"Taking The Stand" -3

"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." (Psalms 34:8) Finally, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can separate a child of God from the hand of the Father! We have that established in our hearts, and we know that we are called of God; therefore, we approach God in that form and fashion, as His child that He has called out of the darkness. When we approach God in this way, understanding that it is by His grace that we can enter into His presence, then there is a sense of humility mixed with reverence, which in reality is how our love for God is kindled. As far as taking the stand, and what that actually represents to us as a child of God; we must understand what this world represents to us, and we must stand against it as if it is out to destroy our relationship with the God that loves us and whom we are to love with all that is within us. Oh, we surely have an enemy out there that will use every opportunity to ensure that we stumble, but we can do just as much damage ourselves by giving into the lust of our flesh, and by the desire to partake of the things of this world. So we stand, not as one that is outside the battle, but as one that is surrounded within the battle; knowing full well that it is by His strength that we are able to stand in the first place, and it is by His strength that we will overcome. I am convinced of this one thing, that if we lack anything at all in our Christian walk, it is love for God; not that we don't love God, because I am sure that we all do love Him in one way or another; but when it comes to loving God with all that we got within us, I think we apply the brakes more times than we press that accelerator all the way to the floor. If God has called you, then He has called you out of the darkness; which means, you come out of the darkness, never to return to that darkness again; when we do return to darkness, then it is because there is something there that we have a love for that is stronger than the love that we have for God. Therefore; since the issue is our love, then what do you think we need to strengthen our love for God? We have our love kindled by humility and fear for God, now fanning the flames of that love is the work of the Holy Spirit!!! When Jesus spoke of asking, seeking and knocking within the context of Luke 11:9-13, He was speaking of asking the Father to fill us with the Holy Spirit; and it's not a matter of a one time filling, but it's a continual asking, because of our quenching of the Spirit every time that we indulge ourselves in sin. I am not saying that we are emptied of the Spirit of God when we sin, because the day we accepted Christ into our hearts we were born into His kingdom, thereby receiving the Spirit of God and being born of the Spirit; but when it comes to being filled with the Holy Spirit, that is a whole other matter. Then we have this word "trusteth", as in, "blessed is the man that trusteth in Him" whom he has tasted and seen that He is good; the word has the movement towards God in the way of fleeing, as in, I will flee to God because I know that I can take refuge in Him. Now this is really interesting, because the beginning of Luke 11, and before speaking of asking, seeking and knocking, Jesus spoke on this: "Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." The other part of taking the stand for God, is also knowing who it is that we must flee to when we lack any thing, at any given moment; especially when we are tempted with desire for this world... "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." (Proverbs 3:5-8)