In My Own Ability

            I have a confession to make.  I am such a “Martha”.  If you are familiar with the Bible story I’m referring to, it’s in Luke 10:38-42. When I get an assignment from the Lord I have a tendency to throw myself in the middle of it, and work like a bulldozer, and sometimes that is unto my own detriment.  There is a place with needing to do this in your Christian walk.  Noah needed to build the ark before the flood, Joseph needed to allow God to prepare him in prison to be ready to meet with pharaoh, and the Israelites need to march around Jericho.  There are things you need to do in order to see the plan of God on your life.

            This has been a difficult season in our lives.  There are some things the Lord spoke to me before we left Florida that haven’t quite come together the way I planned (though they are totally coming together the way God planned).  We’ve also had a few surprises and watched God navigate us in some unplanned routes.  There has been some frustration in doing everything I know to do, and standing on the Word.  I have felt like I have been trying so hard to see what God has spoken to me come to pass that I’ve forgotten for a brief moment what it is to sit at the feet of Jesus and know He will intervene because that’s what He has promised.  While I’ve come to the end of my own ability on numerous times before, I found myself again with my arms in the air saying, “God, I need your help.  I can’t do this on my own.”

            Several weeks ago I heard the Lord nudge me regarding this.  I felt the Lord telling me to cease my laboring so hard.  He was nudging me to be at rest.  He was nudging me to step back and let Him take over the situation.  I felt he wanted me to take a month and focus on resting in His arms.  He wanted me cease from laboring so hard to make the situations work, but having stable faith that they would.  If you know me this is a very daunting task for me.  I don’t step back easily.  I’m a doer.  I want to get in the battle and fight.  I’m excited to say, that though the month isn’t even over I’ve seen some things begin to shift. (I’ll be making an announcement in the near future) It’s amazing what God can do when we step back and let Him do it!

            Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

            Trying hard to do what God is calling you to do is a good thing, but we all need to learn to rest in the fact that God doesn’t want us burdened down doing things.  There has to be a place where our ability stops and His ability picks up.  In order to walk in divine destiny we need divine moments that only God can bring us to. 

            In Luke 5:1-8, Simon and other fishermen had been fishing all night in their own ability.  When they were finished trying Jesus told them precisely where to cast their nets, and then their catch were so much they couldn’t contain it.  May we all learn that working hard is a good thing, but trusting that God can take you even further than you can imagine is what brings a divine catch. May we all learn to step back and trust God for He makes His pathways clear and He is always faithful.  Trust Him today with your own desires, talents, and future.  Watch and see what He can do with it.  I know it’ll surprise you.

God has awesome plans for your life.  Get excited.