"Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters…, so our eyes look to the Lord our God…" —Psalm 123:2
“This verse is a description of total reliance on God. Just as the eyes of a servant are riveted on his master, our eyes should be directed to and focused on God. This is how knowledge of His countenance is gained and how God reveals Himself to us (see Isaiah 53:1). Our spiritual strength begins to be drained when we stop lifting our eyes to Him. Our stamina is sapped, not so much through external troubles surrounding us but through problems in our thinking. […] For example, you came to a crisis in your life, took a stand for God, and even had the witness of the Spirit as a confirmation that what you did was right. But now, maybe weeks or years have gone by, and you are slowly coming to the conclusion— “Well, maybe what I did showed too much pride or was superficial. Was I taking a stand a bit too high for me?” Your “rational” friends come and say, “Don’t be silly. We knew when you first talked about this spiritual awakening that it was a passing impulse, that you couldn’t hold up under the strain. And anyway, God doesn’t expect you to endure.” You respond by saying, “Well, I suppose I was expecting too much.” That sounds humble to say, but it means that your reliance on God is gone, and you are now relying on worldly opinion. The danger comes when, no longer relying on God, you neglect to focus your eyes on Him. […] Whenever there is a spiritual drain in your life, correct it immediately. Realize that something has been coming between you and God, and change or remove it at once.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
The seed for doubtful thinking was first planted in the Garden when Satan asked Eve, “Did God really say …. ?” When we came to Texas, we thought that it would be an instant replay of Mississippi – NOT! So then you ask yourself .. are we in the right place? Did God really say …. ? Dr. Henry Blackaby, in Experiencing God, wrote that knowing it’s God’s voice is not the problem .. obeying His voice is the problem. (paraphrased). Like Peter, once you are out of the boat and on the water .. the temptation is to look around you, placing trust in your own abilities and take your eyes off of the One who called you out of the boat!
What is the circumstance that is testing your faith? Before you come to any conclusions, you should first test your spiritual condition. If you don’t have a clean heart … are right before God .. how can you expect to be in step with God? Second .. you must be connected to God through His Word, prayer and submission to the Spirit. It is an easy pit to find yourself in when you come to expect God to do what you imagine will be done and not seek His will and His alone. God asks you to join Him - you don't ask for Him to join you. He is God - you are not! If you get a sense of satisfaction from what you are doing more than from knowing you are living in the will of God, you are on the wrong path. Paul said that his “job” was to plant, Apollos watered .. but God brought the increase. If God’s in it, He always brings the increase … whatever that looks like. It’s all too easy to use man’s measures of effectiveness in making a determination as to whether the work is worthy of your effort.
Are you willing to serve with no evidence of fruit for your entire lifetime? We do not get to dictate what the increase will look like or when it will occur. Our obligation is go where He says go and to do what He says to do. To live faithfully. To focus on His will not our own. To trust Him and not ourselves.
"Men make plans in their hearts, but God orders their steps" - Proverbs 16:9
Do we know Texas is where God wants us? Yes, for now. Do we know what is going to happen tomorrow? No. Men Bondye Konnen! [Haitian Creole] But God knows! That should be good enough for us if we have indeed laid our lives down at the foot of the Cross. The question is ... Is it? And have we. The same can be asked of you my friend.
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