Devotional 100909

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. I have moved my office to another room yesterday. Thanks to a group of brothers and sister from Cumberland to help me move my library and set up my office within two hours. It is amazing! Right now, I have more room and bookshelves for my personal library; I do anticipate more books to come when I return to school again. Praise God for His wonderful provision in life.

"When you were under the fig tree, I saw you" (John 1:48). We imagine we would be all right if a big crisis arose; but the big crisis will only reveal the stuff we are made of, it will not put anything into us. "If God gives the call, of course I will rise to the occasion." You will not unless you have risen to the occasion in the workshop, unless you have been the real thing before God there. If you are not doing the thing that lies nearest, because God has engineered it; when the crisis comes instead of being revealed as fit, you will be revealed as unfit. Crises always reveal character.

The private relationship of worshipping God is the great essential of fitness. The time comes when there is no more "fig-tree" life possible, when it is out into the open, out into the glare and into the work and you will find yourself of no value there if you have not been worshipping as occasion serves you in your home. Worship aright in your private relationships, then when God sets you free you will be ready, because in the unseen life which no one saw but God you have become perfectly fit, and when the damage comes you can be relied upon by God.

"I can't be expected to live the sanctified life in the circumstances I am in; I have no time for praying just now, no time for Bible reading, my opportunity hasn't come yet; when it does, of course I shall be all right." No, you will not. If you have not been worshipping as occasion serves, when you get into work you will not only be useless yourself, but a tremendous hindrance to those who are associated with you.

The workshop of ministry weapons is the hidden, personal, worshipping life of the saint. The more we worship, the more we sharpening our weapons for spiritual battle. It is our personal worship that will eventually save us from crisis of life because worship helps us focus on the ultimate reality of our hope - God. When we constantly engage in worshipping God, our focus remains in Him at all times. And when crisis comes, we will no longer automatically depend on our own strength, but the strength of God to handle whatever difficulties that may come our way. That’s why God remind the psalmist in the midst of crisis, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). “Be still” is a call to worship; calm down and retreat from all distractions so that you can focus on Him. Do not look into your own strength at the midst of spiritual battle, look up to God for strength. It is in the turmoil of life that we know who God really is. Stay focus on Him, because this is the way we receive power to face the unknown future.

Love you at His feet,
Lawrence