Scripture:

2 Chronicles 26:16

16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.

Stay Humble

Things had gotten away from King Uzziah, it had great success, both militarily and agriculturally, so much so that he became famous for the weapons they created.   Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride comes before the fall."    Whenever we begin to think "Look what I have done, look what I have made!", we are on a slippery slope.   I often remind people that the gifts I have come from the Lord, that what I can do, it is because of Him, the knowledge, the aptitude, the strength are because of Him.     In fact, Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that we make plans, but it is the Lord who brings success.   Uzziah had lost sight of who gave him success, and pride entered his heart, and that led to foolish decisions, which ultimately led to his poor finish.   

Our God-Shot today is to allow God to be the one who lifts us up. Stay humble, recognizing that it is God's presence in your life that makes you great; don't let pride enter in and cause you to sin, stall and destroy your life.

But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. ~Psalm 3:3

Lord, you deserve all the glory. Everything I have is because of you; you are my source; everything I need is found in you.   Thank you for all the goodness in my life. I pray that you would not allow any area of pride in my life that would lead to destructive ends.   In Jesus' name, amen!

Scripture:

Jonah 1:3 

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

You Cannot Resist Your Calling

Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh because it was hard. It stretched him beyond what he was willing to do; the People of Nineveh were a brutal people who showed no mercy in battle and were mortal enemies of Israel.  

So, in human eyes, it was easy to understand his resistance.   But we discover that nothing good is easy in this life, and we discover later that God is working out good in this situation through Jonah, bringing a lost people to the Lord that no one thought could be saved.  

Although Jonah was resisting God, He could not escape his calling.  

When Jonah ran, God sent a storm, a fish, and even a plant—all to bring him back.

Sometimes in our lives, the disruptions we face are invitations to pause and turn toward God. Are we paying attention? God is always pursuing our hearts, seeking to bring us into His purpose.

The God-Shot for today is that we cannot resist the plans God has for our lives; they run deep, they cut deep, we will always feel the pressure of Him pushing us toward our purpose like Jonah, but the result is the impossible becomes possible, the lost get found, the Kingdom gains ground, your heart changes, your life changes.

I guess really the question is:  

"What have you been resisting that God has been calling you to?"

Lord, thank you for that which you have called us into; may we never be resistant, always trusting that your plan is better than us.  Let us not be surprised when you call us to reach into places we did not expect, accomplish things we did not think we could, let our hearts be sensitive and obedient to your leading in Jesus' name. Amen! 

Scripture:

2 Chronicles 25:7-8

7 But a man of God came to him, saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the children of Ephraim. 8 But if you go, be gone! Be strong in battle! Even so, God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help and to overthrow.” 9 Then Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.

"With God"

I know when you read this, you think Lord that's pretty harsh. But the reality is the LORD is telling King Amaziah and us today that there is a cost for being self-reliant, making all your decisions without God, without help; for Amaziah, it would have cost him his life.  For you and me, it may not cost us our physical life, but it is killing our time (which is life), our energy, and our victories.   

There is a cost for self-reliance, and that is what the Lord was getting across to King Amaziah and us today.  That by excluding God, we exclude

• His Power
• His Wisdom
• The Victory He Brings
• His Protection

Today's God-Shot is that we would become more God-Reliant and less Self-Reliant, that our lives would become shaped by His presence in all that we do.   Proverbs 16:3 says that if we commit even our plans to the Lord, He will bring success.   What I can do alone might be amazing, but what I can do with God is so much more..

Lord, forgive us when we have been stuck in our ways, self-reliant, depending on our strength, our power; help us to trust, to depend, to lean on you for our wisdom, understanding, our strength; help us to learn to include you in our plans, commit them to you that they may be successful, in Jesus' name, Amen!