Day 299: How Much "Like A Tree Firmly Planted By Streams Of Water."?
Read: Psalm 1, Matthew 7:15 - 23
I guess what I am going to do with you today is to try to climb to the
top and shake some your Spiritual Oak trees. So, if something hostile or
otherwise hurtful falls out, hopefully there will be something or someone on the
ground to catch it or hopefully we will be able to get rid of it when I
come down. But if you or I end up falling out, we will need to do
something to see that both of our lives are rescued and redeemed to what they
ought to be. Pray, let us begin the week by considering this rather tall question. “If you
were to evaluate your spirituality and your closeness to God, how would you rate it?” Be honest. The answer is between you and God. But, God WILL know whether you’re telling the truth or not!
I recognize that is kinda sorta of tough for a Monday. However, Would
you answer, “I believe in God with all my heart, Jesus Christ is my
Savior and Lord? I’ve committed myself to do the things He wants me
to do. As a result, I feel at peace within, and at peace with others. I
spend time pouring out my heart to Him in prayer, in listening to Him by
reading His Word. I try hard to show my faith by what I do, how I live
before others.” This is quite the mouthful on a Monday sitting at your
dining table or desk. I have just one question: has your coffee
gotten cold during all that time you were so very sure of yourself! I
said, remember, that we are supposed to be about honesty.
Would
you answer, “Well, you would probably rate me as being weak or even
dead spiritually because I’m really not much interested in the things of
God? Frankly, yes, I am here, but only reluctantly. I would much rather
be playing golf or doing something else.” Then again, maybe you
would more likely answer, “I’m someplace in-between. I guess you would
say I have one foot in the world and one foot in the church, easily
vacillating back and forth. When it’s appropriate to be seen as a
Christian, then that’s what I am. Otherwise, I'm mostly like all the
other people around me.” Great answer if your preferred place is one of sitting, waiting, watching from atop of your Oak tree.
But, like I said at the beginning, I am trying to climb your Spiritual
Oak tree and I am going to try to shaking it so hard that either your
pride or your Christianity finally falls out. Now, what answer fits you?
You see, I believe a problem that we all have in our relationship with
God is that many of us have kind of flirted with it most of our lives.
We live in a society that encourages that attitude. Have you really been
tested in our faith? Have you really even tested your faith? Who's
tried to climb to the top our Oak trees holding us accountable for the
ground work of God's kingdom? My wife will quite frequently shake mine, I will frequently shake hers. Who will climb atop and vigorously and shake yours?
Let Us Pray: Lord, I am sitting here at the top of my Oak tree,
watching and waiting for You to finally return, reclaiming this messed
up world we live in as Your very own. I feel like I need to have the best advantage of height in my righteousness that I may be one of the first to see You coming on the clouds as was promised. I
feel my tree is so firmly planted, so deeply rooted by the streams of
Your waters of life, that I can sit and wait for You as long as I
have to knowing that I'll be eternally replenished by Your life giving
waters. Yes, Lord, I am so fully content to sit in my Spiritual Oak
tree. But, Lord, I pray You will teach me when I am missing something on the ground.I do so desperately pray, that on those lonely days and nights of watching for You that You'll send somebody to climb my tree to keep me company, share with me a conversation too.
But, Lord, sometimes I cannot see Your Kingdom through the vastness of
my tree. Likewise, I do sometimes think of what is going on down there, what work
You would have me to do. Being so high and lifted up above the canopy of
this fallen world, I confess I have not really been tested in my faith
nor have I really even come down from my high perch to test my faith.
