Nothing Much

OK here goes. Lord, we just ask that You come and minister to us in this place. We love You and ask that you just teach us Your desire for us. Just reach down and take a hold of us Lord. We come to You as people who need Your guidance and pray that You just lead our lives. We also pray Lord that you would just take our cares and….blah blah blah.

OK so how many of you do that? I am not sure what caused this to click in my mind this week, but why do we say just when speaking to God? I have a theory. We say the word just in order to make our requests sound like an afterthought. Oh Lord, just do this one little thing. I know You can do it so I am asking in a very pagan way in order to try and trick You into doing it. If I can convince You that it wouldn’t be a big deal, then You will do it without thinking.

This is pagan. When we try to manipulate God by choosing our words carefully, we are acting as pagans. I know, you have never tried to manipulate God in your prayers…liar. I can’t tell you how many times I have thrown just into the mix. Yeah I may not have specifically thought about what I was saying but I definitely can see where this attitude would infect my prayers.

Words mean something, pay attention the next time you pray. What words are you using? What do those words mean? Is God not so awesome that we should take care of the words we use to speak to Him?

 

-Cheers

Stop Not Leaning

Proverbs 3:5-7 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

I have been introduced to a study by CJ Mahaney on time, fruitfulness, and business; and today I re-read something that is causing me to stop and pray…AND most importantly to repent. The words of Charles Bridges in his commentary have paralyzed me as I look at Proverbs 3:5-7 for the first time again. Read those verses again then these words from Pastor Bridges.

Let our confidence be uniform. In all thy ways acknowledge him (Proverbs 3:6). Take one step at a time, every step under divine warrant and direction. Ever plan for yourself in simple dependence on God. It is nothing less than self idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary matters of the day without his counsel.

He loves to be consulted. Therefore take all thy difficulties to be resolved by him. Be in the habit of going to him in the first place-before self-will, self-pleasing, self-wisdom, human friends, convenience, expediency. Before any of these have been consulted go to God at once. Consider no circumstances too clear to need his direction. (Emphasis mine)

In all thy ways, small as well as great; in all thy concerns, personal or relative, temporal or eternal, let him be supreme.

-Charles Bridges (1794-1869), from A Commentary on Proverbs (Banner of Truth, 1846/1968)  pp. 24-25.

Lord, let my pride fall down. Let my words be Your words. Grant me repentance for leaning on my understanding. Grant me the acknowledgment of You. Let my paths be made straight. Let me not be wise. Let me turn away from evil.

Let me know what you thought. I’d love to hear how these verses change how you live your daily life in devotion to God.

-Cheers