A New Transition is the next part of the life series that started with Life and Shenanigans. In this we'll walk through what God has in store for the next 96 days before I am set to be in Oregon for YWAM. I can't wait to journey through the next 96...
Last month I went to an event called Winterfest with my youth group. On the second night the worship team sang a song called "come alive in the river."
One verse they sang went, "depression dies in the river. Cancer dies in the river. Hope arises in the river. Love abides in the river. Salvation is found in the river. Deliverance comes in the river." And so on and so forth. They sang that for at least half an hour.
Today, God revealed something to me. Yes, all those things come in the river, but the road to the river is painful.
I discovered that revelation as I was picnicking next to a tranquil creek. Sitting on the dry rock slabs in the creek drinking my fresh stream water and eating my orange was very relaxing. There was a sense of peace and renewel of spirit. My relaxing picnic on the creek didn't come easy though. It took an hour of hiking up and down steep inclines, tripping over tree branches, crossing foot bridges, and just all together physical misery.
Similarly, the road to God's river tends to be painful also. Before we can be healed, we have to be hurt. Before we can be delivered, we have to be imprisoned. Before we can find hope, we have to be hopeless. Before we can be renewed, we have to be exhausted. Before we can be saved, we must be lost.
While sitting in the river, my friend and I discussed Haggai chapter 2. Verse 9 says, "'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the Lord Almighty." She looked at me and said, "Taylor. It's a beautiful cycle. We leave the brokenness of the former house for the greatness of the present house, only to eventually find ourselves back in the former house. The beauty is God always brings us back into the greatness of the present house."
It's not easy, though. The Jew's of Judah had to be exiled, put under the rule of numerous wicked rulers over a number of years, rebel and be chastised only to continue to rebel. They had to rebuild a temple that had been in ruin for years. There were a number of things that they had to overcome before receiving the Promised Glory of the New House. However, after all the mess the postexilic Jew's went through, they finally entered the glory of the present house.
We too, can come alive in the river. We too, can enter into the glory of the present house. It's not easy. It's definitely painful. But it's totally worth it.
Lord, I thank You that though we continually fail, you allow us the promised glory of the New House. You love us through all of our crap and You bring, us through, Lord. Bring us to life in the river
(This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but it wouldn't let me.)
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