Walking Upon the Waters of God's Will

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

by Hillsong United

You call me out upon the water
The great unknown, where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep, my faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed, and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours, and You are mine

Get Out of the Way!

As I was taking a shower this morning and listening to my favorite Christian radio station (K-LOVE), God spoke quietly to my heart: "Crystal, I can work now. You got out of the way!"

I have been struggling with depression since losing my job recently, and have spent a lot of time sleeping. I didn't see how my husband and I were going to pay our bills without my added income. I also was not optimistic about finding a new job. However, the Lord challenged me yesterday to get up in the morning along with my husband, and to not get back in that bed during the day! It was difficult, and necessitated three cups of coffee, but God enabled me to succeed. I awoke this morning again with my husband, and I am just amazed at how much better I am feeling.

I'm not out of rough waters yet--it will take some time to establish a better routine. However, God has given me a more positive outlook. What did it take for things to begin to change? My letting go of bad habits. My obedience to the Lord, even though it was challenging. My getting out of the way, so that God could move and work!

A song was played on K-LOVE this morning that reiterated what God has been teaching me. It's called "In Better Hands," by Natalie Grant, and part of the lyrics are:

I am strong, all because of You. I stand in awe of every mountain that you move. I am changed, yesterday is gone. I am safe from this moment on. There's no fear when the night comes round. I'm in better hands now!

Contrary to what we may think and feel sometimes, God doesn't need our attempts to work situations out on our own. He often just wants us to trust and obey Him--and get out of the way so that He can move mountains for us!

Things to Be Thankful For

In no particular order...

My wonderful and hard-working husband; my loving God; my supportive family; my encouraging friends; a roof over my head; clothes to wear; shoes on my feet; a more mild day outside during this brutal winter; my cat; the Well; wisdom; a warm bed to sleep in at night; answered (and unanswered) prayers; food to eat; unexpected blessings; grace; the kindness of people; books; dark chocolate; Reese's cups; growth as a person; Young Adult Bible Study; photography; thoughtful gifts; safety; kind neighbors; coffee; good health; God's Word; the Holy Spirit inside of me; hope; perfect peace; writing; a hot shower in the morning; Netflix; Pinterest; the opportunities that I've had to travel; God's financial provision; music; comfy clothing; flowers; fragrant candles; mountains; beautiful sunrises and sunsets; fuzzy socks; laughter...and I will keep adding to this list. It helps to lift me up when I'm feeling down. :-)

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Learning to Let Go

Trusting is difficult. It means letting go. It means giving up control. It means transferring your confidence from yourself to another person--in my case, the other person that I need to rely on is Jesus, my Lord and Savior.

I know in my head that God is trustworthy. His character is such that it makes much better sense to put my faith in Him rather than in myself. God is sovereign; I am subject to circumstances. God is all-powerful; I am extremely weak. God is wise; I have very limited understanding. In light of this, why is it so difficult for me to let go?

I can think of several possible reasons--and all of them are upsetting. It could be that I don't trust in God's goodness. It could be that I am proud, and that I think I can do a better job than He can. It could be that I feel like if I "let go," my life will spin out of control. Or it could be a combination of all three! But it all boils down to the fact that I don't believe in my heart of hearts that God is who He says He is and can do what He says He will do.

God is bringing to light areas in my life where I need to "let go and let God." One of these areas is my search for employment. I need a job, and I need one soon! I'm doing my best to scour the internet and other resources for every possible opportunity. However, there comes a point at which I need to put the situation in God's hands.

For example, I am reviewing a possible nannying position. I have many questions: Am I capable of handling this? Will the family's schedule match up with my availability? What are the children like? Truthfully, I'm just plain scared. Scared to venture out into new territory that I have never attempted before. But should this keep me from moving forward, if I know that it is what God wants?

The Lord keeps bringing me back to a well-known passage of Scripture that is much easier to read and agree with than to actually put into practice. The passage is Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (NKJV)

 The meaning of this verse is made even clearer in the Message version of the Bible:

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the One who will keep you on track.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart. Not only do I need to trust God mentally, but I need to trust Him emotionally--in the deepest parts of my heart and soul. In this way, I will desire to put into practice the things that He is calling me to do.

Don't try to figure out everything on your own. How often do I attempt this? I want to know who, where, when, why, and how everything is going to work out. But what room does this leave for my faith in God?

Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go. I need to tune-out the constant flood of thoughts, worries, and what-if's that bombard my mind, and tune-in to God's still, small voice.

He's the only One who will keep you on track. If I "let go," my life will not crumble. If I trust in my God and surrender to Him, things will not spiral out of control. He is the only One who has the desire and ability to keep me on track, and He is the the only One worthy of my complete faith and trust.

I believe (Lord, help me overcome my unbelief! see Mark 9:24) that He will not let me down!

Looking Unto Jesus

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

It's amazing how the Lord can bring every aspect of my life together in one moment--to show me that He is in control, and that He has a wonderful purpose and plan for my future. I opened my Bible tonight to Hebrews 12:1-2, which is a favorite passage of mine, that encourages us as followers of Christ to fix our eyes on Jesus and what He has in store for us. Then He brought together my daily readings from 31 Days of Praise and Streams in the Desert in order to encourage me to stay on the course that He has prepared for me.

Father, I'm so delighted that You are both loving and sovereign, and that You cause all things to work together for good to those who love You, to those who are called according to Your purpose. So I thank You for each disturbing or humbling situation in my life, for each breaking or cleansing process You are allowing, for each problem or hindrance, for each thing that triggers in me anxiety or anger or pain. And I thank You in advance for each disappointment, each demanding duty, each pressure, each interruption that may arise in the coming hours and days. In spite of what I think or feel when I get my eyes off You, I choose not to resist my trials as intruders, but to welcome them as friends. Thank you that each difficulty is an opportunity to see You work...that in Your time You will bring me out to a place of abundance. I rejoice that You plan to enrich and beautify me through each problem, each conflict, each struggle...that through them You expose my weaknesses and needs, my hidden sins, my self-centeredness (and especially my self-reliance and pride). Thank You that You use trials to humble me and perfect my faith and produce in me the quality of endurance...that they prepare the soil of my heart for the fresh new growth in godliness that You and I both long to see in me...and that my momentary troubles are producing for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, as I keep my eyes focused on You. I'm grateful that You look beyond my superficial desire for a trouble-free life; instead, You fulfill my deep-down desire to glorify You, enjoy Your warm fellowship, and become more like Your Son. ~ from 31 Days of Praise

Every difficult task that comes across your path--every one that you would rather not do, that will take the most effort, cause the most pain, and be the greatest struggle--brings a blessing with it. And refusing to do it regardless of the personal cost is to miss the blessing. Every difficult stretch of road on which you see the Master's footprints and along which He calls you to follow Him leads unquestionably to blessings. And they are blessings you will never receive unless you travel the steep and thorny path. Every battlefield you encounter, where you are required to draw your sword and fight the enemy, has the possibility of victory that will prove to be a rich blessing to your life. And every heavy burden you are called upon to lift hides within itself a miraculous secret of strength. ~ from Streams in the Desert

Thank you, Dear Jesus, for loving me so much that you take the time to speak to my heart. When I am discouraged, you restore my hope. When I am downtrodden, you renew my purpose. And when I am daunted by my own weaknesses, you remind me that true strength is found in You alone. I love you, Father, and I want to follow your path for me, no matter where it may lead. Amen.