God’s Timing for Country Living

By Jaël Naomie

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.” Genesis 12:1,4

Abraham knew the voice of God and when the call came to move, he obeyed, without murmuring or complaining.

I lived in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. For many years, I felt God working in my heart, asking me to leave the city, but where would I go? I began to do a thorough study of country life. The more I prayed and studied the Bible and benefits of country living, the more God revealed His precious plan for my life. I became even more convinced that city life was not the best for me. One day I read the following quote from the book The Ministry of Healing, and I knew I needed to do something to activate my faith. The quote read:

"It was not God’s purpose that people should be crowded into cities, huddled together in terraces and tenements. In the beginning, He placed our first parents amidst the beautiful sights and sounds He desires us to rejoice in today. The more nearly we come into harmony with God’s original plan, the more favorable will be our position to secure the health of body, and mind, and soul"(Ministry of Healing, p. 363).

Stepping out in faith, I began packing up my cozy, quaint apartment. I only kept the bare minimum that I would need to use on a daily basis. Anyone who visited me either thought I had just moved in or I was moving out. Where was I going? When was I going? I had no clue. But like Abraham, I believed that God would show me where He was leading.

One, two, three, four, five months went by and God was silent. My boxes remained sealed. The sixth month passed and there seemed to be no answer from God—no action on His part.

One day I was on the phone with a friend and the conversation turned to communities. I said, “It would be so nice to live in the country near a Christian church community where one could worship, share ideas, and grow in Christ.” Amazingly, the moment we got off the phone, she sent me a flyer that had JUST been emailed to her about a Seventh-day Adventist church and several Christian ministries all in one community in Upstate New York! It was even located in the country! There were apartments nearby that were accepting applications.

I had my apartment interview and was immediately accepted. It was a simple move as I was already packed up and ready to go! I quickly became a part of the church’s community and activities. I now live in Livingston, New York, enjoying the fresh air, the sounds of nature, the atmosphere, and the fellowship of my brothers and sisters in Jesus.

There are times when it seems like God is not working, but keep the faith. When God is silent, keep the faith! After six months of being packed up with nowhere to go, in one quick and unexpected moment, my situation changed. God does everything in His own good time. If He has placed a desire in your heart, keep the faith knowing that in the fullness of time, it will come to reality. Just remember, "But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God’s purposes know no haste and no delay" (A Call to Stand Apart, p. 5).

Jaël Naomie is the author of One Minute with God, a prayer devotional journal. At sixteen, she gave her life to Christ. Although Jaël has faced many obstacles for her decision, God is faithful and Jaël’s trust in Him grows with each passing day. In all her years, she has never “seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread" (Psalms 37:25, NKJV). This story is shared with permission of Time to Get Ready Ministry.

World Church Prayer Requests

July 30 – August 5, 2021

• Pray for our brothers and sisters in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands who have recently been affected by severe flooding. Pray that God will provide strength in the midst of this national crisis and courage to move forward.
• Pray for Dr. Ariel Henry, a retired surgeon and SDA, who has just been made the Prime Minister in Haiti. Pray that God will give him Holy Spirit blessing and wisdom to lead the country of Haiti in the midst of great political upheaval and tensions.
• Pray for church members around the world who are being affected by the new variants of the Corona virus. Pray for safety and the preservation of God’s people.
• Pray for the Arabs who live in Iraq. With a population of more than 16 million people, only 0.5% are Christian. Pray for the safety of Iraqi Arab Christians and for the work being carried out by faithful believers.

To download this week's blog and prayer requests, click here!