Sunday 2 December 2018

Lean not on our own understanding

I am so grateful that I can keep coming back to God for help, for forgiveness and for His understanding.

Source: Vidcha.com
Earlier this year a member of our Fellowship brought a Word from Luke 1:26-45

‘In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you’.


‘Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end’. ‘How will this be’, Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin’? The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail’. 'I am the Lord’s servant’, Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled’. Then the angel left her’.

‘At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!’

Source: europosters.pt
I remember being excited as the same passage had been on my heart for several weeks, although how God spoke to the person who brought the word was different to how God spoke to me. What struck me from the passage was Mary's courage. She knew how the news of her pregnancy could be received and how Joseph could reject her. Although her reputation could also be ruined, and she could have been stoned to death, she said ‘let it be to me as You have said’. Joseph sought God’s understanding and God spoke to him in a dream and he listened. Mary hurried from her community to spend time with Elizabeth who was filled with Holy Spirit and the understanding that God alone can give. The child in Elizabeth's womb leaped for Joy at the sound of Mary's greeting as she entered Elizabeth's home. How beautiful.

We too need to seek God’s understanding in all our ways and relationships; Proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight’. It's too easy to misunderstand one another. I found it interesting that Mary did not stay in her own community. I wonder why? But there were those who sought God and He gave Mary His understanding. They rejoiced with Heaven and encouraged Mary. 1 Corinthians 13 is very well known, and the last verse sums up this message very well; ‘And now these three remain faith, hope and love’. The great test of these is love. I know me, I know the battles and I have to understand and to love people. I am so grateful that I can keep coming back to God for help, for forgiveness and for His understanding. Relationships are far from easy and I suppose that's why so many are broken. 

We have access to our Heavenly Father 24/7 and He has promised to give us wisdom, insight and understanding if we ask Him. It's our choice to walk a certain way and to be obedient, just like Mary decided to be obedient despite knowing the possible consequences. Let us lean not on our own understanding but submit to the understanding of the one who holds us in the palm of His hand.

God bless.


Author: Anonymous

May God bless and enrich your life   

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5 comments:

  1. May we always be obedient to God's Will and submit to the understanding of God in all of our circumstances. It is comforting to be reminded that as a Child of God we have 24/7 access to a loving Father who will always give me good advice. The article made me think of Psalm 1 and where we choose to get our advice from. Thank you for taking the time to share this blessing.

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  2. Thank you for the Blessing of this blog this morning and ALL the Glory to God ALWAYS.
    At a young age Mary said "I am the Lord's servant" even though her decision to follow her Lord may have resulted in public disgrace and death by stoning.
    God help me to enter into your rest so that you can use me to fulfil your purposes for the Glory and Honour of your Holy Name I Pray Amen.

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  3. Thank you for this blog today , bringing the important message of trusting in God and leaning not upon our own understanding ' This story came to mind while reading the blog GENESIS 24 when Abraham asked this oldest servant -- 4 Go to my homeland , to my relatives , and find a wife there for my son Issac 5 The servant asked , "but what if i cant find a young women who is willing to travel so far from home? .
    Abraham gave him instructions guided by the spirit of God , the servant obeyed not really knowing what would happen .
    When our heavenly Father asks us to do something we must choose between ---Doubt and Trust, We must not use things we dont understand for an excuse for lack of trust , Gods blessing be upon you this day x

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  4. Thank for sharing your thoughts today in the blog as we coming to an end of the year let us look forward and not back let us look to the Holy spirit to teach us how to Lean not on our own understanding but look to our father which is in heaven may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all Amen

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  5. Obedience and submission can make the difference between religion and faith. Without these two we're simply doing some religious duty but when we are obedient to God's word and submit to His will in faith we cwn be world changers. Mary is a great example of this, may we be too. Encouraging blog thank you for sharing this. God bless.

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