Holy Spirit whispered a word recently that I feel led to share, because I think it is a word not only for me but for others, especially those that are encouragers and givers. I feel like Holy Spirit is telling us it’s time that we allow ourselves to be refreshed. As “givers” this may be something that God needs to teach us as He taught Martha in the story of Luke 10:38-42:
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
This is actually something that we NEED to do. Are you a Martha? How can you tell if you are a Martha – perhaps your well of love for others has run dry? Perhaps you find yourself easily irritated or impatient with those around you? Stop being distracted by those that are spiritually immature, religious people, unsaved people who do not even know the voice of Jesus. Stop allowing the devil to use others to “poke the bear in you.” STOP STOP STOP! And take time to LISTEN. Perhaps you are feeling lonely? Angry? Exhausted? Hurt by the actions of others? Or maybe it is something else, you know what it is. If this sounds like the place you are at in your walk, you may need a time of refreshing. A time of re-filling. A time of renewal. People cannot fill every void within our lives, when the “oil” inside of us gets low, we need to do what Mary did – sit at the feet of God. I feel as though this is a word that is accurate for today. Remember the story about the ten virgins going out to meet the Bridegroom? Take a look at Matthew 25:1-13:
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Maturity in Christ comes when you are aware of where that refill of oil comes from – it comes from Him. The symptoms listed above are indicators that our oil has gone low and we need to get refilled and we need to make it a point of recognizing when our gage is going from full to medium to low to danger… We need to take time out and make sure that we sit at the feet of God and not only when we are in crisis mode, but if we do it daily – we will see a difference. I love giving God the first fruit of my day. We need to bring those things that we are “worried and upset about” in prayer to God before we continue on in the hustle and bustle of our lives.
What is it that you need to turn over to God? Let’s pray about it:
“Father, I want to have a Mary spirit, I want to sit at Your feet and hear ALL of what You have to say to me, help me to quiet my thoughts and worries down. Help me to hear Your voice. Forgive me for the times when I have continued on carrying those worries and concerns with me as I go. Father God, I give you each individual worry (LIST YOUR WORRIES HERE), I drop them all at the foot of Your cross. Please help me to know that what concerns me concerns YOU. Please refill my cup. Please help me to hear what it is You are saying to me at this time. I thank You for always being there. I thank You for caring, for loving me, for being concerned. I drop each of these things into Your capable hands. Please refill my oil so that I can continue on in the plans You have for me. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. AMEN.”
And then we need to LISTEN. To still ourselves so that we can hear the message that God has for us. Remember the crippled man at the well in John 5:1-9:
“Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.”
Notice that Jesus ASKED him “if he wanted to be made well.” The man’s focus had been on his ailment with an infirmity that had been on him for 38 years. Can you imagine that? What IS it that God needs to heal within YOU? How long have you had that “ailment.” And what have you been focusing on to heal you? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical ailment. Is it your emotions? Is it a past? Is it an addiction? Is it your way of thinking? What is it? Think about it, pray about and give it to God because it may be something that you have prayed about for years and instead of giving it over to God, it has become a part of you, you’ve gotten so use to “thinking, walking, feeling” that way that you have just accepted it as part of you – give it to God. God is saying, “Do YOU want to be made well???”
Desert experiences can be times of testing and growth, and when you have made the Lord the center of your life, there is no turning back, you know without a shadow of doubt that you have to press forward through the struggle and through the pain because you know Who it is who walks with you and should you stay steadfast you will come out on the other side, you just have to press on because you KNOW Who it is you belong.
As we press on in trials, we should learn to recognize the tactics of the enemy because he recycles what he sees works to upset you, hinder you, stunt you in your growth in Christ. We need to read God’s Word and hold on to our promises and not listen to ol’ slewfoot in the many ways he tries to bring us down. Remember, he knows the buttons that he needs to push in you. When we recognize his tactics we can arm ourselves up as indicated in Ephesians 6:13-18 because the battle we face is spiritual, not physical and we need to be girded up with God’s Word to be prepared for combat.
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
Let’s determine in our hearts to be as Jesus said in Matthew 10:16:
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
Let’s determine to be like Mary and to recognize when we need to be still, allow God to heal us and speak to us and guide us, laying all things at His feet that causes us “worry.” He is an ever present help in time of trouble, we just need to know when to turn off ALL the noise of the world and listen to the One who has called us. We ARE HIS CHOSEN REMNANT. We belong to Him.
9
0
20