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A Cry For Revival Series: “Revival of Our Spirit!”

The spirit of a person is interesting to look at. It deals with the inner make up of the person. How they think and function on the inside comes out as action, speech, reaction, etc., on the outside.

What we feed our spirit will eventually come out. We need to take inventory of what is inside of us. Are you fighting with feelings of insecurity or inferiority? Do you feed your spirit with good things or bad? What are you telling yourself on a regular basis? We have to learn to feed our spirit with good things and to spend time with God. Whom ever or whatever  you spend the most time with, that is whom or what you will become.

“Take inventory of who you hang around and what you involve yourself with. This is what you will become.”

Pastor Kris Belfils

Now to apply this thought to revival, we have to remember that dwelling with Christ brings intimacy and power. It brings satisfaction and contentment. Intimacy with Christ brings boldness and life to us.

Romans 8:11 (NKJV) “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” 

The same spirit that raised Jesus from the grave dwells in, lives in, and inhabits us. When you think about that, wow, it brings a whole new look at intimacy with God. I will do everything possible to have and keep a close relationship with God. My relationship with Him is a precious thing, it is my life! Our thinking can produce life or death. I was writing in my journal the other day and here is what I wrote:

“I sense a revival in my spirit, a turning from thinking dead thoughts to thoughts that produce life. Breathe new life into every area of me, Lord. Create and resurrect new thinking in my spirit. I throw away all the old thinking that only brought death. I decree new life! I decree hope and your promises! You are my Resurrection power. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me!”

Keeping and maintaining a close relationship with God will change our way of thinking. We can bring death in our life by thinking thoughts that produce death. Our actions can bring death, not only to us, but to our friends and family, church body, co-workers, and more. Let me give you an example:

Gossip and Misunderstandings

We can “perceive” something was said by someone, or something was done by someone, and believe it to be truth. Once we believe the lie as truth, we act upon it and might even gossip to other people about what we thought was said. Then, the person we gossiped to tells someone one else, and in turn they tell someone else. It can go around a church like wild fire and hurt someone’s reputation in just a short amount of time. This blocks the Holy Spirit from moving in hearts. This also blocks any leader from ministering to people within the church if the church is believing a lie about them as a leader.

We need God to revive our spirits so we don’t look through the tainted glasses of gossip and misunderstanding. Always go to the source and find out if the information that was said is true. Better yet, don’t even believe for a minute the gossip in the first place. Gossip will prevent revival from coming in your life and in the body of Christ. God hates sin, and gossip is sin!

Remember that sin separates us from God. We need to be a people who are quick to repent and to make things right with those we hurt. We can’t go around causing hurts and cutsin other people’s lives and not expect any consequences to happen in our own life. Remember how we judge will be measured back to us.

Matthew 7:1 – 2 (NKJV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

I like how the Amplified Bible states these verses:

Matthew 7:1 – 2 (Amplified Bible) “DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.”

Think about what you have been talking to others about lately. Has it been edifying to your spirit and to those that are listening? What have you been watching on the television or movies? What have you been listening to on the radio? Personally, I am very protective of what I watch and listen to as I know it can affect me in a positive or negative way. If you are longing to be revived but keep feeding your spirit with things that don’t edify you, it will eventually dry up your spirit and you will become indifferent to the things of God. You won’t become revived, quit the opposite, your spirit will start to die. Allow God to revive your spirit and your love for Him will grow more and more.

Revival of our spirit will affect all areas of our life!

It is easy to get caught in the mundane of life. We lose our first love of God and start going through the motions instead of living life abundantly (John 10:10), especially if you have been a Christian for many years. Remember this can be a trap of the enemy to prevent you from becoming all God created you to be. Don’t settle for less than what God’s word promises. Get a promise book out and read the topics that concern you. Allow God’s word to penetrate your spirit and sink in until you start believing it.

