I just woke up and was convicted of something.
Like some of the kings in 1 and 2 kings, they did what was right in the eyes of The Lord (most did evil, but some actually are recorded as doing what was right) but they kept the places where people burned incense to idols.
"The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree."
(2 Kings 17:9, 10 NIV)
They didn't tear down the high places, and so did not have a heart for God like David did. They just got by. Even though they did what was right in the eyes of The Lord they were missing the greater glory!
"Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places."
(Deuteronomy 12:2, 3 NIV)
Sometimes we settle for the bare minimum, but God wants us to want the greater victory in our lives! I know for myself there were and still are many times when I feel hopeless to change or discouraged by my inability to carry out being "good" or "Christ-like" and I immediately slump down in defeat, self-criticism, and sleep. I let that just be that, a hopeless cause...and I do not raise my desire to see Gods fullness and awesome life changing glory in my life! I cower in my own strength rather than call upon the God of the universe who created heaven and earth itself!
"My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together."
(Isaiah 48:13 NIV)
I need to want Him to be my God not just my friend, lest I miss out on His awesome power! Yes, His love is amazing, His justice is perfect, but His power is also omnipotent, meaning it is all-powerful, all, meaning leaving nothing out. God can do all things, so why settle for anything less than that which matches His nature! For His character has already been shown to lavish love on us, abundant grace and new mercies every morning. But have you understood His nature? Who He is by definition, and what that means in your life? Believe that He is All-Powerful and do not let anything get in the way of seeing His power in your life. Want it desperately! See it change the habitual sins, your personality, your relationships, brought into the glorious light! Do not underestimate His power lest you miss out on the astounding transformation you once thought unthinkable. He uses the wisdom of the world (what we think is possible or impossible) to put them to shame! For He is God.
"Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God."
(1 Corinthians 8:2, 3 NIV)
"And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord ’s arrow of VICTORY, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.” (2 Kings 13:17-19 ESV)
How much do you want the victory in your life? To conquer sin, conquer doubt, conquer apathy or fear?! Then don't just do the sensible, but do the insensible, the acts of a desperate person who hears the instruction and takes it out to the next level. Jesus said "let him who has ears hear"! Hear Him. Not with your physical ears, but open your ears that hear God rather than your own logic. He speaks in power, not just love. Speak the very words of God! God who is All-powerful!
"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."
-1 Peter 4:11
Believe with a desperate desire that God wants you to enter into His fullness because He loves you! His power and His love are not meant to be given as separate graces! No, but one catalyzes the other so that we might have the fullness of God.
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."
-Ephesians 3:19
Ask desperately to experience His love if you haven't already or if you've forgotten it. And if it is difficult to understand then good! Because it is beyond our feeble minds to fully grasp such a great love! We need only to want it, ask for it, seek Him for it, and pray that in His tremendous mercy He would give it to us! And is there such a love that would give His only Son to die for us only to deny us that same love which crucified His Son? I think not! Do you believe God desires you? Or do you find that you just don't understand? Then cry out!
"...indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."
(Proverbs 2:3-6, NIV)
When Jacob was left by himself before what was probably impending doom in His eyes (facing his brother of whom he stole pretty much everything from) a man came and wrestled with him til the morning! And Jacob wrestled back vigorously so as to not be defeated (this was a desperate man who believed in Gods promise and power and holiness:
"When the man saw that he could not overpower him (Jacob was probably yelling and slashing like crazy!), he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
(Genesis 32:25-28 NIV)
Will you fight like a desperate person who, against circumstances, will not let the fighting stop until you have overcome?
That was my problem.
But another astonishing thing is that Jacob states that he saw God face to face (Genesis 32:30), implying that it was God who came to him and wrestled with him. To think, God would come and wrestle with Jacob, why? I think it was to know that Jacob wanted the victory badly enough, desperately, both through his wrestle with God and with humans.
Maybe God came to me or brought about a difficult trial and I just threw my hands up and became lame. Thinking I was doing Him a favor by just weeping in my inability to do anything well in front of Him. Weeping until I was so weak with sleep rather than wrestling with God in desperation to bless me! I didn't believe His promise to me would stand after all my failures and sins, and that's why I could not walk in His fullness. Now I want to become desperate like Jacob, to believe that His promise will come to fruition even when it looks hopeless. To not let go in the night until I am blessed!
Man the bible is incredible, but it's the revelations from the Holy Spirit that bring the words to life!
Jimmy needhan has a song called "clear the stage" the words came on the exact moment I finished writing this post and was so accurate!
Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure you must take to crush the idols
Jerk the pews & all the decorations, too
Until the congregations few, then have revival
Tell your friends that this is where the party ends
Until you're broken for your sins, you can't be social
Then seek the lord & wait for what he has in store
And know that great is your reward so just be hopeful
'cause you can sing all you want to
Yes, you can sing all you want to
You can sing all you want to
And still get it wrong; worship is more than a song
Take a break from all the plans that you have made
And sit at home alone and wait for god to whisper
Beg him please to open up his mouth and speak
And pray for real upon your knees until they blister
Shine the light on every corner of your life
Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open
Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken
We must not worship something that's not even worth it
Clear the stage, make some space for the one who deserves it
'cause I can sing all I want to
Yes, I can sing all I want to
I can sing all I want to
And still get it wrong
And you can sing all you want to
Yes, you can, you can sing all you want to
You can sing all you want to
And still get it wrong; worship is more than a song
Worship is more than a song
Worship is more than a song
Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure you must take to crush the idols
---
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:17-32 NIV)
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