God asked us to leave a good (but tumultuous) job in favor of raising our new family around our extended family. Here is how we decided to move back home...
I came home from a tough and troubling day at work to seek God's counsel.
As my wife and I sat in our living room, we tried to quiet our spirits and be sensitive to the impressions of the Spirit. We did not have a plan other than this. We only asked Him to aid us as we attempted to be sensitive and "hear" the Spirit "speak".
I felt an ardent desire to get my son's chalk board that was across the room and ask specific questions. I wrote down the questions.
At the same time as I moved to get the chalk board, my wife felt a desire to get her Bible and start looking through it. She was led to specific scriptures.
Although we were sitting next to one another, she could not see what I had written, and I did not know that God had led her to specific scriptures.
After a few minutes, I broke the silence to ask what was happening. She said, "I don't know, but I have some scriptures that might be helpful, but seem meaningless to me." I shared what happened on my end, and then she read the scriptures in the order she received them.
The scriptures she received answered my questions in the order I wrote them down...
Before your read on, let me add a disclaimer. We recognize that these scriptures taken in context have nothing to do with us. However, we also recognize that God wanted to use the words and stories in the Bible to speak with us.
Questions & Answers Explained
Where do we find peace? 1 Peter 2:4-12
At the time, this spoke directly to the tough days I had been having at my job. We interpreted this to mean that we must live a life of faith and honor in Christ who will bring about peace if we trust Him along the way.
Reading this again and now - five years later - I notice other significant reasons God chose to give us this verse...
Read "Build Faith in People" to understand what else God has directed us to.
Read "The Reason for The Stone Altar" to know how this site came to being so quickly, efficiently, and wonderfully.
Should we stay here, or leave this city, or move closer to the business, or...? Joel 3:14-21
God knew I considered the business I managed to be as Egypt was to Joseph and later to the Israelites. Considering this was the second scripture my wife read aloud, I can easily see how God was using the Bible and my wife to tell my stubborn heart it was time to head out. It just so happened that a job opportunity arose back home, and we also later prayed about this and then moved back home.
Do you enjoy speaking to us in this way? 1 Timothy 4:13-14
First, let me say that if you notice the picture above (taken on the day of this event), it has written "1 Timothy 4:11-14". Although the entire paragraph is part of God's specific instructions to us, the main part of the answer came through verses 13-14, which I will now explain...
Let me reiterate what we were doing, then paint the picture. We prayed, then waited for direction from the Holy Spirit. I was led to write questions, my wife was led to find and read scripture aloud - all this came about through prayer. That is the act of conversing with God in such a way as to speak less and less and listen more.
The translation we had said in verse 13 "do not neglect the reading of scripture in public." As two believers seeking God together, this was unintentionally part of our endeavor.
Verse 14 says "do not neglect the gift which was given you through the prophesy spoken over you." A few years prior to this event, a fellow believer told my wife and I that we would be substantial prayer warriors in the Kingdom. I thought little of it at the time, but was reminded at this time. Prayer (and obedience) is how we ended up here.
I understand that this verse is not directly saying, "I [God] enjoy speaking to you in this way". The timing and method of this verse coming to our attention is evidence that God was using Paul's words to Timothy for our benefit - knowing we would understand this to mean "yes, I enjoy talking to you in this way."
I understand that this verse is not directly saying, "I [God] enjoy speaking to you in this way". The timing and method of this verse coming to our attention is undeniable evidence that God was using Paul's words to Timothy for our benefit - knowing we would understand this to mean "yes, I enjoy talking to you in this way."
When and how do I leave my job and move my family? 1 Chronicles 17, especially verse 2.
This question came after we knew we were going to need to leave town and my job.
God giving us this set of verses is more significant now than back then for one reason... Later in our life, God used verses about Solomon's temple to direct us to buy the house we are now in. Click the image below to read more about this...
It is clear God used this scripture to direct us to go ahead and get our affairs in order and move out.
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