God will never give us
a life that doesn’t
require Him.
The implication of this pattern with God is that when He finally does say something I’m excited to hear, I question whether or not He really said it. And yes, I’m aware of the Genesis 3 nature of that line of thinking. But I also think that’s the nature of how this whole faith thing works:
- We devote ourselves to His lordship.
- He gives us the desires of our hearts, meaning that as we become more intimately acquainted with Him, our desires begin to intertwine with His. He tells us what to want.
- He executes His will and way for our lives.
But notice that He does all of this. We are only responsible for the devotion aspect. Keep doing that, and He does everything else. God will never give us a life that doesn’t require Him. So even when we hear God say the thing we’ve been waiting to hear, it’s going to come with some stuff that only He can do.
When we hear God say the thing we’ve been waiting to hear, it will come with some stuff that only He can do.
I bring this up because lately I’ve sensed Him speaking the same phrase a few times, and I’m starting to think it might be helpful to you, too: Take in every moment.
I first sensed this in January during a five day fast. Of course, in my human nature, I assigned meaning to this. Maybe not incorrectly, but His words stopped at “Take in every moment” where mine continued “because it won’t be like this for much longer.”
I – like so many others – have a few things I’ve been waiting for the Lord to bring to pass in my life, so I was kind of excited to hear something that seemed to indicate change. Since that moment, I’ve been on the lookout.
We have to live in expectation that we will see what we’re praying for.
We have to live in expectation that we will see what we’re praying for. Otherwise, what are we doing? Just tossing out words to nowhere? Or worse… just worrying out loud? Not at all. Our relationship with Christ gives us access to a God who engages us. We’re not speaking idle words when we pray. We are presenting requests to an all-powerful God who longs to grant them.
So, yes, I’m expecting a change. And those four words – take in every moment – served as an encouragement to me that day in January. Change is coming. Do you feel it too?
And then I heard them again this week, but the connotation shifted. I realized that whatever new thing God brings about bears within it the end of something else. Given the state of things in my life and how long I’ve been asking the Lord for a few specific shifts, this might mean the end of something I’ve grown accustomed to for quite some time.
Change is coming.
How well do you handle change?
I’m learning to adapt with more readiness than I’m naturally bent towards, but change is still not easy for me. So this realization that a new season means the previous season has to end is a bit jarring. I understand this logically. But logic and experience don’t always go hand in hand.
I needed a moment to let that reality sink in. It was late at night, I’d just watched an intense western conference semi-finals game – not usually a spiritual experience, but on this night, I’m pretty sure God was working yet another miracle in Steph Curry’s game, so the atmosphere was set.
After the nail-biter of a game ended and I was assured that the Warriors dynasty would live to fight another day, I was ready to get some sleep. That’s when I sensed those words again.
Take in every moment. Because it won’t last. Nothing outside of heaven does.
I sat in the bed and cried for a moment, thanking God for His faithfulness and asking Him to help me understand.
Whatever new thing God begins about bears within it the end of something else.
Amen, sister friend. I’m living in this tension as well and have been for the past 5yrs. The words that have echoed in my heart since have been “Fully present; next right step.” Thanks for the reminder to take in every moment and consciously count the many gifts God has provided even in the midst of hard seasons.
You’re right! Every season has its difficulties, which encourage our dependence on God, which in turn then deepens our faith and our relationship with Him because we get to see His faithfulness in action.
You’re right! Even a new season will be filled with the same.
You’re right! We do need to slow down and take in every one of these moments in every one of these seasons to fully appreciate Gid and give Him the glory He deserves.
You’re right! Every season has its difficulties, which encourage our dependence on God, which in turn then deepens our faith and our relationship with Him because we get to see His faithfulness in action.
You’re right! Even a new season will be filled with the same.
You’re right! We do need to slow down and take in every one of these moments in every one of these seasons to fully appreciate God and give Him the glory He deserves.