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Wednesday, May 7,
2008
Remaining
Confident
1 John 5:14-15 And this is
the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to
his will, he heareth us: (15) And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we
ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (KJV)
That thing you petitioned the
Lord about, was it something that would draw you closer to Him or was it
something aimed more at the carnal realm, something that just might cause
you more heartache than edification? True confidence in our Lord is to
know, not just guess that He has heard you, actually knowing your petition
has been heard, knowing you have what you desired of Him because you are
doing what He is desiring of you. Simply put are the things I desire of Him
in line with what is best for my walk or is it something that will have me
walking the in opposite direction?
James 4:3-4 Ye ask, and
receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
(4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world
is the enemy of God. (KJV)
If you have petitioned the
Lord concerning a matter and the answer was no, then be confident in the
fact that it wasn’t beneficial to your walk with Him. Rather than asking
the Lord for something that would feed and benefit the spiritual, you are
seeking after something that is resurrecting the carnal old man, something
the world and its people are more apt to seek and pursue. The more you
remain in this fallen realm and become friendly with the world’s way of
thinking, the less confident you will be in the things of the Lord; and
rather than being an asset to His body you are just an ass set in your own
ways. The will of God is for His people to be delivered from this present
evil world, the love of money being the root of all evil. So to remain
confident in the realm of the Spirit one needs to be walking in accordance
to the will of God, then they will know their petitions are heard because their
desire and the Lord’s will be one in the same.
James 1:17-18 Every good gift
and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (18) Of
his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind
of firstfruits of his creatures. (KJV)
You know, when the Lord
provides His answer to His people there is no doubt about the fact that it
came from Him. When the Lord does something, there is no variation or any
shadow of doubt, but every where you look you see that what was needed was
supplied by Him in a way above and beyond what you could have ever asked or
thought. That job you were seeking, the Lord opened a door in a place you
hadn’t even thought of, something you were best suited for. When the Lord
opens the door and the petitions we requested of Him manifest, it comes
upon the person and overtakes them without their own doing. Some people try
to make things happen, fabricate situations and events to make something
appear to be happening from the Lord, rather than letting patience have its
perfect work so that they are not lacking anything, especially confidence.
1 John 1:3-5 That which we
have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship
with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son
Jesus Christ. (4) And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be
full. (5) This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare
unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (KJV)
There are no gray areas with
our Lord; and there should not be doubt and confusion with His people. If
your fellowship with the Father is true then you know that it can only be
established through His Son Jesus Christ so that the joy of the Lord is
full, not just partial or some of the time. True communion with our Father,
which is what fellowship means, is to communicate with Him, to stay in
communication and continue building a confident relationship based on trust
and commitment, similar to a marriage. Two cannot walk together unless they
be in agreement and stay that way; otherwise there will be a parting of
ways. So don’t settle for anything less than our Lord’s perfect answer from
above when making petitions, because the enemy is looking to throw you a
changeup and get you swinging at the wrong pitch.
John 9:31 Now we know that
God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth
his will, him he heareth. (KJV)
A true worshipper of God is
one that is a doer of His word and not just a hearer. Those that truly know
the Lord worship and reverence Him seven days a week in spirit and in
truth, not just standing in some building looking up to the ceiling and
waving at it on Sunday mornings. Again we see the same pattern, if one
desires to have their petitions heard then they need to hear the Lord and
respond to His petitions for His people also. If you wish to provoke others
to love and good works, then a confident lifestyle in what the Lord is
doing through you will be more edifying than all the song and dance, the so
called worship that goes on, basically people doing their alms before each
other. My take on all this silly singing and hands in the air so called
worship is that spiritually empty people are trying to make up for their
lack of knowledge by some outward show. And here is another thing, why do
so many so called preachers think the only way they can deliver God’s
message is in a fancy three piece suit? Most of these three piece suits are
putting out two bit doctrines, though
the outward may look good to man, God is still seeking the true inward one
to work through. Remember the old song ‘You’re So Vain’, well so is all
this nonsense people think impresses God.
Proverbs 10:9 He that walketh
uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. (KJV)
You can talk to God all you
want, and make as many petitions to Him as you want, but if you truly want
them answered then you need to answer His call and do the walk. Personally
I like knowing my petitions are heard, and I like knowing that I can walk
in the light of the Lord, knowing surely that goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life so that my walk doesn’t end up like the
soap opera ‘Days of our Life’, a continual pattern of heartache and misery.
Psalms 84:11-12 For the LORD
God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing
will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. (12) O LORD of hosts,
blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. (KJV)
When the sun is shining it is
much easier to see the path of life than in the darkness. What a blessing
it truly is to those that trust in the Lord; a confident relationship built
by learning to walk in the Spirit and no longer living according to the
flesh.
Jeremiah 5:25 Your iniquities
have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things
from you. (KJV)
If your confidence has been
waning lately, if that light that was shining in the heart has gotten
dimmer, if you are not sure that your petitions are being heard, then it is
time to do a spiritual inventory and find out if you are in the place you
need to be, seated in a heavenly place with Christ and not so entangled
with the affairs of this life. Remaining confident in the Lord is based on
remaining seated with Christ and not moved away from the hope of glory in
Him.
Psalms 15:1-3 LORD, who shall
abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? (2) He that
walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his
heart. (3) He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his
neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. (KJV)
Abide means to continue; so
if you wish to continue with the Lord then it is contingent on being a doer
and not just a hearer. Talk is cheap, but a walk with our Lord is deep and
will bring you into a deeper relationship with Him if you are willing and
obedient.
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