be WHAT?!

 

How do i HEAR His voice & be STILL when His voice competes with the distractions of my laptop, music, other people, other books, things to do, tv…list goes on & on. In a society (like Southern California, especially) where  everything/everyone is GO GO GO GO GO, it’s hard to BE STILL.This is a discipline in my life that i am learning. Just like Professional athletes require discipline in order to be successful at their sport; following Christ requires discipline in order to produce fruit in our lives, be more like Him, & build His Kingdom. I can be an anxious person sometimes, but then i remember His Words/promises to me:

 

Philippians 4;6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

 

What good does worry & anxiety do? That is fear, & that is NOT trusting in Him.

 

BE STILL is a command from Him.Not a suggestion.

 

Notice that He clarifies that HE is God & WE are NOT. Seems common sense & obvious. I would never verbally claim to “be God” but my actions, attitude & craving for control over life says differently. When we disobey God, our actions/heart/thoughts are saying “i know better than YOU, God” whether we would acknowledge that out loud or not. In a way saying “I am God, not YOU, LORD” I am a very active person & sitting still for more than a few minutes usually drives me bananas! I like to blame it on A.D.D. but i know that i have control over what i say & do…so it’s time to take responsibility. Take my thoughts captive. Be more disciplined with how i spend my time.

 

To stay “checked-in” mentally/emotionally for the rest of this last month of ministry time i decided to stay off of Facebook. It was taking up my free time that i could have used to BE STILL & hear His voice, read His Word, journal, etc. He is ALWAYS speaking to us, but we aren’t always listening. If we feel distant from God…God is not distant from us. WE are distant from Him.

 

Luke 4:8 “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

 

You may ask, what’s NEXT after World Race, in 18 days…

After BEING STILL & LISTENING  to His voice, instead of mine, & asking advice from a few people who are wise in the LORD & i respect their wisdom…i have decided to wait & BE STILL for 2 months (till end of July) before i pursue any full time job/ministry/move.No applying, no big decisions until i WAIT on the LORD. I have a tendency to get AHEAD of His leading & jump into situations/decisions which are sometimes the LORD’s will & other times not. With several options knocking at my door (full time prison/homeless ministries), i want to make the BEST decision..wherever HE is calling me.Not what i want, but what He wants. If you can be in prayer for me, with this, i will greatly appreciate it. It makes me squirm to think about BEING STILL for just a short time of 2 months, but i know it’s the WISE thing to do.

 

I’M REALIZING HOW IMPATIENT I AM!!!!! God knows this & still loves me. haha But growing in His wisdom & learning to trust in Him & not my OWN understanding is something that i have been challenging myself more these last 11 months. When 95% of the time we don’t know where we are going or know what we are doing until we arrive at the destinatin/last minute…it’s been teaching me  to “just GO” & not ask questions anymore. Just be obedient. Just trust. Have child-like faith. Here in Malaysia we are serving the people here in different ways & partnering with a pastor & his family to reach out to those in Kuala Krai & outside rural villages who do not know Jesus Christ.We are tired & excited to come back home to America in few weeks BUT we are relying on His strength & perseverence to sprint the last few laps of this marathon! 

 

Last night as we took a boat ride across a large, fast flowing river to hand out milk formula to poor families in a rural village, we soon found ourselves in one of the biggest rain/thunder/lightening storms! We were in awe of God’s majesty & splendor as we gazed at His sunset/rainbow colors that He painted the clouds with & the long, stretching horizontal lightening bolts that seemed to go on for Eternity across the heavens. Our God reigns! Our God is soveriegn. Our God is awesome!

 

My challenge for myself & you today, tomorrow & for the rest of our life…

 

BE STILL & know that He is God.