Enabled

Webster’s Dictionary defines enable as:

• 1 a: to provide with the means or opportunity
• b: to make possible, practical, or easy
• c: to cause to operate
• 2: to give legal power, capacity, or sanction to

The Lord enables us to step out if we will keep our eyes open to the opportunities that He places before us.

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

So often, I find myself wanting to step out in a specific way and as a result I miss the opportunities that God places before me. I forget His ways are higher than mine. He has enabled me in so many ways. He provides me the means to step out and be His hands and feet; yet, I try to put Him in a box as to how I will allow Him to use me.

When we open our eyes to the opportunities before us, God makes it possible, even easy to step out for Him. But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

When I know that I am following the steps that God has placed before, regardless of the obstacle I face, He enables me a way to do it. I remember when I was running a nonprofit we had hit our maximum return in the venue where we held our an annual event. Alternative venues were not an option, because our community hosts a lot of fundraisers and basically reservations need to be made a year in advance. As we sat there brainstorming, I had a God idea. I say that because I threw out a scenario, and when we did the math, it worked out to the exact goal that we wanted to reach. God made it possible, practical and it was that easy.

God enables us by equipping us to operate in whatever He calls us to. Mark Batterson wrote “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” in his book  The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears. If God has called us to it He will do what is necessary to cause us to be able to operate in a way that we can accomplish what He placed before us. Christ said that His followers would do greater work than He did. He has certainly qualified us for anything that He calls us to, and if we can do it on our own, we don’t have His vision yet.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12

God enables us with His power to be His witnesses to the world around us. Much of what God calls us to step out into will require the power and authority that comes only from Him. We need His Spirit to empower us.

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Acts 1:7-9

God has enabled us to step out for Him. He provides us opportunities. He makes it possible for us to step out. He qualifies us and equips us to fulfill what He has called us to do. He also gives us the authority and power to be His witness. Whatever He brings us to, He will enable us to complete.

This post is part of a 28 days series on Stepping Out inspired by the #Write28Days Blogging Challenge by Anita Ojeda. Prompt today was from Kate M at Five Minute Fridays.