Five years ago, I would have never thought that I would be here. My family is whole, depression is gone, I have joy, and I have peace…regardless of the challenges of life. When I sit and think about the blessings of God, I realize that He has already done enough for me…more than I deserve. But, I have this burning deep within my heart. It’s telling me to go further...to reach beyond where I am now. God is calling me deeper. He is calling me higher. And although I am grateful for where I am now, I believe that He is telling me to let go of this place, so that He can show me something new.
“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT)
I found this scripture for the first time when I was in a season of brokenness…a season of fear. God was showing me that I could leave my brokenness in the past, because He had a new season in store for me. But now, He is showing me that this scripture applies to us at all times. It doesn’t matter where we are in life. Whether we are high or low…whether we are depressed or joyful…whether we are broken or whole.
God always has something new in store for us.
And while we should be content with where He has placed us, we must always remember that our assignments are temporary. At any given moment, God’s instructions could change.
In the book of Numbers, we see that the Israelites were led by a cloud through the wilderness. The scriptures say that the people camped and traveled at the Lord’s command. Whenever the cloud settled, they camped, but whenever the cloud lifted, they would follow it. It didn’t matter whether it was months or days, they were always ready to receive instructions from the Lord.
Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord. Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded. Then at the Lord’s command they would break camp and move on. (Numbers 9:17-20 NLT)
In this passage, we see that the Israelites camped wherever the Lord led them. They never made themselves a permanent residence in the wilderness, because they knew that God was leading them towards the promised land.
God has a promise for all of us…a promise of healing and wholeness…a promise of joy and peace…a promise of a fulfilling purpose.
And God has a promise just for you. What has He promised you? What has He given you hope for? Has He shown you a vision? Has He given you a dream? If so, run towards that dream. Run towards the vision that He has given you. Never allow yourself to become too comfortable in life. Listen for His voice, and follow His lead.
Maybe you’re reading this, and you feel lost. Maybe you have no idea of the promises of God. If so, I want to encourage you to search the word of God. Read of His healing and grace. Read of His joy and peace. And then, spend additional time in His presence through prayer and worship. As you begin to spend time with Him, He will speak promise into your life. And as you continue to follow Him, He will show you your purpose.
A desire to follow God must be cultivated.
It’s hard to go from following your own dreams, to pursuing the dream that God has for you. This is because we naturally lean towards the desires of our flesh. We must seek the Spirit if we want to live in the spirit. We need the Lord’s help, if we want to see the promises that He has for us.
Lately my prayer has been, “Father, give me the desire and the ability to do what pleases you.” Because, if I’m honest, I don’t always want to do what God wants me to do. God’s instructions are often hard, and they usually aren’t in line with my own desires. But at the end of the day, I desire Him more than anything else. And my prayers are a reflection of that.
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13 NLT)
God will give us whatever we need. All we have to do is ask.
God will give us the talent and abilities that we need. He will give us the resources that we need. He will give us the patience that we need. He will even give us the faith that we need.
In the book of Mark, there’s a story of a father seeking healing for his son. He asked Jesus if He could heal the boy, and Jesus replied that…
“...Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” (Mark 9:23-25 NLT)
I love this story, because it shows that we can come to Jesus with our unbelief. We don’t have to have perfect faith, to walk in the promises of God, we just need to ask for His help. He will meet us wherever we are.
I believe that God has a new season in store for me. But, I can’t get there on the strength of my past. I need Him to give me a new expectation. I need Him to give me new faith for where He is taking me. This is my new prayer.
Where are you right now in your walk with Christ? Are you full of faith? Do you have a lack of faith? Are you being tossed back and forth between faith and unbelief? If so, take it to your Father. Share with Him your doubt. Share with Him your fears. And then, ask for His help. He will give you whatever you need to do what He’s called you to do. He will give you the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him…just ask. He will give you a new expectation for your future, and He will give you a new faith to get there…just ask. Every time I’ve asked for His help, He met me right where I was. He took me by the hand. He showed me how to follow Him, and He gave me the faith to believe Him for promise. I know that He will do the same for you. Seek His face, ask for His help, and watch Him show up in your life.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for rescuing me from my past, and thank you for giving me a future. Thank you for reminding me that you aren’t done with me yet. You are always working on my behalf, and you always have something new in store for me. So today, I am making the decision to press towards the promise and purpose that you have for my life. But, I know that I can’t do this on my own. I need you, Father. I need you to give me the desire and the power to do what pleases you. I need you to give me the faith to follow you. And I trust that as I seek your face, and seek your help, you will enable me to do everything that you have called me to do. I love you, Father. In Jesus name, amen.
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