MOVERS AND SHAKERS?

Reflection: It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. (Psalm 118:8)

You know, I quietly giggle when a person is introduced as the "Mover" and the "Shaker" that will make things happen for me, and they feel so important or appear difficult to deal with. I just smile and say, "Hello!", with no comments when they are introduced to me, because I know who has the power to make things happen for me. A fellow human being cannot be the Mover and the Shaker of anything that concerns a child of God. We are to look up to the One who owns the earth and the fullness thereof (Psalm 24:1-2).

When this ministry took off, the work seemed so much. I was physically and materially unprepared for my new role - to say the least, but had certain people in mind that I trusted would support us: Mr. A, Mrs. B, Ms. C, Pastor XYZ. Bear in mind that these folks were all believers (or should I say, they claimed they were), known personally, and quite well-off. We are going to reach lost souls for Christ together. We are going to feed the poor, help the needy, and more - this is why the Lord has placed resources in our hands, I thought. God must have watched me and said, "My daughter is still naive, but she will learn." He then gave me a revelation. In the revelation, I was sitting quietly in a church-gathering minding my own business, when a church leader suddenly approached me. He said, "You should not be sitting at the back there. Come, let me take you to this important man of God so that you can be known; so that you can move up the ladder." The person he was talking about is actually a well-known and respectable man of God (he is still very much alive). I got up and followed him. Suddenly, the church leader disappeared. I searched everywhere for him, but he was nowhere to be found. I was then on my own. I found the "important man of God" eventually, but was treated shabbily and pushed to a corner like a mere object. I remember thinking, "Why didn't this church leader just leave me where I was sitting?" It took a few days for the revelation to sink in. It was God saying, "You are looking up to man?" "Man will fail you. Look up to Me." This was how I learnt to look up to God and no one on planet earth, in all our endeavours in the ministry; and surely, He proves Himself faithful always. Needless to say, none of those I trusted would support us did anything towards the start-up of the ministry, and I took it well. The Lord hand-picked other supporters for us - a few wonderful people that I did not have in mind when we started. EL-SHADDAI, our Sufficiency, is more than enough for us, dear ones.

This message is for anyone who is struggling to make it in ministry or other endeavours by their human strength: Scheming to get to the top, getting disgruntled because their promotion is delayed, or devising ways to get noticed by persons in positions of authority to the point of being ridiculed, just so that they can be promoted. Dear sisters and brothers: Promotion comes from God. Both riches and honour come from Him, and He reigns over all. In His hand is power. His delight is not in the strength of the horse; neither is His pleasure in the legs of a man (Psalm 147:10). Your destiny is in the hands of God. Be of good character and follow peace with all men by all means, but look up to the unchanging and dependable God. He alone is faithful to take you to great heights. Let us be guided, beloved.

Shalom!