If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? Jeremiah 12:5
I was reading in one of my devotionals today, and the message spoke to my heart so deeply, that I wanted to share it with you...to encourage you to keep on keepin' on in the GOOD TIMES, so that when the bad times come you will be ready. If we falter in our "Comfort Zones," then how will we ever be able to survive in the "swelling of the Jordan," when we feel as though we shall be overtaken by the flood of despair or discouragement?
Asa had much faith in God, and God gave him a huge victory. However, later on , when a "smaller battle" came, Asa turned to the king of Syria instead of totally depending upon God~~and God was very displeased. II Chronicles 16:9 God is telling Asa, " For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein you have done foolishly: therefore from now on you shall have wars." Let us not only trust God to enable us to minister and serve Him in the toughest of times, but let us also wholly depend upon Him even in the "small stuff"---the small battles that we may be tempted to feel "are a piece of cake." Remember:
"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord Almighty." Zechariah 4:6
The following is taken from the Devotional "Daily Strength For Daily Needs."
A heart unloving among kindred has no love towards God's saints and angels.
If we have a cold heart towards a servant or a friend, why should we wonder if we have no fervor towards God?
If we are cold in our private prayers, we should be earthly and dull in the most devout religious order.
If we cannot bear the vexations of a companion, how should we bear the contradiction of sinners?
If a little pain overcomes us, how could we endure a cross?
If we have no tender, cheerful, affectionate love to those with whom our daily hours are spent, how should we feel the pulse and ardor of love to the unknown and the evil, the ungrateful and repulsive?
H. E. MANNING.Dear Father, please help us be very careful to not yield to the temptation to take on the smaller battles in the strength of our flesh. Help us by using our daily lives, the every day, run of the mill routines, to train us for the bigger battles that are ahead. Keep us on guard and ever faithfully trusting You. Enable us to obey You with our entire heart and soul.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Hello Dear friend;
ReplyDeleteOH, the comfort zone A..K.A, the danger zone for Me. The feeling of safety, that seems to reside in the comfort zone, I think for myself has been a false sense of safety.
I falter in and outside the comfort zone, and I know the Holy Spirit is leading me out of that zone a little more each day so that I can press on. OK, I know I got carried away with the whole comfort zone thing :o) I'm so happy you used those words because clearly they got me thinking, and the Lord knows I need a push.
Your right, we seem to have more confidence in God to fight our big battles, and I agree that it's the smaller battles that we somehow think we can fight on our own strength.
I agree with you that we need to be ready at all times, and if we falter, not to wallow in discouragement, but know that the Holy Spirit is without a doubt going to help us. When we falter it reveals our weaknesses and our inability to go it alone. We grow and learn to trust a little more each time.
OK, you chose the perfect verse Zechariah 4:6. Not only is it a great one, but it has been one that the Holy Spirit has brought to my mind often.
Excellent post!! Amen!!
Big hugs, and God bless you,
Michele
YOur posts are a boost to my spirit, Tammi.
ReplyDeleteSo right on, and so well put together.
Thank you for taking time to share what God reveals to you.
I loved the prayer too. We do need to fight the battles fo our life in His strength, and in His power.
God has been warning me about complacency and presumptuousness.
This is indeed timely.
I stopped by to also wish you a blessed Mother's Day.
Love
Lidj