Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
—PROVERBS 3:5–6
Many years ago, I was an attendee at a conference. It was a business conference, but the Christian leadership made it seem more like a revival than a meeting. A number of the speakers challenged us to pursue God like never before.
After one of the sessions I beelined it to the bathroom where a long line had already formed. When I finally reached an open stall, I realized the woman before me had left her conference notebook behind.
Not finding the owner in the bathroom, I flipped open the binder to see if a name was written inside, and the first handwriting I saw was the words “ministry to women.” At the risk of being totally nosy, I kept reading. Basically the owner of the notebook had written that this would be the year she would finally get intentional about pursuing the ministry to women God had placed on her heart.
As I read those words, I felt Jesus’ invitation, “Follow Me,” and didn’t hesitate to say yes. You see, in my journey to live completely with God every day, I have learned the treasure of expectation. As we’ve talked about in previous devotions, I ask God to help me live in expectation of experiencing Him; therefore, I do. It’s not that I go around getting involved in every situation around me. But I do ask God to make me wise and aware of which opportunities are mine. This day, I knew exactly how to follow Jesus completely in this situation.
The more we follow Jesus, the more we fall in love with Him.
At the risk of having this woman think I was crazy, I wrote off to the side of her notes, “I might be able to help you with this. Call me if you’d like. Lysa TerKeurst with Proverbs 31 Ministries.” I added my cell phone number and got the notebook to Lost and Found at the information desk.
Days went by, the conference ended, and almost a week later, I’d forgotten about the whole thing. And then the call came.
From the start of my conversation with Tracey, I could tell that God Himself had arranged this divine encounter. To make a long story short, my simple note was the confirmation from God for which she’d been fervently praying. Tracey and I were both blown away. Later, she sent me a note that said in part, “Just within the past week, after speaking with you, God has begun to open up doors like you would not believe. (Well, I guess you would!) Thank you for your obedience in writing the note and for being such an inspiration!”
My encounter with Tracey was yet another reminder that the more we follow Jesus, the more we fall in love with Him, want to obey Him, experience life with Him, and become a beacon of light to others through Him. It was also a reminder to keep on living out the command we find in our key verse: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
Do you feel a tug at your heart to live completely with God, but you are still uncertain about pursuing it? Why not ask God to reveal Himself to you in the coming days and confirm exactly what He has for you? The adventure that follows just might blow you away.
Will it be inconvenient? Maybe.
Will it cost you in ways that stretch you? Sometimes.
Does it force you to live life with a less self-centered outlook? Yes.
Does living to follow Jesus at every turn bring joy that you can’t get any other way? Absolutely.
It is the very thing your soul was created to do. It is the most daily way to discover your purpose in life.
Dear Lord, I want to know You, experience You, follow You, and obey You. Please reveal Yourself to me. Please show me how You want me to follow You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.