IS GOD MOVING YOU TO WHERE HE WANTS YOU TO BE?

Acts 8:1b

"On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."

I wonder -- when everyone was running for their lives as a result of a "great persecution against the church at Jerusalem" -- if anyone remembered Jesus last instructions? Matthew 28:19 "...go make disciples of all nations...." Mark 16:15 "...go into the world and preach the good news to all creation..." or Acts 1:8 "...you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Rarely do we -- when we are in the middle of a crisis, disaster or run for our lives -- realize that God sometimes uses significant events to not only get our attention, but also to motivate us. Remember from our earlier study how God might use challenges in our lives not necessarily to teach us something, but to put us in a new place where we can fulfill His plan.

How quickly do you think the church would have spread to the surrounding regions without persecution? Without a high level of motivation the church probably would have stayed predominantly in Jerusalem and eventually become stagnant. Most of you have heard the illustration of a grasshopper placed in a jar with the lid on. At first the grasshopper keeps jumping, banging its head on the lid of the jar. Eventually it learns and doesn't' jump as high, so much so that the lid can be taken off of the jar and the grasshopper will not jump out of the jar. How do you get the grasshopper to leave the jar? You have to turn its world (the jar) upside down!

It is the same for us. Sometimes we can get so comfortable doing what we're doing that we don't realize the consequences or destination of the path we are on. We think everything is just fine. God knows better. Other times God wants us to grow or serve in another area -- so He speaks to us -- gently at first, eventually with greater emphasis. My greatest prayer is to have "circumcised" ears and heart, that I might hear God's voice, be sensitive to His will, and obey His direction -- without needing a major crisis or other potentially disastrous event to correct my course.

Not everything we experience in life has a clear purpose or meaning. You can make yourself crazy trying to understand why something happened and what it is supposed to mean to you or someone else. Sometimes things are beyond our understanding until after the event has occurred and we have the benefit of looking back. However, there will be other times when things just don't make sense from any point of view -- except God's. This is where faith kicks in -- when you are running for your life -- that is the true test of faith and is my prayer for you and for me -- "May we know the peace and love of God that surpasses all our understanding." Is God moving or motivating you right now? Is it time to stop resisting or trying to understand, and just let God take you where He wants you to go?

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