Lessons From The Storm

Matthew 14 opens with the horrific, senseless beheading of Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist. In His grief, Jesus sought solitude and set out by boat to a remote, desolate place. But crowds of people, over 5000 men plus women and children followed Him along the shore. When Jesus landed at His destination, rather than criticize those who invaded His space, He had compassion on them. He saw their hunger and miraculously fed them multiplying a young boy’s lunch.

After this miracle, Jesus sent the disciples out in His boat while He went up the mountain to finally spend alone time with His Father. A furious storm arose, and the disciples struggled for hours until Jesus walked out to them on the water. Thinking He was a ghost, they were terrified, but Jesus encouraged them. Peter stepping out of the relative safety of the boat walked on the water toward Jesus, but seeing the wind, his faith faltered and he began to sink. Three words, “Lord, save me!” brought Peter into Jesus’s grip and back in the safety of the boat. And they marveled and worshipped Jesus.

Can this familiar story speak to us today? As I read and ponder this chapter, God has been revealing more and more to me. This Top Ten list barely scratches the surface:

How Can We Know God's Will?

The question of the day – most every day – for those who desire to follow God. How can I know God’s will?  Choices are not always crystal clear no matter how strong our desire to follow God’s plan. The Apostle Paul provides a clue in two of the choices he made.  

In Acts 16, Paul planned to go east to Asia but “the Holy Spirit told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time.” So he and his companions "headed for the province of Bithynia” (in the north), "but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go." Then that night, Paul had a vision of a man in Macedonia in Greece (due west), “pleading with him, 'Come over here and help us.' So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, for we could only conclude that God was calling us to preach the Good News there."

Making those choices eventually landed Paul and Silas in jail where they sang worship songs and prayed, survived an earthquake, led the jailer and his family to faith in Jesus, and founded the church at Philippi and others on their second missionary journey.  

Later, on his third journey, Paul planned to go to Rome. He was arrested and appeared before the Roman rulers and would have been set free except for his appeal to go to Rome. After several years, he finally set sail, still a prisoner in chains. A storm arose so fierce that the sailors were terrified, but Paul the prisoner reassured them, "But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island."

After the shipwreck, Paul was on the island of Malta where he was bitten by a deadly snake which he shook off into the fire. So deadly was this snake, when he didn’t die, the islanders thought he was a god.

On his second journey, Paul did an about-face twice changing the directions of his travels, but on his third journey, he was resolute to reach his destination of Rome despite storm, shipwreck, snakebite and being a prisoner.

So here’s the question – how did he know? How did Paul know to give up his plans for Asia and Bithynia, while never giving up on Rome despite serious setbacks?

What would I do?

Would I have been willing to quickly abandon my plans because a dream indicated to go another way or would I stubbornly set my jaw and press on against God’s will for what I think I want?

Would I be resolute to journey forth despite storm and hardship or would I give up under the strain thinking something so difficult couldn’t be of God?

Honestly, I can’t say.

What I can conclude is this. Paul didn’t make these decisions according to the emotions he felt on any given day.

He didn’t make a list of pros and cons reasoning out the best plan to follow.

He based his decisions on a lifelong sensitivity to God’s leading.

In prison, he worshipped and prayed. He didn’t decide to develop a prayer life when hardship hit. This godly behavior in tough times came from a life of prayer and worship in the ordinary times.

Want to know God’s will in the difficult times? Get to know His will each day, whether there are big decisions to make or not. Spending time with Him in prayer and praise will increase sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading.  There’s simply no shortcut or substitute.

  

Give thanks in all circumstances;  for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:12 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

http://pastorerickson.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/apostlepaul.jpg

Do you struggle to know God's will sometimes? How can I best pray for you beloved? .

Something That Matters - Part One

This afternoon, my daughter takes off for Hillsong International Leadership College in Sydney, Australia. One giant step closer to realizing her dream.

It seems like yesterday but 20 years ago, Lauren took her first dance lesson starting a lifelong love of dance and all things "arts". Middle school spirit team introduced her to worship dance.


In high school, she started teaching others what she had learned. Mission trips expanded her understanding of the world and increased her compassion for those in need.


This month, she graduated college earning two degrees - a BFA in dance performance and a BA in dance education. And now she's off to study Leadership in Dance Ministry at Hillsong in Sydney.

Why?
Why study more?
Why so far away?
Everyone asks these things [especially her dad wondering why she wants to go to the other side of the world for a year - and possibly meet some nice young Aussie gentleman - horrors!]

She smiles when she responds. Actually she more than smiles. She glows.

