If you're a born again believer, I don't even have to wait for you to answer that question. I know what you would say. I'm certain that your heart's desire is for God's perfect will and plan to be carried out, not only in your own life but in the lives of your family and friends as well.
You want to stand with them before Jesus on that great day and hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servants."
That's my desire too. I can hardly bear the thought of failing to finish the course God has planned for me. My heart breaks when I think of myself or someone I love completing this life only to hear Jesus say, "You missed it, child. You never did what I called you to do. You never fulfilled My plan." I don't know one sincere Christian who would ever want that to happen.
Sometimes we have to face up to facts. And the fact is, despite our good intentions, many of us are settling for far less than God's perfect plan. We don't mean to, of course. It's just that we're so busy with earthly affairs, that we don't give it much thought. We simply live from day to day, allowing our lives to be filled with the mediocre instead of the marvelous things of God.
I had to come to terms with that fact in my own life not long ago when I was reviewing the goals I'd set for the year. As I looked at the page on which I'd written them, one goal stood out from all the others. It was the goal of seeing myself grow spiritually.
I had wanted to achieve it so badly that I'd put stars and exclamation points around it, marking it as my number one priority. Yet when the year was through, I had to acknowledge that I hadn't done it. In fact, instead of moving forward spiritually, I had actually slipped back.
You see, following the will of God is like riding a bike. There's no sitting still. You're either peddling onward or you're getting off. And I realized that somewhere along the way, I had gotten off the track of God's will that year.
When I talked to the Lord about the situation, He revealed to me through the thirtieth chapter of Isaiah where I had gone wrong.
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: in returning to Me, and resting in Me, you shall be saved; in quietness and in trusting confidence shall be your strength. But you would not. And you said, No! We will speed our own course on horses! Therefore you will speed in flight from your enemies! You said, We will ride upon swift steeds doing our own way! And therefore the Lord earnestly waits, expecting, looking and longing to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who earnestly wait for Him.The moment I read that scripture, I knew exactly what to do. Number one: I had to stop relying on my own human resources and rest in God in quietness and trusting confidence, letting Him be my strength for a change. Number two: I would have to set aside some of my own plans and activities and give Him more of my time.
(vv. 15-16, 18 AMP)
It Just Takes Time
Do you know the Lord can change any situation in your life if you'll just give Him your time? He can change you; He can change your finances; He can restore your health; He can change your relatives; He can do anything if you'll give Him enough of your time! I desperately wanted God to change me. So I committed to spend my mornings with Him throughout the rest of the year. Little did I realize what amazing things He was going to do.
One morning not long after I made that commitment, I came to the church very early to pray. As I began to walk the floor in the silence of the dimly lit sanctuary, I began to call out to the Lord for changes - not just in my own life, but in the lives of every member of the Body of Christ.
As I prayed the words, "change, change!" suddenly my spirit was lifted up. I saw a vision of angels holding the sides of a scroll upon which was written the great plan of God for this time in which we live. I could see from their countenance the angels were burdened about something. And as they unrolled the scroll, they began to cry out in agony of heart, "Contend! Contend! Contend!"
The words rang out with such fervency, they wrenched my heart, and brought me to my knees. Soon more angels came from other places, joining the first angels in their cry. Their tears spilled onto the scroll, shining and sparkling upon it like little white lights.
As I watched the angels weep, I realized they were crying out for me to contend for the plan of God, not just in my own life but for the whole Body of Christ. I realized we all must contend for it. But we hadn't been! We had been sitting back in complacency. Instead of striving for God's best, we had relaxed and settled for far less.
As the vision continued, the scroll was laid flat and people began to gather around it. They knelt down and prayed over it, weeping for this plan to come forth. As they did, the plan began to lift up from the scroll. It began to come alive! When the vision ended that morning, the word "contend" was burning in my heart.
We Need God's Best
It has been burning there ever since. It's caused me to examine my life to see where I've fallen short of the glory of God. Do you know it's not easy to hold onto what is best? It's easier just to be like everybody else. But that's not what God is calling us to do in this hour.
Do we truly want God's best? If we do, then we must contend for it. We must set aside some of the distractions and busyness of this life and give God time. We must meditate the Word until we begin to glimpse the magnificence of God's purposes and plans. Then we must take hold of them with passion and pray...pray...pray! Even when our flesh cries out and says, "I'm tired...I'm hungry...This hurts.... Let it go!" We must keep holding on and saying, "No, I will not quit until I receive the blessing!"
Granted, it is not an easy, painless task. But if we will dare to take it on, we will surely see the glory and power of God. We will experience His best here on earth and afterwards hear the sweetest phrase Heaven can afford: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
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