In this New Year I have been seeking the Lord and asking His Spirit to show me what can be my focus, my area to grow stronger in and to be pruned to bear fruit for His kingdom. The words I am pondering are to choose and trust. Choose what is best with my time, my energy, and all my choices. And trust God to lead me by His Spirit on the best path for my life.
I don’t know about you but one of the hardest things for me is finding enough time to do all that I feel needs to be done in a day, making time for what is most important, and being open to the Holy Spirit and His direction instead of being taken over by urgent demands or distracted by less important things. When we walk in the flow of the Holy Spirit, having fellowship with Him, things are different in our lives. We are led into all truth (John 16:13), we are helped in our weaknesses (Romans 8:26-27), and we are comforted and strengthened in the love of God and have unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Philippians 2:1-2).
Walking in the Spirit leads us to experiencing God’s miracles in our lives and the lives of those around us. I have experienced God in ways that do not make sense if you are looking at them from the world’s perspective. One time in a Bible study a member expressed a concern about her mother’s roof leaking, and the mother’s reluctance to have it fixed unless she knew the roofer. I felt led to pray specifically that God would give her a roofer she knew who would come right to her door. One week later my friend called me to tell me her mother had hired someone to fix her roof. He had come right to her door and was a friend of her brothers. Other times the Spirit will lay a person on our hearts and when we send out a text with a scripture or prayer they will respond with the news that it is just what was needed. How can we tune our hearts and minds to hear and respond to the flow of the Spirit in our lives?
One of the best ways to do this is to choose to practice being in the presence of God. As we seek Him in His word we can find out who He is and what He says about many aspects of our lives. He wants to guide us in how we are to think, work, and be in relationship to Him and others. A quote I heard recently was, “don’t let your blessings become your burdens.” Learning to prioritize God and to see things from His perspective can change the way we approach daily tasks and even unexpected difficulties. When a problem comes our way instead of trying to figure it out on our own, we can go to God and ask for His help and wisdom. Things that would have seemed overwhelming are brought back into perspective when we remember how big our God is and that He wants to deliver us and to fight for us.
This is where trust comes in. I can choose to remember God is with me and for me (Romans 8:32) and I can choose to trust Him. I can look up (even Google) scriptures that relate to what is happening, and I can listen for His Spirit to direct me. Trust means letting go of my fears and being willing to do what He leads me to do.
As we go on in this new year and new century what will you choose? Will you continue to do things based on your own knowledge and strength, or will you seek the God of the angel armies, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the Lover of your soul? Trust me His ways are higher, His grace is for us, and His love will never fail.
May your choices reflect your trust in God and may He be glorified and all of you blessed.
Betsy O’Callaghan