He's still writing your story...

As I was praying this morning about what to share with you, God kept showing me words being typed on blank pages. Then He said, “I haven’t finished writing your story.”  I immediately felt a leap in my spirit because I thought about all of the people that I have encountered lately that have wondered about the next step in their lives. They have asked hard questions. How do I recover from the blows that life has dealt me? Am I too old to start over? I’ve been in this place for so long, how do I launch out on my own? I was often left telling them that I would pray with and for them or just encourage them to trust God. But today, He told me to remind you that He isn’t finished with you. No matter at what point you find yourself, there is a next step and God is the master planner. I realize that this is not my normal format. But I’ve come to realize that this year, God is not going to let me stay where I am comfortable. My normal is shifting. And so is yours. God has a purpose and a plan for your life that is not based on your age, your past, or your circumstances. He can use all of those things but He had the plan and the purpose before you were even born. So the question is, are you open to what God is writing?

So…He gave me two scriptures to share with you and I hope that they minister to you and remind you of how great God is in your life. He’s so great that He continues to write your story even when you thought the book had been closed long ago. So the first scripture, He showed me was Habakkuk 2:2 - 3. Very familiar, right? Habakkuk was not in a good place. He was trying to understand why there was so much evil going on and why God seemed to be silent on these issues. Been there? I think most people have had those “Where are you, God?” moments. God answers Habakkuk with this often quoted verse. “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” (Hab. 2:2-3 NLT) God says something key that He wanted me to point out to you. “It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.” If God told you something, showed you something, it has to come to pass. He is not a man that He should lie. Even if you are 50 and He gave you the vision at 35, it will be fulfilled. Even if your life is not turning out as you imagined it, does not mean that God’s purpose is not at work. Your job is to be open to God working things in His timing. Your job is to seek His face for direction and then being obedient. The end of your story has not been written.

I’m sensing that you still need something else. Well, here it is. The second scripture the Lord showed me can be found in Psalms 138, verse 8. I love the New King James translation. “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” It is a declaration from David, in the face of trouble, that God is faithful and present. I believe the Lord wanted me to share it with you for that very reason. Sometimes the weight of your circumstances can cause you to doubt that better or greater is coming. I mean, if I’m honest, I can say that there have been times that I have looked at my situation and said ‘I don’t think I’m going to make it out of this.’ But every time God said, I have the final say. Look at the verse again. It says the Lord will PERFECT that which concerns me. Perfect means to bring to final form or to make perfect. That means that God is not going to end your story until He has brought you to your full purpose. He doesn’t do halfway. God does a complete work. The end of your story has not been written.

Some authors don’t have any idea how their story is going to end when they start writing so they often have to rework and fix things as they go along. Aren’t you glad that God preplanned your story? He already knows the ending and is monitoring every chapter and word.  I want to encourage you today to keep moving. God is doing something in you that you may not be able to see. He is working out His plans for your life and they are plans for your good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11 NLT). Be encouraged! God is still writing your story!