Where Do We Find Ourselves?
“So the Pharisees said to one another,
(John 12: 19 NASB)
‘You see that you are not accomplishing anything; look, the world has gone after Him!”
There are so many times during our lives, when the only course of action we should take is to follow God. Truly, the world needs to go after, to follow, and to listen to the Father.
So the questions become:
- Why don’t we go after, follow, or listen to our Father?
- Why do we think we’ve got this (our life) and do not need guidance?
- Why do we wait to pray?
- Why do we pause to pray ONLY WHEN we have already exhausted all other options?
- Why do we make choices that are against the will of our Father?
- Why do we make concessions to God that just maybe we do need His help AFTER we have tried everything else?
- Why do we ever think God may just be too busy to be bothered by our lifted prayers?!!!
Wherever did we concoct such a silly thought!
It is almost springtime, and with spring approaching, farmers everywhere are anticipating the planting season. Nevertheless, before the scattering of seeds or before the raindrops of God falling upon the tender plants or even before the side-dressing of the fertilizer to aid in the growth of the hearty plants—BEFORE ANY OF THOSE STEPS, WE MUST PREPARE THE GROUND.
Years ago, we grew tobacco, a very hands-on endeavor. Truly, I think we “touched” the tobacco stalk and numerous leaves a hundred times (from pulling the plants to carrying the tobacco to market). However, before we could ever touch a solitary stalk or leaf, we needed to prepare the beds and till the soil that lay dormant within the fields. Yes, that’s right, we needed to:
- Spread plastic 100 feet in length to prepare the tobacco bed.
- Pull tight the sides of the plastic.
- Stake down the edges of the plastic.
- Slide in several cans of “gas” placing them throughout the entire width and length.
- Release the gas, allowing the process to prepare the ground.
- Remove the plastic & scatter the tobacco seeds.
- Spread the white netting that would protect the seedlings as they matured.
- Wait. & Wait. & Wait.
- Roll back the netting a section at a time, allowing the young plants to become stronger.
- Gently pull the plants from the prepared bed, striving to not break any of the stems as we tugged them gently from the bed for the planting.
- Set the plants into the “prepared” fields that lay ready for the numerous rows of tobacco plants.
- Follow the setter, ensuring that none of the plants were missed or broken during the “setting” process.
- Hand-Set and/or Replace plants that were needed in the row.
Raising tobacco was truly a tedious, hand-touched process, and the fifteen steps just described merely touched the surface of the work to be accomplished prior to the “selling” day that would come later during the year.
- Are We Seeking To Acquire God’s Wisdom?
- Are We Searching To Know God?
- Are We Searching for Wisdom?
Where Do We Find Ourselves?
There are so many times during our lives, when the only course of action we should take is to follow God.
- The world needs to go after, to follow, and to listen to the Father.
- Truly, we have been blessed with others who walk beside us & mentor us.
- Truly, we have been blessed with pastors who preach God’s messages.
- Truly, we have been blessed with friendships, with brothers and sisters-in Christ.
- Most truly, we have been given the Holy Spirit of God at the moment of our salvation.
- Most truly, we have been given the blessing of walking daily with our Lord.
- Most truly, we have been gifted with the saving Grace of the Father.
- Most truly, we have been gifted with the Word of God to study, to read, and to apply.
- MOST TRULY WE HAVE SO MANY INDISPENSABLE TOOLS!
- MOST TRULY WE HAVE EVERYTHING NEEDED TO FURTHER GOD’S KINGDOM!
Thus, the question becomes (within the coming of the spring season & this season of Lent)—Is the soil of our heart “prepared” and “ready” to receive the precious seed of Almighty God?
There was a certain day, thousands of years ago, when Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. People were present that day and saw the tears of Jesus as He wept outside the tomb. Several heard Jesus call Lazarus from the dead, and with amazement, they also saw this man who had been dead four days walk out from his grave. The word spread quickly. People did what people do so well: they shared this amazing and exciting and perplexing news. Then, they searched to be near this ONE, this JESUS who had performed this miracle. Even days later, while the “now alive” Lazarus and the “soon-to-be betrayer” Judas Iscariot reclined at a dinner table in Bethany during the days leading up to Passover, the people were watching, were searching, and were wondering about this man named—JESUS!
“So the Pharisees said to one another,
(John 12: 19 NASB)
‘You see that you are not accomplishing anything; look, the world has gone after Him!”
Where Do We Find Ourselves?
- Are We Too Seeking JESUS?
- Are We Puzzled By This Man JESUS?
- Are We Striving To Be Ever-Close to JESUS?
OR—
- Are We Running From The SAVIOR?
- Are We Thinking How One Day (When We Are Ready) We Will Run Toward The SAVIOR?
AND—
- Are We Struggling To Understand The Truth Found In The MESSIAH?
- Are We Missing The Truth Found Within JESUS CHRIST THE MESSIAH?
FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY BELIEVE—
- Are We Walking Daily With Our LORD?
- Are We Striving To Walk Close Beside JESUS?
- Are We Following Wherever Our LORD LEADS?
- Are We Sharing The Gospel Message Of The SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST?
Where Do We Find Ourselves?
“Can’t Live Without You” by Equippers Revolution is a beautiful melody that reminds us “WHO” we cannot ever live without. Listen and be reminded: It is JESUS! We can never live without JESUS as we walk through this life and enter our eternity.
We read the Bible and find the words God gave King Solomon to write, words that spoke of WISDOM.
- Let us SEEK Wisdom.
- Let us FOLLOW JESUS.
- Let us ACQUIRE the Truth of GOD.
Let us!
“Does not wisdom call,
(Proberbs 8: 1-5)
And understanding raise her voice?
On top of the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, she
takes her stand;
Beside the gates, at the
opening to the city,
At the entrance of the
doors, she cries out:
“To you, people, I call,
And my voice is to mankind.” . . .
“I love those who love me; [wisdom]
(Proverbs 8: 17)
And those who diligently seek me will find me.” [wisdom] . . .
“The LORD created me [wisdom] at the
(Proverbs 8: 22-35 NASB)
beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
From eternity I was established, [wisdom was established]
From the beginning, from the
earliest times of the earth.
When there were no ocean
depths, I was born, [wisdom was born]
When there were no springs
abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born; [Yes, before all this, wisdom existed]
While He had not yet made
the earth and the fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
When He established the
heavens, I was there; [WISDOM]
When He inscribed a circle
on the face of the deep,
When He made firm the
skies above,
When the springs of the
deep became fixed,
When He set a boundary for the sea
So that the water would not
violate His command,
When He marked out the
foundations of the earth;
Then I was beside Him, as
a master workman; [WISDOM was present at work]
And I was His delight daily,
Rejoicing always before Him,
Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having my delight in
the sons of mankind.
Now then, sons, listen to me, [Listen to the WISDOM of God]
For blessed are those who
keep my ways.
Listen to instruction and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
Blessed is the person
who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at my doorposts.
For one who finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the LORD.”
“The fear of the LORD is the
(Proverbs 9: 10 NASB)
beginning of wisdom
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
“But one who sins against
(Proverbs 8: 36 NASB)
me injures himself;
All those who hate me love death.”
Where Do We Find Ourselves?
- Are We Seeking to Acquire GOD’S WISDOM?
- Are We Searching To Know GOD?
- Are We Searching for WISDOM?
- Are We Seeking To Know JESUS?
- Are We Walking With HIM?
- Are We Following The Leading of GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT?
Yes, We Surely Must Ask: Where Do We Find Ourselves?