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Power of God, Not Men/Women “Great is the Lord” (Psalms48:1); “O GOD, you are my God” (Psalms 63:1). If the Lord is our God and He’s so powerful, why then do we depend on our own weak hands to accomplish anything? Here’s an expression that perfectly (and always!!) describes my dilemma daily: “My own fingers fail me, but whose fingers can YOU fail?” (YOU refers to the Lord) Whom can God fail?: “A horse is useless for safety, nor can it deliver anyone with his great [weak; it’s a sarcasm] strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him and hope in His mercy, [who is able to] deliver their soul from death, and [even] keep them alive when there’s famine in the land. Our heart will rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, accor- ding to how we hope in you.” (Psalms 33:17-22) Now, let us analyze this verse. The “horse” represents any object, even a person, that we trust in more than the Almighty. This is a wonderful verse because it brings all idols to shame. The car will break down; money will dry and change into an empty river bed; a cute face will transform into a pimpled and wrinkly head! But if anyone has faith in Christ, they’ll retain their joy, despite the circumstances. The Lord works best when your strength depletes itself and you have the inability to interfere with Him. “My grace is sufficient for you because my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Why is Christ better when we’re weak? Because, us humans have a natural tendency to become impatient (and doubtful) sometimes. If we only relax, and possess more forbearance and faith, then blessings will rain in large quantities. Even if the situation(s) doesn’t isn’t flowing well, trust in Jesus and continue to rejoice. If your face is stuck in the mud, hope in Christ and remain jubilate; if you’re feeling low and despicable, give everything to Him, then have joy. (1 Peter 4:12-13; 5:7,10). |
That “I’m not ready...” Excuse “I’m not ready...God knows my heart...” How much I despise that excuse. Yak, yak, yak! Blah, blah, blah! That’s what the statement resembles to my sensitive ears. Individuals use this as an excuse, or because they actually believe that they must prepare themselves as much as possible before attending church or receiving the Lord. My intention for writing about this section is to demonstrate how far a willing vessel can travel, though it’s very much unready. Let us peek at some Biblical verses. Isaiah 1:19 states that “if you’re willing and obedient, then you’ll eat the fat of the land.” Notice that the scripture doesn’t add “when you’re ready.” Allow this following statement to seep into your mind: “Christ doesn’t care how much ready you think you are. If you are willing and obedient, then the “fat of the land” will become whatever you wish it to be, whether it’s financial, physical, or spiritual. He’s not searching for someone that’s already righteous, but rather for someone who isn’t. He’ll build and mold any ungodly person according to His will. However, this will only occur when you’re willing to serve and obey. It’s impossible for a person to make himself ready. “...the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) The flesh (our own natural human desires) will always interfere with the spiritual mind, so there’s no possibility for a person to prepare oneself because everyone without Christ works in the flesh. Only Christ is able to free an individual from being carnal and make him/her ready for the task that He’ll set upon that person. For example, Peter, an average fisherman, chosen by the Father to become an apostle of Christ (Matthew 4:19); Philip, likewise, who later became an evangelist (Acts 8:40). Were they ready for their destinies as the followers of Christ? No, but at least they allowed the Messiah to teach them. Should we not also follow the same example? Instead of complaining, ”I’m not ready because I have too much problems,” we ought to be begging, “Lord, teach and guide me." |