Recently, I've had a heavy heart and have been crying out to God, why? There is a lot happening in my family, both happy and sad and usually, when I talk to God about these situations, my spirits lift. This time, my spirit wasn't lifting, so again, I'm asking, seeking, knocking on God's door, why? What's going on? I figured he knows me best and I wanted the Holy Spirit to reveal to me the reason why. I wanted to get rid of my heavy heart! Do you want to get rid of a heavy heart, too?
I was getting ready to go into Costco and decided to ask God to go before me and that if there was anyone there that I could give hope to, to put them in front of me. I submitted and let go of my path and surrendered to His path. I've memorized the scripture found in Proverbs 3:5-6 which says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In ALL (emphasis mine) your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." And yet, I realized I'd been taking a walk by myself, my way. I was walking out in my own way rather than acknowledging Him and listening for His path. Have you done this, too? I doubt that I'm alone in this. :)
My spirit rose within me as I prayed and submitted my way to His way. And what did God do? He brought two people into my path to give hope to!
It's amazing to me that we humans may know how God ordained the abundant life to work and yet, we forget as I did and likely will, again. I just want to catch it daily and early. I want to start my day, by submitting myself to His way rather than "my will, not thine be done!" It's really hard to live in my will, as my will just doesn't work. My will is a slave & task driver and puts me in bondage. I realized I was fighting against the goad and trying to make something happen. I was discouraged as it's so hard living this way, all the while having the answer in my heart. As I wrote in one of my books, an absolutely surrendered will is essential to being free and hearing the voice of God.
It felt so good to surrender! Such peace, joy, and freedom! I finally felt like myself. Matthew 10:39 says, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." I had found myself again... my surrendered, free self. It felt so good!
Please join me in submitting your will to Jesus and allow Him to lead and guide you. Let's walk this walk together and see how much fruit we can bear. Jesus said, as quoted in John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." Those words, "... without Me you can do nothing." That really says it all.
When we depend on and allow Jesus to show us His way for us, we walk in love, as He is love.
Please don't take depending on God as being passive and not doing anything. God cannot direct a parked car, and neither can He direct us and work through us if we don't put ourselves in other people's lives. We can, however, be actively depending on God and listening while living our lives. The more we decide to implement & practice this, the more the above statement will make sense. So, let's start practicing!
In His Service,
Nancy