The Danger of Using Our Human
Reasoning in God's Work
We
can create a lot of confusion in God's work and in our own lives when we use
our human reasoning and try to help God according to our own understanding.
"The
Lord said to Abraham, `Look towards the heavens, and count the stars. So shall
your descendants be.'...........Now Sarah had borne Abraham no children.....So Sarah took Hagar, the
Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to Abraham as his wife....And Hagar bore
Ishmael to him.....And Abraham said to God, `Oh that Ishmael might live before
Thee'. But God said, `No,
but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son....and I shall establish my
covenant with him'" (Gen.15:5; 16:1, 3, 16; 17:18, 19).
God
had promised Abraham seed as countless as the stars. Yet Sarah was barren.
Abraham and Sarah must have both feared that God's Name would be dishonored, if
the promise was not fulfilled. So at Sarah's suggestion, Abraham took another
wife and had a son through her, in order to help God out of a tight spot!!
What Abraham did not realize was that God needs no such help.
The
help that he offered God (by producing Ishmael) finally caused problems not
only for his wife, but also for his son Isaac and his descendants.
How
often we feel that without our help, God's promises will not be fulfilled. And
so we move and act when God hasn't told us to move or act. We trust in our
man-made plans and efforts to do God's work, and don't believe sufficiently in
waiting on the Lord to direct us.
v
Jesus never did anything in His life without
seeking His Father's will and guidance (Jn.5:19, 30). But most believers don't seek God's will and guidance like that,
because they trust more in themselves than in God!!
v
Our
lack of prayer and our leaning on our own understanding (or our wife's
understanding, as in Abraham's case above!!!) in the decisions that we take, is
what brings confusion in our homes, and in God's work.
"The
Lord said to Moses, `Speak to the rock that it may yield its water'........Then
Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod.....And the
Lord said to Moses, `Because you have not believed Me, you shall not bring this
assembly into the land"
(Num.20:7-13)
God
had asked Moses only to speak to the rock this time. But Moses decided to help
God by striking the rock twice. How true it is that the flesh would rather
strike hard (and twice) than speak gently (once)! We feel that God's purposes
will be accomplished quicker with a bit of human hardness, even when He
commands us to be gentle (Mt.11:28,
29). But it is
through His kindness that God leads people to repentance (Rom.2:4).
v
Moses
may also have felt that since God had asked him to strike the rock once before
(Ex.17:6), it must be so every time. Many imagine that the Holy Spirit must
always work in the same way as He did earlier or elsewhere! And so they try to
help Him with psychological gimmicks to bring "revival", to
"heal" the sick, and to get people to "speak in tongues".
What they don't realize is that the Holy Spirit works differently at different
times, and does not need any soulish help to manifest his gifts.
"Uzzah
reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly
upset it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him
down there for his irreverence; and he died there" (2 Sam.6:6, 7).
v
Uzzah's
intentions were good. He really longed to protect the ark of God's testimony
from falling down. But he was not a Levite, and so he had no right to touch the
ark. He went outside his boundaries. This was so serious a matter, that God
slew him. We cannot trifle with God's laws.
In
the church too, God has given different responsibilities to different ones and
drawn boundaries around each one. When we see a lack in a certain area and seek
to help God by trying to resolve the problem, we need to first ask ourselves
whether the Spirit is leading us to do that, or whether it is our own human
reasoning that is urging us to do something about it. God respects everyone's
boundaries, even if we don't. And God does not need any help from us, outside
the boundaries that he has drawn around us. Only within those boundaries can we
find God (Acts
17:26, 27). Outside them, we
will find only the Devil (Eccl.10:8b)
The
application to our lives, of the principles outlined in the above examples, are
manifold. Let us ask God then for light on this matter in relation to our own
life and ministry.
Zac Poonen
Prayer Points
1. Father Lord, Forgive me in every way I have tried to help you; in
the name of Jesus.
2. Lord Jesus, I receive your mercies in every facet of my life in
the name of Jesus.
3. Lord help me not to use my human reasoning in spiritual things
in the name of Jesus.
4. I recover back, every blessing I have lost due to human
reasoning in the name of Jesus.
5. Every door that has been closed against me by doing things
according to my own will; Open! In the name of Jesus.
6. O God arise life up my head and let me shine in the name of
Jesus.
7. My life shall not be ridicule but it shall be a glorious one in
the name of Jesus.
Declare these Confessions to
yourself:
8.
Father Lord! Announce my name for
promotion this week, in the name of Jesus.
9. My miracle, this month is not negotiable; it shall manifest in
the name of Jesus
10.
The enemy shall find it difficult
to understand the manner of God’s blessings in my lord.
11.
This month; God shall execute his
divine promise for my life in the name of Jesus.
12.
Throughout the year, I shall be a
mysterious wonder, by the power in the blood of Jesus.
Seven Fold Amen
with Faith!!!
Amen! Amen!
Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen!
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2015 is your Year of multiple restoration and
unparalleled Favor in the name of Jesus
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IF THE ENEMY HAS STOLEN FROM YOU;
RECOVERY IS BY FORCE.
STOP THEM BEFORE THEY STOP YOU,
GOD BLESS YOU.
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