Tag: trust

life, Spiritual

How to react to being cursed

Dr. R. A.

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Sometimes the enemy launches attacks from every side forcefully. These attacks usually occur when we are still adjusting to the place where we are called to be. This reminds me of a scene in Kung Fu Panda 1 where the Panda was dreaming of being the chosen one and was under severe attack from every angle. He had to be very alert as he wards off the enemy’s attacks. There was no time to rest or even to have the pity party ‘why me”. Instead, he had to be vigilant in fighting until he came out victorious. However, in real life, we do not always approach the attacks of the enemy in this manner. The attacks may occur very suddenly and have various impacts.

The intensity of these attacks can leave us in a state of confusion and vulnerability. We do not know how to face the future as seemingly our world has turned upside down. Sometimes even those who love are aloof and indifferent. Those that we thought were in our corner has proven to be nothing but a mirage.  We find ourselves pondering the next step that we should take. It is in those moments that we should ensure that we do not rely on our emotions but instead look to God. Although this may seem difficult to do we should look to God for guidance each step of the way. Knowing that He has everything under control.

The infamous David found himself in a similar predicament. He had now taken the throne as the king of Judah and was still in the adjustment phase. He had recently been relieved of always running and hiding from Saul who was trying to kill him as Saul was now dead. One would have thought that he would be able to rest and strategize how to get the remaining portions of the nation of Israel. However, his beloved son Absalom decided to plot against him, steal the kingdom and now had the king on the run.

Thinking of all that he had been through to this point he could easily say “I am tired” and throw in the towel. He could have thought the price to pay for being king of Israel is just too much and quit. He could have also ordered to have his son killed by one of his mighty warrior guards. But he decided to run for his life and the life of his men. While on the run a supporter of the former King Saul decided to curse David. Not only did he curse David verbally, but he also threw stones at him and his men. Shimei made David aware that what he was experiencing was because he was evil and that God was paying him back. It got so bad that Abishai wanted to go over and cut off Shimei’s head. This seemed like the right thing to do. After all, David has suffered enough to be who he was called to be – King of Israel. Nevertheless, David’s advice was to leave Shimei alone and allow him to continue cursing as God was the one who permitted him to do so.

I must admit that David’s statement left me flabbergasted. Although he had the power to do something about being cursed by Shimei he made the decision to leave things in God’s hand. He trusted in the Sovereignty of God. David even further stated that “perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” 2 Samuel 16:12. He was giving God total control of his experience while hoping that God would reward evil for good. David gave the perfect example of how to handle being cursed.

So, in case you missed it in the ramblings, here you go. When being cursed, you should:

  1. Keep on walking. Focus on where you are heading and do not become distracted by the words or the stones that are being thrown at you. Never give up on the promise that God has given you. Even if it means that you have to walk through hell for your promise, keep on walking.
  2. Do not listen to the ill advice of supporters. Those that are surrounding you in your crisis moment and are aware of all that you have been through may provide incorrect advice because of your position and history. Do not give heed to ill advice. Two wrongs never make a right.
  3. Trust the Sovereignty of God. Nothing that is happening to you is taking God off-guard. He is in control of your life and knows the beginning from the end. Nothing is happening to you by chance.
  4. Allow God to fight for you. Although it may seem easy to fight for yourself allow God to fight for you. There is no victory like the one that God wins.
  5. Expect God to Work on your behalf. Your situation may seem dark and dismal. You may feel like you deserve what you are experiencing. However, never give up hope in God. Always expect Him to turn your situation around. God has a way of rewarding evil for good.

Prayer: God we are asking you to give us the tenacity that is needed to keep walking until we receive the promise. Help us to keep our eyes focused on You and not give heed to the distractions that outline the pathway. Fortify our bond of trust in You. Help us to always look to You with expectation, regardless of what our current experiences. Guard our ears so that we can clearly hear Your voice and heed to Your good advice. Amen.

5/26/17 Dr.R.A.

Spiritual

Do-Over

Dr. R. A.

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Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; Don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He is the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.Run to GOD! Prov. 3:5-6

Every now and again when the hustling and bustling of life activities come to a halt, we find ourselves in reflection mode. The choices that we have made rummage through the proverbial magnifying glass within our minds. It is within these moments that no matter how well established and successful we have become that secrets deep within our heart surface, and we admit to ourselves silently that we could have made better choices in some aspects. Better choices where success was at the expense of happiness; instant gratification at the expense of self-esteem and pride at the expense of love. There are areas where choice wounds cut so deep that although it’s been years the wound has still not been healed. It is in those moments that we furtively wish for a do-over. Although in the open we pretend that this is not applicable to us, behind closed doors we allow the light to enter the darkest room in our hearts.

Contrary to popular beliefs even stalwarts of old like Abraham, David, Paul, Jonah to name a few, had these pensive moments, but they allowed the light of God to shine in the darkness of their heart. They had a revelation of the “do-over” God. There are several keys required to unlock the doors of the do-over process. The first key to having a do-over is to ALLOW the light of God to shine within our dark areas. David stated emphatically in the book of Psalm that he wanted God to “enlighten his darkness.” After letting the light in, the next crucial step that we must take is to TRUST God. I say trust… really TRUST God. We often profess that we trust God, but when put to the test we fail miserably as we murmur, complain, whimper, whine, look for other options and sometimes even become stagnant. However, take God at His word and Trust Him from the bottom of your heart not trying to figure things out on your own. You see God can be trusted. He can be trusted even when we mess up. If we should go back to the beginning of the Bible, we read the famous story of Adam and Eve’s poor choice, which resulted in them needing a do-over. In their time of need, they did not run to God and asked for the do-over instead they tried to cover themselves and hide from the presence of God. However, God showed up consistently, and inquired Adam where are you? When they reluctantly admitted where they were and allowed the light of God to shine in, God introduced them to the “do-over” God. Proving that even in your mess God can be trusted.

The next vital key is listening. LISTEN to the voice of God. We are a generation who love the sound of our own voice. This I believe is the genesis of problems but that’s another story. To prove this point where we converse we often listen to respond to the individual and not to hear what is being said. Listening to the voice of God is key as it will keep us on track to our destiny. It is listening to our own voice and the voice of others that causes us to be hijacked and held as captives on our journey to our purpose. As such, we need to LISTEN to God’s voice, listen not to respond but instead LISTEN to FOLLOW. The voice of God not only guides, reproves and admonish but it also comforts. Whenever we fail to listen, just like sheep we end up falling in ditches and cannot come out unless drawn out by the shepherd. Therefore, LISTEN to God’s voice to get instructions for a do-over.

Finally, we need to run. RUN to God. Whenever we are faced with heightened emotions, our first instinct is to run. This I realize is a good thing as the reason it was embedded within us is that we can RUN to GOD. It is said that the reason we are given a leap year is that the calendar does not truly reflect God’s time and so it drifts. Whenever there is a leap year, we get to spring forward to where we should have been before we drifted. Just like it is in the natural we in our spiritual lives have often strayed from God and need a do-over that will cause us to leap into the place that was designed for us to be. As such, we need to run to God. Run to God like Joseph did when he was faced with the choice of satisfying his flesh. After all, the Bible did say that we should flee youthful lust. Run to God. Run like a deer runs into the water whenever it is thirsty or afraid. Run to God, as He is the only one that can give the ultimate do-over.

Now, never forget that the keys to a do-over are ATLR. Allow the light of God to shine within our darkness; Trust God; Listen to God’s Voice and Run to God.

12/3/16 Dr.R.