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Devotional

Look at All the Space for Me to Work!

by HOLLY PENNINGTON RELIANCE Seeing & not seeing fruit
Look at All the Space for Me to Work!
  • by HOLLY PENNINGTON
  • Comment
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow."
1 Corinthians 3:6

With an unsettled, grieving heart, I meandered up a familiar hill dotted with traffic lights that turned my hurry inside out every time I had to brake. I had journeyed this same road home thousands of times, the pull to return to familiarity and move on to the next thing nearly irresistible. But, just as I was picking up speed, God interrupted with this: 


“Look at all the space for me to work!” 


I felt His excitement, His gratitude. For letting me let Him do what only He can do. The reassurance that this is exactly how God wants to work in my life, in the gap between what is and what could be. 


That particular day, my heartache was over a relationship that I desperately wanted to be different. For years, I had tried to connect more deeply, laugh more authentically, and relax more fully in the friendship, but it kept leaving me heavy with angst. 


Halfway up that well-known, winding incline toward the comfortable space of home, my anguish softened into hope because of God’s desire to help me. In those moments, I didn’t ask God to do anything, but He enthusiastically offered. It was as if, in the space of my pain, He found the perfect job for himself and couldn’t wait to get started. 


Reliance. Sometimes it is the work of grasping the truth that God wants to work in the spaces that disturb, confound, and wreck us. He does not linger far away, waiting for us to ask in the right ways or to surrender at the perfect time. Reliance can be God coming to us, seeing the gaps in our relationships, dreams, and ministries, and excitedly–even gratefully–saying, “Look at all the space for me to work!”


Closing Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for wanting to work in the gaps in our lives. Thank you for relieving us from the job of growing our own faith, relationships and ministries, and for being excited to do this for us!
Resources
Bible Study: Already, But Not Yet Experience Guide by Proverbs 31 Ministries If I had to describe this study in one word, it would be encouraging. By taking a deep dive into 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Peter, and Jude, your faith will be nurtured. You will feel a renewed strength in God’s desire and ability to grow ministries beyond what you can imagine.
Question for Reflection

Think of a gap in your life – something that you want to be better than it is right now. Can you picture God excitedly saying, “Look at all the space for me to work!”? How does believing that He truly wants to relieve you of the burden of gowing it yourself help you surrender it to Him?

Comments
Holly Pennington
November 24, 2020

A few years ago, a little girl in our community fought a brave and very public battle against terminal cancer. Meal calendars were filled with eager volunteers, fundraisers were generously supported, and a prominent tree was decorated in her honor. People genuinely wanted to help however they possibly could. Imagining that God has this kind of authentic desire to help me in every part and every moment of my life feels too good to be true. It is impossible to fully comprehend, but I know it is His nature. Clinging to His desire just as much as His ability makes it easier for me to invite Him in to more spaces in my life.