Running ahead of Jesus

Have you ever been so excited for the next season or a promise that God gave you that you actually ran ahead of God? God speaks to us in a whisper, so if you get ahead of Him, you can not hear Him. If you ever find yourself in this place, here's what you need to do...

1. STOP right where you are and don't move in any direction, until you have assessed the situation and have a clear vision on where to go next.
2. EVALUATE. Ask yourself why you got ahead of God. Be honest with yourself. Were you impatient or were you pushing for your way and not God's way?
3. REPENT. This is not a bad word. It actually means to do an about face and walk the other direction of where you were walking. Tell the Lord you are sorry for running ahead of Him and ask Him to forgive you, then turn around and start walking back to His side.
4. CHOOSE WISELY. If you want your way, make no mistake about it - you will get your way, which in the end you will see is not what you wanted or at least not the way you wanted it. God's ways are always better.
5. PRAISE! Don't whine, gripe, or complain about the situation you are supposed to be trusting God for. Praise Him instead. Praise gets God's attention and expedites the process, because you are seeking Him and not things.
6. BELIEVE! Don't doubt what He told you about that situation. Put your emotions in check, so they don't get the better of you as you wait on God. Ask the Holy Spirit for help with this daily.

Now, some words of wisdom...

• God knows your heart's desires and He is always working ALL things for your good. Be patient. You don't want to rush His timing or force His hand. It has to be His way and in His timing. It's like baking a cake. If you get impatient and try to eat it before it is fully baked, you will not enjoy the undercooked part of it, and it may even make you sick.

• If it's a person you are praying for, God loves that person more than you do. He is crazy about that person, so you can rest in the knowing that God is working ALL things for that person's good, as well as yours.

• God can NOT work out your situation when you try to work on it yourself. You have to keep your hands off the matter and let Him be who He is. We forget that He is the indisputable, unmatchable, all powerful, Creator God. He created the whole world in 6 days, so what is your situation to Him? Remember, NOTHING is too hard or too difficult for God. With Him, ALL things are possible.

• Don't run ahead of God mentally, emotionally, or otherwise. This is where the enemy comes in to steal your peace, rob your joy, and kill your dream. This is where the old you rears his/her ugly head. Doubt and disappointment will become your new companions in this place, and you don't want them to be on this journey with you.

• Remember, God needs to be your #1, your first, and your sole focus. His promise to us in His word is that if we put Him first, seek Him first, above all things, then He will provide for and add blessings on you for what you are seeking. See Matthew 6:33.

• You must stay close to the Lord, for you do not know the way the Lord is going, or how He is going to work out your situation. In Joshua 3:1-5, we see the Children of Israel, about to cross the River Jordan into the Promised Land the Lord was giving to them. The instructions Joshua gives to the people are highly symbolic of our modern-day situations and issues.

1 Joshua got up early the next morning. He and all the Israelites left Shittim. They came to the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. 

² Three days later the officers went through the camp. ³ They told the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the promise of the Lord your God and the Levitical priests who carry it, break camp and follow them. ⁴ However, stay about half a mile behind them. Don’t come any closer to them so that you will know which way to go because you have not gone this way before.” 

⁵ Joshua told the people, “Perform the ceremonies to make yourselves holy because tomorrow the Lord will do miracles among you.”

The Ark of the Covenant is a typology for the Presence of God, which we now have in Jesus, through the power of The Holy Spirit. He is The One we follow today. Notice, the instructions were to stay a certain distance behind the ark, not in front of it, nor beside it. Jesus however, has a relationship with us, so we can in fact walk along with Him, beside Him. Sometimes, you may want to walk behind Him, especially if you are a little afraid to walk in the situation. You can hide in and behind Him. He is your protection and He does understand those times when you need to do this. However, He desires a relationship with you, so He wants you by His side, as you walk through the situation together.

So Dear Ones, NEVER walk, or run ahead of Him... Not even 1 step ahead of Him. Always walk beside or behind Him.