For about a month I've been getting advertisement emails with the subject line "The Territory Ahead" telling me all about the products offered and sales events and free shipping and specials and I have never ordered anything or even inquired about these products to my knowledge or recollection.  And yet, almost every day since Thanksgiving, I've seen "The Territory Ahead" in my inbox.  So a couple of weeks ago I wrote it down on a note pad on my desk at work and I've pondered it and prayed about it wondering what Father wants me to know or see about the territory ahead.  During this time of pondering and praying I've heard many things about how 2008 holds something new - a beginning - an opportunity - an adventure - perhaps a new territory ahead?

Over the past years I've prayed Jabez' prayer from I Chronicles 4:10: Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.   I would pray:  "Father, bless me for I cannot live without Your blessings in my life.  Enlarge my territory and expand my borders so that I may see and do greater and greater things in Your kingdom.  Let me walk the fence line and see all that You have given me and keep me content with the pleasantness of Your provision for me.  Never ever let Your hand leave me but keep it on me in comfort, encouragement, guidance, protection, and teaching.  And keep me free from harm and pain - both the harm and pain that the world and the enemy and my own flesh would inflict on me and from the harm and pain that my own selfishness and sin might cause others and You."  For a few years I prayed this every day and looking back I see how Father God was granting my request over and over as He gave me amazing opportunities to use my gifts and talents in kingdom work, as He brought amazing people into my life to encourage and mentor me, and as He moved in me to reveal more of who I am in Him.  I quit praying it every day after a while, although not completely.  In the past month I've been praying it more and more.  I suppose Spirit is directing my prayers to line up with His will to bring this new territory ahead.

It made me smile that I got yet another email drawing me to the territory ahead today.  I decided to see where Father was leading with it.  He took me to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

If you've ever read the book you know that it is a story of two unlikely companions running away from certain danger, fear of captivity and unwanted change.  They leave behind a scene that is really a portrait of freedom from captivity and death for one of them, but a scene that tells a lie that could lead to prison and even death for the other.  They both choose to act in a way that seems best for the other when their actions could be detrimental to their own well-being.  Big Jim protects Huck from seeing his murdered father and implicates himself in the faked murder of Huck.  Huck chooses to do all he can to secure Jim's freedom from slavery even if it means going to hell which is what was preached by the religious people of his day.  Huck's freedom was actually bought by the murder of his father - a drunk wanting to kill Huck and take the treasure he'd found with Tom Sawyer in an earlier adventure.  And Jim's freedom from slavery was secured in the death of his kind owner who gave him freedom in her will.  But neither of them knew they were free until they returned home from their adventure of escape to find freedom.

The territory ahead of Huck and Big Jim was a mighty river with adventures they could never have dreamed up or planned.  Not only did it include amazing scenery, encounters with all types of people, many dangers, and truth about society and human nature, it included the revelation of who they really were apart from the labels placed on them.  The territory of their lives had enlarged in a great way.  And this adventure ends when they returned to the place of their captivity to find they were already free.  Any new thing that lies ahead of me would surely be parallel.  Perhaps that is what Father is trying to say - that the enlarged territory ahead holds adventure, beauty, friendships and relationships, truth, and revelation of who I really am - and with all of it comes more freedom in Christ.  I'm ready to move into The Territory Ahead - even if it has danger like Huck and Jim's adventure.  Want to come along? 

In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck says in the last paragraph, "…but I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest…" Huck is ready for a new adventure.  I'm with you, Huck.  I'll light out ahead of the rest, too - why not?  If Father is pointing the way it will be an amazing adventure where I am free to run with Him in new territory.  And if I have been praying for Him to enlarge my territory then His hand will surely be with me, blessing me and keeping me from harm.  

Ready to forge into The Territory Ahead,
Amy

May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours. Every time I think of you—and I think of you often!—I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There's no end to what has happened in you—it's beyond speech, beyond knowledge. The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives. Just think—you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.  I Corinthians 1:3-9 (The Message)