The Place You Are In

Do you ever feel like your location doesn’t fit your calling?  It can be difficult when life isn’t quite matching up with your ideals.  Perhaps the Lord has given you a path to follow and it just doesn’t make sense where you are standing, but it makes perfect sense to God.  He has handpicked you for that very spot you are in to do a work that only you can do.  Whether it’s a city, your neighborhood, or even your workplace…God has a purpose for your presence.

My Location Isn’t Ideal

Have I told you that I live in Las Vegas, NV?  Otherwise known as Sin City.  Mentioning this as my place of residence comes with a stigma (especially to the online world) and I’m not naive to that fact.  However, God has a plan and that and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with reaching the lost.

God's master plan for you takes place in your current surroundings. Embrace it Share on X

While I’m not a Pastor (or even a Pastor’s wife), I am in the ministry of Blogging.  My insecurities about what people might think or how effective I might be because I live in a town considered to be a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah, is something I have to force myself to overlook.  The Lord picked this spot for me and I won’t leave till my job is finished.

It can be rough living in a place where I’m surrounded by alcohol, gambling, and prostitution.  There have been many times that I have thought about moving away and starting over somewhere else but I know that I need to stay until my purpose is fulfilled.  In the meantime I continue to pray that my heart is guarded and my eyes are shielded.  I pray that I persevere in the face of opposition and press onward so that His name is glorified.  Whether that be because I’m being used to minister to friends, neighbors, or coworkers, God’s will be done.

Our Presence Serves a Purpose

Perhaps you find yourself in less than ideal surroundings. You may find yourself wishing things were more quiet and serene and it seems like there is nothing but chaos swirling around you.

 Or maybe you are feeling stuck in the place you are at and you’d rather be where the grass is greener.  What was once new and exciting now seems like a trap with no way out.

Can I tell you friend?  I’ve felt both of those ways too.

Yet, I can look back and see how God used me in those surroundings.  I can see how my environment set me up to minister to others in ways I never expected.  My position gave me access to specific people.  Being uncomfortable stretched me further than I thought I could handle.

The truth is…

He uses us in the darkness.

And He uses us in the valleys.

His light within us illuminates that seemingly deep darkness and gives others a glimmer of hope.  Even sometimes without us realizing it.

Let’s Talk About Joseph

He was a man who after being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife was thrown into prison.  Imagine for a moment what prison must have been like in Egypt during such a primitive time.  My mind immediately thinks of a dark and dreary place with dirt floors and no beds.

There was most certainly no kind of comfort.

Yet, it was there in prison that God continued to use Joseph and gave him favor.

“But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love.  And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.”
Genesis 39:21  NLT

Joseph interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s officials.  After helping them Joseph asked the cup-bearer to remember him and and mention him to Pharaoh so that he might be released.  One was killed and the cup-bearer was restored to his former position within the palace just as Joseph had said.  However, this official forgot about what Joseph had done so he sat in prison for two more years.

That’s two more years of waiting on the Lord.  Two more years of prison time after having high hopes of being released.

Imagine?

Pharaoh began having dreams of his own and it was then that the cup-bearer remembered Joseph and mentioned him.  Joseph was summoned and interpreted the dreams.  Pharaoh was so pleased that he gave him a high-ranking position within his court which put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt.

So you see, Joseph waited on the Lord and trusted Him until the appointed time for his release.  He served him in that dark prison and used his gifts of the Spirit to be a light in the darkness.  As should we.

The World Needs Believers

The world needs our presence as believers.  They need the same hope that we have.  Only the Lord can bring that hope and that peace that this world falls desperately short of delivering.

So even though you may be in a city you loathe, a job you can’t stand, or in a position of low rank, remember that God is using you where you are at.  We serve the same God that Joseph served and have that same favor.  We are to be faithful in the place He has planted us until He removes us.

It will happen.  For this world is not our home.  He will do as He promises.

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Psalms 139:5 NLT

This week I’m honored to feature a post by Samantha over at Aiming Intentionally called “Did You Know God Has a Mission Field For You?”.

It would serve you well to go over and read it for yourself if you are feeling like you are in the wrong place or not able to be used by God because of where you are at.

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