God's Wake Up Call
As I reflect back on today, the one thing that stuck in my mind was what my own Pastor preached on during our Easter service.
The name of the sermon was "God's Wake-Up Call".....He basically talked about how God uses different situations in our lives to "wake us up" and what we need to do to heed them.
Its funny how God uses the simplest of formulas to get our attention, but how many of us recognize that its even God's that's speaking when situations arise in our lives. The Bible tells us that "His ways our higher than our ways, his thoughts are higher than our thoughts".....In other words when God is trying get our attention we will not always understand his motives nor will it always feel good to us. That's where trust comes in.
I have learned that God speaks in many different ways. He speaks through His Word (The Bible), he speaks through his people (Believers), he speaks through the Holy Spirit and finally he speaks through everyday situations. I remember hearing the testimonies of people that were supposed to be in the World Trade Center in NY and for whatever reason didn't make it into the city. There was one in particular where the person's alarm clock didn't go off that day for some reason. There were some that were caught in traffic, late getting out the house, etc.
How was this tragedy a wake up call you ask? Well, look at the increase in church attendance at most churches across America the Sunday after the tragedy. How many people gave there lives to Christ on that day? The Word tells us that "All things work together for the good of those love the Lord and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28-30)........There were many who cried "Where is God in all this tragedy"? He was right where he always is.....Right by our side, waiting for us to call out to Him. I believe that there were many who received Christ inside and outside those burning buildings on that day and there were many that went home to be with the Lord.
Unfortunately, there were also some who left this earthly existence without knowing the saving grace of Jesus Christ......and that is truly a (or should be) a "wake-up call" to all of us who call him "friend"......
I remember discussing this very issue with my wife. We often talk about how many of our family members and friends, co-workers are unsaved and on their way to damnation. 9/11 was a definite wake up call because one never knows when his/her time on this earth will be over. As much as we think we have forever, no day is PROMISED to us!
There will be a Pt.2 to this blog, but there's one thing that I want the ones who read this to do is look and reflect on their individual lives and see where God may be issuing a "wake-up call" in their lives. After you have done that, would you please respond with a comment. I look forward to seeing how God is using this blog to change the lives of His people. Because ultimately this is all for His glory, I am only His willing vessel..........
The name of the sermon was "God's Wake-Up Call".....He basically talked about how God uses different situations in our lives to "wake us up" and what we need to do to heed them.
Its funny how God uses the simplest of formulas to get our attention, but how many of us recognize that its even God's that's speaking when situations arise in our lives. The Bible tells us that "His ways our higher than our ways, his thoughts are higher than our thoughts".....In other words when God is trying get our attention we will not always understand his motives nor will it always feel good to us. That's where trust comes in.
I have learned that God speaks in many different ways. He speaks through His Word (The Bible), he speaks through his people (Believers), he speaks through the Holy Spirit and finally he speaks through everyday situations. I remember hearing the testimonies of people that were supposed to be in the World Trade Center in NY and for whatever reason didn't make it into the city. There was one in particular where the person's alarm clock didn't go off that day for some reason. There were some that were caught in traffic, late getting out the house, etc.
How was this tragedy a wake up call you ask? Well, look at the increase in church attendance at most churches across America the Sunday after the tragedy. How many people gave there lives to Christ on that day? The Word tells us that "All things work together for the good of those love the Lord and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28-30)........There were many who cried "Where is God in all this tragedy"? He was right where he always is.....Right by our side, waiting for us to call out to Him. I believe that there were many who received Christ inside and outside those burning buildings on that day and there were many that went home to be with the Lord.
Unfortunately, there were also some who left this earthly existence without knowing the saving grace of Jesus Christ......and that is truly a (or should be) a "wake-up call" to all of us who call him "friend"......
I remember discussing this very issue with my wife. We often talk about how many of our family members and friends, co-workers are unsaved and on their way to damnation. 9/11 was a definite wake up call because one never knows when his/her time on this earth will be over. As much as we think we have forever, no day is PROMISED to us!
There will be a Pt.2 to this blog, but there's one thing that I want the ones who read this to do is look and reflect on their individual lives and see where God may be issuing a "wake-up call" in their lives. After you have done that, would you please respond with a comment. I look forward to seeing how God is using this blog to change the lives of His people. Because ultimately this is all for His glory, I am only His willing vessel..........
posted by Ray at 9:31 PM
2 Comments:
.....yes...god speaks in many ways.
God has been waking me up for the last six years. First with many, many health problems, car accident etc., then with my husband's recent diagnosed mental illness (bipolar). In all of this He has been waking me up to areas of my life that need to be sanctified. He is teaching me about the fruit of the Spirit and how these difficulties are the means for me to learn to develop the fruit of the Spirit. He has used my difficulties to force me into witnessing situations and to teach me how to witness to my PT who is Mormon. He has used these situations to teach me to put my hope in Him and not in my circumstances. He has used these things to teach me that He is faithful in spite of the difficulties. If it were not for Him, I would not be able to weather the ups and downs of my husband's bipolar, his hospitalization just before Christmas, homeschooling my children and perevering with my own medical conditions. He is faithful to give me the strength I need. When I am weak, He is strong.
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