Author’s Note: This is part of a 40 Day Lenten & Easter YWAP Devotional that explores self-sacrifice as it relates to the death and resurrection of Christ.
THE FINGER of GOD
My wife and I left Buffalo, New York on September 23, 2019 and arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona on September 28, 2019. We let Buffalo 165 days ago and we've been in Flagstaff for 160 days. Within a few weeks of living here, we attended a Sunday Service at Church For The Nations Flagstaff. On the first day we were there, someone asked us what brought us to Flagstaff? At the same exact second in time, both my wife and I said, "God!"
There are times in life when your personal desires line up with God's plans. We knew someday that we wanted to live in Arizona, but only when the time was right. My wife and I are the Directors of Youth With A Purpose which God founded in Buffalo almost 20 years ago. Linda lived Arizona for over 40 years before God brought us together. You can read our love story here - "A Mountain, The Cross & Our Love Story." When folks asked us if we would someday move to Arizona, our reply was always the same, "When we're done doing what God wants us to do in Buffalo, then we'll be free to move."
There have been several moves in my life where I've recognized God's hand in the pre-move planning. It helps to record the number of years and days because messages can be strewn out over extended time periods in our lives. On one Sunday evening after a church service, a friend randomly said to me, "Hey if you ever need a place to stay, I've got an apartment for you." I remember thinking that it was an odd statement because I had a place to stay. Within two weeks my life turned upside down and I found myself needing a place to stay. In another instance on a Sunday morning as I was reading my Bible, my body got up and went to the cupboards and started packing the contents. I stood there dumbfounded as my brain didn't make the decision to do this, my body moved without any direction from my mind. Within about 30 days I had moved again. We need to be prepared for a move of God at all times.
God has sent me many messages over the years in many ways. He gives me alerts when something big is on the horizon. He also connects visions that may be ten or more years apart from each other. About a year before we moved to Flagstaff, God began to drop heart-nuggets on me that simply said, "Be prepared to move." I took that seriously based upon my history of receiving God's moving messages.
The Buffalo Ministry of YWAP is safely and vibrantly reaching young people through a great team at The Bread of Life. We no longer need to physically be there. For several years, Linda and I have been spending a month or so in Arizona during Buffalo's coldest months. Last year as I was hiking on a mountain, from my phone I was writing curriculum, sending emails and texting messages to the YWAP Buffalo Leadership. When I put my phone back in my pocket a great big smile creased my face. God dropped another heart-nugget on me that said, "You're running a ministry from the top of a mountain!
Linda and I decided to check out some houses for sale in areas we would like to live. A friend who is a real estate broker suggested we talk to a mortgage broker to get pre-qualified. Being a former real estate broker myself, I knew this process would give us any answers. After looking at our income, the mortgage broker asked us to "bump up our Schedule C." That means show more income. I politely told her, "Mam, we're a faith based ministry that operates through the hand of God moving people's hearts to support the ministry. If God wants us to move to Arizona, He will open a door to make that happen." About two days later Linda had lunch with a friend. She asked my wife if we would consider staying in Flagstaff at a small house for low rent in exchange for providing services for the owner's rental home. It was an offer we couldn't refuse! God opened a door for us to move.
About six months before we moved, I had a vision that I can only describe as the finger of God with the number "9" balanced on His finger. If you ask me how I knew it was God's finger, the only answer I can give you is, "I knew that I knew that I knew!" It was a hand in the heavenlies with the number "9". I asked God what the vision meant and never really received a definite answer, but I knew in my heart it was related to moving. We did move to Arizona in the ninth month.
When I believe I've received a message from God, my personal practice is to look for at least three or more confirmations of the message and one of the has to be contained in the Word. Our move to Arizona was confirmed many times over.
God's messages can be full of mercy and grace. My wife and I were graced with what we received, we got what we desired, a move to Arizona and the opportunity to expand the YWAP Ministry.
DAY TEN WORD
“But the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
Galatians 5:22-23 (ICB)
“And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai,
He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone,
written with the finger of God.
Exodus 31:18 (NKJV)
”Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing opposite the lampstand
on [a well-lit area of] the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace,
and the king saw the part of the hand that did the writing.”
