Tag: Jesus

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Try to Not just dismiss someone’s problems/difficulties.

The title of this post has very much so been very relevant to me just recently.

I’ve seen first hand someone worrying over something that I think is actually very small, and should not really be anything to be too concerned about. No I will not be sharing the details, but I do I intend to share some of my thoughts/lessons I have learned, through the experience.

So, where to start?
Repeating the title??

Try to Not just dismiss someone’s problems/difficulties.

If we see someone struggling with something rather small, and what we think is rather insignificant, then it can be very tempting to just brush it off as nonsense. We could possibly be tempted to just say, “Oh come on, just get over it man (or woman)!”

How helpful would such words be???

This is were it can get very confusing right from the start.
For one person, the above words could be just what they need to hear. If the rebuke brings about a change of thinking that leads to holiness, then it could be just the thing to do.

However, if the person receiving the rebuff doesn’t receive the rebuff in a good way, then could it just become an extra weight for them to carry?

The extra weight could reveal itself as thoughts like, “Why am I worrying about this? This is so small and insignificant. Is there something seriously wrong with me, because I just can’t seem to let this go, even though everyone keeps telling me that this is nothing!”

Are you starting to see how this can get very confusing, right out of the starting blocks?

I’m thinking that the only place to start looking into this, is to ask the question, “Why are you saying, what you are saying?”

Are you operating from a position of frustration or love?
If you are operating from a position of frustration, then are you just unloading your frustrations onto someone who is already carrying a load that is too heavy for them, regardless of what you think about the lightness of their load?

Operating from a position of frustration is always going to be a bad starting point.
However, The Lord Our God can turn our bad starts around for His good and His glory. But how much better will it be if we can make a good start?

Could operating from a position of love be a better start?
I’m hoping that everyone is saying yes to that one. 🙂

A rebuke from a friend sent in love should be so much easier to bear with when compared to a rebuke from an enemy who just wants to taunt and ridicule you.

Do you want to be a friend or an enemy to the one in trouble? (No matter how small the trouble is.)

I’ve written about How to help someone who doesn’t want help in a previous post. I’ve also written about (in a round about way) why are you bringing a word of …… to …… in a post called A word from the Lord, or a word from the enemy.
If you are prompted to, then consider having a read/re-read of one or both of them.

If you do see someone struggling with something that you think is just tiny, then is there a better response than just, “Pull yourself together man (or woman)!”

Could you bring words of encouragement instead?
Words of encouragement from the Bible could be a good start.

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

2 Corinthians 12:9
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

The above are but only a small number of encouraging bible verses that can be found, in the bible.
The bible is actually just fully loaded with the Good Stuff. We just need to read it and be fed by it!

I think that I should try to sum this post up now, before it just becomes an epic full length book. 🙂

If a word of rebuke is needed, then can we bring it in love?
If a word of encouragement is needed, then can we bring that in love?
And Lord, can we please have the discernment to know what is needed, for any given situation.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

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Breakthrough of the Teabag!

I had a breakthrough this morning. My teabag split, just as I was at the finishing point of making my morning tea…. and the tea leaves broke through into my tea. 🙂 …. Or should that be 😦

It’s not the type of breakthrough that I like.
So why am I writing a post about it?
Because I think that there are some lessons that can be learned from the experience.

The first one is that I was inconvenienced by the breakthrough.
I had my plan, it was to drink the cup of tea. It was ready and brewed, all I needed to do was to remove the tea bag.
But as I did, the breakthrough was discovered.
What now?
Do I just ignore this breakthrough and continue to drink the tea as I had planned to?
Not a good option.

When breakthrough happens in your life, then are you ready to be inconvenienced by it?
Whatever that may mean?

Once I had accepted that my plans had to change, I then needed to do some clear up duty.
I had to throw the tea away. The tea went down the plug, whilst the tea leaves were caught in a make shift filter. I didn’t want them to clog up the plumbing. I then had to empty the remaining tea leaves in the cup into the bin as well. Then finally the cup was washed up, to remove the final remnants.

