When The Storm Come

                                              When The Door Slams

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.    Romans 6:20-23 NIV

            When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire Him. When you recognize His wisdom, you will learn from Him. When you discover His strength, you will rely on Him. But only when He saves you, you will worship Him.

            It is a "before and after" scenario. Before your rescue, you could easily keep God at a distance. Comfortably dismissed. Neatly shelved. Sure He was important, but so was your career. Your status. Your salary. He was high on your priority list, but He shared the spotlight with others.

            Then came the storm...the rage...the lying...the fight...the doubt...the starless night. Despair fell like a fog; your bearings were gone. Evil all-round. In your heart, you knew there was no exit. You turn to your career to help. Only if you want to hide from the storm...not escape it. You lean on your status for strength. A storm is not impressed with your title, or you relied on your salary for rescue? Many try...many fail.

            Think about this: Suddenly you are left with one option: the Lord my God. And when you ask...genuinely ask...He will come.

            And from that moment on, He is not just a deity to admire, a teacher to serve, or a master to obey. He is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. The Savior to be worshiped.

Confession: Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face  from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:7-13).

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     

    

                            

            

     

This Stinging Ointment You Applied To My Eyes

                                      When The Door Slams

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.                                                        Psalm 23:1-5 NKJV

            Now I see that I was searching for the answer outwardly, trying to reason with my mind the best way to escape temptation and when the freeing knowledge I sought could only come by the Holy Spirit as it brings the inner light. As long as I keep struggling in this way, I was unable to return to the place where my soul might receive the fullness well-being, rest and joy.

            But You, O LORD, who abides forever, You are not angry with us in our fumbling blindness. You are so merciful to us. It was pleasing to You to reshape the deformity that was causing my blindness. You kept stirring me with the sense that I was missing some secret goodness that is in You. You kept me in a state of restlessness. Finally, I saw, inwardly, the truth about the origin of evil! 

            I saw how superior I felt, in my striving for spiritual well-being and sufficiency--but in all this striving I was still totally inferior to You. I had been so blind to what I was doing, because of pride is like a spiritual wound to the face, swelling shut the inner eyes of understanding. And through this swollenness of pride, I was groping, wandering and separated from my LORD God. But Your healing hand applied to my eyes a stinging ointment that caused my pride and self-sufficiency to subside. What was this stinging ointment? 

            Think about this: I was given a true understanding of sorrow for my sinful condition. And at the same moment that I saw myself in this way, I looked upon the LORD my Savior for mercy for me. From that day to this, I have kept that wholesome sorrow for my sins that causes me to run to Jesus my Lord and Savior for the healing of my soul. For I see now that pride and self-sufficiency before You--is the source of evil in me. Coming to You daily, weak, hungry and in need of the Holy Spirit to flow through me--that my trouble and dark-soul might gradually gain healing in Jesus name.

Related Bible Texts: Psalm 23:1-5; Romans 5:12; Romans 7:21-25

Confession: May I produce fruit worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8).

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