Podcast

Daily Presence: Take It With You 3/17/2022

Worship

Scripture

Two months into living by myself in the United States, I had one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. I thought it would be an incredible idea to grab a piece of paper, write down all my sorrows, and offer them to the Lord as a burnt offering by literally placing the paper inside a lit candle while I worshipped to a song called  “Living With A Fire”.  Nothing could’ve been more spiritual than this song and this moment. A couple of minutes later, the piece of paper, though on fire, wasn’t really breaking down. I thought it was so cool. I compared it to the burning bush of Moses. I was simply waiting for the audible voice of God to tell me what a good faithful servant I was. I was mesmerized. When the fire was about a meter high and slightly getting out of control I slowly started falling out of cloud 9. That’s when my bright self had another great idea, “I’ll just throw some water at it”. So I did! That’s when the candle exploded, smoke filled my entire apartment, and the fire alarm went off uncontrollably. Extremely ashamed of my newbie mistake, I started to clean believing the firefighters were going to show up any minute.

In our scripture today we see Jephthah being kicked out of the Israelite camp and told that he was never a part of them. That is until they start fighting the Ammonites and realize they need him. Jephthah graciously chooses to go and help them, under the condition that he will be the commander over them even after he has put off the fire.

I believe this paints the perfect picture of how we can treat God as a firefighter God. Every single time we kick God out of our lives, our decisions, our healing, etc., it all explodes and turns to smoke. When we realize the mess we’re in, we try to cover it up by ourselves before turning to God. Yet when we do, God has graciously been there all along. Our hope is that God doesn’t become a firefighter in our lives, but rather the Lord of our lives. This is the perfect moment to let go of our shame and turn to Him.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Prayer

HONOR GOD

Psalm 147:5

How great is our God! There’s absolutely nothing His power cannot accomplish, and He has infinite understanding of everything. 

Thank you Lord, that I don’t have to understand every aspect of my situations. You understand it all when I do not, and are able to do what I can not.

ASK GOD

2 Samuel 22:7

I called to the Lord in my distress; i called to my God. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached his ears. 

God is listening and hears every desperate cry.

SUBMIT TO GOD

Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 

 I relinquish all control to you Lord. Your path for my life will always be better than anything that I could do on my own.

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, thank you for your abundant, abounding grace. Thank you that we don’t have to earn a drop of the mighty river of grace that flows freely for us today. Thank you for the unexpected, unmerited favor you’ve showered on my life. Help me put myself in the path of your love and grace. Help me not neglect the disciplines I need to meet with you regularly and to drink from the water of life. Thank you for your rich love.  In Jesus Name, Amen.