A JOURNEY WITH GOD REQUIRES FAITH

Sometimes it feels as though the Lord has given me His undivided attention.  Everywhere I turn I see a message from God or a confirmation of His direction.  This has been happening to Joan and me from the very day that we realized God was changing our future by changing where we did ministry.

At the end of November, "The Word for You Today", (a daily devotional) began a series of topics on how to respond when being unemployed and how to have faith when your work environment changed.  It was like God was writing just to us!  How many people can this topic relate to?

Then a friend directed us to a place that ministers to pastors who are burned out or between ministries.  Technically, the place hasn't officially opened yet.  We spent four days hearing from the Lord in almost spooky ways.  BTW . . . This is an awesome ministry being run by a great pastoral couple.

On December 1, the devotional directed us to Joshua 1:1-6 with the reminder that we can rely on God's direction even when it seems that other things have to happen first.  Other messages have continued to direct us as we are directed to Ecclesiastes 11:4 (conditions will never be perfect), Hebrews 11:1 (faith just flat out knows and continues on), Hebrews 11:27 (provisions come as we move forward . . . stop waiting for them and keep moving) and now today we looked at James 2:17 (if you have faith then why aren't you doing what you believe).

As I spoke with friends when it became evident that God was doing something different in my life I can remember saying, "I have email, Facebook, text messaging and a host of ways for the Lord to communicate to me.  Why doesn't He use them?"  I now realize that God is speaking through His Word, friends, circumstances and His presence in my heart.  I also realized that there might be someone who reads my blog that is looking for God's leading also.  You may need the same confirmation that God doesn't hide His will from His children. He is speaking all the time . . . we just need to be willing to listen and obey.

I just read this from a friends blog today:  "When God gives you a word it's going to take your faith to move in it. Your faith is a muscle that God wants to work that will bring him pleasure. He has pleasure in stretching your faith. Ask Abraham when God told him to move to a place not knowing where he was going. God had a promise for him but it was only manifested by his obedience in what God said. You will never be able to enter in a new season in your life without a challenge from God."

Consider Psalm 46:10.  Know that God knows.  Know that God cares.  Know that God loves you.  Know that God is in control and you can move forward with confidence as you obey and do what you now know.  Strong faith is developed as we exercise faith in what we now know in our daily lives.  What are you going to do today that requires faith?