One night I couldn’t sleep, I laid in bed in the darkness
tossing and turning, I prayed, I talked with God for a while and yet I couldn’t
sleep. I looked toward my room door that was shut and there was an outline of
light which was coming from the kitchen light over the stove. I keep this on at
night so that I won’t bump into things if I needed to get up. Well, it got me
to thinking about something and when I get inspiration I have to get up and
write it – so here it is.
A door stands in front of you a sliver of light
penetrates the top and side, you wonder what’s on the other side. But then you
hear someone say; “if you go through that door blessings are waiting for you”,
but before you do, you are also told that “God will require something of you”. A puzzle look comes over your face, then you
ask, “what is it that He will want of me?” You are then told “you must first
walk through to know the answer.” Your mind begins to race on what it could be,
your blood pressure starts to rise as well as your heart rate. The thought that
God would want something of me, was more than you could imagine. What is it
that I have that He would want of me? images start to run across your mind, is
it my heart, my home, my family, my life, what could it be?
You began pacing back and forth contemplating what it
might be. But as soon as you are willing to take that chance and you resolve to
go through the door, here comes another voice, the voice of fear, pride, and
doubt. “I wouldn’t go through if I were you, He might want more than you’re
willing to give up”. You begin to reason this thought, that it makes sense to
you and you stop and listen to more “what if He wants all that you have worked
hard to achieve, your money, your house, He might even want you to quit your
job and do something less attractive”. You begin to ponder how you have worked
hard in school, getting your dream job, you have a beautiful new home and a
family that depends upon you. The voice begins to say, “you can make this
decision later, you have time” and as though the voice was standing right next
to you, you turn in the direction and say, “Right, maybe later, after all I’m
still young and anyway, I want to enjoy life and all that I have accomplish”.
But what you don’t see is that image of that voice smiling a devilish smile and
his arms crossed in front of him with a satisfied look, for his goal was
accomplished.
How many times have we talked ourselves out of what
God has wanted to do in our lives? When we wanted to go left but God was
drawing us to the right, because our eyes was more focus looking at the left
with all its enticements and goods and choosing our own path. The left, had
everything we desired and wanted. Why would we even reason that “our
achievements” were greater or better than what God has? Because our minds have
been blinded with get rich quick schemes, or have this new body by summer, or buy
the newest sports car, build a bigger house, or take a luxury vacation, all the
enticements we see people doing and we think this is life at its best. When our focus is drawn to these things and
not God, we have taken our eyes off of Him and put them on things of this world.
When we begin to accept this kind of thinking and
reasoning we have come in agreement with the father of lies. His ways of
deception are subtle and before you know it, you have dug a deep pit that you
can’t climb out of. You’re swimming in debt, the stress of your job has
increase, things at home are not going well and now you’re experiencing some
physical problems. When we being to turn away from the ways of God and be more
accepting of the things of the world, the Word of God has given us a choice,
“I
call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before
you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you
and thy seed may live” (Deut. 30:19).
God
does not force anyone to surrender to Him, we are all free to choose life or
death, but also understand that “therefore this day, and consider
it in your heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth
beneath: there is none else” (Deut.4:39). God is God no matter where we are or
what we think and If we rationalize why we choose death and why we believe the
lie instead of the truth, it’s because our hearts have been harden and we believe
the lie that we have all the time in the world to make a choice.
God said, “I
command you this day to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to
keep His commandments and His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live
and multiply: and the Lord your God shall bless you in the land whither you go
to possess it” (Deut. 30:16). There are blessings and promises here
when we make God our God and obey His Word. For “…behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22). The
next verse deals with the person who feels that they have time to make the
decision later on in life “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…” (1 Sam 15: 23). Rebellion and stubbornness are
serious sins which the only fruit that it bears is death. Just as David
prayed we too, must pray with repentance “Do not withhold your compassion
from me, O LORD. May your mercy
and your truth always protect me. Countless evils have surrounded me. My sins
have caught up with me so that I can no longer see. They outnumber the hairs on
my head. I have lost heart. O LORD,
please rescue me! Come quickly to help me, O LORD!”
(Ps. 40:11-13 GW)
All our accomplishments that we achieve come from God.
Somehow along the line we began to think that “we” are the ones responsible for
all that we achieve. Wisdom comes from God; our understanding comes from Him
and our gifts and talents also. For “The fear
of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His
commandments; His praise endures forever: (Psalm 111:10 NASB). Is there a
Godly fear among us anymore? No matter what the world says, we can do
nothing without God. Even the unsaved
and the unbelieving are partakers of His grace and mercy “for God is no respecter of persons…That
ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun
to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the
unjust” (Matt. 5:45). “The Lord is not slack concerning [His]
promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing
that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2Pe
3:9 NKJ). In other words, God will wait
for you to come back to your right mind, but He won’t wait forever, and before
it becomes too late you must make a choice.
Those who would walk through the door have completely
resolve to give up everything not just for the blessings but because of the
love that has been freely given to us so, “Take
diligent heed to…love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to
keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your
heart and with all you soul” (Job 22:5; Deut 11:1, 13,22). And
because our love for the Father, and the Son is more precious than anything we
could ever hold dear. “so that
Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being
rooted and grounded in love...” (Eph.
3:17 NASB).
We can’t repay Jesus for what He has done for us, but if it means giving up this whole world and all that we were able to gain here, those who believe – would do it, “and those who use this world as not misusing [it]. For the form of this world is passing away” (1Co 7:31 NKJV). This world is passing away and as believers, we should not get bogged down too much with the cares of this life, God has given us instructions to “cast all our cares upon Him…” (1 Peter 5:7). We are to trust Him with our whole heart, mind, strength and body.
Consider your choice, look about you and see the numerous
blessing already in your life, “For
what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul?” (Mark 8:36). Now
are you willing to walk through that door and give to God whatever He asks of
you?
Chosen2Prayer
