II Cor 5:7] "for we walk by faith and not by sight."
I almost did not write a devotion today. My sight tells me these devotions do not matter. Nobody would miss them. I just did not feel like writing. I made a quick trip to Lubbock and back yesterday. I came home tired. Along with many heavy burdens, early mornings, intense focused prayer, and other pastoral duties, I was tired. I went to bed at 7:30 pm and did not wake up until about 4:30 this morning. I normally sleep five-six hours a night. Certainly not nine!
I did go sit in front of the computer. I asked God for inspiration. I looked at several passages, but nothing moved me to write. I sat there for over an hour. Eventually I dismissed the whole idea of writing a devotion today. I did not feel that they make a real lasting difference.
When I came to the office this morning, I picked up a book on my desk about the life and ministry of Manley Beasely. I read that book back in 2009. I recently rediscovered it on one of my shelves and placed on the desk for future reading. Today was the day. Beasely was an old evangelist and faith walker. In the foreward of the book I read a quote by him. He said, "Believers must act like it is so, when it is not so, so it can be so." Conviction followed.
By what my eyes see and what my ears hear, Spring Creek is not ready for revival. I am not even sure how many yearn for God to move here more powerfully. It burns in me night and day. I am often moved to tears thinking and praying about it. I cannot think of ever yearning for more of God than I have these past months. One of my prayers for the flock has been that the Father would increase their yearning for more of Him too. My eyes do not see it. I see empty altars week after week.
Like a pregnant woman carrying her child, I have been carrying this revival in my spirit for over two years. In the past nine months it has intensified. Through travailing prayer a remnant is trying to give birth to a supernatural move of God. The labor pains are on us. At the time of this writing, we are only 32 days away from the first scheduled service. It does not feel like we are ready. That is what walking by sight tells me. Walking by faith paints a far different picture.
By faith I write this devotion. By faith I choose to believe God for a move of His Spirit in this church beyond what any of us could imagine. By faith I choose to believe that even the hardest hearts will be softened in the presence of God. By faith I choose to believe that repentance will fall on this people and open the door for God to move miraculously among us. By faith I choose to believe this move of God will spread far beyond our walls and impact other churches in the county. By faith I choose to believe that God called us to do this and we are obeying His word. By faith I choose to believe that what I see by faith will become reality in the lives of this congregation and beyond.
I choose faith and not sight today. I choose belief and not doubt. It does not matter how I feel. It matters what God wills to do. I believe that He wills to do something that we will remember and talk about for the rest of our days. I step out in faith to behold what God will do next. Do we believe?
- In what ways are you walking by faith?
- What do you really believe will happen in these revival meetings?
- Write down what you really believe?
- Are you willing to act like revival is so, when it is not so, so that it can be so?
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