Let God and Let God

Walking by faith gives me a sense of peace, because I know that this journey will lead to the will of God being done in my life. But if I can be honest, walking by faith is probably the scariest thing I have ever done, because this journey has required me to relinquish control of my life over to Him. I have positioned myself in a place of trusting Him, even in the midst of the most unfavorable circumstances. In a sense, I have made the decision that I will not persistently worry about anything, because I know that whatever the situation, or outcome, He will work it all out for my good. And so, I can say that I know what it means to, “let go and let God,” but recently, God has been stretching me. He has been taking me deeper in my faith. In the past, I felt as though He was calling me out into the ocean. He would ask me if I trusted Him enough to be still, in the place that He’s provided for me. But now, it’s more than that. He’s asking me to step out of the boat, to show Him that I trust Him enough to walk according to His word, and not what I can see. This is a distinction for me, because sometimes we can get very comfortable in the season that we are in, especially when we have been in a season of waiting on God. Sometimes God will have us in a season of waiting for months, and even years. And in obedience to Him, we remain content in His plan, and His timing. But what happens when He asks us to step out of the place that He’s prepared for us? What happens when He asks us to leave behind the very things that He’s blessed us with? We must let go of the past, in order to receive the future. God is showing me that I have to go beyond letting go of control. He’s told me that I must let go of the comfort of where I am, in order to receive the future that He has for me and my family. And this is tough, because this season that we have been in is such a blessing. We are living in a state of peace and stillness that we have never had before. I can truly say that God prepared the way for us to be here. But He’s reminding me that He has so much more planned for us. This is only the beginning; this is only the foundation; this is only a means of getting us to the next season of our lives. And I had gotten too comfortable, and so used to this pasture that he has led us to. But He’s saying that it is time to leave. Because this was only the round-about way that He led us through to get to the promised land, and not the promised land itself. But this new season, this new land that He is taking us to, will require the skills that He’s taught us along the way. The wilderness is where God prepares us. When we are in the wilderness, we fear the unknown, and we are frustrated because we can’t see the bigger picture. We can’t see that this is the only way for us to learn to depend on Him. We don’t know that we have to get through this, in order for us to be prepared for where we are going. Because entering the promised land requires faith; it requires dependence on God; it requires the ability to hear the voice of God and obey His instructions. These are all skills that we learn only when we have to. We don’t need faith when we know for certain that everything will work out. We don’t need to be dependent on God when we have more than enough. And we don’t need to listen for the voice of God when we know all the details. It is only when we don’t have all the answers, that we seek Him. And It is only when everything around us is silent, that we can hear His still small voice. “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:11-12 NLT) We learn to hear the whisper of God in the wilderness. Sometimes God shakes things up and pulls us out of our comfort zone so that He can bring us to a place of stillness. A place where He will have our undivided attention. And then He shows us His glory; He shows us what it’s like to hear His voice. But it’s not so that we can remain in the wilderness, it’s so that He can lead us into the promised land—the place that He has prepared for us. But He only leads us there when He knows that we’re ready. This is why what we do in the wilderness matter. Are we wondering around questioning God? Or are we trusting that He knows what’s best? Obedience in the wilderness determines whether or not we will see the promised land. Just think about the journey of the Israelites, as God led them out of Egypt, towards the promised land. This journey was supposed to be short. It was a journey that God intended to use as a time of preparation and training, but the Israelites could not let go of their past. They chose to cling to what they knew best, instead of trusting their Savior. “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!” (Numbers 14:3-4 NLT) When faced with the uncertainty of entering into the promised land, the Israelites would rather go back to bondage, than to believe God for their promise. They were disheartened because the people of the land looked too strong to conquer, but they had forgotten that their God was stronger. He was the one that had defeated their oppressors, the Egyptians. So why would they not believe that the same God that fought for them then, would stand up for them now? He wasn’t asking them for wisdom and strength; He asked them for trust and obedience. