I experienced this personally just this week. Every where I turned there was an overwhelming frustration that I experienced. Hannah experienced the same thing - 1 Samuel 1:10-11 "In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." Can't you just hear - Why God why? When God when? Maybe it's just me but I've asked those questions on numerous occasions and even did as Hannah and tried to negotiate with God, if you do this for me I'll do this for you. Hannah described her emotional state as being in "misery". God, there He goes again with His perfect timing as we are in the midst of studying this portion of scripture I'm experiencing the same type of emotions. I do not believe in coincidences only God-incidences to which I give Him the glory. Like I said before He's at work, always for our good and His Glory, we just need to be in the right position to receive it.
In studying this I sought God for an answer to my frustrations, why is this emotion so heavy and burdensome. I found the opposite of frustration is satisfied and in the turn of a page I found a word that jumped off the page and struck me square in the head "rejection".
When we find ourselves in this state of misery or frustration we need to be mindful of one thing. God sets a plumb line among his people - Amos 7:8. Webster's dictionary defines a plumb line as- "a line (as of cord) that has at one end a weight and is used especially to determine vertically". How do we line up vertically? Where do we find out if we do line up vertically? His Word the bible and the exampled life of Jesus Christ who is the Word Made Flesh who has dwelt among us and it's only a life in Christ where we are truly satisfied.
I'm not quite sure if words can truly express the release God granted me Sunday during worship. As Pastor Jerry was preaching he shared that "when we choose God's morality it changes our reality". As humans we are in a constant battle between Reality vs. Morality and Morality vs. Authority. So if you have no king you are your own authority. God has to be our moral authority because He and only He is infallible. Countless times we put our hope in ourselves and/or others only for us to fall or have others fail us. My release came when our pastor said "I am not your moral authority - God is". If you have ever been hurt by a church or a pastor, please do yourself a favor right now as you are reading this STOP!
Forgive them, forgive yourself and ask God to forgive you for when you have allowed anyone but Him to be your moral authority. Don't waste one more minute do it NOW!!! Trust me I've wasted too much time feeling frustrated over a situation where I stood my ground and stood on the Word of God only to be rejected by a pastor and church. God's word spoke so clearly to me in 1 Samuel 8:7 "And the Lord told him (Samuel): Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." Do not get me wrong, I'm not saying that you shouldn't gather in church or honor the position of pastor over you, what I am saying is those relationships have to line up with the Word of God.
We all fall short of the glory of God and if we are seeking God's glory from a human it will always fall short. God's Word tells us - Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. It's about seeking God first then His Spirit will move in the heart(s) of His Beloved to do His great work. It all boils down to LORDSHIP plain and simple. Is God, Lord of Lords in our life? Or have we taken over that spot or have we placed someone else on that throne? There is only One worthy of that position and it is God and God alone!
I love the part in the story of Samuel (yes, God answers Hannah's prayer and grants her a son) where God speaks to him. 1 Samuel 3 this section of scripture gives me great hope. #1 God spoke #2 Samuel heard God's voice but didn't recognize that it was Him #3 Eli the priest (Samuel's mentor) recognized it was God speaking #4 Samuel heard God calling him again and then replies "Speak, for your servant is listening". I get great joy out of this because God spoke, He still speaks today and we have that promise because His Word also teaches us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. When we yield to Him we can hear His voice and as believers be guided by His Spirit to do what it is He's calling us to do.
We need to be vertically minded, whatever this life brings, whatever steps we are walking out in the lower story we must be vertically minded of God's upper story. He knows the plan for us and when we yield to His Lordship we will prosper and it will all be for our good and His glory!
Jesus loves you and nothing you have ever done nor will ever do that will separate you from that love. Receive the healing Christ died to give you, don't waste any more time.
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