Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
Joshua 1:9
"For where your treasure is there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:34).
Where or what is your treasure today? We all have things or people in our lives that we treasure or cherish. A treasure is considered something valuable, full of worth. Stories have been told over the years of hidden treasures eagerly sought after by pirates and other adventurers, men and women who spared no expense or effort to pursue some hidden treasure. But today, in the real world, our treasures are not encased in a treasure chest buried some feet below the earth and marked with an X to guide all adventure seekers to its sacred spot. Realistically for us, our treasures can be found in relationships, our jobs, our hobbies or even our material possessions such as cars, houses, etc. Our treasure is anything or anyone we consider of high value, that we even feel we can't do without. We may invest all of our time, energy and finances into this "treasure". But do you know something? I think God considers us His treasure. God made the greatest of sacrifices just to provide us with His precious gift of salvation. He loves us and cherishes us so much that He doesn't want us to go to hell - where we do deserve to go because of our sin - and has therefore made a way of escape for us. God loves us that much. We are His treasure. But is this feeling reciprocated? No, many times, unfortunately, it is not. We run to Him and commit ourselves to Him, not out of love but out of a desire to escape hell. We understand the gift of salvation but few of us have a desire to spend eternity with God. Many wonder what heaven will be like and don't feel too enthusiastic about going there except for the fact that it beats going to hell. In my own life, I know what it's like to see God and treat Him not as a treasured possession but more as a convenience. When I'm in trouble and need help I know exactly where to run. I know how to pray more, worship and praise Him more. Unfortunately, as soon as the problem even seems solved, I don't need Him anymore and I go right back to the earthly treasures in my life: family, friends, even worldly possessions. My prayer life lags and my praise and worship seem like an uphill battle. But God has brought me to the point where I'm finally, I think, learning to just lean on Him more and more and trust Him. I would like to think He is slowly but surely becoming a real treasure in my life; a treasure that truly gives me joy and peace. You see the other "treasures" make me feel happy, but it's a temporary happiness based on circumstances and situations. With God, on the other hand, as I surrender more and more to Him, I'm able to see His value and His worth in my life. I'm able to say, "God I trust You with every fibre of my being, because I have the confidence that whatever You allow in my life especially the bad and painful things, You're going to work it all out for my good." If God is our treasure just as much as we are His, loving Him will be more natural and the prospect of seeing Him and spending eternity with Him will be something to look forward to. And the nice thing about God is we can run to Him with any problem including where it concerns our relationship with Him. If we ask Him to work on our hearts and help us to love Him more and more each day, He will help us. Why? Because He knows us and He knows what is in us and He is willing and able to help once we ask. So let's be honest with ourselves and with Him and ask for His help even in this area. He loves us and wants the best for us more than we even want it for ourselves. When we make Him the centre of our lives then and only then we will be truly fulfilled.
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Recently, God reminded me that my world does not consist of only those around me. There is a much bigger world out there. I may find myself praying for my church, my family, but at the end of the day my world does go beyond this small, intimate, yet limited, circle. He is allowing me to be aware of the pain and suffering of others in my country, even in the world in general. There are orphans around the world, victims of human trafficking and domestic violence and the list goes on. But it is not just the victims He has me focusing on but the perpetrators of these heinous acts. Imagine, God is not only concerned about those who are being hurt but those responsible for the hurt and suffering. He knows what some of us know: that those who hurt others are often hurting themselves.
Maybe you are not a “victim” but one who is guilty of inflicting pain and suffering. Maybe deep down you want to stop but don’t know how. You are so deep in it and for so long that there seems to be no way out. Listen, Jehovah God, is a God of the impossible. He is an expert at making a way where there seems to be no way. I recall the story of the Red Sea parting in the Bible. God's people, the Israelites, had just managed to escape their slave masters, the Egyptians. Even that is a miraculous story of deliverance in itself. As they left Egypt, they were faced with a challenge: the Red Sea. They had no boat to get across this sea and they could not swim across, especially with women and children. They could not turn back because the Egyptians had decided to pursue them and were right behind them. There was literally NO WAY OUT of this dilemma. But God made a way! He parted that sea so that the waters stood up on either side and His people walked on the dry seabed to the other side. Do you think that was it? Of course not! Remember the Egyptians were close behind them and when they too tried to walk through, the waters closed in on them and drowned every one of them. The miracle was that God made a way for them but He also ensured that only they benefited from this miracle. That is the story of deliverance from an impossible situation. Your struggle in the flesh is an impossible situation. Many times you feel like your hands are tied and you cannot even refrain from doing those things that are wrong. It seems easier to give up and to give in. But there is a God who is well able to do the impossible, even take away those evil desires in your flesh that drive you to do things that only make you feel unhappy and disgusted with yourself. You can’t but God can! When you surrender everything to Him - and this is for BOTH Christians and non-Christians - and you rest in Him He will make a way, He will direct you and help you. The difficult part is trusting and resting, when all you want to do is give in again and again to that bitterness, anger, lust, selfishness or evil act. But you know what? Just be honest with Him and tell Him how you feel. He already knows anyway but confessing it to Him helps you to get it off your chest. Then ask Him to help you trust and rest in Him as you allow Him to take charge of the situation, to sit in the driver’s seat for a change while you get to be the passenger as you allow Him to take the lead. He is God. Answering a call for help is His job. It is what He lives for . . . to help us. Try it. What do you have to lose?! |
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October 2024
AuthorThis blog provides inspirational nuggets inspired by the Word of God and serves to encourage and motivate Christians in their Christian walk. |