I'll Fly Away...Or Will I?

And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. (Psalms 55:6-7)

Oh, how very often I have cried out in this manner, how I've desired to fly away in the face of difficulty and great trials. How often have I said to myself, "I shall leave, and return once this storm passes."

But there will always be a storm. If my life doesn't have any hardship in it, perhaps I need to take a look at my life? Am I truly following Christ? Am I living in a way that puts Him and His glory above everything else? If not, why not? Have I withdrawn myself so completely from society that my life has no effect on anyone else? Or am I living in sin to the point where my life is no longer a reproach upon the lives of the unbelievers? If these things are the case, then I am in desperate need of God, in desperate need of repentance.

If these things are not the case, if I truly am seeking God, then surely there will be a storm in my life. The cross is an offense to those who don't value the power it brought. And because of this offense your life, very often, will not be as cushy as many of the unbelievers lives. So, if we run from our problems while promising to return once the storm passes, it is quite likely we shall never return at all. It is very likely we will spend the rest of our days in the wilderness. But God has not called us to run, rather to stand in His presence and cling to the peace that is found when you abide in His love and His commandments.

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalms 55:22)