The Key Is To Wait Upon The LORD God

                                                       When The Door Slams

But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wing [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired [Heb. 12:1-3].                                             Isaiah 40: 31

        At times you may feel so worn out and stressed that you are not sure you can take another step. You may seem to spend all your time running from crisis to crisis and to be constantly giving your time and energy to others. Your Lord wants to renew your strength and enable you to enjoy the abundant life He intends for you. The key is to wait upon the LORD to do so. 

        Our generation does not enjoy waiting. We are harried by all the commitments we have made and the many responsibilities we hold. We rush through our lives without stopping to evaluate our activities. Sometimes in our haste to get on with our work, we race ahead of God. Part of God's restorative process is to slow us down and make us listen to Him. As we wait on Him, God will remind us of our dependence is upon His strength. When we slow down and seek His will, God will reveal His plans. 

        Spiritually, waiting on the Lord is never passive; it is always active. Waiting requires us to cease our own pursuits and give God our completes attention. We may have to give up some of the activities we have allowed to inundate our lives. We may need to take an entire day to sit quietly before the Lord. If we ask, God will show us the resources He has provided to help with the work we have been attempting on our own. God may address our feelings of guilt that have motivated us to do things that He has not asked us to do.

        Think about this: Jesus carried more responsibility than you do. More people needed Jesus than they will ever need you. Yet Jesus was never overwhelmed or inadequate for the task. Now Christ offers to guide you so that you will fulfill your heavenly Father's will and gain the strength necessary for each day (Matt. 11:28). 

"For all these things My hand has made, So all these things come into being [by and for Me],' declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look [graciously], To him who is humble and contrite is spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honors My commands. [John 4:24]                                                                    Isaiah 66:2

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                            Never Rest Ministries  

                             

Where Is My Help In Times Of Failure

                                                     When The Door Slams

"Master," Simon replied, "we've worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I'll let down the nets,"                                                                 Luke 5:5

        No one knows how to help you in your times of failure as Jesus does! Jesus will not overlook your shortcoming or simply encourage you to do better the next time. Jesus will give you victory in the midst of your failures. 

        Peter had fished all night without success. This was not just a meager catch; he had caught nothing, even though he was a skilled fisherman. Jesus could have said, "Peter, don't worry about your empty net. You'll soon be in a different business anyway." Instead, Jesus told Peter to launch out into the deep and to cast out your nets for a catch. How humbling it must have been for Peter! Here was a carpenter telling this outspoken fisherman how to fish! 

        Jesus often gets your undivided attention when you fail. Jesus sometimes takes you back to your place of defeat in order to build something good into your life. You may assume that Jesus don't want you to continue because you failed so miserably in your attempt. 

        Think about this: Perhaps your problem was that you relied on your own religion as strength instead of the Holy Spirit's. Maybe you failed in your spiritual relationship as in obedient. Jesus will not allow you to abandon Him; Jesus will help you learn from your failure and experience the difference that He can make when He guides your relationships. When you trust in God's obedient, you may discover that success is indeed within you grasp. If you have recently experienced failure, Jesus will relate to you in ways that are unique to you.    

        Jesus knows what you will face in the future. Because He knows everything about you, Jesus word to you will perfectly fit the circumstances of your life. You may be in a group of Christians who are listening to God's Word, and you may hear things from Jesus thru the power of the Holy Spirit that no one else hears.   

 Ah, LORD God! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You. You are the great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD  of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in deed, and Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men; You reward everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds (Jeremiah 32:17-19). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                               Never Rest Ministries              

        

Sin Breaks Our Relationship With God

                                                       When The Door Slams

Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.                                 2 Corinthians 5:18

        The world abounds with people whose sin has alienated them from God. Christ's sacrificial work has restored Christians to a love relationship with the heavenly Father. As Christians, we are appointed as ministers of reconciliation. Once Christ dwells within us, we become His ambassadors, and we entreat others to be reconciled to Him (2 Cor. 5:20). We are God's messengers of peace, urging others to return to God (Matt. 5:9). 

        Sin breaks our relationship with God, it severs relationships with others as well. Broken relationships are the epidemic of our day. Sin alienates family members, separates friends, divides churches, and destroys marriages. Sin creates mistrust, jealousy, hatred, and greed, all of which devastate relationships. Only Christ has the remedy for the disastrous effect of sin on human relationships. As His ambassadors, we are to take the message of reconciliation to a broken, divided world. We urge reconciliation first with God, and then with each other. 

        Think about this. How tragic it is when God's messengers of peace is a deceiver. How can false ambassadors carry a message of love and yet be filled with disobedience? If  you refuse to repent of your disobedience your massage of reconciliation is deceitful. The evidence that you are a disciple of Jesus is that you be a true Christian and love your fellow Christians (John 13:35). In each of your relationships, make certain that your actions share the love and forgiveness that reflect what you received from God. Then you will not only speak the message of peace, but you will live it as well. 

Jesus told His disciples, "The Spirit will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is Mine. Therefore I said that He will take from what is Mine and make it known to you" (John 16:14-15)  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                        Never Rest Ministries