When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am El-Shaddai—God Almighty. Serve me and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants…What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful.” (Genesis 17:1-6)
This is not the first time that God made this promise to Abram, God had been giving this promise to him for many years. At one point, after waiting some time and not seeing it manifest, Sarai and Abram tried to make it happen through a slave-girl of Sarai’s. Since this was not God’s plan it just made things messy for everybody.
When Abram was given this promise, he was living in his father’s house with his family in “his” country. The Lord asked him to depart and leave all of this behind to take hold of these promises He had for him and Sarai. He left everything he knew to live into the promises of God.
One author , Maldonado, notes that we need to let go of what God has done in the past to enter into what He is doing now. He notes that if the environment of our revival stream that we have experienced has not changed for years, a new movement cannot be birthed and flow. He writes that “the Holy Spirit will not move in the now if you still live in the environment of the past.”[1]
By faith, Abraham stepped out beyond what he knew for the promises of God. But He did not do it alone, he did it with God and entered into the adventure of a lifetime. He learned how to navigate this new ground with God and through praying and worshipping creating ground to continually hear the Lord’s guidance.
What has God promised you? God changed Abrams name at 99 years old, letting him know that he was not done, but just starting a new era of fulfilled promises. What name does God call you by that reflects your future destiny? What vision has he called you to fulfill?
Sometimes you have to let go of the ordinary to step into the extraordinary.
I wrote this in my Bible related to the Feast of Trumpets. It says that during first day of the seventh month to have a holy convocation and do no ordinary work. It is a day to something different: to enter into biblical practices by faith and offer sacrifices specified as a pleasing aroma to God. It is a day to encounter God.
Do you have a day to encounter God? We need to set aside time that we refuse to make ordinary. No ordinary work, only holy moments. Doesn’t that sound inviting?! The Word of God helps us to launch from the ordinary to the extraordinary. It gives us the framework, history, testimonies and examples along with instruction, counsel and the promises.
It is the Word of God, either through direct counsel of the Holy Spirit or by His Word, as the Word is a manifestation of the Kingdom through Jesus that gives us counsel. It guides and takes us to new places that we know nothing about.
We see this with Noah, through the prophetic Word of God, when he received the vision and the plans for building the Ark. He had never seen one before or had any idea, outside of God how to make it. God unfolded and unrolled His plans by giving Noah vision and then instruction on how to build it.
Are we willing to seek and say yes to God’s plans?
I recently read a story I want to share with you that gives a beautiful example of how the Word speaks: Joel Osteen writes about a lady who had open-heart surgery. During the surgery, the heart is stopped and then restarted as the surgery is complete. For this woman, her heart did not restart. The machine and the drugs just did not stimulate her heart to beat. At that point, the doctor leaned over and whispered in her ear that he had done all he could and she needed to tell her heart to beat again. When he said this, her heart suddenly started beating.
The Word of God, empowered by the Spirit, is like this. It is like the whisper in the ear that causes our heart to beat again. It tells us about the promises of God for our lives. It whispers possibility. It invites change. It even gives examples of what it might look like through the stories of other people’s lives. And it paves the way with instruction, wisdom and counsel.
Just like the woman who needed her heart started, the whisper did not do it for her. The whisper lovingly suggested what could be and called it out. It invited her into it, letting her know that it was available now. And as there was an invite, the whole surrounding and environment was already prepared. The surgeon had everything ready.
In the same way, when God whispers to us through the Word of God, He has prepared for the invitation that He makes. He suggests it through His Word, like this doctor, steps back to watch the flow and the heart has to just say yes.
What has God whispered to you? What are some of the promises that He has invited you into? Have you said yes?
Ever wish you had a burning bush that would just direct you forward? Do you realize that you do in the Word of God? It is our burning bush that will invite us onto it’s holy ground. So make sure to take off your shoes and plan some time to sit before it. He will speak through it just like He did to Moses! Don’t be in a hurry or you will miss it.
Let it burn… burn away the doubts and disbeliefs. Let it burn away the fears about stuttering and not being enough. Let it burn away the old ways of doing things. And let it call you into the new. Let it invite you on an adventure.
And take up the staff that comes with it. What? Okay, I said it. Take up the staff of Moses. It is the thing that God gives you and anoints with supernatural power. Don’t be afraid to use it because it is designed to split the sea ahead of you. You will need it.
You are not meant to operate in the natural only. You need the equipping that He is giving you now. And just as Moses received this before the fire, you can too! Sit there with your shoes off and ask Him for it. What is He giving you?
You have a rod to pick up. It is anointed with supernatural power. Pause and think about that. God has not called you to operate just in the natural. He is shifting forth a NEW Kingdom that displaces the old, natural, kingdom. It operates differently and requires your dependence to flow in it.
Are you willing to let go of the old and step into the new so that you are not hindered by the old ways? If the doctor had left everything else the same on the woman and just suggested her heart restart, she would have died on the table. How many of us die on the table because we want to function in the old environment? We are not in the place where the new can flow freely.
What was of the past can hinder and constrain us. Ever felt this? When I was with my first pastor, I got to be involved with a powerful flow of the Spirit. I loved it. I adored her and loved to be part of her ministry. Then she died. While there was tons of grace and care, the season was over.
She had sent me to a new church when she became ill and could no longer minister. I knew God had that place for me but it was heartbreaking letting go of the old. I had to adjust to things being completely different. When I finally did, I loved it. I was entrenched in the new with great joy.
Then, with this church I used to attend, there was a powerful flowing revival for a time. It was amazing. I loved the place and everything about it. I adored the pastors. Then I felt God speak that I needed to leave. What?! I kind of knew it but didn’t want to know it. Ever been there? I felt God calling me out to beyond my church to experience revival but was really enjoying where I was at the time.
It took a few years and some struggling with Him closing doors before I stepped out. When I did finally plant in a place that I felt God clearly speak to me that I belonged there, it was not the same. Ever been there? Everything I enjoyed from the past (the fish and leeks) was not on the menu. I had to see what God had for me in the new. . It was a new place with a new anointing and a new season. Soon, I made friends and found common passion around being seeker passionate. I realize now that I didn't need the old fish and leeks anymore (learning about grace), what I needed was the now gift of a passion and wisdom around evangelism. This new church is perfect for me.
So I finally let go and moved on. It felt good and I greatly enjoy where I am now. I have have seen and have even more anticipation for God to move in many areas around me. I feel like there is still more around this season of the great harvest. He is doing something NEW again. I had a dream that God planted my church in every easily accessible location, including shopping malls. People were being discipled everywhere!
For all of us, God just may have this new vision and promise waiting. As we get into the Word, He will speak to us and share with us what we need to know. Like Noah building the ark, He whispers of promises that are for us and for now. Through His Word, He may be building faith and vision for it.
And we are never too old or too far gone. Abram made many mistakes in his journey of becoming Abraham. But as he kept seeking the Lord and holding to the promises he was given, he eventually got there. We need to be people who are not reluctantly pushed out of our places of comfort, but like Abraham, get up and press towards it enthusiastically.
At the same time, we need to remember not to press ahead of God like Abraham with the slave girl or Moses with the Egyptian. We need to do things God’s way and in His timing.
We need to lean into God so that He is leading and sustaining us. This is part of the journey. We can’t do it on our own or get there in our own strength. He needs to open the way before us and His Word is meant to guide us to hold of God’s vision for now.
Lord, open our eyes to behold the beautiful things in Your law. Let us see and hear Your voice today. Let our hearts start beating again for Your purposes and plans. Let us not live ordinary lives. Be the burning bush that guides us into the extraordinary.
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