I used to think that God wanted me to work for Him. I was
under the impression that He desired for me to spend all of my time serving in
the soup kitchen for the homeless, going to Bible studies, taking abandoned
children into our home, helping to lead worship in my church, teaching adults
how to read, witnessing to everyone I met and a myriad of other activities.
However, these very activities stole time away from my
ability to actually live in the presence of God (1 Chronicles 28:9). Remember
when Jesus went to the pool? He only healed one man (John 5:1-18).
Another time, when He walked through the crowd, only the
woman who touched his garment was healed (Luke 8:43-48). Jesus did miracles and
taught the crowds as He saw the Father working.
However, He spent more time in solitary places communing
with our Father God (Matthew 6:9-13, 11:25-26, 14:23; Luke 6:12, 22:32,
22:41-44, 23:34; John 11:41-42, 12:27-28, 14:31, 17:1-26). He lived in the very
center of God’s will.
We can learn a lesson from Jesus’ life. He listened to
God, heard His direction and did only what the Father said and did (John 5:19,
5:30, 8:28, 12:49). God calls us to do this same thing.
We no longer rely on our human reasoning to direct our
day. We seek the Lord and He directs our path (Proverbs 3:5-6). We walk through
our day communing with our Father and following His Spirit’s direction even if
it makes no human sense.
Sometimes, I actually argue with the Spirit’s leading, or
discount it as a human thought, which just floated through my mind.
Maybe I am tired and I do not want to follow the Spirit’s
leading. I have my own agenda for my day; so I decide to take a nap or go to
the pool or play a game of Scrabble instead of obeying my Father’s will.
When I do, I quickly learn that I grieved the Holy Spirit
and missed an opportunity to further the Kingdom of God.
At times, God will lead us to nap, because of what lies
ahead in our evening, or He has a person at the pool or the park whom He wants
us to talk to about Jesus.
The point is to walk in the Spirit, so that we do not
reap the consequences of living in the flesh (Galatians 5:15-25), thwart God’s
will for our life or quench God’s Holy Spirit. We will have more time to rest
in His presence.
Prayer:
Father God, keep our thoughts centered on You as we learn
to walk in Your ways. Help us to understand that You do not want us to work for
You, but to do the works, which You created us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
Remind us that it is not by our works of righteousness,
or our might and power, but by Your Spirit that we live, move and have our
being in You (Titus 3:5-7; Zechariah 4:6; Acts 17: 28).
Thought for the Day:
If Jesus did not speak for Himself, do anything through
His own effort or strength, or teach anything of His own devising, how can we
do otherwise? – John 12:49-50, 7:18, 5:19, 30, 14:31
