by David Brenneman
"Call on Me in a day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." Psalm 50:16
Did you know that you bring glory to God by calling upon Him when you are in distress? God promised He would deliver you if you turned to Him. You deny the Lord honor that is rightfully His every time you find yourself in difficulty and you fail to call upon Him for help! There may be times when God allows you to reach a point of need so that you can call upon Him, and thus let Him demonstrate to a watching world the difference He makes in the lives of His children. If God never allowed you to experience need, people around you might never have the opportunity to witness God's provision in the life of a Christian. If you never faced a shortfall, you might be tempted to feel self-sufficient and without any need of God in your daily life.
Pride will tempt you to think that you do not need to seek God's assistance. Self-regard will seek to convince you that you can handle your dilemma through your own wisdom, resources and hard work, Pride will also rob glory from God and seek to give it to you. Don't allow your pride to take what rightfully belongs to the Lord. Call upon your Lord and wait exclusively upon Him to rescue you. Then give Him the glory that He deserves.
Self-sufficiency can greatly hinder your ability to experience God and bring Him honor. The next time you are in distress, turn to Him!
-Experiencing God Day-by-Day, Blackaby and Blackaby.
"I got this" is an oftentimes used thought or phrase used by all of us at some point in our lives about something that we're going through.
We likewise push the notion of "pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps" as the saying used to be.
We think it's on us to do everything we can THEN go to God after those things are exhausted.
Much of what we're going through, if not all of it, is to showcase the power of God in Christ Jesus in our lives towards ourselves and the people in our lives albeit the saved and the as yet unsaved.
The entire world at large at the time was impacted by Moses and Aaron going to Pharaoh to get him to let the people of God go out from among the Egyptians. It wasn't just to rescue the children of Israel, it wasn't just to punish Pharaoh and his followers, it was showing the world that there is a God in Israel that they too should take serious notice of.
What we do or don't do in accordance with the life we are to live in Christ impacts not just ourselves but those in and around our life. We are to do whatever we're called to do as unto the Lord. We're to live our lives in Christ in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.
When we do as they wrote in the devotional, we are the ones who might get the glory, not God, certainly not Jesus.
We were taught how to pray, and what is important to pray for and about. We were told in advance that only through various trials and tribulations that we would enter into Heaven. It is the life we're given to live that is to showcase Christ both to ourselves as well as the world.
We are also very good liars unto ourselves. We like to convince ourselves that we're not concerned or anxious or worried by the plans we make in the moment.
Yet we are.
I have never met anyone who, when it comes down to it, has ever been truly ok with facing the unknowns of the future without Christ leading the way.
We want someone more knowledgeable than us leading the way let alone making the hard decisions for us. There's levels of accountability that we want no part of...if we're truly being honest.
Yet right there before us is Jesus, just waiting for us to call on Him in our day of trouble, ready to save.
Much of the last 9 months has been wondering when this employment gap is going to end. Yet in it all my goal has been to persevere in staying committed to my times with Jesus. Both in the morning and evening. I am eternally grateful for His abundant provision of food for my Wife and I as well as our cats. He keeps providing, through various ways, the funds needed to pay our bills and mortgage. We, as well as others, continue to pray for the new job that He has for me.
Through my continued time both in His Word, various devotional readings, prayer and counsel with others I know that I will only be able to go through the door of the place He wants me working at.
Until He hands me the keys to a particular door of opportunity I won't be going in.
How I react to this as well as everything else is supposed to be a testament of His work in our lives. Of what He has done and is doing because He is our living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I know full well that I certainly am not to just do nothing until He provides my new job. Each day He has things for me to do, has places for me to check for new jobs. Regardless of how big or small, engaging or mundane, I am to do everything as unto the Lord. Truth be known I have never had an earthly employer. While there's been several companies that I have worked for, my work has always been done as if I were working for my Savior Jesus Christ. Colossians 3:22-24.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24.
How I handle life is supposed to be as though Jesus were right there with me...because He is!
How I show others how I react to life is showing them how real I take being a fully devoted follower of Jesus.
I don't always get it right but that is my aim in life.
I am not reacting the same way today that I would have 10 years ago. A testimony to the work of God in me.
Jesus said through Paul "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7.
We are on display for all the world to see in how we live our lives in Christ.
We do have Godly responsibilities in meeting certain needs but we also have to be sure we aren't overstepping by trying to do what we need God to be doing. We are indeed to be praying, but before we act we should be sure we're supposed to.
As the great hymn says "To God be the glory great things He has done, so love He the world that He gave us His Son. Who yielded His life an atonement for sin. And opened the lifegate that all may come in! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let the Earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord! Let the people rejoice! Oh come to the Father through Jesus the Son and Give Him the glory great things He has done!"
Let your light shine in such a way that people see your good works, that is your life, that they glorify your Father in Heaven.
He has never failed us yet and never will. Do what's yours to be doing but be mindful of what's your Savior's to be doing in your life.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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