6So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Waiting on God to move in our lives can sometimes require every ounce of faith we have. We know His promises, we’ve embraced the vision He has shown us but our present situation seems nowhere in line with where we’ve been told we are headed. We are tempted to get ahead of God, to make some type of move to “help” God or to lessen the “discomfort” we feel while we wait. These are the times when taking our daily prayer life to the next level to include fasting, ensuring His word abides in us and we are in His will are so important to be confident that what we’ve asked will be done unto us.
I’ve been so tempted to return to the familiar as I continue to experience loss and no gain in some key areas of my life-employment, finances and relationships- to name a few. Man’s timetable would suggest that “I’m at the end of my rope. That my resources have run out. That I should pack up, go home, and prepare to die.” Reality is, that’s what the enemy has been speaking to me. Somehow he got it twisted-who I am and whose I am and that God’s word is alive and working in me. The evil one, the tempter got some bad information because he obviously didn’t know that much like my daily workouts in the gym, I have daily devotions in the word and I’m just beginning the 2nd half of my journey. As my anointed Line Sister put it, I’m heading into the 3rd quarter and I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.
This morning, God placed in my spirit, “Meet Me in Samaria!” Immediately it felt like the title of a movie. I googled “Meet Me in ?” and found that what He gave me was symbolic of the musical film, “Meet Me in St. Louis”, a story of the four Smith daughters who learn lessons of life and love, as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York. The story ends when the father, Mr. Smith announces that the family will not leave St. Louis after all when he realizes how much the move will affect his family. The story ends with the notion that all the love relationships will develop into marriage and everyone will live happily ever after as a result of not moving.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but God does not let us off that easy. I’m mighty afraid that more people have shorter life spans, and unhappy endings because they refuse to get out of the boat and refuse to take their witness beyond their “Jerusalems”. They stay there because of fear, scrutiny, self-reliance, family attachments, etc., etc. Some are willing to venture out a little to their “Judea” because it keeps them close enough to run back when times get hard, or close enough to stay connected to their past. I come to tell you today (as I’ve been told as well) that God is calling us to our “Samaria”! He has so much more in store for us beyond what our eyes can see and what our ears can hear but it requires a total dependence on Him! Our Samaria represents a further launch into the deep. It requires getting out of our boats of comfort, getting closer to Him and watching Him work through us in some very powerful “water walking” experiences.
Don’t be fooled to think like the movie film, that love won’t last in Samaria! A deeper love relationship is birthed when we lay aside everything to take up our cross and follow Jesus! I’m excited today and without all the facts just yet, I deny the temptation to turn back and I accept the invitation to Samaria. How about you? Will you stay where you are and die? I hope that you will prayerfully consider “Meeting Me in Samaria!”