Content To Linger

“We’re in no hurry, God. We’re content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who You are and what You’ve done are all we’ll ever want.”
Isaiah 26:8

Do you dream of the day you will become a parent, own a home, make more money, be debt free, or have the job you’ve worked so hard to attain? All of us have dreams. We all have things God is calling us to do, but what should our attitude be as we are on the journey? It seems our society is always in a hurry. We rush to work, we rush our kids to and from their activities, we rush to fix dinner, and we rush through our evening routines, to finally get into the bed, only to start over when the sun rises again. Is this how our journey with Christ should be? Yes, there are things He has already planned for us in the future. Yes, it may be His plan for you to become a parent, to attain that amazing promotion in your job, or to own a home, but even if that is His perfect plan, should we be in a hurry to get to where He is calling us? Should we be in a hurry to accomplish our goals and reach our dreams? Is it simply all about the destination of the journey or the end result of the goals we set?
In Isaiah 26, this verse clearly gives us insight into what our attitude should be. We aren’t to be in a hurry, but rather “content to linger in the path sign-posted with His decisions”. In other words, we should not be in such a hurry to get to the blessing or the “final destination”, but, because of the intimacy that we have with Christ, we should be content to linger with Him in the journey, knowing it is the path sign-posted with His direction. We should be content to follow His pace in the journey simply because He is there. He isn’t just in the destination. He is in the journey itself.
The writer then punctuates this verse by saying to the Lord, “Who You are and what You’ve done are all we’ll ever want”. WOW! Is this our attitude? Do we really believe if He does nothing else for us, that He is enough? Can we really say that if we never reach the goal or obtain the dreams we have, that He is enough? When we can, we will find ourselves content to linger with Him, just knowing that we are on the path that He has marked out for us and that is filled with His presence.
Where are you today? Are you rushing to the next goal, spending all of your time dreaming of finally reaching your goals and aspiring to accomplish all God has put into your heart to do for His glory? I believe that while He wants us to be wise stewards in planning and preparing for the future and in following His perfect will for our lives, His plan is that we “not be in a hurry, but we find contentment in just lingering with Him on the path that He has marked out for us”. Let’s enjoy Him today and instead of rushing to the “next big thing”, let’s take the time to remember His promise and remain (or linger) in His presence.

Lord, enable me today to not be so focus on where you are taking me in my life or what you may be blessing me with in the future, that I forget the incredible blessing it is today to just linger with you. You have saved me, by your grace, and given me “all things that pertain to life and godliness”, and if this is all you choose to do, it is enough. Help me today to not just say that You’re enough, but live like it!



You can read more from Tammy by visiting her on her personal blog at Steps in Our Journey

Live the Dream!

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. ~Anatole France~

Back in October I attended a women’s conference at our church called, “Live the Dream”. During the conference, wonderful speakers like Christine Caine and Holly Wagner encouraged us through scriptures and testimony to begin to pursue our God given dreams. As I sat there listening to them and feeling God tug on my heart, I knew that it was time to set aside all of my excuses and just begin to trust God with the dream that He had given me.

I kept telling myself that it was not yet my time. I kept rehearsing in my mind that right now I was doing what He desired for me which was to take care of my family and that when my children were older that I would have more time then to achieve my dream, my purpose. But God began to deal with me about what I saw as my priorities and I saw how skewed my view had become. He taught me that my family would still be a higher priority but that all could be achieved simultaneously. That revelation will be the foundation of my first book.

You see… my dream is to help women specifically through writing and speaking. My desire is to help them overcome what has held them back from true freedom in Christ.

God set it in motion long before this conference but I wasn’t getting it. He has arranged occurrences in my life that fueled my desire to speak or to write and starting lighting the fire that is now burning so brightly within me. I am writing for you today here at the Café as a result of one such occurrence. It finally sunk in at that “Live the Dream” conference that this really is what I want to do and this is part of what I have been called to do. And so, I began to pray.

Psalms 57:2
I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.

Now you ladies know what happens when you pray, right? God begins to open some doors and shut others. I also began to write down some goals that would get me closer to the dream God had placed within me and do you know what? I started to walk towards those things and my focus never shifted from God and my family has not had to take a backseat to my dream either. God is amazing! God is good! God loves me and He loves you and He wants you to walk in what He has for you too!

I challenge you today to fervently pray to God about the dreams He has placed within you. Begin to confess your dreams to God and to others. Write down your goals for achieving that dream and listen for God to guide you.

Psalms 32:8 The LORD says, "I will guide
you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

Go for it ladies! What is stopping you?

I'd love for you to visit me at my personal blog: In Pursuit of Proverbs 31