When We Place 911 Calls to God
One of the neatest and most exciting experiences for us as Christians is hearing what we know is a specific message to us from the Lord; just like yesterday’s awesome Small Straws message from Marsha Burns was for me. So I was very excited when I received the following “Coffee Break devotional by Lorraine Ezell from one of the FAM Fellowship members this morning, because I felt immediately that it WAS a special message for someone in particular. But before I share the Coffee Break devotional, I want to share a scenario I often share with FAM Fellowship members. However, it’s very important to stop reading long enough to answer the questions BEFORE reading on.
What would you do if you walked into a room and found a loved one unconscious on the floor? After you make sure they’re alive, what’s the first thing you would do? If you’re like most of us, you would probably call 911 to request an ambulance and paramedics. Then you would most likely go back to your loved one and try to give mouth to mouth resuscitation or CPR, or just hold them and try to keep them warm and comfortable. And then when the paramedics arrive on the scene, what’s the FIRST thing you would do? This is where it gets interesting, so think about what you’d do…try to imagine the scenario and think of what your natural instinct would be when help arrives on the scene. More than likely, you would move out of the way, and if you don’t the paramedics would certainly ask you to. And most likely, without any hesitation you would, because you’d want them to save your loved one and you wouldn’t want to get in the way. By now, you’re probably starting to get the point of this scenario. Why is it that when we encounter an emergency situation in our marriages and have to place a 911 call to God, we REFUSE to get out of His way? Why is it that we think God needs our help…that our marriages just can’t be restored UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING? Why is it easier to trust total strangers in an emergency situation than it is to trust our own beloved Lord and Savior; our creator who holds ALL things in the control of His ALMIGHTY hand; our God who loves us so much that He sent HIS loved one to die a terrible death on the cross for us; whose plans for us are for good and not for evil? That’s why it’s SO important for us to truly understand God’s command in 1 Corinthians 7:15-16, which says that when our spouse wants to leave (and ANY spouse that abandons God’s plan for marriage as a one flesh, life long, covenant IS an unbeliever), we are to LET THEM GO…and live in peace!
As I read this devotional this morning, I couldn’t help remembering John 14:27, which says Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. And then Matthew 11:28, which says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. And then the following verses tell us exactly what we need to remember and rely on as we stand for the restoration of our marriages:
Psalm 62:1
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
Psalm 62:5
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
Then the reference to the mess Sarah and Abraham made of things when they took matters into their own hands, instead of letting God do things HIS way, reminded me of the above 911 scenario and how we ALWAYS mistakenly think God NEEDS our help! BUT He doesn’t…He REALLY doesn’t! In fact, He just wants us to put ALL of our trust and faith in His knowledge, skill and ability, while we stand back and watch HIM work, with total and complete confidence that He’s up to the task at hand…just as we would if paramedics were needed to save our husbands or wives in an emergency medical situation. So let’s all remember that God does NOT need our help; He just needs us to get out of HIS way so HE can work the miracle of marriage restoration as He provides the emergency care our spouses hearts require! So as you read the following devotional provided by About the Master’s Business, I pray that you will receive it and be blessed and encouraged!
“Quit!!”
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10a
I have a specific word from the Lord for someone this morning… “Be still, and know that I am God!” The Lord says to…”QUIT!” Quit worrying, quit fidgeting, quit trying to solve it yourself. You have been like Philip when Jesus approached him about how to feed the five thousand. Philip tried to reason it out. He didn’t know how it was going to be done because they only had a few cents in the treasury and it would take at least eight months wages to feed them all at least a bite.
The Lord also says…. “Take your hands off!” Take your hands off of the situation; stop trying to make it come to pass. You have been like Sarah and Abraham, unwilling to wait for the Lord to reveal the promise in His due season. Instead, you have tried to devise a way to make it happen sooner because you want it NOW! If you aren’t careful you will wind up with a bigger problem just like Sarah and Abraham did.
The Lord loves you and He is well aware of your situation. He was not blind-sided by it. He saw it coming before you did and He is not wringing His hands, pacing the floor, or chewing His nails over it. He is at peace about it…. so you should be too. He wants you to “be still”– rest! Rest in the fact that He is in control, He knows how to handle it, He knows what to do. He doesn’t want you fretting or sweating about it any longer. You have made yourself sick worrying over it. There is nothing you can do about it yourself. So put your full trust and confidence in Him. He will not leave you, He will not let you down. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think. So stop focusing on the problem; keep your eyes on the “real” solution… JESUS!
He also said to tell you… HE LOVES YOU! Repent of trying to handle it yourself. Repent of allowing it to do to you what it has. Ask Him to help you to be still. Fall into His arms and let Him love you and give you back the peace that you lost because of this.
Have a great day. Be still… and know that He is God!
Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell, and it’s sent to you free of charge for the asking from About the Master’s Business Ministry, Inc.
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