I woke up before the sun, attune to the melody the Lord
was playing that I so often tune out with my thoughts. My senses were acutely
aware of my surroundings- the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves crashing to
shore, the pinks and oranges lining the horizon suggesting the rising of the
sun, the brisk air blowing through the door and wrinkling the sheets. I thanked
the Lord for my breath, only to find out that a few breaths earlier, my grandma
was receiving some hard news from the doctor—the same news that my grandpa had
received only a year before. It made me cling tighter to the gifts that were
around me. It was one of those sobering moments that remind me that my days are
numbered and life is a vapor.
An hour later, I toasted my friend over breakfast as we
overlooked the Med on the balcony. She asked what we were toasting to- a
question that caught me off guard- like there has to be an occasion to
celebrate. I believe we should celebrate because we are alive, because we have
the gift of breath, because the Lord is good.
We sat and watched the sunlight splash gold into the sea
as the waves rolled up to the shore. We ate like queens as we talked about how
unfair life was without her even knowing the news that I had received that
morning. Yes, we can gather that it is highly unfair. Only the night before, we
had sat on this same balcony discussing the joys, struggles, lessons and
memories of the past year and the promises, joys and expectations of the coming
year. We talked about places our feet had tread and stories of people who had
captured our hearts. We spoke of children in orphanages who emanated the joy
that each of us should carry, and of beggars on the street who have more hope
than those with large houses and a steady income.
The next day, I received news of a sweet new life brought
into the world as my cousin rejoiced over his first-born child born 8 weeks
early (thankfully healthy and beautiful). Hours later, I received news of a
friend I had grown up with going into emergency surgery for a head trauma he
had received after falling at work.
None of these circumstances phased me in the way that I
would assume they would. I claimed the healing of Christ over them right away.
I know the God who knit them together in their mother’s womb- the same God who
is called the great physician- the God who delights in miracles. To say that
worry wasn’t there would be a lie, but alongside that worry came a greater
peace.
At church that same weekend, the message was about David-
a man who fought lions and bears, battles and giants. David walked into the
battle with the giant, Goliath, proclaiming victory from the start. He looked
at the situation in front of him, came in the name of the Lord, and stood confident
in how it would end. He knew the Lord was with him. I realized in the midst of
the message that no battle is bigger than another. In our lives, more
practically, whether it’s a financial burden, an illness, or a seemingly small
problem, they are essentially all the same. We serve a God who will never leave
nor forsake us. We serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow-
He changes not. Even picture evidence from a doctor should not cause us to
flinch, because His character is not altered based on circumstance. The
mountains before us may seem to vary in size, but the outcomes are the same,
assured by a never changing God. He has guaranteed the victory.
I admit that I am not always instantly optimistic in the
face of adversity. I, like Joshua, sometimes need to be reminded by the Lord to
be strong and courageous. But then like David, I try to run towards the enemy
with a stone in hand, confident in the one who goes before me. I don't have to
sit in defeat or allow worry to tempt me to inaction.
I have been learning a lot from David in terms of coming
from a place of fullness that is derived from a deep intimacy with God. It's
easy to look at circumstances and want to walk the other way, but it takes a
confidence that comes from reaching into that deep well to face the mountains
and proclaim who God is. David recognized the many ways we can commune with the
Lord- as father, as provider, as shepherd, as friend, etc. He came to the Lord
with a yielding and surrendered heart and experienced joy, peace and worship in
the midst of trial and hardship. He came with the humility of a shepherd, and
the authority of a king. He meditated on the goodness of God and reminded
himself often of the things God had done. He ran in relentless pursuit of
knowing and understanding the heart of God, and despite his many shortcomings,
he was called a man after God's own heart.
In the midst of challenges, our character is built. When I
am learning things, God always seems to give me plenty of opportunity to make
sure that what I am getting revelation on is deeply engrained within me. It's
one thing for me to sit here claiming His goodness to whoever may read this,
but it means nothing unless I am living the truth of it on the other side of
the screen. Whether it's in joy and celebration or struggle and hardship, I
want to stand in intimacy with Christ and proclaim Him based on the truth that
I know, so through my character others are drawn to Him.
