If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.
John 15:7 HCSB
This verse came through today’s daily devotional for me. As I woke to this I thought on the words… “if you remain in me and my words remain in you”. The following portion is always a blessing to hear the Lord say “it will be done for you”, but asking whatever we want is the hard part right? Whatever we want is such a challenge when we know the Lord wants us to want HIS THINGS in our life… hence we battle the flesh / Spirit war of what we want vs. what we need.
I made the drive into work thinking on this verse and as I started my audio bible app I entered into Isaiah. The following was read to me..
19 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 22 Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
Isaiah 30:19-22
“Your teacher will not hide himself anymore”
Isn’t that awesome?
Your eyes shall see your teacher and your ears will hear “This is the way, walk in it.”
I am overcome by His Grace once again. That as we remain in Him, as we dwell on His words, our asks are answered and HE WILL NOT HIDE HIMSELF from us!
Can you say that about any mentors you have? Can you say that about your friends? about your family and / or spouse?
That as we focus on the Lord we can defile our idols!
Isn’t that awesome? it reads…. Be gone!
There is a power in the presence of Christ friends. There is a clear and holy path that gives life to the believer. This presence and guiding power is different than any else of this world and VERY DIFFERENT than the idols we have sought after or yearned for.
This is a DIFFERENT God we serve. He is a PRESENT and GIVING Lord that wants to hold nothing back for you when you are in HIM.
Post after post after post we write on the Barnabas Man Blog about Christ, about faith, about trusting in the King… and yet time and time again they all point to Him. To the ONE that will not hide himself to those that seek Him.
So we make the inventory of the idols. We count the blessings as we look to the things we have sought after and compare them to the giving power of Jesus Christ. Being “in HIM” and listening “to HIM” make the believer strong. Becoming like Him in our actions and thoughts and prayers will unleash the gifts of the Spirit. They are countless friends. They are perfect and good and UNENDING!
This evening I’ll be sharing in our big group time on a STEP 2 lesson of “came to believe”. I have spent years waiting and wanting God but never truly BELIEVED that He would do something or change things for me. That changed for me 8 years ago when the bottom fell out on my life and I was at the end of the line with everything I had tried so hard to hold onto. IDOLS that I had looked to for worth and value and pleasure. All of them failed me… failed me so much that as things fell apart I began to realize how much energy I was spending on things that simply COULD NOT MAKE ME HAPPY.. things that could NOT HEAL ME and things that DID NOT MAKE GOOD GODS…
People, places, positions, pleasure, things… all worthless Gods… IDOLS…
They had to be cast out.. they had to be removed from my throne room and replaced by Jesus Christ. As they were something happened.. HE SHOWED Himself to me and DID NOT HIDE from me… what a wonderful time it has been ever since!
Barnabas Man 