- May 17, 2004
- 164
- 27
- Faith
- Non-Denom
- Marital Status
- Married
In prayer, God's constantly put on my heart the state of the church, His beloved bride who seems to be aging and getting ill. She is frail, unable to be obedient because she's becoming too much a part of this earth. She spends more time concerned with things of this world than she spends reading God's Word, praying for all He desires, and listening. How much time do we spend LISTENING, really listening to God every day? We listen to music, we watch television, we listen to our bosses and teachers and friends, but how much of our life is truly devoted as His life? We convince ourselves time and time again: I'm surrendered, I surrender, but what in our every hour backs that up?
I therefore urge my brothers and sisters to look at your 'daily grind' in this manner: whatever consumes most of your day is potential idolatry. If it is not for the Lord, work and its financial profit can become our God. For my most recent idol, for example, I used to spend an HOUR in front of the mirror and half an hour with God. I was not in front of the mirror serving God or thinking about His desires or looking to better myself for His sake but for mine. It seems extreme, but I not only limit my time to get ready in the mornings, I am (and this is going to seem extreme) abandoning things I love in this world-secular music, television, movies. I'm not throwing out my Ben-Hur or even my VeggieTales, (these edify me in some small way and rightfully acknowledge God). I am not telling you to do this, but I want you to think about WHY I'm doing this.
As Christians, we claim that our life is surrendered and here to honour the Lord, but when I listen to secular music, I'm not surrendered-I'm thinking about the partying I used to do and former relationships that were sickly. When I watch television, it's for me, for my own entertainment. Thin line here because God knows we need rest and relaxation, and we're compelled to be entertained and amused and find our joys in things other than God. The closer we get to the Lord and the more we escape what we are chained to on earth, the more we find that He is amusing-I wish I could've seen the sea part with Moses standing up on a rock reaching out his arms, that would've been better than hollywood special effects! But why does the church not see Him as the same God, why are miracles like this no longer possible? Because we doubt Him and limit Him, we put Him in a box in our hearts and worship Him now and then, giving Him no real power and authority, just enough that we're comfortable with.
One of the greatest things we can surrender to God is our comfort. Every day, He'll provide choices in His timing in His way. He asks me now and then to get on my knees at my bus stop-on a busy street corner in front of about 20 people standing nearby I've tried to count-and would you believe I WANT to say no?!? Why-because I'd be uncomfortable, embarassed even. I'm not saying to go outside and kneel on the streetcorner, no, but when God says to move, we move! It's really tempting in the beginning when He asks small things like this of us to think of them as huge, too much, too sacrificial. But in disobeying this tiny tiny command--to kneel before my Lord and demonstrate my surrender and show respect and not be ashamed of what He asks of me--wouldn't I be the same as Peter who said 'I know not the man'? I wanted to say: 'this is silly, this can't be God, Lord, I'm confused, my imagination's getting carried away' or 'is that really You, Lord?' or 'are You suuure? Is this ABSOLUTELY necessary?' But He asks us to surrender in obedience, gladly giving Him everything. When we want and believe we'll hear Him, we will. When He asks, we do it. It's that simple and sometimes that difficult. Everything in us wants to doubt, to question, to reason with a God who already sees the whole picture, from our tiniest apprehensions to how this small act will effect the entire scheme of things around. He knows. Just trust. And do it!
The Israelites were "stranded" in the middle of the desert, when walking by faith, not knowing where they would go, what would happen, how they would find water, being uncomfortable just walking forward. It's no wonder they just wanted to say: You know what, God, I understood Egypt. I felt like I had SOME control, even if my master was hard on me. Even if the authorities of this world weren't perfect, I understood it, it was comfortable, I knew what was going to happen, what my day would be, I had a home, food, water.... now let's forget walking in obedience toward the Promises of Your Word and just.. well, just overlook this one little obedience.
We can never receive the message to 'trust and obey' enough. It is ministry to every heart where disobedience is harbored in dark corners. But I pray this be a blessing. Lord, help us to claim victory in Christ, doing nothing out of our own strength, but knowing we can do all You ask us to in Your strength, dear God. Jesus, thank You that You are alive and well within us and that You will use our obedience to produce great works and great fruits that will amaze us! You are gracious, oh God, and we LONG to give You our everything. Every moment, every day, every season, every desire, every will and emotion, Lord God. Bring us into total submission by Your mighty power. We choose You, Lord, above all else, above every comfort, above everything in this world that seems so easy, we choose You. We trust You with all we know and don't know, all we understand and all that doesn't seem to make sense. Because You are greater, Your plan, Your promised land is greater than our wildest imaginations. We could try all our lives to conceive of Your glory, but You are so far beyond us! We give You all, everything! Take this world from us, for we find ourselves in You!
