Hey friend. There is a verse that’s been leaping off the page for me recently. For some reason, it keeps coming up and I am unable to get it off my mind. I have felt the need to write on it, or share the insight via any medium I can because it is such a timely and ‘ in season’ message. Short and Simple, but crucial. Needless to say, the Lord knows how to get our attention and today’s the day I get to share it with you in hopes that it will bless you in some way, shape or form. I trust God to enlighten the eyes of your understanding as you read(or listen) and show you how you need to apply this message to your life.
But before we dive into it, I hope you are well. Sometimes, the urgency of a post makes me want to skip past pleasantries, but this is more than that. I really do care and hope that your soul, body and spirit is well. The first month of the year is already over, just like that. I hope and pray that you have been seeking the Lord, getting clarity on His will as well as divine insight and strategy for the plans He has to accomplish through you this year. If you haven’t, that’s okay, you can start now. God exists outside of time, so today is the next best time. Listen, God eagerly wants to be the director of your life, and believe me, that’s what you want too. We, as human beings, are way too shortsighted to leave our lives at the mercy of what we see. Thankfully, we don’t have to.
Today’s message pertains to aligning with God’s will for our life, consistently. It’s not a one time thing, hence the call to walk in the spirit. He wants to lead you. So let’s get into it.
“Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.“ – John 12:26
Jesus says in our anchor verse today, John 12:26, “Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.“ In the verse just preceding that, Jesus highlights that those who love their life in this world will lose it, while those who hate their life in this world(or care nothing for it) will keep it for eternal life. The context of this verse is important and says to me that being where He IS requires sacrifice, and a prioritization of His life over our own. Paul once said “It is no longer I live but Christ who lives me”(Gal 2:20), and that perfectly encapsulates the sacrifice we must make. Trading our lives in the flesh for that of the spirit(Christ living in and through us) is a non-negotiable principle as a disciple of Christ. The word ‘disciple’ literally means ‘a follower’. This is why there is a need for us to carry our cross daily, it is the prerequisite to following Jesus(Luke 9:23).
But let’s go back to our anchor scripture. What reallllly gets my attention in our anchor verse are 3 words – “WHERE I AM”. You might have picked that up already from the title, but this is so imperative because we know Jesus made no mistakes in what He spoke. And the present continuous tense used indicates that following Jesus is a continual thing. Meaning it is not enough to start with Him and then drift off. It is not enough to remain at His last location when He has moved on ahead. We must keep in step with Him, and FOLLOW Him in order to be where He IS at all times.This also means that we must be ready to pivot whenever necessary on a Word from God.
A very practical example in the scriptures that I’m reminded of is the story of King Saul. Specifically, when the Lord rejected him as king and chose David. Samuel, the prophet, was reluctant to move on with God’s choice. He was weeping and grieving over God’s last selection, he was still where God was (His Spirit on Saul), while God was calling him to where He is(His hand and spirit on David). It is where God IS that we get to experience His power in its fullness. Anointing is where He is. Fruitfulness and glory are where He is, and so is fulfillment. We must be ready to grieve our last stop and follow the Lord to our ‘next’ on His say-so.
In Colossians 2:6, Paul wrote “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.” This further emphasizes the need to make our walk with God a daily continuous process. Often, believers who are new in Christ start on the journey with a keen sensitivity to the directions of the Holy Spirit. It’s almost like there’s a fresh eagerness to be with Him as a new believer. Unfortunately, later on, many drift off thinking they can operate fully in the principles of God on their own. This is the reason we often see christian leaders who have done great things, preached great sermons and even performed miracles fall flat on their faces from great heights. While the gifts and call of the Lord cannot be withdrawn, you need to know that His anointing can be. So please, do not fall victim to the trap of trying to do God’s work without Him. Follow Him. Paul rightly equates starting new lives in the Spirit and subsequently trying to sustain it by human effort to foolishness(Gal 3:3). Why would you choose to carry such unnecessary weight? Use your advantage.
Here’s the thing, you have to know that the Lord does not desire for you to put anything He has given you in His place. In other words, His gifts to you ought not to become idols. The Lord desires dependence on Him, it is a father-child relationship that we get the privilege and honor of having with God. And the children of God are those that are led by the Spirit(Rom 8:14). Following Jesus will require your ‘yes’ to certain things- maybe uncomfortable and foreign spaces. And it will require your ‘No’ to any direction that does not align with His navigation. I guarantee you however that God is so intentional and there is a purpose for the route He is leading you on. His directions offer us protection and enable us fulfill assignments. We need His power to finish well, so we must go with Him.
While the gifts and call of the Lord cannot be withdrawn, you need to know that His anointing can be. So please, do not fall victim to the trap of trying to do God’s work without Him. Follow Him.
In the book of Acts(Ch 8), one of the many stories that fascinates me is that of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. The Angel of the Lord told Philip to go to the desert road. And then the Spirit of God led Him, by way of instruction, to walk by the carriage. That strategic positioning is what allowed Philip to fulfill his assignment with the Eunuch. In that encounter, the Eunuch gained understanding and got baptized. The assignment was complete, and the scripture tells us that the Spirit of God then snatched Him away to the next location where He had the assignment to preach the Gospel. The essence of highlighting this story is to make you aware that the Lord’s positioning is not only for your benefit, but others too. Because Philip followed the Lord’s leading, the Eunuch got understanding and baptism, and others received salvation.
Now for you, it may not be physical movements but what is the Lord leading you to do in your health? In your work? With your gifts? With your time? As a Christian, you don’t get to pick and choose where the Holy Spirit takes the wheel, no. Gal 5:25 says “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” EVERY part, friends.
Strive to be where God is.
Not where He was, or where He’s going to be, but where He is and where He is calling you to now.
May I suggest to you that the Lord is waiting on you to be where He is? It may be the last instruction He gave you, and perhaps He’s patiently waiting on your obedience. Or maybe you’ve stayed loyal to a past season while He is waiting on you to step into your new assignment. Maybe it’s even a new city- perhaps the Lord is leading you to the promised land but you are resisting Him because you’re not excited about the journey there. I promise you this: the safest place to be is in the Will of God. You will always have His backing in His will. Strive to be where He is. Not where He was, or where He’s going to be, but where He is and where He is calling you to Now. Don’t be left behind.
The safest place to be is in the Will of God.
You will always have His backing in His will.
I pray, that by the Spirit of God you have been able to receive this and understand. May the Lord give you the wisdom, power and desire to apply it to your life as it concerns you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
As always, I indeed love you with the love of Christ. Yet God loves you infinitely, and immeasurably more, and that is what truly matters. The Lord bless you and Keep you.
Catch you in my next blog post 💕
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