Remaining Faithful – Part 1
By Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of February 14, 2021
Recently, our Lord brought to mind a visual from my past to remind me of His timeless fruit of faithfulness. And it is this:
Twenty years ago, God moved me onto an island, where I would live for four years. During this time of consecration, He showed me a daily visual, which was an hourglass-shaped pond out back of my home.
I lived in very close proximity to the western expanse of this pond, which was a metaphor in itself, as it hinted of my future.
As I drew back the curtain from my sliding glass door each day, most times I would spot turtles that had climbed onto the base (foundation) of a fountain that was anchored in the center of this western expanse.
Sometimes, the turtles seemed like permanent fixtures, as I would watch them day after day. And at times, they would irritate me, because they didn’t seem to move much at all.
If that wasn’t enough, a blue heron would often fly in and stand on his spindly legs at the western-edge of the pond. This heron would remain for what seemed a long time, waiting for a koi fish to swim his way.
Clearly, he had amazing vision and was able to see gold in the water.
Finally, after getting my attention one day, I realized our Lord was beginning to do a deeper work of patience in me through all of this. He was teaching me about faithfulness in the stillness of the wait, not only for this time in my life, but also for what He was about to send me into after my island experience.
God also showed me that, although these remarkable pond animals could be slow, they were strong and victorious because of their faithfulness to do the right thing at the right time.
They faithfully showed up.
They were faithfully patient.
They were faithfully purposed.
And they received the rewards for which they came.
God used this pond to teach me that, as He leads us from our wide place through an uncomfortable narrow place and then out into a new expanse, we are to remain faithful to follow Him in all three places, even in the details of His time and His ways.
To receive manifest victory.
This path requires daily trust and obedience to divine strategy.
It requires daily intimacy with God, hearing His voice and seeing His perspective.
It requires patience with ourselves and others.
At that time in my life, I was working as a flight attendant, flying up to ten destinations a day, while meeting writer deadlines for multiple high-profile publications, as well as my own newsletter.
God had made me lightning fast in this schedule!
Efficient, like a fine-tuned machine.
But He had more.
He was doing a new thing, and it began by maturing me in some new areas—taking my soul deeper in Him to take me higher and farther with Him.
To do a deep work for His greater glory.
God enabled me to understand that, as we remain faithful in the transformation, we can stand faithful in the transportation to greater blessings.
God will take us to new places as we allow Him to transform us.
And there’s no way to get around the patience and intimacy factors—to our benefit.
Our faithful submission to God is easier in the deep unknown when we love Him.
Our healthy sense of self-worth is directly linked with our faithfulness to follow Him.
It’s where we experience His fullness of faith, which is the very definition of faithfulness that leads to a fountain of abundant life.
Romans 1:17 TPT tells us that "This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God’s righteousness—a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith. This is what the Scripture means when it says: 'We are right with God through life-giving faith!'"
This faithfulness involves a commitment to living out God’s truth without wavering while being dependent upon Him.
It involves full surrender.
And ascending higher with God.
Therefore, in order to reach pinnacles of promise, we must commit to express faithfulness unto our Lord as willing obedience without limitation.
So, friends, where has your patience been tested lately?
Therein lies the area of divine calling and breakthrough, which you will receive if you will not buy into enemy lies, trust God and remain faithful to His revealed Words of truth.
If you do this, He will lead you from one expanse through a narrow path, by making a miraculous high-way for you, to then enter into His new expanse for you.
If you are in need of a breakthrough to complete God’s next step for you, then pray with me, if you will…
Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your gift and strategy of faithfulness and that, by Your Spirit, I can remain faithful to You. Thank You that You have already made provision for me in my path, every step of the way. Help me to choose faith to believe You for greater things—to be confident in You and receive all You have for me. Reveal Your next step for me in Your new places for me. I pray against delay. And I trust You to bring me into fruition, as I faithfully obey You at Your Word. Thank You for Your faithful witness. Thank You for validating our journey together with signs, wonders and "all kinds of powerful miracles" (Heb. 2:4 TPT).
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
Amen.
Friends, join me next week for Part 2 of Remaining Faithful.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
Originally published Sunday, 14 February 2021.
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