I want to talk about embracing Jesus even when the process isn't easy. I hope Jesus meets you and encourages your heart. This is a testimony of what God has been working out in my heart...
Just for a little back story from me:
I grew up in Canby, Oregon in a safe home and with a great family. We lived in that house for about seven years and then my dad's job moved us to Bend, Oregon. The Lord blessed us there more than anyone could ask for and we were so grateful. We snow skied on Mt. Bachelor every weekend, and I took horse back riding lessons with someone who really challenged me to learn to ride. Did I mention, I LOVE horses!
Then the pruning season came…
My dad was offered a promotion and my parents started praying about a move to Kansas City. After praying for 3 months, my parents shared the news and I had mixed feelings. I didn’t want to leave my life in Bend.
In August we moved to a hot and humid Leawood, Kansas. We didn't
know anyone, and moving to a flat place with no mountains was hard.
About three years later my family began to feel the Lord move on our hearts about another house in Kansas City, MO. It was a short sale house and we thought we could buy it and renovate it. We prayed in the living room of this home and saw our future in this home. We moved into a rental house in June of 2013, after selling our house in four days. The circumstances looked pretty good until the bank decided to send the house into foreclosure.
Before I go on a bunny trail, I want to look at the main message I feel Jesus wanted me to write.
“Don't give up on promises God has yet to answer, completely. In the midst of waiting, stop blaming Him in the pruning season of that partial promise, but draw closer to Him in relationship, instead.”
I'd like to look at this through the example of David. The bible says, David was a shepherd boy who lived in the town of Bethlehem. Samuel anointed him and prophesied he would be King of Israel. At this time we know that Saul was not so focused on The Lord anymore.
Following Samuel’s prophesy, we know that David killed Goliath, served in Saul's courts, and became his son in-law. Things were looking pretty good for David until… Bam… The pruning season the Lord had for David arrived. Saul tried to kill his own son in law.
God had given David a promise, but David needed to be refined before he had the maturity to be King. David was soon running for his life not just for months, but for years!
But did David loose trust in The Lord? No. David prayed faithfully to God and believed that some day, God would fulfill that promise. We can see later, in The Bible, David became on of the greatest kings of Israel. He didn't avoid God when the testing got tough. I believe whether or not God fulfills the promise in the beginning, we can't give up on Jesus and we need to constantly listen to his voice.
My family and I are currently still living in the same rental house, 3 houses away from the one we have placed an offer on more than 1 year ago. We have been asking The Lord what he wants us to do in this season. We feel like The Lord wants us to pursue the house and keep pressing in for this plan that has yet to be fully fulfilled. We are asking God for redirection, if we have not heard Him correctly.
I was convicted that I was so focused on what Jesus had in store for me, I completely lost sight of Him. I believe God can give us a partial promise, bring us through testing, and then if it's his will, lead us into the end-zone. But in these seasons of testing I feel that we so easily give up in God when in reality those seasons are when we need him most. Jeremiah 29: 12,13 shows us how much we need him in every day:
"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
But for us waiting has been a challenge, "God why are you doing this?!? Don't you love me?" I think it's okay to be angry, and yet not blame everything on God. He may let Satan test you, but it doesn't mean He doesn't love you. I think the best place to look is in the book of Job.
"Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied.
“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face. The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1 NIV)
Wow..... As we can see, God can send pruning sometimes to test us and see if we are really holding on to Him. He is doing it because he loves us. He knows it's also the best for us.
One of the elders at my church made a video about this. I just watched it last night and thought it really fit with this post. I hope it encourages you!
God wants us to embrace His loving arms instead of pull away, to do our best, and let Him do the rest. I find when God prunes me, I draw closer to Him than I would have without it.
So when you are giving your speeches, and God may give you the partial promise, not giving you the full promise of breaking to a final round, don't pull away from Him. Embrace your Daddy's arms. Because He makes everything okay and He sees the end of the road and vision for you even when you can't.
Just wait on his voice. Love, Amanda
Written by Amanda Patton
