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King Uzziah’s story reminds us that pride
goes before a fall. Uzziah died in disgrace
because he would not submit to God.
Prior to this recent season of economic
fallout, some of us had reached a level of
comfort in life because of our business
acumen, job stability or talent. We had
become reasonably satisfied with our lives;
but as things around us have changed, we
have begun to realize that we are facing a
future that is forcing us to redefine life in
many ways.
As a result of this shake-up, some of us
have become fearful or anxious because
we’ve been listening to the negative reports
and forecasts regarding the economic and
political future; but whose report will you
believe? The report of the Lord says victory!
The report of the Lord says walk by faith and
not by sight. The report of the Lord says that
the just shall life by faith!
What we do in this next season will
determine whether God is glorified in our
lives or not! We must remember that God’s
plan, timing and purpose for our lives is not
controlled by the circumstances that
surround us; nor is it subject to the economy,
political climate or social trends; success in
God hinges on submission to God.
In times like these, you must decide
whether it is a time of famine or feasting. I
like to say it this way, “While the world is
being downsized; the people of God are
being super-sized.” Here are some
suggestions for those of you who want to
super-size…
REDISCOVER GOD. Enter into a season
of rediscovery of who God is and who you
are in Him. Go back to the time when you
were hungry for God, so hungry that it didn’t
matter how long it took in your prayer closet
or how deep you had to go in your worship.
Rediscover the joy of being lost in His
presence; hearing God and then submitting
to His instruction.
REEVALUATE LIFE. What is life apart
from God? Are there doors that you have
opened that you need to close; or doors that
you’ve closed that you need to open?
Whether those doors are in relationships,
business pursuits or other areas, it’s time to
re-value, re-write and reorganize things in
your life based on God’s standards. Life
according to the world’s standards is only a
fragile whisper; it is meaningless apart from
God. In times like these, your values are
vividly reflected in how you invest your time
and your money. You will only find true
meaning in life when you begin to value what
God values—“a contrite heart and a broken
spirit” (Psa. 51:17); in other words, a person
who chooses to humble himself or herself
before God.
REALIGN YOUR PRIORITIES. In times
like these, your future depends on your
humility. If you will surrender and submit
your intellect to God’s authority, He will bless
you beyond your wildest imagination.
Proverbs 3:5-6 confirms, “Trust in the LORD
with all your heart, And lean not on your own
understanding; In all your ways acknowledge
Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
Realignment demands that you go back
and straighten things out. There are some
relationships that you might need to
straighten out. Who do you need to
apologize to? Who do you need to forgive?
Don’t let another day go by…do it now!
Realignment demands that you go back
and establish order. Maybe things got out of
order with your finances and now your
integrity has slipped. You’ve been ducking and
dodging creditors because it was hard to make
payments; you’ve been robbing ‘Peter to pay
Paul’ and now you’ve resorted to robbing God
from His tithe. You’ve even stopped going to
church regularly so you could avoid feeling
bad. It’s time to get back in order.
Realignment demands that you go back
to the foundation of faith. You were created
on purpose for purpose. If you are going to
walk in purpose, it means you must walk by
faith and not by sight. The fulfillment of your
purpose is not contingent on what’s going
on around you; it is contingent on God’s
Word to you. If God said it…that settles it!
His word will not return void. His word is His
bond. He is still able to finish what He
started!
Some years ago, I had an old car that had
bad tires. I didn’t have the money to buy new
tires, so I kept driving the car and the tires
kept getting more worn. Eventually, as I
drove, the car would pull so strongly to one
side that I’d have to turn the steering wheel
in the opposite direction to compensate.
Finally, the car was so out of alignment that
it almost looked like the car was moving
down the road sideways. I took the car for
servicing and the mechanic told me that I
was doing irreparable damage; I had to make
the choice: either buy all new tires or buy a
whole new car!
What choice will you make? In times like
these, will you rediscover God, reevaluate
your life, and realign your priorities
according to God’s will and way? Or will you
forfeit purpose and miss the opportunity to
fulfill your destiny?
The writer of the song, In Times Like
These, Ruth Caye Jones, was better known as
“Mother Jones.” Ironically, Mother Jones
wasn’t a well-known musician or songwriter;
in fact, she had no formal musical training;
she was the mother of five children and the
wife of a busy pastor; and during her lifetime,
she only wrote 15 songs, most of which were
never published.
However, when the inspiration for this
song came to her, she obediently jotted
down the lyrics on a small notepad she had
in her apron pocket. Somehow, the musical
director for Dr. Billy Graham got hold of the
song, and year after year, as George Beverly
Shea would sing the song on the telecasts,
tears would flow from Mother Jones’ eyes, as
she humbly confessed, “I can’t believe I had
any part in writing this song. I just feel that
God gave it to me, and I gave it to the world.”
In times like these, your submission is the
key to your success; and your humility will
pave the path to greatness.
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