Has God spoken to you lately? (Tuesday, November 16, 2010)

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NLT)
7 So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I have been going through an inordinate amount of hardships lately. Between my health, my finances and my “thorn” I have been struggling mightily in my walk of faith. This weekend I had a discussion with God about how easy it is to latch on to tangible things like possessions and earthly relationships but it isn’t always easy to have a relationship with Him. I find this is especially true when I don’t hear from Him in a while (it’s often the fact that I am not listening not that He isn’t talking).

One hardship has been with my finances and the fact that my mortgage and home is sucking the life out of me. After my divorce I always knew I might not be able to afford to stay in my home and during the past two years it has only gotten more difficult. Each month I seem to be slipping further into debt and when interest rates fell I decided to try and take advantage of them. After working with the bank for 4 months I have been declined for a refinance that would have helped me out a lot. I prayed long and hard for this refinance to go through but it evidently wasn’t in God’s plans for me. I have had a hard time dealing with this.

To add fuel to the fire I have been reading and hearing about this new movie that is out right now called Inside Job. The movie documents all of the unethical practices and politics that have led to the housing bust and recession recently. My coworkers and I have been discussing it and yesterday I left work more enraged than when I got there.

Fast forward to last nights devotional time with my Lord. I opened up our time by asking Him to speak clearly to me. Well God spoke to me in a major way through many verses, the first of which I opened this blog with. In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul speaks about when he goes through hardships God is always there. As a matter of fact God works in these times of weakness in His children’s lives in amazing ways. We must not forget the grace of God.....it’s all we need.

The next verses in my devotional were found in Micah chapter 2. These verses were like a sledgehammer to the forehead.
Micah 2:1-3 (NLT)
Judgment against Wealthy Oppressors
1 What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night,
thinking up evil plans.
You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out,
simply because you have the power to do so.
2 When you want a piece of land,
you find a way to seize it.
When you want someone's house,
you take it by fraud and violence.
You cheat a man of his property,
stealing his family's inheritance.

3 But this is what the LORD says:
"I will reward your evil with evil;
you won't be able to pull your neck out of the noose.
You will no longer walk around proudly,
for it will be a terrible time."

Can this get any more blatant and clear based on what I told you about my situation? Basically God said that He knows about all the unethical practices that are going on and it is not for me to worry about. He has my back.

The last group of verses also spoke to me. They were found in the tiny book of Philippians.
Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.13 For I can do everything through Christ,* who gives me strength.

I make decisions every day—what to eat, what to wear, where to go. If I find myself complaining…or frequently irritated, then I need to make the decision to be content…to be satisfied with my circumstances in life. It’s not hard, but it does take practice. Next time I think of what’s wrong with my situation, stop! Instead of complaining because I wasn’t able to refinance my home, I need to be thankful that I still have a home.

So God answered my request yesterday and spoke to me in an amazing way.....with verses that were already printed in my daily devotional long before I needed them.

God said to me last night, “My grace is enough, I have your back and I know what you are going through, be content with what you have.”

Thank You Lord.