[Translation: [French | Italian | Spanish]
It’s my joy to introduce two of my committed leaders Esan and Kim Edwards from our church in Montreal. Their life is a blessing and a testimony to many.
I hope you enjoy and share this post from Kim.
God is able!
I was sitting in my doctor’s office for a regular check-up. I had been on birth control pills for quite a few years to help my body get my monthly menstrual cycle. I spoke up and told my doctor that I wanted to get off the pill and see if I could get my cycle without being on it. My doctor looked at me and replied that she didn’t think that it was a good idea and that I would most probably not get my cycle if I got off the pill.
After leaving the office, I still did not want to continue ingesting chemicals for the sole reason of getting my cycle. I remember going for a walk, and telling God, “Lord You created me perfectly and for my body to function fully, I will get my cycle without being on this pill.” I decided to stop the pill from that point, regardless of the doctor’s recommendations. And from then on, I started to get my cycle on my own, without the help of a pill, praise GOD!
Real Talk
Are we always trusting and believing God for the best in our lives? Do we still believe that He is the same God that can change, shift and heal our situations and circumstances today? I would like to say that I have walked in this faith, certainty and determination my whole Christian life but the truth is that there were many times that I didn’t.
Circumstances around us may look unpromising, words spoken to us may be filled with doubt or fear, doctor’s reports may seem negative, but GOD! Notice that all these things are at our eye level, but to see God we must look up. Above everything we see with our natural eyes, above every negative word spoken, above every report. If we are looking up, we can’t be looking around us at the same time.
Fight or Flight
Let’s go to the book of Ruth. “In the days when the judges ruled,a there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab”. Ruth 1:1.
A famine in the land, shows us that there was a serious lack/shortage in their life. Notice it says a while, that means this was meant to be a temporary stay, which if you read on turned into a ten year/long term stay.
They left the birth place of JESUS, a “good” land to go to a place inhabited by many unbelievers. Never a good idea when we leave the fellowship of the saints and the place God has planted us in. We expose ourselves to the lies of the enemy.
During that time Naomi lost her husband and two sons. When she got word that the Lord had provided food in Bethlehem, she decided to return “home.” When she got there, women approached her and addressed her by name and “She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty.” Ruth 1:20-21a.
What is interesting to me is that she left the “good” land and it said she was full. Why did they leave? They saw lack with their natural eyes. They decided to take matters into their own hands and tried to fix their problem, while leaving a place of protection. Notice it doesn’t say that the Lord lead them to Moab but only that the LORD brought her back.
Naomi experienced a lot of loss before she was compelled to turn back “home”. What if they had never left and instead had trusted God to supernaturally provide for them in Bethlehem?
Ponderings
If there were no lack, shortage or obstacle experienced in our lives, would God be able to show Himself strong and bring about a change? No. Would our faith have a chance to grow? No. Those are the moments that we must learn to trust the most and keep our eyes focused on Him.
Feeling Stuck
One time, I was stuck in a lot of traffic due to construction and there came a point where a bunch of cars decided to turn to get out of the traffic. But if they would have held on a little bit longer, if they would have seen a little bit further, the traffic unblocked a couple minutes down the road and it was smooth sailing from there.
I thought to myself, a lot of us do that in life. We’re stuck, we’re frustrated, something doesn’t feel comfortable, we must wait, but all we want to do is take an easy way out. Some of those cars that turned around prematurely may have had an accident, some may have reached work later than usual due to that detour etc., simply because they didn’t hold on a little longer and trusted the road that they were on.
Pray This: Lord, when we see lack with our natural eyes, let us not move from the place You want us to be, but let us pursue and trust You more!
Trust the God of the Bible today, He is willing and able! [tweet this]