Last time we looked at the truth that US (ourselves) can be an issue to us hearing, receiving and acting on the Word of The Lord, and often we use justification to do this, as it seems to appease our flesh, and make us feel better, But it also is a mask for something that needs to be sorted, usually a heart condition.
These heart conditions often start small and if not addressed can get to a point where they explode or implode which in turn creates massive hurt, not only to ourselves, but also to others: which is the cry to be seen. (Remember hurt or hurting people hurt people).
Today we continue with US (ourselves as this seems to be the area that we all need to address at various stages or seasons in our lives, for if we do not it can lead to major restrictions, hurts or losses in our lives)
Let’s start with a scripture
Luke 14:16-20
Jesus replied with this parable:
“There was a man who invited many to join him in a great feast. When the day for the feast arrived, the host instructed his servant to notify all the invited guests and tell them, ‘Come, for everything is now ready for you!’ But one by one they all made excuses. One said, ‘I can’t come. I just bought some property and I’m obligated to go and look it over.’ Another said, ‘Please accept my regrets, for I just purchased five teams of oxen and I need to make sure they can pull the plow.’ Another one said, ‘I can’t come because I just got married”.
What concerns me the most is this, it’s just like the story of the little girl who cried wolf! Have you heard it? (Full of excuses, But not addressing the actual problem or heart condition)
Here’s the story of the ‘Little Shepherdess Girl Who Cried Wolf’
“Once upon a time, there was a small shepherdess girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes and bangs, and it was her job to keep the sheep safe from wolves. But it got lonely out on the pasture day after day, and the sheep were not very good company. In fact, they were pretty baaaa-d company. (sorry) So the little girl would get bored and lonely and cry out, as loud as she could that a wolf was in the meadow, trying to get at the sheep!
And the townspeople would come running, and would find no sheep and get angry with the little girl for making them come running. The little girl apologised, and promised she wouldn’t lie about the wolf again, but the next night, she got bored, and cried wolf. The people came running (again) and were angry (again). But the little girl could not help herself. She cried wolf every night that week, and every night angered the townspeople who had come running to the meadow for nothing.
Then one night, after the little girl had promised herself she would not falsely cry wolf, what should happen but a wolf appeared at the meadow’s edge! The girl knew she had to protect the sheep, so she cried WOLF as loud as she possibly could. And nobody came. She yelled again, and again nobody came. They didn’t believe her of course, she had tricked them so often. They didn’t believe that this time she was actually in trouble”.
Are you seeing how this story applies to our message today? the similarities?
Well, what do you think happened next? Read on to see
“Without the help of the townspeople, the wolf ate all the sheep. And the girl kept crying out to the townspeople, and they never came. So the wolf ate all the sheep, every last one of them”.
“And then the wolf ate the little girl”. The end.
When we look at this story, we see drama and no one likes drama right? But did you know drama is actually an internal fault, a heart splinter (condition), or a wound that needs to be sorted? So that there is no explode or implode from us! Ouch, can we relate?
And to be free of hurts you have to trust God and people, which means let both God and people in, for trust is a non-negotiable to being in a flourishing healthy relationship with God and another.
In conclusion if we use too many excuses or keep turning God’s word down one day then when our sole purpose in life comes from Him, we will turn it down too, like the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-22) and the one who wanted to bury His father before he came to follow Jesus (Luke 9:59 and Matthew 8:21)
Oh I forget to mention, did you notice last scripture there was no mention that the man’s dad had actually died? Food for thought to go deeper, did you notice both of these man lost their opportunity God had given them? The same can easily happen for us…
Challenge Time: Grab your journal, take your time and allow Him through the Holy Spirit to journey you to be an overcomer in ALL these areas.
- 1. God are there any excuses I’m using that are stopping me from following You?
2. God are there any hurts in my heart I have, that are restricting me from obeying your invitation into life in abundance?
3. God is there any attitudes, unforgiveness, bitterness or resentment in me that are preventing me from living Loved as Your son and daughter?
4. God are there any opinions or lies that are blocking me from Hearing Your voice clearly?
5. Spend time in Meditation, simply waiting on God, Being led by the Holy Spirit
6. Let’s close in a prayer: Father God, we relinquish our opinions, our own understanding, any hurts, bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness to You today. Father we walk forward into the doorway that You have provided for us today, which is transitioning from self and self-reliance, to being obedient to Your Word and Your direction, so that we can live in life and life in abundance that You created for us at the Cross. Amen.
Craig Patten
Itinerate Pastor/Prophet
Encounter Ministries