Lord, send me someone too, who will not just climb to the top of my tree
to converse with me, but also to vigorously shake my tree for me. I
believe my Jesus would catch me and with great compassion dry me off
when I fall. Lord Jesus Christ, If I were to ask You, how would You rate
my Spiritual Oak tree...?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx0Aj4a9MR4
Hillsong Live - To Be Like You - With Subtitles│Lyrics - HD Version
www.youtube.com
Hillsong Live - To Be Like You - With Subtitles│Lyrics - HD Version - Glorious Ruins DVD You can get your
Read: Psalm 1, Matthew 7:15 - 23
I guess what I am going to do with you today is to try to climb to the top and shake some your Spiritual Oak trees. So, if something hostile or otherwise hurtful falls out, hopefully there will be something or someone on the ground to catch it or hopefully we will be able to get rid of it when I come down. But if you or I end up falling out, we will need to do something to see that both of our lives are rescued and redeemed to what they ought to be. Pray, let us begin the week by considering this rather tall question. “If you were to evaluate your spirituality and your closeness to God, how would you rate it?” Be honest. The answer is between you and God. But, God WILL know whether you’re telling the truth or not!
I recognize that is kinda sorta of tough for a Monday. However, Would you answer, “I believe in God with all my heart, Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord? I’ve committed myself to do the things He wants me to do. As a result, I feel at peace within, and at peace with others. I spend time pouring out my heart to Him in prayer, in listening to Him by reading His Word. I try hard to show my faith by what I do, how I live before others.” This is quite the mouthful on a Monday sitting at your dining table or desk. I have just one question: has your coffee gotten cold during all that time you were so very sure of yourself! I said, remember, that we are supposed to be about honesty.
Would you answer, “Well, you would probably rate me as being weak or even dead spiritually because I’m really not much interested in the things of God? Frankly, yes, I am here, but only reluctantly. I would much rather be playing golf or doing something else.” Then again, maybe you would more likely answer, “I’m someplace in-between. I guess you would say I have one foot in the world and one foot in the church, easily vacillating back and forth. When it’s appropriate to be seen as a Christian, then that’s what I am. Otherwise, I'm mostly like all the other people around me.” Great answer if your preferred place is one of sitting, waiting, watching from atop of your Oak tree.
But, like I said at the beginning, I am trying to climb your Spiritual Oak tree and I am going to try to shaking it so hard that either your pride or your Christianity finally falls out. Now, what answer fits you? You see, I believe a problem that we all have in our relationship with God is that many of us have kind of flirted with it most of our lives. We live in a society that encourages that attitude. Have you really been tested in our faith? Have you really even tested your faith? Who's tried to climb to the top our Oak trees holding us accountable for the ground work of God's kingdom? My wife will quite frequently shake mine, I will frequently shake hers. Who will climb atop and vigorously and shake yours?
Let Us Pray: Lord, I am sitting here at the top of my Oak tree, watching and waiting for You to finally return, reclaiming this messed up world we live in as Your very own. I feel like I need to have the best advantage of height in my righteousness that I may be one of the first to see You coming on the clouds as was promised. I feel my tree is so firmly planted, so deeply rooted by the streams of Your waters of life, that I can sit and wait for You as long as I have to knowing that I'll be eternally replenished by Your life giving waters. Yes, Lord, I am so fully content to sit in my Spiritual Oak tree. But, Lord, I pray You will teach me when I am missing something on the ground.I do so desperately pray, that on those lonely days and nights of watching for You that You'll send somebody to climb my tree to keep me company, share with me a conversation too.
But, Lord, sometimes I cannot see Your Kingdom through the vastness of my tree. Likewise, I do sometimes think of what is going on down there, what work You would have me to do. Being so high and lifted up above the canopy of this fallen world, I confess I have not really been tested in my faith nor have I really even come down from my high perch to test my faith. Lord, send me someone too, who will not just climb to the top of my tree to converse with me, but also to vigorously shake my tree for me. I believe my Jesus would catch me and with great compassion dry me off when I fall. Lord Jesus Christ, If I were to ask You, how would You rate my Spiritual Oak tree...?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx0Aj4a9MR4
Hillsong Live - To Be Like You - With Subtitles│Lyrics - HD Version
www.youtube.com
Hillsong Live - To Be Like You - With Subtitles│Lyrics - HD Version - Glorious Ruins DVD You can get your
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