LIFE IN THE MIDDLE

This year, the word that continues to be repetitive in my life has been "middle." What an odd word for my word of the year was my initial thought. The more I pondered it, the more it began to start making sense. My hope is that, as the year progresses, I will understand why this is my focus for the year.

According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, the definition of "middle" is 

"Equally distant from the extremes; being at neither extreme"

"Constituting a period of a language or literature intermediate between one called OLD and one called NEW or MODERN"

"Typically asserting that a person or thing both performs and is affected by the action represented"

"The central portion of the human body"

"The position of being among or in the midst of something"

"The center of an offensive or defensive formation" 

 As I typically do, I went to Scripture and did a little research on what it says about middle. What I found was pretty fascinating and certainly peaked my interest and caused me to pause. As the dictionary provides different descriptions of the term "middle," there are many circumstances in the Bible that display those concepts as well.

In Numbers, there is a description of the layout of how the tribes camped in their travels. 

"Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in their own place under their standard." ~ Numbers 2:17 NIV

To my understanding, the Levites are the people who are set aside as the priests. Further in this passage, the Tent of Meeting was also in the center. The rest of the tribes camped around the Levites and this Holy Place. The Spiritual leaders and the Holy Place were set in the center, with the rest of the tribes surrounding them. While I'm not a theologian, my understanding is this was for multiple purposes. One of these was for safety and protection. I also believe this may have been to set up a core....stability for the tribes. 

Then we have the situations when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and when Joshua led them through the River Jordan. In both of these experiences, God divided the waters and the Israelites walked on dry land.

"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left."

~ Exodus 14:21-22 NIV

"Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Dead Sea was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground."

~ Joshua 3:15-17 NIV 

These particular passages describe how God is in the middle and how He performs miracles in the middle. Of course then there are the other times when we are in the middle.

"Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long."

~ Exodus 14:19-20 NIV 

"You are all around me - in front and in back - and have put your hand on me." ~ Psalm 139:5 NCV 

 So God is present on either side, before us and behind us...and has His hands on us. What about in the midst of time? 

"Yahweh, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, Yahweh. Renew your work in the middle of the years. In the middle of the years make it known. In wrath, you remember mercy." ~ Habakkuk 3:2 WEB

 "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." ~ Habakkuk 3:2 NIV

As I was researching all of this, I was reminded of something else that totally caused me to pause. 

"There they crucified him, and with him two others - one on each side and Jesus in the middle." ~ John 19:18 NIV

WOW! Wait. What? Jesus was in the middle between two criminals. I knew that, but I never put that together with Him being in the middle.

"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, ' since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'" ~ Luke 23:39-43 NIV

All of this caused me to take a look at my life and wonder about the times I'm in the middle or times when God is in the middle. Do I follow Him when He's leading? Do I trust that He's coming up behind me and protecting me?

My life this year finds me in many middles. Various situations when I find a need to step out in faith to move forward, to trust, to know that God is behind me, in front of me, and standing in the middle with me. There are work changes. There are ministry changes. There are home changes. And possibly more changes that I don't even know yet. Walking by faith, not by sight. Following what I'm told. I don't know what it all looks like. I don't know all of the instructions. What I do know, is that God will be in front of me, behind me, and with me.

"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.'" ~ 2 Chronicles 2:17 NIV

 This is a song that has been following me lately. It completely continues to remind me of how God is ALWAYS there...... As I journey through the changes of 2020, I must remember that He tells me not to be afraid because He will always be with me. 

I put the lyrics under the video in case you'd like to read them while you listen. I know it helped me.

Another In The Fire

Hillsong UNITED

There's a grace when the heart is under fire
Another way when the walls are closing in
And when I look at the space between
Where I used to be and this reckoning
I know I will never be alone

There was another in the fire
Standing next to me
There was another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
Of how I've been set free
There is a cross that bears the burden
Where another died for me
There is another in the fire

All my debt left for dead beneath the waters
I'm no longer a slave to my sin anymore
And should I fall in the space between
What remains of me and this reckoning
Either way I won't bow to the things of this world
And I know I will never be alone

There is another in the fire
Standing next to me
There is another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
What power set me free
There is a grave that holds no body
And now that power lives in me
There is another in the fire, oh
There is another in the fire, whoa
There is another in the fire, whoa
There is another in the fire, oh
I can see

And I can see the light in the darkness
As the darkness bows to Him
I can hear the roar in the heavens
As the space between wears thin
I can feel the ground shake beneath us
As the prison walls cave in
Nothing stands between us
Nothing stands between us

There is no other name but the name that is Jesus
He who was and still is, and will be through it all
So come what may in the space between
All the things unseen and this reckoning
And I know I will never be alone
And I know I will never be alone

There'll be another in the fire
Standing next to me
There'll be another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
How good You've been to me
I'll count the joy come every battle
'Cause I know that's where You'll be
I can see the light

And I can see the light in the darkness
As the darkness bows to Him
I can hear the roar in the heavens
As the space between wears thin
I can feel the ground shake beneath us
As the prison walls cave in
Nothing stands between us
Nothing stands between

There'll be another in the fire
Standing next to me
There'll be another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
How good You've been to me
I'll count the joy come every battle
'Cause I know that's where You'll be

Count the joy come every battle
'Cause I know that's where You'll be
I'll count the joy come every battle
'Cause I know that's where You'll be, sing it again
I'll count the joy come every battle
'Cause I know that's where You'll be
I'll count the joy come every battle
'Cause I know that's where You'll be

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Chris Davenport / Joel Timothy Houston

Another In The Fire lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group 

all contents (c) 2020 Laura Inglis