Steadfast part 4
"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7:25). I try not to start these Rants with a Bible verse, but I like this one. It's kind of dramatic. The storm came! But don't worry, because everything was ok. Because the house was built upon a strong foundation. A rock. Kind of says everything I've been trying to say in this Rant series. We can be steadfast because God (love) is steadfast. We are standing upon that Rock, and we will not (cannot) be shaken. Let me say it another way. "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Life happens. Every single day. And the most important part... is just showing up. God doesn't look for ability. He looks for availability. He provides whatever is needed. You simply have to be open to letting Him do what He wants to do... in you, and through you, and as you. "Here I am, Lord, choose me." Responding to the Way of Grace with the Walk of Faith. Not walking by sight, by walking by faith. And that, as always, includes walking. Rest is not inactivity. Rest is Holy Spirit directed activity. And since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth--the ultimate truth of the universe that says God is love and He loves you--the only thing the Holy Spirit can, or will, direct us to do... is love! Jesus said people would know His disciples because of the love they showed one to another. That's what it's all about. That's the rock that we stand on. The foundation that we build on. Love is what gets us through the storm. There are different preachers that have different... idosyncrasies. Like getting Moses and Noah mixed up, for example. Well, one of mine is that even though I know a carpenter is more of like... a furniture builder... I always equate Him with a house builder. Because, of course, we are the house that God built for Himself to live in. We are the house founded upon the rock that won't fall no matter how the rain, and floods, and wind batter us. We are still strong. Still standing. Because of love. Love holds us up. I try to preach that memory verse a lot. Praise be to God who keeps us from falling. He holds us up no matter what. LOVE holds us up no matter what. Because love is steadfast. Love never fails because love endures. It is unshakeable. Unchangable. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. And that unconditional love--God loving us all the time no matter what--is what equips and empowers us to be able to GIVE unconditional love. We can love others all the time no matter what. We can release what we've received. We don't have to worry about the storm. In this world we WILL have tribulation. Storms WILL come. That's life. And life happens. But we can be of good cheer. We can walk and not stumble. We don't have to keep trying to pick ourselves up because God can (and will, and does) keep us from falling! He holds us up. No matter what's going on around us. The fire in us is always hotter than the fire we're in. The fire is a Holy Ghost wildfire that feeds on itself and burns and burns and consumes everything but itself. A love fire that cannot be quenched or put out!