Friday, April 17, 2015

THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS (PART 15)



Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk
** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn
** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“This is what the Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of. I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek Me in vain.’”

Isaiah 45:1a, 19a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

So many people go through life looking for answers to matters of life. Most of the time they find themselves frustrated because answers are not easy to come by, either in seeking for themselves or trying to find them through others. We seem to want to look for our answers everywhere except where we should be looking for there is a source where we will find wisdom, guidance, and direction every time we need it.

All we need to do is turn to the Lord. He told us so in His holy word:

So I say to you: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10

Friends, the Lord is speaking clearly to us here. Are we listening?

All we need to do is to ask Him the questions that are on our mind, to knock on the door of His knowledge and understanding and compassion in times of need. When we do, He will open the door, receive our petitions, and respond according to His will. He told us He would do so.

We don’t serve a distant, absentee Lord who sits in heaven on His throne and has no care for His people down below. No, we serve a Lord who loves us dearly and cares for us so much that He knows us intimately, each and every one of us. No one goes forsaken and the Lord is fully aware of our needs before we even ask Him.

So why do we fail to turn to Him?

I mean, it’s so incredibly easy to do and yet so many people somehow either refuse to do it or just forget. Maybe they think that the Lord only speaks in secret but that could not be further from the truth. We know this because He told us so in today’s passage from Isaiah 45, the focus on this series titled, “This Is What The Lord Says.” Here’s what He is telling us today:

“I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek Me in vain.’” Isaiah 45:19a

The Lord does not speak in secret. He tells us that. When we seek Him, we don’t do so in vain. Ever.

First of all, we have His holy word found in the Bible scriptures, a word that comes alive every time we read it. Has there ever been a time when you read the word and did not find knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and discernment? I know I haven’t and I pray if you are a regular reader of this Christian blog, you have found that the Lord feeds you with His guidance each and every day as you refuse to lean not on your own understanding and instead trust in the Lord with all your heart to find the direction or help you need (Proverbs 3:5). When we commune with Him through His word and hunger and thirst for His righteousness, He has assured us that we will be filled (Matthew 5:6).

The Lord is not speaking in secret and He does not just fill us up in righteousness through His word but through His Spirit as well. He sent the Spirit to us to be our Counselor and Comforter, speaking to our heart, mind, and soul when we come to Him with our petitions in prayer. His word tells us that we should never be anxious about the things of life but rather present our burdens to Him in prayer and petition. In return, we find a peace that is beyond comprehension as we trust in the Lord with our heart and surrender our burdens and fears and worries to Him, knowing that there is nothing beyond the work of His hands. And once we have received His peace, He sends us protection for our hearts through the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus who promised it to us (Philippians 4:6-7).

Today, my prayer is that everyone stops seeking help in all the wrong places and instead turns to the only credible source for the answers and help they seek.

The Lord is saying to us today, “I am not speaking in secret. I have not forsaken you. Seek Me and you will not do so in vain. Trust Me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, and you will find peace and rest for your weary soul. I love you, I am with you, and I am for you always.”

Will you receive His assurances today and the blessings that come through a faith that trusts and believes in Him without reservation, a trust that knows without doubt that the Lord is present and working out things for good in your life (Romans 8:28)?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

No comments: