Chasing God’s Blessing

Are any of you currently asking God for direction? I’m at the end of my contract with Waterbrook Multnomah, so I’m praying about what to write next. And it’s not just about which story—it’s about which characters will speak in the stories. Where do I begin and end the story? What biblical events do I include, and what historical events do I highlight?

As I’ve been searching and praying for direction over the past month, I’ve felt a little like a cat chasing a laser pointer.

I was beginning to feel a little discouraged until I ran across this Scripture:

“Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.” Exodus 20:24b

Go To God

That Scripture reminded me of a truth I learned from Henry Blackaby’s workbook study, Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. In it, he challenges us to,

 “Find where God is working, and join Him.”

It seems like a simple directive, doesn’t it? And it’s basically the same concept as Exodus 20:24b—wherever God causes His name to be honored, I should go, and He’ll bless me. Duh!

But How Do I Find Him?

But what exactly does it mean to “find where God is working” in a practical sense? How do I know where He’s working in order to choose my next book topic? How do you know where He’s working to choose your next used car? How do you know if He’s working in the direction of a new job or moving you to a new church?

Let’s go back to the Exodus passage and look at it in three parts:

1. God said, “Wherever I cause my name to be honored…”

Because my Heavenly Father knows me better than any other, He knows how to reveal Himself to me as no other. He’ll show me WHERE He’s working by disclosing an AH-HAH detail or a WOWZERS! discovery that convinces me a particular story is uniquely chosen for me to tell. In your circumstance, look for something uniquely tooled to capture your attention. He’ll reveal a special detail with His signature on it, and perhaps you alone will understand—but only if you’re alert and watching. It’s not about our ability to hear. It’s about God’s ability to communicate.

2. God promised, “…I will come to you…”

When we are alert to how and where He is working, we join His work, and then He promises to come and saturate the process. We will feel the pleasure and peace of His presence in the work. That doesn’t mean it will always be easy or pleasant, but we can at least know that we’re on the right path.

3. God added another promise to His presence, “…and bless you.”

When we take time to seek out where God is working, He confirms our obedience with His presence and then blesses the work of our hands. Our success will be measured in eternal fruit—results that last.

Can’t Hurry Heaven

God’s timing is seldom my timing. I’d like to send my new book topics to my agent so she can begin proposing them to WBM. But I’m not settled in my spirit yet. Will you pray with me?

• Clear direction as to IF I’m to seek another contract at this point.
• Clear direction on the two stories I’m considering, whether they are or aren’t “where God’s working.”
• Clear direction on the two key characters for each story.
• Clear direction on where to start and end each story.

How About You?

If you’re struggling for direction, please share how we can pray for you in the comments below. I’m so thankful that we do NOT have a capricious god that makes us chase a laser pointer. 😉 We serve a loving Heavenly Father, who uses our searching process to draw us nearer to Himself.

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”           Proverbs 8:17