Unshakeable Faith
The meeting invitation was officially set. I stared at the calendar processing how important these 60 minutes would be for our group and my future with this new company. In a few weeks we would be meeting with the Executive Team, powerful influential leaders tasked with overseeing and deciding if we would be allowed to relaunch our Faith Group and continue this movement at work.
The year before this moment our company was bought by a larger one and everything was changing. We fought hard for company authorization as an official group and heard our new company wasn’t as open to faith and had even set a precedence, faith would never be an official group.
So this meeting was a big deal. Even with the most intense practical preparation, it was undeniably clear God had to show up with His favor for us to be successful. Being fully dependent on God sounds great in a worship song, but honestly, it can be much harder to put into practice! I don’t know about you but when I need to stir up my faith I go back to stories of the greats, men, and women who stepped out in faith with God, to remind myself the same God Who showed up for them then is faithful and will show up for me in the here and now.
Stories like Nehemiah, who after hearing about a seemingly impossible situation for God’s people and their city, fasted and prayed declaring Who God is, asking for His favor to be successful in what was ahead and he got to work seeing the miraculous rebuild of the city. Or Esther, who was positioned to speak to the king on behalf of her people to avoid their genocide. She fasted and prayed for God’s favor to go before and He covered her meeting with the king and the people were saved! God has a track record of making the impossible possible.
While this meeting was not to seek a king's approval to rebuild an entire city or prevent a genocide, it was a moment God entrusted to us to partner with Him…a moment to step out in faith trusting Who He is, to be bold and courageous in who He’s called us to be.
Have you ever had a moment like this? A meeting or conversation where you knew it was a God appointment. An interaction He was inviting you to trust in His character and to step out in faith? Maybe to share about the hope you have in Him with a coworker or stand firm in love with your convictions on a project. When we are obedient to the invitation and step out in moments like these it builds our faith in God’s character and our confidence in who He calls us to be.
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
I stirred myself up with this question over and over again before the meeting, meditating on how God has moved before and reminding myself of His faithfulness. There’s an invitation here in the “such a time as this” mindset, the truth that you are placed right where you are for purpose…at work, at school, in your community for such a time as this. There is also a truth that God will prevail so if it’s not you or me, [someone] “will arise from another place…”
I don’t want to miss these God moments and I don’t think you do either! It is up to you and me to stir up our faith and step out boldly to do what He’s calling us to. God showed up BIG in the meeting, not only did we end with the green light to move forward but His favor was above and beyond what we had prayed for!
The next time you have a moment or invitation from God to give voice to your faith, testify of His goodness, partner with Him for a project or new venture – I pray you remember Who goes before you and choose faith He will see it to completion for His glory and your good!
-Markee Johnson