The Posture of Expectancy

Yesterday during a discussion with a group of ladies concerning trusting God in our lives, I posed this question:  “Why is it that we so often pray for God to do something (many of us for years), believe on so many levels that He will do it, and yet find ourselves having a difficult time accepting that it is actually happening when things start to take place/change?” 

At some point, the thing we believe God will do comes into present tense.  Therefore, we can’t always keep our minds focused on the future.  We must be able to be expectant that God will move at any given moment, yet also be able to stand the test of time, and wait on His timing—with endurance and patience if need be.  This expectant hope that rests in God’s timing is our posture of expectancy. 

Why should we keep a posture of expectancy?

1.       It protects our hearts, and keeps them in line with God’s plan, His timing, and His way.

Proverbs 13:12 states, 

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (NIV)

Gill’s Exposition gives this commentary on this verse (emphasis mine):

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick...That is, the object hoped for; if it is not enjoyed so soon as expected, at least if it is delayed any length of time, the mind becomes uneasy, the heart sinks and fails, and the man is dispirited and ready to despond, and give up all hope of enjoying the desired blessing; whether it be deliverance from any evil, or the possession of any good…” 

I believe many of us, if we are truthful, can attest to this in some aspect of our lives at some point.  It may be for a season; it may be for a moment.  This occurs when we move from expectancy to expectation—meaning when we move from hoping to see something at any moment but being willing to wait in God’s time frame, to believing that God must do something (i.e. what we want & in the way we want) right now.  We move from hoping in the Lord to placing a demand on His timing, will, and plan.  We forfeit our hope in God for our hope in our own plans and dreams. 

We must be able to identify that we have moved from expectancy to expectation.  From there we must ask for forgiveness and place our trust and hope back in God’s mighty hands.  He is the One that gives us the strength for the journey.  He is faithful to show us how to rest in that posture of expectancy if we simply ask and follow His leading.

Gill’s Exposition goes on to discuss:

“but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life; when that which is hoped and wished for, and has been long expected and desired, comes; when there is an accomplishment of men's wishes, it is as grateful to him as the tree of life was in Eden's garden; it gives him an unspeakable pleasure and delight”. “…though not deferred longer than the appointed time, yet longer than the saints expected, and which sometimes made their hearts sick; they became weak and feeble, fearful and dispirited, lest it should never come to pass, which occasioned fresh promises and assurances to them;”

We wait with a posture of expectancy because when our longing is fulfilled, it will mean more to us than had we never had to wait and pray so fervently for it.  We must remember that we wait with a posture of expectancy because at God’s appointed time, things will come to pass.  What a moment!

As we wait for that moment of fulfillment, He will assure us along the way with fresh Words and what I love to call “God winks.”  Remember that Christ became man and walked on this earth.  He knows us.  He knows our hearts.  He knows that “sometimes” we will grow weary.  Those moments “occasion fresh promises and assurances” from our Lord to us.  Knowing that He loves us more than we could fathom, that He has experienced the same feelings, and that He wants you to experience the fulfillment of His promise even more than you do—doesn’t it align with His character that He would continue to spur you on throughout the journey? 

I can testify to you from my own personal experience that He is faithful to do this!  In my own particular journey, He has spurred me on more than I could account.  God has not allowed me to let go of certain promises and desires….sometimes, no matter how much I wanted or begged.  I know without a doubt, however, that the fulfillment of those promises will be greater than any hurt, any pain, any ache, any tears, and any frustrations I have experienced along the way. 

“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” (Psalm 126:5 NIV)

“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” (I Thessalonians 5:24)

2.       It allows us to be prepared for the realities of what happens when our promise is fulfilled.

When our promise is fulfilled, it will be an amazing moment of joy! But with that moment of joy also comes real life.  We don’t live in a book or movie where the wayward son comes home, the wife overcomes her addiction, the man finds the woman he loves, the daughter overcomes her body struggles and then everyone lives happily ever after.  As amazing as it will be to see God’s promises come to fruition (or at least for steps to be made toward that point), at that moment we then face new challenges, new possibilities.  If we are not prepared for what those look like, we are setting ourselves up for failure and heartache.  

We must ask ourselves, “Am I living and preparing myself right now as if God would answer my prayer today?”

