When you do not see God act

Let not this book of the law depart from thy mouth; Meditate it day and night, to act faithfully according to all that is written therein ; Because then you will have success in your enterprises, then you will succeed. Joshua 1.8

Do you have a vision for which you have prayed ? It's been a while since you've been waiting for it to happen and yet it seems you're not moving. I have good news for you today : it is not because you see nothing that nothing is happening.

God does not want you to be like a shooting star that disappears as quickly as it appeared.

I'm going to give you an example. In St. Louis, trees begin to lose their leaves in early autumn. Dave and I are amazed every year that a tree with so luxuriant foliage can look like a piece of dry wood in a few weeks. But this tree died only in appearance, for in its trunk and its branches the sap continues to circulate and spring forth from the following spring.

What if it were the same for you ? You may feel your dream is dead and nothing happens in your life. But this does not mean that God does not accomplish a powerful work in you.

If it seems to you that God does not act, begin by seeing if your dream is in agreement with his will and his Word. Jonah had been ordered to go to Nineveh, but he took the diametrically opposite direction. This is what we do sometimes: we try to get God into our boat, while his boat takes a completely different road.

Then make sure your motives are pure. More than thirty years ago, when God called me to the ministry, I was an immature Christian who still had a long way to go. I had a vision, but it took me a long time to understand that even though I was on God's ship, I was obeying impure motives.

I know from personal experience that it is not easy to see ourselves as we really are and to face our problems. But God can not realize our dreams so long as we do not let His Word and circumstances accomplish a work of purification in us, and thus allow us to progress. For my vision to come true and for our ministry to become what it is today, I have had to grow spiritually and accept that God purifies my motivations.

If our dreams do not take shape overnight, it is because many things must be settled in us before we are ready to manage the privileges and responsibilities that these dreams entail. And God does not want you to be like a shooting star that disappears as quickly as it appeared, because you would not have the strength of character necessary to assume your talents. He wants you to fully realize the visions he has placed in your heart.

It is not easy to grow spiritually - to let go of what God wants us to let go of, to die to ourselves, to submit to authority, to learn to obey, to understand that we can not do what We want ... But in the meantime - like Jesus - we are fortifying ourselves in spirit so that we can fulfill our dreams according to God's perfect plan.

A thought for today

God has a plan for you, but he must first prepare you. And when you're ready, your dream will come true.

Joyce Meyer

Source (The Thought of the Day)