^"1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain, Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. ² In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat-- for he grants sleep to  those he loves."--Psalm 127:1-2

Decide what you want and go for it, the Spirit of the LORD spoke to my heart, as I sat in the elementary classroom, waiting for the kids to come in. I was subbing in a local school, and planning to become a certfiied teacher. 

"Great!" I said, whispering. Even though there was no one in the class at the time, there were kids in the hall. "I want to get my Masters in Teaching!" 

Then I'll be touching kids for God and earning good money, I thought. 

The kids came in shortly after, and the afternoon went well. 

The LORD had told me I was a teacher many years before, when I'd dropped to my knees and asked Him, in a day of desperation. I had been trapped in a wrong marriage, full of strife, that was done in rebellion and definitely not His will. 

You'd think I would have learned from that horrible experience of 12 long, frustrating and even dangerous years, that I needed to understand more about following His will. I was very young, rebellious, and obviously deceived. 

Also, some of us are more hardheaded than others, at least at first! 

The LORD talks about the deceitfulness of riches. I have fallen to that deception many times, and the MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching) degree was part of that. Not only did it take quite a bit of money to pay for the degree, plus time, but it did not bear fruit like it should have, and I wound up not being able to finish the degree--for reasons that were definitely demonic.

However, the LORD is good, and during the year I taught at that small, rural public school, He planted many good seeds through me. Two of my fourth graders received Christ, and were thrilled to tell me about that, and that they were going to be baptized! 

Even when we are in God's permissive will (as opposed to His perfect will), He is a good Daddy and works all things together for our best and His glory (Genesis 50:20). He is faithful! 

As my pastor says, when our hearts are right, God's mercy keeps us. 

Thank goodness, because those are not the only wrong buildings I've ever tried to build! 

Our Father loves us.  He is very patient, and His Spirit will continue to draw and teach us, and reveal to us what we need to change--then help us to make those changes. 

Here are some ways the LORD has worked in my life (and others) to reveal that I'm building a wrong building (meaning, being in His permissive will):  (1) a lack of favor or success; (2) strife and strange things happening; (3) frustration and discouragement; (4) a lack of peace; a sense of "red flags," where you don't have complete peace (which is almost always the Holy Spirit lovingly warning you), but have "red flags"--but you override it (the wisdom of God) with the reasoning of your mind (which is carnal thinking).

There are seasons for everything, especially for the Believer that is growing closer to God and getting spiritual breakthroughs, making corrections in life as the LORD leads, etc. Sometimes the LORD does lead us places and there is opposition, which can make us wonder if we heard correctly from the LORD. 

Also, sometimes we're in the right place doing the right thing, and our peace gradually leaves. Everything may be great--the money, the favor, the ease--yet, we have a growing dissatisfaction in our hearts, and the sense that change is coming, or that we should be somewhere else, doing something else (or every somewhere else doing the same thing). 

The LORD is our good, good, Father, and our Good Shepherd Who always leads us in right paths for His name's sake (Psalm 23). He is forever faithful and knows all things. He is good, and only good, and His plans for us are always good, and all good (Jeremiah 29:11). 

His understanding is infinite, and things we could never explain to others, He totally understands. Praise the LORD! 

I've wanted to tutor online for a while, and have been doing that for months. Recently, though--although I have so many very satisfied clients that I've had to turn some away--the LORD has been instructing me to do more writing and teaching of the Word. By His grace, I will obey.

We will never understand everything, and sometimes there is no way we can know--nor should we take time to try to figure out--whether we're in the permissive or perfect will. However, it's good to ask Him, and respond when He answers. 

True repentance is making the changes He instructs us to make. By His grace and help, we can make those changes and stick to them. 

The LORD loves us and is for us! He will help us. He is not mad at us, nor disappointed. He is joyfully faithful to get us back on the right path, and He only wants to help us succeed. He is good, forever! Halleluijah!

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”--I Chronicles 16:34 and Psalm 106:1

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.