Commended for Faith, yet none received what was promised.

After a long diatribe of extolling the virtues of many in the faith, that suffered and endured sometimes excruciating hardships...Hebrews 11:39-40 brings this cheery encouragement, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better...". I sit here now and ponder...what is better than receiving what God has promised? At this point of my life, my view of my mortality is only a short distance away. There are certain goals, "promises" that I believe to be from the Lord in my heart, things that I am presently living and some of them, living sacrificially for. Will I never see them? Just pie in the sky lofty goals?

I need to come to the place where I understand, or try to understand, the leading of the Lord in my life and to discern His divine direction. Hebrews 11 has many exciting facets to it like Jericho, Joseph, Moses...Noah building the boat that saved his life...but what about me? I'm living second to second, hour by hour, and many of them without the tingling of living out history.

Maybe...the answer is somewhere in 12:1-3? Maybe...I still WANT to receive God's promises...and maybe...in my lifetime. Either way, Hebrews 11 needs a name update to the "By faith" listing. Pat Beamer.

2009...the year of seeking the Lord and discovering direction.

It was, now a long time ago, January 7, 2009 that during my Quiet Time the Lord spoke to me...at least I thought...that this would be a year of  "Seeking the Lord" and "settling direction" for my, our, lives. Well, not until did April anything of real substance happen, that we received a "green light" from who we perceived to be God, to proceed fully and that the time was "now"...write a  resume for a church that we had a burden for it to become healthy...which we will affectionately call "rt". Finally...an answer for the future and the local. Weeks turned into months and we went to other locations in an attempt to determine the Lord's leading. Conversations turned into strategy meetings, Quiet Times turned into Visions, Books turned into training, and the time turned into an increased burden....all to bring us eight months down the road. Well finally 2 marathons later...literally, an oddly  cold phone interview,  led the way to a face to face that seemed like the beginning of an answer...which led the way to "silence". Silence when passion, destiny, continual vision burned deeply....till the end weeks later..."no". Odd...unrequited love. It's certainly not how I envisioned this romance taking place all along. I certainly envisioned a "match to dry kindling" or even "water to a thirsty soul", but in no fashion was there ever "indifference".

So...a region that seems to have destiny spoken over it...where does one see their place? When specific 2400 dpi vision is seen...is the picture to be printed to be enjoyed by all?? Or...is the picture just for the enjoyment or stretching of the viewer?

Admist all this allegory there are actual circumstances, lives actually with feelings, hopes and dreams. 2009?? Certainly a year of "seeking the Lord"...certainly a year of "finding direction"...will 2010 be a year of "fullfillment"?