Stand Firmly In Our Place
November 15, 2010
Ephesians 6:13 "Do what the crisis demands and then stand firmly in your place".
Progress does not come without letting go of past relationships, old ideas, old ways of thinking. When God is doing a new thing in your life, you have to face forward and trust that all things in Him work together for good, as promised in His word - Romans 8:28.
Imagine how Ezekiel must have felt when the Lord took him to a desolate dry and dark place full of bones, and then told him to pray to the bones. This was certainly a new experience and something that made no sense to Ezekiel. But he obeyed. And then the Lord asked him to breathe life into the bones by preaching and dancing to the dead dry bones. Ezekiel did not look into his past to draw courage or create understanding where it was lacking - he just simply trusted God and what God called him to do. With patience and faith, the bones became living flesh and Ezekiel was soon surrounded with bones that became flesh and living - a remarkable experience that proved God keeps His word. Many people that follow God's vision for their life are often thought of as different, strange, crazy, and without sense. These experiences are why God's approval for our lives HAS to be enough. Otherwise, the dry bones around us will never come to life. The path he has for us will remain dead and lifeless.
The moment we sense God's presence in a decision and we know that the new situation is His will and not our own, the only good solution is to follow. I was just talking to someone yesterday about how this experience building a women's ministry has been truly a "if you build it, they will come" sort of experience. I can not imagine how Noah must have felt - he took on building an ark and had to face others opposing opinions everyday. It was not even raining when he started building. All he had to go on was God's call on his life. I think many of us can name several instances where we knew we were on the wrong path - and caused ourselves alot of pain and turmoil - all because we did not listen to that inner peace God provides when we know His plan is different than our own but yet we do not submit. The only place our personal desires, fears, emotions and ideas will take us is straight into a flood without a paddle or a boat. I was in a place that God clearly showed me was no longer "life-giving" for me. Everything outside of that comfort zone was scary, new, and unknown. Yet, I knew through many wrong mistakes and wrong turns in my life, that I was only guaranteed a better future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11) if I took action to follow the ark (Meyer 157).
Where is your ark? What experiences are no longer life giving for you that you need to let go of into a future that is more about Him and less about you?
Make the right decision in Him - and then stand firmly in your place to never give up no matter the circumstances.
Ephesians 6:13 "Do what the crisis demands and then stand firmly in your place".
Progress does not come without letting go of past relationships, old ideas, old ways of thinking. When God is doing a new thing in your life, you have to face forward and trust that all things in Him work together for good, as promised in His word - Romans 8:28.
Imagine how Ezekiel must have felt when the Lord took him to a desolate dry and dark place full of bones, and then told him to pray to the bones. This was certainly a new experience and something that made no sense to Ezekiel. But he obeyed. And then the Lord asked him to breathe life into the bones by preaching and dancing to the dead dry bones. Ezekiel did not look into his past to draw courage or create understanding where it was lacking - he just simply trusted God and what God called him to do. With patience and faith, the bones became living flesh and Ezekiel was soon surrounded with bones that became flesh and living - a remarkable experience that proved God keeps His word. Many people that follow God's vision for their life are often thought of as different, strange, crazy, and without sense. These experiences are why God's approval for our lives HAS to be enough. Otherwise, the dry bones around us will never come to life. The path he has for us will remain dead and lifeless.
The moment we sense God's presence in a decision and we know that the new situation is His will and not our own, the only good solution is to follow. I was just talking to someone yesterday about how this experience building a women's ministry has been truly a "if you build it, they will come" sort of experience. I can not imagine how Noah must have felt - he took on building an ark and had to face others opposing opinions everyday. It was not even raining when he started building. All he had to go on was God's call on his life. I think many of us can name several instances where we knew we were on the wrong path - and caused ourselves alot of pain and turmoil - all because we did not listen to that inner peace God provides when we know His plan is different than our own but yet we do not submit. The only place our personal desires, fears, emotions and ideas will take us is straight into a flood without a paddle or a boat. I was in a place that God clearly showed me was no longer "life-giving" for me. Everything outside of that comfort zone was scary, new, and unknown. Yet, I knew through many wrong mistakes and wrong turns in my life, that I was only guaranteed a better future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11) if I took action to follow the ark (Meyer 157).
Where is your ark? What experiences are no longer life giving for you that you need to let go of into a future that is more about Him and less about you?
Make the right decision in Him - and then stand firmly in your place to never give up no matter the circumstances.
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