1. God's Spirit Knows Us To a Tea
Psalm 139 starts out by quite literally saying that the Lord knows our innermost being. Yes, this includes our worries, our dreams, our desires, our ambitions, our restraints, our barriers, our insecurities, our everything. Verse 1-4 reads, "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all of my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, LORD know it completely." The psalmist then goes on to write in verse 13, "For you created my innermost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb" God already knows us and what we desire. Those desires and passions wouldn't be there if God had not placed them there in the beginning. For example, since I have been little, I knew good and well I could NEVER go into the medical field. That was never a passion or desire of mine. Yep, I pass out at the sight of blood quite literally. But, God did give me a spiritual gift of creativity. He placed certain talents, dreams and desires on my life to work out later on in my plan and in His greater plan. HE KNOWS YOU BETTER THAN YOU DO.
2. God's Book Is Already Written
There is a reoccurring theme in the word that there is this book that God has in his possession. There has always been a book. John 1 says, "In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God." This is important to note, because there was talk and prophesies of a savior in the BOOK of the Old Testament and that word became reality when Jesus came. I was told in the book hundreds of years before Jesus came. This idea of a book goes all the way to Revelation 21:27 which speaks on the book of life. I say all of this to emphasize there is a book that God has and news flash: WE ARE A PART OF IT. My second point is going to reference Psalm 139:16. This reads, "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Before we were even born, God knew at what moment we were to be placed in existence from beginning to end. The plan is set in stone. Since the plan is set, that means God knows what this next season will look like for us. Can we just give a praise to God for knowing when we have no idea?! That should give you already major relief. What is to come for us was and is already written. Can we rest in the fact that God has our backs in this? We don't and aren't suppose to navigate this alone. Ecclesiastes 8:6 reads, "For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter."
3. Balance Between Resting & Not Becoming Lazy
I felt that this point was very important. Don't confuse resting in the Lord's hand with a free pass to be lazy. Resting is knowing that God is in control and has all authority in your life. Resting is a full confidence that God has your back and is directing your every step IF you allow him. The plan is ever rolling and isn't going to stop. I sometimes have to remind myself though that it doesn't mean I am just going to sit back and chill. This is why the title of my post is 50% YOU and 50% GOD. As mentioned in the first point, God has the plan set, but it's our job to move into it. Ecclesiastes 10:12 outlines this pretty amazing. It reads, "If the ax is dull and its edge is unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success." In this reference, more strength is needed to sharpen the ax, but skill will bring the success. There is a balance between skill and strength. Apply this to your path, the same concept applies. There is a balance between us moving and God opening the doors and aligning our steps. Read that again. Having steps for us to walk into requires us to WALK. It's a 50/50 walk. Ecclesiastes 10:18 continues with this idea and says, "Through laziness, the rafters sag." We are told not to be lazy. In fact, in Hebrews 12:1 we are told to run with ENDURANCE. The verse reads, "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." God wants us to keep moving, not just in a walk but RUN. He wants us to have endurance. Find your balance between laziness and resting. There is a difference. Pray for a heart not to become lazy. This is where the enemy will trap you.
4. God's PROMISE Is Provision
One of the sweet promises that God gives is one of provision. There are many many places in the word that reaffirms this, but one of my favorite places to see this is in Matthew 6:25-34 because it for starters explains in it a very clear way and also it is coming straight out of JESUS' mouth. It reads, "Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in the barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you? So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' For the pagans run after all of these, and your heavenly father knows that you need them." I know I just typed out that very long passage and it was a lot, but do you see that if birds and flowers don't work, don't invest, don't do anything but merely exist are provided for? We are no different. In Psalm 1, God tells us that we are like a tree planted by streams of water and like a leaf doesn't ever wither. Think about a tree in winter, it's leaves fall off right? God tells us that our leaf will NEVER wither. If we trust him and stay in obedience, he will always provide for his children. Remember the story of the Israelites being led out of Egypt to the promise land? To get to the promise land, they spent a HOT minute in the desert and the wilderness. They were complaining of being hungry and thirsty. You know what God did? God told them to strike a rock and drinkable water would flow. He provided bread for them daily. He told them don't keep the food for more than that day. Why? This was so that God could be their PROVIDER and provide them DAILY. We need to have this same mindset as we go forward remembering that we will always be provided for in every season.
