Thursday, January 27, 2011

Here's The Point!

Hey! Don’t let challenges intimidate you! (Nana version of Philippians 4:6) There is a tendency under duress to condemn oneself and think privately God is not going to help you cause you think you are such a dork in His book. God’s word says all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God and there’s a really long story to go along with that. God’s Word says that God doesn’t look at you with that in mind. Drag those thoughts to the trash and hit 'delete'!

Thinking like that is how we fall short of the glory of God (Hey! Who turned out the lights?). Read the whole Bible. He is amazing! Start in Genesis 1! Ok if you don’t have time to read the whole thing today, read just a section in Abraham’s life (The first use of the word ‘healing’ is written in an event in his life). How about reading about Moses, Joseph, or David? They all had weakness, their strength was trusting God! Just open any section in the gospels and see what Jesus Christ’s day was like (every day was D-day [Deliverance day]). How about Paul? The Ethiopian Eunich? The Bible is full of deliverance. Now open your mental diary or any place where you have recorded what God has done for you. (If you haven’t done that; DO IT! You may realize you are a walking miracle!)

When a challenge comes up, go ‘to the wall’ with it (check out Hezekiah). Going to the wall means:
Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful{anxious} for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
“For nothing” is pretty definite. Just give it to God (thank God we have that privilege!). That doesn’t mean we don’t do anything, we make our requests known to God, we put one foot in front of the other and walk. It may not be your ordinary tiptoe through the tulips but you will be able to handle it. Make a list of things involved and take it step by step. Prayer is simply being thankful and saying God is our sufficiency for every detail. Prayer is not, however, a ‘To Do List’ for God.  By no means do we ignore the challenge. It takes work to give it to God. We can make a list of things that have to be handled and then we cross them off as we get them taken care of. We do our best but we know that God is very much involved and that is why we have peace.
God is so big! There’s a lot written about God’s glory. He is not a glory-hound, he just wants people to see how big he is so he can bless them. There will always be something or someone around to dim the lights. We just don’t let that happen. 

2 comments:

  1. Thank you! I truly enjoy our conversations & always love reading your blog, it always seems to strike a chord with me at just the right moment.

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  2. Wesley's Explanetary Notes
    4:6 Be anxiously careful for nothing - If men are not gentle towards you, yet neither on this, nor any other account, be careful, but pray. Carefulness and prayer cannot stand together.In every thing - Great and small. Let your requests be made known - They who by a preposterous shame or distrustful modesty, cover,stifle, or keep in their desires, as if they were either too small or too great, must be racked with care; from which they are entirely delivered, who pour them out with a free and filial confidence. To God - It is not always proper to disclose them to men. By supplication - Which is the enlarging upon and pressing our petition. With thanksgiving - The surest mark of a soul free from care, and of prayer joined with true resignation. This is always followed by peace. Peace and thanksgiving are both coupled together, Colossians 3:15 .
    4:7 And the peace of God - That calm, heavenly repose, that tranquility of spirit, which God only can give. Which surpasseth all understanding - Which none can comprehend, save he that receiveth it. Shall keep - Shall guard, as a garrison does a city. Your hearts - Your affections. Your minds - Your understandings, and all the various workings of them; through the Spirit and power of Christ Jesus, in the knowledge and love of God. Without a guard set on these likewise, the purity and vigour of our affections cannot long be preserved.

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