So last post I shared with you something that has been plaguing my thought life lately. I’ve been worrying about exiting this season and entering the next.
I’ve been worried and anxious. I have not been looking forward to the unknown.
A couple days ago, a friend replied to a hello I sent. Among other things, he said something I did not realize I needed to hear. I didn’t realize it until 2 days later (wow it felt so much longer than that).
I realized it as I’m sitting in the living room area this morning.
When I land on the tarmac in the States, Papa will not leave me at baggage claim. He won’t leave me and say, “Okay you made it back to your ‘home’, thanks for the adventure I just wanted to make sure you made it back here safe. I’m leaving you and staying abroad, because that’s where you can find me. You’ve got to leave the States again to find me. You’ll figure out what to do; you can call me, but I’ve got more important things to do and people to be with abroad. You’ve got people here, you’ll figure it out. Gotta run, bye.”
Essentially, this is what I was believing.
Shoot!
LIE!
He is Immanuel, God with us. God with me.
Not God with me when I’m abroad. Not God with me when I’m with a missions organisation. Not God with me when I’m far away removed from friends and family.
God with me.
Period.
There’s no requirement or other condition that must be satisfied for God to be with me.
He will not leave me or abandon me. [Hebrews 13:5]
He will not leave me high and dry. He is not absent b/c I will be returning ‘home’ or to what has been familiar. (Really though, what is familiar now was not familiar before)
He is with me b/c I am his kid and he loves me so much.
He loves me too much to leave me!
You know those people in your life that you don’t want to leave? Yea, that’s how Papa feels about me (and you). He loves me too much to leave me.
He’s got good and extravagant things for me! Location is not a condition.
Check out this emphasis from the Amplified Bible:
for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”
Shoot! Shoot down that lie I’ve been believing.
And now for the cliche verse about the future……Jeremiah 29:11!!! So predictable!
Gotcha! You already know that verse- I’m not minimizing it’s truth & relevance, but what about….
2 Peter 1:3&4.
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him (intimacy), the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us (already, take it!) great and precious promises.
NLT version: emphasis mine.
One of my teammates gave me this verse at the end of last month b/c he heard it from Papa for me.
Papa won’t leave me. Ever!
Thank you for revealing that lie I had been believing. Thank you for bringing the truth in to smash and replace the lie.
Am I still worried about life in the States, yeah, but not nearly as much as before. When lies are uncovered, it’s not like a magic wand is waved and all of the lie instantly leaves. It takes some digging.
——
Ever weeded a yard or garden before? When the gardener regularly weeds, the weeds are easily removed b/c the gardener finds them when they are small. The garden is tended often.
Maintain your garden.
Spend hours weeding.
Water and bring in good soil and good seed.
Tend to the plants, prune and give them attention.
Don’t neglect your garden. Know what’s growing in your garden. Don’t avoid maintenance.
A healthy garden is a result of patience, awareness, attention, discipline, value, pain & joy.
How’s your garden today?
