How We Respond
Lying tongues were attacking the reputation of David, but he did not defend himself. Instead, he moved the case to a higher court and pleaded before the great King himself. Prayer is the safest way to respond to words of hatred. The psalmist prayed in no apathetic manner—he gave himself to the exercise, throwing his entire soul and heart into it, straining every sinew and muscle as Jacob did when wrestling with the angel (Genesis 32:22–26). This is the only way any of us will prosper at the throne of grace. A shadow has no power because there is no substance in it. In the same way, prayers in which we are not thoroughly present—in agonizing earnestness and vehement desire—are utterly ineffective, for they lack what would give them force. “Fervent prayer,” an old-time clergyman said, “like a cannon planted at the gates of heaven, makes them fly open.” The common problem with most of us is our readiness to yield to distractions. Our thoughts rove here and there, and we make little progress toward our desired end. Like quicksilver, our thoughts don’t hold together, but roll off this way and that. How great an evil this is! It injures us, and what is worse, it insults our God. What should we think of a citizen who, while having an audience with the prince, was playing with a feather or catching a fly? Psalm 109:4 implies continuance and perseverance. David did not cry out once, and then become silent; his holy clamoring continued until it brought down the blessing. Prayer must not be a haphazard work, but our daily business, our habit and vocation. As artists give themselves to their models and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer. We must be as immersed in prayer as we are in the air we breathe—and pray without ceasing. Lord, teach us so we may be more and more powerful in prayer. - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
How we respond to life determines much about what becomes of it...not what you get out of it.
For the believer, what becomes of you is determined by whether or not you are obeying Christ. The life you live isn't yours but is to be lived for God. It's not necessarily about what you get out of life, because in the end, anything of value to and for you is not here, but in Heaven. God determines what's of value to the Believer.
For those reading this who haven't come to Christ, your endless pursuit of things...how's that really working for you? You buy, it wears out. You buy again, it doesn't last. You spend hours over things of this world and in the end what has it gotten you? You honestly are just as empty, probably even more disappointed, than your life was before you spent the time.
There are certain aspects of life that God set in the heart of man. Certainly qualities that he or she tries desperately to fill with anything buy that cross shaped hole in the heart.
Compromise is what started sin in this universe when Adam and Eve listened to Satan's lie. Then came idolatry. To find someone or something to worship that could replace that relationship with God. Look at the order of the 10 Commandments. There's a reason why they are in that order.
In more modern times idol worship is being perfected. We have television, movies and self made YouTube videos. We have hired hands calling themselves Pastors and Preachers in a pulpit that do not have a vested interest in shepherding the church but rather have their own wants n desires in mind. The Bible said those kinds of people would be in this world today...and there we have it. I have seen several of these hired hands, pawning themselves off as Pastors. One destroyed a Church when he got what he wanted and left. Another is in the middle of doing the same.
Compromise gets you nowhere when it comes to living for Jesus. It guarantees failure. How you respond to the urging of the Spirit determines how life is going to go for you. For the believer it determines the degree of blessings and growth in your walk with Jesus. For the unbeliever how you respond to the Spirit determines you coming to Christ for Salvation or rejecting Him.
Where are you at today? I keep being shown aspects of my life that are next in what the Spirit says need changed. It's on me to obey n to change. The Bible calls a heart that doesn't respond a hardened heart. A hardened heart is growing in its resistance to the things of God. Hatred and anger have no place in the heart of God that is living in obedience. Those attributes belong in a hardened heart. Anger comes to Christian people but the Scriptures warn of not allowing it to hang around.
Are there areas in your life that you are trying to convince the Spirit of God that they aren't THAT bad? Don't fool yourself. You are not getting one over on God. Is your heart insensitive to idolatry? What!? I am a Christian, you say, I have no idols in my life! I daresay you are probably wrong. The priests of Jeremiah's day claimed they were devoted followers. Yet it was shown what Jesus sees vs what they said. The Pharisees and Sadducees both claimed the same and Jesus called them out. Can we really be any different?
The time is now to both live for Jesus as you should and for those who haven't responded to the Spirit to come to Christ.
Very soon we will begin the final chapter of this world. Very soon the Rapture of the Church will happen. Very soon wickedness and evil will be on a scale not seen since right before the flood written about in Genesis. Floods, famine and earthquakes will be happening on a greater scale than now. And that's just the beginning. Nations will be deceived into following a world leader. That's what the Bible says is coming.
What about you? How are you going to respond today? The choice is yours as well as the result.
No comments:
Post a Comment