Some Trust in Chariots

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice.

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.

Save, LORD!
May the King answer us when we call. (Psalm 20)

This Psalm has been a bright shining glimmer of hope in the midst of those days where I find myself overthrown by the reality of the impossible. Those days where I haven't known how I would keep moving. Times where I've wondered whether God was truly with me, even on the single occasion where I began cursing in my prayer time because I was so frustrated at my outward circumstances. I've even felt the voices challenging my faith to believe His Word that "with God ALL things are possible"(Matthew 19:26). Voices love to flood my heart and mind like sharp arrows hungry to celebrate my defeat. I can genuinely say that my faith has been tested over the past several months (and I pray will continue to be tested until the day I die - with the testing comes perfection - James 1). There have been times where I have, be it ever so slightly, entertained the voices of doubt and unbelief in such fundamental faith basics as the existence of God, the resurrection, God's concern for my seemingly insignificant life, the infallible Word, etc. When honesty trumps our fears, haven't we all questioned this or am I more human than most?

How much God has delivered absolute power and might to my spirit during this time of testing continues to shock me. His ways of overcoming doubt/unbelief have been many and varied. He has used primarily Scripture to come alive in my heart, to the point where I sometimes read a passage (like this Psalm) and wonder with astonishment at how beautifully it applies to my exact feelings or situations. My hunger for His word has grown so much and I find that if I don't have a daily dose, I begin to experience the adverse affects. The Lord has also used many friends and family members to speak sweet words of encouragement and support. On occasion, He has used a few key individuals to give me very specific "words" of wisdom/knowledge as outlined in 1 Cor. 12:8 - these have usually come as a total surprise (I have not gone looking for them) and have at times, brought me to tears because of how accurate they are to where I'm at or where I've been. Through it all, He has provided more abundantly than I could have ever imagined.

In the event that you haven't been keeping up with this blog or my walk so far this year, you can fill yourself in here and here. The short and sweet of it is that I left a very comfortable salary job to trust God to use my life 100% for the furthering of His kingdom. Most of my posts are directly attributed to what I've experienced personally as a result of this desire to follow Jesus where He has called me. I hadn't started this blog with the intent of sharing this with you, but it seems to apply appropriately. July marks month seven of having left behind a great job and committing all of my time and attention towards a vision God gave me to raise missionaries out of artists (and anyone else, really - aren't we all, who claim Christ as Lord, missionaries in one capacity or another? I don't believe discipleship-making was ever meant to be optional. "We are all called according to His purpose" - Romans 8:28). In the past seven months my family has never gone without food, water, or a roof over our heads. I haven't received compensation from an employer in those seven months and yet God has allowed us to pay every bill and our mortgage (to be fair, I have had one bank overdraft and the Lord has many times stretched us about as thin as possible). He has provided provision in just about every way possible - the generosity of others, retirement funds, unexpected inheritance money, selling off of earthly possessions, etc. etc. Just this past Sunday I was able to tithe more money to our church (at one time) than I ever had done working a full-time, salaried job. Only God! Now, none of this is to say that I've done even an ounce of it on my own, it was (and will always continue to be) ALL His mercy. Times ahead may still be very tough going - so much work is yet to be done and we have many obstacles/situations to overcome, but God's faithfulness in seeing His plan through has been a daily wonder.

I have likely prayed Psalm 20 nearly every day for the past three months, that's how much it has meant to me. If you are enduring any trial, testing, tribulation, or any obstacle larger than what you are able to accomplish, I'd encourage you to begin the daily meditation of this passage. You should also look at it in different translations (I love Bible Gateway for this). Here's the same passage from "The Message":

God answer you on the day you crash, The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm's reach,
Send reinforcements from Holy Hill,
Dispatch from Zion fresh supplies,
Exclaim over your offerings,
Celebrate your sacrifices,
Give you what your heart desires,
Accomplish your plans.

When you win, we plan to raise the roof
and lead the parade with our banners.
May all your wishes come true!

That clinches it—help's coming,
an answer's on the way,
everything's going to work out.

See those people polishing their chariots,
and those others grooming their horses?
But we're making garlands for God our God.
The chariots will rust,
those horses pull up lame—
and we'll be on our feet, standing tall.

Make the king a winner, God;
the day we call, give us your answer.

The Psalm sums it up far better than I ever could. For the sake of a closing statement, please stop trusting in your own chariots or horses. Remember the Name of the Lord your God. May the Lord answer you, May He defend you, May He send you help, strengthen you, and remember every one of your offerings/sacrifices. May He grant your heart's desire and fulfill ALL your purpose. We'll rejoice and set up banners in God's name over your success.

