“..But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour…” —Acts 16:18b
I have seen children of God try to make God take responsibility for things that can solely be handled by them. In fact, there are Christians who cry about issues they are not supposed to cry about. They are asking and waiting for God to jump in and save the day. You hear people say things like, “Oh God! Help me! I am tired of things happening in my life like this.” or “Oh God, do something! Show me that you can see me. Show me that you are God and help me!” Or “Oh God! Help me and take this sickness away from me. I can’t continue like this; I can’t live like this any more, Lord.” Or, “Oh God, take my life if you can’t help me. What is the use of my life if you can’t help me…” All these and many more will be heard from people, but the truth is, it won’t change anything. This is the mistake many make: not knowing when they are to act and when God will act.
The scripture shown above shows us that a certain girl possessed of an evil spirit was pestering Paul every day with her words, and when Paul got tired, he took the responsibility upon himself to cast out the demon out of her personally. He said, “I command you, in the name of Jesus.” This shows us that it was Paul who took the action, which was the right thing to do since he was the one being pestered. But in making the commands, he used the name of Jesus because he knew that everything in the world bows to this name. Beloved, don’t give God your responsibility and still go on blaming Him for things He is actually waiting for you to work out. There are things that you are responsible for, and I think the problem usually is that people do not recognize that several things are to be handled by them and no one else. Now, it’s easy to misunderstand what I am trying to say. I am not saying that we should not depend on God to help us out of difficulty. In fact, depending on God in times of difficulty is called faith. What I am saying is that, in times of difficulty, God always needs us to move, and then He uses our moves to help us. It’s true that God is the builder and the helper but he can’t help us without us being the ones to move. James 2:14 declares that “faith without works is dead.” So your faith in God to help you get things done would be futile if you didn’t carry out your own responsibility. So you can start now by praying yourself out of situations and making decrees and proclamations in the name of Jesus. Give God something to work with and you will be amazed at how that situation will turn around for the better.
Today’s Rhema
Don’t give God your responsibility and still go on blaming him for things He is waiting for you to work out!
Confession for the Day
Dear Heavenly Father! I thank you for all the things you have given me, especially the ability to tackle situations in the name of Jesus. I thank you because I am enabled to do all things, and as I carry out my responsibilities in life, I will always excel, knowing that I am not alone. Hallelujah!