What strength we find in uttering what is already true! It may not seem it, it may not FEEL true right away, but how His Spirit ministers to us!
Here's to an incredible future on earth and after in Christ!
Much Love,
April
I therefore urge my brothers and sisters to look at your 'daily grind' in this manner: whatever consumes most of your day is potential idolatry. If it is not for the Lord, work and its financial profit can become our God. For my most recent idol, for example, I used to spend an HOUR in front of the mirror and half an hour with God. I was not in front of the mirror serving God or thinking about His desires or looking to better myself for His sake but for mine. It seems extreme, but I not only limit my time to get ready in the mornings, I am (and this is going to seem extreme) abandoning things I love in this world-secular music, television, movies. I'm not throwing out my Ben-Hur or even my VeggieTales, (these edify me in some small way and rightfully acknowledge God). I am not telling you to do this, but I want you to think about WHY I'm doing this.
As Christians, we claim that our life is surrendered and here to honour the Lord, but when I listen to secular music, I'm not surrendered-I'm thinking about the partying I used to do and former relationships that were sickly. When I watch television, it's for me, for my own entertainment. Thin line here because God knows we need rest and relaxation, and we're compelled to be entertained and amused and find our joys in things other than God. The closer we get to the Lord and the more we escape what we are chained to on earth, the more we find that He is amusing-I wish I could've seen the sea part with Moses standing up on a rock reaching out his arms, that would've been better than hollywood special effects! But why does the church not see Him as the same God, why are miracles like this no longer possible? Because we doubt Him and limit Him, we put Him in a box in our hearts and worship Him now and then, giving Him no real power and authority, just enough that we're comfortable with.
One of the greatest things we can surrender to God is our comfort. Every day, He'll provide choices in His timing in His way. He asks me now and then to get on my knees at my bus stop-on a busy street corner in front of about 20 people standing nearby I've tried to count-and would you believe I WANT to say no?!? Why-because I'd be uncomfortable, embarassed even. I'm not saying to go outside and kneel on the streetcorner, no, but when God says to move, we move! It's really tempting in the beginning when He asks small things like this of us to think of them as huge, too much, too sacrificial. But in disobeying this tiny tiny command--to kneel before my Lord and demonstrate my surrender and show respect and not be ashamed of what He asks of me--wouldn't I be the same as Peter who said 'I know not the man'? I wanted to say: 'this is silly, this can't be God, Lord, I'm confused, my imagination's getting carried away' or 'is that really You, Lord?' or 'are You suuure? Is this ABSOLUTELY necessary?' But He asks us to surrender in obedience, gladly giving Him everything. When we want and believe we'll hear Him, we will. When He asks, we do it. It's that simple and sometimes that difficult. Everything in us wants to doubt, to question, to reason with a God who already sees the whole picture, from our tiniest apprehensions to how this small act will effect the entire scheme of things around. He knows. Just trust. And do it!
The Israelites were "stranded" in the middle of the desert, when walking by faith, not knowing where they would go, what would happen, how they would find water, being uncomfortable just walking forward. It's no wonder they just wanted to say: You know what, God, I understood Egypt. I felt like I had SOME control, even if my master was hard on me. Even if the authorities of this world weren't perfect, I understood it, it was comfortable, I knew what was going to happen, what my day would be, I had a home, food, water.... now let's forget walking in obedience toward the Promises of Your Word and just.. well, just overlook this one little obedience.
We can never receive the message to 'trust and obey' enough. It is ministry to every heart where disobedience is harbored in dark corners. But I pray this be a blessing. Lord, help us to claim victory in Christ, doing nothing out of our own strength, but knowing we can do all You ask us to in Your strength, dear God. Jesus, thank You that You are alive and well within us and that You will use our obedience to produce great works and great fruits that will amaze us! You are gracious, oh God, and we LONG to give You our everything. Every moment, every day, every season, every desire, every will and emotion, Lord God. Bring us into total submission by Your mighty power. We choose You, Lord, above all else, above every comfort, above everything in this world that seems so easy, we choose You. We trust You with all we know and don't know, all we understand and all that doesn't seem to make sense. Because You are greater, Your plan, Your promised land is greater than our wildest imaginations. We could try all our lives to conceive of Your glory, but You are so far beyond us! We give You all, everything! Take this world from us, for we find ourselves in You!
What strength we find in uttering what is already true! It may not seem it, it may not FEEL true right away, but how His Spirit ministers to us!
Here's to an incredible future on earth and after in Christ!
Much Love,
April
