Wanted to share a few tidbits from my devotion this morning...be warned... it may hurt a little.
"Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don't ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.
The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son."
I truly hate devotions like this. They provoke the Holy Spirit stirrings inside of me...He stirs where it hurts. Then I have to deal with it.
One of the senior adult ladies in my Bible study asked me why I hadn't been writing on my blog very much.
I told her I feel like I say the same things over and over.
The truth is I don't want to admit to you....or myself (by typing it out) how badly I would like for Caroline to be healed this Christmas.
Several years ago, I had a lady tell me that God had given her a message for me. The message was a simple word..."Christmas".
Isn't that just like God?
Well, what about Christmas?
Is that supposed to mean something to me?
So----in my mind I have always wondered if that message meant that something special might happen at Christmas.
Like I said already, that was several years ago and nothing has occurred yet. (Except I must say that I dreamed of Caroline being healed for the first time on Christmas day night 2006.)
Anyway, I hate talking about this again.
But, there it is. Always on my mind...in my heart...always.
Back to the devotion...if God wants to be FREE to use me just as he did his own son...then he must be FREE to let me get hurt.
The thought of getting my hopes up again for Caroline to be healed makes me want to puke. I know TOO WELL how that feels.
But, I can't help it.
As long as He continues to confirm it to me....then I will continue to hope.
In a nutshell.....this is why the we don't like faithfulness to God. There is always pain involved.
Lord, I admit it. My hopes are up. All I want for Christmas is a healed and whole little girl. You know this so why do I try to act like I am not thinking it. I am encouraged by your Word when you tell us that..."the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26)
I am sure I don't pray what I ought to pray...I am way too selfish. But, I offer you my meager faith and ask You to help me to continue to prove myself faithful to You even if my hopes are dashed once again. My heart yearns to be used by You in spite of how it feels. I ask You in the strong name of Jesus to raise Caroline up and perform a miracle this season. If this isn't the time then do a miracle in me. Help me not to become crippled by fear and doubt. Help me rejoice whatever may come.
I love you Immanuel...God with me.
"Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don't ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.
The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son."
I truly hate devotions like this. They provoke the Holy Spirit stirrings inside of me...He stirs where it hurts. Then I have to deal with it.
One of the senior adult ladies in my Bible study asked me why I hadn't been writing on my blog very much.
I told her I feel like I say the same things over and over.
The truth is I don't want to admit to you....or myself (by typing it out) how badly I would like for Caroline to be healed this Christmas.
Several years ago, I had a lady tell me that God had given her a message for me. The message was a simple word..."Christmas".
Isn't that just like God?
Well, what about Christmas?
Is that supposed to mean something to me?
So----in my mind I have always wondered if that message meant that something special might happen at Christmas.
Like I said already, that was several years ago and nothing has occurred yet. (Except I must say that I dreamed of Caroline being healed for the first time on Christmas day night 2006.)
Anyway, I hate talking about this again.
But, there it is. Always on my mind...in my heart...always.
Back to the devotion...if God wants to be FREE to use me just as he did his own son...then he must be FREE to let me get hurt.
The thought of getting my hopes up again for Caroline to be healed makes me want to puke. I know TOO WELL how that feels.
But, I can't help it.
As long as He continues to confirm it to me....then I will continue to hope.
In a nutshell.....this is why the we don't like faithfulness to God. There is always pain involved.
Lord, I admit it. My hopes are up. All I want for Christmas is a healed and whole little girl. You know this so why do I try to act like I am not thinking it. I am encouraged by your Word when you tell us that..."the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26)
I am sure I don't pray what I ought to pray...I am way too selfish. But, I offer you my meager faith and ask You to help me to continue to prove myself faithful to You even if my hopes are dashed once again. My heart yearns to be used by You in spite of how it feels. I ask You in the strong name of Jesus to raise Caroline up and perform a miracle this season. If this isn't the time then do a miracle in me. Help me not to become crippled by fear and doubt. Help me rejoice whatever may come.
I love you Immanuel...God with me.
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing. I will continue to pray for that miracle for which we are all waiting.
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