Have either we, our households, or our communities strayed from the will and service of God? Well, just as God warned Moses that there would be punishment for such behavior, so it is for us today. However, before we begin crying, and tearing at our clothes in distress, know that God promises us that if we return to Him He will not only forgive, and accept us back, but give His name to dwell here among us.
Are we sick, or dying? Are we growing old, and feeling the pains of a body that is winding down? Is our mind failing us, taking with it the things we once knew, and were so precious to us? If our bodies and minds are wasting away take heart, because our souls are forever young, and are renewed in the Lord every day. Don’t allow what is happening to a body, that is designed to last for a short while, to cause you to lose sight of what is eternally important and constructed within you.
What do we do when we are happy, and filled with joy? What bubbles Forth from within us almost uncontrollably, and with such amazing creativity, and diverse scale and measure? Music, and song spring from us in praise, and when we are solemn, and worshipful the music and sound of our souls raises up in honor, adoration, and respect. No matter the occasion there is a song. Melodic is the language of our soul, and of God. We are created in His image, and music is the outpouring of our spiritual feeling, emotion, and of love.
Do those around you understand your faith? Has Jesus called you to believe in Him, but your family thought that you were not thinking straight? Sometimes our faith is challenged most by those who are closest to us, but don’t feel alone in this... it happened to Jesus as well when he first began performing miracles, and drawing crowds.
In our faith we are like children who while babies were fed their mother’s milk, but as they grew were allowed to eat soft cereal, then crushed vegetables, and finally meat. God feeds us the food of our faith as we are able to handle it, but once we are eating the common foods that all believers eat, do we pursue the special and mysterious foods of righteousness, and Jesus Christ, that are fed from God’s hidden kitchen, and shared only with those who ask; only with the few who call out for more?
When we are yet sinners God loves, and calls us. Before we first turn to Him, many say that not only do they have no use for Him, but that He has no use for them... what folly it is to think in this way. Just as we can’t determine to be born, we likewise can’t determine for God to accept us. The children of Israel didn’t leave Egypt on their own accord... they were called out by a loving God.
To what ends will your faith take you as you seek the presence of Jesus? Are you so confident in Him that there is nothing more pressing than to be at His feet? Does His love for you drive you to a great, and possibly heroic faith?
Have you ever run across someone who can’t wait to point out another’s faults? Does this person go to your church? Correction is good, but must be done with the right heart, and with a sense of humility. Nothing drives souls from Jesus faster than someone who uses their knowledge of the Word as a snare... a clever trap that is waiting to be sprung on someone as a means of belittling them, while raising themselves up.
We live in the world, and we are surrounded by immorality, and sin, yet this is exactly where we belong. We are not being punished by being placed in this position, but offered the opportunity to make a great impact on the souls, and circumstances, of those that we come in contact with. Do you find yourself praying that you be removed from such influences, but wake up every morning in the same place? Well, don’t ask God Why He doesn’t hear you... ask Him why He has you there.
Sometimes there is more to an illness than meets the eye. We ask to be healed because we are suffering, but do we consider the greater purpose of the Lord as we pray? The will of God, which is the same will that Jesus conforms too, is paramount to everything in our lives. We come to know God when He reveals Himself to us... or in other words... by His will, and we are healed when it is His will as well. A leper approached Jesus with that understanding, and was healed.
When we have come to love Jesus the last thing we should want to do is be separated from others of like mind. When we love our Lord, and come to behave as he does, then we must put on our old clothes, and hide our faces if we are to blend in once again with those we used to associate with. Do you desire to be with your brothers and sisters in Christ, or do you simply love Jesus on some occasions, and retreat to your old life at other times?
Are we like the scribes of old? Do we question Jesus, and His authority, within our hearts? Sometimes we are tempted to doubt His ability, or question our faith in His power, but are there times when we question the authority of Jesus himself, and look to God in fear and trembling asking “Is this truly your Son?” Even in our minds, for just an instant, does Satan’s lie seem plausible?
We come to God with our needs, and thank Him for those things He has done for us; we even ask Him to forgive us, and to help us be more like Him, but how often do we really tell Him “I Love You”? Are we guilty of treating our prayers of love for God like Hallmark Valentine’s Day cards, and find ourselves repeating to Him someone else’s thoughts, and words, or do we open our hearts and pour our own personal feelings out to Him as Asaph did?
Are you afraid? What is fear that it makes us tremble so mightily, or cower so completely when it comes upon us? Is there something that brings you such fear... something that wells up inexplicably from deep inside? Is there a fear that is so complete that it incapacitates you? If so, where do you turn for relief? Who do you call on for rescue? Is God able to comfort you, and calm your fears?
Impatience, it is one of the greatest challenges to our faith, and brings many a righteous soul to that place where they begin to question God, or say to themselves on the third day that Jesus will not rise... He is dead. Are we in need of something from God right now that we have been praying for night and day, yet haven’t received so much as a hint of deliverance regarding? Well, waiting is not easy, and bearing pain and suffering while we do might feel cruel, but God’s ways are perfect, and by them He is perfecting us... have faith in your waiting.