SCRIPTURE: Amos (NIV) 5:4 This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; 5 do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” 6 Seek the LORD and live, or he will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire; it will devour, and Bethel will have no-one to quench it.
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Psalm (NIV) 86:6 Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me…
13 For great is your love towards me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave… 15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. 16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant.
OBSERVATION: God wants His children to call on Him. He wants them to depend on Him and to seek Him in time of trouble. I believe God allows some trouble to come our way to cause us to seek Him. I believe God gives us assignments that are too big for us so that we will have to depend on Him.
If this is true, then we disappoint Him when we turn to others for help before calling on Him. We disappoint Him in depending on others and not Him.
APPLICATION: It is true that God will often use others to meet our need, but it brings glory to Him when they are responding to His call and not our begging.
When we take our needs only to Him and we receive the answer, we know it came from Him and we give Him the thanks and glory. When it comes in answer to our prayers to God, we give Him the glory. We know that He heard our prayer. Our faith grows to believe Him again and for greater things.
Sometimes in prayer, God will give us something to do. Our obedience is often not related to the answer but is a demonstration of our faith.
However, when people respond to our pleas for help, we get the glory for being such a good convincer and they get the glory for being generous. Sometimes God can get left out of the thanksgiving.
PRAYER: Lord, living for you is a walk of faith. I am learning to hear you speak to me and to obey. I am learning to trust you. Amen.
Pastor Leon
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