A Land That is No More

Read: Genesis 41-42 & Psalm 10-11

“O LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble, You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.” Psalm 10:17-18

Examine:

A humble heart that is sold out to a mission that is close to the heart of God can rely on the vindication, provision, and protection of God.

Apply:

There are days that I forget why I am doing what I am doing. There are moments when I longingly look at the life I once had, the dreams I once pursued, and the comforts to which I once clung. Being a normal man, living a normal life, and pursing the normal American dream seems like a good promise some days. I look at that season of my life and honestly desire to have it for my family and myself. It becomes tempting sometimes to turn around, shrink back, and just go back to living life.

But, turning around, shrinking back, and returning to the former things are not an option. That life is easy to glorify. When I do this I forget the emptiness I once felt. I loose sight of the revelations God gave that moved me to where I am. My eyes have been opened the condition of the oppressed. My ears have heard the screams of the orphaned. My heart has accepted the call of my Father to surrender my pursuit of my own glory to be fully devoted to seeing His glory come to the least of these. There is no turning around. There is no shrinking back. Normal life is a land that is no more.

Pray:

I have to ask Your forgiveness. I have been longing for things that lie outside of Your direction for my life. Grumbling against where You have me is simply stated as being sin. What is my life to me? I have given it away to You and asked You to do with it as You please. I have died to myself and as we both know a dead man does not have rights.

Strengthen my heart today, sharpen my vision and ignite my passion. Let the cries of the oppressed continue to stir Your Spirit within me and help me to rest knowing that You have already stored away the provision that is required to accomplish the mission You desire of me. As I step towards the terror of men and the pain of the afflicted I ask that You preserve my wife and kids. Make my house a place of peace and rest. I pray that my children will experience the coming months and years in a manner that will draw them into Your heart and that they will not resent the call You have on our lives. I ask that the legacy of my family in the generations to come be a family that loves You, serves You and fights for those who have no voice.