Daniel 5:5 (AMP)
HEART THOUGHTS
Do you journal the messages that you believe are from God? Some messages will connect with years between them, if you don't keep track, you may never connect the messages.
HEART REFLECTIONS
Let go of your desires, surrender them into the perfect will of God. Be still and know that He is God and wait for His messages. Where is God moving near you?
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap40daysoflent #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
There are times in life when your personal desires line up with God's plans. We knew someday that we wanted to live in Arizona, but only when the time was right. My wife and I are the Directors of Youth With A Purpose which God founded in Buffalo almost 20 years ago. Linda lived Arizona for over 40 years before God brought us together. You can read our love story here - "A Mountain, The Cross & Our Love Story." When folks asked us if we would someday move to Arizona, our reply was always the same, "When we're done doing what God wants us to do in Buffalo, then we'll be free to move."
There have been several moves in my life where I've recognized God's hand in the pre-move planning. It helps to record the number of years and days because messages can be strewn out over extended time periods in our lives. On one Sunday evening after a church service, a friend randomly said to me, "Hey if you ever need a place to stay, I've got an apartment for you." I remember thinking that it was an odd statement because I had a place to stay. Within two weeks my life turned upside down and I found myself needing a place to stay. In another instance on a Sunday morning as I was reading my Bible, my body got up and went to the cupboards and started packing the contents. I stood there dumbfounded as my brain didn't make the decision to do this, my body moved without any direction from my mind. Within about 30 days I had moved again. We need to be prepared for a move of God at all times.
God has sent me many messages over the years in many ways. He gives me alerts when something big is on the horizon. He also connects visions that may be ten or more years apart from each other. About a year before we moved to Flagstaff, God began to drop heart-nuggets on me that simply said, "Be prepared to move." I took that seriously based upon my history of receiving God's moving messages.
The Buffalo Ministry of YWAP is safely and vibrantly reaching young people through a great team at The Bread of Life. We no longer need to physically be there. For several years, Linda and I have been spending a month or so in Arizona during Buffalo's coldest months. Last year as I was hiking on a mountain, from my phone I was writing curriculum, sending emails and texting messages to the YWAP Buffalo Leadership. When I put my phone back in my pocket a great big smile creased my face. God dropped another heart-nugget on me that said, "You're running a ministry from the top of a mountain!
Linda and I decided to check out some houses for sale in areas we would like to live. A friend who is a real estate broker suggested we talk to a mortgage broker to get pre-qualified. Being a former real estate broker myself, I knew this process would give us any answers. After looking at our income, the mortgage broker asked us to "bump up our Schedule C." That means show more income. I politely told her, "Mam, we're a faith based ministry that operates through the hand of God moving people's hearts to support the ministry. If God wants us to move to Arizona, He will open a door to make that happen." About two days later Linda had lunch with a friend. She asked my wife if we would consider staying in Flagstaff at a small house for low rent in exchange for providing services for the owner's rental home. It was an offer we couldn't refuse! God opened a door for us to move.
About six months before we moved, I had a vision that I can only describe as the finger of God with the number "9" balanced on His finger. If you ask me how I knew it was God's finger, the only answer I can give you is, "I knew that I knew that I knew!" It was a hand in the heavenlies with the number "9". I asked God what the vision meant and never really received a definite answer, but I knew in my heart it was related to moving. We did move to Arizona in the ninth month.
When I believe I've received a message from God, my personal practice is to look for at least three or more confirmations of the message and one of the has to be contained in the Word. Our move to Arizona was confirmed many times over.
God's messages can be full of mercy and grace. My wife and I were graced with what we received, we got what we desired, a move to Arizona and the opportunity to expand the YWAP Ministry.
DAY TEN WORD
“But the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
Galatians 5:22-23 (ICB)
“And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai,
He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone,
written with the finger of God.
Exodus 31:18 (NKJV)
”Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing opposite the lampstand
on [a well-lit area of] the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace,
and the king saw the part of the hand that did the writing.”
Daniel 5:5 (AMP)
HEART THOUGHTS
Do you journal the messages that you believe are from God? Some messages will connect with years between them, if you don't keep track, you may never connect the messages.
HEART REFLECTIONS
Let go of your desires, surrender them into the perfect will of God. Be still and know that He is God and wait for His messages. Where is God moving near you?
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap40daysoflent #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
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