Getting in the Game

My Utmost For His Highest

‘Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.” CHAMBERS

We are so there!  What about you?  For the most part Christians are good with sitting in the stands watching someone else run the plays.  I mean what would you rather do … sit in the stands and eat a hot dog or get dirty and bruised down on the field?  There are all kinds of ‘good’ reasons why we don’t say ‘yes’ to God.  Again, it is not that we don’t know that it is God .. it is that we are afraid because we can’t control it.  God is not reasonable from the human perspective.  He asks us to take risks .. or does He?  Actually what He asks us to do is trust Him and not ourselves.

Isn’t it funny how we can quote scripture .. Proverbs 3:5-6 for example … and then when we are faced with the opportunity, we say “Wait a minute. How can we afford it?” I not saying that this is easy .. it requires faith … more faith than most of us are used to exercising … But before I go too far .. I am not saying, just because I come up with the idea, it’s right …  the Spirit may check us and say ‘Don’t go there.’  And He will often do it through other believers … your spouse in particular …

‘Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.’ (Acts 16:6)

‘And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.’ (Acts 21:4)

‘Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live." And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back." (Numbers 22:31-34)

When others are warning you  .. and the alarm does not come from their own fear or lack of faith .. you must listen.  To know the difference, requires spiritual discernment …

And where and how do you get Spiritual discernment?  It only comes through a close walk with God … becoming one with the Father … John 17 stuff …. Doing the will of God will always require faith … which means that we will always be challenged to act on the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen .. (Hebrews 11:1)

So are you ready to get out of the stands and put the pads on?  Because  … The game is on ….

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)