A Burdened Heart

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Neh 1:4 (HCSB)

Has God burdened your heart for something or someone?  Too many Christ follower are internally or me focused.  We are wanting to know God and that is good.  We want to grow in Christ and that is good.  But God has a call for us to impact our world.  That is what Jesus did and it is what He calls us to do.

When Nehemiah was faced with the words about his country and his countrymen he was overwhelmed and overcome with the burden.  When was the last time you wept and mourned over the needs that God showed you in others lives.  We are here for more than just us.

Every Christ follower must live with their spiritual eyes wide open.  God will show you something or someone and your heart will be burdened.  Then join Him and impact your world, because that is what Christ followers do.

A glorious Savior

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

John 3:16 (MSG)

Godliness in Pain

20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, 21 saying:Naked I came from my mother’s womb,and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.Praise the name of the Lord. 22 Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.

Job 1:20-22 (HCSB)

If you havn't yet realized it, being a Christ follower does not illiminate painful situations from our lives.  But as Christ followers we should respond differently than others to our painful situations.  Job demonstrates how we should respond.

In a painful situation Job responded in grief and humility.  He tore his robe and shaved his head.  These our symbolic expressions of inner grief and humility.  It is not sinful for a Christ follower to grieve.  But we should grieve differently than those who do not know Christ personally.  There is no sin in grief but there is in blaming God for our pain.

Second, Job responded with worship and reverence.  When we experience painful situations our worship may not be joyful, or exuberant but we should respond with humble, reverent worship.  Job recognized who he was and who God was and gave God the glory and honor due His name.

The challenge for the Christ follower is to respond to our painful situations in a way that demonstrate that we belong to Christ and our relationship with Him has changed us. 

God's ultimate authority

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”9 Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job  fear God for nothing? 10 Haven’t You placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions are spread out in the land. 11 But stretch out Your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”12 “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, you must not lay a hand on Job [himself] .” So Satan went out from the Lord’s presence.

Job 1:8-12 (HCSB)

This passage of Scripture enlightens us of a very important truth.  God is the ultimate authority over all things.  When we speak of Satan and his power it is important to realize he is not equal with God.  It is not a cosmic battle of equal powers good (God) and evil (Satan).  Satan can do nothing without the permission of God.

We serve an awesome God of unequaled power.  We must trust Him and know He loves us.  When Satan is at work it is under the scrutiny of God.  If God has allowed it, He has a purpose for it.

Let me encourage you that next time you feel that Satan is fighting against you, ask yourself, "what is God trying to teach me or how is God planning for His own glory through my difficulties?"