This month I haven’t been putting much out but I have been taking a whole lot in. God has used this month to reveal some things to me about myself as well as teach me a few imperative things about life.
I have written this short blog post just to share some of what God has shared with me.
1. Whose vision are you writing? Whose time are you operating on?
“Then the Lord said to me, “Write My answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”
Habakkuk 2:2-3 NLT
“The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.”
Habakkuk 2:2-3 HCSB
Many of us have heard people use Habakkuk 2 to tell us the importance of writing down our dreams and aspirations in order for them to come about when we want but God didn’t say write down our own agenda in Habakkuk...He said “write My answer... the correct message”. In the HCSB version, it says “THIS vision” meaning there's a specific vision given by God.
Speaking for myself, I have a tendency to make all of these plans for my life and assign unnecessary obligations for myself. I make a list of what I "should" get done and formulate a timeline of when it "needs" to be done. Recently God stopped me and said, “who told you to do that? My burden is light. You take on weight that I didn’t assign to you.” It hit me that I had written out a vision of my own and that’s why I was stressed and weighed down.
Along with adding more to my plate than what God delivered to me, I often create ridiculous time-frames for myself. God will give me great ideas and I’ll try to hurry up and bring them to fruition before their time. When they wouldn’t happen as soon as I’d like, I would become frustrated and discouraged thinking maybe I heard God incorrectly. But Habakkuk tells us that the vision given by God is “for the appointed time”. “If it seems slow in coming,” I am to “wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” Just because it doesn't happen when I expect doesn't mean that it isn't going to come about at all.
God knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and He has a time for them to come about as well. As His children, we are to trust and follow Him as His plans unfold. He doesn’t need our help in planning out how the promise will work nor does He need our help ensuring that the promise "comes/happens on time". (As we saw with Abraham and Sarah, trying to take God's work into our own hands just brings forth problems.) God doesn't need our help to fulfill His promise.
God’s ways are above our ways and so are His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). When we try to bypass His ways, we settle for our simple plans, our impatient timing and our imperfect ways. We end up with less than what He has for us.
Write the vision GOD HAS GIVEN YOU. Make it plain so everyone gets the correct message THAT IS FROM GOD. And follow GOD’s PROCESS and TIMING.
“We can have all that God has for us or we can have control but we can’t have both.”
2. Learn who/what is and isn’t assigned to you. Just because it’s a good thing doesn’t mean it’s a God thing. And just because it’s a God thing doesn’t mean it’s what God has for you. Pray and use discernment.
3. New seasons won’t begin until we learn and complete what we were assigned to do in the last season. Your procrastination, disobedience and stubbornness prolongs your season.
4. Fell down? Get back up. “Christ got up so we could get up again.”
When we stumble, we need not wallow in it. We need not sit and sulk nor condemn ourselves. We must simply acknowledge our mistake, learn from our imperfection, and press towards perfection.
5. Learn to say “no”. Stop always feeling obligated. People pleasing will wear you down and keep you from pleasing Christ (Galatians 1:10).
6. You can’t be everything to everybody. You are no one’s savior. That’s Christ’s position.
7. As Christians, we are never to grow comfortable...we are to always be growing to new heights, depths and levels. The Word says,"don't grow weary" (Galatians 6:9) and to "press towards the mark" (Philippians 3:-4). Keep pressing. Keep praying. Keep pursuing the will of God.
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