The really bad day

Ever have one of those days that just push you to the limit.  This past Sunday after going to church and listening to a sermon, on how God interrupts our life I walked out to the parking lot to find that my power steering pump (yes, the one that I had replaced about 3 months ago) was not working properly.  As I pulled into my driveway and opened the hood I found power steering fluid all over the engine.  Since I had a meeting the following morning at 7am my wife and I decided that I would just use her car.  The following morning (a Monday none the less) I awoke to a frigid, windy New England morning and a dead battery.  Well that’s OK, that’s why I pay for AAA except when I pulled out my AAA card I realized that my membership had expired ten days earlier.  Since it was 6am and the AAA office does not open until 9am I sat down on the couch and had a good old fashion pity party.  Could God really be interrupting my life already?  I mean, I heard the sermon and how God often interrupts us to get our attention but this is really bad timing God.  I’m supposed to have shoulder surgery in a few days and I have enough on my plate to have to deal with a day like this. AAAAARRRRRGGGGG!!!!

  After having my mini-meltdown I logged on to my Facebook page and one of my friends had posted this quote by Martin Luther King.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Boom! Thanks a lot MLK…I was kind of enjoying my pity party and you ruined it.  So I picked myself up and dusted my self off and my first thought was Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God” so I spent some time praying, and believe me I let God know that in my humble opinion His timing was not good here but I accept His interruption.  I then started to tackle the obstacles in front of me one-step at a time,

  I am quite sure that MLK was not referring to car problems in this quote but when our life is interrupted by anything, it feels like the weight of the world.  Knowing that God is good and He has plans to prosper us is the first step to standing tall in times of trouble, that truth stands tall in all of our trials no matter how minor or serious they may be.  God is good; He does have plans to prosper us, to lift us up and to give us strengths to face our bad days.   

Kill the Ox and Burn the Plow

This past week I was preparing a sermon about following Jesus.  While studying in preparation for the sermon I was reminded of the story in 1 Kings in which the prophet Elisha was called into ministry by Elijah.  The amazing things about this story isn't the call itself, it is the response of Elisha to the call.
  When Elijah approached Elisha, Elisha was in the field working a team of oxen plowing the field.  After a quick stop to say goodbye to his family, Elisha did an incredible thing. He unyoked his oxen, killed them, cooked their meat to feed his family and friends and burned his plowing equipment.  In other words, he was all in and there was no turning back.  Elisha cashed in his life in order to follow Jesus.  He couldn't just simply run to the store and replace the Ox and the plow.  His previous life was over and a new one had begun.
  1st Corinthians tells us that when we accept Jesus we are a new creation.  All old things pass away and we become new.  The question for you and I is, what keeps us from killing the ox and burning the plow?
Why when God calls us, do we stick our toe in first or try to rationalize our stalling?  Why do we allow things in our life to take the place of priority that rightfully belongs to God?
  I have been so convicted of this in my life this week. I don't want to follow God's call in my life in a haphazard way.  I don't want to hold back.  I want to follow Him with everything.  I want Him to possess the place in my life that He rightfully deserves.  I want to kill the ox and burn the plow!