Taking a Walk
The Good Life Series
by: Gavin Adams
Watermarke Church
The Good Life Series, Watermarke Church
Next FunLovingJen posts:
"The Good Life Series"- Part 2: Maintaining Your Pace
"The Good Life Series"- Part 3: Whatever Your Do
"The Good Life Series" Part 4: On Purpose and for a Purpose
First, let's talk about God's Providential Will.
Jesus followers many times will pray, "God I just want to know where you want me to go," in regards to the direction to go with their life.
We think there is a Good God with a Good plan. When he won't tell us what the plan is it can sometimes erode our faith. Is God being distant? Is God not good at revealing the plan for your life?
We have to know deep in our hearts that God's personal plan for our lives is a unique plan meant especially for us. Importantly also, God's will is way bigger than ours.
God has 3 different types of will:
Providential Will- the directions your life will go in that God has decided for you without your permission
Part two of this series covers:
Moral Will- God wants us to live according to His word
Part three of this series covers:
Personal Will- what he will do in our lives
We have to remember that God's Grace is in all three and they are connected.
Then we think about Abraham. Many religions will agree, Abraham is the Father of Faith and just look at his life!
"The Lord had said to Abraham, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you." (Genesis 12:1 NIV)
Maybe Abraham said, "Where?" God would have replied, "I'll show you. Don't worry. I'll show you." This would frustrate some people, to not know where God wanted us to go.
"So Abraham went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abraham was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there." (Genesis 12:4-5 NIV)
When the Bible references the possessions someone had it meant someone had a Good Life. So Abraham was very well off. He stopped at many places including at the great tree of Moreh at Shechem.
"Abraham traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him." (Genesis 12:6-7 NIV)
In those days, people created an alter as a reminder of God's provision with stones. It was a way of remembering that God showed up promised
Is there a reason for God to not tell people the plan for their lives? Why doesn't God just tell them the plan to at least have clarity. That is what we want. Just knowing the plan is helpful.
Can't God just tell us, "Go toward the west." But, God is strategic. He is the definition of love, so why is He so vague? But there is a bigger question besides where or why...
Maybe God needed to just take a walk with Abraham.
What if God's personal plan begins with a Providential Walk? Where we don't know where we are going, we are just trusting God that He is with us.
Then we think about how Abraham's lineage leads to Jesus!!! But, before God could do something through Abraham, had to do something in Abraham. At every alter, at every step, His relationship with God grew.
God's personal direction always requires a personal connection and Sometimes we need to just take a walk with God.
Some people may be sitting with their arms crossed, looking at God waving to come to follow Him have their doubts. A connection with God always precedes God revealing His direction for your life.
So the first part is to take a step towards God, to start to follow. This is a starting point.
If you are not sure and have doubts, that is ok, pick up your doubts and take a step. Faith actually requires doubt. If we knew everything we wouldn't have faith. So doubts are ok, because we are not going to have all the answers.
The next steps is to trust God. Try to have less things around you that may distract you from your relationship with God.
For every obstacle we need to step over each obstacle. Are you scared? That is ok. Do you have curiosity? You must figure it out your obstacles or they will hinder you. Stepping is walking, and walking is growing.
Just remember: Life lived in the centered of God's plan is the best plan!
The Good Life Series
by: Gavin Adams
Watermarke Church
The Good Life Series, Watermarke Church
Next FunLovingJen posts:
"The Good Life Series"- Part 2: Maintaining Your Pace
"The Good Life Series"- Part 3: Whatever Your Do
"The Good Life Series" Part 4: On Purpose and for a Purpose
First, let's talk about God's Providential Will.
Jesus followers many times will pray, "God I just want to know where you want me to go," in regards to the direction to go with their life.
We think there is a Good God with a Good plan. When he won't tell us what the plan is it can sometimes erode our faith. Is God being distant? Is God not good at revealing the plan for your life?
We have to know deep in our hearts that God's personal plan for our lives is a unique plan meant especially for us. Importantly also, God's will is way bigger than ours.
God has 3 different types of will:
Providential Will- the directions your life will go in that God has decided for you without your permission
Part two of this series covers:
Moral Will- God wants us to live according to His word
Part three of this series covers:
Personal Will- what he will do in our lives
We have to remember that God's Grace is in all three and they are connected.
Then we think about Abraham. Many religions will agree, Abraham is the Father of Faith and just look at his life!
"The Lord had said to Abraham, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you." (Genesis 12:1 NIV)
Maybe Abraham said, "Where?" God would have replied, "I'll show you. Don't worry. I'll show you." This would frustrate some people, to not know where God wanted us to go.
"So Abraham went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abraham was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there." (Genesis 12:4-5 NIV)
When the Bible references the possessions someone had it meant someone had a Good Life. So Abraham was very well off. He stopped at many places including at the great tree of Moreh at Shechem.
"Abraham traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him." (Genesis 12:6-7 NIV)
In those days, people created an alter as a reminder of God's provision with stones. It was a way of remembering that God showed up promised
Is there a reason for God to not tell people the plan for their lives? Why doesn't God just tell them the plan to at least have clarity. That is what we want. Just knowing the plan is helpful.
Can't God just tell us, "Go toward the west." But, God is strategic. He is the definition of love, so why is He so vague? But there is a bigger question besides where or why...
Maybe God needed to just take a walk with Abraham.
What if God's personal plan begins with a Providential Walk? Where we don't know where we are going, we are just trusting God that He is with us.
Then we think about how Abraham's lineage leads to Jesus!!! But, before God could do something through Abraham, had to do something in Abraham. At every alter, at every step, His relationship with God grew.
God's personal direction always requires a personal connection and Sometimes we need to just take a walk with God.
Some people may be sitting with their arms crossed, looking at God waving to come to follow Him have their doubts. A connection with God always precedes God revealing His direction for your life.
So the first part is to take a step towards God, to start to follow. This is a starting point.
If you are not sure and have doubts, that is ok, pick up your doubts and take a step. Faith actually requires doubt. If we knew everything we wouldn't have faith. So doubts are ok, because we are not going to have all the answers.
The next steps is to trust God. Try to have less things around you that may distract you from your relationship with God.
For every obstacle we need to step over each obstacle. Are you scared? That is ok. Do you have curiosity? You must figure it out your obstacles or they will hinder you. Stepping is walking, and walking is growing.
Just remember: Life lived in the centered of God's plan is the best plan!
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