His ways are better

Weeks ago, I posted Target of the Enemy written in reference to a story from the Old Testament.  Over the past seven weeks, I have made my way through the book of Esther.  I have gathered strength and encouragement from the story of a queen who waited in expectation for God’s faithfulness and His timing. 

This is my story now.  I wait with great expectation as to what move God will make next in my life.  He has had me on the most incredible ride over the past two years.  There have been deep valleys and amazing mountaintops.  My faith in Him has grown in insurmountable ways as I have seen Him work through my life and my situation.

There are great things that I have learned throughout my journey.  Things I wish that I could make others in my life understand but this is however, my journey.  

• I have learned that trusting God to do what I think is best is NOT really trusting God. If I choose to focus my trust on a specific outcome then I am only trying to manipulate God. When I choose not to trust God’s plan, then I in turn interpret each circumstance from my own self centered view point.  That kind of trust only undermines my relationship with God and eventually leads to my doubting of God’s work in my life.  Without that trust I feel threatened and afraid.  Choosing to trust and growing in that trust allows me to walk with Him and know that though something does not turn out my way, that He has something else, something better in mind for me. 
• Often times there are things, in the moment, that I think I should do or say.  I should not always act immediately upon those things especially when something within my heart is stirring, telling me to wait. When I feel the call to move ahead but feel a sense of hesitation,  I should wait for an “all clear” sign from God before jumping in with both feet. 
• I have learned that following God, as He makes Himself clear to me is my responsibility not the responsibility of others.  No matter how much others may push or over analyze, God holds me accountable for my choices.  Providing for me is His responsibility. He asks me to do certain things and it is my responsibility to act on those things.  He then in turn provides for my every need even though it may not make sense to the eyes of the world. As I understand those things, I am learning that His words and His ways confirm to me that His ways, are in fact, better. 

As I woke this morning, I was greeted with an excellent reminder from Charles Swindoll.  His morning devotional  ended with the following and for me, this says it all….

Never try to convince me that some situations in this life are absolutely permanent. God can move in the heart of a king. He can move an entire nation. He can bring down the once-impenetrable Iron Curtain. He can change the mind of your stubborn mate. He can move in the affairs of your community. He can alter decisions of presidents, prime ministers, present-day kings, and national dictators. No barrier is too high, no chasm is too wide for Him, because He’s not limited by space or time, by the visible or the invisible. Remember, He lives in a realm that transcends all that. He is all-powerful. When God is ready to move, He moves. And when He does, hang on. You’re in for the ride of your life!


Charles Swindoll

For such a time is this…

Pray with expectation. God is up to something big!!

The Ride of Your Life

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Esther 7:3–5

Talk about the power of a woman! Can you believe Esther’s diplomacy and sensitivity, even in the midst of pleading for her life and the lives of her people? “If we were only being sold into slavery, I wouldn’t have troubled you with this matter. You have so many important matters to worry about, I wouldn’t have bothered you. But he wants to annihilate us!” Esther beautifully portrays in this moment the character qualities of greatness. Her husband is all ears!

Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would presume to do thus?” (Esther 7:5).

At this point, I confess that my response might have been something like, “What do you mean, ‘Who is he?’ You were there when Haman proposed this heinous thing. You gave him your seal to sign the edict. What do you mean, ‘Who is he?’ Open your eyes!” Thankfully, I wasn’t there to blow it.

We live in a world of preoccupied people. They, too, live in a fog—the fog of busyness, stress, and obligations. Who knows how many edicts Ahasuerus signed that day? Who knows how many pressing matters of government were on his mind? The king had countless decisions to make. And Haman, a trusted official, had proposed it in such a way that he seemed to be solving a problem that directly affected the good of the kingdom. So the king probably signed it without giving it a great deal of attention, believing that Haman, a man he trusted, knew what he was doing.

Suddenly, however, things changed. Never try to convince me that some situations in this life are absolutely permanent. God can move in the heart of a king. He can move an entire nation. He can bring down the once-impenetrable Iron Curtain. He can change the mind of your stubborn mate. He can move in the affairs of your community. He can alter decisions of presidents, prime ministers, present-day kings, and national dictators. No barrier is too high, no chasm is too wide for Him, because He’s not limited by space or time, by the visible or the invisible. Remember, He lives in a realm that transcends all that. He is all-powerful. When God is ready to move, He moves. And when He does, hang on. You’re in for the ride of your life!