Waiting Well

It has been quite some time since I blogged.  Perhaps there are seasons in life that require so much of you that hunkering down in the moment is all you are able to do.  Perhaps holding on to hope and faith is easier to do at times when it is all internalized.  Regardless, I have felt the Lord nudging for quite some time about re-entering my blogging world.  Whether my words are only for an audience of One, or if they touch others I have never met outside of my tiny world, I must follow and be obedient. 

You may ask what I have been up to in my absence.  The answer is simple….waiting.   If you were to look at my life from the outside, you might never know.  I have been content.  I have been happy….or perhaps joyful is a more appropriate word.  But through all my contentment, I have had a deep longing and overwhelming expectancy of things that God has promised me I would see, but I haven’t seen evidence of up until this point.  I have been waiting.

I would love to report that I have been waiting well.  I would love to say that regardless of what I saw, felt, or heard, I remained steadfast every moment for the last few years.  I would love to say that I have seen what I am waiting for come to fruition.  But I am unable to say any of those things absolutely. 

I can say this…..I know what it is to wait.  I know what it is to wait well—to be faith-filled and expectant regardless of circumstances, knowing that God will come through in His perfect time and in His perfect way, according to His perfect plan.  I know what it is to understand that God works all things for our good, even when all things that we endure are not necessarily good.  I know what it’s like for God to use the honestly ugly and heart-wrenching things of our lives to help weave together a beautiful tapestry in our lives and in the lives of others.  (See Death of a Dream.)

On the flip side, I also know what it is to NOT wait well.  I know what it is to struggle to hold on in my own strength, and to fail miserably in my waiting well because of that.  There is a saying that is popular that goes like this: “God will not give you more that you can handle.”  This saying is so unfortunate!  A subtle twist makes it a lie….even worse, it actually promotes the idea that God gives you something expecting you to carry it.  On the contrary, Jesus said this:

“For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:30 NLT

If you study commentaries, many discuss the yokes that Jesus would have been discussing.  When yoking an stronger ox to a weaker or less experienced ox, a yoke designed to place the brunt of the load upon the stronger one was used.  While we are waiting, we are to cast our cares on God. 

                   “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”                                   I Peter 5:7 NLT

Casting, according to Merriam-Webster, is to throw or move something in a forceful way, or to send or direct something in the direction of someone or something.  If we throw something or direct it to someone else, we can’t keep our hands on it.  By simple definition, we can’t continue to hold on to it.  We can’t hold on to hope and worry at the same time.  By casting our care—our anxiety, our worry—onto God, we are able to fully grab on to hope.  We are able to then pray with expectancy and with hope.   We are then able to stay in peace because we are focused on our hope in Him.  

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Isaiah 26:3 NLT

I understand that at times there is struggle.  Sometimes casting our care is easier than others.  But I also know when the stakes are high, and when the battle is long, casting our care can almost be a moment-by-moment thing on some days.   But I know that it is possible.   

I know that you feel at times that there is no way you can possibly wait another moment.  I know there will be moments when you will want to walk away and forget it all.  But I also know that when you fix your eyes on Christ, when you place your focus on Him, His Word, His promises, He will renew your strength.  He will give you the ability to endure past anything you ever thought possible. (See Fly Like an Eagle.)  His timing is not our timing, and His ways are not our ways.  But He is omniscient.  We are not.  He sees the beginning from the end.  We do not.  He knows how to weave all of the messy pieces of our lives together, and make something that is beautiful—something that we will be able to point to in the future as evidence of His unfailing love and grace in our lives; something that will be for His glory. 

We will wait.  Some days we will wait well.  Some days we will fail in our waiting well, but God is faithful to forgive.  He is faithful to empower us with His strength to continue on the journey.  One day we will see what those things for which we wait.  If you have been called to pray, to stand in the gap, there is a reason. 

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.

This is the message from the one who is holy and true,
    the one who has the key of David.
What he opens, no one can close;
    and what he closes, no one can open:

“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.” Revelation 3:7,8 NLT

Continue to hope against hope.  Continue to pray.  This is something I have been praying over my friend for the last 7 months.  I believe praying scripture is one of the most powerful things we can do.  Until you see the fullness of God’s promise come to pass, wait well, my friends.  

Psalm 126

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

 When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,
    it was like a dream!
 We were filled with laughter,
    and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
    “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
    What joy!

