Day 20. Ten more days to go. This has been a lot more difficult that I thought it would be. There are days when I just don't feel surprised. Days when I can't think of a single thing that would be good enough to share. But then I sit down at night to try to come up with something surprising God has done that day....and inevitably I come up with something. He never fails to surprise me.
Today at church was part 3 in a series called Imago Dei....images of God. We all have images of God that are false...things we have been taught or things we just believe that are not really what God is all about. Today's message was about how we sometimes equate God to a talent show judge. After I thought about it for a while, I think it's true. We think He is sitting up there judging us and that we are never good enough. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
Joseph had a dream that his brothers would one day bow down to him. It didn't happen right away. Not even within a decent amount of time. His brothers tried to kill him and left him for dead. He was sold into slavery. He was in prison for a time. Unbelievable how many hardships he endured. He had to be thinking that God had misinformed him about the contents of his dream....or that God just forgot about him. I would've. But years later, Joseph's dream came true. There was a famine in the land and his brothers came to him for food and he had mercy on them. He was in a position of authority and his dream became a reality.
David was told that one day he would become king. But....for years he ran from Saul, who was trying to kill him and keep him from becoming king. David spent years in the wilderness hiding and running, but fighting and learning.
Moses was EIGHTY when he saw the burning bush. That was the start of his ministry.
If these men hadn't spent that time in the "wilderness", they wouldn't have been prepared or been in the right place at the right time for their blessing....for the reality of their dreams.
Today I am thankful for the dry, desert-ish periods of my life. As much as they completely and utterly suck at the time....they are for my good. They help me grow. And they help prepare me for the end result. The dream that God has prepared for me. So it is with you......God is preparimg you for something great and you are on your way to that. He has something in particular in mind for you. You have your own gifts and talents and over time He wants to refine those and use you in ways you may not have even imagined. We are all gonna be surprised. :)
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