“We will suffer a sharp painful disillusionment before we fully surrender. When people really see themselves as the Lord sees them, it is not the terribly offensive sins of the flesh that shock them, but the awful nature of the pride of their own hearts opposing Jesus Christ. When they see themselves in the light of the Lord, the shame, horror, and desperate conviction hit home for them. If you are faced with the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.” CHAMBERS
What I see people struggle with most in their lives as Christians is trusting in God and not in their own ideas and abilities. Something I have learned is that everything I have and everything I am is from God. There have been times when I began to think that I had accomplished something by my mental capacity, my skill, my determination. But then I realized that thinking ( a friend of ours calls it stinkin’ thinkin’) is nothing more than self-dependence, self-adoration, and self-deception. In the daily devotional Our Daily Bread for today the writer said ““In our life of faith, our resources can become the enemy of trust. God wants us to depend on Him, not our own strength, whether physical, financial, or intellectual.” McCasland (Our Daily Bread)
I have some Bibles with me here in Jacmel, Haiti that are translated into the Creole language (Bib La). I am giving them to particular people … people I feel the Spirit prompts me to give a Bible to. I am giving these Bibles to Christians, who can read and I want to remind them of the value of the Book I have given them. On the inside cover I am writing the verse, 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” What I didn’t add was verse 17 “that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” If we want to know what God expects, how we should be living, what our priorities should be .. we need to look at what He has already told us in His Word.
When you get in your car or truck, do you have to look for the ignition switch or look to see where the gear shift level is? Probably not .. I find that –somehow – The key finds its way into the ignition switch and my hand goes instinctively, almost, to the gear shift. That is because we have become familiar with our vehicle and where things are. That is the same way we should be with the Word. Have you ever thought about how many thousands of miles you have driven? Spending time in your car is what causes you to be proficient in its use. Spending time in the Word will equip you for life. Why is it that the very thing that will help us the most is the thing that we do the least? Read your Bible today. But don’t just read it, do what it says.
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
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