When you see a person who is dying and people are trying to resuscitate them, their body is lifeless. But when that person is resuscitated they start to move. They start to talk, they start to possibly get up and walk. This is what happens with our spirit. God is trying to resuscitate us. He knows what we need to come alive again.  Don’t settle for the “should of” and “Could of.” I should of written that book I was thinking about! I could of made something of my life but I became discouraged, or just was lazy. I should of married that person I fell in love with. I could of shown more love to my family and children. I should have applied for that job I’ve always wanted. I could of started my own business but I was too afraid.

Become alive and live your life! You are the only person who can enjoy your life. No one else can enjoy it, only you. Stop blaming circumstances or people for what you lack. Allow your spirit to be revived and watch how your entire life will change. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are. God created you! Therefore you have a purpose on this earth. Plan to fulfill that purpose!

Job 32:8 (NKJV) “But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.”

The word spirit in this verse means: “Wind, breath, life, anger, air, blast, courage, mind, to blow, breathe, to smell, touch, make of quick understanding (the primative root).” Often our spirit has a lack of courage and is fearful to deal with things that are troubling to us. We might not even see areas in us that need change. It is like the “elephant in the living room” syndrome. Everyone else can see it but we can’t. Either we are choosing to ignore it or we are in denial.

The Elephant In Your Living Room

Elements To Courage

I took my daughters to school and both of them didn’t want to go. It was Monday, and Monday is the hardest day of the week after having two days off for the weekend. My daughters have always wanted to be with my husband and I instead of going. I can understand as I was the same way when I was younger. I would rather do anything instead of go to school. As I was saying, “Good bye” to them, I spoke out, “Be brave, and be strong and courageous!” I started to think about those words and what I was going through in my own life. Recently I have been facing my fears and walking through things I have avoided for years. God has been telling me to be “strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6) as I face my giants and obstacles that come my way to get to the Promised Land. Fear of the unknown, fear of my past, fear of man, fear of failure, and even the fear that I missed the Promised Land altogether.

Being courageous is not an easy thing to do, especially when it has been marks of your character to run and bolt under pressure. The word courageous means: possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching.

The word courage means: “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc, without fear, and with self-possession, confidence, resolution; bravery.”

There are times when I do feel courageous and I face my fears, other times I shrink back and find a place of refuge. I believe God knows and sees this. He knows when I am weak or vulnerable. I also believe God will bring about encouragement somehow. It might be a passage of scripture you read that blesses you and gives you strength to continue. It might be a friend or loved one saying or doing something for you. It might be the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart in such a way that you realize you can keep going under fire.

There are several elements to courage that are always there. Courage is part of our spirit. When we follow through with what we need to do, even though we don’t want to do it, we will see all these elements come to pass.

ELEMENTS TO COURAGE

1. Courage takes boldness – Face your fearsFear, in it self, can rule us and paralyze us if we let it. Fear of the unknown is overwhelming if we allow the thoughts to take over our minds. One thing I have found to combat fear in my life is to remind myself of God’s faithfulness. I remember situations in my past that God has brought me through and I tell myself that He will bring me through this too.

We must remember that retreating from our fears only brings weakness. It also multiplies the fear in our minds and it becomes even bigger than reality. I know as I have done it in my life. Then, instead of facing something small and manageable, we face a puffed up illusion of the fear. This can only bring torment and pain. This is the enemies work. We have to recognize it for what it is. God is not a God of fear. He is a God of courage. So, if you face any fears in your life, realize God wants you to have courage. Pray and ask God what you should do. Should you confront the fear? Should you wait? Should you just let the fear go and trust God for the outcome?

This week I have had to look at some “scary” fears in my life. As I looked at them, I let them overwhelm me and I began to retreat and want to give up. Courage was not in me at all. This is rather hard to tell you as I have a fear of people thinking I am not a strong woman of God, or weak in the face of fear. But as I started to retreat, I turned around and looked at the fear. It became even bigger to me. I stopped and walked right up to it and saw it finally for what it was; fiction. Fear is fiction, at least the fear I was facing. It was not reality. I had allowed the fear of man, and fear of my past, to paralyze and prevent me from moving on with my life, and with ministry.

