Where Can You Go?

Psalm 55:22

22Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.


When you are hurt, where do you go? When you are hurt by a friend, where can you go? David knew all to well about betrayal from a "friend". David walks through his prayer to God and as you read, the description gives way to an enemy. When he gets mid-way, he addresses not God, but the one who hurt him. He says,

"but it was you, a man my equal my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng."

Finding out that it was a friend who he not only took counsel in but shared activities with that betrayed him, makes the pain identifiable. Have you been in this position? Do you know what it feels like to be hurt by one you called friend? David went from addressing God to addressing the betrayer.  He is not blaming God for what has happened but gives sole responsibility to the one whom he called friend. And then he goes back to addressing God. He takes a detour only to recognize his pain and as a way of confronting his so-called "friend". But God!! He turns his attention back to where it belongs. God!!! God is the one who can counsel every broken heart no matter the situation! God is the one who gives you the ability to stand when one wants to knock you to your knees. And God is the one who will show the one who hurt you, the error of their ways in His time. Your focus is to be on the Lord. He has you and won't let you fall to them. Always trust God  even when you cannot trust in man. God does not lie nor will He leave you or forsake you.

Who is First?

Matthew 10:37

37He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

Jesus spoke about not bringing peace but division.How can He be the peacemaker if He is bringing division right? Many are often confused by the words Jesus gave in Matthew 10:34-37. Christ did not object to family. Actually, He supported it.  Jesus wanted us to understand that no person whether male, female, adult or child is to hinder our relationship with Him. We are not to put anyone before God nor the Son of God. Anyone that we put before them has become an idol. And the first commandment says that we are to love God with all our heart and to have no other gods before Him.

It is natural to want to obey father and mother because they are the first human teachers as well as role models that stand in the gap of father and mother. But when you allow their role to come between you and Christ or their words to have more value than what God has asked of you, there is a problem. It is no different with son and daughter or husband/wife, etc. Abraham was an example. God promised him an heir, Isaac, who was born to him and Sarah in their old age. It would've have been natural for Abraham to worship his child so much so that he could ignore God but he did not. God tested him to see if he loved his son more than Him. He told Abraham he had to take Isaac to a mountain top and build an alter to sacrifice him. At the last minute, God sent an angel to stop Abraham and provided a proper sacrifice. He only wanted to see if Abraham loved the gift more than he loved the gift giver. And it was on that mountain that Abraham said Jehovah Jireh which is the God who provides (see. Genesis 22). Your spouse or significant other is not to hinder your relationship with Christ either. When you stop receiving the Word the of God, cease prayer, fail to continue to foster your relationship with Christ and ignore the Holy Spirit's prompting because you are enthralled with another, then you have allowed the gift God has placed in your life to become more important than He who brought you the gift. Anyone who loves you would want to see you continue to grow in Christ and not want you to fall away from Him. No one is to put above God. You can love, worship and serve God together and individually. The real glory in the marriage covenant, is when God is the pillar of your relationship that you both stand upon. Marriage is to reflect the relationship that Christ has with the church. Who is first in your life? The commands have not changed. They have just encompassed that we love one other but never more than we love the one who created us and the one who died so that you and I can live.

P.S. Remember to check out my girl Stubbs of the Leap of Faith Show Monday-Friday 10am-12pm on the Leap of Faith Network (www.lofnetwork.com) and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment!

No Legitimate Complaint

Proverbs 16:7

7When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

God's way is always right!! Many of us have seen what happens when we move forward in anything in the beginning and others are  unhappy. Sometimes the problem is the inability to see change as a positive step or perhaps perceiving a fear of what will be lost.  But when our ways please God, it gives everyone a chance to see who God is. When God is in it, HE gets the glory.  Nothing bad can be said with legitimacy when you are doing something the way God has ordained you to do. Your "haters" can complain but it is only because of their own lack of movement. Yet, they cannot fault you for where you are. And those who just did not quite understand the way in which God desired for you will have their eyes opened and will come into understanding. No matter what, no one can really fault one who is doing what the Lord has said of them. In the end, whether you speak up or not, God will confirm what you are doing as right when He unleashes the blessings for you walking in the direction He desires for you.