Post by David on Jul 19, 2006 15:24:40 GMT -5
There are many examples of how people throughout history have faithfully followed what the Lord has asked them to do, and during these times have experienced some of the worst things of their lives. Does this mean they were doing something wrong? I don't think necessarily. I think that people may apply this to their own life or to evangelism thinking, "boy, this doesn't feel like happy land! No one seems to be responding well or liking me very much, this MUST not be the Lord." I would like to challenge this idea, of course it may not be the Lord, but it very well may still be what God has. Just look at Luther! People were killing each other and burning towns and churches reacting to his message! Did that stop him? No! He stood fast in what he knew the Lord had and in the end brought understanding of salvation back to the common people!!!
Here is another example...
Exodus 5
19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
At this point Moses and Aaron could have said, "oh no, what did we do! We should run away and let these poor people alone and not offend them anymore."
He did however turn to the Lord to question whether or not it was from Him.
Exodus 5
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”
But God responded to him saying, no this is what I have...
6:1 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
The moral of this story is that God knows what He wants and we need to learn how to faithfully follow that without the fear of man, although continually coming back to Him, is this what You have!
Any thoughts? Have you experienced this in your own life? Where you knew what God wanted but it didn't look or feel like happy land?
Here is another example...
Exodus 5
19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
At this point Moses and Aaron could have said, "oh no, what did we do! We should run away and let these poor people alone and not offend them anymore."
He did however turn to the Lord to question whether or not it was from Him.
Exodus 5
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”
But God responded to him saying, no this is what I have...
6:1 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”
The moral of this story is that God knows what He wants and we need to learn how to faithfully follow that without the fear of man, although continually coming back to Him, is this what You have!
Any thoughts? Have you experienced this in your own life? Where you knew what God wanted but it didn't look or feel like happy land?