Psalm 4:4-5 (Click on reference to read text)
I am ashamed to say I was lying awake in bed at 3am trying my hardest to come up with the best way to "zing" my husband... deliver the perfect sentence to convey enough conviction, guilt, and meanness to cause him to change a decision. I knew it wasn't right, but I was convinced that the Holy Spirit needed a little bit of help to manipulate my husband into doing what I wanted him to do. After two hours of rehearsing the perfect sentence, I was trying to go back to sleep. Since I was awake I started praying for those the Lord brought to mind, and Psalm 4 popped into my head. My mother has always taught me to read any Scripture the Lord brings to mind, so I reached over and grabbed my Bible. This is what I read:
"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD."
It was I who got "zinged!" I was about to sin in my anger, I was not going to be silent and I was even lying in my bed! I immediately knew what I needed to do: "be silent... and trust in the Lord." Instead of trying to come up with a way to manipulate my husband into agreeing with me, I decided to trust the Lord and allow Him to work in the heart of my husband or in my heart... whichever one needed to be changed.
Please tell me I am not the only one! Have you ever had a situation where you were trying to play the Holy Spirit and change people instead of allowing the Lord to do His work? The Bible says, "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise" (Prov 10:19). The Bible also tells us to trust in the Lord and HE will make your righteousness shine like the dawn and the justice of your cause like the noonday sun (Ps 37:4-6).
The Holy Spirit doesn't need our help. Let's lay down our need to control, our need to get our own way, and just be silent and trust in Him.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Devising My Plans...
1 Kings 22:29-35 (click on reference to read text)
I never thought I would say this, but I sure can act just like King Ahab. He was told by a prophet of the Lord that he would die if he went into battle. Instead of believing the word from the Lord, he charged ahead anyway, just with a plan! He disguised himself and dressed like a regular army man because the enemy army was only charged to "fight with the King of Israel alone" (vs. 31). However, a "certain man drew his bow at random and struck the King of Israel in a joint of the armor" (vs. 34). It did not matter how much manipulation or plans he devised, God's will still came to pass.
I can count numerous times that I have tried in my best might and ability to control all the details of situations in my life. I have devised great plans over the course of my life on how to find a husband, get the perfect job, find the perfect house, protect my family, prepare for the future, save us money, and raise my children. The problem, all in my own strength and personal ingenuity! Throughout my life in each of these situations, I have had to come to the point of surrender and trust the Father. And guess what? When I depend on His ways, His strength, His thoughts, and His power... things just seem to have a way of working out (often times better than I could have hoped).
When will I finally learn that God is Sovereign... PERIOD!?! When will I truly believe, and actually show through my actions, that "his ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts than my thoughts (Is 55:8-9), and that although I can plan my course the Lord will direct my steps (Prov 16:9)? Praise the Lord for that truth because I know His ways are best and always work out for my good (Ro 8:28)! I trust the heart of my Father. I know that He loves me so much He gave everything for me (Ro 8:32, 1John 3:1). It is time to start walking out the faith that my heart believes with certainty! So... my lesson today... give up my ingenious plan and just start believing the loving voice of my Father. Will you join me?
For further reading: Ps 37:25, Matt 6:33, Prov 3:5-6, Prov 3:7, Is 5:20-21, Phil 1:20-21, Phil 3:7-14
I never thought I would say this, but I sure can act just like King Ahab. He was told by a prophet of the Lord that he would die if he went into battle. Instead of believing the word from the Lord, he charged ahead anyway, just with a plan! He disguised himself and dressed like a regular army man because the enemy army was only charged to "fight with the King of Israel alone" (vs. 31). However, a "certain man drew his bow at random and struck the King of Israel in a joint of the armor" (vs. 34). It did not matter how much manipulation or plans he devised, God's will still came to pass.
I can count numerous times that I have tried in my best might and ability to control all the details of situations in my life. I have devised great plans over the course of my life on how to find a husband, get the perfect job, find the perfect house, protect my family, prepare for the future, save us money, and raise my children. The problem, all in my own strength and personal ingenuity! Throughout my life in each of these situations, I have had to come to the point of surrender and trust the Father. And guess what? When I depend on His ways, His strength, His thoughts, and His power... things just seem to have a way of working out (often times better than I could have hoped).
When will I finally learn that God is Sovereign... PERIOD!?! When will I truly believe, and actually show through my actions, that "his ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts than my thoughts (Is 55:8-9), and that although I can plan my course the Lord will direct my steps (Prov 16:9)? Praise the Lord for that truth because I know His ways are best and always work out for my good (Ro 8:28)! I trust the heart of my Father. I know that He loves me so much He gave everything for me (Ro 8:32, 1John 3:1). It is time to start walking out the faith that my heart believes with certainty! So... my lesson today... give up my ingenious plan and just start believing the loving voice of my Father. Will you join me?
For further reading: Ps 37:25, Matt 6:33, Prov 3:5-6, Prov 3:7, Is 5:20-21, Phil 1:20-21, Phil 3:7-14
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