Live by FAITH, Not by SIGHT

"True dependence is not simply asking Me to bless what you have decided to do. It is coming to Me with an open mind and heart, inviting Me to plant My desires within you. I may infuse a dream within you that seems far beyond your reach. You know that in yourself you cannot achieve such a goal. Thus begins your journey of profound reliance on Me. It is a faith-walk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Me as much as you need."

by Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

I am embarrassed to put a number on how many times I have made a choice and then said, "Okay, now God - Will you bless this for me? Pretty PLEASE???" I am so thankful He is a patient God because I can be a real brat!

I made a terrible decision last Spring. A previous place of employment called me and asked me to take on a short term project working from home. I prayed about it and felt that I should say, no thank you. To confirm that was the right answer all I needed to do was look at my more than usual BUSY spring/summer schedule. So, I called and explained how it was not going to be possible, I was over booked with various appointments, engagements, end of the year school activities, a wedding (which included all 5 of my family members being in the wedding party) and I was trying to work in a family vacation somehow! I told them how thankful I was that they thought of me, but the timing was just not right. I felt good! I actually said "No" to something - I listened to God and I felt GREAT!

Then, a few days later the phone rang. The conversation was something like this, "Mrs. Moore, we've been thinking about your schedule and we would really like for you to be the one to do this project for us. We are willing to push the start date back until your schedule slows down." Being flattered - and after all, this was a Christian organization - and the money was good for the work to be done, I immediately said "Yes."

What a dumb-dumb! I listened to the words of man (and my desire for extra cash!) over the words of God. AND, I was miserable over the next few weeks. II Corinthians 5:7 says something very short and very simple. "We live by faith, not by sight." In faith, I should have believed God's NO and instead I depended on my sight, which was seeing dollar signs.

It was during all of this struggle, however, where I could hear God's calling on me to do something "more" in ministry. I didn't know what "more" was - but I KNEW that I needed to step out in faith in various areas of my life. I needed to ask him to plant HIS desires in my heart and follow HIS leading, not my own.

And, He has. He has given me a vision for ministry that is far beyond anything I could have ever dreamed up. Recently, He has asked my ministry partner and I to speak at churches for free! For FREE!! Do you know how crazy that can be in the speaking world? But I LOVE teaching God's Word and I know that after the way I butchered things by not trusting Him this summer - He wants me to grow in my faith!

Is God asking you to step out of your comfort zone and do something for Him? Has He placed a desire in you that seems so far out of reach --- you are almost embarrassed to even tell someone? I have been there. Sometimes I've stepped out in faith, and other times I've just crawled in a hole waiting for God to stop asking me to do something that's out of the ordinary. But, our God is persistent in His calling to us. If He has laid something on your - don't make Him keep calling to you day after day. Just take a leap of faith and say, "YES!"

"God, I pray for those reading today who are in need of confirmation from you. Father, you have placed a desire in their heart - something they KNOW they cannot do alone. And, it's scary! I pray that they will embrace II Cor. 5:7 today. That they will live by FAITH and not by SIGHT. Amen"