Tweet I realize anxiety is high for all of us. I have a “system” I have used over the years when I’m in an especially stressful season. It is a…
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Inactivity rarely produces anything…
Waiting on God doesn’t always mean doing nothing…
Jesus said, “My time has not yet come” (John 2:4)… He was in a time of waiting…yet He continued to act on what He could do…
Do what you know to do today…
Take initiative towards change you know you should make…
In Joshua 3 they had to get in the water before it started to part…You may have to get in the water first, before you start to see results…
Create action…it is often then God begins to reveal the destination He is taking you towards…
What action do you need to take today?
Please understand this is not a formula for success. I don’t believe those exist in any relationship and God is certainly not defined by my prayers. This is, however, based on Hezekiah’s actions in response to receiving a letter that threatened his entire kingdom. (2 Kings 19:14-19). I have tried this numerous times and God always responds.
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26
I have a history with birds!
Let me explain…
Age and maturity has helped me get better at discerning what I can do and should do based on my strengths, weaknesses, passions and dreams. It’s freeing when we become more certain in who God has wired us to be and who He has not.
Still, I’ve learned (through many different seasons of life) that there are often more opportunities than time in life…even God-honoring, seemingly good opportunities. Recently, I have had to say no to some great opportunities. These were things that I would have clearly thought had to be “God appointed”, but as much as they line with my strengths, passions, and dreams I have for my life, I said “no” to them.
How do you know when to say no to what looks like a good thing…perhaps initially even like a “God thing”?
Here are four things I look for in examining my heart before responding. I say no when:
Tweet and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:10 NIV One of my life goals has been to get to a blank piece of paper stage in my walk…
Tweet Dictionary. Thesaurus. Encyclopedia. We all know what these are. These are all reference books, and a reference book is only used when you need to use it as a…
Elijah had been used of God to hold back rain from the people for over 3 years, because of their sins. Obviously, he was not well liked as a preacher. I can only imagine the stress he experienced during those years. Something struck me recently, however, that seemed to further complicate Elijah’s situation.
Consider 1 Kings 18:1 “After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”
According to a couple NT passages, this “After a long time” was actually 3 ½ years. The famine was 3 ½ years long. For 3 ½ years, the people apparently continued to sin, Elijah continued to hold on by faith, but God said nothing. God was apparently inactive, not speaking, even to His great servant Elijah.
Have you ever been there? Has the silence of God in your life ever been eerily strong?
Imagine you had been faithfully serving…God is using you…you are in constant communication with Him…and then suddenly…everything is quiet.
The separation must have seemed unbearable. Elijah is un-liked and unpopular; he’s an outcast from the people and the One he trusted most was seemingly absent. God would soon do a miracle through Elijah, but during this period, all Elijah could do was wait.
If you have been believer for very long at all, you have had periods where it seems God is nowhere to be found. We often call them periods of spiritual dryness. Sometimes I refer to it as being in a spiritual funk.
What should we do during the times of silence, before the miracles of God come through for us?
I’ve spent much of my walk with God waiting…
Waiting for Him to give direction…
Waiting on Him to open doors…
Waiting on Him to make things clearer…
Waiting on Him to supply the resources…
The waiting times are difficult to endure, but in times of waiting, I’ve learned there are 7 things I can do:
I often encounter people who want to begin a daily quiet time, but they aren’t sure how. It really isn’t as complicated as we often make it out to be. The main thing is simply to do something, but in case you are one of those still wanting to but not sure how…
Here are 5 easy steps to begin a daily quiet time: