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Thursday,
February 12, 2009
Reaching For The Lord
John 20:27-29 Then saith he to Thomas,
Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand,
and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. (28) And
Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. (29) Jesus saith
unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (KJV)
Can you see the transition that is taking
place in the above verses? The people that had just witnessed a
manifestation of God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ were now
being encouraged to look to a different realm to establish a firm
foundation of faith in. As we see, Thomas was being described as faithless,
because he was looking for something he could touch in the outward realm to
confirm his belief in the Lord, rather than looking to the inward to find
Him. So how would you describe your walk with the Lord today; are you
waiting for Him to manifest in the outward realm and then you will believe,
or are you learning to reach out in the realm of the Spirit to find the
truth?
William’s New Testament
translation of Hebrews 11:1-3
1. Now faith is the assurance of the
things we hope for, the proof of the reality of the things we cannot see. 2.
For by it the men of old won God's approval. 3. By faith we understand that
the worlds were created, beautifully coordinated, and now exist, at God's
command; so the things that we see did not develop out of mere matter.
If you are looking for anything of real
substance, a real assurance that you are on the right path that our Lord
ordained for you, it won’t be found in the outward realm, but rather it is
located in a realm that is unseen to the carnal man, but readily revealed
to the Spiritual one. The real evidence of God’s existence, the truth that
sets one free, is in a realm few look into let alone find because it is not
something they can feel, see, touch, or hear in the outward. However, for
those that know the truth it will set them free from all the doubts, fears,
and commotions that are taking place in the outward realm, things that do
not alter God’s plan of salvation for those that keep their Spiritual
senses exercised.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision,
the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (KJV)
The people being mentioned in these
verses refer to God’s people, those that begin their walk in the Spirit and
then think that it can be perfected by the flesh or their outward sight.
Ever wonder how blessed we are to have good eyesight? Well, just spend an
hour or even a day blindfolded and see how well you would fare on your own.
Now translate that into the realm of the Spirit and you will find that you
won’t get very far in your walk. So what do you see when reaching out to
the Lord; are you still waiting for something in the outward to alleviate
your doubts and fears, or are you seeking a perfect love which is in the
realm of the Spirit that will cast out all that junk and garbage that the
devil has been dumping in your spiritual temple?
Hebrews 10:35-39 Cast not away therefore
your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (36) For ye have
need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might
receive the promise. (37) For yet a little while, and he that shall come
will come, and will not tarry. (38) Now the just shall live by faith: but
if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (39) But we
are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to
the saving of the soul. (KJV)
You know, as a Christian you should be
moving forward, not withdrawing from the race. Patience, not something we
see demonstrated much anymore in this world, because as things have gotten
worse and worse people are running to and fro looking for an answer that is
within them, if they allow the Lord to have His way. We need to let
patience have its perfect work; learning to rely more on what the Lord is
doing and less on what we think we need to be doing. The devil has many of
God’s people running in circles, chasing their tails and not moving forward
in their walk; you know, like the children of Israel did for 40 years?
Amos 8:11-12 Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread,
nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: (12) And they
shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they
shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. (KJV)
This famine that we see being referred to
is something spiritual, not carnal. Yet with this in mind, how many things
have you been chasing after in the outward realm thinking that they will
bring any peace or confidence in your walk? Faith is our ability to hear,
believe, and trust, which means you actually step out in faith and you are
confident in who is leading you. The famine is not the Word of God, but
rather there is a shortage in the area of hearing His Word, because just
like with Thomas, many are running to and fro looking for an outward
manifestation rather than an inward one, thus the famine.
Matthew 12:38-39 Then certain of the
scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign
from thee. (39) But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous
generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it,
but the sign of the prophet Jonas: (KJV)
You know, it’s hard to tell the
difference today between the world and what man calls a church anymore,
because in many ways they are both similar. Those that keep looking in the
outward to find peace with God are referred to as evil, as well as
adulterous. Many today are looking and waiting for something to happen in
the outward and then they will step out in faith and believe. Well,
something did take place in the outward some two thousand years ago, God
and His plan of salvation was manifest in the flesh, paid the price for our
sin, so that we could receive His spirit and be justified in the Spirit.
What do you see today, and which realm are you reaching out to in your
search for the Lord?
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