A glorious Dependence

John Wesley once wrote that a church is “ all at it, and always at it”

I’ve been thinking about this idea …

And one interesting idea comes to the surface “unfavorable circumstance…leading to immense benefit and kingdom progress and building.”

We must turn to Paul to understand this well...

See, I would say Paul was always at it even in his often-unfavorable circumstance; those moments where he was probably asking God why but trusting in his immense faithfulness and sovereignty. See, Paul wrote most of his letters from prison and I strangely find myself encouraged because even though Paul could do little and had little to do he found himself “at it”…following the impulses of his heart and his love for mission even when mission seemed impossible.

In my circumstance and in Paul’s he always returned to faith in God’s good purpose for the world even if it meant difficulty for himself. In this “ all at it, and always at it” he was always encouraging others to trust in God’s good purpose for the world and work toward it which perhaps was God’s greater purpose through Paul besides his mission trips and speaking engagements: because Paul’s true purpose was only shown through time and known through God’s lens. Which points to the fact that there is a glorious dependence to be had upon God as his children and as our father for the purposes unseen.

“All at it, and always at it” doesn’t mean there is not differing circumstances. It doesn’t exclude the season of Sabbath and rest it simply means that we must find ourselves doing what we can for others and for God’s Kingdom even in seasons of rest. Trusting that when we have been given seasons of rest that we are not given them for ourselves but for others. We have to follow and trust in the fact that the things that are for others will fill our soul with more rest than we know and are in God’s good purpose and that the intentions for God’s kingdom are being worked out by the Father himself: faith coupled with confidence.

May we be “all at it, and always at it!”

JG

: Rest :

Time will tell of all the purposes yet unrevealed. I wait upon the Lord…

In the meantime, I am safely back at home in Colorado with my bride. Have left my college town in California and am waiting on God to show forth his calling. I wait upon the Lord to reveal Elise and I’s future

AND

In the meantime am finding myself immensely grateful for home and my family.

In the meantime, Elise and I will be living in the basement I designed and built with my bare hands designed with my sensibilities and dreamed of until a point where God directs and opens his door to our future. The basement is a few days from completion: only a few things are left unfinished like a shower door that needs to be installed and a few pictures to hang and a few boxes to sort through and the putting of those items into their proper places.

God has thoroughly given me a place to rest here, I am immensely grateful for a place for the re-cultivation of the things I lost while in college. The pieces of my character and delight I am finding again.

And to be honest it’s hard to have moved back in with the parents and in-laws because it is against nearly every guiding principle based direction I put upon my life. But whom am I to deny God’s leading…I know He has me here with incredible purpose…and I am beginning to see that. I am rejoicing in it.

In many respects the basement is God’s design coupled with my own. A tangible representation of where I can be at peace. I feel it every time I go down there. There is a deep satisfaction of it nearing completion and seeing vision turned reality.

Beyond that, there are fears here and there but I am at rest. God is surely good and showers his goodness upon his children.

He is so deeply good!

I heard the voice of Jesus say

“Come unto me and rest.

Lay down thou weary one, lay down,

Thy head upon my breast.”

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary and worn and sad.

I found in Him a resting place,

And He hath made me glad.

JG