An Appointed Time, for Every Purpose Under Heaven

There is a time to advance and a time to retreat, there is a time to press and a time to pass. There is a time to remember and a time to forget! There is a time to forgive, and a time to hold accountable – and often relationships those are combined.

There comes a time in some of life's toughest battles, wherein, when one has fought as valiantly and as long as one's strength remains, he or she finally admits defeat, even if only temporarily! And then, with a heavy but resolute heart, knowing that they did the best they could, and gave the best they had, one must cut the losses and moves on!

We can not expect to win every skirmish – I have lost friends and loved ones to cancer, and death in other forms – I still don't know if it was a “faith failure” or something else. But, even when it seems that we have lost that battle to the enemy, we must still have faith in the One who has already won the war! If we hold onto Him, it will all come out alright in the end, on that final day, there will be victory for those who have loyally followed, the best they could, and submitted to His help and transformation! We will be vindicated, and our enemy eradicated! Hallelujah!

But for now, the point is not to always look victorious. It is to rest in His victory as our own. The point is not to win kudos with men. It is to receive His crown of victory, which He gives to those who persevere to the end! With God the process is 9/10ths of the grade! How we act through the process, how we trust through the process, and if we hold on all the way through and don't faint midway through the test!

There is a test coming, Chavarim, which is the mother of all tests! That will stretch our faith to its breaking point! But don't forget who is the Author and Finisher of that Faith. If He allows the test, then He knows our faith can hold. The question is will WE hold on? Will we allow it to be stretched, and still follow? Can we like many of the Jews during the holocaust, keep our faith in a God who doesn't come through as we would like Him to? Can we still say, “Dayenu”? Which, in essence means simply, “You've done enough already!”

Listen, there needs to be a radical awakening of Thanks Giving, Praise and Gratitude in HIS people! If He didn't do one more thing for us EVER – if He never healed us again – if He never prospers us beyond where we are – if He never answered one more prayer for us at all – are we aware and convinced that He is still worthy of Praise – because He has ransomed us from hell? He has overcome death, hell and the grave – and in HIM so have WE? So what can frighten us? This body may die – but after that we – us – our eternal spirit-being – is loosed to limitless bliss and eternal joy! Why would we be upset about that?

I think at this point we need to be about being who He is making us to be, and we need to be about sharing His transforming nature with others, so they can become who they were designed to be! We can not manipulate others into being better people, but we can love them to a Savior who can change them from the inside out!

I think that we need to stop trying to tell God His business, and just be about what we already know He wants done. Love His people, feed His flock, and build HIS Kingdom. We should be living to bring HIM glory, not to build our own fortress. I will tell you now. Forget being safe. Those days are well over. There is no way to make it off this planet alive. Some day, some way, we are all going to die to this fleshly body, and lower nature. Either we will go with Him to glory, or we will be dragged screaming into hell – but eternity awaits each and every soul ever created. To me, the logical and brilliant thing to do is to give Him the glory due to His Name, so that, when it all wraps up, we get to share in that glory, and live more of the story! But maybe that's just me.

Whatever happens next in this saga, I want to come through it having held onto Him, and the Faith He built in me. I want to come through it hearing those precious words...”Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the Joy of the LORD.” What a day that will be. And for the trip between here and there? Well, as I always say....”His Grace IS sufficient!” And that we can count on. And THAT is a very good thing....Dayenu!

Shalom Chavarim, Shavua Tov!