So I awoke this morning at an irregular time, and that doesn't happen that often. When I looked at the clock, it was 4:46, and when I looked at the other clock, it was 4:48. I felt God leading me to Isaiah 44:6-8, and God spoke something clear to me through it:
'Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts: "I am the First and the Last; besides me there is no other god. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any."
The fear of the Lord rested on me as I read this, and then just a sense of so much peace. In all the swirl of world politics and things going on across the nation and world right now, it's so easy to get caught up in the fear of it all. So quickly are we to turn to worldly things for our aid, or to come up with our own ways of protection in the coming storms. Yet God so clearly wants us to simply just rely on Him, and Him alone. He is God, He is our Redeemer from old. He saw the end from the beginning, and He set in motion everything that's going on.
Why? So that He can bring many sons to glory. At the end of it all, God wins. Sure, there are going to be some trials along the way, and our normal American life is about to be absolutely shattered in a way that will really grip and destroy people's mindsets of materialism and western lifestyles. We as a people have lived like kings for too many days, consuming and consuming, enjoying the luxuries and lifestyles that only royalty once enjoyed, and yet we take none of the kingly responsibilities that come with it! We sit on our thrones and watch the world around us and say "no big deal", and let it all pass us by. Well, God is coming in all His glory. And at His coming there will be repentance, joy, a returning to Him, and an awakening of His people. That day approaches nearer and nearer each day, and each day my heart is becoming more alert and aware. Don't you just get that feeling like "time is running out"?
We as a Christian people need to return to the Lord, repent of our laziness and apathy, and take up our swords once again. It's time to take a stand, a radical stand, for God. Right now we enjoy the ability to serve Him in the midst of our luxurious lifestyles, but that day is soon ending, and His true people are about to be revealed. What will it mean when you have to choose between God and very basic necessities like food and water (this is beyond even just choosing God and your every day lifestyles - this is life itself)? Are you prepared to make that sacrifice? Are you prepared to really, actually die for what you believe? Or are you just on that western train of "prosperity and a better life" that so many people proclaim from today's pulpits?
It's time we take a stand, clean ourselves, anoint ourselves with oil, and get rid of our comfortable lifestyles. We were a people made for His glory, and we're coming to a climax where we're going to have to make some very tough choices... And yet, the beauty of it all is I have this undeniable burning deep inside of me that says, "I was made for this." People get ready. Amen.
