Not a Genie!
By Stephanie Cawthron
Matthew 6:33
Worry dominates the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
Seek the kingdom above all else and live righteously and he will give you everything you need.
God has clear expectations for us… His followers. In His word, he has laid out clear instructions. (Ephesians 5 & 6 and Colossians 3:17-20)
It’s easy to name and claim God’s promises isn’t it? Right there, in verse 33, it says that god will provide for our every need, doesn’t it?
God always has our best interest at heart. I believe that God’s word is the ultimate, unwavering TRUTH! Our Father loves us. He wants us to succeed in all that He’s called us to do. I don’t believe God would ever expect us to do anything He hasn’t given us the ability to do!
Exodus 13:17-18 is a great example of my previous statements. It says,
“When Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go, God did not lead them along the man road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus, the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle!”
God’s way prepares and strengthens us for battle!
In Exodus 13:21, The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them and provided for them.
Sometimes, God takes us the long way to develop perseverance in us for the journey and to strengthen our faith. In other words, God challenges us to help us grow and become all that He’s created us to be!
In order for God to work in our lives, He asks us to show some initiative. Matthew 6:33 directs us to seek the kingdom and God’s righteousness FIRST… THEN, He will give us what we need.
Something occurred to me as I was listening to our Pastor preach this past Sunday morning on these very things.
God is not a Genie.
His word is not to be kept on a shelf, or in our cars (as I have done more than I care to admit in the past!) collecting dust, only to be used as a prop on Sunday morning. Jesus is the light of the world, not to be “rubbed” as a genies lamp during our darkest hour, or switched on and off as the mood or circumstance strikes us.
Jesus is not our servant…We are to be His!
We are exclusively called to be in personal, intimate relationship with the Risen Lord. This means having ongoing fellowship with Him by praying, and by talking to Him. Jesus wants us to tell him what is on our minds! He wants to share with us all that he has hidden for us to find! We can carry on conversation with God every moment if we so chose because the curtain was torn…no longer do we need a priest to go before us into the Holy of Holies….because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have direct, immediate access to Him!
So, also, we must spend time reading and contemplating His Holy word. This was something I skipped for so long! I had no idea that by simply asking him, and seeking fervently to understand, that he would reveal himself and his message to me. I prayed for the longest time that God would create in me a STARVATION for his word! And, in God’s faithfulness, at long last, He has answered that prayer…I believe….because I have shown myself faithful as a seeker of He and his ways.
I had to take a leap of faith….I hoped that God would meet me in his word….that he would come alongside me and walk with me on my journey, on this path that He himself set my feet upon, and give me divine understanding of His righteous ways.
I will tell you the truth…
He has never let me down! In face, HE has FAR surpassed any hope or idea/expectation I ever had of Him, and thankfully, our Lord has carried me farther than I could ever dream!
He wants to carry you too!
My faith has increased significantly because of God’s faithfulness to his promises. My perseverance has multiplied as a result of my trials and challenges. And my hope, that I might be privileged enough to encourage others along the way, remains steadfast!
I love the Lord Jesus Christ! I want so much to share that with others! I pray and pray that God’ word will take root in the hearts of those my life touches along my journey…not because of me, but because they see the light and love of Jesus through me.
If you are not experiencing a joy-filled, fulfilling relationship with Jesus, ask yourself:
• Am I truly seeking Him in all that I do or say?
• Do I pray daily? Often?
• Do I spend time in God’s word?
• Do I hear from God when I seek Him in prayer or in His word?
• Do I hunger for more of his presence and leading in my life?
To push away any conviction that we need more God in our lives would be detrimental! Instead, we need desperately to succumb ourselves….our very lives….to the Holy Spirit and beg God to work in our lives, in this very moment! Ask Him, fervently, to fill us more and more with His Spirit, with His interests. I pray often that God would allow me to see through His eyes, and hear with his ears instead of my own!
God is faithful when we seek Him in Spirit and in Truth.
Don’t wait. Seek Him now! May you be blessed, as I have, by God’s love and friendship! He is a friend like no other.
