Fresh Start 2022 - First Journaling Entry 3/29/22 (Part 2)

 From my Storyworth collection

This is from my journaling on 3/29/22.

Verse I read that morning:
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. ~Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

From the YouVersion devotion Brooke and I were reading that day (Faith Over Fear):
“We cannot allow our fears of failing to keep us from reaching our potential.

Too often do we allow fear to paralyze us. We sit and wait until we are no longer afraid, when we could have acted long before. God has a plan in place for you, and it may require you to step out of the realm of your comfort zone. You may be uncomfortable. You may be scared. You may not feel that you are ready, but you will when it’s time.

Fear is nothing. Fear is a mirage. It’s a temporary emotion based on a temporary situation. And a tool that the enemy uses to keep us stagnant. Fear is a natural response to the unknown, but you can’t allow fear to control your life.

Often fear is what comes before change, and change is necessary for growth. Your want for success and happiness must be stronger than your fear of failure.

Your faith must triumph over fear. God puts us in situations of discomfort for a reason.

2 Timothy 1:7 says that the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love, and of a sound mind. Know that in everything you do in His name, you will be prosperous. Failure is a stepping stone on the journey to success. It is not to be feared, but to be learned from. Fear is only a setback if you allow it to be so.

God is greater than your fear of failure.”

My written-out prayer to God that morning:
“So Lord, what do I do? I have got to start moving forward. I am sitting here, overwhelmed, doing nothing. You have not given a spirit of fear, but that is the word I am living right now. As soon as I wake up, I can’t go back to sleep. I run to You and after being in your presence, I can start my day. And then I get overwhelmed and just want to go to bed and sleep to escape. Until I wake up and start all over again. This is NOT what You have for me. The future does not have to be known in order not to be controlled by fear. help me, Lord.

Do I pursue three things (ministry job, administrative assistant, realty) or do I just pursue one because I do not need to be spread any thinner?”

When I journal, I write down the thoughts that come to me when I am praying, believing that is how God speaks to us. This is what I believe the Lord was saying to me that morning:

“Yes Rob, get focused. You are spinning your wheels with no true plan forward. Any path you choose is going to require faith and is going to require miracles. you will not see the solution before you start walking. You will not have the answers ahead of time. you must walk by faith. it is now impossible for you to stay where you are and stay comfortable. Every hard battle, every “impossible” situation I have brought you through has been preparation for this. You have the faith you need to make it through this. If you didn’t, I would not have allowed it to happen now. You understand that, right? I allowed this to happen now because you already have what you need to make it through. You do not have the plan. You do not have the money. You do not have anything on your own. I know that. But you have Me, I am ALL you need. And I have prepared your faith for this. Of course, you do not feel prepared. If you did, you wouldn’t need faith and your faith would not grow. You are here to grow and to learn, Rob. You are here to learn to know Me better and to know my heart. This will equip you to minister to people in a new way, too. I don’t have you on the earth to take up time until I bring you home.

I have a Kingdom purpose for you, and I have a (personal) purpose for you. Right now, this season, this is for developing you. Your ministry to others is going to look much different right now. It is going to decrease because I am working on you. It does not mean ministry is over, but if you want to grow, the focus is going to be on Me and you right now. Your Kingdom purpose is not over, but now is not the time to try and imagine what that will be. You are going to have to trust Me in this, too. I am not finished with your Kingdom purpose…I am working on you (personal purpose) for what is next. What is next for you and then what is next for your ministry. DO NOT try to figure out what ministry is going to look like after this. You cannot foresee it, plan it or even work towards it. It’s there, but it’s My plan and My future for you. For now, we are working on you. Accept it and understand it as an act of love. Understand that this also will require a new level of faith and trust on your part.”