Restore our fortunes, Lord,
    as streams renew the desert.
Those who plant in tears
    will harvest with shouts of joy.
They weep as they go to plant their seed,
    but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Counterfeit

What the enemy most often tries to do in our lives is mimic God. However, God intends for events, situations, encounters to grow us, prepare us. What the enemy of our souls intends to do is use events, situations, and encounters that are a twisted version of the real thing to wound us and eventually destroy us and the plan that God has for our life. At the very minimum, his goal would be to derail us from the Greater Plan and Purpose meant for our lives.

Abraham faced a situation in which this was incredibly apparent. God had told Abraham that he would be the father to a great nation. (See Genesis 12) Abraham was a man of faith, and took God at His word. However, after time had passed it didn’t seem possible for the Lord’s promise to come true. Abraham and Sarai still had no children. At this point, God specifically told him that his heir would be his very own flesh and blood (See Genesis 15:4).

Wow! A direct and specific word from God! You would think that this would be enough to propel Abraham forward and keep him focused on God’s promise. That’s an easy assumption looking in from the outside. But have you ever had what you thought was a promise from God on your heart? Then have you ever waited as it looked like that promise would never come to pass? Time stretched on and on…wonder started to play on your mind…Did you hear God? Were you supposed to do something to help it along? It’s a difficult place. It’s difficult not only for the person with the promise, but for the people around that person that all have opinions on what they think God’s plan should be….

Take a moment and examine your own life. Do you, like Abraham, have a specific promise? Or does someone you know feel that they have a certain Word or promise? What has been your response during the wait?

Death of a Dream

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ~John 12:24

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. ~Joel 2:25

Have you ever experienced the death of a dream? Have you ever seen something that you had believed for die right in front of you? It is during times when we experience what feels like theft of a promise that our belief is really tried.

There are plenty of examples of experiencing the death of a promise or a dream in the Bible. Here are just a couple of them that speak so much to me:

Lazarus & his sisters- While Mary & Martha never had a specific promise from Jesus before Lazarus’ death, they knew that Jesus could heal him. Since Jesus could heal him and he loved Lazarus, it was an easy assumption for them to trust that Jesus would get there when they requested his presence to heal their sick loved one. However, Jesus didn’t come and heal Lazarus. In fact, he delayed himself purposefully. Mary and Martha watched their brother die, and they buried him. I’m sure their hearts were broken from Jesus’ seemingly insensitive absence.

Abraham & Isaac- Abraham had been promised that he would be the father of a great nation through his very own seed and Sarah’s womb. He had to wait 20 years for the fulfillment, but Isaac was his promise. Years later, Abraham had to have a hundred things rushing through his mind as God asked him to take his son to be sacrificed by his own hand. Did Abraham believe God would intervene….or did he simply pray and hope that he would?

There is one thing that we must remember above all else—God is always faithful and always true to His promises.

He remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded for a thousand generations. ~Psalm 105:8

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him." ~Lamentations 3:22-24

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. ~I Thessalonians 5:23-24

Jesus told the disciples that Lazarus was only “sleeping,” and he told Mary and Martha that he would be raised. They were unable to comprehend what he was saying to them, but nonetheless, Lazarus was raised from the dead after having been sealed in a tomb for four days. Just as Abraham raised the knife to slay his dearest promise, God himself stopped him, and Abraham received the ram to sacrifice instead.

We don’t always know how the promise will come to pass….we just know that IT WILL. But what we do know is that it will “bear much fruit.” When a dream (a promise) is resurrected & restored, God always uses it in a mightier way—it becomes more powerful than it ever would have been otherwise, brings Him more glory, and points others to the person of Jesus Christ.

Don't Stop Believin'!

I actually shared the following post exactly 2 years ago today. I realize that I have already posted today. However, I was looking through some old emails looking to gain perspective on a topic. As I sifted through exchanges with a trusted friend, I realized one thing....what has been placed on my heart hasn't waivered, and has actually grown stronger. The same thing I dealt with then, I deal with now....only in a different leg of the journey. As I pray that the finish line for this part of the race comes quickly, looking back at the "start" of the journey gives me endurance to go the next stretch. Tomorrow morning I will also be sharing a post that was dated from 5/2/2009. As for tonight's retrospective, I hope you enjoy!

**********************

"One of the primary reasons Helen Kellar never gave up on herself was that Anne Sullivan never gave up on her." p. 59, Never Give Up by Joyce Meyer

How often do we "give up" on people? Perhaps they are difficult, they are going through trying circumstances, or we feel like we don't have "time" to deal with what is going on. Maybe they have made the same mistake more than once. We can come up with a laundry list of justifications. But how appropriate is that response?

