Daily devotion – when God disturbs you
Over the last few days with the Lord, I have earnestly sought His wisdom on some matters. Initially, these things were like a thorn in my flesh; they kept me uneasy, uncomfortable and searching.
What I was not cognisant of was that God was directing me in such a way, but often I am slow to pick up His hand so embedded in my life that every breath, and every thought I have, has His purpose to it.
I am convinced that part of the significant problem with the powerlessness of the modern Church is that we have things too good. Now you might vehemently disagree with your situation but hear me out for a moment.
We are creatures who sadly neglect our Saviour when things are sailing along without any bumps. Yes, we still read our Bible and attend Church, but we do such things without passion, purpose or drive.
It’s not by everything going well that we mature. Take your marriage. Each time a couple wed, Helen and I advise them that marriage, a Godly marriage, takes work by both the husband and the wife. Likewise, raising children to know and serve God does not just happen! God made us to worship Him; God created us to work, and God knows how we grow stronger and closer to Him.
So marriages fail because each man and woman take their marriage for granted. Children end up in trouble as the parents let them loose without actively being involved in helping, guiding, or admonishing them along the way.
Indifference and neglect are savage foes of our walk with God.
But when thankfully God allows uneasiness to impact our lives, He disturbs our lethargy; He gets involved in our lives when He allows us to row into a storm, knowing full well it will be tough for us; it’s these issues in our lives where God has His pottery hands on the clay to change it. To change us!
I don’t want to be like those treading water, but our lives are getting sucked out to sea. I want to learn, to know Him more, to be able to swim in the right direction, and to become stronger and wiser as a man of God.
In Paul’s life, God allowed a thorn to wedge itself in Paul’s flesh, Paul prayed that it would go away and be removed, but God said no, it needs to stay!
Finally, Paul recognised the Potters’ strong hands on his clay life, and then Paul grew the strongest he had ever been.
2 Cor 12: 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
My prayer is for you to be disturbed by God, to be unsettled, so that you too may be so moved that you will be reading the Bible searching for God’s wisdom and His ways. You will be moved from a comfortable slumber to a passionate pursuit, to become the man or woman God desires you to be.
One that is not lazy or drifting, but one that is zealous beyond measure and hungry to know what God has planned for you to do!