STOP!
April 8, 2022
STOP!
Ephesians 2:1-3
And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Most of us aren’t crazy about stop signs and traffic lights. Most of the time we see them as an inconvenience and hindrance to us getting where we want to go. Just give us green lights and open road and we are happy. While we don’t particularly like stop signs and stop lights all of us know the consequences that would result without them and often does, in spite of them. Stop is a commandment that brings to rest our forward motion and momentum, but in doing so it is a commandment that can save us serious harm, loss and destruction if we obey. It is usually in the disobedience of stop signs and lights that accidents happen. This same principle holds true in our spiritual lives. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God have put stop signs up in our lives to protect us. It was when we obeyed the stop sign that said, “quit living and going the way you are because the bridge is out ahead” that we found life. The wages of sin is death and if you are going down that road you will die a spiritual as well as physical death. The Holy Spirit often puts road signs in our lives if we will take the time and be sensitive enough to the Spirit to obey and heed them. Often, it is in retrospect, that we look back from some devastating or negative event in our lives and suddenly remember all the signs that were along the way to this event that we ignored and continued on. Now, maybe we are facing heartache, pain, suffering or even death because we failed to heed the warnings. A package of cigarettes has a warning right on the side of them that tells us they can kill us if we continue smoking them. Does the smoker heed the warning? He or she may die of cancer, but they are going to enjoy the moment.
The Lord is speaking to many of us today that there are stop signs in our lives that we are ignoring and running through. We have become so impassioned with what we are doing and where we are going that we don’t want to stop or turn away. Stop signs are there to save our lives and God wants to save yours. What is God speaking to you and me to stop from today? Are there areas of our lives that we are living contrary to His will and purpose for us? Perhaps we are pursuing something that it isn’t His time for just yet and we need to wait upon Him. We are a people on the go and often we want to go ahead of God instead of following Him. Then, of course, we want Him to bless our endeavors.
Stop! Take time to get quiet before the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit if you are going in directions and pursuing any paths that are not His will for you. Some of you already know without asking. The Holy Spirit is dealing with you even as you read this. God loves you more than anything! He came to give you life. He wants to bless you and give you good things, but He will not honor your disobedience and self-will. Listen to Him this day as He is telling you to stop in areas of your life. Proverbs 19:27 (NLT) says, “If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you have turned your back on knowledge.” STOP! Listen and obey.
Blessings,
#kent