If you are anything like me ~ the Monday after Easter is a little disheartening.
Easter is something like the Christian Super Bowl.
But like the Super Bowl ~ there is no football for months afterward ~ so what next?
God uses mountaintop experiences to PREPARE His people for upcoming work demands.
We often comment that “God never wastes a hurt” ~ but the opposite is also true ~ “God never wastes a victory”.
In “hurt” our faith is challenged and grows ~ in “victory” our faith matures and puts down deep roots.
A fact of life is that “victory” has sidetracked more Followers of Jesus than “defeat”.
Defeat tends to drop Christians to their knees in desperation.
Victory has the opposite effect ~ and 3 things can happen if we are not paying attention.
#1: We enjoy the credit for success
#2: We believe success is to be expected and there will be no more rainy days
#3: We turn a critical eye toward anyone not experiencing our level of success
This also should force us to reexamine our definition of SUCCESS.
Success is obedience to God ~ empowered by God’s Spirit ~ motivated by love for God ~ all credit and praise goes to God ~ and God’s Kingdom is built up.
Something to remember: “God does His best work behind the scenes”
As humans ~ we are thrilled with huge public displays of greatness.
We love the story of Elijah where he verbally taunts the false prophets ~ who fail to call down fire from their “gods” to consume their sacrifice.
But we love it even more when Elijah comments, “God, we need fire” ~ and fire falls from heaven and consumes Elijah’s sacrifice ~ and the alter ~ and the water he poured on it ~ and everything around it.
We love the grand displays that dazzle and leave us breathless.
However, never forget that God does His best work in our hearts.
1 Kings 19:11-13 New King James Version
11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
So in this season of social distancing after Easter ~ I challenge you to listen for God’s voice as a whisper in your heart.
Better yet ~ not just listen ~ but prepare yourself to be CONTENT to experience God’s “still small voice”.
3 thoughts:
#1: God will not DEMAND your attention.
A “still small voice” speaks but is easily overlooked in the hustle and bustle of life.
#2: God is our KING ~ and we must have a proper attitude of humility ~ IF we are to hear His “still small voice” ~ we hear best on our KNEES
#3: God desires to transform you into a person of STILLNESS ~ where you can experience and live in His PEACE.
In this post-Easter season ~ allow yourself to experience God’s peace through STILLNESS in His presence.
God bless you ~ I am praying for you
Pastor Shane
Great word, Pastor. I needed this today!
God bless you
I work hard to spend a couple hours a day writing
It seems to center me