A dear friend shared his recent struggles with loss of energy in advancing years. The days turned into weeks and in spite of much prayer, the condition continued, leaving him drained of the energy he had so long enjoyed for daily tasks. As he shared his predicament with a friend, an issue came to light in the conversation that he had been struggling to deal with. The Lord had required some family business to be set in order. The friend had been in a quandary regarding the matter, not wanting to upset the family. How often we fall short in this matter of living to man, not wanting to upset him, wanting to be thought well of, instead of pleasing God first.
Exodus 20:3 instructs “You shall have no other gods before me”.
Acts 5:29 “….We ought to obey God rather than men”.
Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe”.
For fear of upsetting his family, the friend had evaded dealing with the terms and conditions God was requiring of him and thus was proving the “snare” of bondage in the above scripture. Here was the root of his loss of energy and God’s peace. The friend obeyed the Lord, set the matter to rights, and God graciously restored his energy needed for daily living.
1 Peter 4:17 “For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God”. We all fall short in certain areas. We have a loving, long suffering God but the time is come when we must examine ourselves under the guidance of His Holy Spirit, according to this scripture. How easy to try and put others right instead of seeking to “get right” in my walk with the Lord. I judge my brother’s splinters, yet fail to see, or deal with, the beam in my own eye, (Matthew 7:1-5).
God gives us light through the scriptures but when we fail to walk in it, we develop issues which can become strongholds in our lives, and we forfeit God’s best for us in our birthright in Christ. Why do we stubbornly accept second best when God has provided fullness for us to enjoy? The New Testament clearly teaches us how to become a disciple of Jesus Christ in daily surrender to His Lordship. How often do we fall short of the light we have received by refusing to walk in that standard. Here I remove Jesus from the throne of my heart and opt for self rule. How are my relationships in the home, the family of God, the workplace and anywhere else? When the Holy Spirit puts His finger on something in me that He wants to deal with, His light exposes the darkness in me that I need to repent of. This is the loving chastisement of a Heavenly Father who desires His best for me and He sees how these things impede my walk with Him. My response must be to run into His arms, not shrink away from Him.
1 John 1:5 “…..God is light and in Him is no darkness at all”. Jesus was transparent. There was no darkness in Him, only light from the truth that emanated from Him. God desires to have many sons living transparently, refusing any darkness seeking a foothold.
We can become thrilled with revelation, sharing it with others, expounding sound doctrine and yet, sadly, failing to walk it out in the school of life. A day will arrive in eternity when we have to give an account for our actions to the Lord. We will not be judged on our doctrine, but the way we have lived our lives.
What does God see in my lifestyle? What does the world see? People are only impressed by a demonstration. They are all seeking something that works. If my life does not live up to the words that I speak, then I am nothing but a “sounding brass, a tinkling cymbal”, (1 Corinthians 13:1). One may speak words that are doctrinally correct, and yet, sadly not live according to their words. Many have thought the Church was in a backward state because of lack of revelation. There may be a strand of truth in that, but for the most part the backward condition is not due to lack of revelation, but lack of application of revealed truths to our lives. Any revelation must be lived out in my situation in demonstration!
The whole of creation is “groaning, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God”. The lost key of the universe is the Father’s glory revealed in the heart of man. Wherever the Lord Jesus reigns in the human heart, there the kingdom of God is established, and a lifestyle is lived bringing glory to the Father.
God moves in line with our choice. All the time God grants breath to our bodies, we have opportunity to change. “Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts…..” Hebrews 3:15.
“Choose this day whom you will serve”, Joshua 24:14-15.
Arthur would often say, “Your revelation must be tied to your situation, otherwise you will have evaporation!”
Dear Lord, establish your kingdom in my heart, that none of my words “fall to the ground”…..(1 Samuel 3:19).