When breakthrough comes, will there be some clearing up, cleaning to be done?
Will some things need to be thrown out?
Will some things need to be filtered or dealt with differently, dependant on what we see?
Do we have the necessary skills, tools in place for this?
Can we try to pre-arm ourselves with these skills, tools?
Do we even know what we will need?

I then needed to start all over again and make a fresh cup of tea.

Once we have got over the inconvenience of breakthrough and dealt with the clean up that is needed. Then will we be ready and willing to start over again?
Will we be able to follow the old pattern or will there be a new pattern to follow?
Will we be able to know His way, and then follow His leading and His ways?

Lord,
Are we ready for Your Breakthrough?
Please help us to be ready.
Help us to say Yes to You that much more.
If there are things that we need to know about, then can You pre-teach us those lessons, so that we can be that much more prepared for You, and Your breakthrough.
Our Loving Heavenly Father.
Amen.

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One Vital Step… Just not Done.

I came home from work today and went into the kitchen.
I saw the slow cooker out on the side. Ah, a good slow cooked meal to eat tonight. (Have you guessed where this is going yet?)

I looked at the slow cooker, and something just didn’t seem right.
The gravy wasn’t bubbling. The vegetables looked a little bit on the raw side. There was no heat in the pot!

What’s going on here then?

A quick look at the slow cooker and the problem was soon revealed.
It was plugged in and switched on at the mains…. but, the switch on the slow cooker itself had not been switched on. Doh.

Everything else had been done.
The meat had been prepared and added to the pot.
The vegetables had been cleaned, peeled (where needed) and cut and added to the pot.
The gravy had been mixed, and the herbs had been added…. to the pot.

Everything that was needed to be done to make a lovely slow cooked meal had been done…. except for one final step.
The switch hadn’t been turned to the on position, on the slow cooker.

I just smiled to myself, and thought, “We will be eating something different, to what was planned for tonight, then.” 🙂

I then also thought, “How many times do we do this with God?”

How many times have we been asked to do something, by our Loving Heavenly Father, and then only gone and done so much, and then just stopped?

How many times have we done all the vital preparation work and then just stopped because of ……

How many good home cooked meals have we missed out on, from Our Lord God Almighty, because we just didn’t take that last final step?

How many times have we been left with the promise of a good meal, but only been left with an uncooked meal…. just because we didn’t do….. ?

Our Lord God Almighty has so much goodness for us, if we will just follow His ways.
If we will just go over that final hurdle.

Psalm 81:8-16
8 Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
9 You shall have no foreign god among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

11 “But my people would not listen to me;
    Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts
    to follow their own devices.

13 “If my people would only listen to me,
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue their enemies
    and turn my hand against their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,
    and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

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Put down your oil canvas painting, and look to Your God instead!

Last week I wrote about how sometimes hearing from God can feel like, it can be grappling with smoke.
Or to put it another way. It can feel like I’m trying to view a smoke picture.

If it is my Lord God’s smoke picture that He is showing to me, then that’s always going to be better than any canvas oil painting that I can make up.

The problem that I can sometimes fall into is, that I can partly hear a truth, that my Lord God is telling me. Then I take this (partial) truth, go off and metaphorically pick up my oil paints and then make a wonderful oil canvas painting (wonderful in my own eyes).

This is where it can get a bit “Oh dear.”
This is where I can possibly have something with a partial truth of God to it, but with too much of me included in it as well.

Hence the title of this post, “Put down your oil canvas painting, and look to Your God instead!”

Part of the problem with my oil canvas painting is that it can appear to be solid and substantial (in my eyes). But when compared to my Heavenly Fathers plans… , then it just seems rather silly and very much so incomplete. 🙂

I do know this to be true, but I still seem to like picking up the oil paints and …..

So how can I endeavour to put the oil painting down and look to Him instead?

