living His will daily

I drove to work daily crying
at least three-fourths of the way.
It wasn't obvious to me at first,
but now I know it as one of the true signs.

Doing the will of God
often sounds like a great idea.
Like this magical, mystical, memorable
journey that makes for a fairy tale story
wrapped up in a happy ever after ending.

And many of us spend a lifetime
seeking exactly what that looks like
for us individually.

Some of us find it
in pieces.
Some of us find it
in position.
Some of us find it
in a passion.

But most of us, I think wander,
often wondering
if we've found it...
really ever found it at all.

Like we're waiting, it seems
for lightening to strike,
or thunder to clap;
A loud voice from heaven, or
a miraculous sign
that says, "Right this way..."
pointing us to the WILL of GOD
​for our lives.

And somehow we are certain that
if we could get a just taste of it,
we would find it simply
AMAZ-ZA-ZING
and we'd never want to turn back
or let it go.

But I would bet
most of us might not realize
that being right in the middle
of the will of God
isn't always the most pleasant
place to be.

In fact, you might be standing there
right now...
and not even realize it.
Simply because of the struggle.

Now I'm not trying to scare you off,
tell you not to pursue God...
His will, His way, His purpose
for your life.

I'm just going to be honest
and tell you that
it's not always a pretty and perfect
picture-book...
dotted with rainbows and unicorns.

I mean sometimes it is...
amazing transformations,
miraculous testimonies,
and happy ever after endings.

But oftentimes,
it means driving to work daily crying
at least three-fourths of the way,
before God takes a hold of your heart
and convinces you that, YES...
even in this hard job,
you are smack-dab-in-the-middle
of His will for your life
for that season,
for that time,
for that which He purposed you.

Take the prophet Jonah.
Not one who originally wanted to
Arise and go to Nineveh.
Because he actually knew that God
was merciful...
And if he proclaimed that
they were "doomed to die,"
they might actually repent.

I know that seems an odd thing to say.
But those people, in Nineveh,
the capitol city of Assyria...
were Jonah's enemies, whom he hated
for the crimes they committed
against his people.
So he ran the other way.

But God sure turned him around
in a mysterious way...
with a storm at sea,
in the belly of a fish,
and spit him out on dry ground,
pointing him in the right direction.

Jonah clearly new the will of God
for his life.
And when he got around to DOING it,
there were miraculous results!

So does it always happen that way?
You know, the...
magical, mystical, memorable
journey that makes for a fairy tale story;
wrapped up in a happy ever after ending,
where all the people listen to you
​and are happy that you've arrived?

Because the next prophet
God sent to Nineveh...
after they returned
to their wicked ways,
was Nahum.

And he did the will of God
without running away.
But they did not welcome him.
Nor did they repent.

And what of Jeremiah?
This, a faithful prophet
telling the people of Judah to repent
for TWENTY-THREE years!

And see how he was received...
​Now it happened,
when Jeremiah had made an end
of speaking all that the Lord
had commanded him to speak
to all the people,
that the priests and the prophets
and all the people seized him,
saying, “You will surely die!
Jeremiah 26:8 NKJV

NICE... right?
Not quite what you would expect
of a person right in the middle
of the will of God.

So here we have the comparison...
Two men given the same mission.
Two prophets preaching
to a city gone wrong.
Both doing the will of God.

And the contrast...
Jonah preached once,
and the people repented.
Jeremiah preached often,
for many years,
and the priests and prophets...
the very people who should have
had his back,
threatened to kill him.

So is being in the middle
of the will of God...
easy?

Is being in the middle
of the will of God...
miraculous?

Is being in the middle
of the will of God...
rewarding?

I bet Jeremiah didn't always answer
those questions as we would have thought.

But he didn't back down.
The priests and prophets then took him
before the princes of the city
and this is what he said...
As for me, here I am, in your hand;
do with me as seems good
and proper to you.
Jeremiah 26:14 NKJV

Jeremiah knew he was doing
the will of God, even in the struggle.
He knew that it wasn't always pretty.
But he did it anyway... not giving up.

Because he had his mind set,
not on his own comfort,
not on his own agenda,
not on his own glory.

And while I'm certain... as a human,
he got frustrated and wanted to see results.
He still pressed on.
And God protected him in the end.

I wish I could say
there was a magic moment
when you know you're there
in the middle of God's will.

I've had those day's I'm certain.
But most of the time,
I've wandered and wondered.

And to be very honest,
the times when I was most determined
were also those that began
or ended with tears.
Those are often the times
when you KNOW
you are smack-dab-in-the-middle
of where He wants you to be.

Because living a life for, and in,
the will of God,
​is rarely gong to be magical or mystical;
At least not on this side of eternity.

But most likely, it will be memorable.
And it will be a journey
that makes for a glory-filled story,
with a happy ever after heart.

We've just got to remember
like Jeremiah...
that it won't always be pretty.
But we should do it anyway...
and not give up.

Because we set our mind...
not on our own comfort,
not on our own agenda,
not on our own glory.

And knowing that we are human,
we will get frustrated,
wanting to see our own results.
But even when we don't
we need to still press on.
For we can be assured,
​that God will protect us in the end.

Word of God
train me today...
To take the focus
​off of ME in the middle.
To set my mind on forward motion,
knowing that I may already BE
in the middle of Your will,
​even in my struggle,
even in the crying.