Tomorrow

Have you ever agreed to do something that terrifies you?  The very thought of which causes your knees to quiver and your stomach to drop.  I recently had this experience and although I'm now becoming more excited rather than anxious, it's still a bit of a nerve-wracking experience.  I'll share more about that later in the summer.

On Sunday, I will be leaving for a week as a volunteer with Joni and Friends for one of their annual weeks of Family Retreat at Spruce Lake in the Pocono Mountains.  Please read more about the ministy of JAF here.  This will be my second year as an STM (short-term missionary) and I'm very excited about it.

Even so, I'm a bit anxious about my week.  I do believe that stretching experiences are very good for us.  I was just telling my brother last night that I think God uses such experiences to strengthen our walk with Him and grow in our faith.  As terrifying as it is to step out into the unknown, it's vital in our walk with the Lord.  Otherwise, we might get lost in the every day grind, not seeing new things, taking part in new experiences, or putting our faith in the One who sustains us.

I just came across this verse in my devotions and it gave me excitement for the upcoming adventures that I'll be taking part in this summer. 

Joshua 3:5 says, "...'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"  To be consecrated means to be made holy or set apart; to be dedicated to a particular purpose; or to bless something/someone.  If we take this verse to heart and actually apply it to our lives, it can really make a difference.  For one thing, we should come before the Lord each day, bowing before Him in holiness and awe, as we set ourselves apart from the world.  We should be visibly different from those around us because we've been changed from the inside out.  People are always watching us as Christians and our countenance and actions can leave a positive or negative impact. 

The second thing I take from this verse is that we always have 'tomorrow' to serve the Lord.  (This is not to say that we shouldn't be willing to be used today or that our Father won't call us home to be with Him before tomorrow comes.)  But rather, we must always be ready when tomorrow comes so that we can be used of God for His purposes in our lives.  When our hearts are pure before our heavenly Father, our lives will reflect that and overflow God's goodness to the people around us that so desperately need love and hope.

I feel like I took a few bunny trials here, but hopefully you got something from my ramblings anyway.  I encourage you to look for tomorrow, as well as today, and see what God will do through you to touch the life of another.