Why Do We Wait?

hourglass-7-1312469-1279x1705

(Photo Credit: Pedro Simao)

I considered my ways, and turned my steps to your statutes. I will hurry, and not delay, to obey your commandments. The ropes of the wicked bind me, but I won’t forget your law. – Psalm 119:59-61 (World English Bible)

We might want to rekindle our relationship with Jesus, to be close again. But lies from the enemy and the world try to insert themselves between us and the Lord. The enemy tries to keep us busy and wear us out (Daniel 7:25). The world tells us that we can follow our own heart, that we should be able to do whatever we want. The world defines this as freedom. Thoughts like this cause us to wait, to delay. The world of entertainment actively tries to distract us from drawing closer to God.

True freedom only comes from our Savior, the Creator of the universe. God knows everything about us, and He loves us. Jesus loves us so much that He wants a true, living relationship. He can handle our stress, worries, and weaknesses. God cautions us to not rely on our own strength and wisdom. He is our Counselor, our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). His love can conquer all . . . if we go to Him.

Don’t delay. Trust in the Lord, and renew your strength in Him today. Push aside distractions, and focus on the One who truly loves and cares for you.

Prayer for today: God of Heaven, thank you for always being with me, even when I’m distracted. Please forgive me for straying, and wasting time. I’m sorry for delaying my return to you. I choose to trust you again. I trust you with me, and my life. Thank you, my savior. In Jesus’ name, we ask you. Amen.

I like this(1)Not wild about this(0)

Stuff in the Way

hand-1434984-1280x960

(Photo Credit: Dani Simmonds)

A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. – Mark 5:25-29 (World English Bible)

This woman had great need. She had spent everything she had, trying to get help for herself. Instead, her condition got worse. Then she heard of Jesus, and despite a crowd of people, she determined to reach Him.

We all have things in our life, and sometimes people in our life, that are in the way. We want a better relationship with Jesus, but responsibilities eat up our time. People put demands on us. We get through the day somehow, but we’re tired. We think we’re too tired to pray at night the way we want to. We tell ourselves we’re too tired in the morning to wake up early and spend time with the Lord. If we somehow get a break and some free time, we seek entertainment so we can relax. We tell ourselves we deserve it. Many times, we mean well. But somehow that deep relationship with God gets pushed aside.

This woman could have called upon Jesus for judgment against physicians who had caused her to suffer. But instead, she chose to reach for Him. She had a need to be made well. She had no one else to turn to. But she chose correctly. She looked past the stuff in her way. She pushed past the people who were in her way. She applied the faith she had, and was made whole.

Jesus is the Healer. Put everything else aside, and reach for Him today.

Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, I need your healing touch upon me. I need your special touch on my life. Teach me how to remove things that are between me and you. As I reach for you, let your healing virtue flow. I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

 

I like this(1)Not wild about this(0)

Counsel and Strength

hammer-1-1160778

(Photo Credit: Krzystof (Kriss) Szkurlatowski)

“Woe to the rebellious children”, says Yahweh, “who take counsel, but not from me; and who make an alliance, but not with my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin, 2 who set out to go down into Egypt, and have not asked my advice; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt! 3 Therefore the strength of Pharaoh will be your shame, and the refuge in the shadow of Egypt your confusion. – Isaiah 30:1-3 (World English Bible)

Where do you get your counsel from? Do you seek wisdom from the Word of God, or from other places? Do you base your concept of relationships on what you see in movies or television shows? (By the way, that’s probably not a good idea.)

In the scripture passage above, God is stating what happens when people seek do not seek Him. “Egypt” in this passage can be applied to the human-centered culture of the world. There have been times when I have looked to the rest of the world for counsel, instead of seeking the Lord. I chose my way because I did not want to change. I knew that I was supposed to bring myself to God, but didn’t. I preferred to stay where I was. Spiritually, I had chosen to sit still and not move forward in God. So although I didn’t intend to, I turned my heart away from God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. – John 3:19-20

In the short-term, it is easier to avoid God. In the long-term, life is much tougher and makes less sense. Why? Because God should be the source of our strength. We should not seek strength from ourselves, and not from the world. With God’s strength in us, working through us, we can get through anything. When we seek strength other than in the Lord, we get stuck in life, and it is hard to get “un-stuck”. Notice what Isaiah wrote later in Chapter 30:

For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. – Isaiah 30:7

Prayer for today: Heavenly Father, I admit that I have often tried to build and guide my own life. I listened to the world instead of You. Please forgive me, and renew me in Your strength. I need Your wisdom, and I ask for you to lead me. In the name of Jesus, amen. Thank you, Lord.

I like this(1)Not wild about this(0)

Threshing Mountains

trek-1-1384082

(Photo Credit: Benjamin Earwicker)

Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff. – Isaiah 41:15 (World English Bible)

Threshing is probably not something we’re familiar with these days. But for many centuries, it was known to be the act of separating seeds of corn or wheat from the rest of the plant (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thresh).

Why would God mention threshing? We all have mountains in our life. We have things that seem to be huge and in our way. It may be lack of finances, anger, alcohol, our past, worry, lust, pride, a bad relationship we can’t seem to escape, loneliness, or anything else. These mountains seem entrenched, too massive to move.

Does God want these mountains in our life? Yes, He actually might. Does He want the mountains to defeat us? No, He does not. He knows that we do not have the strength to move mountains. But He does give us something that can: faith.

For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. – Matthew 17:20 (World English Bible)

If you feel like you don’t have any faith, don’t believe it. Faith is not based in feelings, it is based in the truth of God’s Word. We all have tests of faith, and often they are not easy. Don’t listen to the voice that tells you to give up, or that it’s not worth it to keep going. Those are destructive lies, and you are the target. Listen to the voice that tells you to keep going, the voice that says, “I am with you, and I will never leave you” (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5)  How do you build your faith? Read and listen to the Word of God every day.

So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. – Romans 10:17

This faith that God Himself gives you will be a mighty weapon. You will be able to speak to mountains, and move them. But what does threshing mountains mean? It means that after you have moved mountains with the faith God gives through the midst of your struggles, you will have victory. In your victory, a seed of faith is planted in your heart and mind. You will have faith to face the other mountains in your life as time passes. God will be with you as you do this. Don’t give up. Destroy the mountains in your life that hinder you, and gain the faith God will give to you!

Prayer for today: God, it feels like I lack faith, but I will trust in Your Word. If You say that You are making me into someone that can thresh mountains, then I believe You. Help me to see You doing this through me. I don’t know the way out of these situations, so bring me through the mountains. Show me how to beat the mountains and thresh them until they are small. I ask this in your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

I like this(1)Not wild about this(1)