4. DON'T ASSUME You Know What to Do

Nehemiah didn’t start rebuilding the wall right away. Instead, with humility, he:

• Quieted himself,
• Sought God’s wisdom,
• Prayed, and
• Fasted before the Lord (Nehemiah 1:4).

He didn’t assume he knew how God wanted him to accomplish this task. I’ve been guilty of this so many times because I get so excited at what God wants me to do. I end up running ahead of God, assuming I know how to do it. I’ve learned the hard way that we can do things FOR God, but He wants us to do things WITH Him. That means waiting on Him. Seeking Him for divine strategy. Listening for His instructions – not assuming anything!

Maybe you're like me...as an action-oriented woman, I think I know what needs to be done and how to do it. But I don't. Just like a growing toddler states her independence many times a day, I tell God, “I do it!” He knows this about me! Often, He has to remind me to slow down and to wait for Him.

Unlike my tendency to rush ahead, Nehemiah took the time needed to seek God and His strategy for how he should accomplish rebuilding the wall. He didn’t assume he knew what to do already.

It's hard to quiet ourselves in our busy and noisy world. We're overloaded with other things vying for our attention: cell phones, emails, Netflix, our jobs, bills, shopping, school, etc. Once Nehemiah quieted himself, God gave him the download on what he was going to do and how he should go about doing it.

How about you? Do you have a difficult time keeping in step with the Spirit, too? Running when He said to walk? Crawling when He said it was time to run? Still yourself in His presence. He has what it takes to get it done, and He wants to share it with you.