“Now when the time drew near for Him to be received up again into Heaven, He proceeded with FIXED PURPOSE towards Jerusalem, and sent messengers before Him”. (Luke 9:51)
Another translation says: “It came to pass, when the days were near that he should be taken up, he INTENTLY SET HIS FACE to go to Jerusalem.”
Have you faced a time of knowing the pathway, and even though the journey would not be easy, you started walking in the direction of your goal?
We all face times where one season is ending and another is beginning, and grace for the way is only accomplished by “intently setting our face” in that direction. Transition is usually messy and we do our best to walk forward with what we’ve learned so far, and clumsily step into the new, trying to avoid delays or distractions. We are aware we have an enemy who wants to keep us where we are through fear or a refocus on the past. As we continue to walk in the new place, our footing becomes more sure, and our hearts, stronger.
Lance Wallnau recently posted, “Many of us stumble because we do not know when to ignore the crowd, turn our back on the popular trend and focus on the task, even the painful task that the Father has given us to do.”
In the passage above, Jesus knew He was going to suffer and die. Are we trying to move forward expecting only success and good feelings? If you have walked with the Lord for any length of time, you already know we learn the most valuable lessons through difficulty. We learn we can trust Him by needing to trust and lean the full weight of our cares on Him. The calling and purpose of our lives is valuable and impactful. I’ve heard that the weight of the call determines the journey we must take. We should expect victory, but victory comes after the battle.
In the living of our lives, we have times where we must “set our face like flint” and go forward strong with what we know we are called to do, not stopping to explain to everyone or waiting on others to join us. There are times we must turn our back on the crowd and set out in the direction of our destiny. Leaning hard on the Father, we can learn to walk in grace and power. We can be overcomers who follow the One who “has overcome the world”, Jesus.
Say with me, “We will not go back, we will not be distracted, and we will not give up in pursuing the call of our destiny for the sake of Jesus Christ. We will transition through this season and into the next, seeing Him open doors and hearing Him give precise direction. We will stand boldly and bring truth that transforms into the Church and the Marketplace and bring the influence of Heaven with love, peace, honor, and power. We will see lives changed, and one of those will be ours! And those days that are dark and it’s hard to find our way, we will go on as everything is just fine, because in God, it is.”
Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.
~Isaiah 50:10~
Amen!
Love & Grace,
Robin
From the desk by the window where the Christmas twinkle lights are burning bright on a cold evening.
(c) Sozo Life & Leadership, LLC, December 10, 2014
Sources: Lance Wallnau, Shirley Weaver
Robin Lewis - Speaker / Coach 