JOURNEY 201¦1 ‘Downside Up’

Downside up and outside in …

Sounds crazy, I know! The much more familiar term is 'upside down and inside out'. Yet this is the phrase that came to mind as I thought about the Kingdom of God. You see, in the Kingdom of God, everything is 'backwards'. Well, it is actually perfect. It is just backwards from the world's order and perspective.

* The humble are exalted (Lk. 14:11)
* The weak are strong (II Cor. 12:10)
* You die to live (Mk. 8:35)
* The last is first (Mt. 20:16)
* You give all and increase (Pr. 11:24)
* And the servant is the leader (Mt. 23:12)

But, why tell you all this?

If you have been saved for fifteen minutes, you likely understand some of the intricacies which make God's Kingdom very different from the world's systems to which we have become accustomed.

Here is the reason -

In the midst of the journey - particularly if it has been a long journey - there is the possibility of becoming weary and losing focus. All of the 'signs' seem to blur and you can't quite grasp which direction is up, down, east, west, right or wrong.

You get exhausted - frantically and repeatedly checking your 'road map/Bible'. You start questioning whether you took a wrong turn. You are too tired to keep going. Yet, you feel this inner urging to keep pressing forward. It can be dizzying and overwhelming!

Thanks for pointing out the obvious, right?
Well, there is a glimmer of light, a flicker of hope

This is it -

If you've reached a crossroad,
     and don't know which way to turn,
If you have finally come to the end of your strength -
     Yet you still need some to take the next step
When you've sunk to the lowest point,
     and you cannot find 'up' 
In a Kingdom where down is up and last is first -
You are probably closer to the destination than you think

DON'T GIVE UP!!!

When you find yourself dangling from a strand at the frayed end of your rope, The LORD God Almighty takes you in His hand, grabs hold of that thread and He weaves you a beautiful new future. All the things that have kept you down, become part of the fabric which holds and uplifts you. All of the stormy circumstances, which have been raging on the outside, are doing a hidden work to bring about a change on the inside. They are helping to shape your character so that it more closely reflects that of Jesus Christ. They are preparing you for every good work and positioning you to possess every promise that God has uniquely set aside for you. And 'I AM' ... well, He is working all things together for the good, for your good. (Rom. 8:28)

Downside up and outside in ...

Keep Believing, Keep Trusting, Keep Praising
     and by all means -
Keep Moving Forward ... with God ... in Victory!

Praying for you, that you be mightily blessed in every way!