Between you and me – Moses had to be tired of it. When we get to Exodus chapter 9, Israel’s leader had seen God strike Egypt five times with miraculous, awesome wonders, and yet, Pharaoh would not waver.  And although God had told him that He himself would harden Pharaoh’s heart, there’s no doubt that pressing on was a hard thing for Moses to do.

How much more, Lord? How much will it take for this hard-headed, prideful king to let your people go? How many more wonders do you have to perform until he finally believes? You know exactly what it will take to break him, and yet, you choose this slow, painful path to set us free. Why? Why?

True – I may be stretching Moses’ thoughts a bit, but we know that Israel’s leader at the time had serious issues with unbelief. He questioned God’s sovereignty over and over again, while presenting his excuses to defuse the task of leading the Jews out of slavery (Exodus 4). Surely it was hard to go again, and plead God’s case before Pharaoh, not once, but five, six, ten times over!

What made Moses get up the next day, and obey God in spite of his doubts and fears?

The answer can only be one: Determined obedience.

For the past couples of months, I have been training for my first 5k.

Due to several surgeries and other health issues, I could not exercise consistently for several years, so being able to exercise again has filled me with gratitude and renewed energy. At the beginning of my training, however, it was tough, to say the least. Even five years ago, when I stopped exercising for a while, it seemed to be pretty easy to get my legs conditioned to running in a matter of days.

Not anymore.

On the day I downloaded the app to prepare me for the 5K, I woke up and moved to the park close to my subdivision, determined to press on and reach my objectives. The sun was shining and the rising temperatures welcomed me after a long, dreary winter. The location is perfect, just beside my subdivision, and the track is exactly one-mile long. It beats the treadmill by far.

So I set out with a firm objective for that first day: two laps. Two miles.

Every 100 yards, a small marker reminded me of how slow I was going. By the time the first-mile marker drew near, I was ready to quit. My legs were burning. My breathing was heavy. One mile is enough for today, I reasoned.

That’s when determination had to take over. My body wanted to quit. It screamed that I’m getting older and it’s ok to stop at half of my journey. But my mind knows better. I know that, unless I press on from my breaking point, I’ll never get past that pitiful one-mile marker.

I smiled at the one-mile marker and was tempted to stick out my tongue at it, like a brat.

“I’m not a quitter!” I wanted to shout.

As I sluggishly continued on to the next lap, I gained new resolve while remembering the many times I felt like quitting, but instead made a conscious decision to keep on. I was reminded of the strength that I found… and the rewards that waited on the other side.

The stubborn last pounds that I needed to lose after each baby…

The book that I needed to finish writing…

The relationship that needed work…

The budget that I needed to follow…

The job that I kept on when I wanted to quit…

The bad habit that needed to change.

Each time I approached the “one-mile marker” of each challenge, and my weaknesses and hesitancy called me to give up, I had to make a deliberate decision to remember that God was with me in the pursuit of deliverance, provision, success and restoration… so long as I obeyed.  I recalled the miracles that God had performed in the past…  And walked in obedience that next mile, knowing that He would show up again.

When my weaknesses and hesitancy calls me to give up, I make a deliberate decision to remember that God was with me in the pursuit of deliverance, provision, success and restoration.
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Are you watching the “one-mile marker” approach in your two-mile journey?

Are your legs ready to give in?

Hey, I don’t blame you. I know the feeling. It’s hard to press on, feeding on unseen promises, when the results we keep getting are the same today as they were yesterday.  That’s probably exactly how ol’ Moses felt, when that fifth judgment from God did not change Pharaoh’s heart.

But what did he do?

He kept remembering the promises… and God’s faithful provisions for each need.

Our problem is that we want to see past today. We want to have forward vision, BEFORE we step onto that next mile of obedience.

What God was doing in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, as Moses climbed the steps of Pharaoh’s palace once again, was much more than a heavenly display of wonders. He was working on individual lives.  He knew what awaited Moses and the people in the wilderness, and therefore, before they left, He needed to strengthen their faith in the God they served.

What God was doing in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, as Moses climbed the steps of Pharaoh’s palace once again, was much more than a heavenly display of wonders. He was working on individual lives.
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So they needed to stay a little longer… suffer a bit more… and watch God’s mighty hand at work as they waited.

There’s a reason for that second mile, my friend.

Just as there was a reason for the next five judgments before Israel’s deliverance.

Remember, your journey is not just about you. It’s about God’s glory displayed in and through you. It’s about the judgment of the wicked. It’s about faith-muscle conditioning.  It’s about establishing determined, blind obedience.

