Happy Monday, Everyone –
We weren’t built to live in today’s world. No, we were designed to live in Eden. That’s why God’s drawing us back to Him…
Earlier this week, I was reading in the book of Isaiah in the Bible and God was talking about spiritual conditions getting so bad (they’d left God’s ways and were living in their own ways – never good) in the lives of the Israelites that they began “opposing” each other. Wow, sounds like today, like what happens in marriages, and society as a whole. We can even get to the point that we oppose ourselves.
Wow, there’s nothing like being drawn closer and closer to Jesus. If you’re like me and have problems that can’t be resolved or seem to be never-ending, rejoice!
Yes, rejoice!
Often, God works through problems we face to draw us to Him. His “chosen” (those He knows have ears to hear) people have issues that force them to become close to Him, to find out His ways.
You’re “chosen,” precious one. Hallelujah!
Boy, I have some great news for you this morning. Ann and I were talking about some of the recent trials some people we know are going through. I started to analyze their troubles and couldn’t figure out how they were going to resolve their matters – I could feel care and a spiritual heaviness coming over me. The devil even whispered in my ear that God wasn’t going to be able to help them and that those people were stuck in their situations. It was pretty discouraging.
Well, I got up to go do something when I decided to read some of the Bible. Wow, the Lord began speaking to me about how exciting it is when we come to dead-ends with no apparent way out. He told me when there’s no way out, just like what happened (and still happens from time to time) to me many years ago, that’s when God’s allowing circumstances in our lives to make us turn to Him – He’s funneling us to Him. This is exactly the same thing that happened to Israel in the Bible.
In His matchless, supernatural understanding and love for His people, He allowed things to build up in their lives until they turned back to Him, to His loving, liberating, joy-producing, life-sustaining ways – This is when times of refreshing come – That’s so exciting and exactly the message in Merlin Carothers’ book, “Power In Praise.” Merlin states over and over that it doesn’t matter what series of circumstances makes you focus on God, all that matters is that you do. God is the way around all life’s obstacles.
Now the devil will try to make us think we need to resolve matters in our own power, strength or intellect because he will do anything to keep us from turning to God and incorporating His ways in our lives. Feeling pressure, or like you just can’t go on? Praise God! Seek God! He’s your answer.
2 I (the Apostle Paul) want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
Colossians 2:2-5
God bless,
Mark