Let Go And Step Forward

Are You In A Rut?

Charles Stanley says, “A rut is an open-ended grave!” God’s people who became slaves in Egypt prayed many years to be free. God eventually sent Moses to set them free. After a long battle with the Pharoah and all the plagues they were finally free after hundreds of years of slavery. It didn’t take long for them to begin to complain and blame Moses for leading them out of Egypt. They even said they would have been better off to stay in Egypt! Making bricks out of jay and mud! Being beaten regularly! In chains much of the time! It’s hard to imagine that however; we do the very same thing. Our situations are not quite so drastic but, just the same, we are in bondage. We desire things to be different but aren’t willing to let go, and step forward.

Change Is Not A Bad Word

Comfort. The word itself brings a sort of peaceful state – briefly. To some of us the word “change” is far removed from the word “comfort.”  We get really comfortable in our ruts (our open-ended graves). We lie to ourselves that we are safe there. The truth is we are in circumstances that we are familiar with, afraid to step out into the unknown. Imagine how many things in life that have possibly passed us by because we were “too comfortable” to step beyond the boundaries we set for ourselves!

Let me assure you, God won’t always force you out of your comfort zone. What He will do is invite you to trust Him enough to know you better than you know yourself, and to lead you into a far greater place – always better – always forward – always progressing.

It Takes Faith

The Scriptures tell us that faith is the substance of things hoped for. . .the evidence of things unseen. . . Hebrews 11:1

The problem is that sometimes our faith is not in God. It’s in ourselves, or our friends/loved ones, or our job, etc. We wait until we think we have a sure knowledge of what to do and where we are going.  The Bible, the Word of God, tells us to walk by faith, not by sight. . . So, that means we are to walk each day not by what we see, but as God leads us (by faith).

How do we do that? We talk to God in prayer. We read the Bible. We acknowledge that He knows what’s around the corner – we don’t. It’s about relationship. Our relationship with God, our Father.

Maybe it sounds complicated but it isn’t. It’s a matter of not being moved by your emotions, your reasoning, what your friends and family say, but by prayer.

God sees and knows our hearts (Psalm 139), He knows whether we really want to do his bidding or if we have no intention of waiting on Him. As we step out, God begins to direct us. We have choices in front of us. If we truly want to do His will, we will STOP, when we sense that tiny red flag jumping up inside of us. To ignore it means we’ve decided to do it our way. BUT, if we really want to do it God’s way, and in doing so make a wrong decision, He will give us a way out.

He sees our hearts, so He knows what our motives are, ie, He knows if we are making a decision because we really don’t know what’s best, or if we are just determined to do it how we want to. We can’t fool Him. He is merciful and wants to teach us how to hear Him.

Hearing God

Scripture tells us that we hear God! Yes! You do!

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

I didn’t say it, Jesus did. It takes time with Him in prayer, Bible reading, etc. As we begin to grow in Him, it’s like meeting a new friend. You don’t always recognize their voice at first, but as you get to know them, you recognize their voice right away. If you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you are His friend and you will come to know His voice. The more you listen, the more familiar it becomes. You will begin to decipher the differences between your inner voices and His.

HIS is the one to follow.