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May you find rest in your soul, as you hear the voice of the Lord, speak into your circumstance, transforming it, for His glory, for The young lions suffer want and hunger, But those who seek the Lord, lack no good thing. [Psalms 34:10] It becomes your experience as you hear the word with understanding, to believe and confess, and be led to a change in your conduct, as you put it into practice. For, as it is written in the book of James, if you are a hearer of the word and not a doer, you are only deceiving yourself. [James 1:22] It can happen as you miscalculate, indulge in false reasoning, and also become unable to acknowledge the presence of the sin principle that is in you, that needs to be overcome in the Spirit’s power.
In a mirror seeing yourself:
For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror, and immediately forget what they look like. [James 1:23,24] It is simple logic, a picture of deception in all its fullness. But it need not be so. For, God enables you to be a doer, to be blessed in your doing as – Those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget, but doers who act- they will be blessed in their doing. [vs 25] And what hinders a person from being an effectual doer, is a lack of obedience to the word of God, that reveals his true condition, so that he may rectify it and be blessed in his doing.
Lack of obedience –
The reasons: 1] Ignorance:
The one who is disobedient, and does not have a relationship with the One True God, could plead ignorance, or a lack of knowledge, concerning the will of God for him. But as it is written in the scriptures, it can never be a valid excuse, because God speaks to him through his conscience. [Romans 1:18-20] To the one who knows God, as His God, also, God speaks through his conscience, concerning things regarding which he may at that point of time be genuinely ignorant. He makes the truth evident, making what he is oblivious to, obvious.
2] Willful ignorance:
This is the person, who knowing what he needs to do to be obedient to God, chooses not to do so. And such an attitude will never be a blessing to him, or do him any good. It is the fulfillment of the prophecy that was spoken through the prophet Isaiah, one that the Lord quoted as he taught the people using parables, describing the people whose hearts had become fat or overfed. And it was because, they filled their minds with other things, hindering them from hearing and understanding, that their hearts would turn to God, and be healed. [Matthew 13:15]
3] Postponing:
If you hear from Him today, you are called to respond immediately, for not doing it will lead to dire results. Delayed obedience is disobedience in the sight of God. And what can prevent a person from responding, could be-
a] Anger:
It could be there on account of what is happening in your life at present, contrary to your expectation from God, leading to unbelief in you, that hinders you from responding positively to the voice of God. For, faith is a positive response to the grace of God. Therefore, with unbelief in you, you will be unable to respond.
b] Discouragement:
Your desire to persist or pursue in prayer, concerning something, is eroded, when you see no favorable response to your prayer, for a very long time and discouragement sets in. But as seen in the life of the prophet Elijah, even as he persisted in praying for rain, the servant returned six times with a negative report, and only after that there was a very small sign, a cloud the size of a man’s hand, that was then soon accompanied by the fulfillment of God’s promise, the sound of abundance of rain.
Faith involves patience:
It only goes to show that, faith has to be always accompanied by patience. For, if you believe that God can do it, you have to wait until He does it, however long it takes. And, He hears your prayer, today; has heard it the very first time you prayed about something. It is the confidence you can have, when you have asked according to His will, to also know that when He has heard your prayer, you already have what you have asked of Him. [1 John 5:14] Be encouraged, therefore, to start thanking Him for your answered prayer, though outwardly there may be no change yet. He is the God who heard even the embittered sighing of the Israelites in bondage in Egypt, to answer by delivering them from the cruel enemy.
c] Laziness:
Plain and simple, it needs no explanation, for laziness can prevent you from responding to the voice of God, just as it can happen in every aspect of your life. After all, it is when household chores are neglected owing to laziness, that a house remains dirty. Procrastination should never be on your agenda, therefore, when it comes to obedience to the things of God, to what He calls you to do.
d] Forgetfulness:
It happens to the best of us, especially when the mind is not focused but is distracted, and it will result in being unable to receive the blessing and favor of God, in your life. But the wondrous truth of the new covenant, the fruit of the Cross of Calvary is that the promise of God can also become your practice, and He Himself becomes your strength, that His word through the prophet may be fulfilled – I will put My Spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe My ordinances. [Ezra 36:27] Not trying, but trusting – Christianity is not about trying to do things in your strength but trusting in Him, His empowering to walk in obedience, accomplishing what He has called you to do. Prayer is no longer something that you have to do, but something that you love to do. It is the freedom that you now enjoy in Christ, after receiving salvation, free not to sin, while earlier it was only a freedom to sin. [James 1:25]
In a mirror seeing the glory of God:
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord, as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. [2 Corinthians 3:17,18] Therefore you now no longer have a spirit of fear, cowardice, or timidity, but one of power, love, and sound mind. [2 Timothy 1:7] He enables you to do what God wants you to do, and not be crippled, paralyzed by fear. The Holy Spirit is one of power. [Acts 1:8] The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit. [Romans 5:17] He is the Spirit of calmness, giving a sound mind. [Isaiah 11:2] And it is in obedience, as you taste and see it, that you will know the truth to be led into all truth. And putting your trust in Him, laying aside your struggling and striving, reach out this day in prayer, for His help and strength, that the Holy Spirit may cleanse you, to kindle the fire within you. Father, We thank Thee for sending Your blessed Holy Spirit into our lives, for we can never depend on our own strength. We thank thee for helping us to do what we need to do, by becoming our wisdom and strength, so that we may in obedience, experience Your goodness in the land of the living. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
