Have you ever listened to a message, read a book, or watched a movie and couldn't get enough of it so you had to listen/read/watch it on replay over and over and over because it spoke directly to your heart and the season you're currently wading through? ...
I listened to this message by Steven Furtick for what seems like the 20th time this morning and I could easily rewind and listen to it again and again. It's just THAT good.
In the message Pastor Steven uses Elijah's story from 1 Kings 17 -- the one where Elijah prays for the rain to cease for 3 years and how God used Elijah's prayer to bring about a drought in the country of Zarephath; Elijah meets a specific widow sent by God whose son is dying because of the drought; God uses the widow to minister to Elijah, as He prepares Elijah to minister to her and ultimately heal her dying son, THERE. .. I promise the full story makes more sense than my quick rendition... if you'd like to read it for yourself you can do so here.
I believe God's point in 1 Kings 17 was to show Elijah (and us!) that He will find himself in places and seasons he doesn't expect to be in life, but to trust that God has him THERE for a purpose. Had Elijah not been in Zarephath at that time, at that specific well, looking for water from that specific widow, He wouldn't have been used by God to bring about healing for the widow's son. Elijah HAD TO BE THERE for all of this to play out the way God meant for it to...
Do you get where I'm going with this -----------------------------
Whether your "there" is that you've found yourself waiting for God to bring your significant other into your life and it's feels like it will never happen; you're working a 9-5 job that seems pointless and you're miserable; you're facing heartbreak and hurt over a broken relationship; or your longing/praying for something that seems impossible and there aren't many clear answers..
Like Elijah, we will all, at some point, find ourselves in seasons of being "THERE"
From the mouth of Pastor Steven:
"THERE is somewhere that you have to be.
It has to be a part of your journey.
You have to be THERE.
THERE you will see Him."
Friends, if this at all resonates within you, hear this truth --
God has you THERE for a purpose .. a purpose far deeper than yourself; far deeper than your own blessings and benefits. You aren't there out of coincidence, mishap, or chance. You didn't stumble there randomly. You are "there" for a DISTINCT REASON. He knew before you knew, that you would one day be there. It's THERE that He is preparing you for a deeper purpose and a higher calling. It's THERE that He is growing your faith and molding you into a vessel for Him. It's THERE that He is moving within you, ministering to your heart, so that you can minister to another who walks a similar path in the future.
He knows where your "there" is, because HE IS THERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment