“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back, lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” - Isaiah 54:2
I have personally not meditated on this scripture verse until Pastor Mario shared revelations that were really thought provoking. Each statement in this verse is an illustration of our progress in our spiritual walk with the Lord. This verse beautifully illustrates what is required of us to be spiritually mature and the number of years you might have been walking with the Lord is not a determining factor. What determines our maturity is how we face our challenges and temptations in our life and what my heart and my mind does in those moments. We all face life challenges, and we all face temptations as a result we FEEL a lot of emotions in those moments. Our flesh becomes weak but what does our spirit choose to do despite those feelings? Here are my two key personal reflections from the sermon:
- It takes daily intentional growth in the Lord to be prepared for moments of pressure. I am guilty of this; if we think God will only take a prominent place when times get hard then we are living as naive Christians. It’s the difficult times that should remind us we are dependent on God in every way. For us to change our old patterns of dealing with difficult situations that leave us feeling hopeless, we need to unlearn and let His spirit to teach us a NEW way of dealing with the same issues. How do we do that? The Word and daily worship of our God. Is He the centre of my life in everything I do, in every relationship in my life, in everything that is important to me? Where do I go when I am seeking answers in my daily walk – social media, YouTube, the news channel or to His Word? The ONLY Truth. The truth that reveals the lies in our life.
- When the pressure is on, then God’s Spirit takes over. If I am intentional in my walk with the Lord then when the storm hits, you know you can rest knowing God is IN the boat. There is peace that surpasses understanding. There is faith that makes no sense. You have a new set of eyes. You operate out of a place of authority as a Child of God. There is no doubt in what God can and is able to do. These are the moments where the state of your heart is revealed.
No matter where you are at, we are all on this journey of growth together as a church community. Just between you and God – where is your heart at? What is holding you back from having a personal intimate relationship with God. He wants to carry your burdens, he wants to be your rescuer, he wants to be your restorer. Are you willing to give Him that place in your life?
Father, you are our God. There is no one like you. We trust you with our lives and ask you to help us grow a deeper understanding of who you are. Help us to stay focused in our daily walk with you and eliminate any distractions that might take us away from that. Thank you for your mercy and goodness. Amen.
By Christabel Joy Seneviratne
Watch or Listen to Pastor Mario’s Sermon "Lengthen The Ropes & Firm The Stakes" on our webpage: remaraustralia.org or via our Facebook page