Shelly A. Faust

I Never Needed a Passport Until I Got One

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Joshua 1-9

We’ve been talking about the different seasons we walk through in our lives, physically and spiritually. We’ve also discussed the importance of hearing and recognizing God’s voice. And two Fridays ago, I shared a personal story about some consequences of obedience and disobedience in my life.

Today, I want to sit down on the couch and share another story with you in hopes that your heart will find courage to do the thing God is asking you to do.

When we hear God speak with words of instruction, we get to choose how we respond.

When we delay obedience, we walk in disobedience. God may be trying to move us into our next season but unless we trust and surrender we will not enter. He will not force us to obey or make us do what He has called us to do.

About ten years ago I received a prophetic word from a prophet (who has also been one of my spiritual mentors) at a conference. He said I was going to travel all over the world and one day I would have a passport full of stamps. The hidden desire to cross the oceans leaped within me.

And then reality interrupted with doubt and fear.

  • I didn’t even have a passport.
  • Not only had I not traveled outside of the country, I could count on one hand the number of times I had been on an airplane.
  • Going overseas seemed scary and impossible.

You can probably guess I did not get my passport.

About a year later, this same prophet spoke over me at a different conference. His words were short and precise: Get your passport.

Over the next couple of years I did make an effort to pick up an application (or three) from the post office but again, doubt and fear won. It’s amazing how much dust a packet of paper can accumulate.

The same words were spoken over me once more.

Three times I received what I believe was divine instruction to get my passport and three times I did nothing (which, by the way, is disobedience). Coincidentally (or not), I never needed a passport.

But last December guess what I did? I filled out my application, drove to the passport office, smiled for a picture, and finally got my passport.

To say I’m a little stubborn or hard-headed may be an understatement.

Since getting my passport, I have traveled (upon invitation) outside of the country once already and have four (yes, FOUR) other international trips/invitations on my calendar over the next ten months.

In fact, next Thursday, I leave for Canada. It’s my very first time to speak internationally. I could not have accepted this invitation if I had not finally surrendered and stepped out of my comfort zone to get my passport.

When we hear God’s voice, we can choose to heed it and obey or ignore it and disobey.

I heard God’s voice.

  • I received a prophetic word and God confirmed it to me more than once (confirmation).
  • I knew in my spirit (inner knowing) that it was a personal word from Him.
  • It lined up with scriptures and another word He had given me in previous years.

For too long, I chose to listen to doubt and fear and walk in disobedience. I was afraid of what God would ask me to do if I moved forward. I was comfortable doing what was familiar and easy.

As long as I refused to do what God was asking me to do, I could not move into the places He was asking me to go.

I am reminded of Joshua. After Moses died, God told Joshua to “arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving them – the children of Israel” (Joshua 1:2). God was calling Joshua to arise and be established in the place He had planned for him, but he had to do something first: He had to go over.

Unless Joshua crossed over the Jordan, unless he left familiar territory, he could not have walked into his place of destiny.

From Deuteronomy 31:23 to Joshua 1:9 God commands Joshua to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid. I don’t know about you, but this makes me think maybe Joshua was a little afraid to do this new thing.

When Joshua made the decision to answer the call, he learned personally that God is a Keeper of His promises. He trusted God with his whole heart and stepped into his destiny.

God is always faithful. If He is telling you to do something, He will not ask you to go alone.

He doesn’t promise it will be easy. He doesn’t promise it will be comfortable.

But He does promise to go with us.

 

Let’s chat:

  • Is there something God has asked you to do that doesn’t make sense or seems a little scary?
  • Is He calling you into a new season? A season of unknowns and unfamiliar territory?
  • Does it line up with scripture? Has it been confirmed?
  • What is holding you back?

Scripture:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

 

To Obey or Not to Obey

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God's Blessings in Obedience are far greater

Y’all, it’s Friday! That is worth celebrating, right? Yes! :) So, how about another giveaway? This time, it will be a surprise! (Who doesn’t love surprises??) Everyone who leaves a comment today will be entered to win a surprise, Fall-themed gift from me.

On Wednesday, we discussed different Seasons of Nature and Life and talked a little about hearing God’s voice. Today, I want to continue on the subject of hearing God’s voice and also give you an example from my own life of a time God spoke to me and how I responded. I’m considering sharing a personal story along these lines here every Friday. What do you think? My purpose and hope is that your faith will increase and that you’ll maybe even find nuggets of wisdom and learn what not to do as I share my mistakes and/or confess my (gasp) disobedience.

So, we talked about the importance of recognizing prompts from the Holy Spirit and listed some of the various ways God still speaks to us today:

  • A still small voice
  • A confirming word
  • Scripture
  • A song on the radio
  • Personal prophecy
  • A strange coincidence (that isn’t really a coincidence)
  • Through other people (mentors, friends, leaders, pastors, strangers)
  • Dreams

The tricky thing about hearing God’s voice – no matter the avenue – is that we can choose to heed it and obey or ignore it and disobey. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably done a little of both.

Many years ago, I knew (inner knowing) God was asking me to lay some things down (volunteer obligations, ministry responsibilities, etc). Some I was quick to surrender while others, not so much. Among other things, I had been working for seven years as a ministry coordinator for an evangelist from Australia who also had become a spiritual dad to me. I could not believe God would ask me to surrender this, too, so I held on to it for several months (maybe even closer to a year) past its expiration date.

When we hold on to an assignment that is no longer ours, we not only miss out on what God wants to do next in our lives but we also prevent or delay someone else from taking ownership of their next thing (our old assignment = someone else’s new assignment).

During these months of trying to hold on to this place (old season) that no longer belonged to me, I was miserable. The grace I once had to do my job well and with much favor melted away in the face of my disobedience. Even the simplest task became increasingly difficult. I couldn’t sleep at night. Anxiety sat on my chest with crushing force. When I finally surrendered, peace and joy immediately returned. I was sad emotionally because resigning felt like (and was) a personal loss for me, but all was well once again with my soul.

God’s blessings in obedience are far greater than anything He asks us to give away.

Even when we don’t understand.

As I look back over this time, I can now see what God was doing. Not only was He moving me out of this place and into a required season of isolation before my next phase of ministry began, but He was also moving someone else into the position I left as part of her next phase. My exit created her door of entrance.

Our decision to obey or disobey not only affects us but also directly affects others.

We are all connected in this Kingdom-building mission.

And if I had stayed where I was, remained in an expired season (because we can choose to remain), I would not be where I am today. I would have missed out on a plethora of God-gifted relationships and connections all over the United States and forfeited opportunities that only came because I surrendered something good and trusted God to do something great. I chose to lay down the comfortable and familiar and follow God into the unknown.

We don’t always understand what He is doing, but He is a God we can trust. He is always good. He is always for us.

Your turn to share:

  • Has God ever asked you to surrender something you wanted to hold on to? Has He asked you to give something away as a requirement for leaving an old season or a prerequisite for entering a new season? How did you respond?
  • What do you feel is your biggest struggle in letting go? Fear? Comfortable/familiar place? Uncertainty? (We’ll discuss some of these over the course of this month’s conversation.)

 

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