Consider the story of Helen Kellar from the book The Miracle Worker. Helen Kellar had many characteristics that would made her situation "messy" or difficult to deal with. She was both deaf and blind, and as a result of the frustration she felt from these issues, she would become violently angry, lashing out at those closest to her. Multiple people had already given up on her, and deemed her situation as "hopeless."

Anne Sullivan could have very easily done the same and decided that this assignment was too hard, that God would never ask her to endure such a thing. She could have justified that Helen had too many difficulties, and that she would never be able to overcome all the struggles she faced in her life. Instead, what she chose to do was walk with Helen through her struggles, and ultimately to a changed life.

Did Anne "fix" everything wrong with Helen? Was she the full reason that Helen Kellar became the person she was later in life? No. While Anne helped Helen in the ways that she was led, it was God's work inside Helen that ultimately changed her. Anne was there, though, never giving up on Helen.

We cannot change anyone. We cannot fix someone else's problems, issues, or difficulties. It is only when we lay them on God's altar and allow Him full reign to do what He needs to do in their lives that real and lasting changes occur. God may call you to walk beside someone in their time of trial. He may call you to "be there" from a distance. You may be called to remain an unknown prayer warrior on that person's behalf. The response is still the same......if God has placed that person on your heart, never give up on them.

The Bible teaches us that God knows every moment of every day of our lives, before we even are born on this earth (see Psalm 139). That means God knows the past, present, and future of both you & the person he has laid on your heart. Do you trust God's wisdom in directing you who to pray for or be there for, or is your logic and human understanding superior to the Almighty's omniscience?

If he calls you to stand beside or pray for someone through their storm, he will give you the strength for that. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 states, "The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it." God will give you the strength to continue to pray, to stand beside, or to be there as a witness for that person. Don't feel, however, that you are the one that must make things happen. That is not our role. God is the source of healing, redemption, and change.

Who has God laid on your heart today & in what capacity? Be obedient to His call; He will be true to his promise.

Wooing the Heart of God

What is your view of God? Do you picture Him as some mighty Zeus-type figure in the sky that is ready to zap you and force His will and plans upon your life, no matter how miserable they cause you to be? Truth is, the Bible paints a very different picture. The Bible displays that God seeks relationship with you and me, and He listens to our cries and petitions. This morning, my connections class pastor mentioned starting a new series on the story of King Hezekiah soon. I love his story for a few different reasons, but perhaps the reason I love it most is because it shows just how God listens to those that earnestly love and seek Him. Let’s take a look at a few details about Hezekiah and his life.

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. ~2 Kings 18:5-7a

Hezekiah had a track record of going to God whenever he needed advice or assistance. He stayed connected to God. The Lord was with him & Hezekiah was successful BECAUSE he was faithful and obedient to God. It’s a good model for our own lives. If you go back and look at 2 Kings 18:5, the Bible reiterates that Hezekiah trusted God & that there was no one like him among all the kings. That’s a pretty great endorsement of his relationship with the Lord. Later in Hezekiah’s life, his pattern for seeking the Lord became truly a life or death situation.

About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.”

When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, O Lord, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly.~2 Kings 20:1-3

God listened to Hezekiah and something truly amazing happened.

But before Isaiah had left the middle courtyard, this message came to him from the Lord: “Go back to Hezekiah, the leader of my people. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will heal you, and three days from now you will get out of bed and go to the Temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own honor and for the sake of my servant David.’” ~2 Kings 20:4-6

God said to Hezekiah that He heard his prayer and saw his tears. What had looked like done deal (Hezekiah was told by God’s prophet Isaiah that he would die) was reversed! I don’t know about you, but this brings me hope!

My God, the creator of the universe, listens to my prayers. He not only listens to my prayers, but He is moved by my prayers and my tears. I know this, and have known this for quite some time, but as I reflect on this truth it moves me and humbles my heart. Psalm 56:8 says,

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

He knows every tear that has fallen as I have prayed and interceded. As I continue to petition to the heart of my God and seek intersession for those I love, it encourages me. It gives me strength to continue on the journey. I feel confident that my God will soon say to me,

“I have heard your prayer and seen your tears,”

And He will grant my heart’s petition, which I believe originated from Him as well.