Be aware that I can get things wrong, is possibly the first step.
Keep asking, “Is this me getting it wrong or is this of You, Lord?”
Do my thoughts line up with what the bible says? (I do mean what the bible is telling me and not the other way around. 🙂 )
I can even share my thoughts with others and ask them what they think. I do believe that fellowship is the technical name for that one. 🙂

I’ve just re-read the above paragraph, and to me it reads like a longer version of “prayer, word and fellowship.”
Prayer, asking Our Lord God for His input.
Word, checking what we are thinking lines up with the bible.
Fellowship, sharing with others to seek out the truth.

Putting into practice the three legged stool concept of prayer, word and fellowship is always going to be a good practice.

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

So when it comes down to it, are we able to put our oil canvas painting down? Turn our back to it and then sit at Our Lord God’s feet and then wait for Him to share with us what His thoughts are?
It will work out so much better for us if we can seek His thoughts, in place of our own.

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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Grappling with Smoke??

What is it like to Hear the Word of the Lord Our God?

For me, it can sometimes feel like I am grappling with smoke!

An idea starts to form, I like what I see, and then try to reach for it. But as I reach for it, it disperses before my very eyes. 😦
Sometimes the idea forms again the moment my hand is removed, other times it takes time for the smoke to start forming again.

It’s not always like this.
Sometimes an idea just presents itself, and can be handled instantly. Possibly to be applied the moment it is formed, or not. (Timing matters.)

The Lord Our God, can speak to us in whatever way He choses to!

His word, the bible. A great place to start, and the only place to check that your thoughts are in line with His!!
Music. There is sooo much GOOD Christian music out there!
Get it into you! Be led by Your Heavenly Father as to what is the Best track for you at any given moment. (Or just listen to what’s available (His music I’m talking about) when it’s available.)
Fellowship. Meet and share with other believers. How much more will He reveal to us, as we do this?
And of course Prayer (should this one have been top of the list?) Spend time talking to AND listening to Our Loving Heavenly Father. He wants to spend time with us!! (That one really shouldn’t be too much of a news flash. :-))

I’ve just re-read the above.
It’s like WOW, that’s not where my thoughts were as I started to write this. This is so much better! Thank you for leading and guiding my typing, My Lord God.
(Is this something of how this smoke grappling works?
As we do….we are given more…???)

So, can/will we converse with Our Lord God…. in whatever way He choses to speak to us?
Will we make ourselves available to Him, so that we can then Hear His words to us, even if (sometimes) it feels like we are just grappling with smoke?

My Loving Heavenly Father,
Help me to hear Your words that much more clearly.
You know that I would like to have a solid something to take hold of, and sometimes You do, do just that.
But at other times, it can be like I am grappling with smoke.
In them times, please help me to just rest at Your feet, and allow You to speak to me, that which you want to share with me.
My Loving Lord God Almighty.
Amen.

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Can we sometimes be too Busy doing God’s Work, so that we then miss His words?

This might sound like a bit of a nonsense title to some (or a lot), but is there something to it?

I have recently read 2 Samuel 6 1-11 It’s the account about when David first tried to bring the ark to Jerusalem. The time when it went wrong.

They put the ark on a new cart, verse 3. This was a mistake.
The ark was meant to be carried by the Levites using wooden poles which where placed through rings on the side of the ark. This is how God instructed the people to move the ark.

Exodus 25:13-15
13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.

Joshua 3:3
giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.

Yet in verse 3 of 2 Samuel 6, it was placed on a new cart. In verses 6 and 7, it goes very wrong.

6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.

Where was David at this moment. We have the answer in verse 5.

5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.

So David was doing the Lord’s work, praising God.

But while doing this, they failed to listen to His instructions for how the ark should be moved.

How was The Lord feeling as David and all Israel danced before Him?
Was He pleased with them, …. or was His anger burning against them, all the while, because they didn’t listen to His instruction of how the ark should be carried?
Was The Lords anger slowly burning all the time they were singing and dancing?

Can we sometimes find ourselves in David’s position? Doing work for Him, whilst not Hearing His words to us?
Can we sometimes get too caught up in what we are doing, so that we miss, that which matters most?
Hearing His voice and what He has to say to us?

