Preparation, planning, praying ... an important part of waiting

When I started writing this morning and getting into God's word, I wasn't quite sure where I was headed. Sometimes I have a hint of where God is leading me and sometimes I end up pondering for days what he is trying to teach me. Today it seemed to be more about pursuing dreams and getting out of comfort zones, not being okay with the status quo and not going off on tangents that may lead to places we are not supposed to go.

In "Pursue Your God-Given Dream," Daniel Ekhaifo says God seems to be preparing us and positioning us gradually for something better.

I agree with that thought. All along our journey with God we travel through peaks and valleys, good times and bad times, learning ... God is preparing us for something better. Our whole trip or journey in life is one big preparation for something better. And when God has in place what needs to be in place, then He sets us down, often abruptly, in the midst to proceed and pursue.

As we abide with God -- praying, meditating, studying, obeying, following -- He abides with us. Abiding with Him does not mean we won't have trials and tests. It does mean He will be with us as we go though them, enabling us to remain at peace and confident that God knows what He is doing even though we ourselves do not.

God will change our situation suddenly. You might think when you are laid off your job or fired it was a God thing, and it could be, but that's not always the case. God knows about every situation and He may allow things to happen, but just because He allows it, does not mean that was His plan all along.

Depending upon your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you may know if this is (or is not) the Lord's plan and where to go from that point onward. But you have to wait, be patient, seek out what God is saying to you and proceed.

Sometimes we wait a very long time. We are not to just sit back and wait for God to make things happen. We are to prepare and plan and pray as we await God's instructions, then proceed, trusting God to provide.

God will change our situation suddenly. We must be alert to the Lord's presence everywhere and at all times ... where we least expect to see Him.

We must not become attached to the status quo -- our comfort zone. When we settle for less it is to our disadvantage wherever we are.

For every opportunity that comes our way we should attribute it to God. Give Him all the glory and honor for everything. Through Him we can be a blessing to another, we can be anothers' opportunity. When we abide with Christ, His demeanor will shine upon us as we seek to fulfill His purpose for us.

Where does God want me to go ... with everything? I think about my dream, my purpose, my plan of action. I must remember to always keep God at the helm to accomplish any desire God has given me, big and small.

Like I've said before, alternative ideas can thwart your God-given dream, causing you to lose sight of where it is God wants you. Even if the alternative is a good idea ... that doesn't mean you should go there. If you feel pulled in different directions, talk about it with God. He will never steer you wrong. He will never fail you.

El-Shaddai ... God Almighty ... God All Sufficient. Be Thou My Vision.

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God." (2 Corinthians 3: 5)

So true. No reason to fret whatever the situation, the circumstance. God is All Sufficient. He is everything we need. When we are one with Him, what have we to fear? He will make us strong for the journey, the pilgrimage of our life.

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In today's Gazette, Steve Buttry, former editor and now Information Content conductor, wrote a commentary, "No room for smugness as Gazette experiments." (You can read it on his blog: stevebuttry.wordpress.com) He reminds us the newspaper is "just a delivery system, not the actual product. Our true product is news, information, meaning, context, connection to the community and connection to the marketplace.

The newspaper is a vehicle, one of many ways to spread news and other information to the public. It is not the actual product.

The Bible is also a vehicle, one of many ways to spread the word of God to millions of people. The Bible is not the actual product. The Gospel is.

The written word is a vehicle, as is the spoken word, sign language, radio, television, the internet, palm-held computers, and undoubtedly many more. All a vehicle -- a way to effectively and efficiently deliver, transport, spread, communicate the end product ... whether it be news and information or the gospel of Jesus Christ. If one method is faltering, then we try another. If we stop trying, death is just around the corner. ... at the next light perhaps.

Comfort zones

Comfort zones. I know about them. It's trying to keep things the way they are or were regardless of what may or may not be the future. Like I didn't want to leave the comfort of the newsroom because of my singular perception of what classified (new department now called customer care) would be like. I didn't really have a clue what it would be like, but fear of and for the unknown was nearly greater than any possibilities God might have in mind for my good.

