DRAW NEARER

I’ve had sinus infections before but this one was the worst ever. I started on a Friday with the usual signs of a sinus issue so I sprang into gear with the usual measures to lessen its impact—which in the past proved successful. However, when Monday rolled around it was overcoming all of my efforts to defeat its countermeasures. That night was unlike any I have experienced. No sleep lots of hacking up awful yellow stuff then uncontrollable breathing and vomiting this stuff was even coming out of my eyes! Tuesday morning I couldn’t take it any more so my wife drove me to the doctor—where I should have gone in the first place. Why do we not do what we know we should do in the first place? Why are we not drawn to seek out the only help for our condition? It wasn’t until Monday night after I tried everything while tossing about in such pain and misery did I cry out, “Lord help me!”

In a similar way we are slow to respond to the Lord’s gentle urges. Instead of running to him we run backwards as he draws us with the cords of love. “I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke” (Hosea 11:4)
The Lord is always pulling us so that we would exercise simple faith in Him. Sometimes we get so busy playing the role of the godly servant that we fail to leave our worldly attentions in His hands. “I got this!” is our mind set. This kind of skimpy faith leans-out our souls. While is worthwhile to have a lean body it is counterproductive to our souls—they need bulking-up. The Lord has promised good to and for us, all we need to do is go to the Great Physician (and we don’t) and open our mouths wide and say…”I trust you Lord.” Shame on us and our cold sick hearts for not having the fullest confidence in Him with everything we face. Shame is on us for not immediately casting our cares on the One who cares for us.
Since He leads us with cords of kindness it should be understood that He wants us nearer His will. If we won’t respond to the gentle pulls of His love, He will send affliction to drive us into a closer intimacy with Himself.
What foolish children we are to be so slow in responding to those bands of love. Right now, begin to draw nearer and trust Him more.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 80-20 Rule

In 1906, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto created a mathematical formula to describe the unequal distribution of wealth in his country, observing that twenty percent of the people owned eighty percent of the wealth. The Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.   Although this rule was first applied in Italy when Pareto was looking at the dispersal of wealth, it has since become a rule of thumb for many businesses.   It has been said that 20% of your workforce does 80% of the work, or 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.   I think this law comes into play in our lives as well.   Life is 20% what happens to you and 80% what you make of it. There are tons of stories about people who come out of difficult situations — gang life, in and out of jail, drug addiction, broken families, abuse – yet still seem to rise to the top.   And of course, there are many stories of those who have been given everything they would n
Read more

FREEDOM’S PRICE

In 1781, the Fourth of July was named a national holiday and today fireworks, parades and picnics still mark this celebration. Because on July 4, 1776 The Declaration of Independence proclaimed the thirteen colonies free from British rule. What proceeded and followed this declaration were the historic battles still taught in every elementary school. For six years the colonies shook with the Battles of Concord and Lexington, Bunker Hill and Saratoga. The war finally ended at Valley Forge where British General Cornwallis surrendered to what would be the United States’ first president, George Washington. Two years later the British and the Americans signed a peace treaty in France. Freedom does not come without a price. Through the Revolutionary War our nation’s freedom was paid for by the blood and sacrifice of the men and women who fought for their dream of what would become the United States. The battles were not easy, and the years took their toll on our young nation. In t
Read more

WALK THE TALK

As far as your spiritual life is concerned religious talk is not good enough. The apostle John makes this clear in his little epistle 1 John 2:4-6. If someone claims, “I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. John is not talking about sinless perfection here but rather that a Christ-follower is to relate to others the way Jesus did. In other words we have to walk the walk like Jesus. Walking as Jesus walked begins with loving other people. Christ-followers have tried to make Christianity more difficult than it really is. We’ve make it about church membership, or a particular theological persuasion, or saying the right words during baptism, or what version of the Bible is the only one to be used. The apostle is clear. W
Read more