Rejoice Now

I think I speak for all three of us when I say that this week was a tough one. A real faith test. A faith test that is only beginning.

A month ago when we learned we were going to Kenya, our hearts and our faith were soaring high. We didn't go into this blindly. We've known from the start that we didn't have the financial means to support this trip. After all, in these economic times, who has $12,000 lying around in their back pockets? But somehow we just knew that God had something up His sleeve. Some plan to channel the resources we needed right to our front door. No doubt, just expectancy. And boy, were we expecting!

That was a month ago. And not much has come through the channel yet.

Time has a way of clouding our vision and making the goal seem invisible or even impossible. I remember once hearing that in the space between our need and the provision of the need, there is always time. We have the ability to decide what to do with the time. We can worry, complain and give up hope. Or, we can trust, believe and rejoice in the waiting. How we deal with our "time" reveals the level of our trust in the Lord.

I still believe that God has something up His sleeve. That this trip is part of His plan and He will provide the financial means. Unfortunately, some doubt and fear has crept into my time of waiting. So I personally had to make a decision this week. I can doubt and worry. Or I can trust and believe. It's one or the other. I cannot do both.

I have decided to trust and believe!
"Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20:29

If I truly believe that God will provide for us to go to Kenya, then I need to start rejoicing about it NOW. I don't need to wait until we have the funds in our hands. I can start NOW. And I choose to do so. I choose to lay it all out there, expecting God to come through in a big way. In a way that leaves no doubt that it was truly Him who met the need.

I choose to trust and believe. What about you? What are you going through right now that requires you to decide how you will walk out your time? He will be faithful no matter how we walk this out. But I want to be found rejoicing BEFORE I see His faithful provision. Before I SEE His faithful provision. What about you?

I love how Beth Moore says (paraphrased), "I'd rather believe God for too much and only receive some of it, than to believe God for nothing and receive all of it."

Join with me in believing God beyond our understanding. He wants to give us more than we can ask, think or imagine anyway. And I say we rejoice NOW, before we even catch a glimpse of Him working on our behalf. Nothing lets Him know we trust Him more than that.

**Editted to note: Not thirty minutes after posting this blog, God channeled resources to us in a way that leaves no room to give anyone else credit but Him. I am so glad that He helped me have a heart that was ready to receive from Him. It made the blessing that much more sweet. There's still a ways to go, but He graciously reminded us once again that He's got it all under control. Hallelujah!