Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:13
The Scriptures tell of a king who also paid a high price for his impatience. Eager for God to bless the Israelites in their battle against the Philistines, Saul acted impatiently. When Samuel did not arrive at the appointed time to offer a sacrifice for God’s favour, Saul became impatient and disobeyed God’s command (1 Sam. 13:8-9,13). Impatience led Saul to think he was above the law and to take on an unauthorized position of priest. He thought he could disobey God without serious consequences. He was wrong. When Samuel arrived, he rebuked Saul for his disobedience and prophesied that Saul would lose the kingdom (vv.13-14). Saul’s refusal to wait for the development of God’s plan caused him to act in haste, and in his haste he lost his way (see Prov. 19:2). His impatience was the ultimate display of a lack of faith. The Lord will provide His guiding presence as we wait patiently for Him to bring about His will. Patience means awaiting God’s time and trusting God’s love. The Psalmist say in Psalm 118:4 that he will reverence and worship God by declaring that His mercy and loving kindness endures forever. As he worships God and talk about some of His great attributes his faith is being strengthened.
When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! All my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly burned biscuit. He ate every bite of that thing...never made a face nor uttered a word about it! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said, "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Mom put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides--a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!" As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times. Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults and choosing to celebrate each other's differences is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that's my prayer for you today...that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship! "Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket... keep it in your own." So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine. He took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. Isa 53:4 Jesus knows how you feel. You're under the gun at work? Jesus knows how you feel. You've got more to do than is humanly possible? So did he. People take more from you than they give? Jesus understands. Your teenagers won't listen? Your students won't try? Jesus knows how you feel. You are precious to him. So precious that he became like you so that you would come to him. When you struggle, he listens. When you yearn, he responds. When you question, he hears. He has been there. In the Eye of the Storm (Max Lucado) Those who try to keep their lives will lose them. But those who give up their lives will save them. Luke 17:33
There is a rawness and a wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don't listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won't feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long; it's to live. Jesus says the options are clear. On one side there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside, and stay warm and dry and safe… Or you can hear the voice of adventure—God's adventure. Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God's impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference. Sure it isn't safe, but what is? He Still Moves Stones (Max Lucado) As for God, His way is perfect ! The Word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him. PSALM 18 : 30
FROM GOD’S LIPS TO YOUR EARS !! But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God .. Matthew 4 : 4 Jesus declared to you that your life, your deliverance, your hope, and your future are all found in the Words that proceed out of the mouth of God !! God’s Words are the truth by which you worship Him in spirit and in truth !! And .. The first and final words that proceed from the mouth of God .. The words that form the very foundation of your life are found in the precious, Holy Scriptures !! My Words Are Spirit And They Are Life !! .. .. Jesus The Word of God is eternal .. Beginning in eternity past and extending to eternity future. God’s Word Is Absolute !! .. Nothing can be added to it .. And .. Nothing can be subtracted from it !! Jesus, As God’s Word Is Truth !! Absolutely nothing more needs to be said for your salvation and your full redemption !! Jesus, in fact said of Himself .. I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me .. John 14 : 6 Regarding God’s Word, what you must understand is that with it being eternal, it is also ongoing and uninterrupted. A wonderful example of this is when God said .. Let There Be Light !! .. What He did was to set in motion a chain of light .. unending in time and space !! Do you realise that the words God spoke are still going out !! .. As you are reading this, Light is impacting and filling the lost, dark souls of men, woman and children all across the world !! Now your Bible also teaches that All Things Are Upheld By God’s Word !! .. God does not create and then say to His creation .. “Fend For And Look After Yourself” .. No !! .. God upholds what He creates and what this means for you is .. When God Speaks, You Can Stand On His Word And Know That He Will Be Faithfull To Perform What He Has