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? (Numbers 14:11 NLT) Because they did not believe, the Israelites lost their chance of receiving the life that God had for them. But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. (Numbers 14:21-23 NLT) Their promise was connected to their faith. And because they had no faith, they forfeited their promise. They allowed fear to steal their future. The had become so comfortable with their past, that they could not see a way forward, and this cost them everything. All God wants is for us to believe Him. He’s shown us His glory. He’s taking us from our place of brokenness. Yes, we may not be where we want to be, but we surely are much farther along than when we started. And this is only by the grace of God. So why don’t we believe that the God that did that, will do everything else He says He will do? He has been faithful, and He will continue to be faithful. He just says, “Will you believe me?” God is always on the move. This is true even when we can’t see it. God always begins His work beneath the surface. And His word says that He is always doing something new. So, it is up to us to believe that He will continue to move in our lives. It is up to us to have faith, and to expect that the promises of God will manifest before us. I am the Lord, your Holy One, Israel’s Creator and King. I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick. “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 43:15-19 NLT) This is one of my favorite scripture, because it reminds me that I can not even fathom the plan that God has for my life. He is a way maker, a miracle worker. He makes beauty out of ashes, and He does this over and over again. He will never stop blessing us. He tells us to remember all the things that He had done for us. He wants us to remember how he fought on our behalf, and how he made a way for us. But then, He tells us to forget all of that, because it is nothing compare to what He is about to do. Let that sink in for a moment. What has God done for you? What pit has he pulled you out of? How has He provided for you in the past? How is He sustaining you now? Look at where you are, and think about where you could have been? And then, give Him praise for all of this… but don’t stay here. He has so much more up ahead, waiting for you. All He wants is for you to step out in faith and believe Him for it. In the book of 1 Kings, we read about the day that God called Elisha, the man that succeeded Elijah as the Lord’s prophet. As we take a look at this story, I want us to pay close attention to how Elisha responds to the call of God. So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant. (1 Kings 19:19-21 NLT) Elisha’s response is astonishing. Here he was, most likely comfortable and content plowing the fields. Maybe this was what his ancestors did; maybe this was what he envisioned himself doing for the rest of his life. And then, he has an encounter with the prophet Elijah—an encounter that probably took him by surprise. But I want to point out the discernment that Elisha exhibited in this moment. He was not confused about what had just taken place, and he was not unsure of what his response should be. He was so in tune with God, that he was able to immediately response in obedience. Elisha had been trained to hear the voice of God in the wilderness, as he plowed the fields. His stewardship prepared him for the call that God had on his life. So when the time came, when God decided to lead him towards his promised land, Elisha had the faith to drop everything and go. He let go of the past, so that he could let God lead him to his future. Elisha didn’t stop to have a conversation with his family and co-workers, to see if they agreed with his decision. He didn’t even try to bring a portion of his current season with him. The scripture says that he destroyed the most valuable things that he had. He let go of the things that enabled him to make a living, so that he could move toward the future that God had for him. When we let go of the past, we let God move us into our future. This is an exchange. We are seeking His will to be done in our lives, but He says, “Will you give me what you have, so that I can give you something so much better.” This is a risk, but this is faith. And this is the only way that we will receive all that God has for us. He doesn’t want us to believe in the odds of a situation, He wants us to believe in Him. He wants us to have faith that He can do the impossible, because that’s what He does. And that is what He wants to do in our lives. So He says, "Let go." Let go of the things that you are clinging to, and cling to Him. Because He is the only thing worth clinging to anyways. Everything else that we have is temporary, it is all meaningless, especially compared to the glory of God. You don’t have to hold on to the blessings that He has given you, because He has so much more in store for you. Refuse to allow yourself to settle for anything less than His plan for your life. You can’t stay here. Let go, and let God move in your life. Prayer Heavenly Father, You have been so good to me. You saw me in my brokenness, you grabbed hold of me, and you have given me hope for a brighter future in you. I am not where I want to be, but through your grace, I am not where I used to be. And I trust that you have so much more in store for me. But Father, I understand that receiving my future requires me to let go of my past. And I want to make that exchange today, by faith. Right now I declare that I am releasing everything that I am clinging onto, and I am making the decision that I will cling to you instead. I want everything that you want for me. I want to receive the life that you have planned for me. I want to walk in purpose everyday of my life, so that my life will bring you glory. So Father, send your Spirit to enable me to do this, because I know the I can only do this through your strength, and not my own. I trust your plan, and I believe that you will fight for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.