"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths."
~ Proverbs 3:5, 6
Proverbs 3: 5-6 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. I recite it to myself regularly to encourage myself. It's so easy to "lean on our own understanding." The last two and a half years have been an interesting journey in trust and obedience. In March 2012 the Lord told me to leave Maryland and go to Connecticut to help my sister. I'd been living in Maryland for eighteen years, had my own office/business, long time friends and ministry opportunities. I think that's the side most people saw and therefore found it difficult to believe that God was moving me to CT. I encountered quite a bit of opposition and disbelief, even from my spiritual leaders. Nevertheless, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was being directed by the Lord to go to Connecticut. Though on the surface, i.e., in the natural, it seemed impractical and I didn't know all the reasons why the Lord was instructing me to go, I was looking forward to the opportunity to reconnect with my two sisters and get to know their children. I had also been pretty sick for almost a year and was looking forward to some rest.
On my own I would never have thought to relocate to Connecticut. The Lord knew this, but he also knew just what I needed and his timing was perfect. I no longer owned my own home, I had no children, I wasn't married or otherwise engaged and the lease on my apartment was about to end.
Three weeks after my move to Connecticut, my beloved nephew was murdered and I was the first person my sister saw and came to when she received the news. I'm so glad I was there. During the year and four months that I lived in Connecticut I got to know my other nephew and two nieces. I also reconnected with other relatives, published my first two books and got my artwork into a bookstore in Connecticut. What if I had disobeyed God and stayed in Maryland?
After my season in Connecticut ended I received an invitation to go to Florida, another place I had absolutely no desire to move to, but my older brother invited me to come and I felt the Lord was telling me to go. Once again, I received a good deal of opposition. This time it came from a few family members. I'd been job hunting and interviewing for about three months by the time my brother invited me to move to Florida and I had just gotten a couple decent job prospects. The job market in Florida on the other hand looked bleak. But because I knew this move was also the Lord's will, I obeyed.
It's been ten months since I relocated to Florida and the Lord has done some wonderful things. Once again the Lord put me in a position to renew my relationship with another sibling. He's been opening doors for publicizing my books and art. He's given me a number of new, heartwarming friendships, allowed me to start a new business venture and opened up ministry opportunities for me at my new church. Today as I reflected on God's direction over the last two and a half years, I marveled at his design and I'm glad that I trusted him and obeyed.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts," says the Lord. (Isaiah 55: 9)
To God be the glory.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3
We grow up taking tests through out school, and it doesn’t stop when we leave the formal education arena. On many jobs a new employee is put on probation for 3-6 months. That’s a testing period to see if we can handle the job assignment. We implement “test runs” on certain projects and machinery. We test would be suitors or potential mates. Life is full of tests. So why is it any surprise to us that our faith is tested? Why is it that when it comes to God and spiritual things we expect a smooth, unquestionable ride? Due to the eternal life and death consequences of spiritual choices, influences and roles, it only makes sense that our spiritual maturity which is directly related to the strength of our faith, will be tested.
Physical and natural abilities and experiences are more easily proven and discerned. You may have certificates and degrees, letters of recommendations, resume`s and the like that give credibility to your ability to perform a job or task. But in the spirit realm, Bible School degrees, Bible Institute certificates, titles and even resume`s with mountains of experience is not what proves ones faith with God, but rather how we face and endure the trials we go through. It is the testing of our faith that develops perseverance and “Perseverance must finish its work so that (we) may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (Verse 4)
I’m still not at the point where I can say that I enjoy spiritual tests and I’ve been saved for a long time. I’m not sure that’s what the scripture means when it says, “Count it all joy when you go through diverse trials…” (KJV) But rather, be thankful, be glad because you’re anticipating the outcome once you pass the test. It’s kind of like when you start working out or exercising. The initial pain of the workout is not “enjoyable,” but you’re looking forward to the results. For the veteran athlete it gets easier the more experience and the accomplished they become. They start looking forward to testing their skills through increased levels of difficulty or competition, but it’s still painful, just on a different level. So it is also in the spirit realm. You can appreciate, be glad about where the test is taking you, doing in you or preparing you for. You have to make the choice to “count it all joy;” mentally coach or encourage yourself. In Hebrews 12:2-3, the writer says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the JOY set BEFORE him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Be alert. Differentiate, are you being tempted by your own lustful desires or is your faith being tested so that you may grow and become more mature? You may not like the pain of the test, but allow it to prepare you for what God has in store for you. It's God's measuring stick of maturity.
The Lord be with you. You can do all things, through Christ who gives you strength!
