He Is Enough
Lately I have been studying Godly leadership. Other than in my home, I'm really not in any position of leadership at this time. But I try to hear God about my Bible study. That's really a great practice that you should consider. It's good to follow Bible reading plans or other set schedules at times, but other times you need to let the Spirit of Truth guide you into all Truth. Remember that Jesus said God's Word is Truth. So in reality, Christians have the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of the Word of God, to guide them through the Word of God.
At first when you try to follow God's Spirit in your Bible study you can feel lost and maybe even silly. You're trying to hear with your spiritual ears a voice that usually only speaks in the spiritual realm, and you want it to tell you what page to read in a book. But don't worry about that. Focus instead on God's promise that the Spirit of Truth is inside of you and that He will guide you into all Truth. Take a minute to pray and then go to the area of the Bible that comes to you (just try it).
As you do this, you may start in a place that seems inapplicable (like me and leadership I suppose), but if you stay in faith and give it a few minutes the Word of God will open to you as perhaps it never has. This is when God begins speaking directly to you from His Word. This is when the Holy Spirit begins pouring revelation out from the Word to you. This is when the Word really comes alive. It is an awesome thing to know God is speaking to you from His Word.
Back to Godly leadership, God has shown me so much since I felt His leading to that topic. But it reminds me of when I first studied marriage. I realized that it wasn't about my wife improving my life, but (as far as I was concerned) it was about me improving hers. It was about me caring for her, loving her, nourishing her and cherishing her. I see this now as a key reality of God-ordained leadership. It's not about the other people supporting what you are doing or about your place above others, it's about God putting you in position to be a blessing and encouragement so that God can bless others through you.
As I studied I realized another aspect of Godly leadership (I mean true, sustained, Spirit-led, God-inspired leadership), it can be extremely lonely and difficult (in the natural). Now I am generally considering the highest levels of leadership, but I'm sure this is relatively true at any level.
"And it came to pass, when (King) David and his men were come to Ziklag (where they lived) on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire . . . and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives . . .And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved . . .but David encouraged himself in the Lord His God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod (a garment one would wear when inquiring of God), And David inquired at the Lord." (I Samuel 30:6-7)
Now David is anointed to be the King of Israel, but he is basically living in the middle of nowhere with a band of misfits that had nothing better to do. (1 Samuel 22:2 - everyone that was in distress, in debt and was discontented gathered themselves to David and he became a captain over them.) He is their leader, and compared to their lives before David they are probably doing great. They now have wealth and families. God has protected them in numerous battles, and they have undoubtedly seen God's hand on David. But serious opposition has arisen. Rather than focusing on God and their history of success with David, they immediately blame him and they are ready to kill him. David has no one but God. No one encourages him. No one supports him. But God stays true. David focuses on God and God leads him to recover all of the people and great spoil.
This will probably happen to you sooner or later. Something bad happens. No one is there to help you. You can only turn to God. But praise God, He is enough. He is the only help you need. As He did with David, maybe He will bring you someone else to help you. Maybe He will direct you Himself. Either way, He will never leave you or forsake you. If you focus on Him and His promises, He will bring you through any difficult situation. There are times when God says, "Even if you have no one else, you still have Me." The question is whether we are going to focus on who we don't have or Who we have.
Look at what the Apostle Paul said, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me . . . Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." (2 Timothy 4:16-17)
Paul also said, "But what things were gain to me (in my past life), those I counted loss for Christ. Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." (Philippians 3:8)
I love that second verse and how it illustrates both sides of the coin. Yes, Paul gave up probably everything in the natural realm, but he realized that, in reality, they were worthless when compared with Christ. I'm not saying that God wants us broke so that we can appreciate Him more. That's crazy. I am fully persuaded that God wants us to be blessed financially (2 Corinthians 9:11), yes that He wants wealth and riches in our houses (Psalms 112:3), and that He wants us to ride on the high places of the earth (Isaiah 58:14). But you may be in a place where natural things seem far away. And you may come to a place where natural things do nothing for you.
I have a burning desire in my heart to do God's will in my life. If I had a billion dollars, that would not take that desire away. As you increase in life (as a man or woman of God) the pleasures of this life will most likely hold less and less for you in terms of your inner peace and sense of accomplishment. But you can't let this diminish your hunger for God's Work. You can't let this diminish your energy to do what God has called you to do. You've got to come to the place where He is all you desire and He is all you need.
Again, I am well aware of the importance of relationships, and I am well aware of God's desire to bless us materially. But my point is you must come to the place that to continue growing, to continue fighting, to continue striving for everything God has called you to do, you don't NEED any other person, and you don't NEED any other thing. God (His love, His presence, His Spirit, His approval and His companionship) must be enough.
