I write this because many times in my life there are times where it does not seem that God is doing a whole lot thru me. I know I cannot always see what’s really happening in the people I share with, but know God is trying to do a work in them but in reality they are fighting it as it usually means a change in their lives for them. In my minds eye, I expect to see some sort of huge change but it rarely comes about that way. Because of this, in our minds we tend to think – “Oh I don’t know if I am where God wants me because nothing seems to be going right? ” Although this is a good question to have in our lives we often allow satan to get the best of us by allowing fear in our lives by questioning what’s going on in our lives. This fear usually holds us back or even stops us dead in our tracks, but it is for sure not what God wants for us! The very reason He sent His son to die for us on the cross was that we can be rid of this kind of thinking and that satan has already been defeated!
Sometimes we experience great amounts of time not hearing from God on certain things, no matter how hard we pray, we don’t get anything else from Him that suggests that there should be change in our lives. For me this usually means I am where He wants me, and that if anything, I am growing to make a change happen in my life. So don’t jump to change just because you haven’t heard anything from Him in your life. Rather embrace it and push to do more where you are at, even if it means being uncomfortable and out of the normal pattern in your life. Listen for the little things God’s speaking to you, for in my life I find that the little things are what I need the most growing in.The Hardest things to change are the things that we build habits in and these habits hold us back from a full releasing of what God has for us.
For Katie and myself, being thousands of miles from our family and friends back home, we often – maybe too often – get in a state of questioning where God has us. We place expectations on ourselves and the work we are trying to accomplish here in The Marshall Islands and like a lot of things, we probably will never see the results other than the numbers on a page. IT can be disheartening sometimes not to see a huge transformation or see great change or know that we are really making an impact where we are. We know thru various people on the Island that they have been hearing about us and the work we are doing. They say it is a real good thing we are doing… We know its a good thing but are we where God wants us? The answer is very often found in the small things again.
Those small things for us usually fall into a financial need or even a healing by prayer. If God did not meet our needs or answer prayers for others healing then I would know that I may not be in Gods’ will. I know most of us have probably never had to raise funds to buy hundreds of Bibles costing thousands of dollars in one year. I know up till now, back in the states, Bibles seemed to come to me easy. Often the church would give Bibles out or friends and family would give one for a birthday or some special occasion, but that just does not happen here. There is no book store or library that sells books – everything has to be special order! Katie and I would love to have our own million dollar bank account to draw from and just order Bibles (we do kinda its just Gods money anyway -right?) but the funds to do so are entirely donated by friends and family. Katie and I are 100% volunteers in doing Gods work and don’t take any income or have any nest egg to draw from. So thru God and $2000.00 dollars to buy 200+ bibles so far this year alone is by far an answer to prayer and another reason to believe that we are where God wants us. We also have boat maintenance, schooling, community health care clinics, food distribution (outer island), and many other things that cost money that God always provides for us in this season that confirms where we are in our walk with God. The answer to prayers for healing of sick and those in some other type of physical healing happens often as well!
Can I challenge you to start looking at the small things that God provides for you? Can you start paying attention to the small things that God is doing in you and know that He has great things planned for you thru these small changes He is working out of you?
Lets pray – God help me to listen to you and be obedient to the small prompting you speak into me during my day! Help me to rebuke satan every time he tries to bring fear into my life. Help me to give you praise in all things – especially when things are hard and not in my comfort zone. Help me to have more faith that you will provide the needs that will further your kingdom. Help me to see all the small things you do as a answer to “Am I where you want me?” Help my faith to be that of a mustard seed and grow into a blossoming tree with more seeds! Amen!