One of my fears is not measuring up to other people. I have always felt “less than” others. This fear has blown up so big in my life. I was shocked at the size I had allowed it to get. My insecurities and weaknesses were so huge in my mind that they seemed insurmountable. But the only way I will overcome them is to face them and push myself towards them. I am determined to not be in bondage to my fears. We all have them; it is how we deal with them that really determine what we will do in life. So I have made a determination in my heart to walk towards my fears instead of retreating or finding a place to hide.

A close friend pointed out some of my fears to me. It was like the big “elephant in the living room” syndrome. Everyone sees you have a big elephant in your living room, as matter of fact it is taking up all the extra space for anyone to sit down and fellowship with you. Yet, you have no clue that the elephant is there. I can imagine a comedy skit of a big elephant in the living room and people are sitting down on the couches or chairs trying to drink a cup of coffee and fellowship with you, but the elephant is so big that it is sitting in everyone’s lap. Still you don’t even acknowledge it being there and you try to strike up a conversation with people. Everyone else sees the elephant and knows what needs to be done, but you are totally ignoring the obvious.

It takes courage to face our elephants. 

2. Courage knows God is always there – Realize you are not aloneOften times we think we have to face our fears alone. That makes our fears even worse. We think we are the only one there to figure out what to do. We have to realize we are never alone, we always have God there. He is constantly speaking to our heart words of help, direction, encouragement, and peace. We just have to tune our spiritual ears into His frequency.

1 Samuel 12:22  “For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.” Hebrews 13:5- 6 “Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you. Therefore, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

God’s love can envelop us to overcome our fears. He is not expecting you to be strong and courageous without him. Our loving Lord will shower us with the confidence of His love to walk and face what we need to face. In His love we are transformed and changed. We see things from a different perspective. The perspective is from His loving arms looking out to the situation. Everything seems smaller and easily attainable and manageable from His arms. Let us remember that perfect love drives out fear.

1 John 4:18 states “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

God’s love for us is perfect. His love drives our fear away if we receive it. We know fear is not of God strictly because fear torments us. God is a God of love, not torment.

1 John 4:18 (Message) “There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life–fear of death, fear of judgment–is one not yet fully formed in love.” 

God is calling his people to be strong under fire. So many times we want the easy road out. We would rather find a more comfortable path to take in life then to walk through a rough trial. But if we walk through what is in front of us we will be stronger for it. We will receive a wonderful reward for endurance.

Joshua 1:6a “Be strong and courageous…” 

 3. Courage takes risks – Step out beyond what you know

Usually when you have to confront something, it takes an element of risk into the unknown. Joshua visited the Promised Land earlier under Moses leadership, and knew what was in the land he had to confront. Did he know how they were going to overcome the giants? No! But he did know God was with him and He was willing to face what was ahead in the security of knowing God was for him, and not against him.

The element of risk is challenging. What is your character? Do you cringe at the thought of risking something? If there is risk involved, it does mean you will have to let go of something to reach for something new.

The definition of the word, “risk” is, “the exposure to the chance of injury or loss,” so there will be a loss of some sort. The loss here is the loss of fear! It is worth the risk of stepping out in courage to confront fear. The more and more we step out and confront the fear, the easier and less threatening it becomes in our lives. The risk to the exposure of injury is always a threat. That is why we retreat when we see fear. We don’t want to get hurt. Our flesh will scream at us and yell, STOP AND TURN AROUND,” while our head and our heart is saying, “KEEP PRESSING FORWARD!” We really don’t have a choice when it comes to living life and enduring from day to day. If we stop, we will digress or self-destruct. There is nothing healthy about that. No, the only choice we have is to keep going and to press in to any fear and meet it head on to over come it.

4. Courage takes resilience – Enduring when you want to  give up

Resilience is “the power or ability to return to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity. It is the ability to recover from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.”Courage takes resilience. It is a knowing that as you are walking in the face of your fears, you will be ok. It is continuing to move forward even though you see potential hazards around you. Remember that God is always with us,

Isaiah 42:3 “He will not break a bruised reed, and He will not put out a smoldering wick; He will faithfully bring justice.”

