Eternity

"I feel the Lord was really trying to tell me something this week, that I don't expect His miracles." These words were uttered by a dear friend during my bible study a month or so ago, and then reiterated to me once again by another member of our study last week. Since then, it hasn't left my mind. Do I wake up every day expecting miracles from God? My mind tends to float back to the old testament stories. Stories of healings, the story of Lazarus, and many others. God is the same God now as he was then, right? So why don't we wake up every day expecting God to perform miracles? What if all of His miracles have become common to us? Maybe I don't see a miraculous healing everyday, but what about how the sun came up this morning?

I wrote in my journal a lot about this, this week. Asked some questions I didn't know how to answer. What if I woke up everyday and expected, completely expected, God to perform a miracle? Typically when I expect something, I have faith it is going to happen. Do I have faith that God can and God will perform miracles? Whether it is in my life, those around me, or others around the world, do I believe He will?

The last two days haven't been ideal. Quite frankly I'm exhausted and there is a lot on my mind. Emotionally, I'm exhausted. I've always been a worrier. Ask anyone who knows me, even a little. I'm the "mom" who worries about everyone putting on their seat belts and eating their vegetables. And honestly, that's exhausting. I mentioned in an earlier blog how I felt anger, hurt, and jealousy in my heart, that I had no idea was there prior to that week. God is working through that in my life. I worry and am anxious about these things and the things that lie ahead. But, I know that's a sin because Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving make your request known to God, who will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus." I repeat this in my head probably a number of times every day. I remember that today has enough worries of it's own. Sometimes I am sad, especially the last two days. I am reading a book called "I Will Carry You" by Angie Smith, the wife of the lead singer of the Christian band, Selah. In her book she wrote this:

"If you can trust Him enough to bring it to Him, He will rejoice in your masterpiece. And if you need to scream a little, know that you have a God who can  take that too, as long as your face is tilted even slightly towards Him."

I love this. When we are suffering, going through trials, or just sad, He understands our human emotions. He understands our need to "scream a little," or cry some. It's okay to do this for a time, to let these emotions roll on out, but we must do it with hands lifted and head tilted high. Praising Him through it all. I've also become more familiar with the fact that when we suffer we can rejoice because we suffer alongside of Christ. In 1 Peter:4 it's talks about how suffering as a murderer or a thief has no meaning. Think about it, if a murderer suffers, what good does that do eternally? Nothing. As Christians we suffer alongside of Christ, and as Luke 6:23 states we can "leap for joy," in the days of suffering. My worries are useless, and I can rejoice in them. Towards the end of Matthew 6 the Lord points out how he can clothe the grass which is alive today and thrown into the oven tomorrow, and asks how much more He will clothe you as His children. When Jesus arrived after Lazarus's death scripture says they wept in front of Jesus, not because of their lack of faith but because of their grief. But you know what? Jesus wept too. He cried alongside them in the midst of their loss. But Jesus didn't cry because Lazarus was dead, Jesus was crying because Martha and Mary couldn't see what He could see. What Glory was ahead. Jesus cries alongside of us, but not for the reason we are, but for the simple fact, that we can't see what He sees. 

We won't ever have this ability, to see what God can see ahead. But that's why we have faith, because we know He sees it. So, how do we learn to see beyond right now? We must have an eternal perspective. 

In Philippians 1 Paul writes from jail. Starting in verse 18, he talks about his rejoicing. Not because he knows what is ahead, because he doesn't, but because God is first in His life. He knows that above all, eternally, Christ being first is what matters. Paul rejoiced because of Christ, not his circumstances. Paul also had an eternal perspective through prayer. He asked for prayer. We can't make "I will pray for you," mere words, but true. To pray for our brothers and sisters. Having an eternal perspective makes prayer vital, because what else is eternal? Paul sought to live only by the Holy Spirit. Living by the Holy Spirit is a part of keeping your mind on eternity and not the earth. This is such key... living by the power of the Holy Spirit because our flesh will always fail in the work of the Lord. It is a supernatural life. Where miracles take place and God can show himself instead of me showing myself.

Believing God will perform miracles starts with denying ourselves, opening our eyes to eternity, and living by the Holy Spirit. Living a life with an eternal perspective won't always mean a long life, but a life full of Christ. What better way to live? To know that you are decreasing and He is increasing. Always. Expect miracles today, because He is capable, and He does perform them.