What good is happening in your life right now? Is it hard to spot? Have you decided there is nothing good? That’s not a good place to be in, and yet, so many of us find ourselves there often. We get tired, rundown, discouraged and feel the weight of the world on our shoulders and fail to see the goodness of God in our lives on a daily basis.
Experiencing God’s Goodness Daily
God didn’t design us to live this way–a miserable life here on this earth. No, He wants us to experience His goodness every single day. David understood this.
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living.
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Psalm 27:13,14
David was confident that he would see God’s goodness in his lifetime. The land of the living is here, on earth. He wasn’t saying that he would see his reward in Heaven someday. He was confident he would see God’s goodness in this life.
A Rich and Satisfying Life
Sometimes we forget that God has good things for us in this life. We don’t have to trudge through this life sad, miserable, barely making it. We are not destined for suffering and simply surviving. God didn’t save us to make our lives miserable and full of despair. He does the exact opposite. Jesus had these words to say to his followers.
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
John 10:10 NLT
When a Christian is living a sad, depressing, empty life, that is not from God. That kind of life is from Satan. God gives us life, a rich and satisfying life. It’s a life we can enjoy right now, not just when we get to Heaven.
Jesus Has Overcome the World
Are there times when life is difficult? Yes. Jesus told us we would be tested and tried in this world and we would go through times of tribulation. But these were His words of comfort.
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 NLT
We are more than conquerors through Jesus; we are over-comers. That means we don’t sit around dwelling on the bad things this life has to offer and how it’s just going to be so much better when we get to Heaven. We live our life now–the life God has gifted us with.
Eternal life, then, is unending union with God. Many people have accepted the idea that eternal life begins when their body dies, and that their present life is therefore of less importance–it is a temporary life, they believe. But if we see that union with God is promised to us today, in this present life, then our perspective changes. If we are with God, then our eternal life begins now and will continue forever. The life we are now living with Him will never cease.
We live today in our relationship with God; we aren’t waiting to live with Him one day. That day is today, so let’s live like it. Let’s look for His goodness all around us and live a life that reflects His goodnesss to others.
Do you ever feel like you were created for something more? It’s the desire to do something great with God. You have this burning desire inside you to do something more, to create something, be a part of something greater than you. Have you ever gotten that itch inside, an itch that can’t be scratched? Sometimes it lasts a few days; sometimes it lasts a few years. Other times, it lasts a lifetime.
Those God-Urges to do Something Great
I’ve felt this urge so many times. The first time it got really strong was many years ago, before we had kids. Matt and I talked and dreamed about what God had in store. It was in that next year that we left the church we’d been working at for five years and went out on our own to start a church outside of Philadelphia.
The next time that urge came really strongly, our kids were all little. We were full-on in the kid-rearing years. We were raising four kids, all born within five years of each other. It was crazy and chaotic, and yet, I felt like I wanted something more. I felt like God was leading me to do something more. I did lots of journaling, praying, listening to sermons and reading books. Out of that time, this blog was born.
That urge would come back again a few years later when the bottom fell out, and we stopped getting paid at our small church for several months. When we did start getting paid again, it was less than half what we previously made. Urgency to be able to help bring in an income along with a desire to create led me to publish my first book, Red Rose Rising.
God Leading Once Again
It hasn’t surprised me then when Matt and I sat down together a few months ago and started talking about what God has in store for us next. I told him how I felt God working and moving again, and he told me how he’s felt the same. I told him how I’ve felt the “winds of change.”
That’s what I use to describe what’s happening when the ground beneath you isn’t quite as steady as it used to be. You start noticing things, small things at first. But those small things start adding up until you realize that something is happening. It takes a while to put it together, but then you realize that the Holy Spirit is working and moving, and things are starting to change.
from my blog post When the Winds of Change Begin to Blow
We’ve talked at length about we believe God is moving us to do and create next. And we’re so excited to see what he has in store! What do you do when that starts to happen? How do you know God is moving and preparing you to do the same, whether that’s an actual physical move or simply a new business venture, product, opportunity, or ministry?
It Starts in the Mind
In the Old Testament, specifically in the book of Deuteronomy, God started preparing his people for what he wanted them to do next. He was preparing them to actually go into the Promised Land after forty years of wandering in the wilderness. We can look at that example and see how God led them.
“You must destroy all the nations the Lord your God hands over to you. Show them no mercy, and do not worship their gods, or they will trap you.Perhaps you will think to yourselves, ‘How can we ever conquer these nations that are so much more powerful than we are?’ But don’t be afraid of them! Just remember what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt. Remember the great terrors the Lord your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use this same power against all the people you fear.
Deuteronomy 7:16-20
God wanted them to remember what he was capable of. He encourages them to remember. He wanted them to remember what he did in the past. He reminded them of what he did to get them out of Egypt. Why? Because that was how he was going to work again.
Time to Work
After God reminded them how he worked in the past, it was time to get to work. And it was going to be some serious work! God wanted them to go into the Promised Land and conquer the nations already living there. They had to go to war and defeat seven nations, living in their own strongholds. That’s a pretty heavy task.
Yes, God would be with them. Yes, He would give them the victory. But they had to do the work. They had to prepare and go to war time and time again until the Promised Land was theirs.
What does this look like in our lives? When we feel God leading us to do something, to create something, to start something? What do we do?
What’s It Look Like for Us Today?
We can follow the same example. For us, it looks like this. We look at how God has worked in the past. Matt and I take time to talk through and write down ways God led us in the past—how he worked, where he worked, what he taught us, and more. Then we write down what we believe he is leading us to do next. We do the research, reading, discussing, and whatever else we need to do before we can move forward.
Then we get to work. It sounds simple, but that’s often where people get stuck. They know God wants them to do something, but they never actually do the hard work. God will lead us and direct us, but he won’t do the work for us. We have to roll up our sleeves and do actual work. This is the non-romantic part, often the not-fun part. It’s way more fun to sit and dream and talk about what God is doing and how he is working than it is to actually do the work. But this is how God accomplishes his work through us.
If you’re in that place today where you feel like God is actively moving, it’s time to take the next step. Spend time praying, reading God’s Word, journaling, and remembering how he’s worked in the past. See where he is leading you now. Get counsel, make plans, research what it is God’s leading you to do.
Then, get to work. Do the hard work; put in the time. Take the chance. Build something great with God; create something amazing. Then watch as God leads you into what he has in store and allows you to do something great with him.
One Last Note
Notice I’ve been saying “do something great with God,” not for God. I think this is where a lot of us get messed up. God doesn’t need us to do anything for him. He allows us to do work with him. He’s not sitting back watching and waiting for us to build him something, create something for him. No, he wants to do a great work with us. It’s just like making anything with our kids. The finished product is not the most important part; the most important part is the time we spent building it with them. I think it’s the same thing with God.
It’s not about what we are actually creating; it’s the process of working with God. It’s the time we spend talking to him, dreaming, listening to his voice, and searching for him and his wisdom. Then it’s about working with him. It’s God at work in and through us, not about we can do for him.
For More Encouragement
For more encouragement, check out With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God.
