I Knew

Acts 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Continuing along the same lines as yesterday, in Emotional Turmoil I said perhaps I should have asked the Lord what He wanted me to do. I knew that. Here is my object lesson about how to react as Saul, soon to be Paul, reacted when blinded by the Lord. He asked what would you have me do, and that should have been my response also.

Emotional turmoil has a way of causing a great distraction in the moment. It is not that we have forgotten our lessons, for today I do remember, it is the distraction that had my focus. That is a weapon of the enemy.

My Vietnam experience taught me the lessons of distraction. Often times the enemy would place an object up high that would catch your eye, the lesson was, stop, look down, that is where the danger lies.

The enemy knows that strong emotions can be used against us as a distraction. My experience is that with Satan those distractions come after you have obeyed God in a matter. Satan is not part of our conversations with God. He has no part in obedience of faith. Stan will see the results and often attack us where we are the most vulnerable in order to distract us away from any further obedience of faith.

Now comes the secondary lesson today. The Lord blinded Saul and could have very well restored his sight right then. Rather than that, the Lord told him to continue into the city, without giving Saul any directions as to where to go. He just said go.

Tomorrow I will finish this second lesson.

Emotional Turmoil

1 Kings 19:10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

What to see something interesting?

1 Kings 19:14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

In verses 11, 12, and 13 is those wonderful verses telling us where we will not find God and where we will find God. Read that for yourself but I do not want to distract you from this opportunity for human connection.

Being in the presence of God did not change how Elijah felt.

I find that very interesting. While I have been seeking to be in His presence in order to eradicate myself from my emotional turmoil, I discover that being in His presence does not change my feelings. Did I seek God for the wrong reasons? We are supposed to bring our supplications before the Lord.

In the following verses God instructs Elijah to “Go”! Perhaps I should have asked what God wanted of me, rather than seeking relief.

I find the last instruction to be most enlightening in my present condition.

Verse 16 paraphrased “Anoint Elisha to take your place”.

This ministry is large than me and will continue after I am gone.