Let That Be Enough
“Joy and pain, sun and rain…You’re the same, You never let go!
Joy and pain, sun and rain…You’re the same, You never let go!
Joy and pain, sun and rain…You’re the same, You never let go!
Joy and pain, sun and rain…You’re the same, You never let go!”
Never Let Go —-> David Crowder Band
So, I got a new Bible for myself in March and it’s awesome. First, it’s huge. When I say huge, I mean, like…this Bible weighs more than some of the 12 year old…..ERRR…..16 year old Chinese gymnasts. Also, it’s a pretty nifty study Bible too; good notes from a favorite author of mine (John MacArthur).
And so when I got it, I figured I’d go back and read through the entire Bible in chronological order because I’ve never done that. So…right now, I’m in Deuteronomy. Yes, I know, only Deuteronomy…but hey…it’s been a busy summer.
Anyways…all that to say this: I’ve been doing this reading for 2 reasons:
1) To delight in God’s Holy Word and all it’s treasures.
There’s soooo many good nuggets I’ve been feasting on. So good!
2) To better understand it.
I’ve never met anyone could honestly say, “Yeah, the Bible? I’ve been there, done that. I need a more challenging book.” Dude, the Bible gives me new things every single time I read it. So, I feel this a great way to cover all of it and for me to increase my knowledge.
So, I haven’t been reading it with the intent to really write anything or for a particular sermon or anything. Just for me and God….if that makes any sense. Don’t get me wrong, I love studying for a particular writing or for a message…but I’ve felt a freedom to just read for delight as I go through it this time.
Well….as you may suspect…God has changed that slightly. Lol! He’s always doing that, right??
As I’m reading Deuteronomy, Moses is giving these really heartfelt speeches to Israel. They’ve been waiting and wandering in the desert for 40 years (40 years!!!) waiting to go into the Promised Land. The reason they had to wait was for some pretty severe disobedience to God’s plan: they didn’t go into the Promised Land when He commanded because they feared the people who were already there.
And now…it’s been 40 years and everyone who was involved with that disobedience has died off, except for Moses and some leadership. Moses knows they will soon enter this Promised Land, but he wants to be sure they REMEMBER what God has been up to and what He has for them.
As I read Moses speech in Deuteronomy 2, I felt really strong in my heart that God wanted me to echo something that was said with this writing. Not like some amazing new insight or some theological pillar…just echo some truth of what was said. So….here we are.
In Moses recap in the early parts of Chapter 2, he reminds the people of their wandering when he says, “you have circled this mountain long enough.” He then says something very profound that hit me. And, it wasn’t even FOR me. Like I said, I felt this was for someone else.
Verse 7 “For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.”
Isn’t that beautifully written? “He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness.” God reminds them that even though they were in a desert, they were not alone. Like the faithful and loving God that He is, God has known every single step they took in that hot and dusty place. Their sandals never walked out of His sight.
Now, you may not have wandered in a desert for 40 years of your life. You may not be about to conquer and live in a Promised Land. I get that.
But there are times in our lives when we do wander, when we do go off of God’s path, when we try to take on life by ourselves and pursue the things that our culture deems worthy of pursuing. There are times when we feel we’ve surely walked too far from God’s radar. There are times when we question whether He even remembers our name.
The truth is this: the Lord your God loves you with unmatched intensity. NOTHING comes close the fierceness and passion of the love of God. The Lord your God wants you to delight in Him and in Him alone. The Lord your God has not forgotten you. He knows exactly where you have been. You may feel far off. You may feel lost in a desert of despair, or sin, or bitterness, or loneliness, or even rebellion. But, you need to know something:
He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. The Lord your God has been with you.
You need to receive that. God knows where you’ve been and where you are right now. He wants you leave that place of disobedience and desert. He wants you to rejoice in His grace that ensures you will lack nothing. He wants you to delight in His Son, Jesus. He wants you to listen to His Holy Spirit. He LOVES you and longs for you. Let that be enough.
Look, if that’s you…if my words have hit close to home at all for you…take some time and get in His Word today. Delight in Him. Get quiet before the Lord for a few minutes. Turn off the TV, iPod, Xbox, Myspace, Facebook, or whatever else. Get quiet before Him and just listen. Pray. Rejoice. Worship. Love. Leave. Leave the desert place and return to the Lord your God and serve Him with gladness. He is the Lord your God, the One who brings us out of our deserts!
He knows where you’ve been. The Lord your God has been with you.
And yes….He is with you now, and that is enough.
“And all I see; it could never make me happy.
And all my sandcastles spend their time collapsing.
Let me know that You hear me,
Let me know Your touch.
Let me know that You love me,
Let that be enough.”
Let that be enough—Switchfoot
As always, love to hear your comments and feedback. If you were why God put this on my heart….well, I pray you receive it and run with it.
Thanks for reading.
Walking towards the Light from the cross of a King 