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Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Joseph's body remained in Egypt until the exodus to the promised land...
(AMP, Genesis 50:30, Footnotes)
I recently attended Joyce Meyer's 2016 Women's Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Guest speaker, Beth Moore, presented a lecture on the quests of God. Being on a quest, on a journey of any kind, is challenging. Being on a faith quest holds our interest in this life like nothing else can. It gets our blood up. It sets us to runnin' the shores of this earth. And God asks us His questions along the way:
What did you come out to see?
What do you want?
What kind of a house can you build for Me?
What are you doing here?
And, in turn, He wants us to ask Him questions: "Ask whatever you will in My Name and the Father will grant it to you."
Questions don't get much more loaded than these and quests don't get much more adventurous or difficult than the ones we go on for our God. He is the highest level we can find on which to live. Beth suggested that we all want "highs" in life, a series of exclamation points where we see the goal and the path there is a straight line. Easy. Clean. Uncomplicated. No fuss, no stress. And boring after a while. If everything we believed for were an automatic, we would lose interest. Mrs. Moore explained the actual path of our dreams, the desire of our hearts, is more like a question mark. God shows us the end point from the start, but as we go for it, it seems as if we are being led farther and farther away from the ultimate goal. We are walking the curve of the question mark of God and it seems the long way to get there. This is to grow our faith. This is to challenge us.
Enter in our questions of doubt:
God, did I misunderstand You?
Was I wrong?
Where are You?
This is impossible, isn't it?
This is where we choose to either sit down and give up God's best for us OR determine to keep walking by faith. Walking on water makes us very shaky when we look down. So look up. Look at your faith more than the natural and know that God is still God. He is doing it all through and for us, but we need to cooperate and believe and fight and continue for as long as it takes. We have a soul and we need to use it. We have a spirit and we need to employ it. We are not zombies; we are warriors full of personality and authority. We need His strength to break the line between the impossible and the possible. We need His guidance to round His question marks in life and not stray. He is an unconventional God and He will lead us in unconventional ways. He does NOT fit in our mind's boxes. He is very, very free and massively limitless. He teaches us, not the other way around. Therefore, we are not going to understand Him right away and this should humble us but never discourage us. He's got it handled and He does not lie. Keep the vision in front of you. He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, the Bible says. Diligence requires time and effort applied consistently regardless of circumstances or perceived reality. We all know reality can change. And positive shifts in reality take diligence; they take time and effort. Do you know what else requires time and effort?
QUALITY.
Do you want quantity or quality? Do you want quick or do you want lasting?
God is the Master Builder with full-on Craftsmanship and what He builds is high-end people. People of integrity, strength, honesty, and experience. People who will last FOREVER... This is what He does with us. We are a process more than a product here because we are a life, not a mere thing, in His hands. He knows how to treat us. But we need to trust Him.
I am the Lord Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service.
A quest is a mission. It is a calling--we are called out by God Himself to be loyal and to serve. HIM. We are supposed to go, where He wants and with whom He wants. It is written in our hearts and in our blood to Listen to Him... Individually. Personally. Privately. We have a purpose, a reason for being alive right now and it is tied to destiny with Him. This is a lifelong event and it does not come cheap. Until the exodus...until you transition into whatever it is that God has placed on your heart, do not ever give up. Jesus tells us His desire:
Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy over sacrifice.
Don't you appreciate that He allows us the time to learn what He wants? Be on your journey; be strong but merciful. He will teach you as you move. Be about your life's purpose, but be kind and love. There is only one you and you are needed beyond description here. You are expensive and hard-won because you are that VALUABLE. The world craves whatever God put inside of you to offer. If you give up half-way to the goal, half-way to the promised land, who can follow you? Where are you leading them? Be patient with yourself, but keep pressing ahead to the good things. Obey God's methods. Bend a knee to His timing. And never give up. No matter how difficult the trials are along the way, others are following you. Resolve that you will arrive for their eternal sake. Don't be afraid of the questions God will ask of you, or His demands placed upon you, or the things you cannot perceive yet--He will enable you to handle it all. He is the Answer and He will reveal it all to you as you transition. Until the exodus, ask Him your questions...
Where else are we going to go? He's got the keys to every door. And once He opens them--there is your exclamation! It will be JOY. So not only will you have the promise, you'll also have more faith, more trust, more experience, more character AND you will know God more. He is worth going the longer route.
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
You follow ME...