Remember, your journey is not just about you. It’s about God’s glory displayed in and through you.
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It’s about sweet victory… but not before you’re ready to recognize that it was God who led you there.

Do you want to watch God’s glory displayed? Your faith tested and proven?

Do you want to see what God can do in and through you?

Stick your tongue out at the “one-mile” marker. Tell it you’re keeping on.  God has some more work to do in that second mile of your journey.

And you don’t want to miss the reward for keeping on God’s track for just a little longer.

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LINKUP is open! Have you ever felt like giving up? I know you have. We all have. Today, I share a reflection on pressing on through the hard spots and the rewards of determined obedience. Join us?
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The post When You Feel Like Giving Up {Recharge Wednesday} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Click for PDF: The One Mile marker 03.17.15

Passage: Exodus 9

Key Verse: “‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” Exodus 6:6

He left the presence of the Lord, repeating the words God had given him several days before. “I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements”. He hung on to that promise as he got ready to request yet another audience with the King of Egypt.

Between you and me – Moses had to be tired of it. When we get to Exodus chapter 9, Israel’s leader had seen God strike Egypt five times with miraculous, awesome wonders, and yet, Pharaoh would not waver.  And although God had told him that He himself would harden Pharaoh’s heart, there’s no doubt that pressing on was a hard thing for Moses to do.

How much more, Lord? How much will it take for this hard-headed, prideful king to let your people go? How many more wonders do you have to perform until he finally believes? You know exactly what it will take to break him, and yet, you choose this slow, painful path to set us free. Why? Why?

True – I may be stretching Moses’ thoughts a bit, but we know that Israel’s leader at the time had serious issues with unbelief. He questioned God’s sovereignty over and over again, while presenting his excuses to defuse the task of leading the Jews out of slavery (Exodus 4). Surely it was hard to go again, and plead God’s case before Pharaoh, not once, but five, six, ten times!

What made Moses get up the next day, and obey God in spite of his doubts and fears?

The answer can only be one: Determined obedience.

I’ve been trying to get in the swing of things again concerning my exercise routine. It’s been…., well, tough to say the least. Even five years ago, when I stopped exercising for a while, it seemed to be pretty easy to get my legs conditioned to running in a matter of days.

Not anymore.

I woke up this morning and chose to take my exercise outside. After a long and dreadful winter, the sun is shining and the rising temperatures were an invitation to jog in the park. The location is perfect, just beside my subdivision, and the track is exactly one-mile long. It beats the treadmill by far.

So I set out with a firm objective: two laps. Two miles.

Every 100 yards, a small marker reminded me of how slow I was going. By the time the first mile marker drew near, I was ready to quit. My legs were burning. My breathing was heavy. One mile is enough for today, I reasoned.

That’s when determination had to take over.

My body wanted to quit. It screamed that I’m getting older and it’s ok to stop at half of my journey. But my mind knows better. I know that, unless I press on from my breaking point, I’ll never get past that pitiful one-mile marker.

I smiled at the one-mile marker and was tempted to stick out my tongue at it, like a brat.  “I’m not a quitter!” I wanted to shout.

As I sluggishly continued on to the next lap, I gained new resolve while remembering the many times I felt like quitting, but instead made a conscious decision to keep on. I was reminded of the strength that I found… and the rewards that waited on the other side.

The stubborn last pounds that I needed to lose after each baby…

The book that I needed to finish writing…

The relationship that needed work…

The budget that I needed to follow…

The job that I kept on when I wanted to quit…

The bad habit that needed to change.

Each time I approached the “one-mile marker” of each challenge, and my weaknesses and hesitancy called me to give up, I had to make a deliberate decision to remember that God was with me in the pursuit of deliverance, provision, success and restoration… so long as I obeyed.  I had to call my mind to remember the miracles that God had performed in the past…  And walk in obedience that next mile, knowing that He would show up again.

Are you watching the “one-mile marker” approach in your two-mile journey?

Are your legs ready to give in?

Hey, I don’t blame you. I know the feeling. It’s hard to press on, feeding on unseen promises, when the results we keep getting are the same today as they were yesterday.  That’s probably exactly how ol’ Moses felt, when that fifth judgement from God did not change Pharaoh’s heart.

But what did he do?

He kept remembering the promises… and God’s faithful provisions for each need.

Our problem is that we want to see past today. We want to have forward vision, BEFORE we step onto that next mile of obedience.

What God was doing in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, as Moses climbed the steps of Pharaoh’s palace once again, was much more than a heavenly display of wonders. He was working on individual lives.  He knew what awaited Moses and the people in the wilderness, and therefore, before they left, He needed to strengthen their faith in the God they served.

