What’s Your Excuse?

 

By Andrea Merrell

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. 

2 Corinthians 3:5 NKJV

Excuses. We all have them.

I can remember a few times over the years when God asked me to do something, and I gave Him every possible reason in the book why I couldn’t, shouldn’t, or wouldn’t. They all sounded legitimate and convincing—at least to me.

Looking through the Bible, I see that I’m not alone.

Let’s start with Moses. He tried his best to talk God out of using him to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, claiming to be “too slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 40:10 NIV). Jeremiah claimed to be too young to fulfill God’s calling (Jeremiah 1:6), and Isaiah whined that he was unfit to do God’s bidding (Isaiah 6:5).

And what about Ananias? When God told him to go lay hands on Saul of Tarsus, Ananias said, “But, Lord …” (Acts 9:13-14).

Thankfully, each of these men finally obeyed. Otherwise, the results and the stories we read today could have been drastically different.

The truth is God never calls us to do anything He does not fully prepare us for, even when we feel completely inadequate for the job. He does not call the equipped; He equips the called.

The Word for You Today says, “When God gives you an instruction or an assignment, it will always require His involvement, His strength, His guidance, and His provision.”

Remember, as a child of God, we don’t have to be smart enough, strong enough, or qualified enough to do what He asks of us. We never have to face things alone because our sufficiency is from God.

Are you doing what God has asked you to do? If not, what’s your excuse?

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.

If It Ain't Broke ... Don't Fix It

Bt Andrea Merrell

And He said to them, “Cast the net

on the right side of the boat,

and you will find some.” 

So they cast, and now they were not able to

draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

John 21:6

People say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If things are going well and your plan is working, leave it alone. No preventative maintenance needed.

On the other hand, if you’re doing the same old things and getting the same old miserable results, it’s time to change your tactics. In other words … fix it.

In Peter’s case, it was the side of the boat he had to change. After fishing all night—from the left side of the boat—and catching nothing, Jesus instructed Peter to cast his net on the right side.

I can only imagine stubborn Peter’s thoughts: Lord, you’ve got to be kidding. I’m the fisherman. You’re only the Messiah. If the fish aren’t biting on one side of the boat, they certainly aren’t biting on the other. Geesh.

Thankfully, Peter decided to be obedient, and we all know the rest of the story. He and the disciples caught so many fish, the nets broke.

You never know where your miracle will come from. When God wants to bless you, that blessing might just come from the person or place you least expect. If He tells you to do something that seems foolish or doesn’t make sense, do it anyway.

Pray for divine connections, divine appointments, and divine favor. Always be ready to follow His leading. When you do, like Peter, your blessings will overflow.

(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Stuart Miles/digitalart.)

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Why Should I Bless My Enemies?

By Andrea Merrell

But I say unto you, Love your enemies,

bless them that curse you,

do good to them that hate you,

and pray for them which despitefully use you,

and persecute you.

Matthew 5:44 KJV

Learning the importance of forgiving others and putting it into practice is one thing, but the ability to bless those who have hurt and offended you is a whole different ballgame.

I can think of a couple of situations in my life when I was devastated by the words and actions of people who were supposed to be my friends, as well as my fellow Christian brothers and sisters. The wounds went deep and I felt betrayed.

But I knew I must forgive.

It didn’t happen immediately. It was more of a process … an act of faith. I offered prayers of forgiveness until they moved from my head to my heart. When anxious, angry feelings stopped popping up whenever these people came to mind, I thought the battle was over. But … no. Now it was time to love, pray for, and bless those who had done me wrong (Matthew 5:44-45).

It’s hard enough to forgive someone who has despitefully used you, let alone bless them. This goes completely against the flesh, our carnal nature. The truth is, this is another huge step of obedience that will bring God’s blessings into our life.

I’ve found that when I come to the place where I can honestly and genuinely pray for my “enemies” and ask God to bless them, it brings healing and peace to my soul. It’s like a medicine, a soothing balm that heals even the deepest emotional wounds. Walking in true forgiveness will close the door to the past and open up doors to a bright, new future.

Stephen forgave, even as he was being stoned to death. Jesus forgave as He hung on a cross for you and me. If someone has hurt or offended you, forgive. Then ask God to bless them. You'll be glad you did.

(Photo courtesy of Morguefile.com and Prawny.)

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