August! Thank you Jesus. 🙂

God has been dealing with some painful issues in my life for the past months, and in as much as I found the process uncomfortable, I am honestly grateful because He answered a prayer I once made to Him during my early walk with Him, that is— to extract all things within me that are worldly, whatever the cost.

Though I have always known it was a bold prayer to make, I believed that God would honor it because, He is more interested in my walking in His purpose than I am.

And isn’t it funny how, when God calls us to be ambassadors of His Kingdom, we get all excited and formulate these little plans & come up with schedules of how we intend to do His will; instructing Him on what would work best, how He should operate to make sure that all the things we need for our various ministries are provided for, only for Him to simply tell us,

Serve

And at the beginning we do not mind serving others. We are excited to begin this mission and get this work started. However as time passes by, we begin to get impatient.

I remember just recently, asking God—”Hellllllooooooooo God, wasssgoingon? Did You forget about the vision You placed in my heart? 

For though we know that God has called us to something bigger than us, an assignment that transcends space, matter and time, placed inside our hearts that only we can understand; we still struggle with trust, trying to figure out why He has not brought to pass His promises yet.

He  just keeps sending the same message over and over again

and we begin to get frustrated and start murmuring towards Him.

But who can understand the reasons of God? Who can instruct God? From the very ancient of days, all men we know God has used, have all been servants and Jesus was the greatest servant of all.

Serving God is a heart submission assignment and that is why Jesus required that anyone who had purposed to follow Him, count the cost first. Not because He made it hard, but because it would require we shed so many worldly aspects in our lives. Denying our own flesh, for it is attached to the things of this world and it is in constant enmity with God and always seeking pleasure more than the bearing of a cross.

Following Christ is a road of trust, complete reliance and waiting upon the leading of the Holy Spirit. It means laying one’s life down for the sake of others, especially for the sake of those whom we would rather not serve if we had a choice. It is a life of forsaking the world completely to live a life after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

What comes as a surprise to us, is that when God calls us, He does not allow us to carry out His work our way. He accomplishes His will for us in His own way, in His own time, by His own means. At times when I think of how long Abraham had to wait to see God’s promise of His son, I begin to tell God “please don’t let me wait that long, I don’t think I have the grace to be that patient.” 

But then again, that’s my flesh speaking. And it always makes such prayers, always trying to figure out what God is trying to do so that I can rest easily.

Uncertainty is surely not a friend of our flesh. But how can we trust God if we know? We wouldn’t need Him if we knew how He intends to use us and lead us.

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it

Romans 8:24-25

So, I am grateful that He is always gracious and merciful to me. Something the Holy Spirit and I have to work on because I am not always patient with Him as He has always been with me.

Therefore friends, let us always purpose to pursue the Lord at all times, to be willful servants, ready to lay down our lives for others. For we who are the body of Christ, are not yet perfected but are transformed everyday into His image and likeness as we walk in obedience to His commandments.

Let us learn to cleave to God always. Even in moments of unbelief, to pray and seek His guidance, for He is pleased when we run to Him instead of the world

I love how Paul put it.

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

I have experienced how unbelief can alter our relationship with God if we allow ourselves to get consumed by the unexpected  things that come to pass and are not in our control, or those expected things we hoped for but did not work out.

I know there are several areas in my life that need to be addressed, so I purpose to stay rested in Him and let Him do the work.

The horizon looks brighter and more beautiful from this side of rest in God. I purpose to rest in the fact that He is faithful to fulfill that which He has spoken over my life. Whether it takes days, weeks, months, years or decades. His Word never fails, it is eternal.

The Lord bless you and keep you. ~

♣