How long will we wait for God’s answer to a prayer before we give up and try to do what we have asked of Him ourselves, or abandon that thing altogether? His silence defines our faith; in the quiet stillness we wait, until at last we begin to feel around in the darkness for the edges of our belief.
Are we studying and memorizing scripture, and reading Biblically based literature, with the thought that this will make us wise and righteous or give us some increased standing with God? Well my friends, only one thing will work to perfect us in the eyes of God, and that is having the faith and obedience of a child. I would rather do this one small thing perfectly than to pursue a thousand wise and scholarly things while missing the mark of holiness entirely.
Where do we hide, and why? Are we afraid of failure, of displeasing God, sin, or the pain of living? Why do we feel inclined to seek out a hiding place or shelter ourselves from life? Many of us hide ourselves from the world around us; while others hide from God Himself.
Here are a couple of questions for us today... do we hear Jesus calling to us, and if so, are we prepared to come to Him when He beckons? If we listen to His voice, and go to Him... he promises to give us rest.
How great was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Have you ever stopped to consider the unfathomable depth of His accomplishment? Maybe you can get a glimpse as you look into your mother’s loving eyes.
So often we think that there is but one way that men are called, and that God has a set process for leading us to Him. We somehow get in our minds that there is only one way to serve God, and that if we don’t fit into the biblical walk exhibited by one of the twelve apostles then we are not correct in our faith. In fact, we are all unique and so is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Do you feel like a victim of Adam and Eve? Do you view yourself as having been strapped with the responsibility for a sin they committed? Nothing could be further from the truth... in fact, our own sins are more than enough for us to deal with. So what did we receive from Adam that has brought us death, and how is it different from sin?
Are you a Saint? Are you Holy and assured of heaven after death? If so, that is wonderful, and if not... why not? We are all called to be saints, but what do we do with our exalted calling? Is that where God’s vision for us is complete, or is there more?
“How is my prayer life?” This is something that each one of us should ask ourselves from time to time, and it should cause us to adjust our prayer regime according to God’s response. Searching for the answer to this question should be more than personal introspection. When we pose this question we should be asking that God also speak to us regarding the health of our prayer life because it is He with whom we are speaking.
The day after we accept Jesus Christ as our savior, Satan begins to work at us... will our faith withstand his onslaught? Believing is easy when we are on the mountain, but when we return to the valley we find ourselves crying out to the Lord for help... so let’s prepare ourselves for those moments. In Mark 9 we read about Jesus healing a boy who was possessed by an unclean spirit. In this account the boy’s father pleads for Jesus to help them. He tells Jesus of the boy’s condition and then begs for help using these words... “”.... But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."” Mark 9:22 ESV. Does this sound familiar to us? What happens next?
When we are lifted up and standing in that spiritual high place with Jesus don’t we want to stay there forever? When we are feeling the electric thrill of faith coursing through us and every hair on our body has risen as if in unison to the breeze of God's breath, don’t we want to remain in that euphoric state always? Well of course the answer is yes, but that is not what we are meant to do. God has more for us to do.
Many devout Christians will reach a place in their faith where they will call out to the Lord asking that they join Him in the suffering He experienced. One feels that if God breaks our bread and pours out our wine that the relationship we have with Him will grow all the closer, but something unexpected happens... it isn't God who breaks us and pours us out.
If our faith is predicated on understanding God then we will fail at it. God is more than the natural things that we can quantify, classify, and catalog; He is supernatural and until we grasp that fact and immerse ourselves in that reality then we are doomed to never truly knowing Him. We study God’s Word and preach what the Spirit reveals to us, but we can only speak what He has given us, and not from any understanding beyond that.
Are we willing to abandon ourselves to Jesus Christ? Can we put down our own self-interests and pick up the cross? If we can't answer "Yes" to these two questions then we are distanced from Him, and at best, we are onlookers in the audience as Jesus teaches, and not disciples that follow Him wherever He leads...
Do you want to follow Jesus but have something you must do first? Has God ever called you to a specific purpose but the timing just wasn’t convenient for you? If that is the case, did you console yourself by saying "God understands that I will eventually come" or perhaps use some other rationalization? Well, think again. His table is set when He calls us, but if we delay then it will eventually be cleared, and the meal put away. Will we ignore Him, and arrive too late to dine?