So they needed to stay a little longer… suffer a bit more… and watch God’s mighty hand at work as they waited.

There’s a reason for that second mile, my friend.

Just as there was a reason for the next five judgments before Israel’s deliverance.

Remember, your journey is not just about you. It’s about God’s glory displayed in and through you. It’s about judgment of the wicked. It’ about faith muscle conditioning.  It’s about establishing determined, blind obedience.

It’s about sweet victory… but not before you’re ready to recognize that it was God who led you there.

Do you want to watch God’s glory displayed? Your faith tested and proven?

Do you want to see what God can do in and through you?

Stick your tongue out at the “one-mile” marker. Tell it you’re keeping on.  God has some more work to do in that second mile of your journey.

And you don’t want to miss the reward for keeping on God’s track for just a little longer.

The post The One-Mile Marker. Time to quit!? appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Click for PDF: Get over it 03.10.15

Passage: Exodus 4:1-20

Key Verse: “The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” v.11

I could see my younger daughter muttering something under her breath as she stared at the beam in front of her. It was time for the frightful cartwheel on beam, part of her gymnastics routine. My heart skipped a beat. “Thank God I’m not a mother of boys,” I thought. Challenging sports are just not good for my heart.

Gravity scares this little gymnast. It’s almost an oxymoron, I know, since gymnastics is a gravity-defying sport. Yet, she loves it, even though her fear often stalls her progress. A couple of months ago, she was told that she didn’t make it to the competitive team in her gymnastics academy. As parents, my husband and I were concerned that the decision would make her retreat and give up gymnastics altogether. Instead, she gained new resolve. She understands her limitations, but she refuses to give in to fear. Instead, I watched her reciting the verse of scripture that I taught her, right before facing the dreadful beam:

“I can do all things through Christ. I can do all things through Christ.”

She is eight years old and already understands it: on her own, she isn’t able to overcome her fear. But through Christ’s strength, she can do all things.

I smile as I think about awful fears that I had to overcome in my journey with Christ. One of which was the fear of failure and rejection that haunted me when God called me to become a faith writer and speaker.

Yes, I can relate to Moses too well.

No, I haven’t been called to lead a nation out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Nor have I been called to do anything mighty for the Kingdom of God. Regardless, the moment I heard God calling me, a flood of excuses filled my heart…

“I’m not a writer…”

“I have never taught the Bible to adults before…”

 “What about my accent? What if they don’t understand me?”

“Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” V.10

And yet, God’s calling became increasingly louder, as each imperfection I quoted was met with His Sovereignty:

“Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Vs.11-12

Is it your work or Mine?

This is where we, Yahweh’s children, mess up, each time He calls us out of our comfort zone and into the beauty of His Kingdom’s work. We think it to be humility, but in reality, our hesitant attitude is veiled pride and lack of faith.

Doctors spend ten years or longer at medical school to be able to perform their work. Ballerinas and gymnasts work diligently, several times a week for many years in order to develop the skills that help them become great. Generals must study the enemy’s strategies in order to win wars.

So when it comes to Kingdom work, we have a tendency to believe that we need to be “qualified” to do His work.  Conversely, there are only two simple things that a child of God must do when He calls:

• Spend time with the Master Designer, whether in prayer or studying His Word
• Take one step of obedience at a time, all the while listening to His guidance.

Indeed, if God calls you to do anything in the Name of Jesus, you need to get over yourself.

Because you are completely right – You can’t do it. You are probably unprepared, inadequate and broken. You have possibly made many mistakes in life and Grace has brought you out of a mighty mess.  And yet – YES – it’s you He’s calling.

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27

Indeed, most of us are in a long list of broken and imperfect messes that God has called to change the world for Christ. When He walked on this earth, He loved to use the unwanted, the lowly and the broken: Fishermen, tax collectors, persecutors, and even prostitutes…

Lowly receivers of His Grace, who became mighty proclaimers of His Name. All they did was say Yes. Spend time with Him. And take one step at a time. The rest is history. His history, which He calls you and I to continue to write with Him.

So, go ahead, you can say it aloud: You’re not able.

You cannot accomplish the tasks He’s given you on your own strength. But that should not be an excuse not to move. Or to fight God, as Moses did, while repeatedly giving excuses to avoid blind obedience. Instead, do as I (finally) did… and as my little one did while facing that beam. Tell your fearful heart:

No, I’m not able. I’m not qualified. But He is.

With Him, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13).

Because His strength will be made perfect in my weakness. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Defy gravity. Jump into His arms in abandoned trust.

Then watch the mighty things He’ll do in you… and through you.

The post Get Over it: You Are NOT Qualified appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.