Saul knew something about this. Saul lost the position of King of Israel, because he continued to not hear and follow the Lords instructions.
1 Samuel 15 is where The Lord rejects Saul as king.

Where do we want to be, when it comes to hearing what The Lord Our God is saying to us?

Are we willing to hear what He is saying to us, even when it is inconvenient to us?

Are we willing to hear what He is saying to us, even if it is different to what we want to hear?

Did anyone say to David, “Shouldn’t we use the poles, rather than a new cart?”

Did Uzzah pay the price for everyone getting it wrong?

Was Uzzah just the one who was in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Was Uzzah the sacrificial lamb, that meant that everyone else got your go home on that day?

In verse 8 we can then see that David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah.
But what caused David’s anger?
Is it because things didn’t work out to how he had planned for them to go?

Verse 8 states that “the Lords wrath had broken out against Uzzah”, but did David get this bit wrong as well?
Was it that The Lord’s wrath had broken out against all of Israel, and not just Uzzah?
All because the ark was placed on a cart, instead of being carried as it should have been?

In verses 9 and 10, we can then also see that David effectively walked away from God. He was afraid of the Lord that day, and was not willing to take the ark of the Lord with him, to where he was.
Are all these consequences of David and the people not following God’s instructions in the first place?

So, what could we learn from this?

Are we willing to hear Our Lord God’s way for how to do all things?
Will we try to not put the ark on the cart?
Will we endeavour to not say, “Lord, we’ve got this, we know what we are doing here. You just rest on the cart and let us do our thing.” ?
Instead, will we try to hear His words and follow His prompting’s so that we can then remain in step with His Ways and His Purposes?
Remaining in His ways and His purposes will always be the best option for us, if we can just hear and follow His voice and His steps.

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Blinded by the Light

I had to get up during the night, last night.
When I first got up I could just about see in the darkness, so I could walk about in the dark.
But when I turned the light on, for the first couple of seconds I could see nothing as my eyes adjusted to the new light level.
For a very brief moment I was blinded by the light.

John 3:19-20
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

I am a believer as I have accepted Jesus as Lord and saviour and asked Him to help, lead and guide me in my daily life.
So, as I am a believer, then surely this passage doesn’t apply to me any more…??? …… Does it???

I’m starting to get that feeling that this is going to be one of those yes and no answers. 🙂

I am endeavouring to walk in the light as I want to see, know and walk with The Lord my God.

I am in essence, trying to put Mark 12:30-31 into practise.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

But am I fully in the light???
I can read that Moses had a greater experience of Our Gods light.

We can read something about Moses experience in Exodus 34:33-35 when his face shone with the glory of God’s light.

Exodus 34:33-35
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

Well, I’ve just looked in the mirror and my face isn’t so radiant that I need to put a veil on. 🙂

So there is more light for me to walk into.

The question could then be…. am I ready to enter into more of My Lord God’s light???

You see, in the dead of night, I had enough light to see by.
I could walk about and know where I was.
I wasn’t stumbling about.
But when the light was on, after my eyes adjusted to the light, then I could see so much better.
But, I needed to get past the dazzled phase.

If my God shows me more of His light, then do I need to get past the dazzled phase…???

Will I work my way through this phase or will I just run back into the darkness thinking, “It’s just too bright, this hurts my eyes.” ???

It seems that the passage could very much so apply to me more than I would like to think it could.

John 3:19-20
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

Father,
Thank you for the light that You have shown to me.
Please continue to show me more.
Please help me to not be dazzled by what You show me.
Help me to understand and accept what it is that You show to me.
My Loving Lord God Almighty!
Amen.

Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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My words don’t matter, But His Words DO!!

This is something of a mindset of mine, whenever I speak out something.
If all you are hearing is me, Daniel Anthony, then I’m afraid that you are just plain missing out. You need to be hearing His words that He is speaking through me.

A picture might help to clarify what I’m trying to say here.

