Is Your Walk with the Lord Consistent?
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
The verse above tells us to be immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Do you find yourself having days when you don’t feel spiritually strong and don’t feel the Lord’s presence or guidance? I have days when I am spiritually on fire and other days it feels like the fire has gone out. However, the longer I serve the Lord, the longer the fire stays strong.
One of Satan’s most common attacks is to make us fearful that God is not with us or that he doesn’t care about us. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). The Lord promises always to be with us, but sometimes his presence seems far away. Even though we may feel distant from the Lord, we are filled with the Spirit; the Spirit only speaks what he hears and if the Lord is not speaking we don’t hear or feel the Spirit.
I have found that when my spiritual fire is burning low, and I continue my day teaching classes, the Spirit is always there to guide me. I always feel God’s presence when I am serving him by bringing Christ to others. Also, the more I read the Word and pray, the more the fire of the spirit increases within me.
If we are to live by faith, then we must believe God’s promises at all times because God is always faithful. When we don’t feel God’s presence it could simply be our own feelings or it could be God testing our faith. Perhaps the Lord is testing us to see if we truly believe his promises and have the faith to keep serving when our spiritual fire feels low. Faith is believing God’s promises from the Word and serving him by being light in this world no matter how we feel. In return for our unwavering trust we receive God’s blessings.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). Most of us have read this verse many times, but do we really live it? It says not to live on our own understanding which includes how we feel. We must trust the Lord with all our hearts, whether we feel his presence or not. The more we serve the Lord the more we know his presence, because his love runs through our hearts to others.
Today continue to serve the Lord by being a light for Christ, no matter how you feel. If the fire in your spirit is burning brightly – great; if the fire is going out, press on! In either case, continue to walk consistently by serving the Lord, ministering to everyone with kindness and encouragement.
Let’s Pray: Lord, keep the fire burning in my spirit, and let it grow brighter every day. Let the world see the fire within me as I reflect the light of Christ to the world. Let this light take away any darkness that I may encounter today. Thank you for the faithfulness of your promises, and never let my trust in you waver. In Jesus name, Amen