Simple Faith Christian

Psalms 119:176 (NKJV)

“I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.”

           Have you ever taken the time to say a prayer for all those around you who are lost? How about asking God to show you those who are in need? Maybe you’re convinced that you are on the right path and keep going till one day you look up and don’t know where you are? Now what if you are one of those lost that you have been praying and searching for all along?

          It seems like I’ve been here far too many times. That disconnected feeling after you’ve pushed so hard for so long, but feel you have gotten nowhere. It makes you wonder whose plan are you really following.

          When you are in a place where you can feel the presence of God with you in all that you do there is nothing you can’t fathom. Even if there is a short lull you can usually maintain your direction long enough to stay on track. But what happens when the lull stretches out to a week, two weeks, a month? Are you able to maintain the path you are on?

          I remember one time in a military leadership course I was told that in the absence of orders a soldier in many cases will make up their own. If you think about it, you could probably come up with a few examples of where you have done this. I many ways it is just human nature to not want to stand still, so we push forward even if it is a wrong path because we appear to be making forward progress.

          Why is it so bad to have a pause or catch your breath while you bask in the glow of the moment? I know that I enjoy these times, but there are always those forces waiting for us to leave our guard down just a little. They begin to twist what we see or alter our course ever so slightly that we may not even notice we are going off course.

          These are the times that we need to stay focused on Christ and where he wants us to be. Because if we aren’t paying attention how do we know whose will we are following, God’s or our own? John 10:10 explains why sometimes it can be difficult to tell, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

          In the scripture Jesus tells us both sides. The thief that comes is all the negative forces that come against us. Doubt, anger, frustration, and even the temptations in all their forms. This can also be the false path of our own ambition or maybe the one of least resistance. No matter the reason we have to be wary of what’s going on around us.

          So what happens if we aren’t paying attention or that lull turns into frustrating silence? I have had moments where I begin to feel lost like those who I should be seeking out. Sometimes it may even get to the level of feeling beaten, battered, or so worn down it’s hard to keep fighting. The second half of the scripture tells us where we should be looking if we get to this point.

          Jesus tells us that He has come so the we may have life and have it more abundantly. What sounds better, succumbing to the thief or embracing Christ’s abundant life? I know that I would rather choose life. It is not always easy to make this choice when you are playing tug-o-war with yourself and only end up feeling like you are sinking lower than rising higher.

          I have found that whenever I feel disconnected I need to pause to see where I am at. However, the view is not always clear and I have found myself disoriented on more than one occasion. We can try to close our eyes so they can adjust, but it could also just add to the confusion. Again, we are supposed to be reaching and helping those lost or confused, not sitting beside them in the dark rocking back and forth.

          When we reach this point we need to remember to stay faithful and reach out to the Lord. As we do we should keep in mind a scripture that could be true of what we need to be asking God for ourselves. Acts 26:18, “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”

          We need to see what is around us so we can keep steering away from the darkness to remain in the light. If we don’t we may soon be lost in the dark shadows that we drifted into. Sometimes this may require us to call on the Lord for strength and follow where He leads, but we also need to have the faith to let go of the wheel and trust that God will guide us to where we should be.

          As we accept His grace and forgiveness we will soon feel our soul being filled by His spirit. Once this happens we will feel Him beside us again, but we have to realize that He has never really left us. Instead it was our own thoughts, ambitions, and stubborn will that caused these feelings to surface.

          Seek the Lord in all that you do and do not become discouraged if it feels like there is no connection. So as you pray for the lost, don’t forget to include yourself. You must stay strong so that you will not hesitate to help or reach out to those in need. Now join me in being thankful in all that we have been given as we seek out the path God has for us. Now enjoy the latest poem I was led to write, “I Will Make You Whole”.  

           

I WILL MAKE YOU WHOLE

 Lord I sit staring at the distance watching all Your visions play in my mind,

But I keep looking past or through them and dismiss some that I find.

 You have shown me so many wonderous things and yet I do persist,

By trying to force my own will, while Yours I do resist.

 I feel like I have abandoned you even though You have not left me,

I know that I have strayed from your path and where I need to be.

Te more I keep fighting to stay my course the more I’m getting worn down,

I feel so spent like an empty shell that has been cast on to the ground.

 Three words ring out from the quiet, so battered, beaten, and alone,

I am floating in a sea of exhaustion with each wave I am being thrown.

 I’m just too tired to fight anymore with no voice left to even cry out,

Lord, show me again where I should be and take away this doubt.

 My child you have become like the lost that I’ve sent you to find,

And let your own ambitions push My guidance from your mind.

You shouldn’t be trying to seek others approval, it’s for My glory not yours,

A selfish path such as that will not last, not like mine that endures.

 There is too much time spent trying to lead when you must learn to follow,

Accept My love when you restore your faith, so you will not feel hollow.

Now open your heart again to let My grace and mercy fill your soul,

You will see the place that I have for you and I Will Make You Whole.

 

Simple Faith Christian

 Copyright 2018