Gnats in The Cow Lot

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day:    If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17)

Memory verse: Romans 8:32 ►He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  

Today's reading: JUDGES 7-8 LUKE 5:1-16

Gnats in The Cow Lot

I have prayed for God to take away my disdain and anger for a few folks that have stuck in my mind for years and I must admit that it is easier than it used to be. But God uses this 'thorn in my soul' to keep me from getting the 'big-head'.

This problem does not lie in the sin of others as the enemy would like for me to believe, but the problem is mine. The sin of others is just that-their sin-sin I will not answer for.

My sin is right in front of me. I cannot deny it. I must deal with it or live in sinful-wretched denial.

Psalm 51:3 ESV    For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Another version puts it this way:

3 I know I have done wrong.

   I remember that sin all the time.

The message today is that we must all deal with it. God's grace is not cheap. It comes at a cost. We must admit to harboring any harsh feelings of judgement for anyone the same as we would for fleshly lust or petty jealousy.

Hate and judgement are always there-hanging like a cloud of gnats in a barnyard. If these are your 'soul thorns', get a grip and swing, swing hard. Get in front of God with this sin and wrestle if you must.

A.W. Tozer said that we should not want anything of God's-we must simply want Him. The scripture tells us to seek Him and His righteousness and all the other will be added.(Matthew 6:33)

All the other what will be added? Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit, is a product of being filled with the Spirit, but again, it is not cheap. We cannot expect to seek the fruit of the Spirit, such as self-control, and capture it. It is not another conquest. We must drop self desire and seek God with all we are.

Dealing with our deep issues means that we must declare our 'hard-headed-ness' to God and give Him that first. It is in that part of our human condition that is determined to hang on to things-like control. It is painful to face our true selves down deep but we must go as deep as is our sin and dredge it up before God and get it out there. This may give many of us a new view of 'on our faces before God'.

Humility is not to be sought. Humility is a product of rolling your life scroll out in front of our loving Father who, in Christ, condemns us not-but demands our true heart-naked before Him.

There is a hump to get over--self--once over self, we can see God-but not until then. God's strength is what it takes... so empty your hands and surrender your will.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me for selfishness. I die to self-replace this pain with Your heart. I seek You.

Merciful and gracious God.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen