"From Challenge to Change to Courage ... God's Master Plan" for your Life!
Lesson 4
by Sharon Leaf
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| Istanbul, Turkey 2008 ~ strong, delicious hot turkish coffee! |
Part 1 ~ The love of Jesus
Throughout your life, have you ever been drawn to Jesus? If so, what brought you to Him? Was it a preacher yelling fire and damnation? Was it a friend (or a stranger) quoting Bible verses to you? For me, I was drawn to Jesus when I was eight-years-old because my Sunday School teacher always told me how much Jesus loved me (we even sang about it... you know...Jesus loves me, this I know...). What could I do but accept His love and ask Him to be my personal Savior. Since then I've heard just about everything that would 'turn off' the average person who was seeking truth. But what is truth? Jesus is the way, the Truth, and the Life but yelling, preaching and pounding is not the best way to show it.
When Rob and I traveled through Siberia for a month in 1992 right after Communism fell, our small team piled into an old Russian army van and drove miles over a bumpy dirt road, out to the countyside to visit a home for the elderly. Let me tell you, it was nothing like our senior homes here in the USA. We spent the morning visiting the old folks, just loving and hugging on them. We didn't speak the Russian, but they could not resist God's love flowing through us, and after we shared the simple gospel of Jesus Christ, more than 90% of them received Him as their Savior.
Later, as we walked down a dark musty corridor that led to the parking lot, I glanced in a room where an old lady lay on a broken-down bed. I motioned to our interpreter to follow me. As I sat beside the eighty-two-year-old babushka she cried, "I have been waiting for seventy years to talk to someone about Jesus." Then through my tears, I shared, "God sent me all the way from America for you to talk to me about Jesus." I knew at that moment that I was sent to that woman by the Lord. She made all the sweaty days and mosquito-bitten nights worth it. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16. That day, our team's lights were shining bright! How is your light doing?
Part 2 ~ Manager or Hoarder?
God wants to establish us in our field to allow us to rise to places of recognition so that His power can become clearer to those who have only known an invisible God. When people hear our testimony and see our outward blessings--a beach home in California, and now living on a lovely lake in South Carolina--they ask us, what is your secret to success? Rob always smiles and says, "It has to be God because I'm just not that smart!" Rob is being modest--he's very smart--but we always take the opportunity to share what God has done in our lives and how He wants to do the same for them. We have been tested through the years but even through challenging times, we have always chosen to dedicate everything we have to him and to tithe to God's kingdom.
Sometimes God moves slowly, testing our ability to see if we can handle more status. Part of the test is in discovering if we can love Him through the droughts, the emptiness, the unknown, and the non-support of others.
While you are waiting, know that He is watching over you, and that He cares. In His timing there will be provision. It doesn't matter where you are in life--a stay-at-home mom, a business woman, a single working mother, a famous beauty queen, an almost-famous author--God wants you to share your testimony right where you are, to draw those around you to Jesus.
Part 3 ~ God cares about the Small Stuff
"No eyes have seen, nor ears have heard... the things I have for you." I Corinthians 2:9.
Do you like to be in control? Most of us do. Life is about control most of the time. We think we're happy when we're in control. But I often hear God ask, "How much control are you willing to give Me?" Oh, my. That means I have to trust Him in every delicate challenge that I find myself in. I did that in the past, but am I willing to do it now? I ask myself. I can give Him the big tasks to handle, but can I give Him the smaller ones too? He wants it all. He really does care about the small stuff. Why? Because everything is small stuff in His eyes.
Part 4 ~ God has the perfect Master Plan for each of us
A new chapter of my journey began in 1987 when God brought Rob into my life, via the telephone (before smart phones were the rage). We were married a year later, then in 1991 our friends who were living in Sweden invited us to stay with them and go on a week's 'ministry trip' to Russia and Estonia. At the end of our two-week journey we felt that God was asking us to lay down a large singles ministry at a mega church, leave our family, and move to Sweden for a year to attend an international Bible school! Why would He ask us to do such a thing?
Our daughter Jacquie, who was pregnant with her first baby asked, "How can you leave with your grandchild that's on the way?" A close friend asked, "Do you have enough money to live in a foreign country for a year?" Good questions. A pastor on staff inquired, "Why do you have to go all the way to Switzerland?" I answered, "Excuse me, we're going to Sweden."
That did it! We knew everyone was concerned, but the bottom line was that we heard God speak to us. As crazy at it seemed, we made the choice to obey. Our intent was to receive everything we could at Bible school, then return to impart what we received to those who were hungering after God. But we were getting hammered on all sides. The elders didn't understand, so they informed Rob that he had to resign as singles pastor ... immediately.
Through it all, we stayed faithful to the call of God and by the time we left for Sweden five months later, God had supplied the money for school tuition and round-trip airfare. Love offerings abounded in our Swedish mailbox for the duration of our stay in Switzerland--oops--Sweden. And God smiled on me when Jacquie and our granddaughter flew over for Christmas ... the best Christmas gift ever!
You see, when you obey God's Master Plan, He will never let you down. That doesn't mean we won't have challenging times. I wish He would have given us all the finances first, but He waited until we made the choice to say yes to Him. That's when His provisions came, step by step. That's part of His Master Plan!
Has God ever called you to do something that was totally against the norm of your life? If yes, then encourage someone by sharing your testimony. If no, it's not too late. Just wait, and listen.
Istanbul, Turkey 2008
Part 5 ~ Learning to Listen
The more we walk under His Master Plan, the more we will be amazed at the results. Doors will open and chances to give God the glory will be ours to share. Being able to access the mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit enables God to guide us. I love it when the Holy Spirit and I work as a team.
But we have questions. If God is leading me, should I plan to go to college? If God is leading me, should I finish the online business class I started? With His leading, God wants us to use our abilities and resources ... our God-given gifts. When we use our mind to think ahead, the more ready we are to act when He shows us where to go. By working our thoughts through options and plans we can be more ready to respond as God to the Challenge that He directs.
I'll give you an example. In 2008 Rob and I wanted to go on a mission trip so we prayed for guidance, and then called the missions department at the Swedish church. When they told us of the upcoming Istanbul, Turkey missions trip, my first response was, "I'd rather go to Switzerland." But we made the Choice to say yes to Turkey. We had no idea what we would be doing once we arrived, but at each church meeting and home group, we saw that the leaders needed encouragement. The Holy Spirit gave us the words to speak over them, and when Rob preached at the Sunday service, we prayed for many who came forward for personal prayer and ministry. This is what I mean by listening to the challenge, then making the choice to act. When we accepted the Turkey Challenge, God gave us the Courage to act upon that Challenge.
Learning to Listen and Act is an Art. We want to learn from this Bible study how to grow these skills. It's not that hard when we follow God's Master Plan, in His perfect timing. The world around us notices. His plan is a perfect plan and has an awesome outcome. Sometimes we can't even explain it to those around us. Have you had one of those instances where you just couldn't explain?
God is appealing ~ God intended to make our faith in Him look appealing so that we can draw others to Him. By drawing attention to our worldly success we find moments to share the greater source of our power and abilities. God is glorified, and man is amazed! In what ways do yo bring glory to God daily--in your work, your home, your church, your community--so that those around you may see and be amazed? "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32
God has a plan for your life!
Listen, then act!
And remember, whether near or far,
Keep reading, and keep that body movin'!
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