Saturday Rerun: August 26, 2008

The following is a post I wrote roughly one month after I moved from San Jose to Rocklin. If you've ever taken a gigantic step of faith, you rarely experience the payoff immediately. If you're anything like me, (God help you), you go through a period of time asking yourself, "are you SURE you did the right thing?" The following post was in the midst of one of those moments, and God once again calmed me and assured me that no matter what it is, no matter where it is, obeying God is always the right thing.

Amazing Love

You know, I really have to apologize to God sometimes. I'm not talking about asking for forgiveness for some horrible act. What I'm talking about is the ways I seem to forget about His nature and underestimate him. One thing that drives me nuts is being underestimated. When someone who I think ought to know me better just doesn't get me when I think they should. That hurts me personally.

I've been a Christian now for 25 years. You'd think stuff about God just wouldn't surprise me anymore. You'd think I'd simply come to expect Him to meet me where I am when I stop and put myself in a position to have such a meeting.

Today marks one month in Rocklin for me. As I sit in my office, I looked at my bookshelf and noticed my Oswald Chambers book, My Utmost For His Highest. I've had this book for many years. I used to read it every single day, but I must confess, it's been quite awhile since I've cracked it open. I silently challenged God to defy the odds and have today's entry be somewhat relevant to where I am in my life today. I mean, c'mon...it's probably going to be something about loving your wife, tending sheep, running a marathon or some other equally irrelevant thing when looking at my life.

Psst, here's a tip. When challenging God at something, the smart money is on Him.

Click here to read today's entry for yourself. This is one of those cases where not only did God give me a word that speaks directly to me, I'm almost convinced this entry applies to me only. I mean, everyone knows this stuff, right? Heck, I'm pretty sure I know it. But at the same time, I really needed to read this today.

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, and it's only been going since July 8, you probably sense that I'm in this intense faith phase. But faith isn't really faith if it comes with worry and stress. Do you really trust someone when you hand them the keys to your car and they have to pry them from your white-knuckled kung fu grip? Faith must be accompanied by peace. There are times when I'm completely surrendered and at peace. Then there are other times when I'm clenched up in my spirit.

This is yet another example of how good it is for all of us that I'm not God. If I were Him, I would have made one significant pillar of salt out of someone like me.