“I Saw You Standing Here”


09/26/2008 06:43 AM - Permalink

Years ago, I had a dream.  Not the sort of fairy-tale experience your brain comes up with when you are asleep, but a type of dream that seems much more far-fetched – that seems much less possible.  This dream was born in my heart.

Like many people, my dreams and desires had the tendency to show up for a few months, weeks, days – even moments – and then be whisked away just as quickly as they had come.  I was in high school, for crying out loud!

. . . And I did.  And often.  Hardly a day went by for weeks that I didn’t find myself literally weeping in the presence of God over these, the most dearest desires of my heart.  Eventually, God gave me what I had sought Him for – a word concerning me.  There was just one problem with that.  It required a ton of patience – more than I had ever seen for sure, and nearly as much as the most I’d ever heard of in my life.  And I will admit; there were moments of great doubt in my heart.  (But there was never a lack of hope.  And hope gives birth to faith.  And faith annihilates doubt.  However, that’s still a process.)

God’s word to me was basically, “It shall be as you hope” (in a nutshell).  So . . . I would hope like a pro (and believe as much as I could)!  God would reiterate to me His promise.  He said once that I’d stand in victory and not even know it.  I didn’t really understand what He meant until recently.

I asked once how He knew the future.  His answer amazes me even now.  He said, “I know because I saw you standing there.”  “What?” I thought.  I was asking God how He knew something about my future.  Something that had to do with me being in a particular place.  That hasn't happened yet.  And God said He saw -- as in, past tense?  He saw me stand some place I've never been?  And I realized that's exactly right.  He is timeless as the Creator of all things (time being a thing), that He created time.  He's been to tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after.  He stood there, answering prayers you've not yet prayed.  Guiding children you've not yet had, and delivering you from circumstances of which you are not yet aware.  In His time -- in God's past tense, He has already seen you standing there.

"I saw you standing there."

Whoa!

This morning I was in the shower.  Err . . . this evening rather.  I stood there in appreciation for all God’s done for me.  All the outpouring I’ve been given recently (though I deserved none).  I thought of those times of promise, and compared them to the blessing I was standing in now.  I wondered if it would always be like this, and in my heart I knew the roller-coasters in life would be inevitable, and even – to me – kind of welcome.  Then God, sweetly, friendly, and utterly unexpectedly – as a loving father says to his favorite son when the son doesn't even know his father is in the room – as if to say “I told you so” in a manner full of love and joy, said “I saw you standing here.”  Then I remembered all that God promised; how much of it had already come to pass, and how much I had to look forward to.

I thought of Job.  Even at his worst, God believed in him and trusted him.  Even after Job lost everything – his riches, his friends, his family, even his health – God knew he’d pull through.  How?  Because God saw him standing in victory – even though Job didn’t know it.  And that’s my story.

When life throws you a curve ball, and you feel lost and alone, remember that God is God after all, trust Him, and never give up.  While this storm might toss and turn you a bit, or even teach you the depths of ebb and floe, it won’t destroy you.  God has more confidence in you to overcome than you’ve got in yourself.  He’s always had a plan to pull you through.  He’s never been surprised or worried about your future.  How could He be?  After all the devil could do . . . God saw you standing there.  And just because you were standing on Him when He saw you, He says you won.  (And His words mean business too, buddy.  Look at what that “Let there be light” stuff started!)

So when you're standing in the valley and all kinds of evil surrounds – remember Him . . . and think of the mountain you'll be on tomorrow.  Remember that even though you don't realize it, God sees you standing there – on the mountain of your victory – even now.  :)

Trust Him.  He’s worth it!  :)  *wink*

Jay Baldwin is a follower of Jesus Christ residing in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and daughter. Jay is an Executive Director and Software Engineer (Web Ninja!), a self-proclaimed scriptural scholar, and a pilot. He's also an avid gamer, loves tennis, and has a black belt in Korean martial art Tang Soo Do.