Moving Forward

Have you ever felt stuck by your circumstances? That has been me for the last two years. Waiting on God to change my circumstances. Well, when that doesn't happen, it's most likely because God is trying to change your heart.
Many people spoke over me several years ago (when my life and circumstances so abruptly changed)  that "God must be preparing you for something"... but what? and when will I know?

God definitely has used the last two years to refine my heart but more specifically the desires of my heart. If you allow him, God can change your 'want to'. This can be so profound that what you consider constitutes "blessings" even changes. You see, God wants to bless his people. In fact he longs to do so. But the key to unlocking God's favor and blessing is obedience. In any situation where you have the choice to trust God or take the shortcut that the enemy offers, if you don't choose faith in God, you cut off the potential blessing God had in store for you. God especially likes to work this equation in circumstances where you feel "stuck"; where you can see no Earthly way out. The enemy senses our desperation and will usually step in and offer a 'solution'. This shortcut to getting what we want will not depend on God, but usually on your own efforts. He does this because he knows this will circumvent us receiving the blessing that God had planned all along for us. If you want the Lord's blessings...the only way will be trusting God to provide the way out and choosing to move forward only with him.

That's when his favor explodes in your life, as it has in mine. Under the wing of his protection is the only place I now want to be...wherever that may take me. Now that's a change of heart for this type A girl who generally has her entire day, month, year planned out.

Several months ago the Holy Spirit began to whisper to Greg and I that things were getting ready to change. We didn't know how, but we felt like God was getting ready to 'change our circumstances.' We both felt it and confirmed it by telling each other.  Shortly after this, something that has been on our prayer list for a long time, came to pass. Moving forward.

Next I attended our Women of Destiny's event with Lisa Osteen-Comes. It was the first event that I went to alone. None of my friends attended. I'll admit I even had some hesitation going. But I went for several reasons, but mostly because I felt that maybe this time God had a message just for me since I was there alone. Further, I've learned not to limit how God can speak to me. I was right. The speaker's entire message was on moving forward when you feel stuck. It was bible based and confirmed by the word of God. Want to know when God is speaking to you? He will use the mercy of confirmation; if it's a message from God he will find ways to confirm it over and over so that you have no doubt. Or maybe because we are thick-headed? Either way, I find that when he is stressing a theme with me,  it will be repetitive in my bible reading, messages, or signs along the way.

The next day I started my new bible study by Priscilla Shirer about Gideon. I watched the first video where Priscilla lays down the context within the bible for this character and why we will study him. "Because Gideon is among a nation of people who have stopped moving forward." He is going to show them and us how to do that and take our relationship with God to the next level. I got a little emotional watching the video. How sweet the Lord is to make sure I know he is getting ready to move?! And more specifically that maybe together I've made some of the heart changes necessary to do so. I just love him for that.
I'm not entirely sure what will be next. But I'm learning to discern his voice and the intimacy I've built with him the last two years as I've leaned on him for daily living has helped me to know I have nothing to fear.