The Other Side

Psalm 28.6-7

Every wonder how you got where you are? For those of us that drive there have been those occasions that we loose ourselves. You have been rolling along and all of a sudden look around and ask, “How did I get here?”

Life can also hand us these moments. Walk long enough in this journey and you will find yourself in difficult times. The amazing thing to me is that we can get into difficulties while doing good, best, and even great things for the Lord.

When life brings us to these moments we may even ask some questions. How did I get here? Where is the Lord? Did He not know I was heading here? Then as you wrestle with these moments, if you dare ask audibly in the presence of the super-spiritual, you will hear “wisdom”.

Here’s a list of the “wisdom” we receive from the “Studs-of-Spirituality”:
• Have faith – that’s all YOU need to do!
• It’s all about building YOUR character!
• Have YOU even prayed about it?
• Learn YOUR lessons and YOU will not go through this again.

We sit with these friends that would give Job’s buddies a run for their spiritual badges and shake our heads. What is all this about? What is the Lord up to?

We long to get to the answer to our prayers. Answers like the parting of the seas, the food falling from the sky that tastes like angel’s bread (or Krispe Kreme doughnuts – all the taste and no fat - WaHOO!), lame walking-blind seeing stuff, you know – BLESSINGS!

Truth is that regardless of the situations we find ourselves in with the Lord we are blessed. People around us may not be able to see the hand of God, we cannot see it either all the time, but He is still moving in our lives. He is still working.

We long to get to the other side of the prayer requests. The celebrations on that side are wonderful. Listen to David on that side – “Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.”

We will get there again, the other side of the request. In the meantime I remind you that this journey is watched by the Lord. You may be wondering and even wandering but Father is advancing His kingdom through you. Paul in chains came to this conclusion. He was on the hard side of the request when he wrote: “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;” (Phil. 1.12-13).

Where are you? You are right where the Father can advance His gospel in you and around you and through you. Stuff cotton in your ears so you don’t have to listen to the “Super-Spiritual-Seriously-Shallow” and come up strong in the Lord. One day soon you will be on the other side of the prayer request.

Always Enthusiastic,
Dr. Rusty Newman