This week’s blog post is from our good friend Bonny Andrews. You can watch or listen to this message by scrolling to the bottom and hitting play.
Have you ever found yourself in a crisis, wondering how to navigate the storm? What if there was a purpose to these challenging times, a greater plan that’s not immediately apparent?
In this article, we explore this question and uncover a profound perspective shift that can turn your crisis into a launchpad for personal growth and spiritual depth. When you understand this, you’ll be on course for living in victory and not as a victim.
Life Isn’t a Fairytale
Genesis 26 begins with a potent line: “There was a famine in the land.”
Life isn’t always a Cinderella story; sometimes, we find ourselves in a famine or a crisis. This cycle is a shared human experience, and we might find ourselves either in a storm, emerging from one, or on the cusp of entering a new one.
The central question is: what do we do when confronted by crisis?
One of the most famous passages of scripture is Psalm 23. That chapter speaks to the valleys and the mountaintop experiences of life. Contrary to our preference for mountaintop experiences, the valleys genuinely shape us. The valley periods in our lives are transformative – where God communicates with us, where we are molded, and where we journey toward the promise.
Trust The Process
And remember, there’s no promise without the process, a truth that clashes with our instant gratification culture. Embracing this valley journey, although often challenging, is critical to building the character to handle the breakthroughs awaiting us.
Are you currently engulfed in a crisis? If so, someone might tell you, “Thank God it’s a crisis.” This might seem perplexing initially, but consider this: in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ also translates to ‘opportunity.’
There is an opportunity in opposition. Even amidst crises, there’s a promise for good things to come. This perspective echoes the scripture in Genesis 26, wherein the face of famine, God tells Isaac, “Do not go down to Egypt.”
As believers, we exist in this world but are not of it. Our decisions shouldn’t hinge on market predictions or immediate circumstances but should be based on seeking God’s guidance. We may reside in an era dominated by fast-paced trends and fleeting opportunities, but we must remember to pause and listen for God’s voice amidst the noise.
Our goal should always be to align with God’s plan, to secure the “God deal.” Whether it’s the right time to buy a house or any significant decision, the timing should be determined not by worldly circumstances but by divine guidance.
God’s direction to Isaac amidst his crisis is a vital reminder. Egypt, symbolizing the world and its ways, was not Isaac’s solution. Similarly, the world’s methods should not be our primary resort in our crisis moments. We must seek God’s face, making Him our first response in a crisis, not our last.
God spoke to Abraham, do not go down to Egypt. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you. That same promise holds for us today. God will be with you all seasons of your life.
Obedience is a blessing. Every time you obey, watch out for the gift that’s coming. God is going to do what He says because He is God. His promises are yes and amen.
Five Steps To Find The Voice of God
- What is the Lord speaking through the word of God when you think about this decision? Open your Bible. Start praying and start reading. When you start reading, God begins to speak to you from the Word of God.
- What is God speaking to you through the opening and closing of doors? You’re praying about the decision; what is happening? You see a closed door, and you see an open door. You know that open door means go, closed door means no. God is never trying to complicate things.
- What is the peace? What is the feeling that you have? What is your inner man’s peace or lack of peace when you think about this decision? Do you become anxious? There’s always a risk factor in obedience, but what I mean by anxious is the kind of anxiousness that prevents you from sleeping, the type that produces fear.
- What are the prophetic voices in your life speaking to you when you’re about to make a decision? Watch and listen for God’s word being prophesied to you. Maybe it’s through a preacher, or perhaps it’s through a random person that God arranges a divine appointment with. You don’t put prophecy on top because the most significant prophecy is God’s word, and prophets could make mistakes. If God has spoken to you the word, He will show up because He has to show up, and He is God.
- What is the level of agreement between you and your spouse? If you’re not married, between you and a mentor, between you and a person mentoring you, speaking into your life.
From Test To Testimony
If you want to have a testimony, you must go through a test and come out of that test victorious when you do that, and it becomes your story. It is your private testing that becomes a public testimony.
You will experience opposition. But, no matter what the devil does or what people tell you, you keep pursuing and going in the direction that God has called you to go.
You’re going to be fruitful. You’re going to flourish in the land. Not because I said it; God has spoken to you.
Prayer
Lord, give me ears to hear your voice and eyes to see your plan. Give me the wisdom and courage to obey what You ask of me. Create supernatural connections. Thank you for leading me into a season where I will be fruitful.
Listen to the message on our podcast – click here.
To learn more about Bonny Andrews and his ministry, visit his website here.