Trust God and Take Action

"He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” – Eccl. 11:4 NKJV

There is a time to be cautious and a time to throw caution to the wind.  And it takes discernment to know the difference. If you're waiting for perfect conditions before seizing an opportunity, you will be hesitating until you die. The Bible says, “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.”

More often than not, the only thing between you and the fulfillment of your dream is an excuse: “I'm too busy.” “I don't have enough money.” “I'm unqualified.” “I'm not ready yet.” “I have lots of problems.”  Newsflash: No one is ever ready! Immediately before Jesus’ first miracle, He shows a hint of hesitation; “My time has not come yet” (John 2:4). But Jesus had a mother who loved Him enough to persuade Him.

In his book “Jump In” Mark Burnett writes “Nothing will ever be…perfect, and nothing can be totally planned. The best you can hope for is to be about half certain of your plan and know that you and the team you've assembled are willing to work hard enough to overcome the inevitable problems as they arrive.”

Note the words “the best you can hope for is to be about half certain.” That's a pretty good paraphrase of Ecclesiastes Chapter 11. So don't “observe the wind,” and don't “regard the clouds.” After you have prayed and prepared, it's time to trust God and take action.

God Has An Assignment for YOU

“He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us.” – Eph. 2:10 NLT

Your God-given assignment in life comes with three things.

A Plan – “He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” As you spend time with the Lord in prayer, He will reveal His plan to you. And He will do it one step at a time. You say, “But what if I make a mistake? What if I stumble?” The Bible says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psa. 37:23-24 NLT).

A Time Frame – The plan of God was prepared for us long ago; way before we were born or accepted Christ as our personal Savior. Not only does God have a personal plan for you, He schedules certain things to take place in your life at certain times. “For the time to favor her, yes, the set time has come” (Psa. 102:13 NKJV). That’s why you must stay in step with God and in sync with the beat of the Holy Spirit who lives within you.

Victory In Spite of the Odds and the Opposition- “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith” (1John 5:4 NLT). Keep your faith strong. Keep trusting God. You say, “But the circumstances don’t look good.” God is in control of your circumstances. He made the sun stand still to give Joshua extra time to win the battle over his enemies, and He can alter the circumstances for your good and His Glory as well.

Stand Firm on God's Promises

The word for you today is stand on the promise God gave you in the scripture reveals “Until the time that his word came to pass, the Word of the Lord tested him.” -  Psalm 105:19

When Joseph's brothers stripped him of his coat of many colors which represented his father's favor, what held him steady” The promise God gave him. When he was thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery, what held him steady? The promise God gave him. When the Butler he made friends with in prison failed to speak on his behalf to Pharaoh, what held him steady? The promise God gave him.

“Joseph was sold as a slave…he was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the Word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him Lord of his house” (vs 17-21) .God's Word will stand the test of time. But in order for it to come to pass, you must stand strong in faith during your times of testing.

You will be tested by the attitudes and actions of your family. You will be tested by the unfaithfulness and betrayal of friends you trusted. You will be tested by living in circumstances of adversity and hardship that seem opposite to what God promised you. You see God is more interested in your character than He is in your comfort.

The New Living Translation (NLT) says, “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams the Lord tested Joseph's character” (v19). Why test anything? To find out if it's trustworthy. And when you prove trustworthy, you can stand on the promise, “It will certainly come to pass” (Hab. 2:3 NET). So, stand firm on the promise God gave you.