Spoken !! But !! .. God Has Not Finished Talking To You !! Yes, His written word is the solid foundation upon which you build your life .. However .. God also communicates and speaks to you by His Spirit. As God’s Child !! .. As A True Worshipper Of Him .. Ensure that your eyes are firmly focused on Jesus .. and .. that your ears constantly listen for the small, still voice of the Holy Spirit within you !! Do this knowing that God is speaking to you continually throughout your day !! .. He is leading you, guiding you, and giving you revelation, wisdom and insight into the future !! Another channel by which God may choose to speak to you is through words of prophecy. Please !! .. Understand that where “Prophecy” is concerned, you need to be responsible and cautious !! Do not ever allow yourself to enter into a situation whereby you experience a “word” from God .. And Then .. You charge off by yourself to build an entire movement on that one word. Understand !! .. The prophetic word of God’s wisdom and knowledge is ongoing .. and .. it must be continually weighed in the light of the Holy Scriptures. God Will Never Speak Today In Contradiction To What He Has Written In His Word !! Nevertheless .. You need to forever keep your spiritual ears wide open to catch the daily and seasonal leading of the Holy Spirit, as well as His prophetic directions and instructions to you !! Are You Listening ? .. God Wants To Talk To YOU, His Child !! From God’s Lips To Your Ears !! GOD FINDS KINGS AMONG SHEEP AND CALLS PRINCES FROM PITS !! “We will never turn our back on you; breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!” Psalm 80:18 MSG
Psalm 80:18 says, “We will never turn our back on you; breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!” (MSG Breathing is one of the few functions of your body that you do automatically — but it can also be done mindfully. When you remember to breathe deeply, you can actually clear your body and mind. By slowing your breathing, you can lower your heart rate and your stress level! Breathing is a powerful way to strengthen your body. Mindful breathing is a reminder that your need for intimacy with God is like your need to breathe in air. King David sang, “I live and breathe GOD” (Psalm 34:2 MSG). God can breathe new life into you and your efforts to become healthier. He says, “I will put breath into you and bring you back to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 37:6b TEV). My grandmother canned her own peach preserves and stored them in an underground cellar. It was a deep hole with wooden steps and a musty smell. As a youngster, I’d climb in, close the door and see how long I could last in the darkness. Not even a slit of light entered that underground hole. I’d sit listening to my breath and heartbeats, until I couldn’t take it anymore. Then I would race up the stairs and throw open the door! Light would avalanche into the cellar. What a change! Moments before I couldn’t see anything—then, all of a sudden I could see everything!
Just as light poured into the cellar, God’s hope pours into your world. Upon the sick, He shines the ray of healing. To the confused, He offers the light of Scripture. God gives hope! Your cup overflows with joy—with grace. Shouldn’t your heart overflow with gratitude? From Traveling Light PHILIPPIANS 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Have you ever tried to break a bad habit on your own? You probably found that when you tried to stop it by sheer willpower, you saw improvement for a while, and then bounced back to square one. Worse, you found yourself binging on the very thing that you were trying not to do. And your condition is worse than before you started your “I’m going to quit” program! The changes were temporary because it was you doing it. A church member who had been a chain-smoker used to believe that with willpower, he could quit smoking. He would tell himself, “If there is a will, there is a way!” But he discovered that with willpower, he could stop smoking for a week or two, and then he would succumb to the pull of nicotine again. When he turned his life over to God and learnt about God’s grace, he told God, “I realize that I cannot stop smoking. I cannot, but You can break my habit, Lord.” And every time he lit up, he would say, “Lord, I am trying to stop smoking, but I cannot. I am trusting You.” He would even say, “I am still righteous because of Jesus’ blood.” Well, in the very same year, all his cravings to smoke vanished! When asked how he succeeded, he would say, “It is entirely God and none of me! It is all by His grace.” This man lost all the desire to smoke. That is true transformation. When you receive the grace of God to do for you what you cannot do, you will experience effortless and permanent change on the inside, which in turn changes your actions on the outside. The Bible tells us that God works in us to give us both the will and ability to perform what He desires. It is God who removes the old want to’s and gives us new ones. And He even gives us the power to carry them out! Beloved, look to His grace to do what you cannot do. Say, “Lord, I cannot, but You can!” Then, what you experience will not merely be behavior modification, but true and lasting inward transformation! |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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