Trusting in the Meantime

From Serena Johnson:

While I love to travel, I’ve never really been one to enjoy the process. I always look for the most direct flight/bus/train possible, with the fewest stops, layovers, and distractions because after all, the real fun only starts once you arrive at your destination, right? Why take a scenic 2 day train ride when you can fly there in a couple of hours? Isn’t the point just to get there as quickly and with as little fuss as possible?

The Lord has been showing me that is not the case in our Christian journey. We aren’t born just to immediately die and go to heaven. God is the ultimate travel agent. He has an elaborately planned itinerary for each one of us, designed to bring Himself the most glory while blessing our lives. He commands us to live life dependent on Him day by day, and admonishes us to “take no thought for the morrow” reminds us that “sufficient to the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34) and instead pray for “daily bread“ (Matthew 6:11) , that is just enough provision to get through today—tomorrow will take care of itself.

This is incredibly difficult for us as humans to do. We want to know our destination, what’s happening next, and any slight disruption in our own conception of what the future will look like seems to cause incredible distress. The children of Israel are a prime example.

“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” Exodus 32:1

The Lord had just done so many miracles in sending the ten plagues to bring them out of Egypt. God parted the Red Sea, drowned pharaoh and his army, and brought forth water from a rock in a desert place. He was literally providing them with daily manna from heaven. They were experiencing freedom, peace, and safety. All they had to do was wait and continue to live as they had been, following the precepts of God that He had revealed to them thus far.  They weren’t in any particular distress. There were no enemies to be concerned with. No imminent attack that threatened their lives.

Yet, they became impatient. They simply got tired of waiting, and then did something rash: they created an idol. How many times do we fall into the same trap? We’re waiting to hear from God, and things are going well. There’s nothing particularly pressing going on that needs immediate attention. God is providing daily for our needs. We simply don’t understand what He’s doing, and think He’s taking too long. In our impatience, we do something rash, and take matters into our own hands. The consequences can be severe, worse than we ever imagined.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Hebrews 11:8.

What a challenge to me! Abraham didn’t know exactly where God was leading Him. He didn’t have a final destination in mind. He had no idea what it would be like, yet he trusted God. How many of us would be able to trust God enough to take a journey and not know the final destination?

But isn’t that what our daily Christian walk is? We don’t know what the day will bring, but we trust that God will lead and guide us along the way.

Are you in a season of waiting? Do you wish God would just hurry up and tell you an answer one way or the other so you could get on with your life? I ask you to consider that God wants you to submit the “meantime” to Him as well.

If we have a definite answer, a “yes” or a “no” a “go” or a “stay” we understand how to proceed. If God says “yes” then we have a plan and procedure. If He says “no” we’re disappointed, but still feel pretty confident that we know how to proceed. But what about those times when we’re waiting to hear from Him? Those 40 days and 40 nights when Moses was in the mount? Those times when it seems that God is silent and we can’t hear Him and can’t see Him? Do we trust that He’s working on our situation?

Are we willing to wait, to allow Him to guide us day by day, step by step, being content with not knowing what’s ahead or trying to navigate the way ourselves?  God wants our total and complete dependence to be on HIM. Every day. Every hour. Each day, we need to ask the Lord what to do and how to proceed. We are not our own. Much like Abraham, God sometimes tells us to do things and we don’t know how it’s going to end up. But we can have faith and confidence that “the Lord shall guide thee continually” (Isaiah 58:11). Although the future is unknown to us, we can have confidence in the One who is omniscient and is walking the path beside us. We don’t need to fear the future.

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)

- Serena Johnson

Linked to God

From Racheal Cooper:

What is a link?

When I looked up the definition of link, this is what I found- “A relationship between two things or situations, especially where one thing affects the other.”

With that being said, I want to focus on the spiritual definition of a link. The actual word link itself isn’t used in the bible, yet such a small word holds so much value. Like used in the above definition, a link is a relationship between two things. Our walk with the Lord is a relationship and with all relationships, communication is key. In order to keep our relationship with the Lord strong, we must seek him and draw closer to him daily. When you have a true desire to seek the Lord, you will find him. Deuteronomy 4:29 states: “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” We have to be entirely devoted to him. When you are devoted to something, you are dedicated and willing. That’s how we should feel about being connected to God. Is your connection strong? Or is it starting to grow weak?

Are There Gaps In your Relationship With The Lord?
The stronger the link, the better! 

If we are looking at things through our own eyes, and doing things without seeking God first, we will find ourselves in a lot of trouble because self isn’t wise. We need the Lords guidance in everything we do and if we aren’t doing so, you’ll find yourself slowly slipping away from that strong relationship you once had with the Lord. “depart from evil” when we think about evil, we might not think about the little things but the little foxes will keep you out of heaven if you don’t get rid of them now. Don’t let them in and don’t let them take charge. Do you have things that are gaping into your relationship with the Lord? What will happen if you allow things to seep into your lives that could disconnect that link? some examples may include... A loss of faith, loosing trust in the Lord, feeling discouraged, but worst of all, you can become completely disconnected and stray off the pathway God has made for you and lose your soul… When living for the Lord, it is very important to have an unbreakable bond with him. But how do we keep that bond strong? Let’s start with the value of faith. Heb 11:6  states; “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” That one scripture points out just how important faith is. It clearly says “but without faith it is impossible to please him…” the key word is IMPOSSIBLE. There’s no way around it, you can try, but you won’t succeed. We MUST have that feeling of  “I know I have nothing to worry about, because I have faith that God is taking care of things.” Or a feeling of peace. What exactly is faith? In simple terms, faith is assurance, belief, and trust. Another very important aspect of having a strong bond with the Lord is learning to seek him. When seeking the Lord, we have to search out for him and have a hunger and desire to be fed by him. Mat 5:6  states; “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” In order to be filled, we must be hungry. Another very vital part of having a strong link is prayer. Prayer is a way for us to communicate with the Lord and give everything to him. We are so much stronger when we pray. I can think of numerous times when I would be feeling down or something was bothering me and I would just pray about it. When I was finished praying, I felt relief and assurance. Why? Because I knew God was taking care of things, I knew he was working but in his time. I came across this quote the other day and it was very reassuring. The quote is “If you are praying about it, God is working on it.” Such a simple quote, but oh how powerful those words are. We can rest assure that God hears our prayers, he hears our needs,  and wants and he is working on each and every one of them, but in his timing. Something you’ll notice is how important it is to wait on Gods timing. He has a reason for everything in your life so don’t rush his work and be patient during the waiting period. If we find ourselves growing weak in prayer or lacking faith, your link is losing strength. That connection you have with God might be loosening up. When we find ourselves in this situation, we must resist the devil and fight back. If the devil makes you feel as if you can’t have that connection because of such and such fight back, Seek help, and ask the Lord to give you the strength to take a stand. But if you can safely say “I feel so close to God.” Without any hesitation, you’re onward bound. When we are living our lives to please God and feel that close connection to him, there is no better feeling. All in all I can strongly say that there is so much value in having a strong connection to the Lord. Once you have that unbreakable bond, you’ll notice just how smoothly things go. God is so very faithful to us and knows just how to comfort us. When we have that connection, you’ll be filled with joy and reassurance! Oh how wonderful! -- Racheal Cooper