“for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,“ Proverbs 24:16
There are many times on our walk with God when we stumble and fall, but its not the end. God would rather us try and fail than do nothing at all. He is not displeased when we fall as He always loves a ‘trier,’ just like we parents love to see our babies learn to walk and they fall often.
Our loving Heavenly Father loves to see us try new things and is more disappointed if we do nothing at all rather than try and fail again and again.
It says in proverbs that the righteous person falls often in their desire to better themselves, but they rise again. We are meant to be like corks that you can’t keep under water, they just keep popping back up.
Look at the progress of a baby and how we as parents delight in their progress. First of all, a baby is so weak that they can't seem to do anything but cry, but soon they begin to lift themselves up on their hands and then they learn to roll over. Soon they sit, then they learn to stand with lots of falls in the process. Then they crawl, while some scoot along the floor on their bottoms and finally they begin to walk - falling over often. We parents all have photos of the children when they first begin to walk, it’s a big day. We don’t chastise them if they fall and bumped themselves trying. The baby doesn't stop and say “this is too hard.” Soon children begin to run and go into school races and maybe win a prize, then they learn to ride a bike and eventually drive a car. There are many changes in a child’s development and it doesn’t come without its bumps and scratches. They fall often but they rise again and so must we Christians do the same in our walk with God.
When Abraham and Sarah had their promised child Isaac they laughed when he was born, but when he was weaned they threw a party. There is always celebration as our children achieve new things and it would be sad if they did nothing at all for fear of failing.
As God’s children the Father delights in our trying and even failing in our longing for a better life. God always has a better way of doing things than what we are doing right now. It’s better to ride a bike than crawl – amen? Paul said to the Church that he would show us a better way.
“Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.” 1 Corinthians 12:31
When I have found a better way to do things I can't keep it to myself, I want to tell people. I remember when I was first told about emails and how I could instantly send a letter around the world, I couldn't believe it, but it was true. What about a fax machine? Many have reluctantly changed to new forms of communication. I remember trying to convince my Church Treasurer to change from dial up to broadband and it was like trying to draw teeth, but when he finally did change he was amazed and will never go back to dial up again.
They asked a 100-year-old man once about all the changes he had seen in his lifetime and he said “yes I've seen many but I’ve resisted every one of them.” In the ways of the Spirit, God will never force us to change to new things even though it’s going to be better for us. He gently tries to teach us the right way. Funny how we always seem to resist anything new.
I saw some of the TV programs about Queen Victoria’s early life. At first she was reluctant to change to new things but her husband was keen on all the new inventions that were coming out in the day. People were resisting the new steam engine and were very critical of it, but the Queen’s husband saw its potential and convinced Victoria to embrace it. Her change of heart in so many ways eventually made Britain great. The rumours of the day were that if you went over 25 miles per hour you would have nose bleeds. You would suffocate in the long tunnels and there would need to be more mental institutions because of the effect high speed would have on people’s mental health. How wrong they were, for here we are in the 21st century sipping coffee in an arm chair watching TV and travelling at 1000 kilometres an hour 30,000 feet up in the air in an Airbus. How far we have come.
In most cases change is good, God is all for progress, and there is always a better way for us all. I have been showing you some things lately from the word of God about Confession and Faith. I have shared with you my journey and how I have always desired to do better in my christian walk. It's taken me a long time to learn some things and unfortunately I have resisted God often. Looking back now I see that it was God trying to get me to change and even repent of things that were harming me. God is so patient and understanding and He knows our fallen nature and how insecure we are and so reluctant to change. I have managed to make some major changes lately, even in my old age and am glad I’ve done it.
I'm not wanting to bring condemnation on anyone who is struggling to change, as I have been there, done that and have resisted the Holy Spirit’s council. I have even been angry with other Christian's who have tried to tell me that I was wrong in some of the things I was watching on television. “How dare you touch my sacred cow.” “How dare you challenge my pet doctrine particularly in the area of faith, finances and healing.” I can see now that this generation is far below God's standards, and when someone lives up to them we feel uncomfortable.
I rejoice for the path that I'm walking now as it’s far better than the one I walked before. This way actually works. I have tapped into a spiritual law, the law of faith. This law was the first law ever used, even before the law of gravity and it actually helped create the law of gravity.
Up until a few years ago my Christianity was a hit and miss affair. I was ‘a hoping and a praying,’ and trying to ‘pray harder.’ How do you pray harder? Some of the things I was doing were wrong and unscriptural. I've needed to repent but since then I have tapped into the law of faith and have been walking in divine health.
