Living with intention

Wondering and wandering aimlessly through life.

“You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north.” Deuteronomy 2:3 NLT

We must live intentionally.

The Israelites wandered around. In fact, for 40 years to be specific. They wandered around in circles if you will. They stayed stuck in the same place and in the same ole’ loop and patterns because of their disbelief. They were told: “you’ve wandered round this mountain long enough!” “You have compassed this mountain long enough” the KJV states. Compassed means to go around (something) in a circular course. They were told, (It’s time to) “turn you northward”! In other words get out of circles and live with intention.

Living passively will always keep you in a loop.

And we wonder why we stay here….Stuck in the same spot over and over again, year after year. Because we wander aimlessly without intention hoping life will take us where we need to go, but we know that faith without works is dead. God gave us our lives and every single gift, talent, ability, quality, and part that goes along with it, TO USE. Put it to use! You must. He won’t do it for you. They were specially told to turn north. That required action on their part! And it does on ours too! We don’t get out that easy and we don’t just wander aimlessly floating along and hoping life will take us where we need to go. Any fisherman will tell you that’s foolish. They take a try at places and locations until they find where the good spots are and then they go there with intention, because that’s where they get the goods. And they’re always in search of more. That’s intention. They drive the boat. The boat don’t drive them. They got in the boat with that intention.

We must be focused on where we are going. Where God commands and is, is where we also find His blessings and the real meaning of life. Any other way won’t get us there, we’re just on a merry go round as we continue to come back to the same place over and over and over again. If we only look behind us, we’re chasing our own tails.

The Israelites wondering kept them in pursuit of wandering and ours will too. They were in constant pursuit, but going back to what was comfortable. Which was the same place that was killing them, the same place that God brought them out of; complacency and bondage. We weren’t created for comfortable and sometimes life’s difficult because if we aren’t challenge, we aren’t changed. Being comfortable and complacent is the most dangerous place to be, it leads to atrophy. What we don’t use, withers. What God had for them wasn’t behind them in Egypt, it was north. We must go forward in order to not go back. Going in circles won’t get us there, just as going back wont. We must try something new. We must do it God’s way.

Again, their wondering minds kept them stuck. This was their thought process? Will you provide? Did you trick us and did you really just bring us out here to die? Are you really for us? They wondered a lot and they in turn wandered a lot, off and astray. They had little to no faith and didn’t discipline their minds or live with intention. Back was all they could think about. Back to bondage, at lease we knew what to expect. Their mindset and wondering was to blame. It was all wrong. It was only a matter of day journey to get to the promised land, yet they got stuck on repeat for 40 years.

God provided but they never had enough faith to go forward. They bickered with their leaders. They murmured and complained amongst each other and it kept them out of the promise and in their misery. They turned to false idols and things that could not fix. Yet God still provided. Their shoes and clothes never wore out all those years, they had supernatural food and water from a rock. Yet they still didn’t trust or have faith to believe that God was for them. They didn’t remember His mighty hand of miracle at the Red Sea until they were desperate to get out of the trouble that their own wondering and wandering got them in. They were brought OUT of captivity, not to be brought into lack but they wouldn’t use their faith to receive the gain. We do have a part. How could this be you say? They had everything they needed and they still rebelled and still didn’t trust. Guess what? We are still the Israelites today! Wondering and wandering around aimlessly without a true vision or cause too often because of our own stubbornness to release our faith walk to Him. We won’t control but see where it gets us? Trying to know all and have all figured out requires no faith and in fact, it don’t work. It can’t.  

It’s time to turn north; to do something about it. To get out of here and get unstuck. Put in 4wheel drive and then high gear and don’t look back. Intentionally! You must put your faith into action to get your life into motion. It won’t just do it for you: you hold the keys and you have the tools and you are the vehicle.

We worry. We hustle. We bustle. We even work work work. We fret. We toss. We turn. But where is our faith? What does our work get us? Do we find ourselves going back to the same places and doing the same things but with no improvement? Gaining no ground? Excelling no where? Not where we thought we should be! Spinning our wheels! Could it be that we were going for the wrong things all along? Thought we were going right but putting our trust in all the wrong? They wanted all the outward proof and God gave it to them but they didn’t want to believe for the spiritual and most of them never gained new ground because of it, the promised land to be specific.

What do we strive for? Do we rule our life or does it rule us? Do these things move us closer or further from God? Does it improve or advance us? What is it for? Eternal or temporal? If temporal things only, then that’s why we’re on repeat or a loop of you will, because temporal things are just that, temporary. They don’t last or satisfy so we must get more. If we complain enough we never have faith enough to believe and that’s what the enemy wants. It’s his tactic. If we hold on too tightly to what we do have, then we can’t increase what we aren’t willing to give or use. We must learn to live more loosely and give more freely in that regards. God made us stewards of what He first gave. Are we faithful with relationships and things? Or do we try to manipulate, control or do we live too frivolously without intention?

Too often, we barely get by. We don’t know where we’re going because we have no vision for our lives or any faith to get there.. How do we change it? We must live intentionally and on purpose with the purpose we were given to live out.

The Bible tells us that we perish due to lack of vision. We must seek God, His clear vision and see where it is we are going. We are going toward eternity and we are closer and closer everyday. That’s certain. All else is fading so first of all, we must be born again! Then actively living accordingly to the Word of God, possessing the traits of Jesus, we must use. That takes intention. Doing all things as unto God and for others (His creation). We know we are heaven ward or hell bound. There is no between. We were all were born and there is an appointed time to die just like our birth date. There’s an end or expectation date for everyone of us! We often hear about the dash, “the in-between of those dates”. That’s the meat! That’s what determines our final destination. That’s what matters! Not what we wish but what we said and done and how we lived our lives at the end! It all matters.

