Driving down the road have you ever thought about what a blessing the rumble strips on the side of the road are? When traveling, I have a tendency to be more interested in what is around me than where I am driving. Due to my lack of attentiveness, I have become very familiar with rumble strips and the humming of the tires as they stray outside the bounds of the roadway. Sherry, my wife is usually with me and assists in keeping me on the straight and narrow. However, if she is not and I drift to far to the left or to far to the right, I am gently reminded by the purposefully placed digits in the road to pay attention and return to my lane.
This unintentional, or even intentional swerving along the highway brought to mind my walk with the LORD and at times my inability to stay within His will for my life. While listening to a pastor on television I noticed he kept blaming the devil for so many of life’s adversities. Every time something went wrong, every time there was a negative event, illness or disruption, it was the devil and his persistence. As I listened, I had to think what an easy job satan has in this person’s life. This individual is giving satan all the credit for everything that is wrong and everything that is out of kilter? What an interesting perspective, if everything that goes wrong in our lives is of the devil, then where is our personal responsibility for how we live?
When Jesus ascended to heaven, He in turn sent our Advocate, Holy Spirit to reside within each of His followers. John 16:7 tells us, “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” Praise God, when we accepted Jesus Christ, we have been given the Spirit of the LORD to lead, guide and give us direction as we walk out God’s purpose for our lives. I started this blog with the narrative of rumble strips on the highway because in a way, it reminds me of the promptings of Holy Spirit within our daily walks. As we live out our days, Holy Spirit is available to guide us, illuminating our paths through encouragement and conviction that typically manifests within our hearts or conscious.
This is where I think sometimes, we give the devil to much credit. In order for Holy Spirit to be able to guide and lead us through our days, our spirits need to be in a condition that is receptive to His promptings. We, as believers should have a conscious and heart that identifies with His outreach and a spirit that is willing to be obedient. The LORD desires and takes delight in our obedience (1 Samuel 15:22) and He equates obedience to our love for Him (John 14:15). If we do not pay attention, life has a way of getting us so active that we dedicate our time and resources to being busy and do not spend enough time in relationship with Him. This is where I believe at moments, we give the devil credit for derailing our lives when in reality we derail our own lives through daily activities, personal agendas, and an inner drive to be busy.
A pastor friend of mine made a comment recently that has really stuck with me. He was going through a dry spell with the LORD and while in prayer, the LORD reminded him that studying God’s Word for sermons and teaching was much different than spending relational time with Him, the Father. In life it is easy to spend time in the Word for a reason, whether that is studying for a class, preparing for a teaching or even me now writing this, studying to write this blog. Studying God’s Word is important as it is necessary to imprint His Truth upon your heart and mind, however it is more important to spend quality time with the LORD in relationship. As an example, let us equate our relationship with our LORD to our relationship with others. If we spend all our time doing something and serving others but we do not take the time to enjoy and relate to others, then are we really developing a relationship? Let us look at a chapter in Luke where a similar experience is occurring:
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
Sometimes I believe it is not the devil that disrupts who we are in Christ, but it may be our own inner drive to stay busy that may be the obstacle. What I encourage everyone reading this blog to do is make sure you are not only studying God’s Word, but that you are spending quality time with our LORD in direct, honest and open communication. Not only requesting for your needs to be fulfilled, but also sharing grateful moments of your day that we are thankful for. Sharing feelings within your heart and having open communication with Him, allowing His love to transform you into His likeness. God is a God of healing, hope and restoration and His desire is that we may be open with Him that He may be open with us in our healing and restoration.
If you are a person that finds it difficult to stop and spend quality time in prayer, ask why you have such an inner drive to always stay busy? Is there a reason rooted in your heart that you struggle to enjoy time with the LORD in His presence? Please keep in mind, spending time with the LORD is different for everyone, what that looks like or how you spend your time is between you and the LORD. Time spent where it is you and the LORD, openly communicating, reviewing, discussing, peeling back the layers to your heart that He is able to take up residence in your very being to produce the fruits you were created to share with those around you. God created each of you with talents, abilities and traits that make you the perfect person for where He has placed you in this life. The perfect person to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through your word and deed.
So, I end this blog where I started, listening attentively to the rumble strips on the highway when I take my eyes away from God’s will and purpose and become distracted with the ancillary. When you begin experiencing distance between you and the LORD and Holy Spirit begins prompting you to draw closer, I consider these rumble strip times. Times where you have become distracted, maybe even have veered from the path God has for you and at this moment God’s unfailing love is reaching out, calling to you to draw closer to Him for His unmerited favor and protections. I want to close this blog with Psalm 91 verse 14-16:
Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
God’s love is not earned nor is it increased through tasks, God loved you before He created you in your mother’s womb and when you return that love, you live in the protections, blessings and favor of His presence and glory. I pray your hearts are never callous and your mind never closed that in Him your spirit may connect with His perfect love and that you in turn may resemble and reflect that love to those around you. Shalom!!
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