Standing against the Naysayers

David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." ~I Samuel 17:32

Have you ever had to stand against the crowd? When we must stand up for ourselves, it can be a tough battle. However, have you ever been called by God to stand firm for someone else? What happens when you must stand firm in the face of even well-meaning naysayers and act as an armor bearer for someone else?

This was a question I felt posed in my spirit on my drive home tonight. As I thought about it, I didn’t even know if it made any sense. You see, I wasn’t actually sure what an armor bearer did in biblical times. I had to do a little research. I found that armor-bearers:

• Were chosen for their bravery and loyalty
• Did “bear” the armor for the king, but also did much more—They were essentially the king’s “right-hand-man”
• Required a deep sense of respect for the leader
• Instinctively understood the leader’s thoughts and heart
• Were willing to sacrifice for the leader
• Served in the role to refresh, assist, and protect the leader
• Aided the leader in combat (physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual)
• Protected and defended the leader against false accusations
• Kept watch while the leader would rest
• Were to “stand in the gap”

Suddenly it hit me. I had recognized quite some time ago that I had been called to be a “watchman on the wall” for a particular person. I knew I was called to stand in the gap for them, and I have been actively interceding in prayer on their behalf for quite some time. But tonight I realized—the armor-bearer serves in all of these capacities.

People may select their own armor-bearers, just like Saul chose David. However, there are times when God selects armor-bearers for individuals when they don’t know to select one for themselves. When you are called by God, you are equipped by God. As I ticked down the list of the qualities of an armor-bearer I realized two things. 1) I have been able to fulfill these roles against all logic or circumstance, and have been essentially unable to waiver in these roles, even when it would have been easier to fold under the pressure, and 2) I recognize that there is no way I could have the capacity to have been able to sustain this on my own. It is only through God that I have been able to sustain and keep any level of peace and joy through all of the difficulty.

During the times when I take my eyes off of what God has placed on my heart, I wonder if I actually heard and understood Him. It’s just the honest truth. What’s on my heart doesn’t make logical sense. It’s orderly….but it doesn’t add up in our typical finite human minds. When I look at all of these things together, and acknowledge my own humanity in the midst of it all—I know and truly recognize that for me to be in the position I am is solely through divine intervention. I don’t have an infinite amount of love, patience, peace, joy, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—nor are they able to be offered on an unconditional basis on my own.

I must continue to trust and be willing to surrender to the One that is my source. When I empty myself, and allow my God to fill me with His abundance…that’s when everything flows. It’s only through that filling that I will be able to continue in my role as an armor-bearer. I made the vow to my friend and to my God….and my God is the One that will continue to equip me for the journey.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ~Galatians 5:22-23

Until....

Is it unfair to say that You are leading,
Then try and face this mountain on my own,
Why am I scared, I've never stopped believing,
And You never left me alone.
Well, I can get ahead of where you've led me to,
But I will trust Your heart enough to wait for You ...

Until this mountain moves,
Until the path is clear,
Until Your voice is the only one I can hear.
Until I see Your hand,
Until I know Your heart,
Until I trust the grace that's carried me this far
I will be still, until ...

How could I have never seen this coming,
It's not like I've been running from Your will,
Tell me why each day's another mystery,
Waiting for Your truth to be revealed,
I try to tell my heart to trust what I believe,
And wait on You through all of my uncertainty ...

Until this mountain moves,
Until the path is clear,
Until Your voice is the only one I can hear.
Until I see Your hand,
Until I know Your heart,
Until I trust the grace that's carried me this far
I will be still, until ...

Be still my heart of worry,
Be still my restless soul,
Be confident and certain,
Be still and know

Until this mountain moves,
Until the path is clear,
Until Your voice is the only one I can hear.
Until I see Your hand,
Until I know Your heart,
Until I trust the grace that's carried me this far
I will be still, until ...
Oh, I will be still, until

Lyrics courtesy of Mark Harris

Impossible??? It’s Just a Matter of Perspective.

Have you ever faced a situation that looked impossible, yet at the end the “impossible” was defeated? Our God is one that specializes in this type of situation—situations when the odds are stacked against someone, when there is an underdog, when the least likely candidate becomes the one used. Just look through the Bible…we can easily pick out any number of situations and people that were unlikely for the task or up against “impossible” odds.

-Abraham had the promise to be the father of a great nation; yet it was after Abraham was an impotent 90-year-old man that the promise came to pass. Sarah, his wife, was also barren. Not candidates for the most fertile couple on the planet….

