“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." Hebrews 11:13 ESV
Last fall I was asked to join a ministry team. Excited to see God move, I eagerly logged into the first Zoom call, but my joy soon faded into dejection as I struggled to keep up. The team had been together for a while, so they were all in the loop. Finally the call ended and immediately I asked God, “Why did You do this? What can I possibly offer?” His response? “Brittany, I didn’t pick you for what you can do. I put you here for what I am doing.” Then in my soul’s eye, He showed me a lit match and a pile of rubble doused in gasoline.
God is helping me see this vision is multi-faceted, including the personal implications of burning my old self on the altar and answering His questions, “Do you trust Me? Do you want Me?” Besides the obvious, one reason He’s asking me these questions is because He’s calling me into the next stage of TJC.
What exactly is “the next stage?” A refined focus. As God has expanded TJC, so has my time commitment to it. This translated into substitute teaching a lot less than in previous years, but it also allowed me to spend more time doing what the ministry is all about: making disciples. (Not that disciple-making couldn’t happen at school, it’s just not the space to which God called me.)
This time last year, though I wanted to stop subbing, God asked me to stay. Therefore, I did. Yet, I only taught a handful of days. I didn’t understand it at first, but now I know it was more about my obedience. Now God is releasing me from subbing and calling me to rely on Him yet again.
More recently, I was in another meeting where one of my peers said he could sense we were on the edge of a big movement from the Lord. This is exactly how I feel! With TJC, the Next Gen Team and other areas, it’s as if I am standing on the edge of holy ground. I can’t see the whole picture, but He is giving glimpses to those who are looking.
God is ready to ignite a fire amongst His people. I see it in hardened hearts starting to soften, God calling laborers to His harvest in Ohio (from other countries!), the next generation boldly pursuing Him and people of all ages hungry for more.
"God is ready to ignite a fire amongst His people."
It reminds me of a theme in the book of Hebrews, that of sight, i.e. seeing, unseen, shadows, etc. Specifically in chapter 11, all those named lived based on their faith in God and the veracity of His word, not their circumstances or what they could see.
Can the same be said of us? Could we, like Abraham, obey when called to an unknown place (see v. 8)? Would we, like Moses, see the reproach of Christ as greater than earthly treasures (vv. 25- 26)? It’s like when Jesus asked the apostles if they, too, wanted to leave Him after He’d invited them to go deeper with Him (see John 6:60-71).
I don’t know the whole picture of the vision God gave me, but God is so obviously at work, I can’t help but respond like Peter, “Lord to whom else would I go?” Friends, God is working. Do you see it? We’ve prayed for a revival. Are you ready to respond when He starts the fire?
References:
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). Crossway Bibles.
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