My Paisley Chair

I vividly remember a time when my daughter came home from school in tears, her feelings had been hurt and she was terribly offended because someone had accused her of being a “Goodie 2 Shoes”. There are a whole lot of worse things to be called. She emphatically declared “there’s just no demand for good girls!”. I need to tell you there was, there is, and will always be a demand for good girls! If that was true many years ago, I can only imagine how intense those feelings would be now as our culture embraces ideology that supports what scripture describes as “everyone followed the dictates of their own heart”. Let me say, it is to our benefit to continually pursue our relationship with Jesus Christ, constantly growing in grace.

The reference that brought this memory to mind is 2 Chron 29:34. The Levites, while it was not their responsibility, duty, privilege and rarely opportunity to serve in the temple, were always at the ready. A time came when they were called upon to help and because they had diligently kept themselves ready and set apart, they were honored to participate in the ministry of the temple. Hey are you ready?

Another place in Ps 73, David says “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.” However, just a few verses later, he says, This would be a betrayal of a whole generation, if I say this! What he is saying is that it IS to my benefit and it’s NEVER in vain to keep my way pure and my hands innocent.

2 Tim 4:2 instructs us to be ready in season and out. Or we could say in times when it is easy and times when it is not easy OR convenient.

1 Peter 3:15 calls us to be ready to give an account for the joy that is within us. Can we really be ready when asked “How are you doing this? How can you have joy in this circumstance or how do you have the strength to survive this thing?” You are ready to tell them, it is because of Jesus Christ and Him alone that I have strength to stand and my joy is complete in Him.

I want to encourage you today if you are feeling like you are fighting an uphill battle, or it would be easier to go with the flow, there is a demand for people who are standing strong and pursuing a relationship with Christ. Keep yourself set apart, and ready to be used of the Lord.

Be diligent ALL the time for the benefit of the ONE time. Have you lived long enough to know your “such a time as this”? (Esther 4:14) The moment in time that you are certain, I was born for this! Keep yourself ready because you never know when the moment will come that the Master of the Universe will tap you on the shoulder and say “Child, I need you right now. Are you ready?”

2 Chron. 29:34, Psalm 73:13-17, 2 Timothy 4:2, 1 Peter3:15, Esther 4:14

Diligent ALL the time for the ONE time!

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