GPS

At the risk of being redundant, I have often looked at the abbreviation for "Global Positioning System - GPS" and wondered if anyone had ever thought about using the same abbreviation for GOD's Positioning System?

Samuel must of had one of these...

1 Samuel 3:3-4 NLT

"The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God."
Samuel was still a young boy when he first heard God call his name. But it is interesting that scripture mentions where Samuel was sleeping - "near the Ark of God". Samuel grew up learning the priestly duties and the ways of God. Samuel honored God and God bestowed His favor on Samuel.

1 Sam 3:19-4:1NLT

"As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle. And Samuel's words went out to all the people of Israel."
Samuel chose a position near the Ark and God spoke to Him. What position are you choosing?

Besides coming to church once or twice a week, where are you spiritually? Are you in a position to hear from God's Spirit? Do you have a clean heart and clean hands so God can speak into your life and use you? Or, are there things that keep you away from such a position? Things like pride, sin, selfish and/or ungodly ambitions and complacency.

Samuel positioned himself in God and unknowingly or knowingly positioned himself for God to greatly use him.

Where are you positioning yourself today?

Un-Comfortable

<p>I had some time to think today, so I was contemplating about why I never feel relaxed, comfortable or calm. I didnt come up with any profound conclusions but as i was thinking about it a friend posted the title of a chapter in a Len Sweet book. The title?

"Life wouldn't be interesting if you didnt feel out-of-place."

Thanks God!

Get Off of the Cycle

  So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.

Judges 6:6 NLT

That's the cost of exalting oneself. When we exalt ourselves, God has a way of making us humble. Learning and walking humbly before God is a way of life.

All to often, we point our finger at the ancient Israelites as their continual disobedience brought about what is known... as "the cycle of the judges".
1. Israel would be at peace with their needs provided for.
2. They would drift away from God and His commands and begin to worship other gods.
3. They would fall under God's judgement at the hands of their enemies.
4. They would gather at an altar, repent and turn back to God.
5. Then God would raise up a leader to deliver them.
Repeat! Repeat! Repeat!

If we actually think about it, don't we do the same thing?

1. We walk humbly before God and in the power of His Spirit.
2. We become lax in our devotions, in prayer, in church attendance - following and making gods out of the TV, entertainment figures, sport heroes, hobbies and our family.
3. We fall under the results of our sin - those destructive habits and beliefs that following the other gods mentioned above produce.
4. We hear a sermon that speaks to us and we repent at an altar.
5. God welcomes us back and forgives through the shed blood of His Son Jesus Christ.

It's the same cycle. But, don't we get tired of it? Some of us may even be getting dizzy! Christ desires an intimate relationship with each of us. Pride and selfishness starve that relationship. Learning and walking humbly before God feeds it.

Are you selfishly starving or humbly feeding the source that will enable you to really live?