Tuesday, November 24, 2015

If You Are Looking For Solutions - Look Up Not In

My Utmost For His Highest

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters…, so our eyes look to the Lord our God… —Psalm 123:2

“This verse is a description of total reliance on God. […]  Our spiritual strength begins to be drained when we stop lifting our eyes to Him. Our stamina is sapped, not so much through external troubles surrounding us but through problems in our thinking. We wrongfully think, “I suppose I’ve been stretching myself a little too much, standing too tall and trying to look like God instead of being an ordinary humble person.” […] For example, you came to a crisis in your life, took a stand for God, and even had the witness of the Spirit as a confirmation that what you did was right. But now, maybe weeks or years have gone by, and you are slowly coming to the conclusion— “Well, maybe what I did showed too much pride or was superficial. Was I taking a stand a bit too high for me?” Your “rational” friends come and say, “Don’t be silly. We knew when you first talked about this spiritual awakening that it was a passing impulse, that you couldn’t hold up under the strain.[…]” You respond by saying, “Well, I suppose I was expecting too much.” That sounds humble to say, but it means that your reliance on God is gone, and you are now relying on worldly opinion. The danger comes when, no longer relying on God, you neglect to focus your eyes on Him. Only when God brings you to a sudden stop will you realize that you have been the loser. Whenever there is a spiritual drain in your life, correct it immediately. Realize that something has been coming between you and God, and change or remove it at once.”  CHAMBERS

When we decide to commit our lives, our priorities to God, we enter into a spiritual struggle.  Salvation comes when we surrender to God.  When we accept the gift of grace.  Living by the Spirit means that we must be focused on God and not ourselves or the world.  Living that way is a decision we make.  A daily decision.  We cannot live this new life by self-effort but only by surrender.  Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.”  And how does He live in us?  By the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our new life is dependent upon the spiritual – not the natural.  Success in our new life is dependent upon the Spirit, not our effort.  If we think that we can live the Christian life without a vital connection with God, we deceive ourselves.  If we think that reading the Word is not really that important.  If we think that praying is not really that important.  If we think that corporate worship is optional, we deceive ourselves.  Think of a person in the hospital on a resuscitator.  Someone comes in the room and disconnects the machine.  The reason the person was using the machine was that they could not breathe on their own.  Now they cannot breathe and are bound to die.  If we disconnect ourselves for spiritual influence – we lack the power to live our new life successfully.  I don’t mean we will lose our salvation, I mean that, practically, it will be as it was before we were born again.  Self-effort is the enemy of godly living.  The works of our flesh were unacceptable to God before we became a Christian and they are unacceptable after we become a Christian.

If you are struggling … if you are fearful .. if you are doubtful … if you are wondering, what difference does your faith make … you need to stop trusting in yourself and trust in God.  If only it was that easy you think.  The hard part is yielding control to God.  That begins with a small step of faith. It ends .. well I guess it never ends.  This new life is one step of faith after another.  Stop trying to act like a Christian, and be one.  Stop looking to yourself for the answers and ‘look to the hand of the Master’.”  ELGIN

“O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free   Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Charley Elgin

No comments: