Look at the birds of the air….Consider the lilies of the field… —Matthew 6:26, 28
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin”— they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf! […] Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. […] In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). […] Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually— just as “the lilies of the field.” […] The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and “the lilies of the field”— simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us.” CHAMBERS
What is it that is going on in your life that you want relief from? Have you considered what is the root cause of the problem? Is it something that has happened to you that you had no control over? Or is it something that you set in motion because you chose a certain course of action, you made a decision that was contrary to the will and nature of God? This causes me to remember Job and his friends. His friends were so certain that Job had sinned, when he had not. You must examine your heart. It might well be that what you are experiencing is, like Job, out of your control or influence. But so often we do not want to accept the fact that our decisions and actions have created our circumstance. In that case the solution we seek begins with us and not with God. We must be willing to first acknowledge our sin and then repent. That does not mean that the circumstances will dissipate, even though we may want that more than anything. Repentance means that you choose to go another way. To choose follow after God and not your own desires.
In the case of Job, his health and wealth were restored, but some things were not. The point is that we are all going to face trouble in this life. Sometimes because of sinful choices and sometimes because we live in a sinful world. Whichever the case might be, our response must be to look up. To trust God. Praying for relief is good, but praying for strength is better. The Lord may cause you to sit in the lion’s den or walk in the furnace. The Bible does not say the furnace was not hot, in fact it was exceedingly hot. What it does say is that the three men were sustained by their faith and a fourth man. (Daniel 3:25) “He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” But friend, like those men, even if He does not save you from the flames, you must remain faithful. You must choose God and not sin. This new life does not make a lot of sense from the world’s perspective but makes perfect sense from God’s. The bottom line .. if your trouble is because of you, repent and pray for restoration and strength. If it is not because of you, pray for restoration and strength. Whatever the cause, as difficult as your circumstance might be, God is enough. CHARLEY
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