God will not allow you to be bent to the place of breaking. He is with you and has His eye on you constantly. That’s His character. He knows what you can endure, which is more than what you think you can endure. Resilience is good as it brings healthy growth.

I heard about an environment scientists were trying to create in the desert. They created a dome structure that would grow all sorts of plants and trees. They would plant all types of wildlife. But as the trees would grow, they started to bend back towards the ground. The scientists were baffled over this. They gave the trees proper care, nourishment, and sunlight, but they still would grow straight for awhile, and then bend towards the ground. Finally one of the scientists realized there was no wind. The trees needed wind to face resistance to make them grow strong under pressure.

This is exactly what happens with us. We need the winds of adversity to make us grow under pressure. If we never faced anything that was challenging, we would never know what it was like to overcome.

James 1:12   “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

I want to be one who bounces back under pressure. I want to find myself strong after facing my fears.

5. Courage takes action – Step out; make a move!

Faith takes action. It is one thing to believe God will bring you to your promised land, and it is another to never step one foot towards that promise. We cannot expect to advance and take the land if we stay in one place. God is waiting for you to step out. The fear of stepping in the wrong direction is bondage. If you never step, you will never obtain. I believe if you step in the wrong direction, God will lovingly correct you if your heart is to do His will and to please Him. Stand in the confidence of Who’s you are. Step out in faith believing God will move after you move. Just like the Priests who had to step into the water with the Ark of the Covenant, once they took a step, the waters began to part. Before they took the step, the waters never moved (Joshua 3).

Hebrews 10:35 – 39 (HCSB) “So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised. For in yet a very little while, the coming One will come and not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.” 

Take a step towards your fears

Retreating is the opposite of taking a step forward towards your fears. Let’s take a step forward in getting rid of the elephant in our living room and riviving our spirit! What does a step forward look like? 

  1. It can come in the form of casting down imaginations that try and exalt themselves above the knowledge of God in your heart (2 Cor. 10:5).
  2. It is bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
  3. Another form of stepping towards your fears can be doing the exact opposite of what your flesh tells you.

If you are afraid of man and what they think of you, then you need to function and walk where you think people are having a problem with you, and love them unconditionally. How about facing the very person that hurt you in your past and give them forgiveness? I have done this in my past and it has freed me from tons of bondage fear brought.

One of the biggest things we can do is confront the enemy and cast him down. We have let him have a stronghold for too long and it’s time for us to take our authority and command him to leave us.

Courage is a wonderful character trait if we let it be complete in us. Courage is nothing if we don’t act upon it. It takes boldness to face our fears. We can never overcome anything in our life if we don’t confront it and look at it for what it is.

Why allow the elephant to live in your living room any longer? It doesn’t belong there in the first place. Fiction will puff itself up and that is exactly what fear does. Remember you are not alone. God always sees and is constantly watching over you. You can walk through this with confidence.

Don’t get discouraged at what you see, but be encouraged as you step into the unknown.

If we want to experience more of God we have to step where we haven’t been before. Be resilient! Endure even when you want to stop, or retreat. I am sure you can think of some action you need to take to move towards your fears with courage. Ask God to show you what you need to do. Be brave! Don’t be afraid. Allow your spirit to be revived as you step out in courage to conquer what you finally need to conquer in your life.

Take your promise land. Will the land come to you? No, land doesn’t walk! You have to take the steps to obtain it. As courage is being developed in your spirit it brings revival. Your spirit is renewed and you can finally conquer what has been tormenting you for all these years. Take care of your spirit. It is who you are.

Your courageous sister in Christ,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com

www.krisbelfils.wordpress.com

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Does God Order Our Steps? (5 Steps in our Walk in Life)

We are all on a journey. This journey is to the heart of God. This journey is to be more like Jesus more and more each day. It is to live our lives and follow God’s direction. This journey is to the purpose and destiny God planned for us. But how does one travel on this journey? Each one of us use a certain form of transportation as we go. It is the steps we take in our walk with God. We are all confronted with decisions and choices. We need guidance and wisdom to make the right steps.

