Hiking In Zion... Beautiful, Beautiful Zion

It's easy to lose one's footing on the pathway of life.  One misstep and we can find ourselves plummeting into the ravines of  despair, anger, addiction, or a number or.other possibilities. 

But God, He always makes a way. 

A few months ago I found myself hiking in Zion National Park.   The trail to Emerald Pools seemed rather crowded, but people were moving at a steady pace.  Suddenly, the trail came to a deadlock and fell silent.  That's when I saw them; a couple mule deer crossing the path and headed up the side of the mountain this  mere human wouldn't dare tread.  Then in the silence, I heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit speak. 

Pay attention dear daughter.  Watch how the deer step.  They walk in faith, not fear knowing I have made their footing sure. 

Looking at the deer I couldn't help but breathe a prayer of gratitude for God's provision.  The previous month I sure had lost my footing, but I didn't plummet.  Like the hiking poles that kept me stable on the trails, God used numerous supports to help me not only stand, but continue to walk.  He used people galore; friends, family, the body of Christ (which is a very special family), coworkers, and even strangers. He used nature to speak when the words of others didn't seem to carry a message that could reach my aching heart. He used random messages, memes, posts by others, and of course His Word.

 

20/20 Vision

As a new decade roars into the history books, many tweets and posts accompany it playing off the numbers 2020.   Emma from Friends turns 18 this year, Maddog 20/20 claims it is their year, and Barbara Walters utters her famous words, "This is 2020."   One can't help but think of 2020 without vision coming to mind regardless of how cliche it is! 

Most of us have vision of some sort, but is it 20/20?  Too often mine can be fuzzy and I can barely make out the images.  Like the blind man who Jesus healed in Mark 8.  "I see people, but they look like trees walking around."  Anxiety and fear create shadows and I am certain I am going to plumet to my death if I take the next step.   My vision can be more 20/100. 

Jesus doesn't want me, or you, to stay there though.  He wants to give us 20/20 vision.  Clarity.   He did it for the man in Mark 8.  When the man saw the trees, Jesus put his loving hands on the eyes of the man and restored his vision and the man saw things clearly.  Like Jesus healed the man's vision in stages, God doesn't always make everything perfectly clear all at once because He does want us to walk in faith.  The closer we get to the image the clearer it becomes.   

Dr. King said, "Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."  This year, may you keep taking the next step regardless of how much of the staircase you see because you see clearly the One who is holding our hand the entire path and it is a path He created and if He created it then it is good.

Daddy,

For so many of us things are murky.  Anxiety and fear robs us of clarity.   Hurt and anger steal the vision you have for us.  This year, God, I beg you to give clarity to your children.  I ask for clear hearts and clear minds and clear visions.  Let us trust in you the author and perfector of our faith and trust in the vision you reveal to us- not just for what you are doing, but in who you are are, and the plans you have for our lives.  Let us draw nearer to you to see you clearer and rest in your kindness, goodness, love, joy, peace, patience, and holiness.  Let us see your mission for us clearly and see you clearly as you walk with us.  Let us see clearly the lies of the evil one and the warfare that surrounds us and see clearly the legion of angels you have towering over the lies and fighting on our behalf.   Show us Lord your way! 

In Jesus Name,
Amen

First Steps

My Beloved Child,

For years, you have been on a journey to learn to trust more.  Your lack of trust has impacted every aspect of your life.  You hold onto things and people in fear because you don't trust to release them to me.  You think the higher paycheck or the person who is clearly not the right one for you will bring you peace and contentment, but they don't.  Only I can do that.   The answer is to trust me.
I know you love me.  It is clear in your prayers, it is clear in the way you share your faith with others, it is apparent when you surrender to me in worship, but that's not enough.  It is possible to love me without trusting me, but you will never experience the fullness of what I have in store for you until you surrender to me in complete trust.  
Think about the first steps of your children.  They toddled around and held onto your fingers as they traversed the terrain of a new adventure.   What if they never let go?  Can you imagine the absurdity of your twenty-five year old still holding your fingers as he walked?  You sat right there beside each one of them as they took those first steps ready to catch them if they fell.  Then, you pulled back a little and watched them soar, but they had to let go.   They had to look you in the eye and know you have them when they fall and not shrink back from the steps they were destined to take out of fear.  How is your walk any different?  
Look at Peter, he trusted me for a moment.   He stepped out on the water in, not only faith, but complete trust.  Once his faith, his belief in Me wavered, his trust soon followed and he took his eyes off me and the waves overtook him.   The other disciples, they sat in the boat.  They loved Me too.  Nobody questions that love, but where was their faith and their trust?   It doesn't matter--- they were not called to take that step--- only Peter was.   Learn from him.  Let your love for me be the fuel to trust me implicitly.   Don't take your eyes off for even a moment for when you do, well, you know the outcome.  One last thing about Peter, notice I didn't let him drown.  I grabbed hold of him and the faith of all the disciples increased.  They said, "You really are the Son of God."   They loved me already, but their faith grew that day.  Partly because Peter stepped out of the boat to come to the one he loved, through faith, as an act of TRUST.   Won't you do the same?  


Trust me.  I've got you!

Love,
God