What if God decided to only give us, today, the things we thanked him for on yesterday, what would you receive? I would imagine that a lot of us wouldn’t have breath in our bodies, eye sight, hearing, and feeling. Some of us wake up in a rush and we forget to thank God for his continual blessings. Some of us wake up with an attitude and too mean to tell God thank you for keeping you all night long. Some of us wake up with the mentality that it wasn’t God that keeps bringing you through, but it’s of your own doing. Well, I stopped this morning to tell you that if it isn’t God’s doing then it’s the devils, so you either thank God for it now or you’ll pay the devil for it later. Yea, I know you feel like because you work 12 hours per day, that it’s all you but who gave you the job? You know you weren’t qualified and really didn’t expect a call back from the interview but God knew you were worthy. You didn’t think you’d pass the drug test but, oh, didn’t God work it out for you? While you trying to cover your tracks with fresh dirt from all the things you’ve done in the past, God said I’ve already covered them with concrete so that no one can see them again. See, when you choose God, you choose life and he promised in his word 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” God doesn’t have to pull your credit report because he’s already stamped your application approved. He doesn’t have to pull your background record because he’s already stamped your application hired! He doesn’t need to call references to check your character because he knows you won’t let him down. Ezekiel 36:26 says “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”
See, when you choose God, he promises you a new spirit, which makes you spiritual. Now spiritual is defined as relating to religious or sacred things rather than worldly things and natural is relating to the physical rather than the spiritual world. When you’re a natural being, men of this world could hurt you with the words of their mouth but when you’re a spiritual being, the joy that you have the world didn’t give it nor can the world take it away. If you’re a natural being, when man speaks harsh words in your life, tears fall but when you’re a spiritual being, the words roll off like water does on oil. If you’re a natural being, man can cause you heartache but when you’re a spiritual being, God has your heart and the only way to it is through him, so there is no hurt! If you’re a natural being, when folk walk off you feel like you don’t have anyone but when you’re a spiritual being, when folk walk off it’s just God’s way of removing your enemies. If you’re a natural being when man says sickness you feel like you have no hope but when you’re a spiritual being, when sickness comes, you claim healing before the treatment begins! When you get tired of trying the world and it keeps letting you down, try God because his promises never fail! When you get tired of picking that man or woman who keeps hurting you, pick God and let him do the rest! When you are tired of running and hiding from folks of this world, run to God and he’ll protect you. When you are tired of trying to act like you got it all together when your eyes are all cried out, cry to God and he’ll give you joy!
Romans 8:26 says “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” With God, you’re covered by the Holy Spirit and with the Holy Spirit; you don’t have to say a word because it’ll intercede on your behalf. You know when you keep getting phone calls from the school about your child who just won’t act right and when you hang up the phone all you know to do is put your head in your hand? Well, your prayer has already reached God’s ears because the Holy Spirit has interceded on your behalf. See, it doesn’t matter what your words are as long as they match your heart. For the bible says in Psalm 66:18, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” If you are standing at altar prayer, praying for the deliverance of your sister but in your heart you are praying for their downfall, God isn’t listening to your words because it’s what’s in your heart that matters and it’s the same way with the Holy Spirit. If your heart is humble and meek, then what you want to say reaches God’s ears even without you mumbling a word. Psalm 24:4-5 says “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” I know you’ve had a moment when the tears are streaming down your face and you just don’t know how to explain what it is, God knows. I can remember grandma saying “Child, when you moan the devil don’t know what you’re talking about!” I didn’t know what this truly meant until I had to go through my own storms. See, when you talk to God, the devil is listening trying to block you from getting your blessings, but when you moan and you tag the Holy Spirit in on your behalf, God knows exactly what you’re asking him for. When you’re in pain and you’re moaning to God for mercy, he hears you. When you’re battling your enemies and all you can do is moan in agony for God’s grace, he hears you. Think of the world as being a boxing ring, your opponent is worldly things (temptations, enemies, haters, sickness, grief, no money, more bills, etc.,) and the Holy Spirit as being your partner. When the worldly things start attacking and you feel like you’re about to be knocked down for the 10-count, tag in your partner, the Holy Spirit and let him work on your behalf because when it’s all over and done with down here, you’ll still get the victory in God’s book.
Lakisha, the Author 