When you are not sure what it is you are to do, and you cannot seem to hear the Lord, that is that dry and thirsty land.
When all the pieces fit together, and there is a calmness in your soul, that is you beside the still waters.
When turmoil surrounds you, when pain racks your body and sadness fills your heart, you are in the fire, and trust in His promises is required.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
I ask a question of you here, one I would ask you to contemplate at length, when our Savior said to Pilate, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: (John 19:11a), can you say the same to those who persecute you, who have authority over you and treat you badly?
Take it even further, does anything ever happen to you as one who is hid in Christ that the Almighty does not either bring or allow to be brought into your life?
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Prov. 16:9)
If you would say yes to these questions, then you must agree that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence, they are no more than words made up by our adversary to deceive mankind, they are no less than superstitious nonsense, actions cause by crossing ones fingers, walking under a ladder, or wishing on a star.
They supposedly allow a person to alter the future of their lives by their own desires, wants and beliefs.
If you have been born-again and you do not agree with these words, if you believe that if you perform a certain deed, say some special words, believe strongly enough in something that it will happen, then have you truly died to self, and allowed the Lord Jesus Christ full control over the path of your life, to do with as He so pleases, and that solely for the glory of God?
I offer truth to you today, if we attempt to do something, anything that is outside of the will of the Most high for us, and we do so trusting in anything or anyone for the result but Him, we have sinned.
“And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.” (Deut. 4:28)
There are people who trust more in the cross of Christ instead of in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, wearing it around their neck on a chain, not in the hopes of meeting someone who will question them as to why they wear it, but in the hope and fear that it will in some way protect them from harm, from evil.
They wear a lucky charm.
There are those who fulfill Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25) Not in the obedience of His will, but as a portent against the possible displeasure of the Lord.
There are those who believe that if they read the Bible, if they try their best to be good all the time, if they are always polite and kind to others, then goodness and mercy will follow them all the days of their lives.
They have not died to self, they have not given their lives to Christ, they have not said, “Thy will be done,” they offer sacrifices, but not obedience.
If they do these things, they will be lucky enough to be blessed, if they put themselves in the right place, then chance will take it from there, if they do all the things commanded of them, then a coincidence will happen, and they will call it the will of God.
Keep your fingers crossed and everything will be alright.
My friends, either you accept every single thing that comes into your life, no matter what it is, as the will of God for you, or your trust, and faith, is not in Him.
We obey, we can question, but we obey and accept the direction that He has chosen for us to go, dry lands, still waters, or the fire.
