Many have forgotten the depths from which we were saved. Christ gave His life; what are we giving for Him? It would seem as little time and energy as possible…
2 Whoever fears the LORD walks uprightly, but those who despise Him are devious in their ways.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.
I like verse four. It basically tells me that God is willing to put up with a “dirty stall” to have “oxen” for the harvest. The key word to this verse is “commitment.” God wants commitment from us, and He’s willing to put up with the “stuff” in our lives to have a relationship with us. He saved us through Jesus Christ from the depths of our sinfulness. We couldn’t save ourselves; we needed Him! We owe Him everything.
Yet, we seem to have forgotten that if left to ourselves, we will revert back to our old ways; we forget that most people in this world are NOT believers and they don’t love the LORD Jesus–in fact, many are hostile to Him, and therefore, us. WE ARE SWIMMING UPSTREAM! The sooner we realize that, the better off we will be. We must work hard for Christ, WITH Christ and with each other in order to overcome, to have victory, and to avoid the traps that Satan sets for us. Actually, they are built into this world; it’s why we must be careful about how involved we get with it. Paul had something to say on the subject:
3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 2 Timothy 2:3-6
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2
If the question is whether you do it your way or His way, didn’t you settle that question upon salvation? If you are still struggling with it, you may still be struggling with salvation rather than lordship. Consider this: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5.
If your desire is to please Him, but you are still at war with yourself, then get alone with the LORD for a couple of hours; read His Word (preferably 1 John, Romans, and Ephesians); seek Him in prayer as you repent and reflect upon Him and what He might be asking you to do that has you so scared. Our fear comes from envisioning the future WITHOUT Christ; envision it WITH Him and you will find an excitement about it! Try it–DO IT!
Abba, I struggle with sin in my life, but I know that You are the One who is keeping me clean on the inside even as I strive to stay clean on the outside. I pray for my readers that they would rediscover their gratefulness for all You have done for them. May they be willing to pick up a Bible and find out who You are. It’s important–especially as the election draws near. Help us, O God, to seek You with all our hearts. Amen.
In the Master's Hands 