Beyond Now!

June 23, 2022

Beyond Now!

The Holy Spirit is ready to take you beyond where you are right now.  But, here is the trick; you have to be willing to take the path Jesus is leading you down rather than the path you are going down. 

Just before Jesus was arrested, He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Most of Jesus’ prayer was about the soul-deep struggle to take the path our Heavenly Father was leading Him down or to take the path Jesus wanted go down. 

In Luke 22:41-42 we hear Jesus pray; “Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.’”  Not my will, but Your will.  Not my path, but Your path.  Not my way, but Your way.

It’s difficult for Jesus to do something special in us and through us until we are willing to surrender our agenda, our paradigm, and our way to Him.  Oh but when we do, it is amazing how much greater is the direction Jesus has in mind for my life.

I encourage you to commit to God’s dream for you.  The Lord God has created you for a reason.  The Lord God has empowered you to do something.  The Lord God wants to take you beyond where you are now.

A few things are important.

First, take Jesus’ hand.  When you are not sure which step to take next, let Jesus lead you by His strong hand.  When you feel like you are falling and defeated, let Jesus reach out His hand and pick you up.  When you are discouraged or disappointed, let Jesus comfort you with His gentle hand. 

In Psalm 37:23-24 we hear; “Our steps are made firm by the Lord when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”   

Second, embrace God’s dream for you.  Engage your heart as you seek and strive after God’s dream for your life.  Engage your mind as you try to imagine God’s vision for your life.  Involve your hands as you remember you cannot do God’s dream for your life alone. 

God’s purpose living in you is so amazing that your dream will inspire life in and give joy to other people.  In Proverbs 29:18 we hear about the importance of vision.  The Psalmist writes; “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” 

Run with God’s vision for you.  Commit to God’s dream for you.  Be inspired by God’s purpose for you.  The people around you will come alive and then join you on the journey.  When that happens, their lives will be empowered and your heart will be filled with delight in the Lord.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug