LISTEN

If I listen to God each day, He will guide me. He will set me on the right path. He is not secretive about where I should set my feet, but He does wait for me to come to him because He is never forceful. Prayer is not just a time for me to talk, it’s a time for me to listen. If I take time to listen and ask questions, He will speak. If I set my heart to worship and adore him, if I set my ears to hear what his heart wants to say to me, He will share his heart with me.

Psalm 95:6-8a

6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

7 for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,

8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah…

RELATIONSHIP

The Lord has been reminding me of an important truth. I have a relationship with him. Because of this relationship, I have the privilege of having conversations with him every day. These conversations lead to him sharing his heart with me in the PRESENT TENSE. As He speaks to me, He shows me what is on his heart TODAY. Having this knowledge brings me to a deeper understanding of how He speaks to me. 

GO!

I’ve been thinking lately about how it’s so tempting to live in yesterday’s word rather than hear what the Lord is saying today about any given situation. Here is one clear example of this: When we got back from YWAM the first time, I knew we were supposed to stay home rather than return. God spoke very clearly about this to me. He also gave me many confirmations. Looking back, I can see how we were supposed to stay at home to adopt our four kids, help them feel rooted and bond with them. Meanwhile, Jeff knew that at some point we would return to YWAM Kona. I was not convinced, but I continually talked with Jeff about it and prayed.

In June, 2022 we ended up talking with the leaders of Family DTS from YWAM, and they opened the door for us to return. As I prayed, I knew it was time to go back even though one week prior to that, I was sure we would not be leaving Idaho. I could have thought, but God, you told me that we were supposed to stay in Idaho. While that was true for March 2020, it was not true for June 2022. 

THEN AND NOW

Had I held onto the previous thing God has spoken, it would be easy to think that I was confused or not seeing clearly, but I have learned that God’s PRESENT word to me doesn’t hinge on what was said before. He is a lamp unto my feet. It’s because of his mercy that He only illuminates what’s in front of us. Ten years ago, if He would have told me everything we would do, I would be utterly overwhelmed and not want to move forward.

I love the light of his lamp at my feet! If I am in a relationship with the Lord, and if I am in the habit of listening and trusting, I will be ready to do what He asks of me at any moment, right where I am walking, and it won’t be overwhelming. I’ll be ready for change.

FOLLOW ME

To others, it may look irresponsible or hasty, but as a follower of Jesus, I know that when He says, “Follow Me,” I can trust and follow. If I am continually listening, I don’t need to know what will happen a year, a month or a week in advance, I just have to keep listening. I have to keep my heart soft to what He is telling me NOW. 

Sometimes people will ask me, “How long will you be at YWAM?” The plan has been to stay for a total of two years, but we also tell people that we are open to God’s leading. We have found that we have to remain soft-hearted in order to obey. My prayer is that I will never close any doors He is opening because I earlier was convinced about how my life would play out.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15