A Little Less Mortal Intervention, and a Little more Divine Direction

One thing always happens to me when I am tired.  I let my guard down.  This can be a good or bad thing.  Good, because I have the opportunity to rely more on God and less on myself and others.  But bad, because I become more susceptible to temptation.  The more tired we get the less we rely on ourselves…always.  The stresses of life, whether  they be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, force us to rely on something besides ourselves.  That something may be another person, alien substances, or stimulation.  How often do we turn to something that does not last or completely satisfy our torn down, tired selves?  More often than not we rely on the mortal, dead things of earth, rather than the divine superpower who created and loves us.  As a common hymn phrases it, “And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace”.  God is much bigger than the world and every single thing in it, no mater how big it seems to you.  We see men like Joseph, Daniel, and Paul who rely less on the pleasures of the world and a great deal more on God’s love, strength, and grace.  Joseph persevered through unfair slavery, imprisonment, and accusations by knowing God’s love and responding to it. Joseph asked, “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).  Daniel trusted in God’s strength to provide him physical well being and protection while being an exile (Daniel 1:8ff.; 6:8ff.).  Paul states, “…not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world…” (2 Corinthians 1:12).  These men relied on God’s power to direct their lives.  They did not trust in themselves or lean on the brief satisfactions of liquor, or sex, or cocaine, or marijuana, or stealing, or lying, or porn, or embezzlement, or self-mutilation, or whatever it is that one can use for selfish and impure satisfaction.  These men relied purely on the love, strength, and grace that God had, not only for them, but has for you as well.  In order to take advantage of it you must tap into the superpower of Jesus Christ, and calmly let your guard down.  You must hand over every little choice to God and say, “Lord I lay it in Your hands.  Show me, in your Word and in my quiet time with You, where You want to direct my life and I will gladly give it to You.”

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