Feb. 01, 2014–In Your Loneliest Hour…

February 1, 2014 By

jesus-in-gethsemane(Be blessed by this encouraging word from guest contributor, Shyju Matthew)

Sometimes you won’t have anybody. Except, of course, Jesus.

 

That may sound harsh, but is that not the truth?

 

I wanted to be with my wife in the hospital after her delivery, but hospital rules only let one other person accompany her. So her mom stayed back.

 

As a parent, I wish to be there for Kathryn at her slightest whimper. But my human frailty puts me into deep sleep that a shrieking cry from her is what is needed to wake me from my slumber.

 

Now those are just two examples closest to my vest.

 

In the Bible, Moses was sent by God to His people. Finally, 430 years of slavery is broken loose through the surrendered tongue of a stammerer. With Moses leading the way, hundreds of thousands of people marched into their Promised Land.

 

Yet the same people very often picked up rocks to stone him. He was tested and broken till every ounce of the angry man melted to become the meekest man ever, as God Himself testified!

 

David, the greatest king in the Bible, had a test with his 600 loyal warriors!

 

Once, when they returned from battle, they were dismayed to discover that their wives and children had been taken hostage while they were away. ”And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters.”

 

Then the same verse goes on to record one of the most powerful acts mentioned in the Bible,”But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6).

 

That means there was no one to encourage him and everyone had mistrusted him.

 

But that couldn’t kill him.

 

David went on to wipe his tears and pat his own back in the knowledge that his ”God was his strength in his most lonely hour.”

 

Interestingly, even our master Jesus had no one with him in the most crucial hour.

 

Jesus found strength by going back to the garden of prayer–repeatedly!

 

Avoid the temptation of looking for peer support, chariots & horses or to lean on another fragile human being. No one may be there to compliment or encourage you.

 

But remember this: the best of history was made in the loneliest hour.

 

Today, wipe your tears, pat yourself on your back, get back up and go on into your destiny, you history maker, you!!!

(Born in India and presently living in Montreal, Canada, Revivalist Shyju Matthew continues to demonstrate God’s mighty Word through the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit in crusades and conferences all over the world. This post first appeared on his blog Guarding The Heart)

Filed Under: Guest Authors

Jan. 31, 2014–Your Lentil Patch

February 1, 2014 By

Now after hilentil fieldm was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory. (2 Samuel 23:11-12)

 

One of my first pastors often quoted the above scripture.  I loved the way he would come to life when he reflected upon this passage.  I didn’t realize until I was older that the pastor thought of himself as Shammah.

My pastor has spent close to 35 years at his church.  He has seen many changes, People have come and gone.  Some have left angry and hurt.  Others have hurt him as they have gone out the door, but he refused to give up the post because in his heart he knew that this was his lentil patch.

In the kingdom we need to understand the ground that the Lord has given to us.  We have to defend that ground by staying in the place that God tells us to stay.  As long as we do as he tells us to do and stand, then the battle is the Lord’s.

There are times that life can be overwhelming.  There are times that to just stay sane seems to take all the energy that you have.  There are times that you feel you cannot go an inch further, but in that moment you must remain.

The only thing that stops us from standing in the place that God has for us is fear.  Fear will push us out of God’s will.  It will cause you to shrink back from what He has called you to do and can stop you from pursuing opportunities that come your way.

We cannot allow fear to stop us.  We must move forward despite what we feel or see.  We need to face our fears and move forward anyway.

I find it most helpful to pray when fear comes upon me.  I know that if I pray He will hear my prayer.  This I have come to understand through experience.  When He speaks, all fear has a way of leaving me because I know the truth of what He says.  He always speaks peace into my heart and His peace has a way of pushing me forward into His will for my life.

Because I know that God is good, I step forward despite my fears.  I must trust Him to help me overcome in every situation that I find myself.  Even if I am surrounded by fear, I can move forward as long as I keep my gaze upon Christ.

I pray for you today.  I ask the Lord to move you into your lentil patch, the place of your destiny.  I ask the Lord to speak past the fears of your heart and plant His word firmly in your heart.  May all fade from you save His love for your life.  Truly this is all that will remain in the end anyway. 

Filed Under: Pastor Darren Canning