Lately several friends have been going through some really tough times. The world, as it did with Job, is all too happy to line up wanting a chance to prescribe remedies. The world's "solutions" inevitably reduce to "Look at yourself and what you do closer or in a different way."
The Bible tells us to look more closely to Jesus and He will tell us what to change. He is our Shephard. We are His sheep.
Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.John 10:7-10 NIV
The world wants us to believe "it's all about me". Scripture says it's all about God.
Too often we forget that there is an opponent out there. An opponent we must not slander. An opponent we cannot defeat or manipulate. An opponent that is a better Bible student than we. An opponent who is more familiar with Christ than are we. And this opponent is intent "to steal and kill and destroy" our faith, our families, our lives and our witnesses... our "sheepishness"!
When we remember the opponent, worldly beliefs would have us defeat the opponent. Instead we are told to resist his schemes and seek shelter within the Shephard who has already defeated the opponent. What a relief.
Isn't that beautiful? We don't have to be masters of self-analysis or spiritual warfare ninjas. We just have to stay focused on Our Shephard.
It reminds me of an old saying, "I've never known anyone too dumb to do this task, but I've known many who were too smart." In Christ my weakness is my greatest strength.
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.II Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV
Thank You Jesus!
Thanks for this. I think sometimes when idle my natural ego will kick in and stir me to imagine "us vs. them scenarios" where I envision God training me up as that "spiritual warfare ninja". I stumble there a lot. Spiritual WELFARE ninja would be perhaps more fitting.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you Vearl and thanks again.