May our King answer you when you call!

Waiting On The Lord

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD! (Psalm 27: 13&14)

I can't even begin to tell you how much I can relate with this passage. Yesterday morning I awoke with such a heavy feeling of desperation, heavy enough that I just couldn't shake it. As I began to seek the Lord and ask Him what in the world was going on and how much longer I could take this testing in my life, He responded with the phrase, "Wait on Me". The feeling of desperation and despair didn't leave me instantly, but within a few hours I really began to understand what God was doing in my heart. He's been in the business of breaking me down, to the point where I am utterly and hopelessly dependent on Him. I can attest to the fact that I've never been at this place of brokenness before the Lord, ever. As hard as the daily trials can be, I find such comfort in the simple truths of God's word, the peace He places over me to "guard my heart and mind through Christ Jesus", and the massive encouragement from friends and family who realize the depth of my struggle. This waiting is not of the kind that we can all easily relate to, whether it be in an airport, at a bus-stop, or in a long line. This is the kind of waiting that is fixed on the hope of a divine breakthrough, an expectation for a supernatural release. Waiting, when it is fueled by hope and expectation, should feel more like the child who is eagerly on edge to see what gifts he's received on his birthday. Waiting proves and refines our faith. If all we were required to do was pray a simple prayer and wait 10 seconds for our desired response, what faith would we really be setting forth? "Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God!" (Hebrews 11:6). I believe it pleases the Lord to see us waiting with great expectation on His deliverance. It proves that, despite the odds, we are holding fast to the only God who hears, and answers, our cries.

We recently posted a video clip (you can view it here) that briefly summarizes the vision and heart of what God has called me to. One of the points I make is that there is just no way to compare my past, present (or future) sufferings with the possibility that even ONE single soul would come into God's Kingdom for all eternity. When I made that statement, I really believed it and meant it. But now, I actually feel it. I believe the Lord is allowing me to feel desperation for Him so I can relate His desperation towards others. He loves and pursues every opportunity to lead even one lost sheep back into His heavenly fold. "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." (Luke 15:7) God is teaching me to feel His heart for the lost. I've always had a passion for sharing the Gospel with others, so there has always been a part of who I am that is drawn to those lost and in need of finding their way home. It's an entirely new process and position to allow God the room to do whatever He wants in my heart, though. He is pulling out of me all those deep roots, some of which I didn't even know to exist. One of those areas is pride. I've always considered myself a fairly humble person. A very humble person by music industry standards. But God is teaching me humility based on the standard that Jesus alone was qualified to set.

As I learn to wait on the Lord for pretty much everything in life right now, but especially the establishment of the vision He's given me for Come&Live!, I find that, now more than ever, He is strengthening my heart with a determination and passion that I could never muster on my own. On a good day, I feel as though I'm standing on a mountain and can see for miles in every direction, just breathing in the crisp air of God's height and depth, His length and width. On a bad day this vision seems like nothing more than a late night dream, one that passes quickly by, leaving hardly a thing but a faint and distant memory. Through the good and the bad there is a strength in my heart that believes that God is best defined by the word POSSIBLE. "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." (Mark 10:27) So, once again, God allows His Spirit to intertwine with the depth of who I am, shedding off all things that do not bring Him the utmost glory, reminding me that I am already victorious by choosing to arm myself with the weapon of faith.

If you are wondering where God is or why He hasn't shown up just yet (especially in the ways you assumed He would), ask yourself whether there might be a grander work that He is interested in building within you. He cares about us more than the birds of the air or grasses of the field, to the point where He will allow us to be tested and tried for His greater good in us. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1: 2-4)

God is on your side, even today. Even when it feels like He has ended all communication with you (which I have certainly experienced). It is not for any other reason than the required work of transforming you from child into Man (or woman) of God.

I pray that God would release His presence to you, that He would strengthen your heart even right now, that He would give you the grace, peace, and patience to "Wait on The Lord". That, through it all, you would be of good courage! Your testing will not last forever. Breakthrough is on it's way, even if it would tarry until He carries you through Heaven's gates. Wait on Him (He is deliverance), and be of good courage (He is strong when you are weak). Wait on Him (Help is coming)!

May our cups overflow with love for our neighbor and Savior today.

Blessings,

chad

A few other sweet "Waiting" verses are:

Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,And in His word I do hope.

Isaiah 8:17
And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him.

Isaiah 25:9
And it will be said in that day: “ Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

Micah 7:7
Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.

James 5:7
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.