The Land of the In-Between
I recently read a social media post one of my cousins wrote. I won’t go into detail of that post, but one thing he stated stood out to me: “… most of our lives is not spent on the mountaintop or in the valley, but instead we walk in the land of the in-between.”
The land of the in-between.
There is never a time when we are tee-totally up and then tee-totally down. We gradually move up, then gradually move down. I know it doesn’t feel that way at times. It often feels as if one minute we’re going along fine and dandy and then BOOM! We’re knocked for a loop. Well friends, the boom was coming. Our mountain-top or our valley is always a slow fade. It just seems to happen fast because we aren’t focused.
In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world,” (emphasis is mine).
Jesus never said we would have it all together, have it made in the shade, or everything be smooth sailing. On the contrary. You just read it above. However, what He did say is that He would never leave us, nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5).
We can rest assured that whatever we go through, He goes with us. It’s not too hard for us (He did say that, too – Deuteronomy 30:11). Although, at times, it seems as if it is. But that’s usually when we look to ourselves to fix the problem or situation, rather than seeking Jesus first.
Whenever something happens (good or bad) to whom do you run first? Friends? Family? We are oftentimes so quick to pick up the phone and dial or run to the keyboard and start typing… when in truth, what we should do is run to Jesus.
Living in the Land of the In-Between may sound facetious even to think it, but it’s true. We are all living in the land of the in-between, whether between the next mountaintop experience, or the next valley. But think a little deeper and you will discover that just living life we are literally living in the Land of the In-Between, between Heaven and Hell. We plug along daily, some wondering what the meaning of this life really is, some wondering what’s around the next corner, and some wondering where God is going to take them next. Some even have no concern for God at all and rely on themselves and others to get them through.
How you live your In-Between depends on which direction you will find yourself; up or down. Let me encourage you: Choose up. That’s such a better decision than the alternative. And maybe you’re throwing your hands in the air, wondering, “What next?!” Why not ask the Lord? Better yet why not ask Him to lead you? Because truly, wandering around on your own, trying to figure things out on your own, isn’t getting you anywhere except into the next valley.
Because of the Israelites’ disobedience to God, their Land of the In-Between lasted forty years. Yes, I said forty years. Had they listened to God (through Moses), they would have arrived at the Promised Land within eleven days! It was only to be a short trip. How would you feel about wandering around a desert for forty years? Although, here’s a fun fact about their journey: Their clothes didn’t wear out. Their wagons didn’t wear down. Everything they took with them from Egypt, they entered the Promised Land carrying. Even though they had been disobedient to God, He still took care of them in many ways. You can find their story in Exodus.
The story of the Israelites is just one of many accounts of Living in the Land of the In-Between. The point is, as long as we live here on Earth, we are living in the Land of the In-Between. This is not our home. This life here on Earth is what Christian Comedian and singer, Mark Lowry calls, “Boot Camp.” We are ever growing and learning, training if you will, for when our heavenly home is ready, and Daddy calls us Home for Dinner (more on that later).
How are you living your Land of the In-Between? What are you doing with it? Will you focus forward and upward, putting Jesus first in all things? Or will you focus inward, just trying to get by until the next mountaintop experience? I would encourage you to focus forward and upward. Jesus has such awesome plans for each of us! We are all given a specific task to accomplish in our journey. Let’s work together to make a huge difference for the Kingdom!
