God's Promises in a Fish Bowl

Confession: I've been in a funk for the past month of so. Not the kind of depression funk, but the funk that can't be categorized. The kind of funk that you don't really know you are in until you sit down for a few minutes and re-connect with yourself.

When I finally did sit down for a minute, I realized I was disappointed in life and frustrated with the lack of certain promises in my life. Sure, I'm very very blessed and very content in many aspects but there are dreams that resonate in me that feel restless and in need of air. Then I saw this picture

How powerful. I had been searching for a song or verse or quote or something to describe how I felt...and this picture captured it.

I love the life of Moses, so much. His relationship with God was so personal and intimate and something to be jealous of and strive for. The passage that I have devoured the past couple of weeks has been in Exodus 33.

"Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is
your people.” " vs 12-13.

Moses basically goes to God saying: You've promised me this this this and this but all I've seen is this this this and this and those two lists aren't the same things. Moses is ranting to the Lord about the things he's seen in his life and how they don't match up with the promises God had told him. God replies


14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Again, Moses vents to the Lord about some more things

15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Moses recognizes that if God is not with him then he shouldn't go to a place. If God is not with them than what will make him stand out from all of the rest? Where have God's promises gone to?

I realized that I felt like Moses did with God. I had dreams and promises God had planted inside of me but everything I saw around me didn't even slightly resemble those dreams or promises. I was frustrated with the Lord because I felt like He had changed His plans for me. But then He spoke to me and made me realize that I was in exactly the right place I was suppose to be.

I believe now that there are two paths in life that you can take:
1.)One path is the one God doesn't say to take and so you go through circumstances that are consequences of disobedience.
2.) The other path is God's will for your life, but instead of facing circumstances that are consequences of disobedience, you face equally difficult circumstances that are God's favor on you preparing you for greater things.

Going back to the picture of the fish, the fish is jumping from his little bowl to a much greater bowl. I'm that fish in between bowls. Where I'm at is a hard place because it's not the comfort of water, sometimes it's hard to breathe, and it doesn't look like a very nice place or where God told me I would be. But that is just because I'm transitioning between where I was to where God has promised me. The things I am going through now on the this this this and this hand are steps to get me to the that that that and that God has promised me.

God has not forgotten the promises and dreams He planted in me - where I am at is in the transition from where I have been to the BIG things God has for me. It's awkward, cold, scary, hard to breathe, and confusing - but God is with me and I'm about to jump in the big bowl of promises God has been preparing me for. If you have to come to the place where you say to yourself "Even if I'm the only one and it's going to be extremely hard, I will choose to follow where God is leading me."
All I have to do now is just continue to trust the Lord during this big jump - but what an adventure this will be and what a testimony to God's promises.
He has not forgotten His promises for you, don't give up.

"Come away with Me, come away with Me. I have a plan for you, I have a plan for you. It's gonna be wild, it's gonna be great, it's gonna be full of Me." - Song: Come Away, By: JesusCulture

Comments

  1. lavoycNovember 26, 2011 at 5:51 PM

    God bless you, Anna. You are wise beyond your years! I pray that you will continue to grow in your faith as God continues to reveal His plan for your life.

    ReplyDelete

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