Cease Striving

I do so appreciate being able to tap into all the years God gave Michael opportunity to interact with folks ALL over the earth!  From hundreds of places, thousands of people, all kinds of situations…and to glean from his discipling of those God gave him.  What he shares in this day’s writing is so very important…I am not sure many (any ?) ever get this completely.

Cease {striving} and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. --Psalm 46:10

Jesus carries so little only because we refuse to give other stuff to Him. The passage above from Psalms is clear on the directive that we cease striving, or literally “get our hands off.” Why do we keep our hands on? There is only one reason, unbelief. We believe we will do a better job than will He. Pride trusts in the very slightest bit of self-strength. Humility has laid aside all strength, embraces weakness, and surrenders to God. 

There is another side to trusting self. Not only are we filled with worry over all that we need to do, we never move into the supernatural to experience what He can do. The secret is that when we place our anxiety upon Him, not only does He carry it, but also He picks us up and carries us to new places. Often I meet someone from my past who does not understand how I could ever have gotten a book published, been invited to speak, or received listeners. They know me and enjoy pointing out my shortcomings. What they point to is that in which I glory: weakness! In weakness I gave my worries, and in weakness Jesus imparted His strength. “For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you,” II Corinthians  13:4.

Give everything to Him. Begin with the words in your mouth, “Jesus, I cast every anxiety on You. I take my hands off, and I know and trust that I have a God.” In this way you become free. Let Him take you to places only His strength can. I have never yet seen a sparrow planting seeds or burdened as to the outcome of a crop. The bird is free from the seed-planting business. “Therefore, do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows,” Matthew 10:31.

What a sad statement Michael starts off with…”because we refuse to give other stuff to Him.”  What?  Those of us “bought with a price” refuse to give Him???  We should stop and think that through!  In fact, that leads me to take account right now: just what am I refusing to “get my hands off”?  Ooooooops!  That’s a little too invasive!

There is one statement that seems to be a sad testimony of too many Christians: “Not only are we filled with worry over all that we need to do, we never move into the supernatural to experience what HE can do.”  How really sad this is.  For two reasons…one, all of the “worry” that Christians experience when once more God has told us to “be anxious for nothing.”  We are to cast all our fears, worries, doubts, etc. ON HIM…”cease striving” (“get our hands off”).  That alone would be an awesome start to a different life!  But, secondly, to never move into the supernatural and experience Him doing supernatural works in our life is super sad!  And this doesn’t have to be all kinds of miracles, etc., but just to see and know that “that was God” when something occurs…supernaturally works out, etc…is something all Christians NEED to experience.

One little question answered God’s way can change all this: How much SELF do we have to experience before we “take our hands off”?  Perhaps reading and soaking on all of Psalm 46 will help us make a quicker decision…

- Mike Wells