Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence—as fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things for which we did not look, You came down, the mountains shook at Your presence. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him. Isaiah 64:1–4
There are some things that simply defy human comprehension. How great will heaven be? Are there words in human language which can adequately describe its splendor? God’s ability to bless us also surpasses our comprehension (Ephesians 3:20). When Elisha announced that God would turn a terrible famine into a surplus in less than 24 hours, one man said, “If the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” (2 Kings 7:2). I am convinced that we as mortals have no idea how richly God is able and desirous to bless us if we will just trust Him and follow the leading of His word.
How often do we resist the changes that bring about great blessings? For example, if the option had been yours, would you have chosen to be born into this world in the first place? In his pitiful state Job lamented, “Why then have You brought me out of the womb? Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!” (Job 10:18). When Jeremiah was locked up in stocks for his preaching, he said, “Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!” (Jeremiah 20:14). What person would ever voluntarily leave the warmth, safety, and comfort of a mother’s womb to be born into a cold world full of sorrow and pain? There is only one Man who ever did.
If you could choose the moment, when would you die? Paul talked about how difficult that decision would be (Philippians 1:21–24). He knew that he had a far greater existence awaiting him beyond this life (2 Corinthians 5:1–8), and yet there were so many things he still hoped to accomplish. If a signup sheet were posted on the bulletin board for those wanting to go to heaven, how many would sign it? What if the time of departure were today? No matter how much you may look forward to the life to come, there is still some apprehension about dying, but when we cross into eternity, we will wonder why we ever clung to this mortal existence. When we leave this body, it may be very much like leaving the womb—a bit scary at first, but then awakening to new experiences beyond our ability to imagine.
There is also some fear involved when we put to death the old man of sin to be born again of water and spirit. It isn’t easy to walk away from the only way of life you have ever known. When you are conditioned all your life to hate your enemy, learning to love him is tough. When you have been taught that getting ahead of everyone is your goal, it is hard to accept the idea that the first will be last. Walking by faith is entirely different from walking by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When you have guided your own steps so long, it is unsettling to start counting completely on someone else to direct them.
There are a lot of things that are scary, but which help us to grow. That first day in a new school can be very intimidating, but it helps to advance your education. The first day on the job can be scary, but you need the money. Marriage and children bring new responsibilities, but both are great blessings. If we constantly live in fear of the unknown, we may miss out on some of the greatest blessings that God has in store for us. It is most often in hindsight that we understand that what seemed like the most difficult parts of life turned out to be the most rewarding. What blessings might God have in store for you that (as yet) you know nothing about?