I'm sure like me, many of you have seen the billboards that have life changing messages, and down at the bottom it's signed, GOD. Well , today I had a message that was aimed straight at me.... if you know me at all, you know that sometimes I have the tendency to talk when I should listen. My husband can attest to this, lots of times he will start a conversation with me and I(being so "smart") will think I know where he is going with it. That's when he will say.... "Honey, stop, you're not listening, stop talking and listen."
Well today it wasn't Dan that said that to me, it was GOD!!
I was doing my homework for our Sunday Morning Bible Study.... and well it was very similar to what I had just studied in my personal quiet time. The title was different, the scripture was different, but The Message was the same..... so of course being me, I started to question....."ummm, Lord, ummm, didn't I just have this lesson?" " Yes, Sharon, well yes, sort of, this is a little different." "ummm, Lord, ummm, am I that hardheaded?" "Yes, sometimes you are."
You see we have had this conversation before.... I got up to do my quiet time one morning, and the lesson was the same one that I had, had just a few days before....no the scripture was not the same, and the title was different , but it was essentially the same lesson. I questioned Him then, He said," yes, my child, it is the same lesson." "So, I can just skip this since I already had this lesson." I said. "No you can not!!! Listen, you are going to need this lesson TODAY." Not One Hour Later... I kid you not!! The reason that I needed to hear that lesson ONE MORE TIME, came out of the clear blue.
Like many of you, I have been praying about some things for some time now and at times I have become afraid ,even though I know that God has made me promises, I just can't see His plan.
So, I tell you that to tell you this.... today when God was speaking to me, He finally said," Child, shut-up and Listen." And so, I began to do my bible study homework....
Interestingly, my quiet time study was titled,"When all we can see are Giants", and the scripture came from Numbers 14:7-9. Joshua and Caleb having given their report on scouting out the promised land. In the lesson I learned that 'When God is on our side, we CAN conquer the giants.... because of our faith, and His promises, we too can make it to the promised land.
And then, I turn to today's lesson with Tony Evans(what a preacher!) What's the title??? God's Plan Step by Step.
Jesus is speaking to Martha," Remove the Stone." Notice that Jesus didn't reveal to Martha what He was going to do. He simply gave her a command that required a response. So why didn't Jesus tell her His whole plan? He was in the process of bringing her to the point of acting on what he already had told her.... so that she could receive the blessing that He had for her!!! This was a miracle in the making, but it wasn't going to happen until the stone was moved.
Did you get that??? It wasn't going to happen until Martha responded to Jesus command. How many times have I missed the miracle because I lacked the faith to respond to what Jesus told me to do???? We want to know the details before we obey!!! Yes, I'm like that!! We want a peek at His plans. We want to know what He is going to do!!! And we miss the blessing!!! We question when God tells us to do something that seems strange or unreasonable to us...... We miss the blessing of spending time with Him, learning from Him... just being HELD by Him.... Oh Jesus, forgive me!!!
While God reveals some things to us, there are many things that He keeps secret until the time, the situation, our hearts, are right!!! Often God will not reveal His secret until we have been obedient to His Revealed Will. He has a plan to get us there STEP BY STEP. No matter how confusing or strange it may seem, or if we think that it doesn't fit into the plan of making it from step A to step C.
Duet. 29:29 " The secret things belong to the Lord Our God, but the things revealed belong to us, and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of the Law."
Father, forgive me when I think that I need to know "the plan". Help me Lord to wait on you, not to get discouraged or confused, or afraid... but to Trust in you with All My Heart.!!!
5 comments:
What a beautifully written post. I can so relate to what you said about the listening. I think when you have a personality that is eager to go go go it makes for wanting to 'hear' things fast. God has His own schedule and I get caught up in my own time restraints. God has blessed me to find such a sweet and gifted friend. I am praying with you and for you. Please keep me in your prayers. Love ya
Yes, hard as it is at times, I have to have a repeat of a lesson...or test. This was a great post. God bless you...and by the way, I have posted the pictures of the prayer room!
It was a Holy Spirit moment!
Thanks for the post!! I have to be constantly reminded to be slow to speak and quick to listen. So, I'm right there with you. My prayer is that we will, Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and Lean NOT on our own understanding.... You are in my thoughts and prayers. I appreciate your family.
Cheryl
I was PULLED back over here again...for this ... "He was in the process of bringing her to the point of acting on what he already had told her"...your words---hit like a brick. Although I had read this the other day--and commented...I NEEDED to re-read it. Mainly because I seem to constantly be "waiting" to see the reason...or the purpose...or the plan. But it matters not. Obedience is what matters. Thank you Sharon. I MAY have to READ it AGAIN!
Love your blog. This is my time to land here.
I especially enjoyed this post. You said: While God reveals some things to us, there are many things that He keeps secret until the time, the situation, our hearts, are right!!! Often God will not reveal His secret until we have been obedient to His Revealed Will. He has a plan to get us there STEP BY STEP. No matter how confusing or strange it may seem, or if we think that it doesn't fit into the plan of making it from step A to step C.
Duet. 29:29 " The secret things belong to the Lord Our God, but the things revealed belong to us, and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of the Law."
I suddenly in a new season of life as a widow. All those questions of how I will navigate this "sea" want to paralyze me. But as you have so beautifully reminded me...All of this is in God's hands. He will open up each step as I need to walk out onto it.
God bless you.
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