When God was moving, Moses got out of the way and let God move. Isaiah, the prophets, and John fell on their faces. In the book of Acts the church had to be fluid — willing to change. Our prayer is not to twist God’s arm to do what we want, but rather to submit ourselves to the direction God is moving.
Some of the deepest truths God reveals to us are the simplest and most clear. In Luke 10 the lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to live. Jesus’ answer was profound: love God, love others and (an often missed point) if you do these two things you will live life to the fullest. These are not religious obligations, but have to come from our heart. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
When the Holy Spirit begins to fill our heart and mind we are given the ability to understand the truth of God's Word. When God speaks to us and we obey, we will be led into the miraculous. A cry will arise in our heart, "Oh Jesus use this frail vessel and glorify your name through my life." When everyone is planning their strategies there will be a church who will run into their prayer closets and get a word from the Lord for this generation. We do not have to figure it all out. All we need to do is to have a vision of the one who has all the power and authority we will ever need. Our prayer is, "God stretch forth you hand and fill us with boldness to minister your love and power."
In every single one of us there is a propensity to draw near to Jesus with all of our heart and to pull away at the same time. If it was not for the power of the Holy Spirit it would be impossible to serve God. It is better to take the promises of God and bring them back to Him in prayer than to make vows that we know we could never keep in our own strength. The key is to totally understand that it is not what we can do for Jesus but what He did and continues to do for us. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible!
Where is God and why does he allow suffering to go on? When you wrestle with this question you can do two things: turn to the Lord or charge God with negligence. David Wilkerson encourages those in a difficult season to hold still for God's care and goodness in the storm.
When God relents from destroying Nineveh, Jonah accuses Him of doing a “great evil.” Jonah sits outside the city to see what will come of it — hoping God might change his mind and rain fire down upon Nineveh. God appoints a plant to provide shade and comfort for Jonah, but the next day God appoints a worm to eat the plant, and then sends a scorching east wind. Like Jonah, we can hang on to a root of bitterness and anger toward God when things don’t go our way. God will often send things into our life that eat away at our comfort, but it is for our good — that we might be purified by God.
There is no such thing as small things when it comes to spiritual things. God deposits a mustard seed of faith in us. When we trust Him and bring the little we have, it can grow into a marvelous harvest for His Kingdom. Do not despise small beginnings, for God is able to make all things grow for His glory. There are also seemingly small issues in our heart which, when not dealt with, can produce a harvest of darkness — small grievances, envy, and the inability to be happy when others are blessed. Small things never stay small. That's why in God's economy small things always become big things!
Part 3 – We need to hear the Word of the Lord in our life and repent. The book of Proverbs says it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine — pride, arrogance, self-reliance, gossip, lust, loose language, or whatever it may be. When we walk in that broken and contrite place, God’s Word will not only come to us, but it will come through us. We, then, will be able to preach and minister in profound and powerful ways. The Word of God will be a living sword out of our mouth because it has worked first its work in our heart. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. You’ll never be free until you meet Jesus yourself and come into a personal living relationship with Him.
Have you ever wondered why you are here and what is your purpose? People really don't know why they are here and life passes by so quickly. But the good news is that God created us and brought us into the world for an eternal purpose. God has a plan and His desire for us is to know His son Jesus. There is a life beyond this life — we are just passing through. Once you put your faith in Jesus you tap into a divine destiny. No one will be in Heaven who does not want to be. You have a choice. Start your journey today!
Part 2 – Are you suffering because of righteousness sake or suffering because of sin? Jonah was in trouble and called out to God. Even though waves crashed over him and he found himself in wickedness, he knew Yahweh was listening. Jonah’s heart had become repentant; he could see the desire of his heart and that it was truly desperate for God. Is your life totally collapsed? Remember Yahweh.