A come and go kind of guy?

God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

At times, we might begin to wonder if God is getting tired of all our 'asking' and 'seeking'. Here we are, day after day, asking him for the same stuff to happen, such as the salvation of our children, the restoration of a relationship that has been in the dumps for years, or the increase of our finances so we aren't living paycheck to paycheck. If God were human, he might just get tired of us asking and seeking, but we must always remember he isn't human! He is divine - he is the Creator of the universe and the Lord of Lords. He is exalted over all and all that exists is because of his power. 

We grow weary of the same 'old fight', but God knows when that weariness creeps in and we are in need of a bit of a rest. He also knows when we are growing weary in asking, beginning to take less and less enthusiasm in asking, and he reminds us of his goodness, grace, and power. Why? God wants us in step with him, not lagging even one step behind. Yes, we may grow weary, but he revitalizes our faith and restores our hope. Waiting upon him is the place of renewal - the place where we find our greatest strength.

God doesn't come and go - keep that in mind. He is ever-present, even when we might not appreciate his presence with us. He stands when we are unable to stand any longer. He goes before us when the way seems unclear, or the path riddled with all manner of hostility. He breathes new life into us when all of this world's pressures and problems have weighed us down so badly that we feel as though we could not take another breath. He stands - we rise up. He comes along side - we move forward. He brings peace - we are renewed and strengthened for the journey ahead.

I have always enjoyed this passage of scripture. I find myself going there when I am a little weary from life's demands, or disillusioned by the delay in some answer I am seeking. It stands as a reminder that God isn't a 'fly-by-night' guy - he is there even when I may not sense his presence with me. He finds small ways to let me know he is above all the pressures I am feeling and has prepared a way of escape where I most need it. How about you? Been feeling a bit 'pressured' and 'weary' lately? Bring yourself to the foot of the cross and find all the goodness of his rest, restoration, revitalization, and revelation he has prepared for you. You won't ever leave his presence the same way you came! Just sayin!

FOR, FAR, WORKING

We think about things that are neither excellent, nor true. We forget to think about things that are worthy of praise, or significant to our well-being. We dwell upon stuff in our minds that tells us there is nothing within us that is any good, or worthy of much appreciation. Yes, we are flesh and bones. We don't have an infinite source of strength, right choices, and a 'we can do it' kind of confidence within us unless we have allowed Christ to take over the control of our lives. The only one who will give an infinite source of strength is him - we don't have that infinite source within us - we tire, wear down, and our flesh gets really, really weak. We need God!

You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

God is always FOR us - but we can be quite easily set AGAINST us. How do we set ourselves AGAINST ourselves? I think we think the wrong things at times - getting all down on ourselves in our thoughts. We forget what God says about us, believing what we see in the mirror, or what we see when we look at ourselves compared to others. Self-confidence isn't made up of what we can muster up in our thoughts that are 'positive' or with 'positive intent'. It is is made up of knowing who dwells within! God is always FOR us - because he is always WITHIN us - therefore, NOTHING can be AGAINST us.

God is never FAR from us - but we can get it into our heads that he have ABANDONED us. Why would we ever believe that God would not be our ever-present help in trouble? We aren't doing this on purpose - these thoughts of 'abandonment' creep in and before long we actually believe we are walking through life alone. If we stand in 'self-confidence', we can easily feel abandoned because self-confidence will wane at the first struggle that goes beyond our 'ability' to overcome it! God never abandons those he loves. Does he love you? You bet your boots he does! There is nothing within you that would ever cause him to abandon you, so get over yourself!

God is always WORKING in us - but we can STALL out at times. We all probably begin stuff and then see it fall by the wayside from time to time, simply because we are 'tired' of it. We STALL and we begin to wonder why we ever started in the first place. Here is the truth - God is FOR us, he is never FAR from us, and he isn't DONE with us! Therefore, he will not stop WORKING in us, WORKING for us, or WORKING with us. We might fail from time to time - we are human. We need to remember God is FOR us - WORKING in us to move us beyond our failure and into victory. No weapon formed against us can ever prosper when we remember GOD is FOR us! Just sayin!