Desperation

Are you desperate for God? If you are, what fuels your desperation? Is it your present circumstance, or a constant overwhelming need for the presence of your Creator? We sing a worship song that includes the line "Lord, I'm desperate for you." When I really reflect on the idea of being desperate for God, I realize that it is usually when my back is against a wall, facing a situation beyond my control, that I really recognize my desperate need for God. The truth is, however, that we desperately need Him all the time, not just in challenging circumstances or difficult times. May I recognize my desperate need for His abiding presence in my life on a daily basis, and passionately seek after Him, even when there are no stormclouds overhead. I can be sure that the storm will come, and when it does I will realize, that I am already safe within His grasp. "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:4-5 NIV

Impossible Is Nothing

Have you ever tried to move a mountain with a sandpail and a plastic shovel? It's not very effective. That's what it feels like when I try to accomplish something that only God can do. God is in the mountain moving business. I am not. When I am staring down a mountain that needs to be moved, all He asks from me is that I have faith the size of a mustard seed. He is equipped to do that which is impossible for me to accomplish is my own puny strength. For God "impossible is nothing." In the aftermath of the miracle all I can say is, 'wow, God you always amaze me at how effortlessly it seems that you push the mountain aside and open up a clear path before me.' I only wish that I would excercise my faith a little earlier in the process, and learn to trust Him more!

Fresh Fire

When a fire has died down, what typically remains is smoldering embers. When those embers are stirred up, what remains of the fire is revealed. If a fuel source comes into contact with the remaining embers, the fire roars back to life. So it is in our spiritual walk. If we are not tending the spiritual fire of the Holy Spirit within us, the fire dies down. However, when we once again begin to seek God's presence and power, the fire is revived and the power of God is revealed in our lives. Are you in need of some fresh fire? I know that I am. As we begin to fan the flames of God's presence in our lives, the oxygen of the Holy Spirit will provide the fuel to the fire, and we will see God work in a new, fresh and powerful way in our lives.