Life is a walk. Each day we take steps. Our tomorrow is determined by the steps we take today.

One thing I’ve found out in my own walk: 

-When I am following God’s word and obeying His voice, I step correctly.

-When I try to do things on my own, or ignore God’s word, I end up taking the wrong steps, and find myself down a road I never wanted to be on.

Did you know that the words, “Path, steps, ways, walk, and go” can all express our journey?

Psalm 119:105 (KJV)

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

I like how the Contemporary English Version stats it:

(CEV)  “Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.”

And the Message expresses it this way:

(MSG)  “By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.”

We all need a “beam of light on our dark path.” God is the light of the world! He is Light.

1 John 1:5 

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”

Why not ask the God of light to show you where to take your next step? Stormie Omartian states in her book; “Just Enough Light For The Step I’m On:”

“Sometimes only the step I’m on, or the very next one ahead, is all that is illuminated for me. God gives just the amount of light I need for the exact moment I need it. At those times I walk in surrender to faith, unable to see the future and not fully comprehending the past. And because it is God who has given me what light I have, I know I must reject the fear and doubt that threaten to overtake me. I must determine to be content where I am, and allow God to get me where I need to go. I walk forward, one step at a time, fully trusting that the light God sheds is absolutely sufficient.”

Stormie Omartian

(Copyright 1999 by  Harvest House Publishers)

There have been many times in my life I didn’t know what to do in some desperate or troubled times. I would seek God and ask Him for direction. Sometimes He did not answer as quick as I would like. During the waiting time, I would love His word and walk in His ways. I did this because I love Him, not because I am obligated. There is pleasure in obedience. We worship God with our obedience. God honors our obedience and brings blessings to us. King David spoke about walking in His righteousness and how that pleased God;

2 Samuel 22:20 – 25, 33 & 34, 37 (TNIV)

20)“He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I am not guilty of turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight…33)It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and causes me to stand on the heights…37)You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.”

One might read this passage and think David is full of himself, and pride and arrogance. We can have a critical eye and think David is full of self-righteousness. But these passages are not written from an arrogant heart. They are from a heart who knows he is walking in obedience to God’s word. David realized that God rewards and helps those who follow His laws. David wrote what He saw God do in his own life.

I write in my journal often. It is literally writing my heart to God. I look at David’s writings as his journaling to God. He poured out his thoughts and emotions, and expressed praise of what God had done in his life!

God does reward and direct the steps of the righteous!

Psalm 37:23 & 24 (KJV)

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”

Rejoice for the steps of a righteous man or woman are ordered of God. God does order our steps as we follow and obey Him. We can be comforted to know that His rod and staff are there to correct and guide us (Psalm 23:4).

Good News; our Good Shepherd is always with us guiding our every step. If we start to veer to the right or the left too much, the Good Shepherd comes with His staff of guidance, and His rod of correction, and gently nudges us back on the path we are to take. Our job is to yield to His correction. If we don’t heed to His gentle nudges, God will use His rod and staff a little firmer until we change our direction, even if it takes breaking our legs (like shepherds have to do at times to the sheep) to bring the correction. He will help us heal and to stay on the right path if we yield to His correction.

We are such creatures of habit and so resistant to change that God sometimes has to shut off the way things were in our lives so He can bring us into the way He wants us to be. New beginnings don’t happen without something ending.

Steps in our walk with God

Step 1. Seek God’s will. 

If you don’t know what to do about a decision you are facing right now, seek God and ask Him for direction. Stop trying to figure it out with your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 & 6(NKJV)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

We need God’s wisdom! Our own understanding or thinking can be wrong. Seek the Lord when faced with a major decision. Seek God’s wisdom in every area of your life.

King Solomon gave great advise to his son about wisdom and we should do the same.

