While we were preparing to come to Hawaii for our training we would share with people what the upcoming five months would possibly look like for us. A common refrain that we heard from a lot of people was something to the effect, "I wish I could go to Hawaii in January for missions." I am not going to lie, I hated hearing that. It seemed liked an insinuation that we are going to play while the rest of the world has real jobs. Unfortunately, what I heard and what was being said where two different things. But I did not know that until yesterday on our final descent into KOA airport. The Lord brought this statement that has bothered me back to mind but this time He let me hear what was really being said.
What He showed me was being said was, "I wish I knew my Father loved me enough to do something like that for me." This has suddenly brought into clear focus the hundreds of people that we have talked to who tell us that The Lord has put something on their heart but life just happens to be in the way. They cannot see how they will pay for it or any number of other concerns.
This morning a dear friend texted me just as The Lord was speaking to my heart about these matters:
"The difficulty with today is that everybody is sure of everything. The proud man cannot worship God any more than the proud devil can worship God. Without mystery there can be no worship. If I can understand God then I cannot worship God. I will never get on my knees and say, "Holy, Holy, Holy" to that which I can figure out. But the more I know God the less I understand Him." A.W. Tozer
You see, what The Lord is calling us into can only be sustained through a deep knowledge of how much The Lord loves us. If we are shaky on that we will be shaky on everything. How can we tell people of a God who loves them enough to die for them if we are unsure if He loves us enough to get us through the day? We may not understand what He is going to do or how He will do it but we must be secure in His love for us.
So here is what God did. Before our first flight took off I had to make an enormous payment to come to this training that took nearly everything we had. Walking into the unknown. By the time we landed the plane, The Lord had replaced it all. Walking on water.
"Don't ever doubt the love I have for you, David"