Have you ever approached adversity in life with the faith that God would deliver you from its snares? There was no doubt in your mind that "the God who saves" (Ps.68:20) would swoop down with all of Heaven's Armies and whisk you away from destruction in epic proportions? I have, and God said "No".
Over a year ago my husband and I found ourselves being led into a new season of life and of ministry. We sought the Lord with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength. God said, "Leave the land of your Fathers", and so we made the necessary preparations to go and indeed we went.
We went with sorrow, we went with joy, we went with uncertainty, but above all else we went with assurance that the One who sent us would never leave us and His purpose would be fulfilled. We went because He first loved us and we desired nothing more than to obey his will.
The path led us to the edge of "There's no turning back", then hid itself in the "Land of the lost". We felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under us as we struggled to make sense of our best laid plans now crumbling in around us. Doors slammed shut in our face--purpose and provision seemed to perish before our eyes. What in the world is going on, God? What have we done? What didn't we do? Where do we go from here? Lord.....please?
We did all we knew to do: We pulled out the camp chairs, a bible and a drink of water and sat along the path waiting on the Lord while we watched others on their journey, passing us by. Many that passed shared in our sufferings, expressing love and compassion, some only ridiculed, but still we sat. We sat in sorrow, we sat in joy, we sat in uncertainty, we sat in confusion, but above all else we sat with assurance that the One who set us on this path would never leave us and His purpose would be fulfilled.
On the edge of "There's no turning back" the ground cannot be trusted. It shows no discretion in whom it crumbles beneath and crumble it did. Things seemed to go from bad to worse and like a inconsiderate passerby disturbing a thoughtful game of dominoes, we watched as a life time toppled, piece-by-piece. We asked God to pick up the pieces and believed that he would, then watched and waited as our life lay in ruins.
Continuing to live, to breath, to pray, to serve, because He first loved us, time went on....and so did the pain. The world has a manner of business all its own regardless of who you are or what your story is and will carry out its business with cool-swiftness. The world showed up in our mailbox one day in the form of a foreclosure notice. It seemed like a joke, and so we laughed, but the world did not reciprocate. Then it seemed like a nightmare and so we cried.
We cried out of sorrow, we cried out of despair, we cried out of uncertainty, but through our tears we had assurance that the One who sits on His throne put us on this path and His purpose would be fulfilled. We trusted that the God of the eleventh hour would come. We believed He would arrive to save us from this peril just in the nick of time. We prayed, we pleaded, we praised...yet deliverance did not come.
Time passed and windows of opportunity closed. Life as we knew it was officially over and it was time to move on into the new "unknown", and so we wept. We wept a silent weeping for the past and for the future. We wept out of loss, we wept out of uncertainty, we wept from feelings of failure, we wept because our hearts were broken, we wept because God said, "No". We wept until we fell asleep.
Waking up in our new life we were greeted by freedom, peace and contentment. Strolling down the hall of the unknown, we were greeted by the One who had never left nor forsaken us. Instructing us to put on new garments of purpose and provision, he took the old and tossed them into the trash. He promised that he would not waste our suffering and beauty would rise from the ashes. Sweeping away the uncertainty and despair that hid the path, he took us by the hand and led us back on the journey.
We start this new journey with joy, we start it with gratitude, we start with uncertainty, but above all else we start with assurance that the One who sends us has, in fact, never left us and His glory will most certainly be revealed. We start because He first loved us, he is our joy and even when he says "No", we will lift our hands and praise him. We start because the same God who led us in led us out again and that same God is available for you.
A True Story,
Julie Peyton
Founder, Fit for the King Ministries International
Over a year ago my husband and I found ourselves being led into a new season of life and of ministry. We sought the Lord with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength. God said, "Leave the land of your Fathers", and so we made the necessary preparations to go and indeed we went.
We went with sorrow, we went with joy, we went with uncertainty, but above all else we went with assurance that the One who sent us would never leave us and His purpose would be fulfilled. We went because He first loved us and we desired nothing more than to obey his will.
The path led us to the edge of "There's no turning back", then hid itself in the "Land of the lost". We felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under us as we struggled to make sense of our best laid plans now crumbling in around us. Doors slammed shut in our face--purpose and provision seemed to perish before our eyes. What in the world is going on, God? What have we done? What didn't we do? Where do we go from here? Lord.....please?
We did all we knew to do: We pulled out the camp chairs, a bible and a drink of water and sat along the path waiting on the Lord while we watched others on their journey, passing us by. Many that passed shared in our sufferings, expressing love and compassion, some only ridiculed, but still we sat. We sat in sorrow, we sat in joy, we sat in uncertainty, we sat in confusion, but above all else we sat with assurance that the One who set us on this path would never leave us and His purpose would be fulfilled.
On the edge of "There's no turning back" the ground cannot be trusted. It shows no discretion in whom it crumbles beneath and crumble it did. Things seemed to go from bad to worse and like a inconsiderate passerby disturbing a thoughtful game of dominoes, we watched as a life time toppled, piece-by-piece. We asked God to pick up the pieces and believed that he would, then watched and waited as our life lay in ruins.
Continuing to live, to breath, to pray, to serve, because He first loved us, time went on....and so did the pain. The world has a manner of business all its own regardless of who you are or what your story is and will carry out its business with cool-swiftness. The world showed up in our mailbox one day in the form of a foreclosure notice. It seemed like a joke, and so we laughed, but the world did not reciprocate. Then it seemed like a nightmare and so we cried.
We cried out of sorrow, we cried out of despair, we cried out of uncertainty, but through our tears we had assurance that the One who sits on His throne put us on this path and His purpose would be fulfilled. We trusted that the God of the eleventh hour would come. We believed He would arrive to save us from this peril just in the nick of time. We prayed, we pleaded, we praised...yet deliverance did not come.
Time passed and windows of opportunity closed. Life as we knew it was officially over and it was time to move on into the new "unknown", and so we wept. We wept a silent weeping for the past and for the future. We wept out of loss, we wept out of uncertainty, we wept from feelings of failure, we wept because our hearts were broken, we wept because God said, "No". We wept until we fell asleep.
Waking up in our new life we were greeted by freedom, peace and contentment. Strolling down the hall of the unknown, we were greeted by the One who had never left nor forsaken us. Instructing us to put on new garments of purpose and provision, he took the old and tossed them into the trash. He promised that he would not waste our suffering and beauty would rise from the ashes. Sweeping away the uncertainty and despair that hid the path, he took us by the hand and led us back on the journey.
We start this new journey with joy, we start it with gratitude, we start with uncertainty, but above all else we start with assurance that the One who sends us has, in fact, never left us and His glory will most certainly be revealed. We start because He first loved us, he is our joy and even when he says "No", we will lift our hands and praise him. We start because the same God who led us in led us out again and that same God is available for you.
A True Story,
Julie Peyton
Founder, Fit for the King Ministries International
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