- Paul had been Saul….arguably one of the top persecutors of Christians. Turning the biggest adversary into the biggest evangelist—probably not a move most of us would attempt.

- A runty shepherd boy named David going into head-to-head battle on behalf of his entire race of people against a literal giant with a track record of brutally destroying his opponents. Sending a young boy that spends his days tending sheep was certainly not in the “Successful Battle Plan Manual.”

- A man named Lazarus, dead for 4 days and then walking out of his grave after his name was called. Talk about a tough story to explain to your friends that came to the funeral….

- The man who had come to be Savior of the world is tortured and crucified. It looked like the promised Messiah had been overcome by evil and death.

The obvious common thread in these situations is the nature of impossibility. They are ludicrous situations in which “success” or any hope of it was futile—BUT GOD. In each of the situations, God intervened only AFTER it seemed that all hope was gone.

-Abraham and Sarah had been given their promise when they were already “advanced in years,” but as if that wasn’t enough, they had to wait another 20 YEARS.

- Paul was actually on his way to Damascus to act on a plot to trap and arrest more church leaders when He was stopped by God himself on the road there.

- The Israelite army had been taunted for 40 days by a 9 foot tall giant man and the Philistine army. The king’s greatest trained warriors were too fearful to face Goliath in a representative battle with the Philistines.

- Mary and Martha had requested Jesus come when their brother was ill. They knew Jesus could heal him. But Jesus waited where he was for another 2 days before he even left. He knew Lazarus had died at this point. They would arrive after the burial.

- Jesus was buried and sealed in a tomb, much like his friend Lazarus had been. His followers disbanded and found themselves distraught. They couldn’t see any glimmer of hope.

There is a statement that I heard from Beth Moore when she was teaching in Fort Worth last fall, and it has stayed at the forefront of my mind ever since, “Blessed are you when what happens in the natural for others happens supernaturally for you.” Beth discussed how when people are able to go through impossible situations with God, He can then use the situation and the people for incredible kingdom impact. He receives greater glory in those situations because of their impossible nature. In I Corinthians 1:27 it says,

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (AKJV)

If Abraham and Sarah would have been in their 20s or 30s, having a baby and seeing a nation come from their offspring goes from miraculous to just a neat story of something great that happened to a regular couple and a regular baby. If David would have been a large adult man that had been groomed and trained by the best warriors, his win over Goliath would have just been another war story. If Lazarus would have been healed while he was sick, it could have been attributed to other factors. If Christ had not conquered death and the grave, there would be no hope for you & me.

Most of us wouldn’t knowingly sign up for the “impossible” assignment. It means that the situation becomes completely heart-breaking and unbearable. You are tested to your limits. Think of the 20 years Abraham sat on the promise of a nation from his seed to be born of his wife’s womb. What about the pain and anguish of two sisters that had to watch their brother die and be buried? Or how about the angst of a mother watching her son, the Messiah, die a painful & brutal death after having witnessed a lifetime of miracles even from the point of his conception?

BUT GOD. God has a way of restoring and resurrecting those things that seem lost. Abraham and Sarah DID give birth to Isaac, and saw the formation of a powerful nation. Mary & Martha were able to witness the life-giving power of Jesus first-hand. And Jesus has overcome & the grave is overwhelmed! He is risen & has paid the price for our sin once and for all!

If you find yourself in an “impossible” situation to be resurrected, get ready. It’s not for the faint of heart, and will require much sacrifice and obedience that seems futile—until the promised baby is born, the heart is changed, the battle is won, the dead is brought back to life.

He has a plan…one greater than you or I could grasp. If your impossible situation turns into the miraculous, get ready and be willing to be used of God in mighty and humbling ways. And remember it is only through Him that all things are possible (see Luke 1:37).

When the Expected Unexpected Comes

I remember once as a little kid falling off the monkey bars and landing on my back. All these years later I can still clearly remember the feeling of the wind being knocked out of my chest. I felt that same feeling yesterday morning, only I didn’t fall off the monkey bars this time. I received a piece of news that was unexpected. However…even though I didn’t expect this particular news, I knew that God had been preparing me to face this situation. (See Surrendering to the Blindfold Parts I & II.)

The question I have been faced with over & over the last couple of weeks has been “What do you do when things don’t turn out the way you expected?” I knew the particular situation of which the question inquired …and it made me uncomfortable.

