We’ve got your daily encouragement, written by Hanna Winslow.
Bible Reading:
Esther 4
Word:
Have you ever known (the deep down kind of knowing in your spirit) you were supposed to do something, but you couldn’t seem to make it work on your own? Maybe it’s landing a job or putting God first in your finances, maybe finding a spouse or kicking an addiction- no matter what the thing is for you, we all experience that feeling.
My sweet friend Kasey and her husband, Chris, moved from Florida to North Carolina based on God’s calling. With her permission, I’d like to share their story.
Chris and Kasey felt the Lord was calling them to move to Charlotte since around 2015. In fact, they tried to move to Charlotte three different times, but each time their plans fell through. While they were living on campus at a school in Florida, the COVID pandemic hit. Suddenly, Chris and Kasey were forced to leave as their campus shut down. It was in that moment, Kasey said, that they surrendered it all to God.
Each of the other times they tried to move to Charlotte, they did so in their own strength. They lined up the jobs. They found places to stay even paid the deposit. They did everything they could within their own strength. However, it was when they trusted God’s strength and surrendered it all to Him that the plans fell into place, and God provided everything they needed along the way.
In Esther Chapter 4, Esther had just been promoted to queen. If Esther was writing her own story, I’m sure it would have been great to stop there- “Esther became the queen and lived happily ever after”. Instead, God called her to sacrifice her life and her newfound security by going before the king. Once Esther said yes, God worked out the details. If she’d said no or tried to do things her own way, the story may have ended very differently.
Saying, “Yes,” to God’s plan allowed her to be part of something miraculous. If Chris and Kasey had said, “No,” God would have surely raised up another couple to serve in Charlotte. They would have continued to be God’s children if they stayed in Florida, but they would have missed an opportunity to see God’s strength in action. Once they said yes, they experienced the miracle of fully trusting God’s strength. Their faith will never be the same because they saw God accomplish what their human strength could not.
Prayer:
Father, I believe that the things my heart longs for are by your design, but I can’t achieve them on my own. I’ve tried it long enough to know that I can’t do it by myself. I surrender my plans, my will, and my life to you. I trust you to order my steps so that my story will be an example of your strength! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Skillwork:
Is there an area of your life that you’ve tried and failed to change by your own strength? Instead of growing frustrated when your limited strength falls short, surrender to God. When you surrender to the One who has all power, He can do miraculous things through you.
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