There is a key word in that last sentence, if you should choose to look for it: WANT.
In a roundabout kinda way, this is the reason for my post.
I have started reading a new book. I came away with .... let me see ... 4 deep books, as well as my favourite story, but the one that I started this morning, after feeling an urgent need to spend time in my Bible, begins with a chapter about resolutions, and the first resolution is about CONTENTMENT. It can seem like a scary word, and the authoress of my book assures her readers that there will be scary and challenging moments throughout the books pages, but she urges us and prays that we will continue with it.
In so many words, stop! Be happy with where you are, now. Don't think about the next hour. Think about now. Embrace your current, and those in it. Be happy with right now, and flow with the wave of time, don't try and outswim it!
I realise though, that for me, as a Christian woman, this contentment only increases when I am walking in step AND CONVERSING with Jesus. It would be so much easier to just read the Bible and not have to do the talking and listening part - that takes time, but God is never going to place us in a situation that we can't face, with His help. He's a mighty God, but He's Gracious and LOVING! At one time, I would have said that it is much easier to spend time praying and harder to read!
Whenever you get closer to the plan that God has marked for your present, and even more so when you are living it and have crossed the borders of fear and past failure to get to it, enemy lies start whispering into your ear. Two days ago, I began to wonder what on earth my purpose is here in Romania. I LOVE Romania, but for me to work efficiently and well, I have to have someone to translate for me and I wondered then how God could use me! Or rather, those thoughts were in my head, and I almost began to feel down UNTIL ........ I remembered that my Father assigned me this time to be here, these friends to be here and this work to do! So, yes, right now, my Romanian is less than fluent! But what better way to learn it than to spend time in the company of people who patiently repeat to me the correct way to pronounce, the difference in the grammar of this meaning of the word and that meaning in the word, and who, in the meantime, are happy to help me by either shopping or translating!
Part of my new found contentment is learning to be flexible and putting other peoples needs in front of your own, and finding joy in THEIR contentment!
SO, this morning, I think, (I don't remember as the days are so nice and long!), I was reading where I wanted to pick when God stopped me turning pages at Exodus 3! Now, we are teaching the children about Joseph, his dreams, and God's plans and it is fun to learn with them! But God wanted me to read ahead, and look at what I found!!
'Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn".
So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said '"Moses, Moses!"
If you will, please read back over that passage and note the parts in bold. If you want to read it from your own Bible, it's Exodus 3:1-4.
Do you notice something? I have read this verse many times, but never really paid attention as I knew the story, knew the outcome, from being a small child!
Today, I realised this: Moses had to turn aside from what he was originally doing to step closer. We don't read that the bush was blocking his path and he had to look at it, but rather, the suggestion is that he had to turn away from the route that he had planned to take, to meet with God.
Verse 4 says that when he turned away from what he set out to do and chose to step closer to the place that God had designed to meet him, he called to him! When the Lord saw that Moses was taking time from the human natural to pay attention to the supernatural, He interacted with Him.
Another thing that I have just realised after re-reading this, is that Moses led the flock to the back of the desert. God meet us in the secret, quiet place where we cannot boast and look like the Pharisees. He had a specific and important calling for Moses, but Moses needed to be in the secret place and God needed to see that he was willing to take the time to listen!
I found this pretty amazing and was grateful for this revelation! There are sometimes when I want to write a blog post, but the revelations are just for me and is God speaking to me, but this one I want to share, because it is a gracious conviction and a reminder of God's gentle nudge. But don't ignore the nudge!
Love in Christ's service and with His love,
Bethy xx
