Isaiah 41:10-13 “‘Do
not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will
uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ “Behold, all those who
are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; those who contend with you
will be as nothing and will perish. “You will seek those who quarrel with you,
but will not find them, those who war with you will be as nothing and
non-existent. “For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your
right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’”
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’”
Pastor Kyle continues his
message by stating that if you ever hear something that is antithetical to
God’s Holy Word, then it is not from God, but from your own desires. What does
it mean to stop doing things on our own and start leaning on God? Instead of
trying to make things happen by ourselves, we have to let go of our hand of
power and put it into the outstretched hand of God, taking His right hand of
power. God promises to hold us up when we lean on Him
John 18:1 “When
Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine
of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His
disciples.”
Before enduring the Cross of
Salvation, Jesus (1) loved on His disciples, teaching them to transition from
leaning on His physical presence to leaning on the Holy Spirit’s indwelling
presence in them. It was to their and our benefit for Jesus to died for the
sins of the world and ascends to Heaven to intercede for us at the right hand
of the Father. Sorrow will turn to joy. Jesus came to live in the power and the
strength of the Spirit of God incarnate. We do not need to lean on mankind’s
affirmation. Our heavenly Father’s love is more than enough for us. Looking for
encouragement from someone else before we encourage some other person is unrealistic
requirement that is counter-productive kingdom purposes. Flip it. You show the
love and encouragement like the Lord shows you and see God strengthen you in
the process. (2) Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane to connect with His
Father in Heaven in this familiar place of prayer.
Jesus was not a victim f the
Cross, but actively was in control of the entire narrative from start to finish,
using His passion for our good and God’s glory. Live more in God’s strength
every day. Metaphorically speaking, God’s power begins in a garden; a place to
charge and recharge our spiritual batteries and be filled with the Spirit of
God. Whew we go when we need and desire some time each day to feel the Father’s
love fill our heart. Once inside, sit in silence for a while and lean on the our
Father, who is in Heaven. Total silence before God, acknowledging His presence
is powerful. Psalm 46:10 tells
us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It is refreshing for our
tried and weary soul. Something is going to dawn when we sit silently in the
presence of Almighty God. Sitting in silence, without distraction, builds up our
hope and recognizes God’s holiness, while teaching our soul to seek the Lord.
Matthew 6:9-13 “In this manner,
therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom
come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from
the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Secondly, follow the Lord’s
model prayer, re-positioning the heart with the purposes of the Kingdom of God. We
acknowledge God; our Maker and heavenly Father. We desire His will and way; not
the purposes of our little personal kingdom. Not as I will, but as Thy will. We
must abandon our desired outcome and pray with open hands for the desires of
the Lord. When our desires are aligned with the desires of Heaven, then the
outcome is going to be better than anything we could ever imagine by the One
who works evil for good. Pray for His divine provision and protection,
delivering us from fleshly temptations of an earthly and emotional mind and
will. Pray that the Lord help us with our accountability to Him. Pray forgiveness
of our many sins and a heart that forgives those who sin against us.
We have the truth, but do we
have the devoted faith to pray to the living God. May God be the One that we
put our hope in and the One that we go to. In God We Trust.
In Christ, Brian
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