Saturday, March 14
Read: Psalm 23; 1 Samuel 15:32-34; John 1:1-9
Lent invites us to slow down enough to notice where we are being led and who we are trusting along the way. These passages gently bring us to a personal question: Who is shaping my decisions, my pace, and my sense of security right now?
I remember in 2020 during the Covid shutdown….Anyone remember that? I moved to Freeport in 2019 to launch our Crosspoint, Freeport Campus. I spent an entire year getting acclimated to a new city. I didn’t know anyone in the community, and in case you didn’t realize, it takes people to build a Church….so I had spent that year meeting people, positioning myself at community gatherings, hosting Launch Parties, and building a Launch Team. We launched on January 26th, 2020 and boy was God faithful!
349 people showed up for our first services. In a 5,500 sq. ft. facility, we packed out 3 services, and I thought we were in the middle of revival! God was moving, adding people weekly, people were making professions of faith, and so much more….until 7 weeks later we were forced to close the doors for 3 months. Remember when I said it takes people to build a church? We ended up being closed longer than we were open in those early weeks. Upon re-opening that June, we went from 3 services to 1, 349 people to 40, and I began to question God’s voice and his faithfulness.
Had I heard God wrong? Did he really call me to this? This certainly wasn’t part of the plan….right God? I was tempted to quit, run back to what was familiar, and give up all together. But in an ever so gentle way, God reminded me. “Sam, I didn’t call you to gather crowds…I called you to make disciples. If you stay faithful and obedient that, I promise you I will stay faithful to you”.
It was in this experience that I truly understood Psalm 23. In fact, that famous passage reminds us that God’s nature is deeply personal. He is not distant or detached. He walks with us. Many of us can point to seasons where we felt clearly led, moments when God restored our soul, or times when we were carried through valleys we never would have chosen.
If you find yourself in a similar season or circumstance, I encourage you to slow down, get alone with God, turn down the noise of the world, and turn up the voice of the Lord. He is close. He is personal. He is with you and guiding you. He is your shepherd. He is your rest.
Another great reminder is found in John 1. In this passage, we see something profound. Jesus does not stay at a distance from our struggles. In fact, quite the opposite…he chooses to enter them. The Word became flesh. The Light shines into darkness, including the places in our lives that feel confusing, painful, or unfinished.
I imagine that many of us have stories where God met us, not after everything was fixed, but right in the middle of the mess. I experienced that during those months following the shutdown in Covid. Since then, I have had many moments that didn’t make sense at all. But our past can be a great reminder of what God can and will do in the future. Often, I draw from the well of Gods promises where he delivered me and it gives me faith that God will do it again!
If you find yourself struggling to make sense of your current pain, your current circumstances, or current failings, take heart! God is the God who will make a way. One day it will all make sense. And while I think many of us think the prize is the outcome, let me challenge that perspective and remind you that the prize is actually found in trusting the Lord in a deeper way. The prize is found in the obedience. Thank God we have a savior who understands our pain!
It is about telling the truth with God and allowing Him to lead us again. Jesus invites us to move from self-reliance to relationship, from control to surrender, and from hiding to light.
As you move through today, reflect on these questions:
Where have you seen God faithfully lead you before?
Where are you tempted to hold control instead of trust?
What part of your story might God be inviting you to bring into the light right now?
Prayer:
Good Shepherd, You know my story. You see where I have trusted You well and where I have struggled to let go. Lead me again today. Help me release what I am clinging to and trust You with what comes next. Jesus, be the Light that meets me right where I am. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Pastor Sam Brown ’11 is the Freeport, Florida Campus Pastor of Crosspoint, a Global Methodist Church.
