Author Archives: Robert Sekhose
The Way Up Is The Way Down
It is funny but it is true that sometimes the only way up is the way down. With God things are just quite contrary to what we believe and think. The world tells us to push our way forward. But God tells us to surrender everything into His hands. Who do we believe? Do we believe our minds and what people tell us or what the Word of God declares? We need hearts and minds that agree with the Word of God. My friend, just remember that if you want to go up in life, you will have to bend your knees to the principles of God’s Word. It takes faith to believe in the Word of God because it is so contrary to our reasoning. But the truths that has been declared has stood the test of time and tide. You can safely bet your life on them. Humble yourself and God will exalt you. Face evil with good and overcome it. Replace resentment and bitterness with forgiveness and love and enjoy freedom. Always keep moving backwards, that is keep on surrendering your life, and you will find that you are moving in faith and conquering new grounds. Faith cannot come unless there is first a surrender. You need to surrender your will first for the will of God to be manifested in your life. As you keep doing these things, you will understand what it means by going down to go up.
God Has Called You To Rest
My dear friends, it is so important to realize that God has called us to rest. Jesus said, “Come to Me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” How many times we think that we need to do our duties in life? How many times we strive to obey the commandments of god? We fail and we try not knowing that the law and the prophets have been fulfilled by Christ. We need to do nothing, my friend. Everything that had to be done has been done by Christ. We just need to rest in Him. God demands nothing from you except that you trust His Son and rest from all your labors and toils. Where do you fail? What is your stumbling block? Where do you fall short? Take your worries and your failures before Him and He will give you the grace to overcome. God is not interested in the work of your flesh or how much money you give to missions. He wants you – your heart and your life. It is true that we can serve God without surrendering to Him but our works will be burned on the judgment day if we serve Him in our own strength. Do not worry about your neighbor or your friends. Give God your faith and your trust and you will find that life is so effortless. You do not need to strive and struggle when you are resting in the arms of the Lord. Rest, rest, rest. Yes, rest in Him and all things will work together for your good and your benefit. The Bible says that the battle belongs to the Lord. So, do not worry what mountain or battle you face. The victory comes from the Lord. Praise Him because He will fight for you and you will come out victorious over every circumstance in your life. Your life will take on new meaning when you rest in Christ.
Putting That Effort Into Grace
Grace is wonderful but we cannot stop there. If we think that grace alone is sufficient without us playing any part in our salvation then we are completely mistaken. Salvation as an ongoing process is grace accompanied with our decisions made by our free will. That is why the Bible says that we can despise and neglect this grace given to us. After we receive grace we need to exercise our will and move in the direction that God wants us to move in. By ourself we can do nothing but grace alone without the exercise of our free will can also achieve nothing. We have to choose to do right by receiving the grace to do right. Our efforts don’t come first but grace does. We must first receive the grace of God to do right and then we must exercise our will and do that which is to be done. That is when our human will merges with the Divine will of God. God does not force us to do anything. Nor will He stop us from doing something wrong against our will. We have to be empowered for our task by the grace of God and then instead of waiting for God to do something we need to do our part by obeying the voice of God for the task ahead of us. We surrender and God empowers and then we take the step of faith knowing that the power of God is behind us. Grace is not passivity but the power for every activity we do for God. You will know when the grace of God is there, then it is your responsibility to act from that grace given by God and please God with your faith by taking that step which comes from your own will. First it is grace and faith and then the works follow as we do our part by obeying the will of God.