Tag: Surrender

The LORD Will Come and Stay

What does it take for the LORD to come?

“13When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV)

We have to earnestly “pray and seek” Him and His Face and “turn from their wicked ways” and then the LORD will come. So it is on us to get the LORD here. It is up to me and my full dependence on Him regardless of the circumstances. I am in charge of turning to the LORD and away from that which is evil. The LORD is always within earshot of me, and will come when I need Him, I only need to call on Him.

I think that we understand that part. Call on the LORD and He will come. But what is it that gets Him to stay with us. Well, it is the humbling of ourselves and surrendering to Him.I can and should call on Him when I need Him, yet it is up to me to reach out to Him and surrender to His glory for Him to come and stay.

“15Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time” – 2 Chronicles 7:15-16 (ESV)

When I have devoted myself to the LORD, He will come and stay with me. Not just in earshot, but will be there walking with me for my entire journey in this world. I will have Him there to fend off the evil. He will comfort me and guide me and carry me and provide for me and bless me and fully ensure that I am taken care of in this world. It is up to me to turn to Him and away from evil and surrender to Him and he will come and stay with me.

What are you doing to get the LORD to come and stay? Are you keeping Him just within earshot? What if you were to surrender to Him so that He comes and walks with you, comforting you, guiding you, carrying you, providing for you, and blessing you?

God Knows

This morning as I was studying I was lead to more evidence that God knows all, before we or anyone else is informed. I am reading in Genesis a passage that I have read over at least a couple of times before (Genesis 2). And where I have been focused on the learning that God has for me, I somehow missed the foretelling of God’s plans.

“24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24 (ESV)

And there you have it. God called the future just after the creation of Eve. He made woman and she was good for man as was the intent. They had no children at this time. God told them that there would be and that those children would be to leave their parents to be together as one. Just as Adam and Eve where to be one together in the working of the Garden of Eden.

God knows even when we do not. As creation had just happened, I have to believe that the prospects of children between Adam and Eve were minimal as they had no understanding of things at the time, yet God was sure that they would have children. He knows all and will let us know of His plans in the time that it is needed. Adam and Eve were placed in this world to be the caretakers of it. They relied of God to give them direction of how and with what resources. They were called to obey and part of that obedience was procreation. But, what to come of the children. They would be called to leave and care for one another.

God knows what is to happen well before it does. God knew that Adam and Eve would fall. He knew that they would need to be taken out of the Garden of Eden. He knew they would have children. He knew the children’s actions to come. God knows and I have to remember that as I move through my life.

In working through my life, I have to remember to listen to the LORD and allow Him to guide me. In the words of my pastor Jared Patrick, “The question I not, Is God on my side, but rather, are we on His?” He has the plan and knows the outcome, doesn’t it make sense for me to follow the plan He lays out. God is the only one who already knows the outcome of everything. I have to live a life of worship and be on His side and in a continuation of the message Jared gave, “A life of worship is a life of surrender”. I have to surrender to the LORD and allow His great knowledge to be revealed to me as I progress forward with His plan.

God knows and therefor I should be making my way with Him. I have to surrender to Him and worship Him and be on His side all the way.

Who are you relying on for guidance? Are you looking to someone in this world that may have just struck a bit of luck? What if you relied on the only one who knows, God?