Thursday's Awakening
Seek The Lord in All Things
Often when God has delivered us out of many battles we believe we
can handle the small battles on our own. That can lead to us worshiping
ourselves and believing that we don’t need Jesus for all things. Sometimes we
even believe we have built up enough credit that we don’t even have to seek God
for everything and he will surely deliver us out of all things. God is
Sovereign. Some synonyms related to sovereignty are independent,
self-governing, dominant, supreme, and autonomous. Jesus doesn’t owe us
anything at all; we were purchased with a price. God operates independently. He
loves us but he doesn’t owe us. He has given us so much and when we do not
consult him before we make decisions we put ourselves at risk. He is not going
to automatically do for us because we think we have an extended credit line if
he does nothing else he has done enough. There are some places, people and
things he doesn’t want for us but we
want for us. The only way we can be sure we are operating in his will
and not our will is to seek him first.
Matt 6:33 says seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness and all these things will be added to you. The text does not say
seek God after we have done an assessment. It doesn’t say seek God only for big
issues. It says to seek him first. After you seek him wait Psa 27:14. Jesus
knows what is best for us and we have to trust him for the big and the little.
We are as dust, he created us, and we need to walk under his covering in
everything.
Joshua experienced God’s many wonders. He witnessed the parting of
the red sea as a child, he witnessed God parting the Jordan (Jos 3) and the
fall of Jericho (Jos 6). When Joshua sent men to spy on Ai and his spies
advised him to go in to battle with minimal forces he agreed (Jos 7:2-3). The
text does not say he consulted the Lord. We are soldiers of the Lord and any
battle we fight we must arm ourselves with the favor of the Lord regardless of
the size of the battle.
We will often seek God when we are going into battle on our jobs
or with people we have no control over. We seem reluctant to seek God when we
are dealing with our loved ones. We tend to believe those battles are small and
we can handle them on our own. Battles are spiritual. The enemy will use anyone
that will allow him, and he will use them to attack us. Every time we go into
battle we must consult the Lord. The big battles we may consider to be our “Philistine
battles” that David had to fight and he always sought the Lord. The Amalekites battles are the ones that
fight us when we are not looking, when our backs are turned, they come after
our children and the spiritually vulnerable (1Sam 30-1-3). We have to seek God
and acknowledge him in all things and he will direct our paths (Prov 3:6). When
he directs our paths our backs are not turned, our eyes are focused, we are
aware of any impending threats to our household, our mind, or our spirit and we
are prepared everywhere we go.
When Joshua’s men went into battle they were defeated. Immediately
Joshua fell to his face and cried out to the Lord (Josh 7:4-9). Joshua should
have consulted the Lord first and he would have known that someone in his camp
had sinned against God. If he would have consulted God he would have ensured
his house was right before God, before battling anyone else. We are in some
battles today and we are wondering why things aren’t changing. It could be that
we haven’t consulted Jesus in our actions or we haven’t repented before the
Lord. We see that sin can keep us defeated.
There are so many consequences to sin and we often don’t see the
connection. Jesus sees the connection; he knows the damage of sin. Before we go into battle we should check
ourselves, repent, ask and wait for direction.
Society tells us to grow up and be independent. Jesus wants us to
come as little children and depend on him (Mark 10:15). We have to believe the
report of the Lord and trust in him. Every time you think about doing anything
on your own think of the little toddler that doesn’t want any help but is too
little and doesn’t understand the consequences. As adults we laugh at them and
help them any way. That is how the Lord looks at us, he knows we can’t handle
it on our own and often helps us anyway but seek him first.
Just like in this video. The Lord is saying give it to me.
http://youtu.be/h63BmK1LcSo
Jesus wants us totally dependent on him. Seek him before battle,
before you start your day, before you make a decision, before you engage your
family, friends, enemies, or workday. Acknowledge God, seek is face and allow
him to direct your path.
God bless you and your family! Jesus is crazy about you he loves
you dearly. He died just for you.
Pray
Most holy and righteous father, Creator of the heaven and earth.
You are the only true sovereign King. In you we put our trust. We repent today
for taking matters into our own hands. Forgive us for failing to seek you first
in all things. Forgive us for failing to acknowledge you in everything so you
could direct us. Teach us how to grow dependent on you. Teach us how to be
obedient after you have given us instruction. We thank you Lord Jesus for all
you do for us. I thank you for shedding your blood on Calvary and coming back
for me. Help us to do your will in all things. We love you and we thank you for
all your continued blessings.
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