HEAVENSREEF

Just like lifting weights to strengthen our muscles, we also can strengthen our spiritual muscle.  Our whole lives in CHRIST is a continuing sanctification process.  We each have a spiritual muscle that we can strengthen when used as we grow in listening to the FATHER and obeying HIM.

WALK BY FAITH AND TRUST WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE

In our Christian walks, may the LORD guide us to be persistent, steadfast and unwavering, keeping our eyes on the prize.  

1 CORINTHIANS 15:  58   “THEREFORE MY BELOVED BROTHERS, BE STEADFAST, IMMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, KNOWING THAT IN THE LORD YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN.”

We learn over time (and it takes time!) to walk alongside the LORD, being HIS hands and feet, but we have to keep an open mind and heart and be willing to listen and obey.  HE will stretch us!  It is in this stretching that our spiritual muscle becomes stronger.  We have to be willing to get out of the boat, to walk where it makes no sense and to just step out in complete faith when we don’t understand at all.

GOD has recently stretched me.  We are opening a new Church Campus here in Mesa.  I attend the one in Gilbert.  There was an ask by our Senior Pastors for some who attend Gilbert to move to Mesa.  Instantly I though oh, no can do.  It is farther and I have been at Gilbert now for 10 years.  I didn’t want to move!  And a sweet friend said to me and it was the spirit speaking through her as she gently said this to me:   are you sure about that?  Her comment stuck with me as I went home and for the next week every single scripture I read or devotion pointed to two things:  you have to be willing to get out of the boat and GOD is not interested in your comfort.  By the end of the week I changed my mind obeying what GOD was saying to me and now I am committed to Mesa, the new campus.  I’m all in and I am completely at peace with this new commitment.  But I also know that GOD is stretching me to meet new people, to share the GOSPEL and to serve HIM even more.  GOD in HIS infinite wisdom is stretching my spiritual muscle and I just need to hang on and obey.

Our spiritual muscle is not strengthened unless we move and get out of our comfort zone.  When we do, we are blessed even if we don’t see it right now.  Because not knowing where a decision is taking us causes us to draw nearer to GOD, pray, study more and worship.

JAMES 4: 8   “DRAW NEAR TO GOD, AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU. CLEANSE YOUR HANDS, YOU SINNERS, AND PURIFY YOUR HEARTS, YOU DOUBLE-MINDED.”

Part of being double-minded is wanting to remain where we are in our comfort zone, unwilling to step out in faith.  When we are comfortable we become lazy in our faith.  GOD loves to shake things up!  So listen to HIM when HE calls you out and asks you to step out of the boat.  When Paul did, he walked on water keeping his eyes on JESUS!  Obeying HIM brings peace of mind and exciting outcomes!

Strengthen your muscle today…….if you need to change course because GOD is pressing that upon your heart……..listen to HIM.  Like the above scripture says, you will purify your hearts and your heart muscle will grow stronger too, because you will be more like JESUS, your LORD and SAVIOR!  What a joy and what a great GOD we have!

ZECHARIAH 10: 12   “I WILL MAKE THEM STRONG IN THE LORD, AND THEY SHALL WALK IN HIS NAME, DECLARES THE LORD.”