Adventure With God

My mom was from a British Island, so she was an incredible swimmer. I remember following my mom out in the water till my toes could no longer touch the bottom. The moment I could not rely on my own footing was when I was ready to learn how to swim, especially if I wanted to continue to follow my mom. Following God can be the same. There are many things we do in our life that come naturally. At some point, though, that natural security is no longer an option if you want to continue in God’s will.

For me, with my mom, I remember the initial panic when I realized my toes did not touch. There becomes this debate to continue and swim or to turn-around for that safe ground. I even remember turning my nose up to walk a little farther out in the water, so I did not have to swim. How many times do we spiritually do this with God? Oh, we want to be out in the deep end, but we are not willing to advance or grow.
Reliance on God comes from allowing ourselves to go beyond what we are capable of doing. When you prepare your New Year’s action plan, be bold in your request to God. Write down words that seem foreign to you are flat out impossible for you to achieve on your own. It frustrates me when one of my students proclaim, “I pray that God makes me like you.” God does not bestow characteristics or mannerisms on us; we must develop them. All of us have those moments in our life where God has presented an overwhelming situation, and we must decide to continue or turn around and go back to what feels safe. Do you want to let another year move past you, or do you want to have an adventure with God and spiritually grow?
I can testify that there have been some scary moments when I felt overwhelmed, but when I refocused on God, I realized the feeling was a lie.

Photo by Noel Broda on Unsplash

Comments

Authority Given By God

The other day, God reminded me of a story. When I was teaching in the old mission building, my classroom was the library. I loved the big tables that we could join together as we discussed God’s word. Then I had to move over to the men’s side of the building and teach in one of the classrooms. It was your standard room with conference tables. At the time, I felt the setup cold as I was way upfront from the ladies “teaching.” My director permitted me to join the tables together to make it more intimate. Since I was having trouble with my legs, she told me I could leave the tables joined together for the guys to put the room back together. She forgot to tell the guys. One day, a man came storming into my classroom and yelled at me. “You will put those tables back,” he demanded. I looked up and slowly said, “No.” He screamed again, “Yes, you will.” I again replied, “No, and if you have a problem with that answer, you can talk with my supervisor.” The look on his fa...

Questions about Fasting Part One

Was fasting a foretelling of repentance and dying to self? Everything in the Old Testament Jewish faith was the "first to establish the second," meaning the religious acts were a foretelling to set up the death and resurrection of Christ. The practice of circumcision is not a sacred act anymore, nor is sacrifice. Why? Because in the New Covenant through Jesus, circumcision is now of the heart and not the flesh. The book of Romans reminds us that every religious act of the flesh has been replaced by living under grace through faith. So why are we continuing the practice of fasting for repentance or sorrow? Is that not an act of flesh? Do we not believe that if we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us? Why do you have to starve yourself to get God to move or hear Him? Don't we believe that He has heard us if we ask according to His will? Do you think God is motivated more by our acts of humility or our acts of faith? Does He not kn...

There is Life and Death in the Tongue

There is life and death in the tongue. In the beginning, God created man to be in authority. Since the fall of man, many now see any so-called authority in our words, as crazy superstition or demonic. By perverting the concept, Satan has us speaking negative words in doubt and unbelief. We are literally cursing our own destinies because we do not understand that from the beginning, words were used to create. Now, evil uses words to destroy with constant negative, complaining, and destructive talk. It is everywhere, and the church is participating. Jesus has taken all authority from Satan and returned it to His children. Being ignorant concerning precisely what the blood of Christ at the cross has restored to us, we are still declaring ourselves destined for illness and great sorry on this earth. Many have confused trials and tribulations as one’s lot in life, so we then do not speak in authority against it because we believe Sovereign God wants us sick and hur...

L. Kathleen Cline

Search This Blog