"How can you move, when they are weighing you down . . ." Lyrics off suitcases, a song by Dara Maclean.
What is the best thing about having a relationship with Christ, and the main reasons that pulled me to this love so great, is the fact that we are sinners and he accepts us just as we are! In all our transgressions, imperfections and flaws, He came, just for us to reveal how much he really loves us, and how great our life can be in Him.
David says in Psalms 51:5 "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." We are all sinful, and we have all fallen short of God's glory. Everyone. If you have ever been born, then this is a universal truth.
In the Chrsistian walk, it is not that we are perfect, but it is that God seeks to perfect us. At times we put him aside, and follow our own desires or we want to do things our own way. Most times, this leads to anxiety and agony, and sometimes to sin. These farther leads to a sense of hopelessness, at times we are thrown to our lowest lows, or we feel a great sense of emptiness, and confusion, and we wonder whether God is really with us as he says in His word, or whether in our filthy rugs, he can accept us back or forgive us of our inequities.
Psalms 51 "6. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts, you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean. 8. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice."
And in verse 10 "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and RENEW a steadfast spirit within me"
So any suitcase that is heavy beyond what God wants us to carry, we should put it down. We should offer Christ these heavy burdens because His yoke is light. He is always with us, and He has given us the Holy spirit as our companion, to always be with us, and to always guide us and lift us up from our pits when we call upon Him.
Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." How powerful? That we don't even need to do the dirty work, the spirit is there to intercede on our behalf together with us. We don't have to fight the big battles, all we need to do like with David and Goliath is not to fight with weapons of the earth, but to fight by the power of His name.
The Devil is there to create doubt, to distract and to devour. We usually expect the devil to be this red huge monster, with crude facial contortions and running around with a red hot fork. Most times though, he lies to us with a sweet angelic voice, either through some people or through circumstances, especially when we are weak or tired or when we are facing a challenge - when we are not vigil. The battles which we need to be most aware of are spiritual battles, and we need to know when to fight and How to fight. No matter how much low we feel, God's grace is always enough. It was done! at the cross. It really was. Paul in Romans 8:1 says it clearly "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit set me free from the law of sin and death."
However we ought to focus on the main journey. The only journey on this earth, and carry only the right kind of suitcase. We need to get rid of the old wine-skins, and depend on God to give us new wine-skins so that His spirit can bear fruit in us. Romans 7: "5.For when we were controlled by our sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6. But we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
A final word of comfort: 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not let you to be tempted beyond what you can bear." God disciplines us, just the same way a father disciplines the son, and we might not like the discipline now, but it bears fruits of righteousness and peace, and strengthens our weak knees and arms, so that our steps become firm and our trees bear more green and more fruit, from our fragrant sappy roots. So let us put on the full armour of God (http://ernestwamboye.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-armour-of-god-for-believer.html), as we carry the suitcase which God has given us in this narrow road so that we may look on to our final, eternal home with adamant spirits and joyful smiles.
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