Stepping Out In Faith

When God Asks Us To Step Out In Faith

New in my faith, I walked through a large discount store, shopping for a new iron. I noticed a woman across the aisle from me. There was nothing unique about her. She dressed plainly and had no expression on her face, yet I took notice of her. I sensed God speaking to me, “Tell her I am thinking of her.” Immediately, I began arguing with God. Stepping out in faith is never easy. I said to Him, “Okay God, no, do you want her to think I’m crazy? What if she is not a Christian? Then, she will think I am hearing voices. I just do not think I can do this. If you want me to talk to her, then you will have to put her in my path again.”

A few minutes later, I walked into the ladies’ restroom. Guess who follows? Yes, the woman. I am in one stall and she is in the next. I again sense God telling me to tell her He is thinking of her. “God, I don’t think the bathroom is an appropriate place. I cannot say it through the stalls. If you want me to talk to her, then have her cross my path again, outside of the bathroom.”

Unable to find the iron I was looking for (you know the kind with good steam) my mom, sister and I head to another store a few miles away. On the way, I told them what happened to me in the last store.

Tell Her I Am Thinking Of Her

We walked into a fabric store, and as I stroll through the thread section taking in the rainbows of colors, I look up and there was the woman! Was she following me? Again, God says, “Tell her I am thinking of her.” I rushed over to my mom and tell her, “This is the lady.” My mom encourages me to talk to her, but afraid she will think I am crazy, I resist.

After twenty minutes of procrastinating, we are in the checkout line, and I’ll bet you can guess who was in line behind me! Loud enough for everyone to hear, my mom says, “Is that her?” If looks could kill, my mother would have shriveled and died at that very moment. My mom leaned over me and looked the woman directly in the eyes and proudly said, “God has been talking about you to my daughter.” Then she looks at me and casually says, “See, that was easy.”

There is nothing like being put on the spot, especially when at least five others are watching. I turned to the lady to explain. I told her, “I have seen you a few times today and each time the Lord has asked me to tell you He is thinking of you.” Instantly, her eyes filled with tears. She wiped her face and said, “I have been praying God had not forgotten me and I asked Him to tell me He still cared.”

Jonah

Jonah did the same thing. God told him, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2 NIV). So, like many of us would do, Jonah went in the complete opposite direction. He did not want to go to Nineveh, nor did he like the people in Ninevah. Jonah did the opposite and, in turn, God had him swallowed up by a fish. After three days, Jonah was spit out and given a second chance to do what God wanted.

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Jonah 3:3-5 NIV

Once Jonah did what God called him to do, I think even Jonah was shocked at what God did.

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 3:10 NIV

When Jonah went throughout the city, warning them of what God had planned for them, they repented. Did you catch that? They repented. Every revival begins with the people repenting. When they repented, God did not do to them what he had originally planned.

Now I wish I could say Jonah grew from that, but instead he pouted and got angry. He did not think the people of Nineveh were worthy of God rescuing them. The story ends with God reminding Jonah that He loves even those that we don’t. Throughout our study on Genesis, I repeated God can use any of us. No matter how far we think we have fallen, or how unworthy we feel, or how much we don’t want to do it, He can still use us. (Read more on Jonah here.)

Don’t Miss The Blessing

Unlike Jonah, when I saw the expression on the woman’s face, I felt both incredibly humbled and upset with myself. I wished I had trusted God and spoken to the lady the first time He asked. I know if I had not shared the message, He would have found someone else willing to step out in faith. I would have missed the treasure God had let me witness. He allowed me to watch an answer to prayer unfold, and I fought Him over and over.

Someone once said to me, “If you choose not to do what God has asked, He will find someone else and they will receive the blessing He intended to give you.” The blessing is not a monetary gift or something to bring you glory, but to see God move and be part of His plan. It is an honor to know God would trust you with sharing His messages.

Step Out In Faith

God rarely asks us to do what is easy. If He did, we would not need Him to help us through. God calls us to step out in faith. This was a lesson I needed to learn. It’s not about me and how crazy I may look or feel. It’s about God and the honor that will bring to Him. When you feel those “holy nudges,” I encourage you to step out in faith and do what He’s asking of you. You will experience a true blessing.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.“

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

Need Bible Study Tools?

Use code JENKNIGHTFITNESS to save.