Proverbs 4:10 – 12, 18, 26 – 27 (NKJV)

“Hear my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble… But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.”

Remember that the choices we make today will mold our tomorrow. Think about the steps you are taking today. Are they good steps? Are you stepping correctly?

Ask God to help you make good choices. We need to give up our control and allow God to have control of our lives. He knows what we need. He knows what steps we need to take and why, this is why we need to seek God’s will.

Step 2. Look for His direction. 

He will show you where to walk if you would just look for His direction. Sometimes God directs us through His word. Other times He directs us through hearing Him speak in our hearts. God uses people, places, and even things to direct us and get our attention.

God can place a thought in your heart and then confirm it by His word or by other ways. God will always confirm what He has been speaking to you. A friend might say something that pricks your heart to what God has said to you earlier. You might be driving down the road and you notice something and it brings to mind what God has spoken in your heart earlier.

There are never coincidences in a Christian’s life. Those so called, “coincidences” are really God speaking to you and giving you direction. Don’t overlook God’s confirmations and His flashes of light to bring vision to your path. You asked God for direction, receive it as an answer and take action.

Step 3. Obey what God tells you to do. 

We can find ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time simply because we didn’t do what God was telling us to do, or we neglected to ask Him what we were supposed to be doing before we made decisions. Or perhaps we asked Him, but we failed to wait for an answer before we went ahead and did what we wanted to do. So much grief can be avoided by living an obedient life.

We serve a God who will pick us up if we fall or stumble. God knows we have trouble hearing Him. He is patient with us. Remember; the closer you get to God, the easier it is to hear His voice! I encourage you to snuggle right up into His lap and rest there knowing He receives you and wants to be close to you too. When you are in God’s lap, and leaning on His chest, you truly hear His heartbeat, and know His voice. It is a safe place.

If we make a mistake and fail, God will not condemn us. That is the work of the enemy. When we make a mistake, and come to the Father for mercy, He will give mercy.

What ever you need from God today; be it direction, love, acceptance, wisdom, financial healing, emotional healing, or whatever you need, God will always receive you and listen to your cry for help.

Step 4. Never be in a hurry.

Don’t be in a hurry to make something happen in your life. That will only lead to a mistake. Steps take time. A baby never learns how to run first, they learn how to walk. Their steps are clumsy and unstable. That is the same way we are too. Don’t be ashamed of your “baby steps” you are taking right now. They will eventually lead to bigger steps and take you places you’ve never been before.

If I am pressured to make a decision, I see it as a “red-flag.” I’ve learned to wait and not make a decision under pressure. When in doubt… wait! It doesn’t hurt to wait a few hours, a day, or even longer.

Make sure while you are waiting that you don’t take things in your own hands. Too often people don’t wait for God’s direction. They think God didn’t hear or he is taking too long to answer, so they decide to take a step on their own, in their own wisdom. This is a wrong choice. The word “wait” use to be a four letter word to me. Well it still is, but it was hard for me to wait. I wanted the answer right away and I wanted it my way. But God requires us to wait sometimes. It doesn’t necesarily mean you did something wrong and the answer is “no.” We humans give up  too easily on God and waiting for His answer. Remember to not be in a hurry. God’s time table and ours can be two different things. Trust that God is working on your behalf. It takes time to work out the details for your miracle, especially if another person is part of your answer. God is working on their heart too. God weaves circumstances together, at just the right time, to bring our answer. You might be ready, but someone or something else isn’t.

God is not a God to pressure you into a decision. That is the character of our advisory, the devil. When God directs, He will allow you time to make a choice. Remember He is gentle and loving. He never pressures you to quickly make a choice.

God will direct your steps and show you what path you are to walk as you give Him control and desire what He desires. If you are confused as to what to do in a decision you have to make, now is the time to seek what God wants. Lay down your desires and listen and wait for God to direct you into what path your feet are to walk.

How do we know we are walking in God’s path for our life?

Deut. 8:6  (HCSB)

“So keep the commands of the LORD your God by walking in His ways and fearing Him.” 

