"I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." Luke 19:40
It would be a sin for me not to share the way the Lord has been providing for Stephanie and I these past few weeks. The Lord has used some unexpected "problems" to get us to rest on Him for His provision.
Last week, BigBlueHat was supposed to be publishing its first e-commerce site. Everything was in place, all we thought we'd have to do is "flip the switch." Turns out, one has to be a certified flip-switcher before that can happen.
We were told the certification process would take 6-8 weeks. That was about 6-8 weeks longer than we had expected. After a few sales calls, it looked like we had a Plan B available that would cut the time down to 1-2 weeks. The time frame was much more to our liking, so after some prayer we jumped. I'm confident the Lord has used every piece of this circumstance to focus us on Him.
After jumping, we found out (Monday of this week) that Plan B was actually (due to one of the companies current work load) going to take the same amount of time as Plan A. Tuesday came. We prayed some more and decided to go with Plan A. We had already started the transfer of $199 to facilitate Plan B. After some research, we found that if we were going to get any use out of our $199 investment, we'd have to spend at least another $195 (ask me about Merchant accounts some time).
The Lord gave us grace and strength. We were able to call the company we had spent the $199 with and cancel our order. To the Lord's praise, that company doesn't actually fulfill transactions until the first of each month. We were able, by God's grace, to cancel the order and never spend a dime.
His way is perfect. In the midst of all this he has pushed us farther than we thought we could go, brought us to a new horizon of expansion (being certified with a major payment gateway), and increased our faith 100 fold.
I did find that after circumstances became a little more "stable," that I began to put my faith back on the shelf and start to worry about what to do next. I know my Lord is greater than myself. I know that He provides food and clothing for His children. I just never thought I'd have trouble believing that.
If you ever catch me worrying, ask me who owns my business.
lutron {loo'-tron}
AV - ransom 2
from Strong's Concordance
"Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." -- Colossians 1:28-29 (ESV)
Verse 29 caught my attention this week. The antecedent of "this" is "warning everyone and teaching everyone." The purpose behind warning and teaching them is solely "that we may present everyone mature in Christ."
In the verses before, Paul explains the ministry he has been given: "to make the word of God fully known." This mystery was previously hidden from them, but was then newly revealed to God's saints.
Since Paul's ministry generations of Gentiles have come and gone. Some have heard the word of Truth and came to understand the "riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." We have a responsibility now to proclaim Him, "warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom."
"For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me." That thought changes everything. We sell ourselves short in His service by expecting ourselves alone to carry the load in His service. He's never asked us to do that. Paul says, "I toil." How did he toil? "Struggling with all His energy." Christ is omnipotent; He has unlimited energy. The source is adequate. Paul then says, "that He powerfully works within me." It has already happened, or rather, is happening.
We have everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), but here we sit. I often find myself explaining to my conscience and the Spirit why I fail. It too often includes to many, "but I'm not.." or "If only I had..." Both of these stand in denial of "His energy that powerfully works within" us.
We have what we need.
Because we are in Christ we are seated with Him in the heavenly places. Our membership in His body puts us currently in Heaven. Even though we live on this earth and are in exile and parted from the One we Love, we are still with Him spiritually. When Christ pleads for us to the Father we are there as well. When He tells with joy of the sanctification of His Bride we are there. When He is saddened by our failing to serve Him we are still there kept in His Love.
"With" in that verse seems to have more transcendent kind of meaning. Not just the "with" of physical proximity, but the "with" of our position and place as His Bride.
"Seek first the kingdom..."
Things never slow down around here. The semester is now in full swing and everyone is beginning to look tired. The weekends are getting shorter and shorter. In the midst of all of this excitement we often lose our focus.
"and all these things will be added to you."
As our focus drifts we begin striving harder to retain the peace that we had before. The gifts God provides go beyond just spiritual comfort. He is actually promising us earthly provision. "Our daily bread" is just the beginning. He doesn't stop there. Christ promised that those who would forsake houses, lands, and family for His Kingdom would gain "in this time" a hundredfold (with persecutions) and "in the age to come eternal life."
If our focus were on "living Christ" and not on just "living," these weary days of the semester would seem much different. I can't promise that things will slow down, or that you'll miraculously have more time. I can, however, proclaim that there is no greater love than what comes from our Heavenly Father. His provision for us reaches into realms we've never dreamed of.
To all of you then who are looking for some solace this week, take comfort in the promise of Matthew 6:33. I also highly recommend the cross references. 8o)