Ok. First let me say that this blog post has nothing to do with killing spiders. Sorry for those who are disappointed but stick around to find out what this post is all about.
This post is in response to a sermon I heard last Sunday. The preacher told a joke that though humourous was very serious. His message was entitled 'Our greatest enemies'. We were reminded that as a Christian our three enemies are "The World, The Flesh and the devil" and of course the last is behind the first two.
This sermon was timely and sought to remind us that we are fighting a spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4). We are fighting against unseen enemies who are waging war for our souls (Cece Winans- Waging war; 1 Peter 5:8). Therefore, we ought to equip ourselves by putting on the armor of God, for this warfare. We must strip off the sin that so easily trip us up and run with endurance the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).
In giving an example through humour, he told the tale of a man who at prayer meetings would always pray that "God remove the cobwebs out of his life". Apparently, the brother was struggling with some perpetual 'thorns in his flesh' that were causing him great discomfort. After noticing this, when the gentleman got up to pray the same prayer, another brother went over to him and shouted "Lord, kill the Spider!!", *Cymbal clap*.
WOW! This really got me thinking. How many of us are struggling with sins that we are praying for God to remove that seemingly resurface time after a time. Is it that God does not heal, or that he does not care? NO! It simply means that we're asking for the symptoms to be removed without touching the root of the problem. Sin is indwelling- it's in our nature, and unless we ask God to really uproot the 'mahogany-sized' trunks in our lives and replace it with His Spirit then of course the problem will resurface. If we are not actively pursuing God and keeping away from certain situations and sins, our 'spiritual acne' is bound to flare up.
God's shouting...Pursue ME!!! Why aren't you listening? If you spend time pursuing God you will be too busy to entertain distractions. If you find your joy and your completion in Him, then you would not need other broken cisterns or 'functional saviours'. Why? Because Jesus is the END ALL. He is not the means to an end. He is the beginning, the middle and the end. He is EVERYTHING.
He will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3).
This week I was reminded of Jesus the tradition breaker. He saw the Samaritan woman at the well and He pursued her. He broke rules to get to her, because He know her life was a mess and that at the rate she was going she was looking for happiness in all the wrong places; relationships, sex, and pleasure. He offered her water from a fountain that never dried up, a fountain that will spring up inside you as rivers of joy- an overflow. She need only drink from His fountain of eternal life and she will never spiritually thirst again (John 4).
He was plugging the hole in her life and giving her what she truly needed. She was created to give God glory, to live in that glory, she was a sinner, she deserved death, but God in His great wisdom and mercy sent a redeemer through His Son to offer her eternal life (Five-Point Summary of the Gospel). Awesome and indeed amazing!! See yourself through the eyes of the woman of Samaria and encounter Jesus at the well, He's waiting for you to offer you Himself and you will not be disappointed.
So, let's not just ask God to remove the cobwebs but to kill the spider(s) wreaking havoc in our lives. Resist the devil saints and He will flee from us. Go in freedom and grow in grace.
Love you all saints.
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