TAKING THE BRAVE NEXT
STEP
Have you been tempted lately by anything that tried to get you off track?
I have. the place I usually go to write has changed. I had been going to the
same place for quite a while and the atmosphere was perfect for studying the
Bible and writing. It was awesome. “WAS” is the operative word here.
More and more distractions came up; the atmosphere changed. I noticed it,
but I thought it would work out and everything would be okay. But finally, I
had to face the fact that it just wasn’t working. I was fidgety nearly the
whole time I stayed in the same place and tried to work. I had a harder time
getting into the Bible, and it was a struggle to write.
Oftentimes our temptation is not the one that lures us out into other
places but the one that gets us to stay where we are. Generally, people are
more apt to go with the status quo, with what they’re used to, rather than
venturing out into the unknown. No matter how bad the situation gets, our
tendency is to stay put. The unknown just seems too scary or too hard. But that
is exactly what our adversaries want. The situation gets slightly worse, then
gradually gets so bad we wonder what happened. Satan manipulates to delay us
and hurt us.
Wisdom is to become aware of a deteriorating situation as soon as
possible, and if we haven’t got the authority or revelation to fix it, get out.
You will probably be surprised to know that Jesus our Lord often walked away
from bad situations. Check it out. Here’s one poignant example:
Matthew 4:12-13: “Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into
prison, he departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in
Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast.” There was no confronting the
authorities to get John out of prison. God gave Jesus the message to get out of
there. Jesus knew 1 Samuel 15:22: “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to
obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” Jesus got
a word from God to leave and Jesus obeyed, even though his cousin John was
stuck there in prison.
Another example is in John 8: 59: “Then took they up
stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple,
going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
And look at John 7:1: “After these things, Jesus walked
in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill
him.”
Jesus just moved on to do God’s will for his life in another place.
That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do, too.
I don’t have to keep going to the same place I used to study and write
just because it’s convenient for me. I don’t have to think I can stay and make
it better either. I just have to pick myself up and say: “Jesus, where to
next?”
Let’s be brave. Let’s believe to see quickly and clearly if a situation
is one we need to remove ourselves from, and then be willing to step away if
Jesus says go. That goes for people too. We need to recognize that in the big
picture of our lives, some relationships are going to be on a time limit, and
we need to be willing to let go without animosity or blame. As with many events
in our lives, we go to the Lord to help us to step out courageously into the
unknown with our hand interlocked in the hand of the One who knows it all.
I’ve found a new place to study and write, and I love it!
Love, Carolyn
You can get my
books on Amazon. The two most recent ones are books with stories about what the
Lord teaches us from nature.
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