…seek, and you will find…
—Luke 11:9
“Seek if you have not found.
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss…” (James 4:3). If you ask
for things from life instead of from God, “you ask amiss”; that is, you ask out
of your desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you
will seek God. “…seek, and you will find….” Get to work— narrow your focus and
interests to this one thing. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or
have you simply given Him a feeble cry after some emotionally painful
experience? “…seek, [focus,] and you will find….”[…] Have you ever lamented,
expressing your sorrow before God for the condition of your inner life? There
is no thread of self-pity left, only the heart-rending difficulty and amazement
which comes from seeing what kind of person you really are. “Humble
yourselves…” (James 4:10). It is a humbling experience to knock at God’s door—
you have to knock with the crucified thief. “…to him who knocks it will be
opened” (Luke 11:10).” CHAMBERS
What is holding you back from
total surrender to God? Fear? Are you anxious at the thought of not being in
control of your life? Let me ask you, do
you really think you are in control? Really?
Oh, people try. Some are frantic
about having control or not losing control or at the thought of giving up
control. The truth is that we are but a
leaf in the wind. We cannot control our what
goes on around us anymore than we can stop the sun from rising in the morning.
Well actually you know that the earth is rotating and the sun is stationary. But, there is the illusion of the sun rising …
and there is also the illusion that you are in control. Let me tell you what your trying to control
your life leads to, sin. In your attempt to, you will make choices, sometimes irrevocable
choices. Choices that harm you and
perhaps others. When I try to control my
life, the focus is on me. What I
want. What I think is right. What I think is best. It’s a miserable life, actually. I go to this verse so often, but it is the
bedrock for right living. (Proverbs 3:5,6) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and
don’t depend on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge God and He will direct your life” (my
paraphrase) I am certain that you are
familiar with the word Shalom. It means more
than peace, it means “Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety,
soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the
absence of agitation or discord.” Jesus said in
John 14:27, “Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not
let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Put in another way, stop trying to control
your life and look to Jesus, the source of Shalom. Doing that requires faith
and trust, but our God is faithful and trustworthy. Please stop trying to control
the uncontrollable and look to the One who is in control of everything. CHARLEY
No comments:
Post a Comment