I Call to You [Part 2]

The main thought I had in my mind last night never came out when I wrote my post, but I decided to role with it and now I think I'll continue on...

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"  Luke 6:46

When reading this verse last night, I was brought back to earlier verses in Luke chapter 6.  Verses that made me cry, "Woe is me," and desire for this life of pleasing flesh to die a death that will never return. 

Luke 6:27-36
"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who abuse you.  To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back.  And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 
If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.  But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."

Wow.  Major fail on my part for sure.  Thank the Lord for His grace.  Why would I ever think it's okay to cry out to my God like I meant it, and then go back just a few verses and actually confess a heart of falsehood before Him, all the while thinking nothing is wrong with that pattern of living?  That's not living in the slightest!  That's being dead, dead to Christ.  Totally opposing what the Bible tells us all over the place.  Galatians 2:10, "now that I'm dead, I am alive (in Christ)."

Even starting in verse 27 where it says to "love your enemies,"  am I even doing that?  I guess I always thought I didn't have that much of a difficult time with loving my enemies, for one reason I never have found myself to have very many enemies in the first place, and for two, thinking upon it a little deeper, it's probably because I never even think about my enemies because when I do I become bitter and angry, showing my heart of flesh instead of the new heart given by Christ, a heart that can be cultivated into seeing others, even my so called "enemies" the way that Christ sees them...as His children whom He longs for a relationship with.

Thinking about it and reading on even more, I have so much to work on.  Thankfully that is why Christ came, He came to redeem me so that glory may be given to it's rightful Owner.  In Him strength can be found to love my enemies with a true heart, pray for my abusers as I pray for those closest to me, be thankful for all He has given me and ready to give it away in an instant without a grudging heart.  I want to love.  I want to love with His chesed (heh' said) love, the same love that captured my heart, a love so true it never turns, it is committed in all circumstances, this love will never leave and is willing to forgive even the darkest of sin.  I want that.  I have received God's chesed love as a free gift in my life, it would only be selfish and childish to horde that love He so freely gave to me.  If I am loving with anything less than my whole being, what is my worth? 1 Corinthians 13


Hakuna Matata

I Call to You

"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" Luke 6:46

Such a reasonable question to ask.  Why do we call on Him but in turn are so distant when it comes to following Him?  Why do I cry out and then become picky when it comes to His answers?  Is He not the Creator of the universe and all that it holds?  Is He not full of wisdom, power and love?  Did He not defeat death?  Then why are we being an apprehensive people who proclaim His truths and yet fail to trust?

As I was reading through Luke chapter 6 tonight I stopped at the above verse and had no answer.  At least, no good answer.  Why do we call upon Him and not follow Him?...is it because we're scared He might not come through, that we'll end up hurt, or that His way really isn't the best decision?  I know that personally in my life I have called out to God, and then doubted what I knew He was telling me.  "Are you sure me going to India is what You want right now?  I just got back from Kenya...I haven't even been to college yet.  Nobody will ever support an uneducated, little girl who just continues to pick up and leave because she 'trusts this is what God is telling her to do'."  But the truth in me traveling to India was He did tell me to go and He did use me and He taught me things I continue to learn from, things I will never forget.  If I would have only cried out to Him for direction and then turned away when hearing His voice tell me India, I would not have experienced the things He intended, I would not have grown (and continue to grow) in the ways He intended.  He has and is continuing to do great things because of my time in India and as I look back I am thankful I rejected my fleshly spirit of timidity and instead took on His overwhelming spirit of love, power, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).

My God is strong, my God is wisdom, my God is love.  Why would I choose to not follow as He leads?


Hakuna Matata

Such a Love is This

Talking about Jesus,
Luke 5:16 - "But he would withdraw to desolate places to pray."

Beautiful




Hakuna Matata

Be a Follower Not a Lacker

I bought the book, "My Utmost for His Highest," today, and would like to share a passage that continues to come up in my life lately.

From August 17
Are you Discouraged or Devoted?
...Jesus...said to him,"You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have...and come, follow Me." But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
LUKE 18:22-23

Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven't, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.
Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, "Sell all that you have...and come, follow Me." Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him - He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.
Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened - not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His words is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain - He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.



"My Utmost for His Highest"
Oswald Chambers
NKJV
Edited by James Reimann