Are You Too Comfortable--Ex. 3:17

Pin It Originally: How To Add a Pinterest (Pin it) Button to your Blog/Website http://cs-doon.blogspot.com/#ixzz1ryXJUBEC

Suffering . . . affliction . . . hardship.  This is exactly what My people were experiencing.  For 400 years they had been forced into labor for which they were receiving no pay.  Life was more than difficult; it was nearly impossible for them to live by faith in Me.  And remember, the Holy Spirit had not yet come, because I had not yet come.  And they had no Word of God by which they could be strengthened.  They only had the promises I gave to their forefathers, and the stories that had been passed down from generation to generation about Me.  And yet they cried out to Me in their suffering, and I heard their cries.  For these four centuries, I had not spoken to them, and they had learned to live where they had long since been planted.

Though you might think that they would be happy to hear from Me, in reality, My children, though suffering and calling out to Me to deliver them, had grown quite accustomed to their home in Egypt.  When Moses would bring the news that I was going to now move them to the land I promised them, they would surely FIRST think of what they perceived that they were leaving behind, as well as what such a journey to a new land would cost them. 

Can you really be so comfortable in your affliction, that you would choose to stay in it?  The answer, unfortunately, is yes, My precious one.  You see, that is exactly where you are today.  You are in this world, with all of its temptations and trials and suffering, while I am calling you to My world of living surrendered and obedient to Me.  You complain about how "hard" it is here, and yet you refuse to come away to the land I have promised you, the land of walking in the Spirit. 

You are far too comfortable in this place.  Your flesh balks at surrender, and so you continue to live in your Egypt. I have already said to your enemy (the world, the flesh and Satan), "Let My people go!"  when I died on the cross, rose again, and ascended into heaven to sit down at the right hand of My Father.  You have been set free and My Spirit lives inside of you, waiting to lead you.  But you are still choosing in several areas of your life to stay in your comfortable chair, with you feet kicked up, with the TV remote in one hand and your cell phone in the other.  And since you do not have a third hand, you comfortably set your laptop in your lap.

You cannot stay and go at the same time.  You must choose which land you want to live in, this place or My place.  If you follow Me out of your place, you will have struggles, but I will be leading, guiding, and protecting you. 

Will you get out of your comfortable chair . . . for Me?  You will never know what the land of promise holds for you if you don't.

Feelings Vs. Commitment

Pin It Originally: How To Add a Pinterest (Pin it) Button to your Blog/Website http://cs-doon.blogspot.com/#ixzz1ryXJUBEC

Active Commitment

Naomi had lost nearly everything.  In moving to Moab in the middle of a drought and famine in Bethlehem, she and her husband and two sons had walked away from both their God, Jehovah-Jireh (Provider), and their beloved homeland. During her ten years in Moab, her husband and sons died, leaving her only two daughters-in-law who were not of her faith.  Naomi's bruised heart and battered faith beckoned her to move home!  Home. . . the place where family and friends might surround her with love and protection.  Home. . . returning to her God and her trust in Him.   How she surely longed for everything that "home" meant.

The three were not far down the road, close enough to still return to Moab, when Naomi tried  to strongly suggest they let her go to Bethlehem alone.  Though both "daughters" desired to go with her, Naomi found every reason to insist that they stay in their own homeland.  But she was unsuccessful in convincing them.  It is in her "daughters" responses that we gain our wisdom today.  It is in their individual actions that we can see the stark difference between "what we feel" and "what we are wholly committed to do."

Surely both young ladies had  deep feelings for Naomi, or they never would have left with her.  Both of them loved their mother-in-law, and likely had concerns for her welfare.  However, though both had the same feeling for Naomi, they did not choose the same route.

Orpah gave Naomi a loving kiss and then departed from them and returned to Moab.  No one could blame her.  That is where her family was.  That was her homeland.  That was the place where she was comfortable.  That is where her gods were.  Moab was her life.  Her feelings ran deep for her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, but Moab was home to her.  So she turned around and went home.

But Ruth could not leave Naomi.  Her loving feelings spilled over into a bold and courageous action.  Ruth clung to Naomi, like a child who does not want to be left behind.  Her love for Naomi would be shown by her lifelong commitment to her mother-in-law.  Her actions overpowered her feelings.  As a result, her friendship had grown into loyalty, and her loyalty revealed her great love.  Orpah felt strongly; Ruth acted strongly.

