With Him, You Can...
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 5:58AM 
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!
A Quick Note:
I am thrilled to announce the upcoming release of my next book: "Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places." Let me tell you, I am excited about the message in this book. If you have children at home (or grandchildren you want to influence spiritually), pre-order a copy today. I do believe this book will equip you to parent from a spiritual perspective (but it's loaded with lots of practical application). You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be inspired and encouraged (that was my goal, anyway). :)
Now on to my topic...
This week my friend Melinda Schmidt (WMBI) and I had a conversation about how so often our God-sized call is somehow connected to our past painful experiences or even our missteps. I have a friend who was a battered wife, and eventually opened up a women's shelter. My sister was relentlessly teased as a young girl and now serves as an amazing youth pastor (she is intentional about building honor into the lives of her teens). I know of a Bible scholar who, when she was a teen, was especially tempted to do drugs (and she did). Later on she recognized that the devil saw her potential and worked to sabotage her call before she ever realized she had a gift. Well, she ended up a college professor and works to teach her students how to steward the gift of their minds.
It's far too easy to become so introspective about our past pains and missteps, that we miss the greater opportunity before us. What if? What if we dared to turn the tables on the enemy by making something of our suffering? What if we dared give God the broken pieces of our lives and asked Him to do something great with our offering? You know what? That's what He does best.
Whatever gaps there are from our past, whatever potholes we tripped over, God can fill them in and bring restoration. He not only wants to heal what's broken, He wants to pour in wisdom where there once was brokenness that we might be of service to others.
It's time to think BIG! What God-sized thing is God asking of you at this stage of your journey? When our boys were growing up, we constantly challenged them, "We cannot please God without faith. So, what are you believing God for these days?"
Also, woven into our spiritual DNA is evidence of our calling. If you have children, look for it in them. Notice how they respond to some of life's inequalities. Take Moses, for instance. One day while walking among the Jewish slaves, he saw an Egyptian beating on of his fellow Hebrews. Moses stepped in (but he mis-stepped by killing the man and covering it up). Another time, during his journey to the land of Midian, Moses stepped in and stood up to a few shepherds who were bullying the daughters of a priest. Moses was a stand-in-the-gap sort of man.
But, when the moment came and God called Moses to step up, what was his response?
"But I can't speak. I'm a clumsy speaker! They'll never listen to me! I can't do this!!!" Moses argued with God.
Here's the deal. When God calls us to step up, it'll never seem like an opportune moment. He calls us for 'such a time as THIS." Though we would prefer more margin in our schedule, more money in our bank account, and more spring in our step, God prefers to find His people willing and ready when He calls. Those moments never seem like the right moment for us, but as far as God is concerned, they are precisely the right moments to serve His Kingdom purposes.
May we give God the whole of who we are. May we ask Him to heal and restore us and make us new again. May we dare to ask Him to use us in mind-boggling ways. He loves such requests!
But know this, when He calls us, we WILL be tempted to look down, to take a 'natural inventory' and to measure it against the task at hand. When we do this, we will come up short every time. We may protest because of our limited inventory. But, during such times, God simply asks us, "What's that in your hand? Let's use that."
Read God's response after Moses expressed his doubts and insecurities:
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh."
That verse about knocked my socks off.
When God is for us, who can stand against us? When He calls us to it, He'll bring us through it. When He leads us to a need, He'll provide every step of the way. For the Christ-follower, God is in us, works through us, and surrounds us like a shield. We are called to make a God-sized-impact on this earth! And with Him, we can!
Right now, He's searching the earth, looking for those whose hearts are devoted to Him; those who will step out in faith, like David with Goliath, like Moses with the Pharaoh, like Peter with the religious leaders, and like Esther on behalf of her people.
For whom has He called you to advocate, speak up, or stand in the gap?
This is our watch. This is our chance to change the world. And with Him we can. And we must.
Blessings to you.
Until next week~
Reader Comments (13)
Susie you so confirmed a question in my heart when I read this.
"Here's the deal. When God calls us to step up, it'll never seem like an opportune moment. He calls us for 'such a time as THIS."
God has been opening doors - even today - for me in ways I never imagined. I just simply want to be obedient. Thank you as always for the encouragement!
Imagine. Me not talking about it. It must be God-sized, huh!
:-) Helen
P.S. Do you realize how impacting this kind of message is? How much we need it? Does it occur to you -- and does it make you shiver -- that you have been given to us (your readers) to teach, and inspire, and spur on... for such a time as this?
In my daily life, in order to be respectful, there are church friends who do not really believe the Word of God, there are friends and Co-Workers who are not following God.
I have always tried to be a silent example of Jesus. I am always ready to answer questions, but temper them with a casualness that I really don't feel is the true urgency the Word exudes.
I want to find the balance of respect and the Holy calling that God has given us all to share the good news.
I would love it if God called me to be a missionary, or to teach, or to be a Pastor of a church; but in reality I wonder if I am missing those I am really called to.
Thanks for stopping by. Bless you, my dear!
You've got me SO curious! I can't wait to hear about what God is doing (when you're ready to talk about it). Also, I don't know how to explain it, but the second part of your post hit me right in the heart. Not that I ever take this ministry for granted, but the way you wrote those words and the day that I read them stopped me in my tracks. Thank you for sharing your gift of encouragement with me. Bless you, my sweet sister.
I do love your honesty and your willingness to ask yourself the hard questions. We all would benefit from taking that kind of inventory. Until God calls us somewhere else, our mission field is right in our midst. A great reminder. Thanks so much. Bless you.
Thanks for stopping by. Bless you, sister!
I do remember being constantly fed by Dr. Swindoll. He is a truth teller and a strong teacher. May we all continue to be as faithful with the Word of God. Bless you, my sister!
What a GREAT story! Thanks for sharing about this ministry! I loved Danny Gokey. I really love how God brings ministry out of the ashes of our pain. Thank you for sharing such an inspirational post. Bless you.