Devotional – January 25, 2021

The story is told about Abram who heard God’s call to leave all that was familiar to venture into unfamiliar territory. At the time, he was seventy five years old and was faced with starting a new life in a new country. I believe Abram must have thought long and hard about this decision; seemingly His faith in God was stronger than his fear and he made the choice to believe that God would take care of him.

I was baptized on a Good Friday morning in 1988; as I recall those days, my walk with God involved reading my Bible, having daily devotion and praying in the morning and at nights. This was what I understood about being a Christian. As a young Christian, the story of Abraham’s faith and obedience was fascinating to me, but in my mind it was simply just a Bible story . As I matured spiritually I began to experience God in a real way and realized that God was still as active today as He was in the days of Abraham.

Throughout my faith journey, I had always wanted more of God. I began to reflect on how I was raised by my parents; to be baptized and attend church regularly, this was a family tradition. What I realized was that as my parents got older they did not have the peace they hoped their religion would give them. This concerned me and I prayed to God asking Him to show me a better way to express my faith so that I would be fulfilled.

The year 1999 was for me a time of soul searching. On January 1, 2000 I had an experience like never before. I attended a Watch Night Service, and that moment was the beginning of what I now call: The True Call of God. I understood at that moment that God was calling me to come closer to Him through a personal and intimate relationship. The spiritual experiences I have had from that day until now have brought me to unfamiliar places within myself and resulted in a transformational process. Like Paul I was encouraged by the Holy Spirit to:

“forget the things that are behind and press towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

I call what I have been experiencing: A Journey to Wholeness. It involves honestly looking within myself, and with courage face the truth about who I am. I realized the need to be honest with God, ask Him questions about issues that confused me, and be willing to accept the truth He revealed about areas of my life that were not pleasing. I had to decide how to prioritize my relationship with God and others, learn how to renew my mind and think in a godly way, and most of all how to act in a manner that pleased God in all that I do.

I find this journey to be one of purification and sanctification by the Holy Spirit; I learned that  having faith, and doing right was impossible except I rely on God’s power and love. I had to learn to fully surrender to God so I could consciously experience the nature and personality of God. Like Abraham, I was directed by God  to leave all that I knew and had been learned all my life, and  embrace the truth about God, His Kingdom, and His purpose for my life.

In examining the life of Abraham, I desired to have faith, and to be obedient like he was; I prayed to God continually about my desire and He answered my prayer. Daily, I inquire of God for direction, and walk in faith believing that He will lead me to the place He has prepared for me. I can admit that it is not always easy; there are days when I do not have clarity about what God says to me; yet, Abraham’s story gives me the courage to press forward, and believe in God’s love for me in spite of what the reality may be.

To share further; five years after my journey began, having learned a great deal about the importance of praying, the Lord revealed to me the importance of praying for all the areas of my life. I began to practice praying accordingly; in particular, I remember praying for my daughter after having a dream about her; this led me into a period of prayer and fasting on her behalf. The Lord revealed to me in a dream that He was sending me on a journey. I was instructed to hold firm to His unchanging hand and focus on what was ahead. This is the Scripture that guided me:

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.  Do not turn to the right or the left

Proverbs 4:26-27

The answer to the prayer led me on the journey as the Lord revealed and resulted in my daughter experiencing a Call from God. This was almost sixteen years ago; she answered the Call of God, and today we both journey together in pursuit of the purpose God has revealed to us. Our passion is to encourage and support women to draw closer to God so He can lead them to discover the plans He has for them. Today  we are co-workers in the Kingdom of God through The Virtuous  Woman Project; which is a vision the Lord revealed that focuses on women living in faith and obedience to God. Indeed, like Abraham, I am experiencing the manifestation of God’s promise to make a great nation. As women interact with this organization God’s glory will be revealed as He endows us with His Holy Spirit so we can live with confidence in His love for us.

Today as you have read my story, may your heart be encouraged to believe in God’s love for you, and His purpose for your life. When God calls, He usually has a unique path for you to take with Him; on this path He will provide all that you will need to have fulfillment and success. When you answer His call, and commit to His guidance, He will lead you to the paths of righteousness and towards the great plans He has for you. Only trust and obey.

Be blessed.