"Take up the whole armor of God…praying always…" —Ephesians 6:13,18
“You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer for other people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural. If you grab hold of God and wrestle with Him, as Jacob did, simply because He is working in a way that doesn’t meet with your approval, you force Him to put you out of joint (see Genesis 32:24-25). Don’t become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because “we are more than conquerors through Him…” (Romans 8:37). Prayer is effective only when there is completeness— “take up the whole armor of God….” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest.
Do you brush your teeth in the morning? Seem like an odd way to start a devotion? My point is that brushing your teeth is a discipline. So is getting up to go to work. If you don’t do either one, there are negative consequences. You value your teeth … and you value your source of income .. so you make yourself do those things. After a while, they become more routine, but still …. every day you must choose to do them. That is the same the spiritual aspects of our Christian lives. With prayer and obedience for example. We must discipline ourselves to pray and choose to obey. Our natural selves push back – or wrestle with our spiritual selves. Your flesh might say – you are too busy to brush (pray) this morning … you can do that later … or I will just call in sick today … I don’t feel like going to work (doing the will of God) today.
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12
Something I have noticed as I grow older … it is the speed in which my body atrophies …. The rate at which I lose that which I once took for granted, my physical strength .. stamina … tone … is accelerating. And it seems impossible to get back to where I once was. If I slack off in any way, BOOM! I wake up one morning and find I am sliding down the steep slope of atrophy.
It’s the same with our spiritual life. A life without spiritual discipline is a life of spiritual weakness. The danger is .. you can become used to that condition and start to think that it is normal. Well, it may be common, but it is far from “normal” if you are a Christian. I want to encourage you to get serious about your spiritual condition … God has called you to so much more than mediocrity in your faith walk. I can encourage you but it is the Spirit who must convict your heart, when you need a wake up call.
Like Jesus, we Christians have two natures. Our spiritual nature should become dominant over our flesh or old nature. Like Jesus, we should always seek to do the Father’s will. Like Jesus, we should and must stand against temptation with the Word of God. Like Jesus, we should be disciplined to talk to the Father and look to Him. Like Jesus our life's goal should be to bring Glory to God , the Father, through obedience and devotion. Like Jesus …. we should strive to fulfill the purpose the Father has given you. And let you light shine before all men.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
No comments:
Post a Comment