As you may have seen on Facebook last week:
We’re moving!!
From Florida to Washington State.
What many of you might not know is that we made the opposite move (Washington State to Florida) in 2012 to help start a church.
And ever since we moved to Florida we’ve had people ask when/if we’re going to move back to Washington.
And our response has always been the same: “God called us to move here, and we don’t know for how long. He may call us somewhere else in two months, two years, two decades, or never.”
And throughout our time here, we’ve continued to pray that God would show us where/when He wants us to move if He wants us to be somewhere else or to be doing something else.
And 7.5 years later, He has told us to move to Washington State.
As we began sharing this with others we were met with a mix of sorrow and celebration and also with people recognizing that they also feel God is moving us that direction.
I don’t know what God has for us next, but we know that God is moving us towards something.
Some family and friends have even mentioned that God might move us somewhere else shortly after we get to Washington.
We don’t know.
But here’s what we do know:
God has a plan,
And God promises to lead us,
As long as we look to Him and keep following.
There are several things in this move to Washington that don’t make sense to us (yet) but we are trusting that God has plans and reasons that He hasn’t revealed yet – and He is doing that on purpose to keep us trusting Him.
Following God doesn’t always make sense or follow a specific pattern, but it always involves looking to Him for guidance and to godly counsel and Scripture for confirmation.
A Relationship, Not A Formula
Throughout Scripture, we see that God doesn’t want us to simply copy and paste a formula for life, but instead He wants us dependent on an individual relationship with Him, lived out together with others in His Church.
This is because God wants us to live by a relationship based off of faith instead of a calculated impersonal “check the right boxes” kind of life.
If God always worked in a specific way, then we could simply do the “right” things and get specific results in a way that is just as personal as putting money into a vending machine.
But God wants more than a vending machine relationship.
He wants a real and personal relationship.
Here’s some examples in Scripture that show how God rarely worked in the same way twice:
God parted the Red Sea before they stepped in the water for Israel to cross,
Then He required the priests to step halfway into the Jordan before stopping the water for them to cross.
God gave the children of Israel victory over their enemies by having them march around a wall,
And also by having them strategically fight in classic warfare.
God provided mana from Heaven,
And later provided fields and vineyards for Israel to work for their food.
Jesus healed many by touching them or speaking to them,
And He also healed the Centurion’s servant from across town without ever seeing him.
Following And Obeying Jesus
Part of having a real relationship with God is seeking His will on a daily basis not just checking off all the “boxes” in life.
It can be as simple as speaking words of truth and life to someone,
Giving to someone in need,
Choosing to read His Word,
Spending time with Him,
Even taking a different job or moving across the country.
God has made clear many things in Scripture and He has called us to obey Him each step of the way.
Sometimes we don’t know what that next step is (as I wrote about recently in a blog post titled: “God’s Will For Your Life When You Don’t Know What To Do“).
Other times, we hear clearly from God, are confirmed by Scripture and godly counsel, and have direct steps to take.
The most important thing is that we seek Jesus in everything, and follow Him wherever He leads.
Whether in the unique and exciting or the mundane and normal.
So, wherever your life is right now,
Seek Jesus,
And follow Him.