She has a dream, has had it for years. It sprung up from seeds planted and has grown and developed in unimaginable ways.

Her mission trips have taken her to remote undeveloped areas of the world. And she wondered what she can bring these people whose basic needs of water and food are barely met. Don't you need to feed them before you can share the gospel? Yes. But she discovered something else. Through her dance and the arts, she was able to communicate love, and everyone needs love. Dance and art transcend language barriers. They connect different cultures.


Here is Lauren last year teaching preschoolers in northern Uganda, a region slowly healing after the world's longest civil war: http://tinyurl.com/74dye2r 

Lauren's dream, in a nutshell, is creating an Arts Center - a place for students to hang out, learn dance, art, acting, all varied ways of expression. But there's more...

In 2006, a young man named Blake Mycoskie founded a shoe company with a new premise: "With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for one." Blake traveled to Argentina, saw the disease and the dire need for shoes for the children there, and founded a company that would provide a quality product and also meet that need.

Lauren wants a "One for one" program for her future Arts Center with a "sister school" in Africa. Every student here will support a student in Africa. Lauren has the vision. Her studies this year will provide the leadership training she'll need to bring it to fruition.

Our family asks for your prayers as Lauren takes this next step of her life journey. You can follow her throughout at the year at:
Blog: laurenpanzica.wordpress.com
Twitter: twitter.com/laurenpanzica
YouTube: www.youtube.com/LaurenElizabethDance

I'm traveling to Australia with Lauren, spending a few days helping her get established.

My next post is a review of Blake Mycoskie's book Start Something That Matters. As part of the review, I will be giving away 2 copies. It tells the story of TOMS shoes and inspires us all to purse something that matters. Keep tuned!!

Clogged ?

Last month, I had unintentionally withdrawn from writing and serving, sensing overcommittment and burnout. While in my self-imposed exile, I read about the Dead Sea, specifically that it is "dead" because the water doesn't flow out.

.

.God calls us to be rivers, not lakes; conduits of the blessings He has showered on us, not reservoirs. This winter, the drainpipe at our home was stopped up, frozen and immovable with the water that was made to flow freely through it. It wasn’t serving its purpose to receive from above and channel the water to the soil below.

.
 

And neither are we if we receive the gifts that God has given us and keep them to ourselves. The Bible says that the gifts we are given are for the “common good1,” that is - they are given to us to share with others. If I am given a gift for teaching, what good is it if I keep it to myself? What about gifts of hospitality, mercy, leadership, giving, wisdom, faith, healing? We are told to “eagerly desire the gifts2” but what is the benefit of hoarding such gifts?
.
There is no doubt that in this fast-paced, hyperactive society we live in that there is real danger of overcommittment. But the answer is not to withdraw completely. It is to achieve balance. If we’re stopped up, we can become stagnant, like the Dead Sea. Better to allow the Living Water from above flow freely to us and through us.
.
A well-known phrase in chiropractic circles is ADIO - meaning that healing comes from “Above Down Inside Out.” It’s a perfect metaphor for how we should live our lives. We can’t be truly successful on the outside unless we are filled and flowing on the inside having received from above.
.
Throughout Scripture, drink offerings were “poured out” to the Lord, and it is well-known that in his final letter, Paul referred to himself as being “poured out like a drink offering.3” But before that, in his letter to the Philippians, he made the same reference “even if I am being poured out like a drink offering …, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.4” This time, it was part of his message that God is at work in us5, and we ought to do everything without grumbling and complaining that we might be blameless and pure, shining like stars in the sky6. Wow, I wanna shine like the stars. How about you?
.
Right now, I’m feeling a bit like the “little teapot” of song; Lord - tip me over and pour me out - that I might be filled again and again, and poured out again and again.

1- 1 Cor. 12:7
2- 1 Cor. 12:31
3-  2 Tim. 4:6
4- Phil. 2:17
5- Phil 2:13
6- Phil 2:14-15

.

. 

A Storm In Little Valley

My sweet friend, Lynn Mosher from Heading Home, wrote this beautiful post and has allowed me to share it with you. Enjoy!

Little Valley lived among the verdant hills that stood tall and proud. Each tree, each flower on the hills stretched out in service for its created purpose. A true testament to their Creator.


Although delicate wildflowers and sweet-smelling honeysuckle adorned Little Valley, the artistry of the hills intimidated her. She compared herself to the regal hills and thought poorly of herself, “What am I amongst these majestic hills of the Creator? Nothing but weeds and stones cover my terrain. I have no beauty with which to serve and magnify My Maker.”


One day, dark billowing clouds as black chariots of doom gathered across the sky. On the hills, the flowers closed their petals, the trees folded their leaves in terror. The sun disappeared, leaving no ray of its existence upon anything.


Little Valley shivered in the foreboding gloom and swirling winds, as the calamity wrapped itself around her shoulders as a sinister black cloak.


The hills trembled under the mighty power of the tempest as its violence ripped at its beauty. The proud hills crumbled under the oppressive weight.


The silence of the hills contrasted with Little Valley’s bemoaning of her situation. The storm struck at her heart, leaving a gaping hole in her landscape. The birds disappeared; their songs of praise gone with them. And all the other valley creatures departed for homes unknown. She cried great tears of grief for her loss.


In her mourning, she cried out to her Creator. “Save me, Master. I’ve been torn asunder. All is lost.”


Whispering back, He answered, “My sweet field of pleasure, My Little Valley, nothing strikes at your heart except it is sifted through My loving fingers. You do not see now but you will see later the beauty born of suffering. You will bring great glory to Me. Do not compare yourself with others. Trust in My Word. Trust in My promises.”

Little Valley sighed and rested in the knowledge that the Master Creator knew best.

Though they eventually ceased, the tears Little Valley shed filled the gaping hole and a beautiful pool of water emerged. The calm waters belied the rugged rocks lining its depths.

Water lilies began to appear on the pond’s surface. A profusion of multi-colored blossoms poked their heads up around the water’s edge. The grass grew the most beautiful shade of green and flourished everywhere. The birds returned to nest in newly formed trees.

Little Valley reveled in the results as she blossomed with new strength and beauty, born out of the suffering as the promise of the Lord. For the rest of her days, she knew she would serve her Master and bring glory to Him.

Though God has gifted you and set a purpose for your life, do you feel unworthy, untalented, or lacking in some area to serve Him because you compare yourself with others?


Just as the hills and valleys each have their own beauty and their own purpose, so does each child of God. Each of us serves to glorify the Lord in our own capacity, which is honoring to Him and beneficial to others. Whether you minister to large numbers or you minister to your next door neighbor, it is all serving the Lord. No one ministry is greater than another.

You are worthy to serve because Christ lives within you, so “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him,” (Col. 3:17 NIV) as “though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Col. 3:23 NLT)


I pray you know this…“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zeph. 3:17 NLT)

Read more: http://lynnmosher.blogspot.com/#ixzz0vfmm5kb5

Many thanks, Lynn, for illustrating so beautifully why God allows valley experiences in our lives. Though Psalm 23 is often read at funerals, the truth is that it is meant for the living. He walks with us through the valley, and not just through the "valley of the shadow of death," but every valley, every day. Thank you Lord, that we never need to fear for You are with us (Ps. 23:4)

Driven to Distraction

Early Sunday morning, a few weeks ago, I woke up extra early to prepare for my Sunday School class, only to be distracted by another random task calling my name, leaving my preparation less than best.

Then while in the class, my cell phone signaled a text message arrival. I quickly silenced the alert, only to have it vibrate loudly two minutes later with another text message.


Several minutes later, someone else’s cell phone rang an alert.


A few minutes after that, the children loudly shuffled past our group to practice their special presentation, returning 15 minutes later, sweetly suspending our discussion once again.


The thing is - this type of stuff rarely happens in our class. No cell phones. No parades. No distractions. Each week, we have awesome discussions that experience very few interruptions. Even late arrivals don’t divert us from our study.


Our text that morning was Acts 16, particularly the demon-possessed, fortune-telling servant girl who followed Paul for days shouting "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." This greatly distressed Paul, and he cast out the demon. Since the girl was declaring truth, our group shared thoughts on why Paul would be distressed, concluding that if “he accepted her words, he would appear to be linking the Good News with demon-related activities.” (Life Appl Bible)


And then it occurred to me. While that was most certainly true, it might also be simply that she was a distraction to the work Paul and his companions were doing.


Grrrr! That word - distraction! 


Lately, I’ve been quite onvicted about my own distracted nature. Unlike the focused, goal-oriented people I admire, I am a tumbleweed, often wandering from room to room, task to task. Being very busy, but in reality, accomplishing little.


My dear friend, Joanne at Blessed, shared not one, but two posts a few weeks ago about distraction. When she wrote that her nickname is “bright, shiny thing,” I laughed out loud, knowing that it could easily be mine too! She calls it “the attraction of distraction,” and that’s exactly what it is. It’s a lure, a snare, a decoy. Like a fishing lure, distraction will entice us, then hook us, keeping us from accomplishing anything.

