Have
you ever needed something to bring with you everywhere you went? Think back to
being a child, did you ever carry a blanket? If you did, then you know at the
time the blanket was a security blanket. For me I never did that as a child,
but I'm sure I found security in other objects. My aunts and older sisters told
me I was a crybaby (I don't even believe them -___- ), so I always wanted to be
up under my mom. Although I don't even remember that, I do remember carrying a
Pocahontas jumbo-sized doll with me everywhere that I went. My mother brought
me that doll when she was living in Florida and I was living with my father.
That doll was my security and she stayed right by my side. I still have that
doll at my father's house :)
That
doll couldn't protect me from the monsters under my bed. That doll couldn't
protect me from the real evils of this world. So why was it so
special/important to me? Why did it serve as my security blanket? It was
because it served as sentimental value - my mom who wasn't there at the time
was there with me through the form of a doll. What if instead of a plastic
jumbo-sized doll, I had a real security blanket? What if when I was afraid of
the monsters under my bed, or the real evils of the world, I used the Bible
(The Word of God) as my real security blanket?
SERVING
ONE MASTER:
Having
the Bible/Word of God as a security blanket establishes that you only serve ONE
master. God is not a god that shares a spotlight with someone else. There is
only ONE him. We saw last week how God was the only God to set water on fire.
We also saw how the people prayed to Baal allllllll day, cried out, and
even cut themselves for him to show that he was real. What happened? Nothing
happened!!! There is only ONE God who calls the sun and moon to rise and set.
There is only ONE God who gives both you and I purpose. There is only ONE God
who knows the beginning from the ending. He is the alpha and the omega. He
doesn't take days off. So when there a times when we are afraid of the monsters
under our beds and the evils of the world, he'll be there 24/7. The Bible
states, "21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup
of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of
devils." (1 Corinthians 10:21 KJV). This means that when it comes to
having the Word of God in our hearts and with us at all times, we can't
straddle the fence. Either we're in or we're not. When it comes to God there is
no "maybe," he wants our WHOLE hearts. We are still given that power
of choice to decide who we want to serve: God or the world/satan. It's not
complicated.
KNOWING
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:
Today's
reading focused on the power of the Word of God. 1 Corinthians 10, speaks
directly to knowing the power of God. I know that there is a phenomenon going
on revolving around being vegan, vegetarian, or abstaining from eating pork or
other types of food. I remember there was a time I questioned whether I could
eat certain foods and I almost stopped eating bacon (it was a real
struggle!!!). Not to say that anyone who chooses not to eat certain foods are
wrong, but for those who eat anything and feel you are wrong, the bible states,
"25 Whatsoever is sold in the
shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:26 For
the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." (1 Corinthians 10:25-26
KJV). This means that the Lord has created the animals and more on this Earth
for our purpose. For the most part everything is free range as long as we PRAY
before we consume it. Bless your food before you eat. That's just one example
of why it is important to know what the Bible says. Too many times we become so
sold on what others say that we reject the notion of looking into the Bible for
clarity.
HEARING
GOD'S VOICE & DELIVERING THE WORD:
Have
you ever been praying at the alter and someone spoke a word to you and it was
something similar to what you have been praying about? Or have you ever been
praying for something and a stranger or someone you know ever gave you
reassurance about the situation although they knew nothing about it? The same
thing happened to me Sunday - I was happy on the outside, but on the inside I
was worried about something that I have been praying for for about a week now.
I was trying not to let it bother me, but I couldn't help it because it's a
serious situation. Well I was leaving one part of the church to go to a meeting
in another part and this man from my church came up to me and quoted a
scripture that basically reassured everything that I was praying
about. It was confirmation of not only what was happening at the moment, but
what I know is to come. God has a way of using others to get us to a place to
trust him. The same thing happened in 2 Kings 3:11-12, "11 But
Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may
enquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants
answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the
hands of Elijah. 12 And Jehoshaphat said, The word of
the Lord is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the
king of Edom went down to him" (KJV). The three kings in this passage knew
who to call on when they needed a word from God. Elisha was able to deliver the
word and the message that God told him to deliver came to pass. It was no
coincidence, it was written. God called it and so it was.
POINT
TO PONDER:
So
why don't we use the Bible/The Word of God as our security blanket when we have
to face the challenges of the world? Why do we seek comfort in other
things that cannot compare to what God can do? I encourage you all to use the
Word of God as a security blanket. I've found that through reading the Bible,
that although times have changed the messages remain the same. It's true
that history repeats itself and so it's true that nothing really that can
happen today that has not already happened in the Bible.
Having the Word of God
wherever you go means that: 1) You acknowledge serving ONE God; 2) You know
what the Bible says - You know scripture for yourself; 3) You can hear and/or
deliver the Word of God. Even if you cannot do all three just yet, if you
continue to seek Christ you will eventually be able to do them :) There is
something comforting about being able to quote scriptures to problems, being
able to believe the Word of God, being able to know when God is speaking to
you, and being able to direct others to scriptures when they are facing
problems. So turn away from the comfort that you find in worldly things and
pick up the Bible and get to know Christ...
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO
TRANSFORM YOUR TUESDAYS!!!
TRANSFORMING TUESDAY: JAMERA
No comments:
Post a Comment