Move 'em on, head 'em up, - Head 'em up, move 'em on...
With every box packed, loaded and trucked I hear that famous Moving Song - Rawhide . It makes for interesting motivation as we transition. However, outside of that noise what I really hear is the voice of the Lord saying,
"Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes."
Places of stretching or enlargement require plyability, sensitivity and measured resolve.
Pliable – supple enough to bend freely or repeatedly without breaking
If you and I are so fixed in our thinking, in our preferences and positions it is very difficult to enlarge or stretch out into new, uncharted areas of growth and blessing. I often say that it is very difficult if not impossible to recieve something when our hands are gripped so tight on what we think we have.
One of the things this move has caused us to deal with is possessions. Stuff! We have a lot of stuff in our lives. Some of us have so much stuff (literal and metaphorical) it would take months for us to move. The removal of stuff has really been a cleansing process for us. It’s rather freeing.
If we are unable to bend freely or repeatedly in the coming days we may find ourselves in a place we regret or worse yet come to dispise.
My encouragement is to assess the current state of your union and get freed up!
Sensitive – receptive to sense impressions; highly responsive
The word Sensitive has dual definitions. The sensitivity that God is calling us to isn’t that sensitivity that gets hurt or damaged easily, or is excessively or abnormally susceptible. That kind of sensitivity is always self reflective. How come I never get opportunities? Why doesn’t this kind of blessing come to my family? This sensitivity, the sensitivity that God is calling us into is highly responsive and can hear the voice of his Shepherd – Father; the voice that protects from great danger and provides direction toward green pastures and great purpose. Clutter, junk, inappropriate influences all take us away from the voice of the One who loves us and has called us into promise. Can you hear His voice saying, “Stretch yourself, and stretch your tent curtains wide.”
Measured Resolve – to declare or decide; to reach a firm decision about
The invitation from the prophet Isaiah is to Not Hold Back, Lengthen your Cords, Strengthen your Stakes. This requires a measure of resolve. This requires agreement with God. This requires that we step into places of trust and obedience that put God in His rightful place as Lord and King, as Redeemer and Friend, as Father and us as recipients and heirs of Righteousness. Our declaration here is to give thanks to the Lord even before we’ve seen the results manifest. Our decision here is to give God glory at every place and on every opportunity. He is faithful, He is good, and He has called you and will go before you into new places with powerful purpose. Trust Him and try not to lean into your own understanding. He is able!