Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Friday 05/27/2011)

Today's devotioanl written by a Sweetheart of a Person: Mrs Tracy A Dixon
Don’t Be Ashamed to Stand Up For Him?

Mark 8:38 (New Living Translation)

³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Earlier this week, Shane and I went through a situation concerning the selfishness of some people in our lives. I felt used and unappreciated, and I was ready to cut somebody in Jesus name :o). Well, Shane although feeling the same way, was so calm and collected about the whole thing it caused me to feel hurt and abandoned by him. I needed him in that moment to activate his roar of the lion. I needed to FEEL he was my ride or die, my heartbeat, my billboard that told that world not to mess with me.

So after some silence, tears and one great Godly phone call, I realized that the issue wasn’t that Shane was wrong for being calm, but that I wanted  a Peter spirit to rise up in him. It’s not that I needed him to get up and go cut somebody, but I needed to feel like he would to protect my honor. I believe that God feels the same way. Sometimes He tests us to see if we will obey at all cost. Sometimes He allows things to happen in our presence to see if we will cowardly stay silent, or if we will boldly proclaim His word. Sometimes God just wants to make sure we are His ride or die children, His heartbeat and His billboard that lets the world know not to mess with Him.

In this day and age we celebrate and tolerate so much junk. Men marrying men, infidelity, lying if it protects someone, drugs and alcohol if the person can continue to function, babies having babies, babies out of wedlock,  and the list goes on. The world stands up to God every day and shows Him just how much He really means to them. The question is when are the saints of God going to do the same thing? When are we going to activate the word and become bold and victorious? When are we going to truly live righteous and according to His word, at all times and in all situations?

The next time you find yourself struggling to answer His call, know that He will give you everything you need to pass the test. When He asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, He already intended to put the lamb in the bush, just wanted Abraham to show Him that He really did trust in Him. God won’t put more on you than you can bear, so go ahead, get fired up for Christ and let the world know that our God is the one, and only living God.