Good morning, all!
Father, when we see failure You see progress, when we feel weak You say we are strong. Help us Lord to understand the power of heaven, the power of faith, the power of Your grace in our life today. You said in this world we would have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome, help us Lord to overcome and let Your grace prevail, Amen.
Isaiah 41
17 [When] the poor and needy seek water, and [there is] none, [and] their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
When we are poor and needy, we SEEK water…but everything in the world will FAIL, that’s when God will hear us, and He will NOT forsake us.
18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
What we were looking for couldn’t be found but God will reveal it in the HIGHs and LOWS of our life, and when we found ourselves lost in a wilderness God will make a way.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, [and] the pine, and the box tree together:
In fact, when we saw NO life, and everything appeared hopeless as though NOTHING would work…God produced new life all around us.
20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
And why did God produce this incredible miracle? First, so we could SEE and KNOW and CONSIDER and UNDERSTAND…TOGETHER AS IN ONE…God does is all by His hand NOT ours.
Bottom line
Have you ever been so thirsty nothing seems to satisfy you? And so desperate you’re willing to trade everything to satisfy your thirst? You know when you and I become poor and needy? When we have exhausted all the resources, strength and understanding that we have in our own effort…we are flat broke or should I say flat broken.
[Psa 34:18 KJV] The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. You want some real truth this morning? The only way God can save us is when we are broken, until then we think we can do it without Him. Do what? LIFE!!! Seems crazy but we have to FAIL first before God can save us, it’s when we’re willing to give up everything just for God. You feel me? Why would we pursue anything over God? Sometimes I do it because I forget…I’m stubborn…I’m a hurt…I’m a knucklehead…I can’t seem to find Him in my circumstances. I wish I could tell you it’s a one-time event, but I don’t believe that’s true.
[Pro 24:16 NIV] For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again. God didn’t say the SINNER falls, He said the RIGHTEOUS falls…once? Twice? NO, seven times…which really represents too many to count. So, what’s the answer? RISE AGAIN!!! How do we rise again? I would say when we cry out to God and that’s not to say we cry about what we lost or what happened, that’s NOT repentance. We rise again when we cry out to God and trust Him to CHANGE the way we SEE the circumstances in our life, To change our UNDERSTANDING and not necessarily change our current situation. If you’re like me, we equate God’s power and mercy to Him giving us what we want or change what we don’t like and when He don’t change our situation, we think He failed or left us but according to scripture He will NEVER forsake us. I think it’s time to quit treating God like some magic genie, which just like the cartoon we only get three wishes anyway and Lord knows we used those up a long time ago. What if God is equipping us to live life? What if He’s equipping us to help others? What if life is NOT about our circumstances but rather how we can help others in their circumstances?
[Luk 10:3 KJV] Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. I’m no genius but go your ways sounds like “go live your life”, Jesus sends us out as lambs among the daisies…oh no I read that wrong among WOLVES!!! Isn’t that the arch enemy of a lamb? How is a lamb going to help a wolf?
[Heb 4:16 KJV] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. We offer grace in a time of need, when is that? When the timing is just right? When we feel like it? Or is it in the midst of trouble?
[Rev 17:14 KJV] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: It’s in the middle of a war, a fight, a very difficult circumstance. Did you notice who won? The LAMB wins at life NOT the wolf, the one that offers grace instead of retaliation, love instead of rejection, kindness instead of cruelty. Hmm…Sounds like something Jesus would do?
Point to Ponder
How did it end for 70 disciples He sent out as lambs? [Luk 10:17 KJV] And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. Ha…we’re stronger than you think, if they ALL came back with JOY it would appear the wolves weren’t much of a fight after all.
Let us all find His grace in the day, Amen
Faith – Family – Friends
