Great Adventure

I dreamt that my husband and I are at our favorite beach. The beach looks familiar but the condo where we usually stay and the neighboring condos are gone, replaced by long, gray barracks. I decide I’m going to camp out on the beach in a small, triangular, bright orange nylon pup tent. I set it up and drive stakes in the sand.

I look out the tent window and see a brilliant blue sky with a few wispy clouds like ostrich feathers. Suddenly a tsunami sweeps me away, still in the tent, which is riding the crest of an enormous wave. I’m amazed that I’m not underwater, and rather than experiencing terror, I feel exhilarated to be having this fantastic adventure.

Upon awakening I still feel oddly joyful rather than anxious. When trying to interpret the dream, I remember that the night before, a local Christian outreach group had sent me an email with the subject line “Great Adventure.” It urged the reader to follow God’s will at all times (Luke 22:42), trusting that He will provide “fantastic opportunities” to serve Him (Exodus 23:25; Joshua 24:24; etc.) and be joyful in His blessings (Psalm 32:11), even during trials and adversity (Acts 20:24).

Confirmation that I was on the right track in deciphering the dream came from a Charles Stanley devotional we read the morning after I had the dream, entitled “Fantastic Adventure.” It too reminded us that even when the world is in turmoil and our life seems like it is turned upside down, Christians can experience the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and the joy of His salvation (Psalm 21:1; Isaiah 61:3,10).

If we trust God and keep our minds fixed on Him, instead of on the world’s chaos, He will keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Even better, we can eagerly anticipate that extraordinary times bring forth extraordinary opportunities to serve Him (Ephesians 5:16), as He guides us through a fantastic adventure. The Chinese pictograph for “crisis” is the same as the pictograph for “opportunity.”

During this past year of upheaval in everyone’s lifestyle, health, ministries, finances, and even liberties, the beach has been our place of refuge that God has so graciously provided for us. It is a place where we can enjoy the majesty and inspiration of His creation (Psalm 19:1), and relative peace and solitude encouraging us to grow closer to each other and to Him.

Yet it is also a place of tremendous contrasts. One moment the water may be as still as glass; the next, churned up by a raging storm, just as Jesus’ followers experienced on the Sea of Galilee (Luke 8:22-25). A thunderous downpour may be followed by the clean fragrance of ozone and a brightly colored rainbow on the horizon, reminding us of God’s faithfulness (Psalm 40:10; Lamentations 3:23), and of His covenant never again to destroy the earth by water (Genesis 9:11-17).

And so it is with our lives. Peace, joy and fulfillment in serving Him, interspersed with heartbreak over the staggering spread of the pandemic; loss of beloved brothers and sisters in Christ; and senseless division, hatred and even violence that render our once God-fearing nation (Psalm 33:12) scarcely recognizable and awaiting His judgment (Psalm 2:1-5).

In the dream, the beach was familiar but the housing situation was very different, our distinctive living quarters gone and now blending into dull uniformity. This may symbolize loss of personal property and privileges that we may hold dear, perhaps a warning from God not to become too attached to the things of this world (Matthew 6:19-21), even though He in His abundant benevolence has provided them (1 Timothy 6:17).

My camping out on the beach in a modest tent is reminiscent of the Israelites camping in the wilderness as they journeyed to the Promised Land (Exodus 33:7), and of God’s faithfulness to lead them by day and to tabernacle with them at night (Exodus 13:21-23). Once we are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), His Holy Spirit enters the tabernacle of our body (2 Corinthians 1:22). Yet this mortal body is just a temporary dwelling for Him, and once we are absent from the body, we shall be present with the Lord, eternally in His presence (2 Corinthians 5:8).

To secure the tent, I placed stakes in the sand, clearly not intending this to be a permanent dwelling, nor to build a fortress in this transient earth (Matthew 7:24-27), but to allow mobility as God called me to the next lap of His journey. Similarly, the Israelites were able to wait overnight where God stopped them, uplifted by His Shekinah Glory filling the tabernacle, and to resume following Him the next day as He led them with a traveling cloud (Exodus 13:21-23).

The glorious, heavenly view through the tiny tent window calls to mind that we are to fix our gaze on Him and on things above, and not to become preoccupied with the cares of this world (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). With that perspective, we need not be troubled even by catastrophic events (2 Corinthians 4:8-16). In the dream, the tsunami was turned from a destructive force to a dynamo of energy that lifted me high above the current and allowed me to ride the crest of a great wave, experiencing a great adventure.

It reminded me of the disciples’ question about Jesus:  “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!” (Matthew 8:27).

The word “great” can mean not only “grand” or a superlative form of “good,” but also “awesome” in the sense of “terrible.”  Our God is not only supremely good (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 52:1), but also One to inspire awe and terror in His righteous judgment on those who mock Him and have not trusted His Son (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Psalm 9:8-17).

Yet God can turn even the most destructive blows from the devil into instruments for His children’s good and for His glory, as He did with Joseph sold into slavery (Genesis 50:20) and Christ on the cross. He can truly work all things together for good for those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

In these End Times, He may allow us to experience one or more great adventures. We can succumb to fear and despair as we face the onslaughts of the devil, or we can pass over them, uplifted by our Lord’s unseen hand, to experience the thrill of His sure victory (1 Corinthians 15:57) and the blessing of being used by Him to accomplish His perfect will.

God may have placed us here, like Queen Esther, for His purposes, “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). May we use these opportunities wisely, seeing them as fantastic opportunities rather than frightening ordeals. May we serve Him boldly and following His leading until He comes again!

The world may be sinking in chaos, but as born-again Christians (John 3:3-8), we have the blessed and lively hope (Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:3) of the Rapture! What greater adventure could there be than to instantaneously rise to the clouds, in glorified bodies that will never age, die, sin or feel pain or sorrow (1 Corinthians 15:35-57), united with Christ and with our loved ones in Him forever?

© 2021 Laurie Collett

 

New Beginnings: Triplets of Rebirth

 

Photo by Bogdan 2005

As we said goodbye to 2020, a year of sickness, sorrow, loss, isolation and division for many across the globe, we also recalled the many unexpected blessings God gave us in His infinite love and grace.

 

As we start 2021, we pray for God's continued blessings, guidance and mercy. His Word promises that He will work all things together for good for those who love Him, who are the called according to His promise (Romans 8:28). 

 

One of His greatest blessings is His compassion, which never fails, and which is new every morning. Praise God for His automatic reset button -- a new dawn, a new month, a new season, and now, a New Year. I believe that now more so than ever, many are thankful for this annual chance to ring out the old, ring in the new, and start over.

 

This prompted me to repost the article below. May all readers have a blessed New Year, growing in God's grace, Word and will until He comes again! May it even be this very year!

 

 

Blank Document: Create. A thrill of anticipation flutters in my heart when I hit those buttons on Word, knowing that God can fill that clean slate with the words He chooses as I yield to His Holy Spirit. I’m often surprised and delighted by the thoughts and word pictures He creates when I don’t clutter the page with my own preconceived notions.

This time of year has more than its share of new beginnings. In many parts of the world, freshly fallen snow creates a pristine landscape, cleansed of yesterday’s grime and soot, coating tree branches with feathery plumes and sparkling crystal, and blanketing downy fields that invite fresh footprints.

Those who celebrate Christmas with gift giving are enjoying their new presents – perhaps the novel experience of an exotic fragrance, the taste and texture of undiscovered gourmet treats, the exciting look of the latest fashion accessory, or even the crisp, cool feel of new sheets. All across the globe people are viewing the first page of their new calendar or journal, and many of us who read devotionals are marveling that once again it is January of a new year.

The New Year, as well as the start of each month and even the dawning of each new day, is like an automatic reset button. Praise God that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), and that no matter what mistakes we have made and what sins we have committed, He is quick to forgive us and to cleanse us from our sins if we confess them and repent (I John 1:9).

Daily Bible reading for the year begins in Genesis, contemplating the Creator of all, the self-existent One Who simply was “in the beginning.” (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1). Without Him was nothing made that is made (John 1:3). 

As we have seen in our study of triplets in Scripture, the attributes of God, the Names of Jesus, types of worship, and works of His creation can be described in groups of three. This pattern continues as we look at new beginnings of the earth and of human life.

The Bible describes three new beginnings for the earth and all it contains, even though the earth will in one form or another continue eternally (Psalm 78:69; Ecclesiastes 1:4). First, God created the heavens and earth, as well as light, celestial bodies, water, plants, animals, and man (Genesis 1). But once Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin and death entered their world, and even the earth was cursed and fell into corruption (Genesis 3:17-19; Hebrews 1:11-12; Romans 8:22).

The second beginning for the earth was the flood, in which God caused cataclysmic changes on the earth and its oceans and destroyed most of the earth’s inhabitants because of man’s wickedness (Genesis 7).

The third beginning for the earth will be renovation by fire, occurring after Christ’s return and His reign in the Millennial Kingdom. Even the very elements of the earth will then burn with an intense heat (2 Peter 3:10) in preparation for the new heavens and new earth (2 Peter 3:13). Christ will make all things new (Revelation 21:5), purging the earth from the corruption of the curse, sin and death.

For God’s children, human life also has three beginnings: conception, birth, and being born again. For every human being, life begins at the moment of conception, at that defining moment when the union of sperm and egg result in a reassortment of genetic material from both the father and mother, containing all the instructions needed to ensure development of a unique person with specific physical and emotional traits.

Everyone on earth was born on a specific year, date and time, with our birthday marking our beginning in this world, that moment when we first cried out to announce our presence. Pediatricians note the newborn’s weight, length, and head circumference and track these three measurements throughout early development. But we were born “few of days and full of trouble,” (Job 14:1) with only a very brief, limited time (James 4:14) to overcome and subdue our sin nature and to honor God with our life.

This can happen only if we have a new spiritual beginning – that moment in time when we are born again (John 3:3-8). That rebirth requires that we come to the end of our natural self and die to our sin nature (1 Corinthians 15:31), realizing that we are sinners in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23-28), and that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Only when we place our faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15: 3-4) as the only way to Heaven (John 14:6) can we be reborn as a new creation in Him (Hebrews 12:24; Galatians 6:15; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

God has created each born-again believer with the potential to use our own peculiar characteristics to glorify Him, no matter how the world perceives us (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:13). What others might see as a defect is like clay in God’s hands to be fashioned into a special vessel consecrated to His purpose (Isaiah 29:16; 64:8; Romans 9:21). At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells us and equips us with at least one spiritual gift to be used to encourage fellow believers (1 Corinthians 12).

A new beginning awaiting all believers is the Rapture, when we will have new bodies, a new address, and a new name (Revelation 2:17). Our bodies will be like that of the resurrected Christ (Philippians 3:21), and we will never die, age, or become ill. Instead of pain, sorrow, and tears, we will experience vitality, joy, and a new song. (Isaiah 35:10; Revelation 5:9; 21:4). Our new home will be in our own mansion, (John 14:2) in Heaven, in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2).

As this new year begins, I’m eagerly anticipating what God has in store, and even more eagerly awaiting the new beginning of the Rapture! It could be this year or even this very day – may we be ready by knowing and serving Him! 

© 2013 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives