In the last message we wrote about putting the Lord in a box. The way we think and believe limits Him. At the one end of the scale we listen to how other churches have done a new thing and then copy them, or at the other end we say we have done it this way for ages and it works, so why change?
The Lord is only as powerful as we allow Him to be. If we do not make room for miracles when we come together, there is not much chance that we would experience it. Jacob, son of Isaac, was ever so crafty for he really desired what the Lord had in stall for him and, contrary to what we would think should have happened, the Lord actually honoured his desires in spite of the seemingly dishonest nature of it. The Lord honoured Jacob’s heart because Jacob really, really wanted the Lord’s blessing, and He despised Esau’s heart because Esau, who was entitled to the blessing, didn’t care about it and was more concerned about earthly things. “‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ the Lord says. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals,’” (Malachi 1:2-3).
When Laban tried to cheat Jacob, the Lord miraculously helped Jacob to get back at Laban. Jacob told his wives afterwards: “You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me,” (Genesis 39:6-9).
If we look at the wise or crafty way the Lord went about to get Joseph to be second in charge of Egypt in order for him to care for Israel during the famine, we realise that we need to ask the Lord how He wants to run our church and our individual daily schedules. We do not know the Lord’s plan and if we just go along every day following tradition and the ways of other men, our actions are mere human.
The Lord said in Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” This indicates that the Lord wants to lead us into His vision and His plans. This means we have to listen intently for His guidance and work along with Him as He prepares the way for miraculous change, rather than following other people’s ideas and constantly expecting the Lord to pour a miracle out on us. We wait for miracles, we wait for revival and while we wait we keep on being busy with our own agendas, schedules and plans.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:16: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Jesus commands us to be shrewd. Our enemies, the wolves, will have no mercy and will try to get at us with every crafty skill they can master and therefore we need to be equally shrewd. As fishers of men we need to prepare the ‘bait’ cleverly for the fish to bite. This is why the Holy Spirit made the word of knowledge and wisdom available, since He wants to show us clever ways to win souls, information about people that will astound them when they find out we know it about them, and radical ways to make a difference in this world.
Working with the Holy Spirit shrewdly and radically is what is going to win this world for Jesus, not just exercising religion every Sunday.
Lord, help me to follow you radically.
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.
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