Holly Murray ~ Author What's In Your Hand? Encouragement -

What’s in your hand? Right now, my computer keys, but often you will find a pencil in my hand. I love to write. Sometimes, when I talk, I can’t think of exactly the right thing to say right in the moment. Witty remarks, humorous responses, wise connections – sometimes the perfect response eludes me until after the moment has passed. At that time, I usually think, “Ugh! Why didn’t I say THAT?”

Writing is different. When I write, if I type out something and then think of a more ingenious way to put it, a simple hold of the backspace key allows me to completely re-work the words until they flow off the tongue exactly as I want. Oh, to be able to always speak with such grace and flow! Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to reverse what we’ve said and say it correctly all the time with no one wise to our error?

God Doesn’t Miss a Thing

I have been staying quite busy lately. You, too, huh? Every moment seems to be filled with work, school, church, side projects, laundry, cooking, yard work, and other chores to take care of my family. I was just telling someone yesterday that it didn’t seem that I’d had time to write just for myself in quite a while (note the last blog date – shocking!).

Well, I suppose God must have heard my complaint, because this morning’s post came from a heavenly wake-up call at 3:44 this morning. I heard song lyrics in my waking moment. “I am the wind in your sails, I am the wind in your sails, I am the wind in your sails” (Cook, Gretzinger, Hesler, & Hesler, 2015).

As I stirred with that song in my heart, I felt the Lord speaking to me that many times we falter back and forth trying to decide on a direction to turn in life. But our error, sometimes, is just our lack of decision making. He will bless whichever way we go – we just must decide to do it so that He can bless it.

Just Get Moving

I thought that was a pretty wild thought, especially for so early in the morning, but then I contemplated the lives of my natural sons. If they are doing something that isn’t essentially wrong, against our beliefs or morals, or different from the way they have been reared – I don’t care what they are doing if it is honoring of the Lord and of our family name.

Want to go to school? Great! Do it and do it well, just decide already and get moving! Want to work full time? Fine! Get a job that will meet your needs in the long-haul and go after it! Want to play in a band? I think that’s a great idea – let’s just make sure that it is in an environment that will make you flourish as a person and grow in your walk with God. Your dad and I will cheer you on, just get moving!

And this is what I felt the Lord speaking to me before it was even “bright and early” this morning! Still pitch black outside my window pane without a breeze in the sky moving the trees outside my window, I heard “I am the wind in your sails.” It was like the Lord was asking me, “What is it that is in your heart to do, My child? Whatever it is, do it. I will bless it; I will blow My breath of approval upon it as you step to send you sailing on your way. It doesn’t have to be complicated, you can use what’s in your hand.”

The Blessing of Our Father

You see, just like I want the best for my children, God wants the best for us. I want my children to use their natural gifts and abilities to help them decide what they want to do in life. I’d also love it if whatever they chose to do was something they really were going to enjoy – for it to be something that they were passionate about. While not everything we have to do in life moves our hearts or stirs our passions, (some things are just needed to get us from where we are to where we want to be) we do have the choice on what we are going to do.

As a child, I remember learning Scripture that became an early foundation in my life. One was Proverbs 3:5-6, which reads, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (KJV). The Message translation reads, “Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track” (Proverbs 3:6). The version listed at the top of this writing is, “In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success” (Proverbs 3:6, TLB). So what’s in your hand?

He’s Waiting

In each of those versions, I get the concept that if my heart is focused on the Lord, trusting in Him, He will direct me. You only need directions if you are moving or planning to move. In the book of Isaiah, there is a passage that reads, “Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you” (Isaiah 30:18, AMP). He’s waiting – what do you think the Lord is waiting on? Perhaps He’s waiting on US! Yes, He could just be waiting for us to do something so that He can bless it! What’s in your hand?

[tweetshare tweet=”God is waiting for us to do something so that He can bless it!” username=”@HollyDMurray”]

Isaiah 30:21 speaks to that concept as well, “Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left” (AMP). If you are turning, you are making movements. He is saying that He will confirm the direction AS YOU ARE MOVING. And as you are making steps, you are doing so by faith, with the goal to please Him with every decision. That is a lifestyle choice that any natural parent would want to bless, so what makes us think that our Father would do any less? So what’s in your hand? Hebrews 11:6 reads, “But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him” (AMP).

Acknowledge Him

Lisa Bevere posted a video sharing some insights from her book, Without Rival. In the video, she shares that God is the one who plants dreams and desires within our hearts. What’s in your hand? She says that it isn’t an ambitions or competitive nature in us that drives us to pursue these ideas and desires, but that we actually fulfill Proverbs 3:6 that says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him” when we acknowledge that the ideas come from Him! (Bevere, 2017) Continuing, she says that we can pray to God concerning our desires, “God, it seems too big for me, it seems too grand, but You are the one that seeded this in me for Your glory. I’m going to acknowledge You and I’m going to walk in Your way” (Bevere, 2017).

What encouraging words on which to focus! Those God-dreams, desires, and abilities are given to us for a purpose, and we need to do something with them. We can couple Proverbs 3:5-6 with the passage in Isaiah 30:21, as Lisa Bevere suggests, knowing that as we go about doing what we feel led to do, while recognizing and acknowledging that the desire is from the Lord, we can expect further directions on the steps we need to take next and for the Lord to bless what we are doing. What awesome promises are in the Word! They surely will give us a great foundation from which to make sound decisions.

In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success. Proverbs 3:6 (TLB)

What’s in Your Hand?

So, this morning, I feel the Lord stirring my heart. There are things that I’d like to do but starting them is up to me! There’s a song written by Helena Barrington titled “That’s When” that has been recorded by multiple artists. The version that I had on repeat in my car back in the 1990s was by the group TRUTH. Some of the lyrics are “What’s that you have in your hand? I can use it” (Barrington, 1994).

Perhaps the Lord is saying to you today what He was saying to me, “I am the One who gave you that gift – use what your Daddy gave you!” What’s in your hand? This passion to write – I can choose to make the time for it, or I can roll back over into the sheets and wait for the day to break. But if I choose the latter, will I have the time to make it happen? My pastor has quoted Leonard Ravenhill many times, saying, “The opportunity of a lifetime needs to be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity” (1986). Another similar expression that I have often heard is to strike while the iron is hot! We need to get busy doing what we feel called to do and now seems like a pretty good time to start!

Don’t Roll Over

This morning, I had an idea for writing. I chose to get up and write. What’s in your hand? What ideas has the Lord been stirring in you? What are you doing about it? Or are you just rolling back over into a comfortable position?

Use what you have in your hand. Do what moves you! Perhaps you are waiting to find out if it is His will for your life. Let me help you with that! Is it in line with the Word? Will it minister to others, bless your family, or move you along? Does it have potential? Perhaps His will is for you to step, and He’s just waiting to bless that step! He won’t force you – He’s already given you an invitation to move. What are you waiting on? Step out into your dreams. Start! There’s no time like the present, so don’t roll back over and get comfortable in complacency.

I encourage you to listen to the song “The Voyage” by Amanda Cook. This is what the Lord was ministering to me this morning. Amanda sings, “He’ll send the rain wherever we end up” (Cook, 2015). You see, He’s ready to place His stamp of approval on your path. He’s your Father and He loves you! He wants to bless your steps – you just must take the first one. He’ll be there to cheer you on. You can do it! He wants you to be successful!

Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. 1 Peter 4:10 (CEV)

More from the author:

Get your copy of the author’s book Believing for a Miracle available on Amazon.

Listen to the soothing sounds of Keith Murray’s song Peace in the Storm here for free featuring Caleb Murray on bass, or purchase a copy of the entire album Peace in the Storm from the artist’s website.

References:

Barrington, H. (1994). That’s When [Recorded by TRUTH]. On Equation of Love [CD]. Brentwood, TN:Integrity Media.

Bevere, L. (2017, July 7). Go After Your Dreams – Lisa Bevere [Video file]. Retrieved August 23, 2018 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRb8kJDAGmY

Cook, A., Gretzinger, S., Helser, M., and Helser, J. (2015). The Voyage [Recorded by Amanda Cook]. On Brave New World [CD]. Redding, CA: Bethel Music.

Ravenhill, L. (1986). Revival God’s Way: A Message for the Church. Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers