The Here and Now
Mon 24th Oct, 2011
I (Josh, the wild man of Borneo) returned from a 3 week mission trip to Borneo on Saturday, and I’m currently in the Jetlag/Mind/Heart recovery and processing stage (like I seem to have with everything!!).
It was an immense privilege to be in the team that went out and also a privilege to witness and work within an environment that God has a firm hand of blessing upon.
Yes it was tough, 12 hour flight, 12 hour bus ride, but the joy (especially being with the kids) far outweighed ANY tiredness, lethargy and missing of home.
The lessons learnt out there were so good, on a instant realisation and change level but also on a level where I know, months down the line I will notice change and be like ‘aahh okay God!!’ 
It was wonderful to be away from life for such a prolonged period and thus allowing ‘alone time’ with Jesus. Time to retune ears to His voice and what He is saying and guiding.
It’s so difficult, coming back to what we call ‘life/reality/norm’ after being away in such a desirable atmosphere for a prolonged period. I for one am such a sucker for the ‘next thing’ in such a way that I often completely neglect ‘The Now’.
Don’t get me wrong, we should ALL be wanting guidance for the future and the next thing, and for where God wants us to be and what He wants us to do. But we are all so caught up in the Past or the Future, that often we are not alive to the Now.
I am always so concerned of what I WILL be, as opposed to what I AM now. It’s like the Zen Proverb; a man is hanging onto a vine above him. On the cliff are Lions, below are jagged rocks, and mice have started to gnaw away at the vine. But he notices that growing on the vine is a plump strawberry, which he picks and eats, and it is delicious.
If we are too busy focussing on the past or present we can miss what God has instore for us right now (the strawberry).
GETTING DEEPER
The hurdles that get in our way, so often become ‘managed’ whereas we should be walking over them in the promises of God! We try to argue with the Devil and even believe the lies (half truths) he puts in our path because we think he has power over us!
God has dealt with Satan once and for all on the cross! God lives in us and we should rebuke Satan, every time he pops up! We should laugh at the schemes of the evil one because it is what God does (Psalm 2:2-4).
I read somewhere:
If a 4 year old peddled up on a trike and tried to keep us from all that God has, we would engage him in debate. See how foolish this is. Well satan has no more power than that 4 year old and yet we try to convince him that he can’t hurt us. But by doing so, we are already convinced he can. Satan does not need us to prove to him the level of our faith. If we had faith we would not talk with him in the first place. The only ones we need to convince is ourselves.
Our lives have been written “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” – Psalm 139:16
If we believe ALL God’s promises! Then what or who shall we fear?
Our lives are in his hands and we must lay them down in order to be “raised” up.
So we must allow the word to be true in our own lives and not have to convince anyone but ourselves that it’s true.
Just in writing this post, it has taken a HUGE detour/turn from what I thought I would be writing, but it’s really challenging to me!
I know for me, I need to convince myself of the word of God, not just read it and move on, but ENGRAVE it in my heart! God is to be my/our rock, my/our foundation..
We should not grow fearful or scared or worried in ANYTHING, because God is victorious, and HE has won! And HE knows the desires of our heart
LET OUR JOY BE IN THE LORD 
Sorry if that was a bit of a ramble or completely off the point, but it was my heart just rolling out onto the keyboard
Josh
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