Well, it has been nearly a month since my move one floor down. Much has changed and more changes are coming. Many people have been moved out of their comfort zones and not all by choice. Economic necessity has prompted most if not all of it.

Between studying God's word, the Bible, Daniel Ekhaifo's book, "Pursue Your God-Given Dream," and Elizabeth George's book, "Loving God With All Your Mind," I've decided we should not settle for where we are or what we have and think that is good enough. What if God wants us to go beyond our comfort zone? What if He has some higher plane for us to travel? What if God has in mind a new job, a new task, a new challenge? We will never know if our goal is to retain what was. And what does it matter about the benefits? We talk about our needs. We need a certain salary or hourly wage, we need benefits, medical, dental, life insurance. We need. We must meet our expectations.

But do we? Must we? God knows what is going on. If you are His child, you know He knows. You know He always has your best interests at heart. You know He knows all things and He knows what He's doing.

Think back to God's purpose for you. Is it, "What can I get out of life?" No. It's about abiding with the Lord Jesus, in His word through study, meditation, obedience, learning how to live through Christ and teaching others to do the same, showing His love through us.

Jesus stepped out of His comfort zone ... for US, because He loved us, loves us still, because He knew it was His Father's will.

"With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19: 26a)

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8: 28)

Everything in life is touched first by the hands of God. Everything that comes -- good, bad, big, small -- is used by God for our good.

Only God can show you where He wants you to be. There is not any one other person who can give you the answers you seek. Only God is fully trustworthy, fully fail-proof. Input received from family, friends, co-workers, can be beneficial. But for the best insight, seek out God.

'This is what the Lord says: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness on the salty flats where no one lives. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit." '(Jeremiah 17: 5-8)

Go beyond the comfort zone, abide with Christ for every occasion, in every situation. God will lead you and you will be content because of your one-to-one relationship with The One who truly matters. Be a blessing ... find opportunities to bring good to another. Move beyond ... meet challenges ... pursue dreams.

When God has given you a dream ...

When God has given you a dream, He is committed to fulfilling it in your life, assuming you are committed to keeping the dream.

That, I believe is the central theme in the book, "Pursuing Your God-Given Dream" by Daniel Ekhaifo.

Of course, you have to know what your dream is.

Let's assume you do. Let's assume you have prayed about it, talked to God about it, meditated on it, thought about it some more and waited for God's wisdom to rest upon you.

When God has given you a dream,

* He brings the right kind of people our way. Our circles of influence widen.

* You must have faith - believe in the dream and that God will enable you to achieve it.

* You must be obedient - to God, to His leadership

When God has given you a dream and someone else doesn't have one, you may find those others putting you down because of jealousy or envy. They won't encourage you, but instead discourage you, attack your dream at every turn.

When God has given you a dream, you must stand firm. You must not listen to those who will discourage you nor see the distractions that steal away your dream. You must not look at alternate dreams, but stay focused on the dream God has given you.

Are you ignoring a dream? Are you afraid of failure? Take a step of faith and pursue your dream.

"If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23)

"Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11)

When God has given you a dream, don't doubt. We're not supposed to allow the circumstances surrounding us to dictate our attitudes. Yet we do. If co-workers are being laid off or / and we wonder if we're going to be next, our disposition moves downhill and its so hard to see what might be good come out of it. God provides a solution to every dilemma we face. The problem is we are not always aware - we often fail to remember God is on top of things and we need to just let Him take charge and not we ourselves.

Have a dream or calling? Pursue it.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8)

When God has given you a dream, don't become complacent. Don't settle for where you are and think that's well enough.

When God has given you a dream, if you truly believe in the dream and all it entails, God will enable you to fulfill it ... to move past your comfort zone at whatever the cost. Trials come into our lives whether or not we have a God-given, God-driven dream. How we handle the trials that hit us will help determine our future endeavors. Trials can strengthen our resolve to stay focused on God, at least they do for me, because it is Him alone who has brought me through them, and gives us the character traits needed for the next level.

