Dear friends,
in the world, there are so many levels of “authority” within all kinds of organizations. Starting from our workplace, everyone has someone “above” them, a manager, a supervisor, a team leader, a director – and whatever they do work wise, it is either authorized by their job title and job description and is even their duty, what they’ve been hired for or it needs approval / authorization by the person who holds a position on the next higher level… if you are working anywhere, you will know the game.
Even those of us who are self employed or even have their own company, their goals and actions and procedures are dictated by the market or by their customers if you will.
Assuming you are an employee on any level of the hierarchy within your employer, moving and acting within and according to your level of authority will gain you approval and appreciation of your leaders and being obedient to them will also help you gain their trust and you may well be the person they will suggest for a promotion… and if you want to expand your area of authority, you better do it in a way which will be acceptable to them or you will be in trouble.
Imagine you would be working in a place where there are certain restricted areas and you would move somewhere where your pass is not valid, into an area where you are not supposed to be?
I am sure you will agree with me that there will be repercussions awaiting you in that case.
With GOD, it is similar, only a little different.
HE is the only one not having anyone or anything above HIM.
HE IS THE MOST HIGH, literally the highest of all authorities in the entire universe.
Which means, you never, ever want to move outside the authority HE has given you!
It means that you will not be able to be authorized by anyone to do anything against GOD’s will – any so-called “authorizations” or permissions (look at the devil’s “do what thou wilt” for instance!!!) from any other sources are null and void and you are actually trespassing and breaching your covenant with GOD!
It also means that you may be punished for transgressing GOD’s laws.
And it can also mean that you won’t get anywhere with what you do.
This is even the least negative outcome.
But depending on how close you are with YOUR FATHER, HE will let you know that you are not going where you are supposed to go – and the closer you are to HIM, the “louder” and more clearly HE will tell you that you are in no-mans-land, outside of your assignment, as if you were working in your job but doing nothing which is mentioned in your job description…
Even though or perhaps because GOD is a mercyful GOD, HE won’t let you get away with overstepping the boundaries HE has decided for you – or not going where HE wants you to go.
And depending on how well you have already learned to hear what HE is telling you, it may take you more or less time to realize that this is what is actually happening in your life.
Let me explain what I mean.
And as usual, let me first emphasize that I am only addressing “you” because I write these posts for readers, but “you” includes me – every time, and I am not teaching, I am only kind of summing up what is also happening in my life…
So for instance, we have prayed and sought GOD diligently and asked HIM what HE wants us to do with our lives, what HE is saying our gifts are, our purpose is.
And then, we listen.
For a while… until we believe we heard something… and then we RUN!
We RUN towards the direction we THINK GOD is telling us to go.
But more often than not, we haven’t listened to the whole message.
We had been waiting to hear from GOD so much and in our perception for so long that we didn’t even bother to let HIM speak until the end…
THE HOLY SPIRIT is not shouting “run!” – that’s not HIS way of speaking.
It is the still small voice and when we are rushing and running and pushing, we will actually not hear HIM at all!
Remember the story in 1 Kings 19 when Elijah was running away from Jezebel and when he fled into a cave and when HE was looking for GOD everywhere…?
And GOD was not in the earthquake and HE was not in the wind and neither was HE in the fire…
1 Kings 19: 11 – 12
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
The still small voice.
When you went somewhere you thought GOD wanted you to go, was it the still small voice directing you there?
Or was it your mind or your ego screaming?
Me, I must say in retrospect that I sometimes ran after a thought, not an inspired direction from GOD – have you?
This could be a reason why we are sometimes stuck or unsuccessful in our lives.
It is not always the enemy keeping us from reaching a goal or a destination.
We may have missed agreeing on this goal with OUR FATHER.
Or we may have “forgotten” to discuss it with HIM at all….?
Perhaps you know what I mean?
Me, I am sometimes “so clever”, aka full of myself, that I believe I know exactly what others mean even before they can say it or complete their sentences, and I am even sometimes arrogant enough to think I know what GOD is going to say next.
How about you, my friend?
Guilty?
Or are you a diligent listener?
If you are, good for you!
It will spare you what happened to me a few times: I ran against a few walls and ended up with my nose bleeding more often than necessary.
Sometimes we think we know what HE thinks or wants.
And yet, we have not even the slightest idea, because our minds are not even capable to comprehend the mind of GOD, let alone understand or predict HIS way of thinking.
Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
Which means that we have to ASK HIM and that we need HIS explanations all the time.
If you want to live your life with and for GOD, you will not run around and do things on your own, you will be in constant contact and dialogue with HIM, asking about everything all the time… and if you don’t, it can happen that you miss the mark and fall on your nose.
Ouch!
Don’t blame HIM or get angry, it is your own fault!
I’ve been there myself many times and I really know what I am talking about.
It was when I fell flat on my face and asked MY FATHER what was going on when I understood that I had neglected to let HIM guide me and had landed in a cul-de-sac.
HE wants us to be completely dependent on HIM.
And many times, the journey is not going where we believe it is.
I’ve seen this many times – the next step or the next destination was not at all what I had assumed it would be, it seemed as if I was taking a detour, it didn’t make any sense at all – until it did…
GOD is not a man, you know – of course you know.
But what we sometimes forget is that neither are HIS ways and HIS ways of orchestrating our path… and sometimes it takes years to understand why something we thought HE wanted for us didn’t work and something else showed up and now, looking back, it all makes perfect sense, it makes much more sense than what we thought makes sense back then…
Does this make sense to you, my friend?
Have you ever had to take a road you perceived as a detour, had to endure an unnecessary delay?
Only to come out better in the end?
Well, you are not alone. Not only have I myself experienced it many times, but we are in very good and famous company!
Look at the Israelites many thousand years ago.
When GOD lead them out of Egypt into the promised land, they didn’t take the shortest route, in fact quite the opposite!
Perhaps there is a map in your bible, mine has one, but just in case you haven’t seen the route, here is a picture:
And it took them 40 years to get from Egypt to Canaan, not exactly the fastest route and not even everyone got there alive.
Some of them died in the wilderness for various reasons, but the reasons were all connected to not being obedient to GOD.
This is the most drastic consequence of moving outside GOD’s given authority, immediate death.
Not only is it possible that GOD HIMSELF will punish us with an untimely death for disobedience, but another reason may as well be that by moving outside of HIS authorized circle for us, we have also moved out of HIS protection and thus the enemy was able to destroy us…
Many times, the consequences will not be as drastic.
At the same time, it can never be recommended for us to do something or go somewhere unauthorized by OUR FATHER.
On the other hand, if what we do IS according to HIS WILL for our life, we will be unstoppable, invincible, successful, will be victorious.
Every.
Single.
Time.
There are countless examples in the bible where men achieved impossible things with GOD’s support.
What they ALL did is seek HIS face, pray and listen to HIM or to HIS angels when they were instructed to do something.
Me, I am planning to learn and to remember more and more to ask and listen to MY FATHER.
And that BEFORE I go anywhere.
Or at least when things are not working out, then listen to HIS correcting my course, HIM changing the destination on my navigation system to make sure that I will be headed in the right direction, that I will reach the destination appointed by HIM.
This may not be easier than running in the direction I think is the right direction and may not be pleasing to my flesh and ego as much as obeying, but one thing is for sure:
when HE has authorized an action or a destination or an assignment, HIS will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I hope and pray that this will inspire, heal and bless you. And that THE LORD will shine HIS face upon you, that HE will keep you and bless you in all areas of your life and bring you peace. In JESUS’ name I pray. AMEN.
Witness for Jesus 