When He is enough, then He is all you need. When He is enough for you then you will go after Him and His will regardless of any natural circumstance. You won't regard the cares of others, the cares of things, or any other care of any kind. And in spite of any natural circumstance, you will still have your peace, your joy and your fire because you have Him. This is where we must go.
At first when you try to follow God's Spirit in your Bible study you can feel lost and maybe even silly. You're trying to hear with your spiritual ears a voice that usually only speaks in the spiritual realm, and you want it to tell you what page to read in a book. But don't worry about that. Focus instead on God's promise that the Spirit of Truth is inside of you and that He will guide you into all Truth. Take a minute to pray and then go to the area of the Bible that comes to you (just try it).
As you do this, you may start in a place that seems inapplicable (like me and leadership I suppose), but if you stay in faith and give it a few minutes the Word of God will open to you as perhaps it never has. This is when God begins speaking directly to you from His Word. This is when the Holy Spirit begins pouring revelation out from the Word to you. This is when the Word really comes alive. It is an awesome thing to know God is speaking to you from His Word.
Back to Godly leadership, God has shown me so much since I felt His leading to that topic. But it reminds me of when I first studied marriage. I realized that it wasn't about my wife improving my life, but (as far as I was concerned) it was about me improving hers. It was about me caring for her, loving her, nourishing her and cherishing her. I see this now as a key reality of God-ordained leadership. It's not about the other people supporting what you are doing or about your place above others, it's about God putting you in position to be a blessing and encouragement so that God can bless others through you.
As I studied I realized another aspect of Godly leadership (I mean true, sustained, Spirit-led, God-inspired leadership), it can be extremely lonely and difficult (in the natural). Now I am generally considering the highest levels of leadership, but I'm sure this is relatively true at any level.
"And it came to pass, when (King) David and his men were come to Ziklag (where they lived) on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire . . . and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives . . .And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved . . .but David encouraged himself in the Lord His God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod (a garment one would wear when inquiring of God), And David inquired at the Lord." (I Samuel 30:6-7)
Now David is anointed to be the King of Israel, but he is basically living in the middle of nowhere with a band of misfits that had nothing better to do. (1 Samuel 22:2 - everyone that was in distress, in debt and was discontented gathered themselves to David and he became a captain over them.) He is their leader, and compared to their lives before David they are probably doing great. They now have wealth and families. God has protected them in numerous battles, and they have undoubtedly seen God's hand on David. But serious opposition has arisen. Rather than focusing on God and their history of success with David, they immediately blame him and they are ready to kill him. David has no one but God. No one encourages him. No one supports him. But God stays true. David focuses on God and God leads him to recover all of the people and great spoil.
This will probably happen to you sooner or later. Something bad happens. No one is there to help you. You can only turn to God. But praise God, He is enough. He is the only help you need. As He did with David, maybe He will bring you someone else to help you. Maybe He will direct you Himself. Either way, He will never leave you or forsake you. If you focus on Him and His promises, He will bring you through any difficult situation. There are times when God says, "Even if you have no one else, you still have Me." The question is whether we are going to focus on who we don't have or Who we have.
Look at what the Apostle Paul said, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me . . . Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." (2 Timothy 4:16-17)
Paul also said, "But what things were gain to me (in my past life), those I counted loss for Christ. Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." (Philippians 3:8)
I love that second verse and how it illustrates both sides of the coin. Yes, Paul gave up probably everything in the natural realm, but he realized that, in reality, they were worthless when compared with Christ. I'm not saying that God wants us broke so that we can appreciate Him more. That's crazy. I am fully persuaded that God wants us to be blessed financially (2 Corinthians 9:11), yes that He wants wealth and riches in our houses (Psalms 112:3), and that He wants us to ride on the high places of the earth (Isaiah 58:14). But you may be in a place where natural things seem far away. And you may come to a place where natural things do nothing for you.
I have a burning desire in my heart to do God's will in my life. If I had a billion dollars, that would not take that desire away. As you increase in life (as a man or woman of God) the pleasures of this life will most likely hold less and less for you in terms of your inner peace and sense of accomplishment. But you can't let this diminish your hunger for God's Work. You can't let this diminish your energy to do what God has called you to do. You've got to come to the place where He is all you desire and He is all you need.
Again, I am well aware of the importance of relationships, and I am well aware of God's desire to bless us materially. But my point is you must come to the place that to continue growing, to continue fighting, to continue striving for everything God has called you to do, you don't NEED any other person, and you don't NEED any other thing. God (His love, His presence, His Spirit, His approval and His companionship) must be enough.
When He is enough, then He is all you need. When He is enough for you then you will go after Him and His will regardless of any natural circumstance. You won't regard the cares of others, the cares of things, or any other care of any kind. And in spite of any natural circumstance, you will still have your peace, your joy and your fire because you have Him. This is where we must go.
nice one.God increase u.Amen
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