(You need to know that this is the fourth attempt at writing this post this morning. It began at 7:30. Something happened – I still don’t know what – and half of what I’d written disappeared into thin air never to be found again. Frustrated, I started to rewrite what had just vanished. This was at 8:30. I got about halfway through when the power went out and I lost my internet connection and thus my work, once again. That was 8:45. At this point I knew that based on how impassioned I was to write today’s post and how many things were going wrong, it was a message that Satan wasn’t pleased about me sending out. All the more determined, when the power came back on at 10:00, I tried to sit down and write again. Once again, when I sat down to the computer, the power went out. If what God showed me in His word this morning didn’t so impact me with fresh hope, I would have given up about three tries ago. The power is back on now and I think He has a message. And if you’re taking the time to read this right now, I think it just might be a message for you. Here’s to one more try….)
Sometimes you see the new in the old.
The fresh in the familiar.
The “aha” in the “ho-hum”.
It happens when I see the potential in an old treasure I find at a thrift store or on the side of the road. It happens when I take that treasure and clean it up and make it new or different than before. It happens when I take that restored treasure and find a new use for it.
The new sitting right there in the old.
This morning that same concept washed over me in my writing chair, coffee in hand, dogs and computer in my lap and thoughts whirling around in my head about my daughter Janay’s journey to Cambodia in a month. The thought of her leaving is especially poignant because she is coming in from Phoenix tonight to spend the weekend with us (yay, yay, yay!!!!) and share about her ministry with a group of women tomorrow night. The realization that she is really, truly doing this is hitting me in a powerful way this morning.
Suddenly a verse that I’ve known since I was a little girl popped into my head: 2 Timothy 1:12 – ….for I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
Here it was again.
Old. Familiar. And because of the years of repetition, possibly even ho-hum.
But here’s the great thing about God’s word – it has the unmatched ability to be as new, as powerful, as current and valid today as it was when it was written all those centuries ago. It’s God-breathed and He always, always has fresh breath!
So I looked at the verse again and saw it differently. Like certain words were just jumping off the page at me in a way they never had before. I’ve highlighted those words:
2 Timothy 1:12 – … for I KNOW whom I have BELIEVED and I am CONVINCED that He is able to guard what I have ENTRUSTED to Him until that day.
Here is where I pray that my own words and thoughts don’t limit the truth of what God revealed through this verse.
So let’s break it down:
KNOW – I KNOW God. Not of or about Him, but KNOW Him in relationship. A relationship where trust is built and nurtured and grown. I come to KNOW and trust His heart for me.
BELIEVE – That trust that comes from knowing blooms into BELIEVING. I BELIEVE in His promises because I trust His word and His heart.
CONVINCED – Belief morphs into conviction. I don’t just believe it passively. I am CONVINCED to actively live out that trust, that belief. I know, not just because of head knowledge but through heart knowledge, having seen His character played out and His promises kept in my experiences with Him and the experiences of others around me. I know it as fact, not theory. I am CONVINCED that it’s true. Like knowing my own name.
ENTRUSTED – And now that I’m convinced, here comes the active part. I ENTRUST to Him my hopes, dreams, spouse, children, extended family, friends, circumstances, future. I looked up the definition of ENTRUST and now I love the word even more: “To give over (something) to another for care, protection, or performance”. Sweet! If I know God, if I believe His word and His heart, if I’m convinced that His promises are truth, then I can ENTRUST EVERYTHING into His loving care.
This is a game changer! This affects everything in my life – every fear diminishes. Every doubt vanishes. My perspective changes. I find meaning and purpose in everything given to and taken from me. If I’ve placed everything in His hands – if I’ve ENTRUSTED – it shows that I trust my future, my loved ones will be safe in His care.
Whew! I made it through this time with no power outages! I hope that the richness of this verse is as meaningful to you today as it was and is to me. Let it sit in your heart and roll around in your brain for a bit. I’d love to hear what it does for your soul…:-)
