When you need to be a wise steward with the funds God has given you and wait until something is financially feasible instead of committing to something you can't afford?
and how do you know. . .
When God is asking you to take a step of faith so He can part the Red Sea and miraculously provide and unfold a vision in a way that you couldn't humanly do?
This was the question I posed to my Experiencing God
Bible study a few weeks ago. I was wrestling with it after the chapter we had just done for that week's homework. It had talked about when you can undertake something on your own strength and in our own budget, then it makes it about you. But when you undertake something only God can do financially, then people will see God's glory as a result.As we were faced with a decision about whether or not to pursue a move to a rental and then, ultimately, our dream property, I wavered. To do either/or, not to mention both, would stretch us financially. It would be nothing but a step of faith.
To step forward into something that is not wise stewardship with our budget terrifies me to death.
No not step forward into something that God is asking us to do in faith, so He can fulfill His vision, His way, frightens me even more.
And so, I asked my Bible study group.
There were no profound answers that night. Instead, I received empathy as women approached both angles with me, seeing how I was stuck where I was. The only thing that I was able to really cling to was the encouragement
Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left
Isaiah 30:21
as long as we were seeking His face. So we went back to waiting and praying for clear direction, believing that truth.
A week later, someone came to me and said:
"Isn't The Meadows going to have to be a faith walk for the express purpose of God getting glory? I mean, if you wait until you can afford it before you move ahead, then it looks like you guys built it. But if you move forward before you can afford it then it's a God-did-it situation through and through. I just feel led to say that to you after praying a lot for you this past week. . ."
Her words really resonated in my spirit and when I told my husband, he just said, "Wow! We should write that down. . . " which told me it was resonating with his spirit as well.
The day came last Saturday when we had to make a decision. Period. There was no more waiting and trying to figure it out. We needed to know which way we were heading.
I used to hate it when people said this, but I have to say it:
We knew.
We just knew we were to step forward.On faith.
For the express purpose, this is God's vision.
God's story.
Thus, He needs to do it His way. And that way is not a human-sense way. but a miraculous way of provision.
So how do you know?
You know, because you have prayed and agonized.
You know, due to your intimacy with God and your heart clearly knowing His voice when it speaks to you.
You know, because you aren't moving in a presumptous manner with a total lack of reality of what the cost will be or how utterly dependent you are going to be on God to make it come to pass.
There is a difference in moving forward into something without prayer behind it, without intimacy with God under-girding it, and with a mindset that tosses caution to the wind and hopes for the best, in the name of "faith".
Faith isn't a lack of reality or rash, quickly made decisions. It's a decision of prayer and agonizing.
Then, when it's made, reality is staring you in the face but it's balanced out by a sweet, sweet calming peace that overrides the "what if's".
"Station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf. . . Do not fear or be dismayed. . . .for the LORD is with you."
II Chronicles 20:17
