God, I humble myself before you and your love tonight as I type this. I am humbled by the fact of my salvation and place with you tonight, in your love, in your perfect presence. To draw breath, to have a home that is not divided, to have the comfort of a roof over my head and food in my pantry. Lord many people lost everything last week with Hurricane Dorian. So close to home in the Bahamas people lost their lives, lost their homes, lost family and children who will never draw another breath, and will never have the same home they once had before. When I think about disaster, I also think what if I was there, about to lose everything, and possibly my life. Given my circumstances I realize the privilege I have, having a home, to have a family, to have comfort, and security. Disasters and the news of disaster humble my heart and bring me to my knees in your presence. I pray for healing, for revival, for the people whose lives have been destroyed turn to you for peace, for patience, for understanding, for security when there are no longer walls to call their own.
Even if, even if it were me, would I be okay? Would I fear the storm? Would I let the fear and worry of death flood my heart instead of the presence of the father? I can say I wish I would stay strong; I wish I would just praise him through it, and I believe we are all capable of this strength as Christians. When storms come in many forms in our life, we run from them, are tossed by them, and are distracted from the beauty and blessing in the present moment because of our perspective on God and our lives. Some of us as a culture and as Christians in the west have a wrong perspective towards our salvation. It’s time we started living with eternity with Jesus in our perspectives. Eternity. Even if I die tomorrow, I’ll be okay, I’ll be with the father in heaven. Even if my comfort, my home, my life is destroyed, it’s okay, I’m with the Father. I’ve called myself a follower of Christ and want his love and peace and presence that IS more powerful than any other force on this planet, but am I willing to give up everything to follow him? The world tells us to follow yourself, or follow anything you want, but having a taste of Jesus I can never ever return to my old life. To a life of selfishness, rooted in personal desire and sin that births only death and isolation, the opposite of what the soul is seeking and needing. Living with eternity in mind, even on earth I am constantly with the father. When we spend time with God his love overflows our hearts, overflows our souls with joy and peace, and we confidently walk out into the world with a sort of armor which is exactly love itself. Serving Jesus is wearing an armor which is love. Love is our armor. Love is our security. It’s not our homes, It’s not our tv sets, it’s not our future tomorrows and goals, no. It’s not our ideas of success and desire, no. The longer we spend time in God’s presence we become one with his heart, which is unconditional love – a love that fills us with an endless wonder, an endless peace, an endless pleasure that is not found in anything this world or yourself alone could offer.
My prayer for the World Race for myself is that I become love. I become so full of love from God that It’s all that comes from me anymore. I can’t identify with myself, the old Brent who was broken, a slave to sin, a slave to desire, to his own plan, but only to love. Love is all I am. I hope the world race will test my heart constantly, asking the question “are you present with God” in every morning. I want to start my day with that question, in order to be flooded with his love, therefore, to never miss an opportunity to love someone, and possibly bring them to God. That’s the goal as followers of Jesus. It’s not about us, it’s not about our own personal peace, or joy we’ve received. No, it’s about laying down our lives and ego’s for God’s kingdom, in order to save another. That’s what God did for us. He sent his only son whom he loved to take our place upon the cross as the ultimate sacrifice. It is finished!!! All we must do is spend time in his presence and surrender to love. God’s plan is ultimately bigger, more joyful, more fruitful, more eternal and wonderful than any plan of this world or of my own heart could be and THAT’S THE TRUTH :)!!!!!!
Again it comes back to perspective. Even if my life ends tomorrow, even if my home falls apart, even if I lose everything this World has to offer – is my heart still set upon the Father. My eyes fixed upon his beautiful face. A face of unyielding love, peace, security, and salvation that last for Eternity. What would it look like as believers if we started to live like we were promised eternity with Jesus? If we knew daily, he is preparing a place for us in Heaven for eternity for us. That EVEN IF my life were to end tomorrow, I would be with him still. No matter the storm, no matter the destruction Jesus has never, and will never leave my side. If we live with this perspective it floods our lives with purpose. The purpose is the people around me. The community I live in, the family I have near me, the people I encounter who don’t know Jesus yet. All opportunities to bring people to salvation and the same relationship with God that I have through his love. It’s all I have. It’s all we have, it’s all any of us have is this present moment. Even as your reading this there will never be a better moment to love the people around you and turn to God for the strength, the confidence, and the peace to do so. This is what my heart desires most, to be filled with love until I have nothing else but Jesus. Give me Jesus. I’ll lay down my life for others because Jesus did it for me.
Moving forward with the World Race, I know it won’t always be easy. Having a perspective set on the Father and his love will sustain us through any storm we face out there on the field. Always we are better as a team, as a community, as a unit, unified in love. That’s why God gives us each other and I cannot wait to pour into my squad and the people god gives me along the Race. We as followers of Christ are at war with evil, with death, with despair and grief. We have a very real enemy who is constantly at work, and we have the duty and responsibility to surrender our own desire to God, so we can not only love, but love intentionally, wisely, not missing a single thing.
Even if, even if it all goes away, I’ll still dance for God. I’ll still dance and sing for his glory. Through the love of God and his presence my fear, my confusion, my cloudiness, all dissipates, and I’m left with love. A love like no other in this Universe. A love that sustains. A love that never fails. A love that will break down any walls the prince of this world has built between us. Let us fight the good fight, and always give the glory to the Father. It’s a privilege to be in his presence. Even if you’re all I have, it’s more than enough. Thank for everything Jesus, I love you.
Love you all, thanks for reading – Brent <3
“We come on in, come on in, to the throne of Grace
For he made a way, he made a way, with his blood and body”
