More!

On January 12, 2014, I wrote in my day planner:

I believe that God has something MORE for us this year.

Today is May 25, 2014. Almost FIVE whole months of 2014 are gone. Where is the MORE?

I'm asking that because this year has not gone the way I planned or hoped for. I thought I was staying in the Cook Islands. I had dreams of ministry; I had feelings of new growth, new hope for this year. 

God changed my plans. 

Which is fine. I'm actually happy that God didn't stay inside the box I made for Him and that He didn't allow me to stay in the box I made for myself. God is bigger than that, and He knows what's best.

Today, yesterday, this past week, however, have left me with a huge longing in my heart. A longing for MORE. A desire for change, a hunger for God, a need to be used by God. 

If it's ok for me to write this, this past week I have been afraid. Afraid that the more I believed for the year isn't going to happen. 

I want to see lives changed this year. I want to see churches, communities and nations run after the presence of God. I want to feel God's presence with me. I want to see blessing in the midst of difficulty. I want to see people go, into nations, into homes, into workplaces with a hunger and fire for God. I want to know what God has for me personally. I want to know where I'm going next, I want that next chapter in my life. 

This morning, we had a guest preacher in church. He preached a wonderful message. He spoke on redeeming time. 

Ephesians 5:15-16 "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (NKJV)

What if the reason that I haven't seen the MORE is because I haven't redeemed my time? What if these past 5 months have felt empty because I've been spending my time on things that weren't necessarily the best use of my time?

Have I spent the right amount of time in the word? In prayer? Building relationships? Seeking God's heart? Talking to others about God? 

I can't necessarily say that I have or haven't. I'm just thinking about this now and I'm realizing that it's something I need to take up with God. 

But I think it's a question we should all ask ourselves: Am I redeeming my time? Am I making it count? 

This is a longer blog than I'd usually write, but I was reading in Luke this evening...

Luke 21:37-38 says, "In the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. Then early in the morning all the people came to the temple to hear Him."

It doesn't say it here, but other places we read that Jesus went to the mountain to pray, to spend time in the presence of the Father. Jesus's more here on earth came from a place of quiet, a place of listening to the Father. A place where He could rest in God and receive strength. Jesus's more came directly from the Father's heart. 

And in John 14:12, Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and GREATER works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." Think of the works Jesus did, He healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead. He taught on relationships, church, missions. He trained disciples and taught multitudes. So where is our more?

I'm going to spend my next few days talking to God about this.I'm going to seek Him, I'm going to ask Him. Because I want the next 7 months of 2014 to be more.