Bored with the Lord?

In the book of Isaiah 42:9, Scripture reads, “Behold the former things have to come to pass, Now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

Many have made this Scripture their own, allowing it a place in our hearts to believe God, looking past where we are, and trusting and seeing into the new. The old was good, and served a purpose in our lives, but the new is better. We must raise the bar of expectation, trusting and believing the Lord to take us beyond where we are into a new level of hunger, growth, and expectation.

Foundational teachings and trainings received in our lives have both been impacting and stabilizing. These have come from the Word of God, which is the foundation builder of our faith, Christ Himself being the cornerstone. Traditions are good, but those in and of themselves, of man, intermingled with the Word of God brings a mixture that can hinder, cause familiarity and restrain us from expansion in our lives.

We come to expect one thing, the “same old, same old” nothing more. We get used to submitting ourselves to the “regular” way that things are without question. Mediocrity, being average and like everyone else is not God’s way or His plan for us. His ways are higher than ours and we are called to rise up in His Name with distinction and purpose in this time.

Our personal relationship, our closet prayer time with the Lord is most important to Him and time invested in worship, fellowship, prayer and study, in the secret place. A quiet time in His Presence, where love is shared and fellowship is experienced. This relationship time will produce an abundance of grace, strength and peace. It will create in us a desire for more of His Presence, more of His Power and less of ourselves. John 3:30 reads, “He must increase but I must decrease.” Our life should be this single purpose and focus; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth and in me as it is in Heaven.

How many will honestly say they have or are experiencing stagnancy in their relationship with the Lord? A stagnancy in our relationship with the Lord affects our lives and those around us. A fresh flowing stream, which continues to move, has health and life in it. The fish, vegetation and water is living, inspirational and revitalizing. Its appearance, clear and brisk, signifies refreshment. Even the smell of the stream reminds us of something new and fresh.

Isaiah 43:19 reads, “Behold I will do a new thing, will you not be aware, I will even make a roadway in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” and again in Isaiah 44:3, “For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground.”

We find ourselves at places in life that require something new. A new move of God within, new flow of the Holy Spirit released into our lives, homes, families and communities.

Will we let go of the past and reach to the future? Living in the past gives us only a “past” view, looking ahead is a “new” view. Looking back hinders us from seeing forward. Our holding on to the past affects others, for we are all someone’s example. We need change; change that causes an uprooting, tearing down of the old and a building and planting of the new. We must not conform to convenience or complacency, we are the “ekklesia,” the called out ones, designed to make a difference every place we go because He lives within us.

My prayer is that we rise up, come out of the old; old mindsets and bondages, walk forth into the new. We need a “now” experience with the fire of the Holy Spirit to impact who and where we are. As we lay aside who we think we are, we become who He says we are and in Him we can do all things.

XPatty Scahill of Austintown is a conference speaker and author.