Life Unscripted

I’m not going to waste any time tonight. I’m jumping in the deep end and staying under until I can’t hold my breath any longer. I want to drown in my Savior’s presence. I want to be with Him. He is the only one who can fill me and satisfy my soul. When He shows up, nothing else matters. I could care less about who is in the room or what the latest tweet says. It’s all about Him. All. About. Him…

Insert long exasperated sigh of frustration here ______. Let me ask you a question. Let’s say you’re sick. Not like a little runny nose or a sore finger because you’ve been texting too much. I mean like a sickness that’s plagued you and hung around a while like the smell of fresh garlic from supper last week that wont..go..away.. The kind of sickness that you’ve coated with Lysol, medicated with over the counter drugs, sweating bullets and chills and are now sitting at the doctor’s office waiting to be treated.

Your name is called and you slowly walk to the back honking your nose and wiping snot the whole way. The nurse asks you twenty questions, takes your temp, and tells you the doctor will be in shortly. Doc comes in, can tell you’re obviously ill, and says he knows exactly what will fix you up and walks out of the room. You wait a few minutes… Then you run out the door, jump in your car and drive home and tuck your sick head back into the canyon of blankets your body previously sank into.

Wait, wait, wait… Would you ever do this? Seriously? We have acknowledged we are sick, know where to go to change our current situation, and want to feel like a normal human being again. So we accept the medication because we know it works. That’s our typical response.

Can you answer this mind boggling question for me? Then why do we run from God? Why on earth do we do this? The presence of God comes in so heavy, and we start lacing up our running shoes. I mean, we can’t out run Him. We can’t hide from Him. Sheesh, He created everything; He knows where all the good hiding places are. I can’t figure this out. I have a hunch. But first I want to look in the Word and see why others ran from Him.

Jonah was afraid of the task at hand when God asked him to go to Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-3). Throughout the book of Exodus, the children of Israel ran circles for 40 years around Canaan because they couldn’t make up their mind whether they wanted to run from God and live in captivity or serve God and live in the land promised to them. Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends, yet he denied him three times the night his Teacher was captured (Luke 22:55-62).

There are so many more, but these are just a few people in our family tree who tried to escape. Some completely, others from momentary discomfort. The common factor with the majority of these is one thing – FEAR. Jonah was afraid God asked him to do something too big, too scary and too far out of His comfort zone. The children of Israel escaped captivity only to be free and wanting back in slavery because they feared when it wasn’t smooth sailing journeying to the land of promise. Peter walked on water to Jesus, but he was afraid people would kill him for admitting he was a disciple and friend of this miracle worker.

Be real with me. There’s no use sugar coating it. What. Are. YOU. Afraid. Of? What makes you run the opposite direction when the pastor asks if anyone needs prayer? When God’s children are crying out to Him in adoration and prayer, what is it that makes you break out in a sweat, get chill bumps, look at your watch or makes you antsy?

Can I tell you what it is that you’re feeling? It’s the tugging of the Holy Spirit. It’s a powerful thing, but it’s nothing to fear. It’s God’s way of wrapping His loving arms around you and pulling you close. He wants to be with you. Did you know that? Are you afraid of change? Are you afraid He will show you something about yourself you’ve been hiding? He already knows you inside and out. He knows what you do when no one is watching. And you thought it was Santa who sees you when you’re sleeping.

Oh please don’t run… Unless you’re running to Him. There’s no safer place than in His arms. Stop walking away from Him. He’s the only constant in your life and the only one who will never leave you and never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Experience Him. You never know, He may be what you’ve been looking for this whole time. 😉

Living Life Unscripted,
❤ Brittany