God's Alive

A friend sent this to me a month ago and I just found it again. I thought it was worth sharing...

A Heavenly Strategic Planning Session

1 Kings 22:20
And the Lord said, "Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and
going to his death there?" One suggested this, and another that.

There are few times we get a glimpse of what goes on in Heaven. Here is one
instance when the angels were conferring with the Lord about the judgment of
King Ahab for his sin and who was going to set up Ahab for this judgment.

If God wanted to use you to impact your world for Jesus Christ, what
circumstances would have to be created in order for you to respond to His
call? Would prospering you materially encourage you to this end? Would a
major change in what you are presently doing be necessary? What would your
response be should God and the angels conclude that the only way to move you
into a position of fulfilling God's purposes was to remove some things that
might be very dear to you? Would you agree with their plan if you knew this
would be the only way you would achieve the purposes for which God made you?
Hard questions, aren't they?

This is the very thing God does in many who have been called for a special
mission. Moses had to be stripped of his royal position in the family of
Egypt and sit in the desert for 40 years. The apostle Paul had to be knocked
off his horse, blinded, and receive a personal visitation from Jesus. The 12
disciples had to leave their jobs for three years to follow Christ. Imagine
what kind of disruption this had on their lives. There are many examples of
God bringing major upheaval in the lives of those He called for His
purposes. Why?

The reason is that we do not seek God with a whole heart in times of
prosperity and comfort. Prosperity and comfort tend to breed complacency and
satisfaction. It is rare to find the man or woman who seeks God with a whole
heart who does so simply from a grateful heart. We often must have pain or
crisis to motivate us. Eventually, that crisis bridges us to a new calling,
and we embrace that calling if we are open to the Holy Spirit's work in us.
We can actually thank God for the change that was required to get us to this
place, but it is not without anguish of heart.

Would you be willing to sit in the strategic planning session for your life
and agree with the plans God has for your life? Could you give God complete
freedom to implement that plan, no matter the cost? Ask God to give you the
grace and trust in His love for you to say "yes."