If He Had Not… - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

If He Had Not…

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:23, NASU)

One of my recent Now Think On This messages was entitled The What Ifs. It has been one of my most read and shared ones. It is because we often find ourselves thinking about the “what ifs” in life, don’t we? But then, on the other hand, how often do we consider the “if He had nots” that I believe are just as important, if not more so.

As you look back on the road you have taken in life thus far, where would you be if the Lord Himself had not intervened in your life? What would have happened if His Almighty hand had not guided you to take that one specific step, or prevent you from taking one that would have had serious consequences?

During my first and only year of college (no degree here), I had become engaged to a sophomore who wanted to be an English teacher in Iowa. I wanted to be a missionary in Africa. As you guessed, the engagement did not last long. She wasn’t going the way I felt led to go. But two years later, I met the one who would be my life mate, and take the road the Lord had planned for the two of us, and yes, the kids and grandkids that followed. If He had not intervened…

I think back on that decision He led us to make when I left a well-paying, next rung-on-the-ladder VP job in Michigan in 1987. Moving our family then to the southern end of Florida, accepting a financial position with an international Christian ministry, was not the typical way to go for a 33 year-old with wife and four kids. Following that path had me help lead three ministries over the next 24 years with the administration and financial skills He has gifted me with. If He had not directed…

Where would you be today if you had married that one whom you knew deep down was not His choice? What would have happened if He had not sent you the wisdom of another, to give you scriptural advice in your decision?

If He had not closed that door to the one job you thought you desperately needed, because He knew you were to be at another, to bring His light into a dark place? Where would you be now?

If the Lord had not enabled you to escape that addiction gripping your life, whether it be drugs, alcohol, pornography, anger? What sorry state would you still be in?

If Jesus had not saved you from hell, your eternal life would end up there.

There are many situations that the Lord has not only protected us from, but even more so are the several times He has led us down the path of the narrow one. Those paths we have taken, knowingly and unknowingly.

For all those times when He intervened, He is worthy of our thankfulness and eternal love.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

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Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 02.20.17 - #276 – “If He Had Not…” – Monday 9:30 am

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Finding Grace in Your Season of Transition - J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA NEWS

Transition can be stressful, but it can also be exciting in anticipation of what new things God has in store for you. (iStock photo )

Finding Grace in Your Season of Transition

8/31/2016 J. LEE GRADY  CHARISMA NEWS

This week my wife and I packed our belongings and made the biggest move of our lives. After living in the Orlando area for 24 years we pulled up our roots and relocated to Georgia. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done because I'm a sentimental guy who gets very attached to people and places. Yet I found extra grace for this transition because I knew I was following the Holy Spirit's leading.

Counselors say relocation is one of the most stressful things in life—ranking right up there with the death of a loved one. It weighs us down because it's a huge combination of stressors—selling a house, buying or renting a new house, hiring movers, leaving friends and stepping into the dark unknown. Not fun stuff, in my opinion.

Yet many people who are reading this are about to step into a transition—or are already in the middle of one. I have taken much comfort from the fact that the Bible is full of people who were called by God to move. Abraham, the father of our faith, began his spiritual odyssey when the Lord said: "Go from your country, your family, and your father's house, to the land that I will show you" (Gen. 12:1).

Think about it. When God wanted to do something really important in the Earth, like start a new nation that would serve Him, it began with a relocation. Spiritual blessings often are not realized until someone moves! Moses had to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. David had to move to Jerusalem. And Jesus' last words to His disciples were about moving to foreign countries.

If you are in a season of transition, you will want to consider these guidelines:

1. Have courage. When Joshua was preparing to relocate the people of Israel to Canaan, God said three times: "Be strong and courageous" (Josh. 1:6,7,9). Moving requires a leap of faith, and doubters always get cold feet. Has God given you a big promise about the land you are about to possess? Don't be surprised if the devil tries to make you fearful. Take a deep breath, resist fear and forge ahead.

2. Take one step at a time. Moving isn't just one decision, it's a tangled mess of many decisions that can overwhelm you. You don't have to handle everything at once. The Bible says you are not on your own; you don't have to figure out your relocation plan by yourself. You have a Shepherd, and He is good. He leads you "beside quiet waters" and He guides you "in paths of righteousness" (Ps. 23:2-3). Trust your Shepherd's leading. He will make your transition peaceful; and He promises that "the steps of a good man are made firm by the Lord" (Ps. 37:23).

3. Let go of the old. When God wanted to bless Naomi, He told her to leave the forsaken land of Moab and move to Bethlehem. Her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth pledged to go with her, but her other daughter-in-law, Orpah, stayed behind. Orpah couldn't tear herself away from her culture and her lifestyle, even though God was visiting His people in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:14-16).

Sometimes when God calls us to a new place in the Spirit, we discover that we are hindered by many soulish distractions. You must love Jesus more than you love your comfort zone. It's good to have roots in a place, but you must never let those roots become stronger than your willingness to follow God anywhere.

4. Cry if you need to. A few days ago, after we finished loading every piece of furniture on our moving van, I walked through my house in Florida one last time and locked the front door. Then I sobbed in my car as I remembered playing with my young daughters in the back yard, hanging Christmas decorations on the shrubs and burying our family dog in the back yard. It's totally normal to feel sadness when we move. The best way to process your feelings is to let the tears flow.

5. Be open to God's detours. One important lesson I learned in my transition is that we must never lock ourselves into "our" plan. You may sense the Lord leading you to leave where you are, but when you begin moving to your new destination God may redirect you. The apostle Paul was heading to Rome to preach the gospel, but a shipwreck took him to the island of Malta—and thus he led a successful but unscheduled revival. Don't be so headstrong about your destination that God can't gently nudge you 15 degrees to the right, or take you on an unexpected detour.

6. Expect miracles along the way. When I knew for sure God was calling my wife and I to Georgia, we asked our friends to begin praying with us. I shared with them seven specific prayer requests, and the first item on the list was: "Quick sale of our house." Guess what? Our house sold in less than 24 hours—to the first people who walked in the door! Since then, all but the last request on my list has been answered.

Moving can seem like a chore, but if you invite God into the process it becomes a thrilling adventure. When the Holy Spirit says go, He goes with you. When He calls you to leave the old and step into the new, He pushes you to a new spiritual level. 

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. He is the author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe, Fearless Daughters of the Bible and The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, at themordecaiproject.org.

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