The Divine Interruption from Lessons From The Fire Series
“A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 CSB
Hey Friend,
Today will start our Lessons from the Fire series and I am so excited to share this with you. As I mentioned before, God continues to teach me many things about what it means to Walk Ignited. This isn’t something I have mastered by a long shot but one that I am striving to live more and more each day. Why? Because friend, it is the only way to live and thrive. God never meant for us to stumble our way through this walk of life. He has more in store for us if we will just look to Him each day. We can walk in victory because of what Jesus did on the cross. Praise Jesus!
Do you ever have a morning where you have so much to do that any interruptions will just be super devastating? That was me – or so I thought – on this one morning. Friend, I must be honest. It was the best interruption I could have ever received. Honestly, every “Interruption” I have received from God has been completely what I needed. He really and truly knows what is best for us and what we need. So, let me tell you the story.
It all started with a text that popped up on my phone at 7:31 am from my mom. It read, “If you are up, I want you to consider driving over to my house… I am in the backyard and want to share something with you. If you can’t, it’s okay.” My mind immediately tried to decipher what exactly she needed to share with me. It’s not every day I receive a text like this from her. What could she possibly want? Why couldn’t she have just called me? What was wrong? I was trying to respond back to her, but I was struggling with words. We had a full day planned and were moments away from leaving the house. I really didn’t have time to stop. After a session of tug-of-war in my heart and mind, I finally texted back and prefaced it with, “I just have a few minutes”, but that I would be at her house in about five minutes. Little did I know that her text really wasn’t a message from her after all.
As I pulled into the driveway and got out of the car, I made my way to the backyard where I noticed my parents had been cleaning up brush and tree limbs and had a brush pile piled up and a fire going. They had been outside working since daylight and were trying to get everything cleaned up before the rain set in. I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to hear. My mom started saying,“ God told me to text you…He just kept impressing upon my heart that you needed to see this fire…” Her words took a minute to register in my foggy brain. I was still lost in my thoughts of how I didn’t have time for this in the first place. But it’s amazing how God works. That day, God loved me enough to stop me in my tracks and teach me some very important lessons on what it means, and more importantly, what it takes to have an ignited walk with him. Friend, I want to share my encounter with a burning bush with you.
Lesson #1
Be available- God’s kingdom moments, either teaching moments designed for us or mission moments designed for someone else, will not happen on our timeframe. These moments will result in a sacrifice of our schedule and our plans but are absolutely worth it. How many times do we miss God’s kingdom moments because we are so focused on our own itinerary? I have many, many times. I’ve been told that I’m hardheaded and it’s proven to be a true statement. Proverbs 16:9 states that we can plan our course, but the Lord establishes our steps. Not only did I almost miss this lesson on my plans being diverted by God because he wanted me to be available to be teachable, but I also learned the second part of the lesson on being available. We will discuss it next week.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for diverting my plans that day. Thank you for loving me enough to show me that you have much more in store for me than what I could ever do for myself. Help me to have a heart that is available to whatever you have in store no matter what is on my agenda. Please help me to be more about you and less about me. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Dig Deeper:
“Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.” Proverbs 27:1 CSB
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding, in all your ways know him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 CSB
Reflection:
Do you struggle when your plans get interrupted?
How is God asking you to be available today?