Recently, I was asking God for miracles and wondering why we are not getting miracles like in the days of the Bible. Then these Bible verses came up.
Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. John 9:31
The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29
I started praying asking God to take all wicked ways out of me and to show me where I have been going wrong. Later that day, I went to view the live sermon of a church I like to watch on YouTube and there was no live sermon. They took a Sabbath Sunday for resting because of all the activities of the church the previous week. Plus, it was the start of the school year in Florida and they wanted the leaders and members of the church to stay home with their families to rest. Therefore, there was no gathering in the church. That was a bit crazy to me, but the very act was a very powerful message for me. I have felt lately that I need to take a break from church activities to connect with God, but I started feeling guilty. However, I got my confirmation that I was on the right path. Church activities itself can be a great distraction from connecting with God. I know some of you are going to get angry with me because you are very busy with church activities, and you think they are important. And, they are important, but thankfully God does not define our worth by the activities we do in church.
I remember when I just became a Christian, for years I was so busy with church activities. I thought the more I did God’s work, then the more He would be pleased with me and the more He would love me. I saw Him as a taskmaster. Then God put everything in place where I had to move back to Jamaica. I couldn’t get a job, people I knew didn’t want to come to the neighborhood where I lived because it is considered an inner-city community, and I didn’t have a way to go to church like I would want to. One day, while lying there feeling worthless, I suddenly could feel how much God loved me. I was doing nothing, but He still loved me. That was a major breakthrough in my life.
Now He did it again, and He put everything in place for me to be in Argentina at this time and again He is teaching me some other lessons. This time I recognize even more how the busyness of life and even the busyness of church activities can stop us from connecting with people how He would have us to do. Many church folks will say they will call, but they don’t because even though they mean well, they don’t have time to connect because they are so busy. So a lot of people in church are left along the wayside because others are busy with their lives and church activities, therefore they are overlooked. But is this God’s way?
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2: 42-47
You can actually see how much community there was in the church in Acts. They were with each other daily in unity, going from house to house, having the Lord’s supper together and having meals together, and taking care of each other’s needs. We are so busy with church and our individual lives today, we don’t even have time to stop to speak to each other to find out about their needs. I have been guilty of that.
The other area in which I have sinned is being too busy with church activities to have a time of rest weekly. God commanded us to have a Sabbath rest. He wrote it there in the ten commandments along with not killing and not lying. However, this is a command that we seldom keep, and we don’t realize that by not doing so we have sinned, and it is wickedness in God’s eyes. God is serious about keeping His Sabbath holy. Although, I read it in the Bible, I didn’t realize the Israelites were exiled for 70 years in Babylon because they did not take the Sabbath rest for 490 years and they worked the land all that time. They were supposed to rest the land after every sixth year, so God put them in exile and rested the land. (See Chronicles 36:21). And let’s not forget the man who got stoned to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath. (See Numbers 15:32-36). You might say that all this was from the Old Testament and we are in New Testament times and that we can see in it that Jesus caused a lot of controversies with the Pharisees healing on the Sabbath and even picking grain to eat when He and his disciples were hungry. A friend pointed out in our last Bible study that Jesus had brought about restoration on the Sabbath. It is difficult to rest when we are not restored. Try resting when you are in pain or hungry. It is very difficult. Jesus not only brings about physical rest, but also rest for our souls.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
When we go to Jesus He will give us rest. We need to stop being yoked with those we are not to be aligned with and stop taking up burdens that are not ours. We are so busy doing things for Jesus that we never stop to rest in His presence to have a chat with Him to see if these are the people we are to be aligned with and the works that we need to do for Him. That is wickedness and so we cannot rest.
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. Isaiah 57:20
We have so much restlessness in our churches today where people are supposed to come for restoration. We need to recognize that a busy church can be a very unhealthy church because there is no time to care for the emotional and maybe even spiritual needs of the people. It is not just about knowing the Bible, we have to apply its Words to our lives. People are getting hurt and remaining hurt in the midst of church activities. Many are not being listened to in order to find out what really are their needs because we are so busy being busy getting ready for the next activity. The worst part is that we have no time to be still to know that the Lord is God. If we know Him as God then He will also be God over our activities and you may be surprised how many things He would tell us not to do so that we can spend more time in His presence and make Him a priority.
I am sorry this week’s article is so long, but it makes up for not doing one last week because I was resting and learning from God. The things He has been showing me are not easy to do and are against my nature. But often our nature goes against obeying God. Resting is so difficult for so many, but it is commanded by God and when we don’t do it, then that is wickedness. And if we are wicked, why would God respond to our prayers? It is time to trust and obey Him and rest.
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