In every season, hidden in every choice, and every step, and in every moment, is the potential for nourishment or poison, for life or death. Hard as it is to face, and though we hate the thought of it, sometimes, for whatever reason, we’ll step off God’s nourishing path and plop our foot right down in the mud and mess of our own humanity. And we’ll wish we hadn’t. What are we to do when we find ourselves covered with evidences of our old selves, our old life?
We plop our feet in the basin and ask Jesus to wash away our mess. We humble ourselves and ask Him to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (see 1 John 1:9). We rise up from our repentance both consecrated and clean, in the full assurance that we are forgiven and free. We remember again that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:1). We wrap our hearts around the promise that we’ve been made new. We’re not an improved version of our former selves; we are something different altogether.
As we move forward in our faith journey, we’ll walk through seasons that try our faith and threaten our footing. We’ll trip and fall and sometimes miss the high road. And in it all, we do well to remember that mercies await us at every turn. Forgiveness is ours for the asking.
And yet. And yet, we must know that in each of these places of the journey, there’s a high ground for us, a better spot to place our feet, a place of refuge and protection. It’s the place of nourishment, strength, and fruitfulness. It’s the place of kingdom influence. It’s in the center of God’s will.
Though God offers provision for our missteps and Jesus is ready to meet us there when we fall or fail, there is a better place for us to walk. We’re made and equipped to hike the high ground, a most fruitful, sacred place, appointed for us in every season, and every leg of the journey.
Susie Larson appears this Monday on LIFE TODAY. Adapted from Your Beautiful Purpose by Susie Larson. Copyright ©2013 by Susie Larson. Published by Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
