You Are the Girl for the Job Week 5 — Catch the Vision

If any of you lacks wisdom, let [her][her]. — James 1:5

There are going to be incredible moments of pain, confusion, hurt, and doubt as we obediently answer God’s call. But, God uses vision as a tool to encourage us to keep going. ~ Jess

It’s all about Jesus.

It’s true.

This life — the sweet and the sorrowful, the meals and the laundry, the highs and the lows, the thrills and the doldrums in between, the days off and the endless errands, the healings and the bereavement, the service and the receiving, the morning walks and the hospital stays, the work and the rest — is to know and love Him more. To serve and glorify Jesus. To live, and laugh, and hope, and weep, and give, and turn our faces more and more towards Him. It’s an intro to what’s to come. It’s our chance to look more like Him before we look at Him face-to-Face.

He’s the goal. He’s the prize. ~ Jess

It’s all about Jesus.

Not me.
Not you.
Him.
We’re not the deal.
He is!

So, what does He want from this one messy-beautiful-glorious-brutal life?

Ask Him.

God promises to give wisdom if we seek it from Him. Ask and then wait and listen.

Here’s what little I know: it won’t be a straight line. It won’t be easy. It won’t always make sense. It most likely won’t look anything like you expected. It will take so much longer than you anticipated. There will be surprisingly low lows. And, there will be heart-bursting high highs. And, most of all, Jesus is worth it. All of it.

God will work your story out in ways you can’t imagine.

Everything that seems bad, can also be seen as a blessing. ~ Jess

Sometimes what seems like a gigantic mistake has golden purpose in the Master’s hands. What seems to be an interminable wait can be necessary for our tool belts. What requires us to shut our mouths and just obey Him, is a gift, a discipleship. What scrapes our skin often awakens our compassion. What boils our blood can spark our calling. What hurts us, confuses, frustrates, and thwarts us also stretches, grows, and forms us when we submit to His kind and omniscient leadership and will (whether active or permissive). He has a plan. And it’s good!

Just wait on it. Keep trusting. Keep obeying. Keep rejoicing.

When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. — Genesis 41:1

Probably like you do, I want fast answers. Easy solutions. Quick direction.
Gimme some holy Miracle-Gro, God! Miracle now. Fast-forward to future happiness and joy. Hallelujah and amen!
None of this waiting that I hate.
It’s hard. It hurts.

Joseph was a man of great patience because he trusted in vision. ~ Jess

But, oh, the joy to come! Whooeee, we will dance with joy not just in Heaven but here on earth when we look back and see that we followed Him, and led others to Him, and worked hard, and smiled hard, and hoped hard even in the hard!

So, let’s ask and let’s listen. Dig into the Bible and see if what we feel we hear matches what He’s already said. It’s right there. He won’t leave us hanging for answers.

What and why we perceive God to be saying must line up with His Word. ~ Jess

Will more people come to know Him, see Him, experience Him when I act in obedience? ~ Jess

Vision is a breath of fresh air to keep us going, to fill our sails, to remind us to find the joy in the journey, lighten up, laugh a little (or a lot), raise our hands, worship, dance, and point our faces in awe towards Him.

Because it’s all about Jesus.

This week in your study:

1. Watch the video for session five on our study home page. Take notes in your study guide on pages 95-103 and then stick around for the conversation with our OBS community!
2. Grab your Bible and enjoy your personal study this week on pages 104-113.
3. Join the conversations about the study and in our private Facebook group.

Scriptures This Week

Philippians 4:4-7
Genesis 37:5-11
Genesis 39:2-5
Genesis 40
Genesis 41:1
Genesis 39:20-23
John 16:13
James 1:5
2 Timothy 3:16-17

Prayer for the Week

Oh Jesus, we love You! As in the life of Joseph, please have favor on us… We don’t normally get why we go through what we go through. We don’t see what you’re doing and it is hard to faithfully follow through trials and suffering. Help us. Give us a vision for the future to give us a spring in our step as we follow You. Thank You, Lord. Amen.