Pastor Elwin Ahu
September 20, 2009 - W0938

, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Eph. 2:10).

Wouldn’t you agree that most of us start off strong, yet at the end of the day we find that we didn’t do so well? Well, there’s one more step for us to take to enjoy our marriages & relationships. So what is this one step?

Firstly, the Bible tells us we’re not alone on this. It is full with characters that started well but didn’t finish too well. For example, Moses followed and obeyed God. As we recall, Moses lead two million people out of Egypt. And when the people were thirsty in the desert, God told Moses to strike a rock. And when Moses did, water came out of the rock. After that the people were satisfied. As the story continues, the people became thirsty again. And this time, God told Moses to speak to the rock. But instead, Moses stuck the rock like he did the previous time. However, by this disobedience, God told Moses that he could not enter the Promised Land. So for Moses, it was just one step away.

Another example was King David who led a good life and was a man after God’s own heart. However, when the kings went out to war David stayed back. And while he stayed home he got involved in an adulterous affair. Which then lead him to murder and the death of his infant.

Josiah was another example. He became king at eight years old. And, he ruled the nation of Judah for thirty-one years. When Josiah was appointed king there was turmoil in the country. There was disobedience, immorality and going after foreign gods. However, because Josiah had a heart for the Lord, he began restoring the land of Judah to the ways of God.

Josiah had all idols and altars destroyed. And he had the temple cleaned and repaired. After this he found the book of laws and had them re-instated for the people to follow. Here is what the Bible says, “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did, with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.” (2Kin. 23:25 NIV).

However, although Josiah started well, in the end he didn’t do so well. Yes, he was one step away from finishing his life well. You see, Josiah went into battle against king Neco of Egypt. Listen to what the Bible tells us what happened after that. “Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What quarrel is there between you and me, O king of Judah? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.” (2Chr. 35: 21)

This tells us God did not tell Josiah to go into war. He did this on his own and refused to turn away from Neco. Consequently, Josiah entered the battle field, got shot with an arrow and died.  After this, the whole nation of Judah was turned upside down. King Nebuchadnezzar came and took the people away and exiled them to Babylon. 

What gems of wisdoms may we learn from Josiah’s life? Has the Lord been speaking to your heart? Has He been asking you to forgive a certain person, but you hesitate? Or has he asked you to show grace to someone but you declined? This may well be the next step away.

If you fall in this category, I encourage you by saying that it is never too late to be what you might have been. Of course we all understand that we can’t go back and make a new start. However, anyone can start now to make a brand new ending.

So what do we need to do to make sure we’re taking that last step? And to be where God wants us to be? The first of three points is to,

1. LIVE BY WHAT YOU KNOW NOT BY WHAT YOU FEEL.

Did you know that when God separated man from animals he gave us something they don’t? Yes, it is the ability to think and reason. God gave us an intellect that can rationalize.

Consequently, our intellect is our greatest asset yet, it’s also our greatest liability when it comes to our relationship with God. Isn’t it true that we tend to think things through? And by doing so, we trust our own intellect rather than trusting in God? After careful thought, we justify and give every reason for our decisions even though deep inside we know what we need to do. Or better yet, what we shouldn’t do? Please understand when we do this we are living by our feelings rather than by what we know. What?

For instance, I know I need to exercise. And how do I know this? Well, I have a seven year old son that I need to chase around. Therefore, I’ll need to be in good condition. Another reason is that he keeps telling me I’m fat. So I built this regime of going up and down our condo’s twenty-six story building. And do I feel like exercising by going up and down the stairwell? No! But I know I need to exercise to stay in shape. Thus, this is the difference between our feelings and living by what we know.  

At times we live our lives like that. We know what we need to do, but we just don’t feel like doing it. If you ask why, it’s because we tend to trust our feelings rather than what we know. This is why God reminds us over and over to trust Him instead of our feelings. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6 NIV).

Yet, our feelings can come up with all kinds of excuses. For example, if the Lord has been asking you to forgive someone, your feeling or emotion will say you can’t. And when the Lord asks you why? Your feeling will say, he doesn’t deserve it. Listen, it doesn’t matter how you feel. If you know what is right then go by what you know. Catch this; if you see with God’s eyes, you’ll see that you need to forgive even if that person doesn’t deserve it.

If you are in a romantic relationship you should not be in, this knowing what is right. And if you say this other woman makes you feel good, you deserve her and don’t want to give up your relationship this is your feelings. Nonetheless, I encourage you to take yourself out of that relationship and spend more time with your family. If not, you will miss out on what God wants for you.

