“Look! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills” (S of S 2:8)

We have an agile God! Presently we should look and listen for Him. He’s not restricted by our problems or our efforts. He moves and roams in His own arena. Even to our thoughts and prayers, He is acting out-of-proportion: that’s where He moves!…”immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20).

As Peter’s stormy problems splashed up his legs while walking on the water with Jesus, he found he had a Savior who STILL intended on meeting him, problems and all, and wasn’t getting wet. Jesus would walk on top of them and would raise up Peter in faith to walk where He Himself was walking: over them.

Our efforts are merely overtaken by this great One who moves “like a gazelle or a young stag” (S of S 2:9), moving according to His own realm. “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Rom 9:16).

Like the takeoff of a plane on gray day and soon bursting through the thick cloud cover into that “celestial land” above. Immediately we are brought into a new setup where the sun always shines. There are no obstructions. There is freedom of movement.

Somewhere today His agility is being expressed. In some area of our life or another’s He will express His own free movement. Look for it. There, we will stop as the maiden and say “He…is leaping…and bounding.” There, the glory of His movements unfold to more in us. The One who moves as this is the One whom enraptures our soul. In adoration: “my Lover!” (vs 8).———-

 ”On no account let them escape,” “Let them not escape by iniquity” (Ps 56:7 NIV,KJV)

Escape by iniquity…isn’t this the only way it’s done? The thief escapes the police by racing full-speed down the city streets; the disobedient child avoids the hand of discipline by fibbing. But here the Word of God through David speaks out, “On NO account…”

The only true escape must be the one the Lord provides. If so, the believer should be the most expert on what escape is all about.

How does one really escape? It must be an escape by righteousness. It’s provided by God, “God will also provide a way of escape” (2 Cor 10:13), and “Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials” (2 Pet 1:9). One of the surest ways to get out a test is to PASS it. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has STOOD the test…” It makes sense that the best way to get out of eighth grade is to pass the eighth grade exam.

We tend to FIGHT the trials we “fall into” (Ja 1:2). As long as we are fighting God, we have yet to crack the books for passing the course. We have yet to begin studying and learning what the instructor is looking for to pass the course. James says rather than to pray for an end to the trial, we “should ask” for generously-given wisdom…how can we make the trial count?, how can we invest it well to produce desirable results?, how can we pass the test, etc?

Jesus guides us in the Lord’s Prayer. We pray “lead us not into temptation…forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Just think, someone may be becoming a debtor to us today by “twisting my words all day long, always plotting…” (Ps 56:5). They are becoming bound by their wrong and, as above, will not escape by what they are doing.

Today we may release and forgive them and become an AGENT of escape for them. This may be the very action required for us to pass the test at their hands and inevitably allow grace for them to pass theirs.—————–

Admit it!

“WHEN I am afraid, I will trust in You”…”If anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God”…”But in everything (anxiety)…present your requests” (Ps 56:3; James 1:5; Phil 4:6)

In each of these agonies: fear, confusion, and stress, an awakening to lack is needed.  Might we come to the flexible humility of admitting it easily!

There are barriers to admitting lack. We resist the revelation of misappropriating God’s rich resources to us. We’ve somehow allowed God’s “peace that GUARDS our hearts and minds” to not be our guard; it seems to indicate our failure. We want to please Him. We want to believe we are dealing with life in such a way as to walk steadily and consistently.

Admitting lack is hard. But what are the signs? Pangs and torments wake us up. We are rehearsing a scenario over and over. The question then is not “Should I be at this place?” but “What should I do?” It’s humility; “but with humility comes wisdom” (Prov 11:2). The Psalms, full of expressed passion, relieve us by “giving us permission” to admit these contrary conditions within.

What will God do for a lacking child? Or better said, what will He do for a lacking child who TURNS? Clearly, He “gives generously…WITHOUT FINDING FAULT” (Ja 1:5) to the lacking child WHO ASKS.

So is there fear, confusion, a concern? Quickly…admit it. It signals one thing! You are lacking and are being directed straight to the open hands of the Lord.———————————-