There are times that we go through in life that seem a huge deal to us…. Sometimes we stop and wonder in weaker moments how we are going to get through them…. You know…. Those instances when you see a mountain before you…. And there seems no way over or through it…. And you certainly cannot crawl under it…. Those mountains that seem so wide you cannot find a way around…. I have come to the conclusion that these are the times we should rejoice….
Yeah that’s right, I went there.
Rejoice! Rejoice because it is at those weak moments of ours that our Lords power and strength are brought into sharp focus…. And that is the focus of this SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP….
BY STRENGTH OF HAND:
All of us have been in places we know it wasn’t ourselves that brought us out…. It wasn’t by our own strength we made it through…. I opened my bible this morning…. Actually it just fell open to a place that was previously marked for a reason lost to me now…. But it had this to say:
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
Exo 13:3
And Moses said to the people, [Earnestly] remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage and bondmen, for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten.
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
For me personally…. I thought about how we already need a moneymaker I can do from home to help my husband…. And now my husband needs $2800 to fix his teeth…. I started to wonder how these things were going to happen…. I went to my inner sanctum and started to pray…. Then I grabbed my bible and it opened to the place shown above…. And the words “for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place….”(my bible is a NKJV)…. And I knew the Lord was already on it like white on rice…. And that I don’t need to worry….
Which reminds me of this passage:
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
(Mat 6:25)
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
(Mat 6:26)
Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?
(Mat 6:27)
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
(Mat 6:28)
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,
(Mat 6:29)
yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
(Mat 6:30)
And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
(Mat 6:31)
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’
(Mat 6:32)
These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
(Mat 6:33)
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
(Mat 6:34)
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
Jesus tells us in this passage not to worry about the things of everyday life…. Like what we need to get teeth fixed…. How we’re going to pay off hospital bills…. What will happen to us should we not be able to pay the mortgage…. If we focus on these things it will only bring us down…. And then we cannot focus on His plan…. On His will for our lives…. We cannot complete the tasks HE has for us…. Which is why it is imperative we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…. Notice Jesus says “and all these things shall be added unto you (NKJV)….”
This is not to say that we should sit around 24/7 reading the Scriptures ad nauseum or praying excessively long prayers…. Stuffing twinkies down our gullets….
Remember the day Jesus was preaching from Simon Peters boat? How He told Simon to row out a ways and let down his nets for a catch? Simon told the Lord that he and his brethren had been fishing all night and hadn’t caught so much as a minnow…. And then Simon said “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net….”
What would have happened if Simon had simply said “Lord we have been fishing all night and haven’t caught a thing!” and just left it at that? Certainly not this:
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
(Luk 5:6)
And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!
(Luk 5:7)
A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
(Luk 5:8)
When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around You.”
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
Simon Peter wouldn’t have caught a thing if he had focused on his previous experience…. If he had focused on how tired he was after a night of fruitless fishing…. Yet he chose to say “at Your word”…. This is what we all need to start doing….
“Nevertheless…. At Your word….”
We know what has happened before…. We know that under our own power it will only happen again…. But it is not our power we need to seek….
“By strength of hand the LORD has brought you out of this place….”
It is His strength…. His power…. His might that we should seek…. His word we should heed…. His Spirit we should walk with…. His strength is made perfect in our weakness….
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?:
(Mat 5:14)
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.
(Mat 5:15)
No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
(Mat 5:16)
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
I know…. I know…. This talks about good deeds…. But the same principle can be put toward trusting the Lord to supply all your needs and living your life in His righteousness…. People see this…. And they see how the Father pulls you out of this place by the strength of His hand…. And they praise Him…. All that is done is done to the praise and glory of God our Father…. Our Hope…. Our Strength…. Our Provider and Healer…. Our Peace….
Just as our Father pulled the Israelites out of Egypt…. He will pull us out of “Egypt”….
By strength of HIS hand….
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a mesanger of satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me,“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NKJV)….
SHOOT’N FROM THE HIP:
Sometimes the Lord allows us to walk through these valleys in order that we may seek His power in our lives…. That others can see our lives…. How God is working in our lives…. And they can give praise to our Lord…. Jesus even says so! Watch this:
What Others are Reading:
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you Carl for your encouragement! I did try to edit this as the part at the bottom belongs in the middle lol…. Will be better with next post…. I am glad that you were blessed regardless of my lack of editing skills…..
I really loved this post Mary! These are all scriptures that we need to keep written on our hearts. Thank you for this!
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