Here are Ruth's words spoken to Naomi:  "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.  Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried."  (Ruth 1: 16-17a)  Ruth's feelings are not what are important in what she is saying.  It is her commitment to Naomi that shouts to us today!

In your relationship with God are you a believer who has really strong feelings about God, your ministry, study, fellowship, and worship, but your life reveals that you are more comfortable with your gods?  Does your old and familiar lifestyle draw you, or are you drawn by the unknown and uncomfortable way of the journey that the Holy Spirit wants to take you on?  Do you hold the reins or are you surrendered to going where God wants you to go?  Do you turn from God or do you cling to Him?  Do you see the danger in living in your feelings?  Do you see security in leaving where you are to go to the place God desires you to be? 

I couldn't help but think of the lyrics of one of Chris Tomlin's newest songs.  I am pretty sure that he had Ruth's words in mind!

I Will Follow

Where You go, I'll go; where You stay, I'll stay;

When You move, I'll move; I will follow You

Who You love, I'll love; how You serve, I'll serve

In this life I lose, I will follow You, I will follow You!

All Your ways are good, all Your ways are sure, I will trust in You alone.

Higher than my side, high above my life, I will trust in You alone. 

Light unto the world, light unto my life, I will live for You alone.

You're the One I seek, knowing I will find, all I need is You alone, is You alone.

In You there's life everlasting, in You there's freedom for my soul.

In You there is joy, unending joy, and I will follow!

Do you have strong feelings about the words of that song?  Or do you live and do them?  Will you live in Moab, feeling strongly about God and the things of God, or are you packing for the journey to Bethlehem?  Which is your home?

Comfort Vs. Surrender

Pin It Originally: How To Add a Pinterest (Pin it) Button to your Blog/Website http://cs-doon.blogspot.com/#ixzz1ryXJUBEC

Many battles had been won; it was time for Israel to take full possession of their homeland. It was parceled off to each of the 12 tribes. God had done what He said He would do--He brought them to a secure land and equipped them to take it. He was utterly faithful, but Israel was not. They did not take it all, leaving God's land polluted. What is polluting your heart? Does He have full possession of it?

The consequences of not taking all of the land would be disastrous for Israel.  Because they chose to "relax" once they received their land, instead of driving out the Canaanites, they would fall prey to the spirit of the land.  They did not conquer it all, so their victory would be short lived.  Though God had given them everything they needed to reach this summit, they sat down in the easy chair and were quite content to dwell with the pagan people in the land.  They shared with the Canaanites what had been promised to them alone.

Don't we do the same thing?  We have been given entrance into the Kingdom of God, and the moment we come through the Door, we sit down in our comfortable salvation.  We enter into comfortable and enjoyable ministry, and we take on an attitude that is comfortable saying, "I am so grateful that I have Jesus in my heart."  

In the life of every believer there will be a moment of true heart reckoning.  Our attitude and mindset must come to the place where we ask, "Is the Holy Spirit 'comfortable' dwelling in my sinful heart?"  If you are like me, you have become comfortable hiding your sin within the walls of your heart, the very walls that contain the Holy Spirit.  This is the battle between our flesh and the Spirit.  We walk more often in our flesh, completely ignoring the Spirit's counsel.  Just like Israel was given the tools to overcome every sinful group of people in their land, we too have been given "everything we need for life and godliness."  We can dispossess the sin in us by daily putting our flesh to death.  How?  By that "everything" we have been given!  Our "everything" is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.  They are enough to overcome every sin in our life.  But in order for them to be operative in us, there is one thing that God will require of us.  He requires our surrender to Him.  Without our surrender we will continue to walk in our flesh, not overcoming and dispossessing sin from our lives.  We truly are like the Israelites when we walk in this manner.

God's ways are not our ways.  In order for us to gain victory in our spiritual lives, cleaning out what God does not want in our hearts and lives, we must surrender.  Are you ready to surrender to Him ALL of your heart?  Leaving sin inside your heart reveals complacency with your sin.  Make today a day of booting out something that God says must go!