But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible. But with God all things are possible.”
-Matthew 19:26
Breakthroughs happen when persistent prayer warriors press into the only One who can intervene. There are many issues I’m asking God to intervene inside. I’ve spent time on my knees making my pleas known, and I’m trying hard not to beat the ear of God as much as converse with Him. That means I say my peace and then stay quiet for a while hoping to hear a whisper deep inside that will, ultimately, lead me to make right decisions, or trust Him more when the situation is completely out of my hands. It often is. I also spend a fair amount of time praying for patience.
However, no matter how much I pray I still have to fight disappointment. When circumstances don’t go my way according to my timetable, frustration mingles with rejection because I find myself easily entangled inside lies that want me to depend on feeling rather than faith.
God isn’t rejecting us when we don’t receive the answers we need. He’s not punishing us when life isn’t working according to plan. What I must come to realize through these situations is that I can’t stop pressing in and praying just because it doesn’t seem like He’s listening and answering.
Following God often defies human logic. It takes faith, which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It means learning to grasp that what seems like a logical solution to us, is much too simplistic compared to the awesome mind of God who can see every detail in the heart of every person involved in every situation. It means throwing up our hands in surrender and learning to bow in humility. It’s accepting His plan and rejecting our own. To be honest, that last line hurt to type.
It doesn’t matter how long one has served God, how deeply one knows Him, or how much evidence one has of past circumstances in life proving He is faithful. Flesh still wants to rob us of the beauty of hope and the activation of purpose.
Sometimes, my mind screams, “Give up!” while the spirit of God inside simultaneously begs me to press in. I need to learn how to decipher the correct of the two choices and then live it. You, too?
For today’s homework, please look up Hebrews 11:1, write it down and work on memorizing it. Focus on the words hope and evidence. What do those words mean to you, and how are you asking God to provide hope and evidence for you in the midst of your circumstances? After contemplating those questions, post Hebrews 11:1 as your status on social media using the hashtag #ActivatingYourPurpose.
Love,
Jennifer