I now have a vision that wakes me up at night. I was encouraged to hear a minister say that if your vision doesn't wake you up at night then it’s not big enough. My vision makes me want to change. Billy Graham had thousands of people respond at his rallies and he was asked, “Is this Revival?” He said no, biblical revival is when people have a great sense of God's holiness and are aware of their sin and carnality.
I can look back now and see what God has been trying to do in me all these years. He wants all of my heart. He wants me to surrender everything to Him. The trouble is, because the standards today are so low we allow things in our lives that are idols.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you.” Deuteronomy 6:4-6, 10-14
When the children of Israel were told about the land they were coming into, in the book Deuteronomy chapter 6, they were warned not to worship the idols of the land. God said if they put His word into their hearts and love him there was no end to what He would do for them. He said that they would even get houses full of furniture, plus lands, yards, fruit trees and even towns and cities given to them. It's very much like Psalm 2 (The Message) where God says “today is your birthday, just ask me and I will give you nations.”
Isaiah was a Prophet. Prophets are not easy to find and he thought he was OK until he had a vision of God. When he had this vision of God, revival broke out in his heart. He saw God's holiness and it changed everything. He said “I am undone and I'm a man of unclean lips in the midst of a people of unclean lips”.
“So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5
This is what God is wanting to show us, that our lips need cleaning up. We may not have a one-off vision of God like Isaiah had, but as we read God’s word it will change us too. The promise is that that we like mirrors will change into that which we reflect. Its so important to be careful what we look at. Look at the condition of the nation in Isaiah’s day, it’s very much like ours.
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;” Isaiah 1:18-19
“O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the Lord. For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners. Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made. Isaiah 2: 5-8
I don't know how God has managed to show me the condition of my heart but I do realise now there has been a lot of things that were not acceptable for His calling on my life. I always felt like something was wrong and asked God why? He has shown me that the big problem was unbelief in my heart and how it has been getting in there. When there is unbelief in your heart it produces confusion due to the battle between good and evil.
When I went on a fast a few years ago I seemed to finally get what God had been trying to say to me for so long. I repented of so much stuff and it seemed like God had cleared my slate giving me another chance. I started again but since then I’ve realised that it's not just enough to clear the ground, you need to replant and re-sow as well. Before this encounter there was good and bad seed in my heart, but now God wants there to be good seed only. God showed me where the bad seed was coming from and how it was choking the good things in my life. The big thing problem was coming through the media. In Jeremiah 15:19 it says.
“Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth.” Jeremiah 15:19
God said to the Prophet “if you take forth the precious from the vile you will be as his mouth.” I want to be as God's mouth don't you? God wants a prophetic people in these last days who will speak out powerful words for Him. The trouble is we have had ‘forked’ tongues, deceptive speech, even lies at times. We say we will do something yet we do another and we often don't keep our word. We need to be careful with what comes into our lives because it produces what will eventually come out. God said that the Children of Israel should not plant mixed seed in their crop and we often do that without realising it. God wants a pure crop. “You shall not sow your field with mixed seed.” Leviticus 19:19
God wants a people with pure speech. “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him with one accord.” Zephaniah 3:9
“He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend.” Proverbs 22:11
Psalm 110 is one of my favourite Psalms. I believe it is a prophetic Psalm for the last days. It says that the rod of God’s strength was to come out of Zion. The rod is the word of God and it's to come out of Zion which is the Church. It says that Jesus will smite the earth the rod of his mouth. That’s the word of God. God wants His word to come out of our mouths and we are to rule in the midst of our enemies.
“The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers (surrender) In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.” Psalm 110:1-5
In this day that is spoken of here there will be a people who will surrender everything to God, even their tongues. What God wants is for us to enforce with our words what we have already obtained through the cross. Jesus has already plundered principalities and powers. The Devil’s power has been destroyed at the cross and we need to declare this truth with faith filled words. The Bible says that we will produce after our own kind, so if we have revival in our own hearts we will produce the same by speaking words of fire setting men and women alight.
Remember God knows where we are at, right now but I am encouraging you to seek for the better way. No matter where you’re at, the Bible says;
“a bruised reed He will not break and the smoking flax He will not quench.” Matthew 20:20
Let’s not sit still and do nothing, let's at least start the journey. If we fall we will can rise again, dust ourselves off and move towards our destiny – Amen?