He Has You

We serve God at His pleasure and not our own. For many of us, the ministry He had us in for a time came to an end, and He put us into another. Sometimes where He leads us makes sense, while other times, we have no other option but to just trust Him.

It takes God’s power to get you in His will and His power to keep you there. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 NKJV).

We don’t have to understand His plan to be in His plan. It is more important that we are in the will of God than we understand all that He is doing. Part of your training is to learn to trust Him even when things don’t make sense. If He didn’t test your faith, then your faith would not grow.

God makes His best saints in the worst of circumstances. “My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be” (James 1:2-4 ERV).

The Lord has led me along now for many years on how I would serve him. Along the way, He started pouring into me many words through the Holy Spirit many years ago. And much later, the words that flowed formed into the writing He would have me do.

This outpouring from the Holy Spirit was daily and it never stopped, no matter what was going on around me. Though several years ago there was one day when the Lord held back for half a day. But early in the afternoon I got a word and was blessed in the lesson He had for me.

When God is silent He is teaching you to trust Him. “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” (Psalm 62:8 NKJV).

About a month ago, I went into the hospital for spinal surgery. I was fully believing that I would not miss a beat in hearing from the Holy Spirit and posting it online. The surgery went well, and they put me in my room. But my body was struggling and my mind was numb.

Don’t be bitter about the trials that God is using to make you better. “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]” (1 Peter 5:10 AMP).

I lay in my bed for some days, not even able to read the Word, pray or write. I stopped hearing from the Holy Spirit. For the first day in a decade there was a deafening silence from God. Oh, but when our faith is deep, the water may be still, but we know the river will flow once again.

Later, they released me to go home. For many days at home, I was the same, still numb in my mind, unable to read the Word, having little prayer and hearing nothing from the Holy Spirit. Now I was wondering, was my writing ministry coming to an end?

In whatever you are facing, trust that God will help you through it. “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:9-10 NKJV).

As I felt better, I got back into my patterns of devotion, journaling and reading the Word. I started praying more. But there was nothing from the Holy Spirit. After more than a week of this, I wrote a letter to God, wanting to know what He wanted me to do. Dare to write out your prayers.

I had written to Him these words: “I want to be a vessel. I want to be useful to the kingdom. But I want to be in Your will more than to be doing what I want to do.” I truly believe that the Lord measures our service more by what we are willing to give up than by what we are willing to do.

With Christianity, you’re either all in, or you’re not. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways.'” (Matthew 16:24 TPT).

Then I anointed myself with oil and laid in bed for a long time, praying for His leading in what He would have me do. Much later, the Holy Spirit began to pour words into me. The river flowed again. This happened after 21 days of silence. You are most blessed to be faithful even when He is silent.

Sometimes God makes us wait to see if we will. “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18 ESV).

In whatever God is calling you to do, trust Him with the details. In however God is calling you to change directions, be obedient in what He is asking you to do. In however you are not sure about your calling, go to Him in prayer and be willing to wait for an answer.

It’s not enough to pray for direction; you must go where He leads you. “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you’” (Psalm 32:8 NLT).

Blessings to you,

Paul Balius