"Hi, my name is Susan, and I'm a distractaholic."

There I said it. Just as alcohol can derail the one addicted to it, so too, can distraction. Now, there's nothing wrong with being a free spirit. Usually, I love being one. But there are times when I know that God signals a certain task for my day or a call on my life, and I must be honest and admit - I'm being disobedient.

Oswald Chambers said that "Good is the enemy of best." The soothsaying servant girl shared a truthful statement, but it was a distraction from the men who were on God's mission of truth. I may be busily serving the Lord, but if I'm not also listening to Him, my work is a distraction from my relationship with Him. Sometimes, a tumbleweed needs an anchor.


I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. 1 Cor. 7:35b

Life Without Limbs - Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic is a truly remarkable man. Born without arms and legs, he is an inspiration both in how he lives his life and how he captivates a huge audience of teens. I have written about him before. When you have a few extra minutes, be sure to watch the amazing videos I've linked below. I promise you will not be the same after watching them.

These are some of Nick's quotes from his talk at Battle Cry in April:

- If you've prayed for a miracle and God doesn't give you the miracle, you be a miracle for someone else.

- D.I.S. = when you "dis" someone, it's not a good thing.
     D = demon
     I  = inspired
     S = suggestions
     as in: DIScouragement, DISillusionment, DISpair, DISsatisfied...

- Put your faith, not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
     Jer. 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD,
     plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

- If He told you everything, you'd never be in a position to walk by faith.

- When the world says you're not good enough, get a second opinion.

- When a mum wants her kids for dinner, she calls, "COME!" The kids say, "I'm coming..." Then repeat it over again 2 - 3 times. When God calls you, don't say "I'm coming..." Say "Here I am!"

- How can you be Jesus' hands and feet when you don't have arms or legs?


Nick was so dynamic and powerful a speaker that I completely lost sight of his lack of limbs. Perched on a table, he shuffled back and forth as he spoke. When he was finished, the lights went off the table and on the next speaker. In the dark, he waited, and I watched, wondering how he’d get off that table. While all eyes (except mine) were on the next speaker, a man silently came up to the table, wrapped his arms around Nick’s torso, picked him up and carried him away like a sack of laundry with a head popping out. The humility of his being carried away like that spoke volumes to my breaking heart. This man had wowed the crowd. He was both hysterically funny and dramatically poignant, holding the audience completely enrapt. Yet in his weakness, he needed the help of another just to exit the stage. And it occurred to me that God wants us to be reduced to allow others to meet us in our weakness, and He will carry us. You can subscribe to his newsletter and read about his amazing ministry.


“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:7

-----------------
Here are some of the links to watch Nick yourself:

The Butterfly Circus movie (20 minutes - bring tissues!)
http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/The%20Butterfly%20Circus/

Nick Vujicic - Greg Laurie Interview (21 minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Cwx2UbTJA

No arms, No legs, No worries (9 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3LFBqvvW-M
Shows Nick swimming, cooking, grooming, daily activities

I Love Living Life. I Am Happy. (7 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ZuKF3dxCY
Motivational clip of Nick speaking to youth

Nick Vujicic' s Official Website
http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/
    

Thanks AND Book Giveaway

What a joy to spend a day with the women of Calvary Chapel North Jersey on Saturday. It was a special day dedicated to the beauty of the Lord, and the beauty that He instills in us.

How good and pleasant it is when sisters live together in unity! Ps. 133:1

My first thought was how good it was to be there, to be in the company of such lovely women.  And I remembered someone else who said,"It is good for us to be here."

One day, Jesus took His inner circle, Peter, James and John, up on a high mountain. Miraculously, Jesus was transformed into a figure of blazing white, and He was joined by Elijah and Moses. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here..." Matt. 17:4

Peter also suggested building 3 shelters so that they could stay on the mountaintop. But that wasn't God's plan then, nor is it now. In His grace, He provides us spiritual mountaintop experiences, but He doesn't want us to set up camp and stay there. Were we to stay permanently up on the mountain, the people in the valley would never get to hear the good news. Also, fruit doesn't grow on mountaintops. Fruit grows in the valley.

So thankfully, we get glimmers of glory, and then we are  commissioned to share what He has shared with us. We enjoy brief periods of R + R before we head back to the struggle, back to the valley. Yet whether on the mountaintop or in the valley, He is with us.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Ps. 23:4 NLT

So as much as I would love to stay on a retreat, experiencing the sweet joy and fellowship with God and His people, it is necessary to take what I've gleaned and return to the frontlines. To continue the blessing and as a thank-you to the women of Calvary Chapel, I am giving away the book "Who Calls Me Beautiful" by Regina Frankin. I will make 2 copies available.

