How quickly I fell tonight…into a religious ditch that is. I was reading the book of Hebrews and when I got to the fourth chapter and the second verse, I was ready to just lie on my back and scream. The Amplified version reads: “For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness)…” That’s how far I got when I felt the pain. It was this part…. “ABSOLUTE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN HIS POWER, WISDOM AND GOODNESS”
I immediately realized AGAIN, the deficiency in my trust. Would I think more than once about the next months bills, if I really had confidence in His commitment to provide for me? And that word “goodness”; do I really believe ALL OF THE TIME that He is as good as I confess that He is? If so, why do I often find myself “casting down imaginations” when I ponder how I will fare in all of this? The wonderful thing about my prayer closet is that I don’t have to sound deep. I don’t have to feel the pressure of knowing the answers. In my closet, I have the sobering assurance that (as stated in verses 12 & 13 of the same chapter), whatever is floating around in this heart of mine, He already knows and has analyzed it. I am naked and exposed before Him.
As I continued to read and ponder entering into His rest and “ceasing from the weariness and pain of human labors”, I was challenged with the question- “What makes you valuable?” Can you hear me slipping on the pebbles? Do you hear the sliding? This is where I started stumbling.
Immediately, I journaled, “When the words I speak infuse someone else with hope in Christ- when pressure is alleviated and faith is restored because of a prayer I prayed. You using me gives me value.”
Well, at least I caught my mistake as soon as my proverbial rear end, hit the proverbial ground!!
My efforts don’t make me valuable! Even the most Godly, yielding and surrendering [to the Lord] efforts!!! When the Holy Spirit is at work in me, it is the HOLY SPIRIT at work- HIS ministry- HIS credit. Whether we do well or do wrongly, we are valuable to Him. We are valuable because He said we are. And because He said we are, He sent His sinless, begotten Son to die for us. There is NOTHING we can do to earn such justification! Inversely, there is nothing we can do to change His intentions or cause our value to decrease.
Unfortunately, many of us learn the disciplines of religion before we learn RELATIONSHIP with God. This was the case with me as well. I followed the rules, because I was supposed to. I wanted to be a good Christian. I was so strangled by the law that in every way I fell short, whether through attitude or action, I condemned myself and loathed my weaknesses. Over time, I began to ease up on punishing myself and I would just ask Him to help me love Him more. I knew that as my love for Him grew, my heart would change. My attitude and behavior would change as a result of me wanting to please Him as opposed to gaining His approval- the approval I already had when Jesus died on the cross.
Have you ever desperately looked for something that you had in your hand (keys) or on your head (glasses)? Exasperated, you realize that what you have been looking for was on your person the entire time!! What a waste of energy and effort!!! The enemy of your faith would have you waste a tremendous amount of time contending for something that already belongs to you. So, before you tire yourself out trying to earn something that already belongs to you, let me remind you that you are VALUABLE and you are WORTH IT!!! May your efforts follow those truths as opposed to you trying to make those truths follow your efforts. It just doesn’t work the latter way!
Even if you stumble like I did tonight, just get back up again! Just BELIEVE CORRECTLY again!!!
You are valuable because He said so!!!
So much confirmation in this Word! That I just say Thank You God for revelation through relationship. We will have no Lack in our thinking. We Break the property stricken mindset ! He is an all sufficient God in every area of our life. He had me read this right before going in my prayer closet.