One Reason

 "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " Exodus 3:14 "Martha had only one reason to remove the stone from the tomb of Lazarus; Jesus said to do it." Anne Graham Lotz

The Lord oftentimes tells us to do impossible things, have impossible faith, and exercise impossible obedience. He sends us into impossible places amidst impossible circumstances. He did so with both Moses and Martha. They are only two among so many with whom He's done this. Perhaps He's done it with you. Perhaps He's doing it right now.

Moses grew up in the court of Pharaoh. He knew the power that resided there. He knew too the stubbornness of his own people, as well as his own inadequacies. Humanly speaking, he had every right to think himself unworthy and ill-equipped for the assignment, and he was. Martha's problem wasn't so much doubt in herself as doubt in her Lord. She thought Lazarus beyond the reach of even Jesus. Both are in good company. They are not the only ones directed to do the impossible by God. Gideon, Samuel, David, Hezekiah, and all of the disciples were tasked with the same. Nothing they faced could instill any confidence in them, especially in themselves. They had no reason to step out into such places....except one. The One who was sending them. He means for that to be enough, more than enough for us. Too often it doesn't seem to be enough. Is it enough for you?

We're living in days where I feel very sure that we'll be experiencing places and circumstances that take us out of our comfort zones. Indeed, rip us from them. He's shaking this world, but His shaking always begins with His people, and especially with those who lead and shepherd His people. We're going to come face to face with the fact that we are inadequate in ourselves to overcome the results of these shakings. Our self-sufficiency will be so shaken that all we have left is our Christ-sufficiency, which has been His aim all along. We will have only one place to turn to....Him. When we do, we can be sure He will give guidance that flies in the face of all our fleshly reasoning. To obey and follow we'll have only one reason...He's the One directing us.

When David faced the giant Goliath, he had no reason to believe he could defeat him, yet he did so with confidence. How? The answer can be found in David's words to the giant,"You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel." The Lord Almighty God was David's one reason to trust, obey, and overcome. His one reason to believe in his ultimate victory. Is He ours today? Whatever giants, mountains, overwhelming circumstances we face, we have but one reason to expect to have victory over them all; the One who goes with us. There are infinite reasons to turn away. There is only one reason to go. Is the presence of the One reason enough for you?

Blessings,

Pastor O