Making Big Moves With God When Discouraged

Joshua, the first chapter of verse 9, message translation, haven't I commanded you? Strength, courage, don't be timid, don't get discouraged. God, your God is with you every step you take.

Bible before breakfast, Mulder King still can't go here. Good morning. Today is day 5 on our series Making Being Moves with God.

And today we're talking about sustaining momentum when resistance shows up because it does. So far we've covered intimacy.

We've talked about quiet conversations with God. We've talked about obedience and defining prompt obedience versus selective obedience.

We've also talked about moving in spite of the fear. Now let's talk about what sometimes happens next.

So typical scenario, you've prayed, you've heard from God, you've moved before you even felt ready. And then suddenly resistance shows up because here's what nobody tells you.

Big moves with God will attract big opposition. Not because you're off track, but often because you're right on it.

Satan comes for those who are sometimes smack in the center of God's will. Now it's up to you to decide what you'll do next.

Well this is my suggestion. One word, courage. Courage is not being loud. Courage is not being dramatic.

Courage is not even chest thumping spirituality. It's not being bragged dishes. It's not shouting. It's staying power.

Courage is consistency when the pressure rises. Our scripture today is very powerful. God does not suggest courage. He commands it.

Because fear is natural, but surrendering to fear, that is optional. You have to make up your mind to be courageous in the face of opposition.

The moment you start building, the moment you start making big moves, one thing is guaranteed resistance. People start pushing back.

Things start pushing back. Life starts pushing back. Everything wants to keep you the same in the same place with the same friends, the same level.

Everything is working together to make sure that you don't make moves that are seemingly too big for you.

This happened with Nehemiah. Nehemiah began rebuilding the wall and immediately mockery followed.

If you read Nehemiah, you will find that there were two enemies, Samalat and Tobias. When Samalat heard that they were rebuilding the wall, he exploded in anger.

He jeered at the Jews. He made fun of them. Then at some point he began to criticize them. Then at some points.

They started spreading rumors. So there was criticism, there was mockery, there were threats. What did Nehemiah do? He prayed and he kept building. But you know he didn't stop there.

As they built, they were struck. Yes, you had me right. They were struck. Soared in hand and built in implementing another.

He prayed, then he kept building. He didn't hold a press conference. He didn't need to start defending himself. He didn't clap back. He didn't post tweets or some tweets. He just kept building.

Now, let me tell you something about why sometimes momentum begins to fade when you make big moves.

Whether you like it or not, big moves will attract beginnings. What happens is opposition will get loud. So when opposition hits you, sometimes you just want to let go and not continue.

Sometimes you just want to curl up and die. Some other times fatigue just sets in. Sometimes you're just tired of fighting.

You know that time where you begin to think, almost I fight for everything I have. But it's my own case different.

Oh God, and then you're crying and you know, having all those self-pity parties and limitations and you're just going on and on.

Those times fatigue will set in. If you don't do something about it, you have to respond with courage.

Sometimes doubts even begins to whisper, begin to question whether you really heard God. Opposition or difficult times have never been proved that God is not in a picture.

If anything, it is a signpost that God is right there with you.

Something interesting I noticed in scripture some years ago, I was reading about Jesus and how Jesus had been baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist.

And at that point, the Bible says that the heavens opened and God said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. In other words, God was endorsing him and saying, this is my son.

If you have any doubts, I have put those doubts to rest right here. You heard it from John the Baptist, but I'm also declaring that this is my son.

That was such a huge miracle and such a great endorsement.

Now what would you think that from that point on, that Jesus would march straight into the temple in Jerusalem and announce, I am the Messiah whom you have all been waiting for.

Pray ye no more, I am here. It is I.

The Bible tells us the very next chapter, right after baptism, that the spirit of God led him into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan.

Honestly, sometimes when I read the Bible, it's on that because I'm like, God, how do you think?

How do you say this is your son? I would expect your son to get special treatments and you know, make it easy for him, but you say no, send him straight into the wilderness.

He didn't go by himself. He was led by the spirit.

Why to be tempted?

So just because it seems like they're extremes, because the wilderness was a place of extremes, sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold.

Jesus was led there. The damning God was not with him. God actually led him there.

So at those times, where doubt begins to whisper, courage has to step in.

And let me warn, courage is not the absence of those voices. It is choosing which voice you listen to, on which one you don't.

Look at David and Goliath. When David showed up at the battlefield, the army had been paralyzed by fear for forty whole days.

It was the same giant, making the same threats every day, and simulating them in the same way, but David had something they didn't.

David had private victories.

You know, when he was speaking to King Saul, he said, God who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.

Courage grows when you remember what God has already done.

So in the face of opposition, you need to remember who sent you and what he has done.

Now David didn't deny the size of Goliath, to be honest it was hard to ignore.

He just kept putting in front of him the size of his God, and when he ran towards the giant, that was what sustained him.

Courage.

He didn't walk around.

Sometimes you need to run through it.

It may not make sense. It may look fearful. It may not add up, but you know who sent you.

What is capable of AND what is done in the past? Listen.

Big moves are exciting at the announcement stage, but Courage is required in the middle stage. The middle gets messy.

Sometimes these big moves progress will feel slow.

Sometimes even though you've made big moves, the results may not be visible yet.

Sometimes critics will even be louder than our pros.

And let me tell you something. Christians are one of the most critical people you will ever meet.

But in all of these things, this is where destiny is forged.

Let's think about this in line with the arrow that we've been talking about since the beginning of the week.

When the arrow is drawn back, it is released.

And while it is mid-air, it needs faith to sustain it mid-air.

But you know what else it will encounter? Something called headwinds.

Every arrow will face resistance in the air.

But resistance does not mean reversal.

It just means that friction is building strength in flight if you stop mid-air you fall.

So you know what you do. Headwinds are not you keep moving.

You keep moving.

David never said he was fearless because he was skilled.

He always said, God with me, with God on my side.

Courage is not self-generated. It is presence-generated.

You need to remind yourself of who's with you.

In the midst of the trial, keep your courage alive by reminding yourself.

Don't be shocked by the resistance. Expect it.

Don't think about past failures. Instead, rehearse your past victories.

Memory feels bravery.

Yes, if God helped you with lions and bears, go ahead and definitely go down.

So just keep building. Even when applause is absent, when there's no one praising you, when there's no one around.

Just keep building. Keep moving.

And then guard your ear gaze. Don't let the volume of mockery be louder than the volume of God's voice.

And let me say this.

In the midst of all of the drama that you will face sometimes when you're making big moments,

remember not every battle deserves your energy.

Sometimes, courage will look at a confrontation.

Other times, courage will look like a focus.

You have to know the difference.

Good morning. What a wonderful way to start your day.

Bible before breakfast with Mildred, Kings of Congo.