It was difficult to consider all the possibilities of how things could turn out differently. You see, I felt that I had a very specific promise from God that had been affirmed and reaffirmed over the last 2 years. I didn’t quite know how to resolve that in my finite mind. But I made a decision…I didn’t have to understand it all (some of you can’t quite appreciate how far I have grown in this area), and I would trust God, trust His heart.

I didn’t have to wait long…one week after my first blog post on the subject I found out what the question meant. And it was certainly an unexpected turn that could have thrown me for a major loop had God not been preparing me for 2 weeks prior. Suddenly why it was accompanied by the verse in Habakkuk also became clear. The unexpected doesn’t always speak of the end—sometimes it can come in the form of a major left-turn that, if you weren’t prepared for it, could throw you completely off course.

In case I didn’t “get it,” yet again I open my email inbox this morning, & a scripture is staring me in the face…this time from the Living Proof Live prayer team blog:

“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3, ESV)

At this point certain things are starting to make sense to me: I know the promise that God has laid on my heart. I know God’s character, and that His promise lines up with His Word. I know that this may or may not be the last unexpected turn on this portion of the journey. I know my God is faithful, and that He will never leave me, never abandon me, and will give me the strength to walk through this when I lean & rely on Him.

Things I don’t know right now: When is the “end?” When does the promise come? What is the ultimate “end” of all of this?

So what does that mean for me today? It means that today I surrender to the blindfold once again. I will ask and trust that my Lord will guide me through today’s situations. I choose to trust. I choose to obey—even when it’s hard, even when I don’t know the result. I will continue to seek Him and ask for wisdom, discernment, and boldness. In Jeremiah 33, God talks to Jeremiah about a promise of restoration after Israel has been destroyed, and all looks hopeless.

In Jeremiah 33:3 the Lord says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

I have experienced His faithfulness in this promise…and I will continue to ask and trust.

Surrendering to the Blindfold- Part II

*If you are just now joining us, this is the conclusion to yesterday's blog. Please see Surrendering to the Blindfold- Part I.

To further complicate my ability to find understanding…the verses from Habakkuk and 2 other stories that have held a special significance for me have bombarded me over the last week…The story of the stone being rolled away before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and the story of Abraham & Sarai conceiving Isaac even after it was impossible for them to have children. Could it all be about a situation looking like it is completely dead and without hope—not turning out how I expected…but not being the end of the story. Possibly. I still have no definitive answer. And quite honestly, short of revelation from God, I won’t. But I have made a choice. I trust the One who holds my future; my times are in His hands. (see Psalm 31:15-16)

Who would volunteer to lose their sight & depend upon another? Not many. To trust anyone “blindly” requires an explicit level of trust. You must have 100% complete trust in the other & know that everything they guide you through is absolutely for your good….for your wisdom, experience, strengthening, and growth. When submitting to this type of a blind faith-walk with God, you must be a 100% committed Romans 8:28 Christian:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

This includes trusting and knowing that when harmful things come they are not from the One guiding you. Rather, the One guiding you knows they are coming and how to not only help you navigate through the situation, but to use anything that someone else intended to harm you to bring you to a greater, stronger, more powerful, more influential, more trusting place.

It is when we go through the tough times with someone that we grow closer to them. Bonds that are built under pressure and heat are not easily broken. Take for example when you glue something together versus when something is welded together. Whatever forces that substance will be later required to withstand determines the process of bonding…how it is held together & the process it must undergo to achieve that result. The same holds true of with us and our God.

The bottom line for me—I trust my Father. After truly examining my heart, I know that what I want more than anything else is for God to receive the highest honor and glory from the situation and to draw the largest crowd that will be able to attest to the mighty things He has done. If that means that I have an unexpected end result, then I know that He will give me the strength and grace to effectively deal with that. Does that mean that I won’t feel pain. Unfortunately—no. However, I know that whatever happens He will be faithful to cause it to work out for my ultimate good.

I can now also honestly answer at this point that my trust is not based upon circumstance. My faith will not be shaken based on circumstance. My trust is in my God. He promises,

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. [Isaiah 54:10]

Regardless of the answer and regardless of the surrounding situations, my God promises to hold true to His unfailing love for me, and to keep me in His peace. That is the peace that passes all understanding that I revel in right now. That peace is rooted in a trust that is dependent only upon the deep and intimate knowledge of the character of One I am trusting—not in outcomes, not in circumstances, not in answers; just His heart.

