So Where Do We Go From Here?

So where do we go from here? It's a simple question really. One that is normally asked when we have reached a particular destination and need direction. It's also a question that I have asked several times while following after the will of God. "Lord, I know you have led me to this point, so where do I go from here?"

This question has been a dominating theme in my personal and church life. What do you do when you begin to experience things that are not a part of the "norm" of the church? How do you handle God revealing things about Himself and His Word that is contrary to what you have believed? How will we respond? Well...I don't know about you, but I'm going to abandon myself to the will of God. It may seem reckless to others but I have always tried to follow after the heart of God. This "abandonment" in my life has meant that I have had to change my thinking, my theology, and even go against some training...but it's an amazing journey.

I have also seen this thought process in others. It's especially true when they are challenged with ideas about their faith. Sometimes it reveals itself as a crisis of belief (did God really lead me here?) while other times it is just a question of "are you ready to move forward?"

Think about Israel coming out of Egypt. God has brought about a miraculous deliverance from slavery. Not only were they able to leave Egypt but they were able to come out with spoils. They witnessed the mighty hand of God come against the Egyptian idols. They watched first hand as locusts devoured the land, water turned into blood, destructive hail fall out of the sky, and the death of all the firstborn in the land. If that were not enough, they even watched as God parted the Red Sea so that they could escape the enemy on dry land. Then they came to the place of promise. God had said that He would give them a land flowing with milk and honey. However, they stood on the other side of the river in unbelief. This is the part of the story where I scratch my head. God could do all of those other things yet they did not believe that God could deliver the giants of the land into their hands. But before we raise up in condemnation of Israel, we have to ask ourselves this question: What is it that I fail to believe God can do in my life? Where do I go from here?

Has God been revealing some things that you have yet to enter into? Is there a promised land of equipping, blessing, or provision that you have failed to believe that He could actually give? Most of us wouldn't say that would we? We normally say that we believe God can do anything He chooses to do. He is Almighty and All-powerful. What we normally don't believe is that He will actually do it for us.

Psalm 78:41, "Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." The word translated "tempted" here means to put God on trial. Instead of believing His promises and testing His Word to see if it would work, they put Him on trial as if in a court of law. They did not believe God was able to perform His promises. They tried Him and found Him guilty of lying. Since they did not believe God's promises, they did not obey His Word. As a result, they found themselves wandering in the wilderness.

One of the unfortunate things about this whole story is that we have created a belief system that says it is God's will that we wander around in the wilderness as a way to build up our character. WRONG!!! God's will was for the children of Israel to enter into the rest of the Promised Land. It was their unbelief that sent them wandering around in the wilderness. This is where you have to ask yourself if you are willing to wander around in a wilderness of unbelief ready to accept something that is almost as good as what God wants to give.

Where are going to go from here? Are you ready to move forward with what God is revealing? Are you tired of wandering around in the wilderness of unbelief? Are you ready to have God's best? Be careful of anything that would try to distract you. There are plenty of people on this journey who did not experience what they thought they should experience and created a whole belief system on why God doesn't work a certain way. Abandon yourself to God - Walk in full confidence and faith in Him - Watch God perform His Word to you. He never fails!!! There is a promised land of abundant life waiting for you.