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WEEKLY ENCOURAGEMENT
Updated: Tuesday, September 16, 2008
MIRACLE CURE
This last week I found myself with a major case of the "pouty lip" disease. The symptoms are moaning, groaning and complaining. People were just not being faithful; situations were not turning out the way I had hoped. I'm sure you can relate to this "illness" as it seems, from time to time, to befall most of us.
I called a good friend and bent her ear with all my moaning and groaning. Because she really is a good friend she gave me a mild rebuke and pointed out some of my attitude problems. I had begun to focus (again) on people instead of the Lord, and my "control freak" tendency had once again moved into the driver's seat. I wonder sometimes if I will ever learn!
Then this morning as I was spending time with my Lord, He also clearly showed me my problem, but also the wonderful cure for it: praise! I am thankful for a godly friend that the Lord used and for His Holy Spirit patiently and clearly directing me back where I need to be.
I began reading verses about praise and examples of people praising God in the worst of situations. One of my favorite verses is Habakkuk 3:17-18a. "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat: the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength."
It is so easy for us to slowly almost unconsciously, move the reason for our joy to things, people and circumstances instead of it being grounded solely in Jesus Christ Himself. Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength."
Rejoicing in the Lord is a step farther than thankfulness. It means to be joyful, to be happy, to express praise to the Lord because He is the Lord! Let's take a look at Paul and Silas in Acts chapter sixteen.
Paul had just rebuke a spirit of divination in a young woman and she was freed of it's control. A miracle and a wonderful blessing, but what happened after that? The situation did not go as one might have expected. Paul and Silas were not appreciated or encouraged. In fact, they were lied about, beaten and put in prison, even though they were not guilty or deserving of this treatment. Where is God? Did He not see the unjust treatment of His faithful servants? Was this fair?
God was in total control and Paul and Silas were wonderful examples for me and you. Verse 25 tells us, "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
They prayed: they talked to their Lord about the whole situation and then, in confidence of His control, they began to praise the Lord! They didn't just talk amongst themselves about it but they sang praises to their God loudly and all the prisoners heard them. The results were that miracles happened: an earthquake freed them from their chains. Due to their example, the prison keeper and his family were saved and baptized.
Do you think the miracles would have happened if Paul and Silas had reacted as I was reacting last week? If they had moaned and groaned over the fickleness of people and the unfair treatment what do you think would have happened?
Wouldn't it be wonderful to experience God's miraculous moving as Paul and Silas did? Well, then we must learn to pray, leave our requests with Him in confident faith and then praise our Lord. What a testimony we could have for the glory of God if in our difficulties and trials, people heard our praise to God bases on faith, rather than our moaning and groaning.
Let me encourage you this day to "Come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." Psalm 95:1-3
You might be surprise at the miracle God is waiting to give to you. I would love to hear from you and what God is doing in your life. Contact me at sandy.hastings@gmx.com
POINT TO PONDER:Are you willing to praise God in the middle of your "prison experience"? If not, why not?
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- Sandy Hastings September 16, 2008 |
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