Early last year, I had the thought that the Lord might ask me to take a radical step of faith. A step where I would not know any details of what was next. A step that would not make sense financially. A step of unwavering trust. A step of obedience.
I played out scenarios in my mind of how I would react if God did ask me to take that step of faith. While I like to know the plan, I wanted to think I had grown in my faith and I would step out boldly without hesitation or question.
The thought often replayed in my mind. Desperately wanting a change in my life, I began to hope that the Lord might ask me to take a step, but He was silent.
I started questioning. Was it really just a passing thought or did I miss the Lord? Was that initial thought actually a command and I failed to recognize it? In the past, when the Lord has given me direction, I have had an unmistakeable and unquestionable ‘knowing that I know’ what I am to be about. Had I somehow missed the knowing?
I wrestled with the possibility that I had somehow missed God. I was greatly discouraged.
Then yesterday, ahead of schedule and on the road to work earlier than normal, I was able to listen to Dr. David Jeremiah. His message was on fear and failure. Based on the life of Joshua, Dr. Jeremiah reinforced the truth that no matter what God calls us to do, He will enable us to do it. Our responsibility is to be obedient to the call, face our fears and walk in faith.
I thought of my own fears…my giants that cast big shadows. And my thoughts wandered to one of my favorite movies.
Facing the Giants is about a small town high school football coach who is struggling with facing his giants of fear, failure and walking out his faith. For me, the most impactful scene is when an older gentlemen, a man who walks the halls and prays for the students, stops by to encourage the coach. My paraphrase of the scene: The older man tells the coach about two farmers, who both desperately prayed for rain, but only one farmer went out to prepare his fields to receive it. Which one trusted God to send the rain?
I had a moment of clarity: it is not a matter of IF the Lord is going to ask me to step out in faith, but a matter of WHEN. I said I trusted God, yet I have not been preparing my fields.
So I need to get busy. I need to live like I am expecting the Lord to answer my prayers. The harvest is coming.
I need to prepare for rain.
If you carefully obey the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.
~ Deuteronomy 11:13-15