Therefore, don’t allow your feelings or desires to over rule God’s Word in your life. Remember, it one thing to know the Word in our minds. And is another to have the Word in our hearts. Make sure the Word is in your heart.

To emphasize having the Word in our hearts more than in our minds, let’s listen to a parable we find in the book of Mark. This is about a sower and seeds sown in different places. Please understand that the seeds sown are the Word of God. Where some of the seeds fell along the roadside and some fell among the stones. Here is what Mark say of seeds that fell among the thorns. “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” (Mar.4:18-20 NIV).

The fact that the Word was among the thorns doesn’t mean you don’t hear it. Therefore, you know what you should be doing for your life. So what happened then? And why is it unfruitful? Well, because of thinking. In other words, intellectualizing something. We do this by seeing the worries of the world and being drawn for the desire for wealth and the deceitfulness of sin.  Nevertheless, once we start putting our thoughts in our hearts and rationalize things about God we’ll loose. Thereafter, our lives will become unfruitful. Why? Because we heard the Word and yet not making a difference in our lives. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding.” (Pro. 3:5). And when you know and accept the Word of God, you’ll begin to move with the Word of God. And your life then becomes fruitful.

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” (Jam. 3:17)

Listen, when you’re reading your devotions and the Word of God is in your heart you’ll know what you should be doing. As well as what you need to stay away from. More importantly, no one will need to tell you these things because they are already in bedded within your heart. Catch this! Once you start playing with the Word of God in your mind, you’ll start to go all kinds of ways. So be careful, because you’ll start making all kinds of decisions.

Another important step God wants us to take is to…

2. LIVE WITHOUT REGRETS: DISREGARD YOUR DOUBTS.

Life has so many painful experiences. It can be a failure or frustrating moment. And if we’re not careful can bring doubts in our minds for the future. Please, do not allow the pain from a painful experience cast a cloud for your future. Because if you do, you’ll walk into what could have or should have been. And we all call this, regrets. But instead, walk into the greatest plan God has for you by disregarding doubts. Better yet, just doubt your doubts!

Just ask anyone at the end of their life if they had regrets. I bet they’ll say they regretted their doubts that controlled their future. Listen, often times we enter a season of pain and we don’t like it there. It’s uncomfortable. But please remember that bad experiences should move you closer to God. It should reveal your need for Him even more so. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word…It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statues.” (Psm. 119:67, 71). Remember, God has promised and He will stay true to His promises!

Paul the apostle’s life was full of pain and torture. Yet he stayed true and never doubted God’s best for him. This is what he tells us, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phi. 3:13-14).

Ever heard of the word persistence? It’s what separates those that take the step than those who don’t. And this is our third and final point.

3. LIVE WITH PERSISTANCE.

 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9). Let us continue our lives by not quitting or giving up so easily. And, more importantly, never give up on God. Some of you may have been praying for family members for years and your prayer never got answered. Please do not give up! Keep praying for them.

Listen, Paul never gave up. The Holy Spirit warned him not to go to Jerusalem where bondage and afflictions were waiting for him there. But He was persistent and went. And this is what he said, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24 NIV).

In conclusion, what is that you need to do that’s just one step away? Is it asking for forgiveness? Or extending forgiveness to someone else? As a parent, what is God asking of you for your children? You’ll know in your heart. Just cast your doubts aside.

Imagine if Jesus who was struggling in garden of Gethsemane decided he didn’t want to suffer anymore? Or when He was being whipped and spat at decided He didn’t need that kind of treatment and walked away from it? What if Jesus thought to Himself, who wants to be crucified for someone else’s sins? And then walked away from being crucified? I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine where we would be today. Amazingly, Jesus persisted and took that one step. And we His people get to live! When Jesus mad that one step, He gave us a future and a hope!

So please don’t give up! It may be just one step away. Let us continue to live by what we know and not by what we feel. And secondly, to live without regrets by disregarding doubts. And lastly, live with persistence. So when we look in the mirror, we’ll see the greatest of creation God has made. Remember, God doesn’t make junk. You are indeed an original master piece!

DISCUSSION SUGGESTIONS

1.   In this season of your life, have you held your feelings against the Word of God? Which one leads you?

2.   In living by what you know, what gems of character has the Lord placed in your heart?

3.   What is your one step away?

4.   Group: pray and ask for refreshment & restoration.

5.   What impacted you most today and how will you live life differently?