- Image by .erin. via Flickr
If we’ll keep our eyes and hearts open, we’ll always find God‘s very best for us right now. But sometimes I think we miss what God has for us now because we’re holding out for something big. Yet we are surrounded all of the time by blessing if we’ll just recognize who God is and what he does for us.
A Schema
In many ways, our life of faith is like wading in the ocean. If we consider the ocean for a minute, we find many parallels to life and faith.
For example, the ocean reminds us of our utter frailty because of its great power. It speaks to us of seasons (or tides). It’s an image of being surrounded and supported and occasionally overcome. We can understand our lives saturated by the awesome presence of God. We can understand ourselves as surrounded by God and wading in blessing. Is it any wonder that Jesus told us to “consider the lilies” (Luke 12:27)?!
I’ll Get to the Point
God has big blessings for us. And its good and right to wait on them. To be focused.
But if we’re too focused on the future – on the “big thing” – we can miss what God has for us right now. You see, if we spend our time waiting on a big blessing and block everything else out, we can miss what God has for us right now.
Let’s return for a moment to the image of an ocean. If I’m standing in the ocean and I want to enjoy a big wave, that’s fine. But if I’m so focused on that “big wave,” I might miss all of the little waves that constantly surround me. I might miss all the medium-sized waves that come somewhat regularly. In fact, I might even bypass the big wave if I think it ought to be bigger. And all because I’m focused on waiting for that big wave.
So it is with our lives. We are constantly surrounded by God’s presence and his many blessings. And it’s OK to be waiting for a big blessing. But let’s not miss what God is doing for us today – and every day – because we’re “holding out” for something better.
Let’s enjoy God now! Let’s glorify him in the land of the living! Let’s delight in him in the big blessings and the little blessings. In the lean times and the prosperous times. After all, he is always worthy of our praise and adoration.
To God be the glory, great things he has done!
Bryan,
I really was struck by your example of “waiting on the BIGGER wave”. Life never really looks like what we anticipated or planned for it to be. I can see how so many of us can bypass true blessings because they appear too…common place. Erwin McManus has a lot to say about this in his book Seizing Your Divine Moment–that many life changing moments/decisions/blessings are nestled in what appears to be an ordinary lunch break conversation or an extra $5 in tip to the waitress on her first day.
Anyway, great analogy and great point about looking for the BIGGER wave.
Thanks Aaron. To be honest, I “borrowed” the bigger wave analogy from Alan
Smith. He mentioned it last year and it's stuck with me for quite some time
now. He rocks!