I'm so excited to journey through Courage to Walk with you! August marks the month of our continued adventure together! If you haven't read my blog posts starting on May 19th go back and reread them. You can skim them really, I don't mind in the least!
Courage Redefined, chapter one, is where our courageous journey begins. It's a re-defining of what true courage is. You've gotta go back and read this one as it is the foundation for what we will be talking about in the months to come! To read the full blog click here.
True courage at it's core is believing what God said is true and responding in obedience.
In our next chapter we journeyed into Courage to Believe as we looked at the life of Abraham and how he had to continue to believe God throughout his lifetime. A pattern of believing God with simplistic faith then responding in quick obedience is Abraham's defining quality, even when it seems contrary to promises previously given by God. Abraham did not have every detail worked out, but he chose to believe and obey. To read the full blog click here.
And once we truly believe God, the only option for us is to respond in obedience. It's that simple. Courage to Obey is our next chapter, so how do we know what God is speaking to us and what He is not? On July 12th we started talking about how the Bible, the word of God, is our ultimate source for direction. This is what is my go too when hearing the voice of God every time. Use the Bible as your foundation. To read the full blog click here.
So what other things can guide us as we discern what God is speaking to us? Watch for Unrelenting Purpose.
When God is asking something of me, He is unrelenting in the best and worst sense of the word. Meaning this: there’s a thought, idea, desire, or purpose that arises in my heart—that is honoring to God—and won’t go away. He keeps placing it there because as I walk obediently in His direction for my life, He knows it will bring true fulfillment in Him.
If I try to push it away or keep the status quo, the idea keeps coming back. I try to ignore it and there it is again. Like Jeremiah 20:9 says,
“His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
I may be able to successfully push it down for a season, years even, but there it is again when I least expect it—making its way to the surface in beautiful, flaming fury. It’s like one of those inflatable pool toys you used to play with as a kid. You try to submerge it under the water, but the minute you let go, it rises to the surface again.
When this starts to happen in my life, it signals a little white flag of surrender in my spirit. It’s a sign for me to pause and take note—because maybe, just maybe, this could be God.
"As we turn to the word and lean into the passions God has placed in our hearts may we experience the fulfillment of a life lived in full obedience to God."
Photo Credit: Martin Pechy on Pexels.com
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