God said what?!

So one day you find yourself happily doing your thing and God speaks. You think: “did I just hear correctly? You want me to do what?! You are giving me what?! Did He just say that?! Uhm.. well.. I didn’t ask for this, but it’s quite exciting..”

Maybe you are in that situation where God has told you a secret about yourself or about your future. You were super excited to hear His voice and excited because of what He said. Then you start sharing it with people and they start looking at you funny and questioning whether God could really tell you such a thing. Suddenly doubt creeps in and you become discouraged. “Can this really be? Was this really God or was it my imagination?”

I have spoken to a few people lately who seem to be facing this issue. God is a speaking God and He loves telling us things about ourselves and the amazing plans which He has for us. But more often than not, He only gives you one piece of the entire puzzle and you wonder: “how on earth is this going to fit into my life or how will this work out?” Just because He spoke to you today, doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen tomorrow. I have heard things spoken to me by God 5 years ago which still has not happened, but I know it’s in my future and I don’t have to doubt them.

So how do you deal with this word that you received from God? Maybe you are not even sure if it was God? My best advice would be to not share it with many people. Mention it to your closest friends and guard it in your heart. If God spoke this word then He will make it come to pass and He will walk this journey with you and lead you all the way. Ask Him to give you scripture to accompany His word.

“so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

God will always finish everything which He starts. You do not need to act on this word, unless He tells you to. Just relax and wait for His guidance. It might be months before He mentions anything again relating to the word. Put your focus on Jesus and follow Him. Don’t let the word distract you from what He has put in your hands at this moment. He will tell you the next step when the time is right.

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

Now you see only a part of the journey, but in the future you will see it fully. The worst thing that we can do is try to make something happen in our own strength before the time is right. This will only discourage us and be a struggle. Breaking the door down or slamming against it with your fists will not make the journey easier, rather wait until God opens the door for you and tells you to walk through it.

The journey that we are on is such an incredibly exciting one and Jesus is taking us from glory to glory in Him. Be ready to learn everything which He wants to teach you in the meantime to prepare you for the calling that He has for you. Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb 11:1). He is putting you in this situation to teach you, therefore open your heart and trust Him completely. He is the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2) and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:6) No one can walk this road for you, it's between you and God. He is for us and not against us. He delights in us and His plans are marvellous!

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matt 6:33

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Take heart!

When I was asking God what to write about today, He gave me a picture of someone walking up a mountain who is reaching a point of discouragement because of the difficulty of the journey. I felt Him say (paraphrasing): “Look back at how far you have come and how faithful I’ve been. Do not look at what you don’t know (the rest of the journey and the fear of the unknown), but look back at what you do know and what I have already shown you. That is what you are putting your faith in.”

We are always on the journey of life and maybe today you are in the middle of a steep slope where the road ahead is uncertain and this has made you discouraged and fearful. Do not think of all the experience which you lack and all the elements that you are uncertain about, but look back in time, because if God is moving you forward, then He has given you examples in your life to encourage you to continue walking. Maybe it’s a family member who has radically changed since meeting God and who inspires you? Maybe it’s a friend’s support or maybe God gave you a dream, vision or prophetic word for your future? If you cannot see these examples, ask Him to open your eyes to see His footprints in your journey and you will be amazed at how He has brought you to the point at which you are now.

Think of the moment that David stood in front of Goliath. That was a steep slope that no man in Israel wanted to climb, but David, still a youth and inexperienced in battle was willing to take on the giant. Why? Because he looked back and he remembered what God can do and who God is and that this steep slope was no match for him, because God was with him.

“And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 1 Samuel 17:32-37

So let your hearts not fail because of this steep slope, but look back, remember, take courage and walk with endurance the path set before you. The victory is already won in Jesus. Believe it and receive it. This slope is no match for you and Jesus.

“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Awesome song: Mighty fortress

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What have you said yes to?

