March 3 – THIS IS WHERE I AM!
New home, new relationships, starting over AGAIN, but this time with refinement, deeper intimacy, and more understanding of His grace, His love, His care, HIS TIME for HIS WILL, His perfect will! His assignment, His choice, His way, ALL for His glory. Not striving to attach the new to the old but walking into His Season! His way!
Isaiah 55:8-11 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
For ministers who are in a NEW season after decades of serving His kingdom and hit a “detour” (A detour in life is an unexpected redirection — something that wasn’t in your plan but becomes part of your journey.) “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
Not a setback but a preparation for going forward into what was not expected, thought of, or imagined. The preparation for a redirection. The route changes, but the destination in God’s purpose does not.
It’s not trying to reinvent an assignment already lived but walking into a new season of deeper intimacy for His Spirit to unfold what we cannot see. The hidden secrets of His plan and purpose to build His kingdom. Moses, Joseph, and others are great biblical examples. Times change, people change, places change, and seasons change! The years behind are a foundation, not a ceiling, a NEW opportunity for us to develop greater trust (faith) and understanding (vision) of His ways, which are so much higher than that which brought us to this place. I am not talking about fallen ministers that have broken covenant with the Holy God, Holy calling, Holy matrimony. That’s a whole different cup of tea! That sort of detour is self-inflicted and a whole different walk forward and not what my devotion is about. All I can say to those who gave place to the devil is your walk forward after being given much will require MUCH. If you were in sincere intimacy with Holy Father, you would NOT have broken covenant, ANY covenant. (Another message for another time) I am talking about the ministers who walked uprightly before the Lord and did not break covenant. No man is perfect! I am writing this devotion to encourage the seasoned minister who is stepping into a new season of change which requires deeper intimacy, refinement, and love for Him to step into THE NEW THING! (1 Corinthians 2:9). IT’S NOT time to be weary, sad, or defeated, but a time to focus forward, RETURNING to your first love, not your first assignment. God is NOT finished! I pray for you today for RENEWED PURPOSE. “I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten…” Joel 2:25 …. when you’re walking with the LIFE GIVER, you can expect to go forward, recover, renew, restore, revive, and regroup your day in His presence! Rekindle the FIRE! Pray MORE in tongues, PRAY HIS WORD!
Ephesians 3:20: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Oh my goodness…you should be jumping for joy!
Isaiah 43:18-19: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am (His Spirit) doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
