25 days... some tangible progress towards a two-person apartment

One of the things we were able to do last weekend was get a lot of Naomi's stuff moved up here to Raleigh. She's been working hard getting everything in boxes and ready to go. It seems like almost every evening for the last few weeks she's been sorting and packing, trying to figure out what she won't need for a few weeks. It's really neat for me to be able to see the apartment slowly fill up with stuff that's not mine. It makes this getting married thing seem that much more real. And I love it!

Transitioning to a shared apartment is going to take some getting used to. Right now, I'm mostly just excited about being married and I can't wait to share my life with my beautiful bride-to-be. But realistically, I know that it will have its ups and downs for both of us. It will be a new experience sharing everything, and in such close proximity. I'm praying for God's grace as we learn how to handle this upcoming season of our lives... the newlywed stage. But I know that as long as we keep God the sole focus of our relationship, He will take care of everything else. He promises it throughout the Bible (see Romans 8:28 for one example). That doesn't mean that things will be fine and dandy all the time, or that there won't be struggles and hard times. But what it does mean is that everything that happens when we are in God's will is for a purpose. His purpose. And that purpose ultimately works for our good. Not necessarily for our comfort or our joy in this lifetime, but for our good.

If it means that He puts a difficult situation in our lives, it isn't to discourage us or kill our joy and hope. It is an opportunity to persevere in faith under trial. If it means that we go through periods in a relationship with God or with a friend/spouse/relative that seems dry, discouraging, or painful then He is teaching us to rely solely on Him for our every comfort and need. If it is a sin that we see recurring over and over in our lives despite our best intentions to act otherwise, then He is teaching us that in ourselves we can do nothing good, but that His grace is sufficient. If it is fear, then He teaches us to look to the One who casts out fear and darkness.

One thing I've learned in the past year is that God has a plan for every struggle that we see in our lives. Hard times don't happen at random. When we follow Christ, He is not content to leave us where He found us. We came to Him steeped in sin; we were living for the world and for men, not for the Lord. He refuses to let us make a decision to follow Him and then stop short at the first sign of struggle. When I feel the world start to pull me back into old habits or thoughts, I can feel Jesus pulling me ever closer to Him. And it's messy sometimes. It hurts. And it should. Sin doesn't let go easily. It's like surgery. Lots of blood and open cuts and removing the cancer so that the body can continue to live and grow.

When Jesus is talking to Nicodemus in John 3:1-21, He uses the analogy that believing in Christ is like being born again. And at the beginning, it is. God gives us a wonderful gift of forgiving our past sins and cleansing us from all our unrighteousness. It is a rebirth into the kingdom of God. But that is just the beginning. Matthew 16:24-25 says:

"...If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (NIV)

Denying myself the pleasures of the world and 'taking up my cross' should be my daily work as a believer in Christ. It's a daily, bloody battle against Satan and his lies. But even what Satan means for evil, God uses for good. When we have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives teaching, correcting, rebuking and training us in righteousness, the temptations and trials of the devil turn into an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4, NIV)

What a wonderful, merciful, gracious God that desires a relationship with me, in spite of my sinful nature, choosing instead to see in me the righteousness gained from Christ's death on the cross. A God that doesn't let go, that doesn't give up, and gives me the strength to follow Him even through the hard times.

Lord, thank You for the things You teach me every day about Your purpose for my life. Even when I can't see the outcome of the things I am going through, I can say with utmost certainty that it is for Your glory and praise. Thank you for being in control of everything, Father. Thank You for not being content to leave me where You found me, even when that means pain and hurt in my life. Thank You for leading me ever onwards, for forgiving my sins when I confess them to You, and for cleansing me from my unrighteousness. Thank you for sending Christ to die for me so that I might live through Him for Your glory. Use me, Lord.