Step Out and Watch God Move!
By Lisa U Maki
I've heard several Christians say, "When I finally get the blessing that I am claiming from the Lord, I will start this outreach program"... or "I really have the passion to help the poor but I don't have the means for now."
Let me tell you something...
This will never come to pass until you make a move. God will only release His blessing when you take that first step of faith. Moses himself had to raise his staff before God parted the Red Sea.
God is our partner, and He therefore expects us to do our part, so He can do His part. His part is to stir you up to do something. Your part is to take that step of faith. So if there is something that God has placed in your heart... a stirring up... a quickening in your spirit, then you have to take those first steps and start moving.
I want to share with you a testimony that will further attest to what I am saying here. May this story encourage you and push you out of your boat so you can finally start walking on water.
A few years ago, God opened doors for me at the women's prison in the Philippines. I was regularly conducting Friday services as well as monthly one-on-one counseling sessions. That happened at a time when I was already in full-time ministry and totally relying on God for provisions. I didn't have any part-time secular job.
One Friday, after my preaching, these words came out of my mouth...
Since Christmas season is fast approaching, we are going to have a celebration with your family. (Most of them haven't seen their families for 5 - 10 years.) Each of you can bring a maximum of 3 family members.
They were overjoyed! When I and two other workers went back to our ministry office, Flor, my assistant, said, "Do you realize what you said during our service"? I then got my calculator and started computing. I was taken aback. "What did I do"? That's when I realized that it was the Holy Spirit who spoke through me. I couldn't have said what I said. There were 80-100 women in that group with three family members each: 100 x 3 = 300 + 100 = 400. We were going to feed 400 people and give a bag of goodies for each one. How are we ever going to do that? I didn't even have enough to feed ten people.
I started bombarding heavens. I told God: "Lord, You were the One who spoke those words through me so you are obligated to make it happen. You are not going to embarrass yourself here. I don't know how it's going to happen but I trust You".
I got my list of former clients (Kraft Foods, Hershey's, etc.) and started calling them up. I told them about our ministry to the women's prison. Most of them were shocked that I was even in ministry. The last time they saw me I was still the prideful corporate chic puffing a cigarette. I called some friends of mine who were working in big corporations. I mobilized all the connections that God has given me in the past.
Two weeks before the event and we still didn't have anything. We persevered in prayer and accelerated our faith. Then lo and behold!... I got check after check and goodies after goodies. Before long, our office was full of all kinds of food and other stuff that there was almost no room to receive it. With all the money we got, we were able to order packed lunches for all of them and we were able to buy toiletries for the ladies.
Let me itemize to you what God gave the women and the children:
A bag of candies, milk, chocolates, jello, cookies, tetra juices, etc. for each child; and
A bag of shampoo, soap, sanitary napkin, toothpaste, canned food, etc. for each woman prisoner.
For lunch we had a delicious individually packed meal of rice, meat, and veggies. We had juices for drinks and ice cream for dessert. We even rented a truck to bring all those bags of goodies and food to the correctional institution.
Other than these, God provided for transportation expense for the family members.
It was the best celebration I have ever witnessed in my entire life. Seeing the faces of the mothers with their children was so tear jerking. Seeing the faces of the children as each of them got their presents was something that money can't ever buy. The presentations of the children for their mothers were so much better than any performance I have ever seen.
Nothing of that kind was ever done in that correctional institution. Everybody there thought that I was the richest person in the country. I reminded them that I was simply a vessel -- an open vessel who sowed a seed of obedience and therefore reaped a miraculous result.
That was simply the beginning my dear friends. It opened doors for more support for the women. It opened doors for more ministry opportunities. It was a seed of faith that God rewarded with a beautiful marriage that I am now experiencing. It was a chain reaction that started with a step of faith.
So what are you waiting for? Don't just sit there and wait for things to happen. Step out and watch how God moves.
Lisa Maki is the founder of God'z Gurlz, a Bible-based online magazine for women whose mission is to is to provide a place where women can learn to manage their emotions, experience healing, receive love and acceptance, be free to be who God made them to be, and be the best they can be in their homes, schools, professions, relationships, and calling, through sharing of insights and experiences, counseling, prayer, and devotionals, thereby learning from and supporting each other. For more of Lisa's articles, visit http://godzgurlz.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_U_Maki Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6736456
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