I Should Have Said No

to my self.

When my self said, “You should write Bible studies and ebooks to raise money for Relevant.”

When my self said, “You can do this!  Just sit down and write.”

When my self said, “If you don’t, you won’t get to go.  Now get busy!

The truth is, my self can be a liar.

I have all these grandiose plans about writing Bible studies and ebooks and developing curriculum to encourage tweens and to challenge moms.   But the reality is, those are my plans.

And yesterday, it all came to a screeching halt.

Yesterday, my self was reminded of this verse {one that has been consistently popping up all over the place in my life but I was conveniently not recognizing as a word from the Lord to me}:

In his heart a man plans  his course, but the Lord determines his steps.  Psalm 16:9

My Lord said to my self, “I’ve got this!”

In fact, over the past week, the Lord has shown me again the powerful truth that He is able to do even more than we can ask or imagine {Ephesians 3:20}.  And I’m stepping back, moving my self out of His way, and taking time to listen.

I’d still love to finish the Faithful Bible study and I’ve got plenty of notes on my next two ebooks.   But right now, in this moment, I’m going to abide in Him, listen to His gentle whisper, and still my heart and mind to bend my will toward His.

What about you? Are you following your plans or listening for His?

{If you are in need of  a season of stillness, perhaps you will join me in revisiting the SLOW series I wrote this summer.}

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Counting the gifts of His “yes” …

  • Rest, deep rest, in my spirit from the freedom of obedience
  • Out-of-town friends for a Sunday lunch of leftovers
  • Conference sponsorship opportunity
  • Sharing a message I believe in
  • Reading aloud with my growing-up-way-too-fast girl
  • Encouraging words from an unexpected source
  • Celebrating the tenth birthday of our niece, 3-1/2 months post heart transplant!
  • The hard messages of Lamentations

Read the Psalms this summer with Scripture Dig!

Comments

  1. I heard a speaker this weekend talking about learning to listen for His promptings…good for you for hearing Him through the loud voice of our ambitions. Praying for you!

  2. The message in church yesterday was about God’s plans. God knows what I need to hear and when I need to hear it. As school is starting and all the stuff that goes with it, I was on the verge of saying “yes” when I needed to say “no” to many “good” things. I was reminded that I need to seek God’s will for my life, because he has the “best” things in store.

    • Oh Marci! Isn’t that a tough reminder? But such an important one. Praying for you as you begin your school year with no. 🙂

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