Are You the One

I am happy to celebrate one week as a blogger!! I know this is a little different than the first week of devotionals, but God placed this on my heart – and I want to share it with you!

Are you the one? Are you the one who will remain faithful and steadfast in adversity? Are you the one who will trust God to bless you where you are? Are you the one who will try one more time? Are you the one who will take the risk to trust God even when it seems hopeless? The only prerequisite you need, to be the one, is faith! Do you have the necessary faith to follow God? To trust God? If your answer is yes, you are in good company. I know a few people who trusted God in spite of what it looked like on the outside. Let me (re)introduce them to you:

Eve – We all know Eve as the one who was fooled by the enemy, and in many of the sermons I have heard over the years, Eve took a bad rap. But I would like to argue that she knew she had a purpose more important than her circumstances. She had to realize there was something else that needed to be done. I say this because it would have been easy for Eve to give up. It would have been easy for Eve to throw in the towel, after her son was murdered by his brother, or after the enemy came in and tempted her. The Garden of Eden was her home for goodness sake and she was evicted from it. She had every good thing at her finger tips, and in the blink of an eye it was gone. I’m not sure about you but I don’t know if I would have been able to hold it together. I can imagine Eve saying the old wise adage “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!” The enemy never got a second chance to fool her. But even after all of this, she did not waiver. She did not stop moving forward. Through the lineage of her third born son, Seth, we are introduced to Noah; who God chose to repopulate the earth after the flood. We have been told over the years that she was the one who was tempted by the enemy. I implore you to remember her, from now on, as the One who didn’t let the wiles of the enemy keep her down. The one who kept moving forward, in spite of her circumstances. Let us be as resilient as Eve – and be the one who didn’t give up.

Sarah – Was the one who didn’t believe God could bless her where she was. Almost one hundred years old, and barren, and here God is telling Abraham He was going to bless him with more offspring than he could count. Sarah couldn’t see that happening. She laughed at the thought of it! Sometimes the thing that God wants us to trust Him for is too much for our human minds to comprehend. How am I going to have a baby at 99 years old? How am I going to get out of this cycle of abuse in my home? How am I going to support my family on this salary? How am I going to fight this battle with addiction, cancer, depression, how is my marriage going to survive all that is coming at us right now? And it doesn’t have to be something big we are trusting God for…it can be as small as believing He can help us through a tough week – believing He can bring understanding to an ongoing situation. You must believe that God’s sovereignty is real. He can, and He will, bless you right where you are. He doesn’t care that no one else has ever been blessed in the way you are seeking after Him. He doesn’t care that everyone says it can’t be done! He doesn’t care that you have yielded to this same thing repeatedly – God is able! Stop where you are and invite Him into your situation – and see how He can move on your behalf. Be the one who believes God can meet you where you are!

Simon (The fisherman) – Was the one who gave it one more try! After finding himself fishing all night, to no avail, he finally gives up. Simon was at it all night and didn’t catch one thing! I can imagine how tired and defeated he felt rowing to the shore the next morning. Questioning himself, wondering what he did wrong. Then, here comes Jesus telling him to try again. Do you have the wherewithal to try again? I know this sounds crazy, because you have tried with all your might – but do me a favor and try again! Round-up your net and cast it again. When we find ourselves fresh out of willpower, we should say what Simon said when Jesus told him to try again, Simon responded “Yet if You say so.” Don’t say “but Jesus I know more about this than you and it’s not going to work.” When you find yourself at the point of giving up – and Jesus speaks to your situation, asking you to try again, all you need to say is “Yet if You say so!” Simon didn’t know he was on the edge of his breakthrough. He tried once more and took in more fish than his net could carry. Are you ready for this kind of miracle in your life? Well, if you are, you need to be the one who will look to Jesus and say, “Yet if you say so!”

The Woman with the Issue of Blood – Is the one who had faith greater than I could ever imagine! Here she is suffering – for twelve years; possibly living a life of seclusion because of the uncleanliness of her illness. She takes a chance and mixes among the droves of people following after Jesus. I wonder if she felt this was her last chance to be made whole? What if she touched the hem of His garment – and nothing happened? Obviously, it was a chance she was willing to take. This unnamed woman has given me more courage to take risks that I ever thought. What risks are you willing to take? Are you willing to be the one who steps outside of your comfort zone and take a chance at building your ministry? Are you the one who is willing to start that business you are so passionate about? Are you the one who is willing to go back to school, almost thirty-years later, to prove to yourself that you can do it? It’s risky, but It’s worth it. Reach for the hem and He will provide a way. What is also amazing about this story is that even with the multitude of people around Him, Jesus knew when someone touched Him with intention. No, it wasn’t just a brush up against the arm, or someone stepping on the heels of his feet – He KNEW His power had been released. Let’s all take a lesson from our risk taker – be intentional, God will notice. Reach for Him, even if it’s with bated breath, reach!

Are you the one, that despite it ALL, you are still able to see the forest for the trees? You are still able to row back out and try one more time – even though you failed repeatedly? Are you the one who will take the risk and keep moving towards God? If this describes you, press on! Be the one that God is looking for in these days – even when you’re the only one.

My Father – thank You. Thank You for being the most important one in my life! Thank You for allowing me to have access to You and Your promises. Thank You for loving me enough to see me through situations that seem hopeless, only to come out with a testimony of hope and faith – loved, blessed and whole. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.