With a Swiftness!

Transformation 3

     February was one of the most challenging months that I have endured in a very long time. Writing these Transformation testimonies has helped me to process, accept, and grow from what the Lord allowed me to go through. If you are going through some serious trials, go to the Lord and tell him what you think. Write out your fears and pain so that God can transform them into courage and love. Now here is the last installment.

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With a Swiftness!

     Impatience is the understatement of the year. So much so that I struggle with revealing this weakness in words right now.

     I recall sitting at my desk in my classroom pondering how on earth I would ever make it through the month. With all the questions running on repeat in my mind, I was sure that I was doomed. There are 28 days in February? Well not in the year 2014. There were about 40 days in that month with each day containing 30 long and excruciating hours.

     There was a one particular coworker that I was praying for. There needed to be a change otherwise I would lose my Jesus through dealing with her--so I thought. I begged and pleaded with God to open her eyes, to grant me patience, to give me the words to speak to her, to reveal the secret recipe on how to deal with her. 

I got nothing.

I just had to keep pressing on through the fire and hope for relief. 

What craziness!

     How could I not see that each day was an answer to prayer! Arg! Everyday God was calling for me to stand firm on the Bible and focus on His will for me that day. How do I know this? It was all revealed weeks later in March. She informed me that God had rebuked her for how she had treated me on a particular day. However, I did not need to know that to trust God. I did not need the satisfaction, yet I craved it more than I craved the Word of God to give me guidance.

     When we hurry God along, we are setting up our own cones along the road to direct God on how He should lead and guide. Yet we give him no authority to actually lead and guide. 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Fist and the Last the Beginning and the End." Rev. 22:13

God is both in the beginning and the end of the situation, which automatically makes his credentials to take the lead more substantial than our own.

"God is willing and He is able

This did not catch Him by surprise

So just trust Him and just oh, step aside"

~Step Aside by Yolanda Adams

     I have heard this from God before, but there is a reason why Paul wrote:

"I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!" 1 Cor. 15:31

It is because we must renew our hearts every day as to abstain from falling back into the same bad cycles. Cycles of trusting self more than God; of greed; of lying; of lust; of hate.

     It is time for me to respond to the Lord's call for me to act. He has never ceased to be about His business. It is time for me to pick up my feet and trust God with all of my heart. To focus only on Him throughout my day instead of all the many injustices I feel are falling upon me. Then I am to love all mankind, not excluding my enemies, as Jesus did.

Of course, I will do it With a Swiftness!

Past Words, Present Reminder

As I looked back on some of my old posts, I feel like I have relearned some very important lessons tonight.

One  I am very thankful to be reminded of putting God in front of me instead of behind me.

I don't know if it is memory loss or just pride, but I find it to easy to develop that "I've got it" attitude even thought it has failed me in the past. I am not referring to confidence, I am referring to the type of thoughts that slowly/quickly push away God. Thoughts that remove him from the throne of our hearts. Thoughts that belittle his character and magnify my own. Dangerous thoughts.

When I want to take the reigns, all of a sudden I know that answers to more questions and the great mysteries. How funny is that. I am no where intelligent enough to answer all the questions of life, let alone the tough questions I meet each day. Then why would I think I could manage it all on my own.

Job 39-41 was written for moments like this when I forget how great God is. When God reminds me that he is the one who gave horses their strength. The one that created the hawk to fly through His wisdom. I can not compare.

But, I am not saddened by such revelations. I am empowered. I was not created to do it all on my own. I was not created to answer all of my questions. I was not created to become the creator. I am the creation. I need to stand up behind the one whose death allows me to be white as snow. I don't have to know all the answers because all I have to do is ask and it shall be given unto me.

"Trust and obey"

It is easier said than done, however oh so important. Do not slip into the valley of pride and discouragement. Stay connected to the source of life- the Living Water. 

"Pray in the Spirit at al times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God's people." Eph. 6:18

I was reminded of this principle for a reason. I need to meditate on it this weekend and apply it to my life again. How about you? Why has God led you to this message?

~Shana