Billy Joe Daugherty once said, “God is not hard to find. But there is a condition…we must seek Him with all our heart!”
You will always get into trouble when you try to handle life without God. Second Chronicles 32:8 reads: “With us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”
God, the ultimate warrior, lives in you. If you are a soldier for Christ, don’t worry about public opinion. Only be concerned about your Commander’s opinion. If you fear God there is no need to fear anything else.
I believe we should follow Mary Lyons advice: “Trust in God and do something.” Satan doesn’t care what we worship, as long as we don’t worship God. Too many people ask the Lord to guide them and then they grab the steering wheel. Your relationship with God will last if He is first in your life. Too many people want God’s blessing, but they don’t want Him.
When you lose God, it is not God who is lost. Some people talk about finding God as if He could get lost. The Bible says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
Tommy Barnett reflected, “The deeper I dig, the deeper He digs.” To increase value, get to know God. Pray to God: “I want to be in your will, not in your way.” William Law added, “Nothing has separated us from God, but our own will, or rather our own will is our separation from God.”
Oswald Chambers advises us: “Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.” Don’t pray by heart, but with the heart.
The Bible finds us where we are, and with our permission will take us where we ought to go. Other books were given to us for information, but the Bible was given to us for transformation.
A person who merely samples the Word of God never acquires much of a taste for it. Psalm 35:27 declares, “God is always a plus factor. He is never a disadvantage to you. He is always an asset. He wants you to succeed and He has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Our heartfelt cry to God ought to be the same as Isaiah’s cry: “Here I am, send me” (Isa. 6:8). Consider the words of W. H. Atken when he said, “Lord take my lips and speak through them; take my mind and think through it; take my heart and set it on fire.” We must not only give what we have, we must also give what we are to God.
by John Mason.
Excerpt permission granted by Insight Publishing
John Mason is an international bestselling author, minister, publisher, executive author coach, and noted speaker. He’s the founder and president of Insight International and Insight Publishing Group. Both organizations are dedicated to helping people reach their dreams and fulfill their God-given destinies.
He has authored thirty-two books including An Enemy Called Average, You’re Born An Original—Don’t Die A Copy, Let Go of Whatever Makes You Stop, and Know Your Limits Then Ignore Them which have sold over 2 million copies and are translated into 40 different languages throughout the world. His books are widely regarded as a source of godly wisdom, scriptural motivation, and practical principles. His writings have been published twice in Reader’s Digest along with numerous other national and international publications. Seven of his books have reached number one on Amazon bestseller lists.
He’s been the president of two Christian publishing companies. He’s also a former Vice President and Publisher for Thomas Nelson Publishers (Harper Collins), the 6th largest book publisher in the world and largest Christian publisher.
He’s an internationally recognized executive author coach, helping numerous prominent authors with their books for more than thirty years. Politicians, NBA, NFL, PGA, MLB, an Olympic gold medalist and other professional athletes, billionaires, businesspeople, pastors, ministers, New York Times bestselling authors, a Fortune 500 CEO, Navy SEALs, Top Gun pilots, and a Texas governor have all benefitted from his knowledge.
Known for his quick wit, powerful thoughts, and insightful ideas, he is a popular speaker across the US and around the world.