I recently returned from the Church Of God In Christ’s 105th Annual Holy Convocation – it was awesome! There were so many memorable highlights: my pastor was elected to the Presidium of our denomination – the General Board; the General Assembly re-elected Bishop Charles Edward Blake, Sr. as our Presiding Bishop of our denomination; I heard several awesome, soul stirring messages; and most importantly the Lord revived my soul.
Wednesday Morning, during the Morning Manna service, I was moved and inspired by Bishop Jackie Cortez Vaughan of Kansas City, Ks. He preached about Daniel’s intercession for Israel during their captivity in Babylon. During the service, I was struggling within myself to really open myself and receive of the Lord. Quite frankly I was carrying a lot of pastoral baggage. I was concerned about this project at the church; I was concerned about this member; I was concerned about my mother; I was concerned about a myriad of things and I wasn’t tuned in to the Spirit of God at all! When the Lord brought it to my attention, I began to sink deeper. I felt guilty and distant from God. I just couldn’t seem to shake whatever was hindering me. Suddenly, I heard the Lord say to me, “Come on, you’re better than this”!
Immediately my mind went back to the text in Numbers 13. You remember this one well. Moses had sent the spies to collect information on their Promised Land – Canaan. Of those that went, Joshua and Caleb reported with confidence, that the land was great. They told Moses the land was everything God said it would be, and they (the people of Israel) were well able to take it. However, ten of the spies had a different perspective. Notice I used the word “perspective”. They agreed that the land was great and flowing with milk and honey. But they focused on the size of the inhabitants and believed the Children of Israel were as grasshoppers in the eyes of the Canaanites because they (Israel) saw themselves as grasshoppers.
What is it about us that too often when challenges arise; we let other people define who we are? I have discovered that I am most often very critical of myself. Are you the same way? We don’t like how we look, sound, sing, and the list goes on. I have also learned that people treat you for the most part how you feel about yourself. I have also learned for some, this is an ongoing battle. Why else would God continually encourage us?
Think about verses like, “I can do all things…”, or “We are more than conquerors…”, or “Greater is he that is within us…” or “We are joint heirs with Christ”. Have you forgotten, “We are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation…?” Yes saints of God, He thinks pretty highly of us. But what do we think of ourselves? How often do you get down on yourself? How many times have you been experiencing a great day and someone comes along and says something that throws you for a loop and you struggle shaking it off?
There is an account in II Kings where the city of Samaria is surrounded by the Syrians. The people of Samaria are starving. There were some lepers who were citizens of Samaria, but they had been kicked out of their city because of their illness. While they were sitting outside of the city, after they finished feeling sorry for themselves, they decided to do something about their situation. They reasoned, “If we stay here we will die; if the Syrians find us they will kill us; we might as well go back to our homes”. You know what happens – they start off walking toward Samaria and stumbled upon the remains of the Syrian army. The Lord had sent an angel and destroyed the enemy and it took those lepers three days to collect the spoil and there was still some left. Had those lepers continued to beat themselves up, they would have died hungry, lonely, and poor and separated from their families. They would not have fulfilled their destiny and the plans the Lord had for them. Even worse, their city would have starved to death!
My friend, I don’t care how bad it feels; it doesn’t matter what you’ve done; regardless of what they say about you; you’re better than that!! I want to encourage you to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back in the race! Your family needs you, your neighbors need you; your co-workers, your church family, your pastor, your country need you. God has invested too much in you.
When King David felt in despair at Ziklag because of a bitter defeat, at first the soldiers wanted to stone him. But the Bible says, “And David encouraged himself in the Lord”. (I Samuel 30:6) Let me encourage you as well, you’re better than this!
I bless you in the name of the Lord.
Pastor you snapped with this Im encouraged