Obey the Lord and His instructions of His word. This is walking in His ways. Do it with a loving heart to please your Lord. God will always bless an obedient heart.

Step 5. Take a step!

We can go from one end of the pendulum swing to the other. At one end we are in a hurry and step too quickly into something, and on the other end, we never take a step at all. God wants balance in your life. He wants to bring you to a place you are not one extreme or the other. Again, this is part of trusting God. It is also self-control.

Sometimes fear grips our hearts and it frightens us to not do anything. We are afraid of making the wrong choice. We are afraid of failing. But if God has shown you something to do, step out in faith and take a step, even if you are afraid. Joyce Meyers has a saying, “Do it afraid!” 

God will meet you in your act of faith and soon your fear will turn into strength to endure the unknown. It will feel awkward to step out in something you’ve never done before or walk where you’ve never walked before. I am sure Peter, when He stepped out of the boat onto the water, felt awkward. His flesh felt uncomfortable because he never stepped onto water before. Peter pushed past his fear, and pushed past what his flesh felt like. He took the first step and began to walk on water.

Your flesh will scream at you to STOP! Flesh wants comfort. Flesh wants its own way. When you die to your flesh, and press into what God has for you, you step into a repositioning of God. Joseph was thrown into a pit. It was not at all the dream he had of his brothers bowing down to him. What looked like a demotion, God was making it his first step in his promotion.

Remember baby steps lead to bigger steps. It was a process Joseph had to go through to see the dreams from God come to completion. In the meantime, he lived an upright life and loved the Lord in all he did. God does not look away from that. As a matter of fact, it draws God to us. Joseph’s steps were ordered of the Lord because he was a good man who followed His God.

I would like to share from my journaling I wrote when God was teaching me how to walk.

“The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord. I am righteous because of what Your Son did on the cross for me. I am Your righteousness.  I strive daily to follow Your will and continually ask You to show me what you want me to do in every area of my life. Therefore, I know my steps are ordered by You, and You show me the right path for my life. I desire to increase and not decrease. I desire your way, your path, your steps for my life because you created me and You know exactly what I was created for. I might have an idea, but truly You know all and I lean on and trust the One who knows all. I take one step at a time and I know you are there at every step. If I stumble, You are there to pick me up. I don’t have to be perfect to walk the path you laid out for me. I just trust You for each step knowing You light every step I am about to take so I can follow Your leading. I love You Lord for who You are in my life.”

Sin can tie God’s hands of direction

If you find yourself in sin, or in the middle of some bad choices/steps, God is there waiting to help you. God will show you where to step if you ask Him. He is waiting for you to repent and turn from your sin. You tie up God’s hands to help until you repent and turn to God for His direction. He can pick you up from the wrong path, and place you back on the right path, as you give Him back control of your life.

Take one step at a time as the Lord leads and directs you. Don’t get frustrated when you don’t see the entire path in front of you. We are in a “faith-walk.” Each step is a step of faith! Always know that God is there to make sure we stay on the right path.

You may ask, “Why doesn’t God illuminate the road before me so I can really see clearly? Remember that too much light is hard to take. It can blind our vision. No, God only gives us the right amount of light so we stay dependent on Him for the next step and not get overwhelmed with the road ahead.

We can trust God with our life. He sees clearly and see the entire road ahead of us. He knows what we need to stay on course. He has all the answers to our questions. Sometimes our questions seem unanswered. Can you praise God in the middle of unanswered questions? Can you worship God in the middle of the unknown? I say we can! This becomes a sacrifice of praise that God is looking for.

God will give you enough light for the step you are to take next in your life. Don’t be in too much of a hurry or you may take a wrong turn. So to answer the question; “Does God Order Our Steps?” the answer is, “Yes” as we trust and rely on Him to guide us and not try to figure it out on our own.

Enjoy the journey in this life and God will take you places you never dreamed were possible.

In His steps,

Pastor Kris Belfils

www.krisbelfils.com

www.hopefellowshipspokane.com