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There’s a line in a Jason Upton song, In the beginning Part 2, which just captivated me one day. It says: “Deliver us from the temptations of what we can do, that have trapped us in the bondage of the system of this world.” This line is just incredible, as I understand it, just because we CAN do something doesn’t mean that we SHOULD do it.

“"Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.” 1 Cor 10:23

 ““All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.” 1 Cor 6:12

Paul is saying to the Corinthians that just because all things are permissible, not all things are helpful and uplifting. He mentions that he will not be enslaved to anything. Just because something is permissible, doesn't mean that it is beneficial for our bodies, emotions and spirits. This statement is quite general and hard to confine to a short blog, so I’ll just highlight two things which it immediately speaks to me about.

Firstly, God has called us for a purpose. Certain things we will have to say yes to and certain things we will have to say no to. We cannot do it all, because doing it all will eventually lead to spreading ourselves too thinly and not serving wholeheartedly as God calls us to. We will also end up feeling drained and demotivated. The things that we will have to say no to can be good things, godly things, but things which God has not asked us to do at this moment in time. Or the things that we have to say no to can just be ordinary things, but things that can steal or distract us from what God is asking us to do and these things will always leave us in a place of feeling more drained after we started than before.

You will have to identify for yourself what this can be in your life, there is no list, no set of rules. It can be that God wants you to help a friend or simply rest, but then you feel obligated to be involved in a fundraiser which takes up your whole day. Fundraising is not a bad thing, but it’s not helpful if God has another plan for you or if He knows that you need rest. The same thing with watching television, one day it is fine to watch television for hours, another day it drains you and steals you away from something amazing which God could have shown you that day.

Secondly, we should never become enslaved to anything. To me this means that I should not make anything else more important than God. I should not be enslaved by work, sports, recreational activities or even the opinions of others.  The list is very long and this will be different for every individual, we all know where our weaknesses lie and which things distract us from God.

The point is that when we focus our attention on God, we won’t be so affected by the world and their views and expectations. We won’t feel condemned for not doing something, if God did not ask us to, even if other people don’t see it the way that we do. We need to learn to live life free from the expectations of other. Yes, we will make commitments, have responsibilities and respect others, but we do not need to be conformed to what other people expect us to be.

We need to walk in step with God, so that we always know when to say yes and when to say no. What God asks from every person will be different and there is no set pattern and you cannot ask or look at a friend. It is between you and God and only you will know what is helpful in your life and what is not. You will have to be honest with yourself and maybe even let go of some things which you enjoy. But be certain that the fruit that we reap from walking with God will always outweigh any other benefit that we thought we might have had. In this way we will always be effective in love without becoming drained or discouraged and we will live the life of abundance and joy that God has for us.

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Gal 5:25

I am unique

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I cannot stress enough how different each person is. We can all see it, different features, hair, eyes, bodies, personalities, strengths, weaknesses  and the list goes on, but for some reason we expect God to work the same way with all of us.

Don't misunderstand me, God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and His principles and character will never change, but the manner in which He deals with each one of us is very different. It has to be, because we all have different personalities, backgrounds and biases. What works for me, won't necessarily work for you and no one knows that better than God. He knows exactly what makes you tick, how to wind you up and how to wind you down.

My point is this, walking with Jesus is a relationship, not a set of rules. You might have heard that phrase a hundred times, but why do we still compare, judge and beat ourselves up for not meeting standards that WE have set for ourselves?

Jesus has met every standard that we ever had to meet. In Him we are clothed with His righteousness and perfection, blameless before the throne of God. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 We are free to walk in relationship with the living God, to hear His voice and heartbeat without anything holding us back.

He has a unique road for each one of us to walk and on that road we will find everything we ever needed. Don't look left or right to someone else's road, don't compare or envy, just walk, walk in faith knowing that God is good and that He only gives good gifts to His children. (Matt 7:7-11) Do not be distracted or pressured by other people's successes or misfortunes and don't let people force their ideas of how you should walk on you, just focus on His direction and the road that He has shaped for you, it is tailored to your needs and filled with blessings, peace and joy.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes” Jeremiah 29:11-14

 “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:23-29