A Sign Among Us - Chapter 8 - Firm Footing

We Are All Human

I remember sitting in church one Wednesday, and Pastor was taking Blessings & Prayer Requests. One man commented about how evil the world it. He went on to speak about the struggle to make it from one service to the next. I also remember everyone of us sitting in that room and knowing exactly what he was speaking about.

I also remember sitting at a Couple's Fellowship one Friday evening. A very spiritually strong woman gave testimony of how she could not get through her struggles without Jesus. I find it encouraging when I hear stories of strong Christians who have gone through tough times. It helps me in the midst of my struggles. It let's me know, maybe I can be strong like them someday and that their struggle isn't that different from mine. When I thanked her for her testimony, you know what she said? 'what, you're thanking me for being human?'

When I first walked through the doors of my current church, I didn't think I would fit in. When I walked through those doors. I said to myself, 'This church is filled with people who have been saved their whole life.' I look around the room today I still see everyone's strengths, and when I look in the mirror, I see my weaknesses. Can anyone else relate to this? Every once in a while we need to be reminded that we are all human.

'Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Wheras ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life?' James 4:13-14a

The person being spoken of in these verses is a fool. He thinks he knows something that he doesn't. We also presume that we have the resources to control our own destiny. I know I do that at work. I say things like, '... by the end of next week I will be this far complete...'

At home I do it too, I set all these goals for myself without praying. Then, after my 'to do' list is written I pray for the Lord to help me budget my time. Why would He help me?

'To Do' List

I made a list of things He might not want me to do. I didn't pray before I made the list and here I am praying for a swift completion of that list. Then when I don't complete my self-proclaimed assignments, I get mad. I can't get mad at God. So I get mad at myself.

You know how the Lord taught me to pray? He taught me through my children. If you have children at home, I want you to listen to their prayers. Please don't ever take that for granted. Why do I say that? I only to get to tuck Cody, Autumn and Becca in two nights a week. The other five nights they are at their mothers. So please don't ever take for granted, or feel burdened by the priviledge of tucking them in at night and listening to their precious prayers.

Who Taught You How to Pray?

When I listened to Becca's prayers she taught me to privately and intently pray to the Lord. She would go through her prayers aloud with me and when she was done she would say, 'Amen,' open her eyes and excitedly repeat back to me what she just spoke to the Lord. As if I wasn't even in the room. She was in a private conversation with the Lord. She wasn't praying for my ears to hear. She wasn't praying to impress her sister. She was talking directly, privately and intently to the Lord.

Becca's sister has what we call, 'Autumn's Prayer.' Autumn prays, 'Lord, we pray that someone in their car is going through the stations on the radio. We pray that they hear a song on a Christian Radio Station. Leave it on that channel, hear about God and ask Jesus into their heart.'

What did Autumn's prayer teach me? Lord that Your Will be done. That people come to know you. Please use me as you see fit. Until you reveal how, I will pray for others. Once again, please don't take your children's prayers for granted.

When you walk away from this you might start planning your day tomorrow. We even take tomorrow for granted, don't we?

'Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.' Proverbs 27:1

Hurry

You may not be overly proud. I believe we generally try to be thankful and humble. But I think sometimes we act like everything is up to us. 'I have to get this done by Sunday. I have to do this... I have to do that... Lord, you don't understand how important this is. Lord, I have to do this first, and then I will serve you. Lord, when I'm done with this, I will do what you asked.' Are we too busy doing the urgent things that we are neglecting the important things?

What Does Jesus Have to Say About This?

'As he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God.' Luke 12:16-21

Jesus will not be part of furthering our own delfish interests. He calls us to serve Him and others, not ourselves. Why were those things on my 'to-do' list? Was it to bring glory and honor to God?

I Don't Have Time

Have you ever heard someone say, or have you ever said, 'There aren't enough hours in the day.' Well I believe that there are enough hours in the day to do everything the Lord wants you to do. We get bogged down with those other things. The things we think the Lord wants us to do. The things we want to do.

Jesus isn't speaking of a pay-as-yo-go faith in Luke 12, but of participation in a relationship in which God already provides what He wishes His people to give back to Him.

In verse fifteen of chapter four, James states, 'For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.' God does have something for us to do and that we should plan accordingle. James is condemning our elaborate planning our elaborate planning leaves out God.

Scriptures to Help Us with Our Planning

'A man's heart diviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.' Proverbs 16:9

'There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.' Proverbs 19:21

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