Sons in the Marketplace – Are Trained
November 21st, 2007 | Michael Q. Pink
“Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will (1) loose the armor of kings,(2) to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; (3) I will go before you, and (4) make the crooked places straight: (Isa 45:1-3)
When we have walked the bended path with God and found Him in the struggle, we are ready to straighten out the bended paths within us: those ways that were once pure before sin came into the world, now corrupted by the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life. Straightening out the bended paths in us is really the process of choosing the straight path before us when our inner nature would prefer the detour, avoiding the construction site designed to perfect us yet even more.
When God takes us down the bended path, it is when we are unable or unwilling to choose the straight path, the way of purity, so He takes us through some struggle and we have the blessed opportunity to grow in Him. Ultimately, however, He wants us to take the straight path on our own - choosing, like sons (mature ones). It takes a son to walk the straight line in a crooked world.
But here’s where it gets really good. As sons, when we have learned to choose the straight path, the path without defect, and we have become men and women of character and inner straightness, so to speak, suddenly the road before us opens up and God makes even it straight. He goes before us and straightens the road because we have already been trained on the crooked path. Those who have been trained by the crooked road, who have become straight on the inside and learned to walk the straight and narrow, will often increasingly find the crooked road made straight and their lives yielding more of the peaceable fruit of righteousness. (Heb 12:11)
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November 21st, 2007 at 6:16 am
Hey Mike,
Oh so true… when it comes to having the desire to be taught on the bended road rather than to resist that instruction.
I believe an attitude of gratitude during than training (though it may seem
difficult to do so in the midst of that anointed training) is really the turning point in seeing and experiencing the breakthrough of the straightened and
joyful path we all aspire towards.
With that… be joyful and grateful in all things… since that is the will of the
LORD for you - Phil. 4:6-9
Have a blessed and gratitude busting Thanksgiving day and weekend!
Cheers!
November 21st, 2007 at 10:01 am
I do not know about other’s but my old flesh tries to carry me down the crooked path every day. I found a old song that describes it best.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness like a fetter or chain
Bind or Chain my wandering heart to thee:
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O, take and seal it;
Seal it for thy courts above.
If not for God’s grace, we would all I think take the crooked path. Here is a prayer that seeks God to keep us off the crooked path, at least it helps me to honor God in my walk.
Make your goodness like a chain—that binds my wandering heart to you. Oh God, Seal my sinful, deceitful, wondering heart with an unbreakable bond for the courts of heaven. Father: Keep me! Preserve me! Defeat every rising rebellion! Overcome every niggling doubt! Deliver me from every destructive temptation! Nullify every fatal allurement! Expose every demonic deception! Tear down every arrogant argument!
Shape me! Incline me to fear you! Hold me! Master me! Do whatever you must do to keep me trusting you and fearing you till Jesus comes or calls.
That kind of singing and praying is rooted in the new covenant promise of sovereign, sustaining grace.
When you read it, keep in mind: this is one of several Old Testament promises of the new covenant that Jesus said he sealed with his own blood for all who are in him. It is not just for Jews, but for those who are true Jews by virtue of union with Jesus, the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:7, 16). Jeremiah 32:38–41 says,
Jeremiah 42; And Kern shall be My people, and I will be his God; 39 and I will give him one heart and one way, that he may fear Me always, for his own good, and for the good of his offspring after him. . 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with him that I will not turn away from him, to do him good; and I will put the fear of Me in his heart so that he will not turn away from Me. 41 And I will rejoice over Kern to do him good, and I will faithfully plant him in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.
What a great promise. As Paul cried out in Romans, I do the things I hate and do not do the things I should. I know I have that problem and if you do than maybe this prayer will help.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone and remember our military and missionaries over seas in your prayers.
November 21st, 2007 at 10:36 am
I have been down the Croked path and I thank God for working on me and my life and the rightousness that is being brought forth in my life I love these topics
November 21st, 2007 at 10:57 am
Every day I read His word and pray. In Him I find strength and courage to meet the challenges of life although at times I am just overwhelmed. God is so faithful to also bring words of encouragement and hope through many sources such as the Selling Among Wolves site.
I have been out of work for over 8 months, have a wife and 4 kids and just recently took in a troubled young lady of 15 to show and share with her God’s love. Today is very difficult.. I was turned down yesterday for a job that I had been interviewing for over the last month and a half. We have overwhelming debt and am down to our last dollars. I continue to stand on God’s promises… Jeremiah 29:11-13, Isaiah 41:10 and Proverbs 3:5&6. Just now I need the prayers of God’s people to give me the strenght to continue to face the trials as I seek His path for myself and those He has entrusted into my care.
I believe He has a career place for me, it just seems that every door I knock on continues to close. Jesus said to ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened… I ask for the strenght, grace and courage to keep on asking, seeking and knocking.
God is faithful and God is good! Praise the name of the Lord!
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 21st, 2007 at 12:20 pm
David
Hang tight, keep holding on. God is faithful. I’m there with you. I’ve stepped out on my faith too, and I find myself “pressed in on every side”, afflicted, sometimes embarrassed, but “thanks be unto God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus.” Affliction comes for the Words sake, so if you’re standing on the promises of God, it seems that they travel together. I take comfort in this: He HATH (past tense) blessed us with EVERY divine (spiritual and physical) blessing… (Eph 1:3). He has said “Yes” and “so be it” to your request. Now let your earnest expectation (faith) be the “grease on the chute” of which your blessing is traveling towards you at this very moment. Close your eyes and let your sanctified imagination “see” you with what you requested of God and that he’s already said “Yes” too. Speak it out your mouth, as Abraham did when he imitated Gods ways (speaking those things that be not as though they were Romans 4:17,18) not the present facts, but speak the imminent truth, as if it’s already fulfilled.
God is faithful!
Greg
November 21st, 2007 at 12:48 pm
David,
I wish I had some great word for you but I don’t. I will pray for you and your family.
One thing I would recommend is go to your church and ask for help. Every church should have an efficient system for helping to meet the true material needs of others in the body of Christ.
Maybe this is a way God can bless you and your church by letting others in their plenty help those in need. I have seen many church’s have a mini revival when this happens.
I would recommend you read and meditate on the 23 Psalm and remember that God is Sovereign and in control and loves you very much. Also read and meditate on Jeremiah 32: 41 ” I (God) will rejoice in doing (David) good and will plant him in this land in faithfulness, and with all my heart and all my soul.”
November 21st, 2007 at 1:08 pm
David, my company is hiring. My email address is kern.pegues@gmail.com Send me your address and I will have someone contact you.
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:15 am
David;
Sometimes there are no easy answers and sometimes the answers are easy but they are hard to believe or to receive. When I moved to this country and was seeking employment, God directed me to an employer in town who sold copiers. It was the only job I knew for sure I didn’t want, but I took it and God used that to pave a way for an incredible future I would never have imagined. For me, selling copiers was a step backwards and I was looking to move forward, not back, but sometimes you have to step back to leap ahead. That may or may not be helpful my brother but I did want to reach out and try.
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:38 pm
David,
I have a word from the Father, just for you.
Proverbs 23:26