1Ch 22:16
16 …Arise therefore, and be doing, and the Lord be with thee.

One of my favorite quotes is from Oswald Chambers: trust God and do the next thing. We don’t always have the answers to our questions, the path ahead may not be clear, and life may not make sense. So, what do we do at those times when the unknown outweighs any facts upon which we might make a decision we can believe is right? We trust God and work on the next available opportunity God presents.

Sometimes, our fear of making a decision that may result in discomfort causes us to shut down with paralysis, and not do anything. But God has trouble steering stationary objects, much like a rudder cannot steer a moored boat. Those of us who have experienced sadness from the decisions of others or from those we have made ourselves may become terrified of making any decisions at all. However, God is still in control of the final outcome of your life, even if you make a wrong decision.

It is unrealistic for us to expect that at some time in our lives in this world we will stop encountering unpleasant experiences. You can’t over analyze your options enough to prevent all bad or uncomfortable or unfortunate occurrences from happening. Excuse my language, but crap happens – to everyone at different times. We must make the decision to get moving – arise and be doing.

The following scriptures tell you what David and Solomon were supposed to be accomplishing:

1Ch 22:19
19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.

First, God says to intentionally make a decision to set or aim your heart and soul to seek God. If you don’t know what decision to make, it is a good bet that seeking God is a good option – even if it doesn’t result in an immediate answer. Just by seeking Him, you are offering yourself to Him as a sanctuary. That is a very acceptable thing to “arise and be doing” spiritually.

Then, on a practical level, do whatever requires your personal attention in your everyday life. Maybe you need to do the laundry or the dishes, or a project awaiting completion. Just because we are unsure about our next step or the outcome of our decisions doesn’t mean we have to stop doing anything. We don’t want to over fill our days with useless busywork – we just want to live our everyday lives in a way that glorifies God, regardless of what we are doing. Remember how Rebekah was drawing water from a well when she was chosen as Isaac’s wife? That was the next thing she was called to do, and that mundane act led her one step closer to God’s destiny for her life.

So, I encourage you to”arise and be doing” whatever God puts in front of you today. Don’t over-do it, don’t drown yourself in tasks, just do the ONE thing that comes next, and let the chips fall where they may. God will put it all together in His perfect timing to accomplish His will and purpose.

Penny Haynes
http://ChristianWomenWithDepression.com