Who Calls Me Beautiful?—Finding Our True Image in the Mirror of God


Who Calls Me Beautiful? helps you to identify the forces that influence your life and affect how you understand “beauty,” and encourages you to embrace a biblical and spiritual balance that honors the God who created you.

“I am an ordinary woman who has faced the same struggles that other women face,” says Regina Franklin. “But we have an extraordinary God who sees us as His beautiful vessels.”



Contest Rules:


1. For the Calvary gals, if you sign up to be a follower or subscriber to Eternity Cafe, and leave a comment with your email address, you will be entered to win.


2. If you already follow or subscribe to Eternity Cafe and leave a comment with your email address, you will be entered to win.

Contest ends Wednesday, May 5th

A River Walk Talk

Today, my guest blogger is my friend Mina’s 14-year-old daughter, Ellen. She is sharing her testimony of what God spoke to her at Harvest Christian Fellowhship's Women’s Retreat last month.

After the workshop at the HCF Women’s Retreat of 2010, I decided to take a walk because the message was very heavy. The subject was “Rejoicing in Trials,” and I had been having conflicting feelings about a crush on a boy at my school. So I put my coat and sneakers on, and left to walk along the river. The sky was completely blue, and there was no sound except the wind. I decided to put my iPod on and listen to a song that I call “Me and God’s song.” The song is Beloved by Tenth Avenue North. I was listening to the song and looking at the water, when all of a sudden, I heard a voice in my head, and it said “Look at the water.”


And I replied “Yeah?”


Then it said, “How is the water moving?”


I replied, “That way.” and I was pointing to the right, which was the way the water was flowing.


The voice in my head said, “No, I mean symmetrically.”


I replied, “As one.”


And what it said next brought me to tears.


“Exactly, and that is how I want to be with you, but you keep pushing me away.” This is when I began to cry, my heart broke to hear that. So, to my surprise the next thing he said was “Ellen, will you be my bride?”


And my response is what I will never forget. I said, “You will be my daddy, my husband, and my best friend.”


Since that point, I have realized that I have started becoming the woman that God wants me to be. I strayed away, but I realized that still, through everything I’ve done, God loves me so much. I will never forget that day.



And, Ellen, I will never forget your testimony. You have moved me to tears, and I pray that I too walk symmetrically as one with my Lord, my Abba daddy, by husband, my best friend.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea-billows roll—

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul. —Spafford

Susan

The Journey - Part 2 - Road Signs

 "Set up road signs; put up guideposts.

Take note of the highway,

the road that you take."

Jeremiah 31:21

Signs (and wonders) were common in the early church. Is it appropriate to expect signs from God today? I think God provides signs everywhere. Sometimes, we overlook them, make a wrong turn, head down a wrong path. But He provides guidance (a real GPS!) through the Spirit, through His Word, through the counsel of others, occasionally through circumstances, to lead us in the path He wants us to follow.

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105

Adorning the walls of the retreat conference room were road signs (and an amazing map) all with Scripture references that guide us on the path of life. Because the theme was to Reflect, Rejoice and Renew on the Journey, the signs were the perfect complement to the spoken messages.

I took pictures of the signs to share with you to encourage you on your journey. Many thanks to Marie Beemish, graphic artist extraordinaire!

Welcome ... 1 Thess 5:16
Be joyful always...

 

Under Construction ... Heb. 13:20-1
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Wait for Green ... Ps. 27:14
Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Prov. 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

RR Crossing ... 1 Cor. 1:18

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Scenic Overlook ... Psalm 23

 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

 he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

Slow ... Psalm 145:8

The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Retreat Theme Verse ... 1 John 3:2

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

The Map ... Heb. 12:-12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11



He is faithful. He will lead. He will guide. He will prompt us to follow. He wants us to do His will even more than we do. Too often, we seek a sign before we move. What He desires is for us to seek His way, to seek to be taught, to be sensitive to His leading and obedient to His call.
 
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it. Isaiah 30:21
 
There are things that are crystal clear - activities and attitudes to avoid, and those to pursue. That's where our focus should be. For what is not clear, we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). We walk according to what is clear and trust Him to reveal the rest in His timing.
 
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. Heb. 11:1 (The Message)
 
How to make it through the journey?
Follow the signs for what you can see, and trust God for what you can't see!
 
Susan