Moving Forward While Standing Firm: The Next Steps On Our Journey

One might be sitting in a boat during a fierce storm and see Jesus walking past on top of the rugged water. And you might get really scared thinking he is a ghost, and cry out in fear. But when realizing it really is Jesus, you ask Him to call you out upon the water.


One might. 


Then you step out onto the water yourself-eager, excited. But once out there on the surface, in a single moment, noticing the wind and waves, you begin to sink. Full of fear, you cry out, “Lord!”


He grabs your hand and rescues you. . . .


One might be renting a house after selling their farm in August and have in mind a certain date like June for owning a home.


You might search all winter long for a home that would suit you, only to come home time after teeth-chattering time during the 2014 deep-chill with your guts hurting a little from the discouraging prospects. {And ask yourself over and over, “Is it really this common that people live in such homes here in Wisconsin?”}


You might find that your purchasing power is limited due to economic changes in your life so you are back at square one. That first square when two became one and began hunting for a house with limited resources.


So you devise a plan. To use the best you have to increase your leverage on owning a home. Because it may be that it has always been in real estate where you have gained financially. Your real estate has upheld your losses in business and sustained your livelihood.


There are even shows on flipping houses. It’s a thing.


You might find by about March that things aren’t happening as you had expected, and so you cry out to the Lord. You keep moving forward, keep proverbially knocking on doors, and trusting He has a plan.


Not sure how the flipping idea is going to jive with the prospect of needing to move out of the rental, you proceed with this walking ‘on the water’ of the great unknown. Trying not to look at the waves, you keep taking steps.


And then one day. . . the house comes into view. You make an offer. And you wait. They counter, you counter, they counter and you wait.


And it just so happens that tomorrow we close on that house.




But wait! June is only weeks away and you need a place to live! How is that going to work?


Yeah.


And you’ve been leading a Bible study on the book of Ruth where you learn about a Hebrew word used for kindness. A kindness shown to Naomi by Ruth as she left her home and family out of loyalty to God and her mother-in-law.

And a kindness shown to Ruth by Boaz who took her-the outsider- to be his own wife, to love and to cherish, provide and protect from that day forward and for all her days.


The word: hesed means unmerited, over-the-top loving kindness. It is an extreme giving-love like that of Jesus toward sinners.


This hesed-love, it has divine power and it gives more than you could ask or imagine. Ephesians 3:20


And in the midst of leading that study and learning of hesed, it shows up in your life through an offer by someone like Boaz, enabling you to purchase another home that presented itself in the long search.


A home on a lake. A small home that needs work, but a home. 

And it’s just what you wanted – on the East side of a lake where you can catch glimpses of the heart-stirring sunset skies that the Great Painter knows you love. It’s what you really longed for, but knew you could not pursue for a very long time . . .

But here: the precious hesed of God. Through generous friends, on Friday the lake home will be ours. We will purchase it from them, paying when our other home sells.


Two homes in two days.


Stepping out upon the waters of the great unknown. Standing in faith as we move forward.


By His grace, in His embrace.


*********************


Yes . . .Walking by faith can be a bit confusing . . .


While we wait, we press ahead. Psalm 46:10Philippians 3:12-14


While we seek to truly live, we must daily die. Luke 9:23-24


While we trust in the Lord with all our heart, we must be alert and always keep on praying. Proverbs 3:5-61 Peter 1:13 NIV


Joining Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory


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