EMPOWERING LIVES WITH PURPOSE:
Right Town, Wrong Street.
By: Sara Sahm- Leadership Team
Ever notice how lost you feel when your GPS takes you just one street off from your desired location? Our walk with God is similar. A choice here a choice there, just a ten-degree change in direction can lead us way off course in a very short time.
Jesus said, “Whoever serves me must follow me: and where I am, my servant will be also.” (John 12:26.)
Getting almost to where we want GPS to take us isn’t good enough and walking with God is the same. Jesus didn’t say you can follow me if you want to, He said “whoever serves MUST follow Me.”
“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.” (Jeremiah 29:11.)
God has a “best plan” for our lives.
Psalm 37: 4 Says; “Delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desire.”
We have the freedom to follow or choose what we think is best, God gives us that ability. Our sin will lie to us and lead us away from our best life in the Lord. Our heart is deceptive.
So how do we know if our heart’s desire is of God or of self?
The word Delight means “to gain great pleasure, satisfaction, happiness”. In Hebrew the word is translated “to be soft, tender, to bend”.
I believe what Psalm 37 is speaking of is our need to remain soft and tender toward the Lord; teachable, and willing to follow His lead.
Tenderness expresses love and a desire to remain near to the source of that tenderness. I pray l will always choose to be willing to bend to the Lord’s will. Notice I say “choose”, because following our own or another’s will is not choosing God. We must follow Him although the will of the Lord may not always be easy in our thoughts.
Oh, But God! He is gracious and quick to forgive us when we choose wrong. He knows we will fail and make wrong choices.
Oh, but Jesus! “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.
In his infinite wisdom, God took mercy on for our weakness and sent Jesus to tear the veil that divided us from our heavenly father. We should strive to do our best, but not live in shame of our shortcomings.
May we have confidence knowing that when we get lost the Lord will make a right way home for us.
John 16:33 says “In this world we will have troubles, but we can rest in peace knowing that God has already overcome the world.”
Psalm 139:14 gives a guarantee that we will never walk alone. It promises that when we go astray, we will gently be lead back on track.
(Isaiah 30:21)
So no need to depend on a fallible GPS system anymore. (Just kidding.) We will still need a GPS for our car, but not as we walk the spiritual road our Heavenly Father leads us down. Remember, “God is with you-wherever you go and no matter what life brings” Joshua 1:9.
There will be darkness, there will be tears. But hold onto the promise that as you remain tender to Him, He will work all things for your good. (Romans 8:28).
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Phil 1:6). “He will never leave or forsake you!” (Psalm 55:22).
Walk with Him and give Him the glory in all your trials knowing He is our victory!!!!