So to keep it simple, why don’t we start here. Right here and now and trusting God enough in it that if our attitude is right and we live intentionally to please Him, that He will continue.... to direct the way in which we should go. One things for sure, He can’t steer a parked car. He can budge you to move but won’t force you. Yes, life can happen and turn you upside down to try to get you right side back up but God gives us free will and He wants us to come willingly. See, it’s ALL BECAUSE HE LOVES US SO MUCH HE DIED. ALL BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT OR WILL THAT S SINGLE SOUL PERISH BUT THAT ALL COMES TO REPENTANCE. We have all sinned and fallen short, that’s in short why He came for all. Where we are going is determined by how we live our future life starting right here and right now. It’s not what’s behind us. It’s what’s in front of us. Each day and each moment is a fresh new start that can lead to a beautiful new beginning and ending. God is a God of mercy, love and compassion. He is long suffering.

Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers From days of old. Micah 7:18-20

Isn’t that lovely and loving? He ain’t mad at you. Just like the Israelites, He has a good plan for you. You just must open your eyes and heart and see it. He has given you that ability. Yes, sin angers Him, because it destroys you. BUT, He doesn’t stay anger forever. He is love and a loving and compassionate God. He no longer remembers our sin once He has forgiven us. He puts them behind and under Him and so must we. He forgave us when He died but we must ask for and accept His gift of forgiveness in order to receive it and to walk in it.

So today, just start by seeking God, loving Him, listening for Him, complaining less and praising more. You’ll watch it begin to turn around but don’t you stop!!! Warning: Just when things seem to be figured out, continue. Keep on. Don’t stop just to watch the ship slowly turn back again, because it will. It’ll float and drift. It’s a daily choice and a daily walk. A boat doesn’t steer itself and neither does your life. You must live with intention or it’ll take you where it will. You must not wonder aimlessly but with the purpose and intent toward it that God created you to do. Have you ever been out on the ocean in a float or witnessed anyone who has been and they fell asleep? What happens? They drift and when you and I fall asleep on our lives, we drift far far away from the original plan. Yet, He longs to bring us back again!

Where do we begin? With just one step. We can’t see the end. He can. We must trust Him enough to hold His hand and walk by faith. Begin with just one step of faith in that which you believe you ought to do and the rest will follow. If you make a wrong turn, God will redirect you and honor your faith or stepping out. Isn’t that what faith does? You must keep taking steps, one at a time for the rest of your life. That pleases Him because the Word tells us that without faith, we cannot please Him, it is impossible. That’s what faith will do even when you make the first smallest step. You’ll get better and better and better. You do have a purpose. Walk, talk and live like it.

Begin to believe and start to receive. He can turn it all around if we will work with Him and obey what His Word, voice and urging is asking us to do. It’s time to stop wondering and wandering and turn around from that. It’s time to start giving praise, and living with intention every single day. Just set if even one goal before you. Ex.: Today I won’t complain or say one negative word. No matter how small it is, whatever it is convicting or is on YOUR heart to do. Do it on purpose and with intention. Above all, please God. Start walking in that direction and with each step every day continue. It’s a process. It’s a journey and you must do it on purpose or your life boat starts to drift and turn. Don’t continue going round and round , back and forth, and stumbling between good and bad. You don’t have to live that way. Even Paul said he struggled with it. BUT, he made a choice and intentionally followed through with it to the end of his life. He got better at forgetting what was behind and pressing to what was in front of him because he did it daily and on purpose with intention. None perfect but Jesus, and that is why we fix our eyes on Him. Paul knew nothing of substance was behind but it was all before him. You must know that today.

No amount of anything can change what’s done but every single intentional action can change the here and now for our future and eternity. Thank God for a new slate every single day as the sun rises and for His forgiveness. Learn to receive it and extend it. Think of it as the rising and the setting of the sun. As it comes up, it’s new and a new day/opportunity dawning and as it sets as you watch your day and it’s mistakes go away as you give it to God. It’s all His anyway, don’t waste your life hanging onto it. Live your life embracing the new. Each night is a turning of the page as a new day is unfolding. With each sunrise His mercies are new but yours must be too! For you and for others as He has done and will continue to do for you. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and Gods Holy truth. Keep walking in it and His love. You’ll learn more and more as you go, and you will also grow. Start here. Let each day be new and learn to live one day at a time. That’s all He ask of you. Today!

That’s turning north on purpose. You must walk on purpose to walk in purpose. That’s living intentionally. I might not see it but I believe it. I use my faith and what I do have to live like You’d have me to. I rely on You God in that which I step. You won’t move my feet for me or my mind toward You. But You’ll be there for me, strengthening and enabling me every step of the way. You will continually direct and redirect me AS LONG AS I am walking with You. Side by side: hand in hand. Knowing Your spirit resides in Me is all I need. I am a part of you and You me Creator Maker and sustainer! Even when I don’t see it, You’re working inside of me and I just want to live it out intentionally and by faith, the life You planned for me from way long ago. It’s not too late and i’m still here. I want to watch it unfold and see all the good things that you do have and will do for, through and inside of me. I’m tired of being out, I want in. I choose to live intentionally by faith in action.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24

In Christ name Who makes you able and strengthens you. In Jesus name, Amen.