Golden Seeds [blog] by Marjet Hoogendoorn
April 20, 2023
‘This is your push out of the nest to fly on your own’, I heard the Lord say. I was in bed and earlier that day I had a talk at the office where I worked. It was a good talk, only it became clear that there wouldn’t be enough finances for my job. So that evening I was in bed to think about how to go on from here. ‘This is your push out of the nest to fly on your own’.
Earlier there had been ideas and others encouraged me in that, but it just didn’t feel like the right time. Yet this evening it felt ‘lighter’. Am I really ready for this?
In the weeks that followed I searched God for answers to this question. Many times I put out a ‘Gideon’s fleece’ and every time God was so loving. Every time He said: ‘You put down your Gideon’s fleece, I will give the confirmations you need. I see the mighty hero in you, this is how I made you.’ We received a magazine over the post and on the front page in big letters was written ‘mighty hero’. As a family we started to read a new children bible and as I took the plastic wrap off and opened the bible where the string was, it was the story of Gideon. I received a card from someone in our church – who had no idea of the process I was in – with the prophetic words: ‘you may feel weak at times, but I go before you with My chariots’.
At a certain point I knew, if I don’t follow God in this, I’m disobedient. Earlier there had been people who had prophesied Esther 4:14: If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this? (nlt)
So I listened at the heart of the Father what His plans were. And God was quite specific: ‘Make your agenda empty, so I can speak to you.’ That meant to quit my job en stop a few other things I did. I noticed in the Spirit this would be a key: I first needed to close doors, before God would open new ones. Does God always work like this? No, sometimes we grow into a calling, but I knew that He was asking this of me. Fifteen minutes after the conversation I had with my manager to quit my job, a verse popped up on my phone: And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19, nkjv) What a loving promise from our God. His riches are infinite, and we are not only considering money. He will provide in people with knowledge, who can help. He will provide people with a heart for intercession, who can pray. And so much more!
In the weeks that followed God and I made plans. A name was born: ‘Garden of Glory’ and God spoke clearly about the different components that He wanted me to do. The beautiful thing was that God also spoke clearly about the things I should not do, even if there would be expectations from others to do so. Also He gave ideas for the future, and these ideas make me enthusiastic. Yet they are not for this season.
God didn’t make us to exhaust us for Him. God is not looking for children who are running for Him, He is looking for children who listen to Him. And that is beautiful, because that will give you peace, and you will be able to enjoy your relationship with Him, plus you will learn to walk in your destiny.
Be still…
And ask God if there are areas in your life where you are running for Him. Ask God if there are doors that you need to close. And ask Him to give you insight in His destiny for your life.
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