only be found in His Presence.
I am on a journey to live in His Presence; I long to fearlessly walk with Him always. How about you?
No comments:
Post a Comment