Greetings, Dear Friends!
And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share a story or an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and friend!
It's time to announce this month's winner...
Joy Ballard, congratulations! Email me at: info@susielarson.com with your mailing address and I'll get your gift card out to you within the next week or so. Blessings to you all and thanks for your posts!
Now on to my topic...
I like Wednesday mornings. I wake up extra early to do my Watchman Prayer (an hour designated to pray for the families and ministries at my church), I get to talk to one of my mentors when I call to hand the prayer baton to her. Those few minutes of deep spiritual dialogue give me food for thought the rest of the day. And, another great thing about Wednesdays is that I get to connect with YOU!
This morning, my mentor and I talked about what it means to venture out in faith to the unknown zone. God is moving in our midst. Are we willing to go where He leads?
My mentor said something struck a cord with me. Here's what she said: "All too often, we don't want to look foolish or take certain risks, so we stay safe and miss God. Which is really just fear masqueraded as wisdom."
Just what kinds of fears are we talking about here? Fear of man, fear of the unknown, fear of discomfort, and fear of looking foolish; these are the ones that come to my mind. What will people think if I fail or look foolish? What if God asks me to do something that really costs me? Do I really want to take the risk of being uncomfortable?
But let's look at Jesus' life. Is there anything about His time on earth that catered to other's opinions, looking foolish, or personal comforts? At some point we have to get free from such things if we want to live Kingdom lives here on earth!
God is on the move! And He wants us to move with Him!
Are you clinging to safety and comfort and calling it wisdom?
Sometimes it is wise to stay put when everyone else is running. But sometimes it's just safe, and not wise at all.
Here's an excerpt from my book, "Embracing Your Freedom":
"Being a believer involves faith. And faith involves risk - calculated yet heroic steps that lead us out of places of self-protecting and into places of God-provision. Embracing our freedom means we are willing to press past our fears because freedom is better...When God says, 'Go!' it's more dangerous to stay behind. There is less risk in moving into the unknown than in lagging behind in disobedience and unbelief" (p.210).
Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along HIS path. He will honor you, giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed (Psalm 37:34).
Here's another verse that I love:
Do not fear ANYTHING except the Lord Almighty. He ALONE is the Holy One. If you FEAR HIM, you need fear nothing else. HE will keep you safe (Isaiah 8:13-14).
May we embrace faith and be truly wise.
~Until next week