What is your deepest prayer right now? What do you do if the answer isn’t what you have expected? Ask the Father to help you grow in trust of His heart. He is faithful.

Moving Forward

“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

“I’m not going back, I’m moving ahead

I’m here to declare to You my past is over

In You, all things are made new

Surrendered my life to Christ

I’m moving, moving forward”

Lyrics from Moving Forward by Israel Houghton

So early this morning, this already seems to be the theme for the day. At this time in my life, things seem to be changing and moving forward at an almost break-neck pace. This is certainly not a bad thing….and considering the season I have recently exited in my life, it’s certainly a welcome change. However it is just that….change.

As humans, we tend to be creatures of habit. Sometimes that makes change—even good change, a little fearful. However, at this point in my journey I find that my fear is overshadowed…..this time around it feels like it is being pushed aside, and instead I find myself in hopeful expectation, anticipation, and quite honestly a sense of amazement. I’m seeing things come to pass that I felt God place on my heart in years past. I am reminded of the following scripture:

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” ~I John 4:18 (NLT)

When we focus on God and what He says, we can be confident and fear is driven away. So many of these things I felt impressed upon my heart, but I had no idea how they would come to pass, because the circumstances I saw didn’t seem to make any sense or give any hint of ability to ever change. I just had to trust God and remain faithful in the steps He asked me to take. Our obedience + His supernatural ability = miraculous changes in events. He promises to complete the work He started in each of us.

“The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” ~I Thessalonians 5:24 (emphasis mine)

My journey is far from over. There are still promises I have on my heart that have yet to be fulfilled. Continued obedience and following where He leads is key. I may not see now how those circumstances can change, but thankfully God is not dependent upon my ability to know what He knows. This is where faith enters the picture. I know that He is doing a new thing. I know He can make a way where there doesn’t seem to be one, and provision where none seems to exist. It says so in His Word. I can trust Him and follow Him so I can move forward. I trust He will guide me in respect to the details.

Is God bringing you to a new place? Ask for discernment to be able to “perceive it.” Seek His guidance and direction, and watch Him show you things that will truly amaze you.

Don't Give Up on Others

"One of the primary reasons Helen Kellar never gave up on herself was that Anne Sullivan never gave up on her." p. 59, Never Give Up by Joyce Meyer

How often do we "give up" on people? Perhaps they are difficult, they are going through trying circumstances, or we feel like we don't have "time" to deal with what is going on. Maybe they have made the same mistake more than once. We can come up with a laundry list of justifications. But how appropriate is that response?

Consider the story of Helen Kellar from the book The Miracle Worker. Helen Kellar had many characteristics that would made her situation "messy" or difficult to deal with. She was both deaf and blind, and as a result of the frustration she felt from these issues, she would become violently angry, lashing out at those closest to her. Multiple people had already given up on her, and deemed her situation as "hopeless."

Anne Sullivan could have very easily done the same and decided that this assignment was too hard, that God would never ask her to endure such a thing. She could have justified that Helen had too many difficulties, and that she would never be able to overcome all the struggles she faced in her life. Instead, what she chose to do was walk with Helen through her struggles, and ultimately to a changed life.

Did Anne "fix" everything wrong with Helen? Was she the full reason that Helen Kellar became the person she was later in life? No. While Anne helped Helen in the ways that she was led, it was God's work inside Helen that ultimately changed her. Anne was there, though, never giving up on Helen.

We cannot change anyone. We cannot fix someone else's problems, issues, or difficulties. It is only when we lay them on God's altar and allow Him full reign to do what He needs to do in their lives that real and lasting changes occur. God may call you to walk beside someone in their time of trial. He may call you to "be there" from a distance. You may be called to remain an unknown prayer warrior on that person's behalf. The response is still the same......if God has placed that person on your heart, never give up on them.

The Bible teaches us that God knows every moment of every day of our lives, before we even are born on this earth (see Psalm 139). That means God knows the past, present, and future of both you & the person he has laid on your heart. Do you trust God's wisdom in directing you who to pray for or be there for, or is your logic and human understanding superior to the Almighty's omniscience?

If he calls you to stand beside or pray for someone through their storm, he will give you the strength for that. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 states, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." God will give you the strength to continue to pray, to stand beside, or to be there as a witness for that person. Don't feel, however, that you are the one that must make things happen. That is not our role. God is the source of healing, redemption, and change.

Who has God laid on your heart today & in what capacity? Be obedient to His call; He will be true to his promise.