Saturday, July 17, 2010

Faithfulness and the Power of God in us

He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years...He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.  -II Kings 15:33, 34

Jotham of the Old Testament became mighty because he trusted the Lord and was faithful to Him.  The key to King Jotham’s success rested in God.  He didn’t become mighty because of his own strength, wisdom, or his own leadership qualities – even though he possessed those.  He became mighty because he got his heart right with God.  Here is the key to a life well lived and a life that honors God: establish your life in God.  We can build our lives upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, and when we make that commitment we can then move forward to accomplish all that God intends for us to do.  We will not be contended with just sort of drifting along and getting by.  But rather we will rise to new levels of faith and service to the Lord.

When we take such a stand we will be strengthened – in all areas of our lives and especially in those times when we don’t feel strong.  Do you ever have days like that?  Do you ever have days where you simply do not feel that you are growing in the Lord or getting stronger in the faith?  We will all face days like that.  During those times, as long as we are trusting in the Lord and being faithful to Him, then we will indeed be growing stronger in Christ - every day.  When God looked at Jotham’s life He liked what He saw.  We do well to consider that scenario: When God looks at us is He pleased with what He is seeing?  Are there areas that need improvement?  Are there some dark places that need to be brought out into the light and given over the God?  If the answer is yes then the Lord will bless us when we make those areas right with Him.  The Lord will strengthen and empower us when we move forward in an attitude of faith and humility.

As a twenty-five year old man, had Jotham looked at all he had to do and accomplish he might have become overwhelmed.  But he trusted God one step at a time, he kept his heart right with the Lord, and God blessed him in some marvelous ways.  Christ can and will do the same for us.  The Lord is calling us to be faithful –  even if others are not.  With that faithfulness comes a commitment to serve the Lord and move forward in bold faith.  

Charles Kettering said that when he was the head of General Motors that when he would have a planning meeting with his engineers he would put a table outside the door with a sign that read, “Leave slide rules here.”  The reason being that when he would ask them to solve some problem, they would begin reaching for their slide rules and saying, “It can’t be done, Boss; you can’t do it.”  As followers of Christ let’s leave outside the door anything that causes us to say, “It can’t be done; it’s impossible.” Something that looks to be impossible has never stopped God before.   

Let’s be faithful to God.  May we never forget that with God all things are possible.

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