That it might be fulfilled...

There are times, when following the Lord, things just don't add up.  They don't make sense and are very hard to follow.  Yet, I have found that if I'll keep my eyes on Him, He'll teach me what He's doing.  He's such a good God.  I had just such a learning experience this morning while reading Matthew 2.  I thought I knew what this chapter held for me, but He showed me so much more than I expected.  On the off chance that I'm not the only one who struggles with this, I thought I'd post my thoughts here this morning.  Enjoy!  :)

3 times in this chapter, the Lord changed directions, asking His people to follow him:

1) Sleeping comfortably in Bethlehem, Joseph is warned in a dream to uproot his family (immediately) and head for Egypt. Egypt? Egypt. Where he would be a foreigner in a strange place - new job, new friends (if they could find any in a land VERY different from their own), new home...where would they live? Would they be safe there? I'm sure the questions raced through his mind as he packed up his family in the middle of the night to evacuate to a place he didn't know. Time to trust.

2) Children are a blessing from the Lord, but shortly after Joseph, Mary and Jesus' departure from Bethlehem, God asks a few more to change direction. Herod was allowed (by God) to slaughter the children of Israel. Every male under the age of 2 - annihilated. As the mother of an 8 month old boy, I can't even begin to wrap my head around the agony these mothers faced. I'm confident that each of them had a future planned out for her son - play, growth, learning how to hunt with dad or become a strong fisherman, chose a beautiful woman for a wife and then...grandkids! What a happy future! And then, they are asked to move forward in a different direction...without their sons. Time to trust.

3) Headed back home...Joseph and Mary must have longed for the familiar. Facing toward Judea, the religious center of the Israeli world, God asks them to change direction...again. Galilee. The intellectuals. Where would they fit in there? They were simple - Joseph is a carpenter...Mary got pregnant before they were married...they were going to stick out like a sore thumb. Time to trust.

3 times, I see the Lord change direction suddenly, asking those who love Him and would follow Him to go in what seems to be the WRONG direction. In each instance, it was "that it might be fulfilled." God had a plan, written in prophesy for each tiny detail of Jesus' life and ministry. Those involved would eventually be brought face to face with a saving grace that would blow their minds, but first, each is asked to follow and trust, even when it looks grim.

I can hear you - "yeah, but that's because it was JESUS and there was prophesy..."

Did you know there is "prophesy" about you? Psalm 139 helps me remember how my story began.

Vs. 16 - Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

...in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me.

God will most certainly ask us to change direction from time to time. It may be that He calls me to a place or a task that just doesn't fit with the plan I THOUGHT He had laid out for me. My enemy may look for ways to keep me focused on the situation, feeling confused, discouraged, and abandoned by my God. But if I will remember that it is Him who leads the way before me, keep my eyes on Him (who, incidentally, doesn't change), and remember that every day of my life was written in His book...I can have peace that He has not left me, will not leave me, this is not random, but "that it might be fulfilled..."

Grace and peace!

Come, Rest, Continue on...

I start the day with the best of intentions, but you know where they say those lead...  Anyway, here's the progress so far this week - needless to say, I'm fighting some discouragement:

1) Bible study - I'm 2 days behind and I haven't picked songs for Friday
2) Weight loss - I'm gaining weight every day, and making horrible food choices.
3) Family - Ron is going through a really rough time and I have no idea how to help him, Shelby is testing every boundary and I have no patience, Ronnie just wants to be held because he's afraid I'm going to leave again (staff conference last week) - which leads me to work...
4) Work - I'm still not caught up with grading or monthly calls, I'm not done calling all class assigned kids, I haven't changed my announcement page as we've been mandated to do...

I know that His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness, right?  I obviously can not keep up with the responsibilities in my life.  I run around putting out fires and never seem to make any progress.  This would be very scary if I didn't know I was seated in the Everlasting Arms.

So...some scriptures that I need to repeat to myself today:

2 Peter 1:3

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

I often feel that there is no way I can accomplish everything that is on the books for the day.  This scripture tells me that His divine power has given me everything I need to have life and to please Him (godliness) just through my knowledge of Jesus.  As long as I focus on knowing Him, and filter everything I'm facing through that lens, I will feel fulfilled and will not be overwhelmed.

Matthew 11:28-30

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.

As a perfect compliment to the verse above...all I am responsible for at the end of the day is to come to Jesus.  Look to Him.  Look for Him.  Talk to Him.  Focus on Him.  And He will give me rest.  It really is that simple.  While I am working, I can have rest, if I am with Jesus through it all.  He is humble and gentle - He will not beat me up for my shortcomings.  I will find rest deep in my soul which is WAY more valuable than rest for my body.  He will come beside me and help me carry the work load and whatever burden He gives me to carry for Him will be light because I will fall more and more in love with Him and because He will help me carry it.

*sigh*

He is so faithful.  I must remember that.  I must remember that He who called me is faithful and He will perfect His work.  My job, my life, my family, these are all things that He's called me to.   If I will run to him, I will find rest.  His burden for me is light and He will be faithful to complete the work that He is doing in me through those burdens.

Thank you for showing me more of who you are this morning, Jesus.  Help my foolish heart to come, rest, and continue on in You.

A