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Glory Seed Devotional’s, 2017: Anticipating and Experiencing Jehovah-Jireh...
Do just do something stand there...
Shalom!
In his book Experiencing God author Richard Blackaby writes, “I think God is crying out to us: “Don't just do something. Stand there! Enter into a love relationship with Me. Get to know Me. Adjust your life to Me. Let Me love you and teach you about Myself as I work through you.” (p. 23. B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)
“Don’t just do something. Stand there!” When I first read that I had to stop and think that’s not what I’ve been told, I was told the gospel needs to be “taken into all the world” and here comes this guy saying stand there. It’s kinda funny how we can be reading along read something that doesn’t quite sit right with us and suddenly we come to a screeching halt and get tangled up in our own beliefs. Actually it’s not funny it’s a shame. Therein lies one of the problems that plague our world, when we are confronted with “another side of the story” especially one that “ruffles our feathers”.
When I came across the quote above it wasn’t the first time I’ve found myself shutting down (and it probably won’t be the last) one of the more significant times was back in the early 81’s. I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis (my “stone in the flesh”) unlike Paul I didn’t just ask God to take it away 3 times, I demanded, I argued, I begged, cried, and even though I did not hear a voice Paul God repeatedly let me know His grace was all I needed. But instead of believing God I shut down and demanded, and argued, and begged, and cried until one day in mid 1982 I discovered as my muscles weakened my spirit was growing stronger. Maybe when God fell silent and letting me “stew” over by myself the Holy Spirit made it possible for me to experience the grace God had already given me.
I am not sure who said this, “Oh, the tangled life we weave when we wish to deceive”. But I’ve come up with my own version, “Oh, the tangled life we weave, when we become bull-headed and refuse to hear”. I know that’s not poetic but it’s true! I know when it comes to listening and hearing people we need to be selective in what we believe and act on but when God speaks it doesn’t matter what E.F. Hutton says don’t shut down, listen and hear! And as I got past myself and continued reading that is what Richard Blackaby saying (while not in those exact words but you know what I mean).
By the way do you know you can’t sneeze with your eyes open? And guess what? You can’t listen and hear while talking either. And here’s another guess what. If your mind is getting ready to say something you aren’t listening and hearing either. (Did you try the sneeze thing?)
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”**
GRACE and PEACE,
Gary
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Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
**Romans 15:13, HCSB