Read: Numbers 21-22 & 1 John 1:3
“Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.” Numbers 22:31
Examine:
Balaam was a man of God following the orders of God. He was doing what God had asked of him, but his heart was not pure. God knew that Balaam would fall to temptation and fail when it came, so He frustrated his progress by sending the angel of the Lord to stand in his way. When Balaam finally saw the true source of his frustration, he fell on his face and cried out to God.
Apply:
Frustration is not always evil. There are times and seasons of life when God has to slow me down so that He can tear out what is of me, replace it with what is of Him, and then release me to accomplish His purpose.
Pray:
The past three months have been times of frustration, disappointment, and confusion. Nothing has seemed to work as I thought. Everything has moved painfully slow when it has even moved at all. Yet, I have seen Your mighty hand in the middle of it all. Brandy and I have not been ready for You to release us. I recognize Your grace and acknowledge that it has been Your hand of mercy holding us back until our hearts are strong enough to accomplish the work that You have for us.
I lay on my face before You today and only ask that You allow me to be fully aware of the work You desire to do inside of me. Tear out what is of me, replace it with what is of You, and let me know when I am released to move forward. I do not want to take a single step until my heart is ready. Help me avoid the temptation to beat and force things into submission and give me the courage I need to sit, be still, and wait on You.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
I Can't. You Can
Read: Numbers 15 -16 & 2 Peter 3
“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” 2 Peter 2:14
Examine:
The context of this verse is the awaited return of Jesus, the destruction of this broken world, and the arrival of the new heavens and earth promised by God. The principal, however, is applicable to any season of waiting. Waiting is hard and the times can become trying. The question of whether God will come through or not is not an option. He will. The variable is whether or not I will maintain my senses during the waiting.
Apply:
March 8th. I look at that date this morning and feel the weight of it. Time is moving past me at a much faster rate than are the resources I need coming in to me. Everything regarding the work God has for me has moved frustratingly slow. The reality is that my circumstances stand to get much worse very quickly. As I read this chapter this morning there are two things I needed to hear today. First, the Lord is not slow; He is patient. God slows things down so that I may have the time needed to be prepared. Over the past six months God has revealed more about me to myself than he has in the previous 28 years of my salvation combined. In reality, God’s slow hand is His graciousness protecting and refining me.
Second, time is irrelevant to God. My clock says that I have ten minutes to get finished with my journal before I wake everyone in the house up and get started with the day. God’s clock is never rushed. He can make up for a 1,000 years in a single day. Scientists have proven that it should have taken billions of years to create the heavens and earth, yet God did it in seven days. His spoken Word alone has the power to speak things into existence. Time spent legitimately waiting on the Lord is never wasted.
Pray:
My honest confession to You this morning is that I am not without spot nor am I at a place of peace. I have allowed the anxiety of all that has taken place in my life to overwhelm the power of Your Spirit inside of me. I think for the first time in my life, I legitimately have to stand on the sidelines and wait for You to move. I recognize that I have a reality before me of which I am powerless to effect in any way. I can’t raise the funds needed, I can’t make the work line up, I can’t find a place to live, I can’t make my house sell, I can’t make partners fulfill their promise, I can’t…do anything.
My simple confession to You today is that I can’t; You never said I could. That said, You can and You always said You would. I confess my anxious thoughts to You today. I confess the sins that I have allowed into my life because of the pressure I have placed on myself. You, and only You can accomplish what You have asked of me. Help me to find my rest in Your goodness and in that truth today.
“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” 2 Peter 2:14
Examine:
The context of this verse is the awaited return of Jesus, the destruction of this broken world, and the arrival of the new heavens and earth promised by God. The principal, however, is applicable to any season of waiting. Waiting is hard and the times can become trying. The question of whether God will come through or not is not an option. He will. The variable is whether or not I will maintain my senses during the waiting.
Apply:
March 8th. I look at that date this morning and feel the weight of it. Time is moving past me at a much faster rate than are the resources I need coming in to me. Everything regarding the work God has for me has moved frustratingly slow. The reality is that my circumstances stand to get much worse very quickly. As I read this chapter this morning there are two things I needed to hear today. First, the Lord is not slow; He is patient. God slows things down so that I may have the time needed to be prepared. Over the past six months God has revealed more about me to myself than he has in the previous 28 years of my salvation combined. In reality, God’s slow hand is His graciousness protecting and refining me.
Second, time is irrelevant to God. My clock says that I have ten minutes to get finished with my journal before I wake everyone in the house up and get started with the day. God’s clock is never rushed. He can make up for a 1,000 years in a single day. Scientists have proven that it should have taken billions of years to create the heavens and earth, yet God did it in seven days. His spoken Word alone has the power to speak things into existence. Time spent legitimately waiting on the Lord is never wasted.
Pray:
My honest confession to You this morning is that I am not without spot nor am I at a place of peace. I have allowed the anxiety of all that has taken place in my life to overwhelm the power of Your Spirit inside of me. I think for the first time in my life, I legitimately have to stand on the sidelines and wait for You to move. I recognize that I have a reality before me of which I am powerless to effect in any way. I can’t raise the funds needed, I can’t make the work line up, I can’t find a place to live, I can’t make my house sell, I can’t make partners fulfill their promise, I can’t…do anything.
My simple confession to You today is that I can’t; You never said I could. That said, You can and You always said You would. I confess my anxious thoughts to You today. I confess the sins that I have allowed into my life because of the pressure I have placed on myself. You, and only You can accomplish what You have asked of me. Help me to find my rest in Your goodness and in that truth today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)