5. Time/Chance VS God's Blessing
Something I have been challenged with is that God's will looks different for everyone. Not only this but God's will has looked a lot different than what I thought it would in my own life. A major question that has come up in my life is, "Well, that person is doing JUST FINE and making big power moves on their own" or "If I just do me, I will roll with my degree to the very top, or maybe even, "Why did they get that internship and I didn't?" All of these were my questions disclosure! Ecclesiastes 9:11 helped me in this. It reads, "The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all." I read this as God telling me that people may hit it big if they live outside the will doing it all on their own. That is by chance and possibly luck. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Different strokes for different folks?". What strokes are you going to take? I would rather be in the will of God, allowing him to lead me, and allow him to exceed my expectations. This season of transition isn't all about getting to the next best thing. It appears that there is always a next step. High School--> College--> Career --> Retirement. It seems very systematic. I don't believe that how it necessarily is suppose to be. I believe that is an outline that we are to look at and allow God to fill in the gaps. If God knows the outcome of my life, I want to be in his will and allow him to direct those steps because I know that they will be far better than any plan that I have. Not only this, but I know that this removes the pressure and stress that accompanies this.
6. Don't Let Voices of the World Tell You That You Are Late
From my own experience, the voices of the system of a career driven society has told me that I am super later to the game because I am a Junior and haven't had an internship yet and not a super clear idea of what I want my next few years to look like. I think if you do know, GREAT. MORE POWER TO YOU SIS! I for one do not though and this can be super daunting. You know when you go home to a family gathering and everyone seems to ask you the same question along the lines of, "What do you want to do when you graduate?" and the answer is beating around the bush of you really not knowing? Me too. But, in the storm of these questions, I encourage you to hold on to the promises of God and the wisdom that he gives us. If you don't let these daunting questions and attacks of the world get to you by holding to the truths, God will honor that more than you. Fear knows your name, but so does God. Ecclesiastes 9:17 reads, "The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good." If you skip to Ecclesiastes 10:4, it says, "If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest." Hold firm to these truths. You will be OKAY.
7. Enjoy The Season of Your Youth
God even tells us that in this season of transition to not let the anxiety from it take over your soul. He wants us to ENJOY the season we are in and REVEL in it! Ecclesiastes 11:9 reads, "You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy inn the days of your youth. So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body." Enjoy this time. Trust, rest, and run in his plan.
10. He Is The Greatest Network You Need
I was listening to a sermon from Mike Todd from Transformation Church and he said something that I will never forget as I am in this season of trying to figure out my future. This seems to be a world of "Who do you know?" and "You have to NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK". I do believe this holds truth, please don't misunderstand me. But, think about this.. God knows absolutely everyone. God may just be the best networking tool that you have. He can open any door and introduce you anyone in one breath. Don't for a second think that God can't do that.
11. Stay In Prayer
This last point is so important. Stay in prayer and spiritually prepared for anything that God will have for you. Stay in communication and let God speak to you. Remember that prayer is not only you speaking. Prayer involves listening and obeying. Let God speak to you and lead you to the promise land... the land of milk and honey!
In conclusion, the way that you move forward is to realize God moves in your life as much as you allow him to move. Matthew 9:29 reads, "According to your faith let it be done to you." I encourage you to keep moving, taking advantage of tools at your fingertips, keep applying, keep placing yourself in areas that will benefit you, keep striving. God's job then is to open the doors when you do these things. If you get on a bike, it won't go until you begin to peddle. If there is a bridge from where you are now to the promise that God has for you on the other side, you have to walk across the bridge. The book is written in your life, REST in that. If you trusted him with the surrender and hope of your entire existence, you can trust him with your next step. His hand words when you give him the opportunity and place the trust in it to work. Take God out of a bubble! He has so much more planned for you if you would give it to him. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called to the according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28).
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