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Hey Gorgeous girls.
Its official, we are kicking off this series of trust today with my first blog post, all about the olive leaf. I absolutely love olive trees. It makes me feel at peace and at the same time, I think of abundance when I see it. When I think about an olive tree, the first thing that jumps to mind is the olive branch in the story of Noah and the Ark.
Starting this series of trust in God is like walking into the unknown. I don’t know what God wants to say through me or to me, but I know that this journey won’t just impact every reader, it will also impact my own heart. Heck, maybe it might wreck me totally.
Starting off, I want us to take a deep breath and pause for a moment. Hearing the silence? Feeling the peace? Good. Now let us start.
Hearing the silence? Feeling the peace? Good. Now let us start.
I want us to turn our Bibles to Genesis 6-8. Take some time to read the story of Noah and the Ark by yourself. Read and let the Spirit lead. This is a waltz we are in with God. Enjoy the music, let Him lead; let Him show you what He wants to work into the ground of your heart.
When reading this once again, one thing that really stood out to me (after also reading some commentaries) was the fact, that Noah was not a skilled boat builder in Genesis 6:14. He had no experience in the task that God assigned him to do. Sounds familiar? Well, it certainly does to me. God has also asked me to do a number of things in my journey with Him. Tasks I had no idea how to approach. Tasks that made me shiver of fear at the thought of it.
One of these ‘tasks’ that God gave me a while back, was especially significant in my relationship with the Creator. It was not just a step of faith; it was a move of faith.
Being in an amazing Spirit-filled church since I committed my life to Jesus 3 years ago, I never gave much thought to being called to another church. I loved living in comfort and having control over every area of my life. I recall hearing testimonies about radical Christianity in church and people having to depend on Jesus with their lives. These testimonies opened my eyes to my comfort and I used to pray that God would come take me out of comfort and really give me a situation where I could depend only on Him for provision. Well, looking back now, I can honestly say that a prayer has been answered because depending on Jesus was what this testimony costed me.
For months on end, I have felt uneasy in church, as if I was not receiving any food. It was not because of the pastor, the message or any people involved in the church. It was because God was beginning to uproot me but my eyes had not yet opened to what He was doing.
In that season, I felt dry. It felt as if I was left in a desert without rain and no oasis in sight. My soul was drying up, causing me to lose faith in God and leaving me to take everything into my own hands. That was an easy task as I am prone to being a control freak by nature.
In that season, I felt dry. It felt as if I was left in a desert without rain and no oasis in sight.
I tried to control my family, my studies, my tests and exams, my life… As you can expect, it worsened the drought in my soul. The more I wanted to control, the more hopeless I felt. However, hope was not all gone. No, see God has a bigger plan with us even if we have our own plans.
Hope came in small whispers of prophetic word, promising that even though I was being uprooted, big things were awaiting me. New wine was coming after the pressing. The pressing… was difficult. Taking these prophetic words, I interpreted it to fit into my plan. I held onto shards of hope that I thought was promises from God, when in fact it was fictitious stories I made up to create my own hope.
Then came the task. It was a Wednesday afternoon when I was sitting in the botanical gardens, breaking down before God’s feet, telling Him I cannot be trapped in the cage I created for myself. I begged Him, kissing His feet, washing it with the only alabaster oil I could afford in the drought: my tears. His voice, loud and clear, called me to a new church community.
My heart, being tired and battered at the time, agreed on the account that He had to provide favour in the journey.
Well, He provided favour and with it, He provided freedom, an oasis, community, growth…
Going to the new church I was called to for the first time, I received supernatural strength. Why? You have to understand that I was the biggest introvert ever. No, really. When we did a personality test in one of my modules, my introvert score came out as one of the highest. Nevertheless, standing in front of this small church building, I just had new hope, which drove me. Things were changing.
Nevertheless, standing in front of this small church building, I just had new hope, which drove me. Things were changing.
Things did change. I am no longer as introverted as I used to be. I am planted in a new church community where I am growing more and more every day. Although some of my prayers still has not been answered, there has been a change in my heart towards the situations and God is doing visible work.
I can relate to Noah. I also did not know how to build my ‘ark’. I had to say ‘yes’ in obedience. There were times when I was my own biggest critic, laughing at the idea of an ‘ark’ when there was not a drop of water in the desert. I had to pack up all my things into the ‘ark’. I sat in that ‘ark’ while the water rose, praying for grace, strength, favour, mercy. When the water came, I had to repent for my disbelief. When the water drew back, I had to send out a dove. That dove, brought back an olive branch of hope.
Through this journey, I had to give up all control to Jesus. I had to lay down my life again in order to gain peace in Him. I gained peace in losing control. I had to start trusting God.
I gained peace in losing control.
Are you dried up today? Feeling empty, tired, thirsty? Well, I have good news. Jesus said in John 7:37- 38: 37) “All you thirsty ones, come to me! Come to me and drink! 38)Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!” I can testify of this living water that sustains.
I want to encourage each one of you personally today, to go to Jesus if you are thirsty. Ask Him to provide water and oh, my dear friend, I cannot wait to hear your testimony next of how He filled you to overflow.
Whenever you need prayer, drop a message on one of my social media accounts or email me at honeyfieldsit15@gmail.com
May God shine through you today.
Lots of love
Inge xx
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