Thought For the Day
Better Kept Than Delivered
“Every tomorrow has two handles.
We can take hold of it
with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”
Better Kept Than Delivered
“Every tomorrow has two handles.
We can take hold of it
with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”
Henry Ward Beecher
In Jude we read that our merciful Father will “keep you from falling.”
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy”
Jude 1:24
Lord , lead us not into temptation, keep us from rushing into places and situations where “angels fear to tread!” For it is far better to be kept by God than to be delivered, because we have not followed His Word or listened for the leading of His voice.
Many years ago, in my young and foolish days, I went skiing with some of my wife’s brothers and her uncle Winston. I spent most of the day happily on the Intermediate slopes where I was quite comfortable and confident.
Then I happened to catch the chair lift with Uncle Winston. He was a rough and tumble construction worker who pleasured in displaying his physical toughness, and thought that every “man” needed to “test his metal” against his personal macho standards. Winston lured me over to the top of a black diamond run and in his rather flowery language challenged me to take the hill on! Looking at the steepness of the run and the narrowness of the tree-line, I knew instinctively that I didn’t belong there… but the relentless challenge from Winston’s lips and his engaging smile and “you-can-do-it” attitude, coupled with not wanting to be embarrassed, made me throw caution to the wind and head down the slope.
About half way down the hill I hit a section full of imposing moguls (large bumps) and began to navigate between them. Suddenly there was one directly in my path… and I was moving far to fast to avoid it. I hit the mogul head on and discovered too late that the top of it was covered with ice.
An instant later I was lying in pain on the icy slope with a badly injured knee, awaiting the rescue of the ski-patrol.
I have lived my entire adult life dealing with the result of not listening to the voice of wisdom that cautioned me at the top of the hill. I was grateful for the ski-patrols assistance at the bottom of the hill – but how much better it would have been had I made the decision not to move beyond what I knew was safe for me.
Often I reflect on this incident when faced with life’s situations. Every day we face decisions in life, choices as to what we should do. I have learned to wait at the top of the hill and take stock in the voice of the Lord… the voice of wisdom calls from the street to guide us safely through the perils of life’s journey.
4 “And my language and my message
were not set forth in persuasive
(enticing and plausible) words of wisdom,
but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power
[a proof by the Spirit and power of God,
operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers
the most holy emotions and thus persuading them],
5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men
(human philosophy), but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 Amplified Bible
Now don’t get me wrong, the Lord will at times direct us to step out and take a risk – do something that we are uncomfortable with. The key here is, knowing what His Word says, and having spent intimate time with Him - so that we are able to discern His voice from the multitude of ungodly voices that are ever present in our society.
Jesus never did anything with out having either heard from Dad or being led by the Spirit. How much more should we be dependent on the Word and Voice of God!
Yes God will deliver us when we sometimes step out impulsively and made the wrong choices… His mercy and grace often extends beyond our errant reasoning or impatient electives.
Still it is better to be kept, that it is to be delivered.
30
In Jude we read that our merciful Father will “keep you from falling.”
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy”
Jude 1:24
Lord , lead us not into temptation, keep us from rushing into places and situations where “angels fear to tread!” For it is far better to be kept by God than to be delivered, because we have not followed His Word or listened for the leading of His voice.
Many years ago, in my young and foolish days, I went skiing with some of my wife’s brothers and her uncle Winston. I spent most of the day happily on the Intermediate slopes where I was quite comfortable and confident.
Then I happened to catch the chair lift with Uncle Winston. He was a rough and tumble construction worker who pleasured in displaying his physical toughness, and thought that every “man” needed to “test his metal” against his personal macho standards. Winston lured me over to the top of a black diamond run and in his rather flowery language challenged me to take the hill on! Looking at the steepness of the run and the narrowness of the tree-line, I knew instinctively that I didn’t belong there… but the relentless challenge from Winston’s lips and his engaging smile and “you-can-do-it” attitude, coupled with not wanting to be embarrassed, made me throw caution to the wind and head down the slope.
About half way down the hill I hit a section full of imposing moguls (large bumps) and began to navigate between them. Suddenly there was one directly in my path… and I was moving far to fast to avoid it. I hit the mogul head on and discovered too late that the top of it was covered with ice.
An instant later I was lying in pain on the icy slope with a badly injured knee, awaiting the rescue of the ski-patrol.
I have lived my entire adult life dealing with the result of not listening to the voice of wisdom that cautioned me at the top of the hill. I was grateful for the ski-patrols assistance at the bottom of the hill – but how much better it would have been had I made the decision not to move beyond what I knew was safe for me.
Often I reflect on this incident when faced with life’s situations. Every day we face decisions in life, choices as to what we should do. I have learned to wait at the top of the hill and take stock in the voice of the Lord… the voice of wisdom calls from the street to guide us safely through the perils of life’s journey.
4 “And my language and my message
were not set forth in persuasive
(enticing and plausible) words of wisdom,
but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power
[a proof by the Spirit and power of God,
operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers
the most holy emotions and thus persuading them],
5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men
(human philosophy), but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 Amplified Bible
Now don’t get me wrong, the Lord will at times direct us to step out and take a risk – do something that we are uncomfortable with. The key here is, knowing what His Word says, and having spent intimate time with Him - so that we are able to discern His voice from the multitude of ungodly voices that are ever present in our society.
Jesus never did anything with out having either heard from Dad or being led by the Spirit. How much more should we be dependent on the Word and Voice of God!
Yes God will deliver us when we sometimes step out impulsively and made the wrong choices… His mercy and grace often extends beyond our errant reasoning or impatient electives.
Still it is better to be kept, that it is to be delivered.
30
No comments:
Post a Comment