When I’m speaking, it can be that I’m just going, “na, na, na, na, na na na.” 🙂
But the Lord my God, then comes along with a megaphone, and when He puts that against my mouth…… then a Boooooming “Thus Sayeth The LORD!!” comes forth.

You see, it’s just not about me, and what I’m saying, but about Him, and what He is saying, through me. (If He chooses to make use of me 🙂 )

There is a comfort in knowing this.
Even if I get it wrong (Which I can do, I’m only human after all) then He can bring about a correction by what He does with what I do.
It’s always going to be better if I don’t make a mistake, and I’ll endeavour to remain in step with Him, but if I do fall out of step…. then He is able to bring a correction.

It’s a bit like David, when he went out to kill Nabal and all the males in his house hold, just because he wouldn’t give David some food, and Nabal replied “Who is this David?” It’s in 1 Samuel 25
OK, Nabal slapped David in the face when he said this, but David, you just spared Saul’s life in the cave in the previous chapter, and Saul was trying to kill David.
Did David use all his grace up on Saul, so that when it came to Nabal, he had none left???
Thankfully God sent Abigail (the real hero in this account) to intervene to quench David’s anger.
I mean, come on David, it was a bit of an overreaction, David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” Verse 13 Just because Nabal said no to his request for some food and asking “Who is this David?”
It’s all in there, have a read of it.

I digressed a bit there, but not a bad digression. 🙂

So, where was I. I was going on about megaphones.
When I get it right (which hopefully I do at times) then it can be me stepping up to the megaphone.
But when I get it wrong (which sadly I do more than I would like to) then my God can move the megaphone to me, and hopefully iron out the creases.
He can do this for you as well!
Knowing this can very much so send fear away!
It’s His words that matter, after all!!

But even if I get everything right, then how will what I bring be received by you?

You see, when we receive words, we can have a tuning effect on how much or what we hear.
Even if everything was sent in Love and the the message was a Boooooming “Thus Sayeth The LORD!!”, if we are not tuned into the right station (of hearing Our Lord God I’m talking about), then can we sometimes just hear an irritating, “na, na, na, na, na na na.”

In an ideal world I’ll being doing my bit right (along with everyone else who brings a word), and so will you (in receiving the word), and we can then end up with a Boooooming “Thus Sayeth The LORD!!”

Unfortunately we just don’t live in this ideal perfect world, and mistakes just happen. Even with all the best will in the world.
What do we do then?

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

I know, this can not be easy at times. But if we can do this, then it is a difference that will confuse and confound the world.
Trying to put it another way, if the world sees this in action, it brings Glory to Our Lord God!

So, can we endeavour to remain in step with Our Loving Heavenly Father?
Whether you are sending or receiving something, can we do it all through His eyes??

My Lord God.
As I have said many times before, Please help me to remain in step with You, All the days of my life.
My Loving Heavenly Father.
Amen.

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Your Light Shines Brightest in the Dark.

I’ve driven past a pub with one of those light up Christmas trees on two occasions recently. One time was during the day and the other was when it was dark.
Have you guessed where this could be going yet? 🙂

During the day time, it could be easily missed. It was just a metal frame tree with it lights turned off. It could so easily be overlooked.

When it was dark, well, it was a different story. The lights were on and it’s light, shone out in the darkness. It stood out in the darkness like it never could in the day time.

We may not like dark places, and it makes sense to avoid them if we can, but we do not need to fear them.

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

It’s when we go through the darkest times, if we keep in step with Our Loving Heavenly Father, that we can then allow His light to shine all the brighter through us.

Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

In order for the tree to shine it’s light in the dark, it only needed to be plugged in and switched on.
Can we be plugged in and switched on to Our Loving Heavenly Father’s will?

Father,
Help us all to remain in You, so that we can then let Your light shine forth all the more.
Amen.

______________________________________

Below I’ve listed a couple of links to previous posts for anyone who might be struggling. If one of them stands out to you, then maybe consider having a read of that one.

How Do You Pray when you feel you just can’t do anything?
Title says it all.

