"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland”. ~ Isaiah 43:18-19 ~ NIV
Do not dwell in the past, but learn from it. It is time to leave the desert. God is doing a new thing!!
I’ve spent too many years in the desert. I figured I could do it on my own. I didn’t want anyone telling me how to live my life – not even God. And what a mess I was. I have been told that I have this habit of talking too much & not listening in conversation. I have been told that I am too busy trying to speak my mind that I don’t hear anything else but the sound of my own voice. It is the same thing I have been doing to God. And that has kept me in the desert even longer.
When we accept Jesus as Lord & Savior of our lives, we are accepting His LORDSHIP over our lives. We are surrendering control of our lives to Him. But don’t get it all twisted. I am not talking about a domineering, militant God. I am talking about a loving God a loving Father. One who loved us so much that He gave us the free will to mess up our lives. And even before we were born, He already cleaned up that mess when Jesus paid for our sins when He died on the cross. He already made the way!
That’s the first thing we learn – even before we become saved – John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"
All through my life I tried to do it on my own, I pretty much told the Lord, "Don't worry Father, I can do this. . ." And God let me do it. BUT, every time I fell He always, always picked me up, nurtured my wounds, even though I wasn't faithful to Him - He was faithful to me, with His love, His mercy, & His grace. What an awesome God we serve!
We need to go to God boldly, but humbly with repentance & reverence and with expectancy. When there is no humanly way out of a situation and you have nothing left to hold on to but your faith, that's when you hold on for dear life, but you let go & give it to God & put your total & complete faith & trust in Him. He will bring you through it. In the face of adversity keep focused on Jesus-watch how God moves when you keep your faith and trust in Him. Giving Him control.
His will for our lives is perfect. God wants us to be obedient to Him & to totally step out in faith in everything we ask for, SPEAK AS IF WE ALREADY HAVE what we are believing God for, ACT AS IF WE ALREADY ARE LIVING THE MANIFESTATION OF it. If we do that, we call it into existence. IT WILL HAPPEN!!! Stop speaking doubt, worry, fear, maybe, what if, etc. GET THAT TALK OUT OF YOUR VOCABULARY & those thoughts out of your head!! With Jesus as Lord of our lives we are the sons & daughters of the most High King!!! Start acting like it!!! Get your Word on daily – feast on the spiritual food that God has given us!! Spend time with God in prayer & meditation. Your life will change dramatically!!
Faith is not an easy concept for us, because it is believing what we cannot see with our human eyes - we need to stop seeing our lives in the natural - but with our spiritual eyes. Look at Abraham – God promised that he would be a father of many nations. Abraham was about 100 years old, & Sarah’s child bearing years were also long gone. They did not have any children & there was no humanly possible way to see where this would ever happen. But Abraham was a man of God, strong in his faith.
Abraham stepped out in faith – God called him, & he simply obeyed without question, not knowing why. Hebrews 11:8, "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."
As humans, we always ask why – we need to know before we go. We need to change our mind set & just totally trust God – like Abraham – just obey God without question. Step out in faith.
As it says in Romans 4:20-21, talking about Abraham, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform."
This is pure & total FAITH & trusting God!! It is obedience. Abraham did not look at his own body, but he believed in hope, against all hope, according to that which was spoken. He did not stagger in unbelief, but he was strong in his faith, giving all glory to God – Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised him, we was able also to perform – and God honored his faith!
Faith takes obedience because God tells us we must have faith. So when we operate in faith we are operating in obedience. God will honor our faith & trust in Him. I know that the waiting is the hardest part. We tend to get weary & then we are vulnerable to when the enemy starts whispering negative thoughts & defeat in our ear. That is when we need to take our stand in who we are in Jesus. Jesus already defeated satan – don’t give satan any room to tear you down – and all your negativity, worry, fear, concern, are all weapons of the enemy. If you let them over come you – you start questioning God – you step out of obedience. You step out of God’s will. You hold things up even longer. Stop speaking negatively. Stop questioning God, stop asking why. Shut your mouth long enough to hear something other than your own voice – you will hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit from within you.
God has already made the way out of the desert – the wasteland of your past – God is doing a new thing!!
~ Elena Leno, 31 December 2010
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