Don't Do God's Plan on YOUR OWN. Lessons from 2011

Here's a hard lesson on how to avoid sabotaging God's plan in our life. Believe it or not, we can often be our own worst obstacle in fulfilling God's purposes through our lives.

When we've heard from God and have confirmation that God is speaking and leading, we often become so zealous that we can sabotage His desires.

Abram (who became Abraham) was given a clear promise from God - that from his old age he would have a son, and this son would be the father of nations.

In Genesis 16, we read the story of how Abram and his wife Sarai took this promise into their own hands. Sarai encouraged (what was she thinking) her husband to "go in to" her handmaiden Hagar, so that she could bare a child for the couple. Ishmael was the son of this attempt at self-fulfilling God's promise.

The result of self-fulfilling God's plan is an Ishmael. While Ishmael did become the father of nations, his people became a major problem to the promised nation of Israel. God did fulfill His promise through Abram and Sarai, by giving them a son in their old age. Isaac was born to Sarai and became the father of the Jacon (name changed to Israel) and Esau.

Psalm 127:1-2, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

Another biblical example is the burning bush of Moses and the parallel in John 15.

What attracted Moses to the burning bush was that it burned but "was not consumed." It wasn't the fire, but the unquenchable fire. The fire burned because, instead of the bush being the source, the presence of God was the source of the fire.

Here's the KEY- if God is the source of the fire and purposes for our life, then we will "burn" will holy passion and purpose. The moment we become the source of the fire - harder work, longer hours, more energy, fleshly ambition - the fire will consume the source. If we're the source, we won't burn for long, will get "burned out." Trust me, no one is attracted to a heap of ash, but to people who are on fire but not consumed!

In John 15, Jesus teaches that a branch only produces fruit when it is attached to the vine, and apart from the vine it cannot bear any fruit, let alone sustain life. If we are to produce the fruit of righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, along with the fruit of effective ministry, we MUST be connected to the life of God through personal relationship with Jesus.

Apart from constant connection with God, we will dry up, burn out, and birth Ishmaels. Don't try to fulfill God's purposes in your own strength.

Let's get back to a dependency on God and desperation to know Him and stay connected to Him.