I see a Vessel
When you are at your weakest, God is there to build you up and make you stronger.

The Calling Abyss
When facing depression, you do have a choice to say no to it.

Posts about Struggles
This link takes you to the Archive page for Posts about Struggles.

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Will You Accept God’s Power of Veto?

This is something which I struggle with from time to time.

I know that if God is saying no to me for something, then it’s for my own good. (Or the good of His Kingdom.) But sometimes the struggle to accept this, is stronger than I’d like it to be.

I would rather allow my Loving Father in Heaven to have the power of veto over my life, willing given by me.

But it can still be a struggle for me. It can be like, look, I’ve just done ……. , I’d like to share this with the world, but then things just happen to stop it.
It can also work in the opposite way. I’ve just done ……. and I’d like to not shout about it. (Sometimes for the wrong reasons and sometimes for the right reasons.) But then everyone (it seems) gets to hear about it.

Sometimes I think that this could be God’s veto, working in my life, for my good, or for the good of His Kingdom.

As I have already said, He does have this power over me and I willing allow this to be so. The Lord God Almighty IS greater than me, and as such it is for my own good that this is so (His power of veto over me). But sometimes, it can be a battle that needs to be fought (daily).

For the good of the Kingdom, can sometimes be an extra challenge for me. If something is for my own good then this can be easier to accept.
But if I’m paying a price (for the good of the Kingdom), well then, sometimes that certainly can be an extra challenge.
If it’s God’s will, then I do want to say yes, but the difficulty can remain.

Jesus has known this too. Before He faced the cross He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

Jesus knew this concept and He yielded to His Father’s will.
I am among those who are so grateful that He did.
He paid my price for all that I have done wrong and because I accept this (and Him), I am now free to enter in to my Father’s house, and presence. He paid the price and now I get the benefit. (Along with everyone else who accepts Jesus into their lives.)

Now if Jesus has paid such a huge price, and I now benefit from it, can I adjust my attitude with this in mind?
Can I be more willing to pay the small price, that I’m asked to pay, for the good of His kingdom?

I have recently been reminded of a time when Ian Green came to our church and spoke. I can’t remember too much of what he spoke about that day except for one small thing.
He was telling us about a time when he was unhappy.
He was feeling tired and was having a bit of a moan about where he was. I think that he reached the point of “I don’t want to be here!”
Then He heard the voice of the Lord, “Who asked you for your opinion?”
He said this with such a big grin on his face that I have seen on him many times before.
Ian was genuine and serious about what he said. I could see that God’s response to Ian’s complaint, that Ian gave, brought him peace, “Who asked you for your opinion?”
I didn’t fully understand this at the time, but I do think that it was Ian, allowing God to have the power of veto over his life, even when it meant that Ian was being taken through a time that was uncomfortable to him. Ian was still willing to say yes to his Lord God Almighty.

Taking on this mindset could lead to us being asked to do things that we wouldn’t normally want to do. Some times when I have not wanted to do something that I thought The Lord wanted me to do, then a song has then played in my mind….
“And I’ll become, even more undignified than this”.
It’s at these points that I have said “OK Lord, if You want this, then I’ll do it.”

The words of the song that I can remember go…
I can sing, I can dance, to be glad for my King.
And I’ll become, even more undignified than this. (Followed by a little merry tune.)
I can remember thinking as we were singing it, that we don’t look very undignified at the moment. (Little, did I know :-))

I believe that the song echo’s David’s response (in the bible) after he danced with all his might before the Lord. The full account can be read in 2 Samuel 6: 14-23
Verse 22 reads,
I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honour.”

David was more concerned about what God thought, even when it meant that he was humiliated in his own eyes.

I pray that I too will be able to remain in this position of allowing God to have the power of veto over me.
Even when I don’t agree or know why. I still want to be able to say yes, to My Lord God Almighty, of having the power of veto over me.
Will you do the same?

My Lord God,
Please help me to always hear Your words to me.
Help me to KNOW your voice that much better so that I can and will follow Your ways, all the days of my life.
Amen.