A Nugget from New Life Network
(some excerpts from Bob Gass Ministries)
Scripture for the Day (March 14, 2016)
Along unfamiliar paths I will guide them.” (Isaiah 42:16 NIV)
In 1982 I gave my life to the Lord. I did not have a clue at that time the “unfamiliar paths” that decision was going to take me and my family on. I was raised in a very conservative family that was definitely not into change. My family lived in the same town and neighborhood for over 60 years. My father worked at the same place for over 50 years.
In 1988 my wife and I were introduced to Brig and Lita Hart who at that time were in the AMWAY business. My Pastor told us that Brig and Lita needed some help ministering to their AMWAY distributors. Now, you have to know what I thought about AMWAY and network marketing at that time. As a minister, I can’t write down what I actually thought. It was not good!!! I had a very secure executive position with over 25 years invested. I had over 3500 employees that I was responsible for. It did not make rational sense for me to leave that secure position. Little did I know that God is not rational (like we think) and would call us to work alongside Brig and Lita for the next 28 years. A VERY UNFAMILIAR PATH!
I have since noticed that unfamiliar paths are one of God’s specialties. He will often call someone to an area that is totally out of their comfort zone and they will usually argue with God about it and give him all their rational reasons why He must have made a mistake. For example, Moses had to leave his comfort zone. Moses had many doubts and questions: “Who am I that I should go?” (Ex 3:11 NKJV). “What shall I say to them?” (Ex 3:13 NKJV). “Suppose they will not believe me?” (Ex 4:1 NKJV). “But I am slow of speech” (Ex 4:10 NKJV). Finally he told God, “Send someone else” (Ex 4:13 NIV).
Fortunately, God wouldn’t take no for an answer, and Moses finally did the one thing that works when you’re uncertain about the future: He obeyed God, entrusting the details of the future to Him. In doing that Moses agreed to answer God’s call, leave his comfort zone, and return to Egypt. As a result, the children of Israel were delivered from slavery, and Moses’ name became a household word.
Abraham was called by God to move his family to a place he did not know where it was and the scripture says, “he went out, not knowing whether he went” (Hebrews 11:8). He is now known forever as the “Father of Faith”.
Maybe God has been calling you to do something that is totally out of your comfort zone. I think if you could ask Moses or Abraham they would encourage you to not be afraid and to step out and go with God. I know personally that we have never regretted the unfamiliar paths He has taken us on. It has been an adventure. It has not always been easy but it has been very rewarding to see tens of thousands of people touched by the power of God. We would have never seen that if we had stayed in our comfort zone.
“Victory is not in the fight, but in the surrender”