Loving, focusing, pursuing, following, obeying, abiding -- in God alone

My thoughts
scattered
today.

This here
and there
and
yet another.

Takes my mind off
front and center ....
Jesus!

Can not focus

Is it Satan
who brings
these things
to mind now?

They are not bad things

Is it Satan
too perhaps
who hides them
from me
when the
desire is
near?

Things that must get done
Must see to its end

God will enable me to
accomplish my desires

but I must
abide with Him
walk with Him
Can not be
walking
on my own
doing my own thing.
Must focus.
Only on God.

I made my list of all that needs to be done soon and very soon and over the next several months. And then I began. So here are my thoughts today, somewhat jumbled, but perhaps you will see what I am trying to say.

Sometimes books are bought to accompany, to bring an added dimension to our understanding of the Bible. The Bible contains every thing we need, but we don't always see it. Two such examples I have been reading are "Loving God with All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George and "Pursue Your God-given Dream" by Daniel Ekhaifo.

God is the central theme -- loving ... focusing ... pursuing ... following .... obeying ... abiding ... finding fulfillment.

George talks about purpose. Ekhaifo talks about dreams or our calling.

Are they not the same or similar?
What is God's purpose for you? What is God's dream for you?

What you think is your calling may not be what God has called you to do.

Perhaps you believed you were called to be a preacher of the gospel and you pursued that calling. But perhaps also you had a desire to help others, but you didn't see that desire as a calling or as a dream until many years later. Perhaps you've always liked to write, but ...

Shouldn't let the buts stop you.

God determines our purpose, not us. It is however, up to us to discover and recognize what is God's purpose for us.

God gives us dreams too. Not all dreams are from God, but that is not to say none of our dreams can come from Him.

I remind myself what Philippians 3:14 says, "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Pressing on. Keeping on. Continuing to keep our focus on God, talking, abiding in Him, listening, being obedient to His teachings, following through.

My purpose -- to serve; to share the Gospel, to provide Biblical insights to others

My dream, my calling, my heart's desire -- to write

Ekhaifo says God's dream stands out from the rest because we know in our spirit that it is what we are meant to do. Until we have that deep longing, perhaps we don't even realize we have a God-given dream.

God knows you. He knows us much better, much more intensely that we know ourselves. He did create us. If God has given you a desire and you sort of sense it, talk to Him about it. If it is indeed from Him, He will confirm it within your heart.

My husband is an ordained Southern Baptist minister and a home health aide to dying men. His calling, his dream, his heart's desire is to be a hospice chaplain and that is what he is pursuing.

I write, edit obituaries for a daily newspaper. I have always enjoyed writing and within the newspaper organization had thought writing news obits to be my heart's desire.

Sometimes, things that we think are our calling, because that is where we are, are not. I mean we may have a vocation due to an interest somewhere in our life, but that vocation is not necessarily God's purpose for us, it is not necessarily our God-given dream.

It is maybe a stopping place for a length of time -- some of us ever so short, others many years. It's when we stay in that stopping place for a long time that maybe we don't see God's plans for us, because our fears are greater than our heart's desire.

God enables us to accomplish His purpose, our God-given dream, His calling for us. Resources will become available. When in God's will, He will ultimately provide everything we need. But we must stay focused on Him.

When we get off course, lose our primary focus, Satan digs in, heaping doubt and discouragement upon us.

God makes us passionate about our dream, Ekhaifo says. That passion will keep us going. It will continue to grow and flourish despite the opposition and resentment we find along the way.

I found a bookmark, "Take Time," written by an unknown author, to share with you.

Take Time

Take time to think;
it is the source of power.
Take time to read;
it is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to play;
it is the secret of staying young.
Take time to be quiet;
it is the opportunity to seek God.

Take time to be aware;
it is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to love and be loved;
it is God's greatest gift.

Take time to laugh;
it is the music of the soul.
Take time to be friendly;
it is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream;
it is what the future is made of.
Take time to pray;
it is the greatest power on earth.

I also thought of the song "Follow That Dream," sung by Elvis Presley in 1961.