| God Wants to Use You
PSALM 5:1-17
HAVE MERCY ON ME, O GOD, ACCORDING TO YOUR UNFAILING
LOVE;
ACCORDING TO YOUR GREAT COMPASSION BLOT OUT MY TRANSGRESSIONS
WASH AWAY MY INIQUITY AND CLEANSE ME FROM MY SIN.
FOR I KNOW MY TRANSGRESSIONS, AND MY SIN IS
ALWAYS BEFORE ME.
AGAINST YOU, YOU ONLY, HAVE I SINNED AND DONE WHAT IS EVIL IN YOUR
SIGHT,
SO THAT YOU ARE PROVED RIGHT WHEN YOU SPEAK AND JUSTIFIED WHEN YOU
JUDGE.
SURELY I WAS SINFUL AT BIRTH, SINFUL FROM THE TIME MY MOTHER CONCEIVED
ME.
SURELY YOU DESIRE TRUTH IN THE INNER PARTS;
YOU TEACH ME WISDOM IN THE INMOST PLACE.
CLEANSE ME WITH HYSSOP, AND I WILL BE CLEAN;
WASH ME, AND I WILL BE WHITER THAN SNOW.
LET ME HEAR JOY AND GLADNESS;
LET THE BONES YOU HAVE CRUSHED REJOICE.
HISE YOUR FACE AWAY FROM MY SINS AND BLOT OUT MY INIQUITY.
CREATE IN ME A PURE HEART, O GOD, AND RENEW
A STEADFAST SPIRIT WITHIN ME.
DO NOT CAST ME FROM YOUR PRESENCE OR TAKE YOUR HOLY SPIRIT FROM
ME.
RESTORE TO ME THE JOY OF YOUR SALVATION AND GRANT ME A WILLING
SPIRIT, TO SUSTAIN ME.
THEN I WILL TEACH TRANSGRESSORS YOUR WAYS, AND
SINNERS WILL TURN BACK TO YOU.
SAVE ME FROM BLOOD-GUILTINESS, O GOD,
THE GOD WHO SAVES ME, AND MY TONGUE WILL SING OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
O LORD, OPEN MY LIPS, AND MY MOUTH WILL DECLARE YOUR PRAISE.
YOU DO NOT DELIGHT IN SACRIFICE, OR I WOULD BRING IT;
YOU DO NOT TAKE PLEASURE IN BURNT OFFERINGS.
THE SACRIFICES OF GOD ARE A BORKEN SPIRIT;
A BROKEN AND CONTRITE HEART, O GOD, YOU WILL NOT DESPISE.
But then moving on, on Sunday I was at this
church where they were having a youth service and I was really just
blown away by these two testimonies that these two high school girls
gave about how God had worked or was working in their lives.
The first girl stood up and shared about how
she was on a Christian camp and received prayer and while they were
praying for her her one leg grew like an inch or two. Now that's
a pretty hard testimony to refute. Obviously with my doubting mind
(and I was chatting to one of my buddies this week and he had a
similiar scepticalness) I think wow that's cool but it would be
so cooler if I was there and had seen it with my own eyes. But yeah
it still sounds pretty cool.
But the testimony doesn't stop there - I think
it was the next year that she got M.E. which I'm not even going
to try and guess the Latin of but I think it's that disease that
is commonly called Yuppie flu - no energy etc and she was in bed
for a year and at the end of that year she went on the same camp
and again she was miraculously healed...
And so Wow I was basically just blown away cos
that is not the kind of thing you can really fake all that easily
- skip school for a year and not be able to really have adecent
life and then suddenly Bam! Back in the real world jumping and running
and kicking and stuff. So I was mightily encouraged.
The second testimony was from a girl who was
suffering from similiar type of symptoms and was eventually diagnosed
with some form of Arthritis or something and that's where her story
ended - no miraculous healing or having everything all sorted out
and stuff - and her testimony was as hardcore as the girl before
because she totally challenged the church to trust God (from a point
of no healing) saying that it comes in God's time and that you can't
just trust in God when He's healing you but it has to be all the
time and wow ja just again blew me away again.
That is it really - that's what I wanted to
share - I was so challenged and encouraged after having a tough
far from God (my fault) woe-is-me kind of week and then just being
reminded once again to go for it. To hand over the low times to
God and really just be filled with the Holy Spirit (His power).
It amazes me that despite my stupidity and laziness
and judgementalness and messingupivity (probly not going to be found
in the Oxford Dictionary!) God still Loves me firstly and then still
chooses to use me... the opportunities keep coming, the fruit keeps
being shown. God wants to use His children to accomplish His will
on earth. God wants to use me.
God wants to use YOU! Are you allowing Him to?
Or are you stuck in a woe-is-me-I'm-too-bad (you're not!) kind of
mode? Are you looking at the obstacles and barriers in the way?
Got an sms quote this week that said "Obstacles are those frightful
things you see when you take your eyes off your goal" [Henry
Ford] Your goal should be Christ and His will in your life...
So ja even when you seem down and out, God is
very much there for you [Psalm 34:17,18] - EVEN if you are one of
those 'very spiritual types' like a pastor or youth leader or committee
member who is 'supposed to have it all together' - it's okay when
you don't... really... but just share it with God, and with people
if they are available and He will lift you up and get you going
again...
"...even youths will grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will
renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they
will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
[Isaiah 40:30-31]
God bless you as you aim to be Faithful In Serving
Him And a special thankx to all my friends who particularly this
week put up with me or encouraged me and were there for me (especially
you Dunc - I love you man!) love brett anderson
To eternity and beyond...
|
