You Say God/Church Is Just A Crutch?



Someone told me that God/Church is just a crutch for the weak. Yes, I agree. I am weak but Thou Art Strong! At times, when life hits me hard, I lean on God and the prayers of the church to help get me through. That is where I find my strength. When you break your leg, you use crutches or sometimes a wheelchair don't you? Well, when life throws things at me and breaks me, I use my crutches too. God and the prayers of the Church are my crutches! I lean on God when I am broken for He heals the broken hearted.  When I feel I can't take another step, I lean on Him and He helps me to walk on.  He gives me the strength that I need to carry on.  He is my strength when I am weak.  But He is not only my crutch, at times, God becomes my wheelchair. When the storms of life knock me off my feet and cripple me to the point that I don't even have enough strength to stand, that's when I need a wheelchair.  God then swoops down and lifts me into His arms and carries me until I'm strong enough to stand again.  He holds me close and lets me know that everything will be OK.  He has it all under control.  I rest in His arms until I am strong enough to stand again.  When I am strong enough to stand and walk again, He walks with me and talks with me.  He NEVER leaves me alone.  


God is more than a crutch and a wheelchair to me.  He is my Bright and Morning Star. He is the Lily of my Valley, My Shelter in the time of storm, the Joy of my soul, the Song that I sing, the Breath that I breathe.  He is the wind beneath my wings. He is Joy unspeakable and full Glory, the Hope of my Life, the Peace Speaker. He is the Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. He is the ROCK that I run to. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Oh let me hide myself in thee! He is a SURE Foundation. A Prayer Answering God! He Is the Lover of my soul. He's my Everything, My Friend that is ALWAYS there when I need Him. He has NEVER failed me or forsaken me. He is FAITHFUL!  He is GOD And I know Him by name.....JESUS!!!

God is just a crutch, you say? I guess you're right and I'm leaning on His Everlasting arms!

HOUSEKEEPING

There is nothing like a nice clean house!  It smells so fresh and looks so nice and pleasant.  But a house does not clean itself.  If you want a clean house, it takes work to get it clean and more work to keep it that way.  It is a never-ending chore.  When you wake-up the next day I guarantee there will be more work one will have to do to get the house back in order.  More than likely, you will have to repeat some of the work you just did the day before.  To have a really clean house, there will be times you will have to do some deep cleaning.  Surface cleaning will not get the job done.  Sometimes you have to get down on your hands and knees to scrub the baseboards.  The walls at times need some scrubbing and maybe even some new paint.  The carpet will need to be shampooed, and the cupboards need to be cleaned out.  Drawers and closets need to be gone through and set into order.  Windows and window seals need to be washed inside and out.  Yes, there is more to cleaning house than surface cleaning.  I remember watching my mother with an old toothbrush and comet, scrubbing around the base of the toilet near the floor to make sure it was clean and sanitized.  I remember her scrubbing down the trash can and the wall behind it in the kitchen.  Her children have picked up several of her cleaning habits.  Even some of her grandchildren have picked up those cleaning habits.  

The other day Kerrie noticed some strange things on her clothing in the closet.  Wondering what it was, she began to take a closer look.  She discovered she had moths in her closet and they were laying eggs in her clothing.  It was time to clean out the closet!  Those critters can cause a lot of damage if you don't get on it right a way.  Thank goodness they were only in the one closet and nowhere else in the house.  Although we do this every year, this made me understand the concept of Spring Cleaning a lot more. We were really at it to get rid of those critters.  

Our Spiritual House is just like our earthly house!  If we want the LORD to abide within us, then we MUST KEEP IT CLEAN!!!  He loves a fresh smelling place that looks nice and pleasant to dwell in too.  Like our earthly house, our Spiritual House does not clean itself.  We have to keep it clean.  Surface cleaning will not get the job done.  It's going to take hard work to get it clean and keep it that way.  Like our earthly house, we will have to clean our Spiritual House DAILY.  Sometimes we are going to have to get down on our hands and knees and do some scrubbing.  We might have to scrub off the trash of the world that has splattered onto the walls of our soul and into the thoughts of our hearts.  We will have to take that fine tooth brush of prayer and bible reading out and do some scrubbing in the nooks and crannies of our hearts.  You need to make sure there is nothing lurking where it ought not to be.  One has to search the cabinets and drawers of the heart, making sure there is nothing stored in there that shouldn't be there.  Get rid of anger, frustration, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, and anything else that is not of GOD.  We will need to scrub the windows of our soul to make sure we can see clearly.  Clean the carpet of your soul.  Make sure you are still walking on the right path.  Go through your prayer closets!  Make sure you don't have any moths in there laying eggs of doubt, deceit, confusion, depression, oppression, etc, that can bring you down and destroy your Spiritual House. We need to keep our House Clean but it will take work on our part.  Our children and grandchildren are watching us.  What kind of example are we to them.  What kind of a Spiritual HouseKeeper are we teaching them to grow up to be?  

Psalm 51: 2  "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."

Psalm 51:7  "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Psalms 51:10  " Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."          

Consider The Voice You Heed!

When I was in the 4th grade, my mother grounded me.  I can't remember what for but I do know she was very upset with me, therefore the reason for my being grounded.  Now, I find that odd for I know I was the perfect child.  Don't ask any of my three brothers or my sister if this is true because I'm sure they have a different opinion of my behavior as a child.  That's OK, they never could tolerate my perfection.....jealousy, you know.  Whatever it was that I was in trouble for, one of my cousins was involved, yet she didn't seem to be in trouble, well not in the degree like I was.  I remember her coming into my room and telling me how horrible my mom was for grounding me.  I agreed!  The more she talked, the madder I got at my mom.  Oh, my cousin knew how to stir up a hornet's nest.  She was good with words.  She had me convinced that I  had done absolutely nothing wrong and I was being so mistreated.  If she was me she would pack her bags and run away.  She would show my mom a thing or two. Why, she would even run away with me.  Before I knew it, I had packed a few things and I was sneaking out the back door and I was on my way to freedom.  Yes, I was heeding to the voice of my cousin and I was running away.  I was going to show my mom a thing or two.  I was going to teach her that she couldn't ground me and get away with it.  I was so excited.  That excitement didn't last very long.  We had only gone about three blocks when my steps became slower and heavier.   

The further I got away from home the colder I felt inside.  My mind was racing.  I began to think about all the good things about home and momma.  My warm bed at night.  Momma's good cooking and those three delicious meals and snacks I got every day.  My clean laundry that momma worked hard to keep done up for me.  Her comforting arms that were there for me when I was sick or scared.  Just knowing that she would be there to protect me. Then I just stopped dead in my tracks.  My cousin turned around, looked at me, and asked what was wrong.  I told her I had changed my mind and I wanted to go home.  She asked me if I was crazy and if I had lost my mind.  Funny, I had been asking myself the same questions.  I turned around and ran as fast as I could for home.  When I got there, I went straight to my room, put everything away, went and found momma, and hugged her as tight as I could.  I told her I loved her.  I don't think she knew what I had done, but I sure was glad to be home.  I was willing to take my correction for whatever it was I did wrong.  All I knew was,  I was home, momma loved me, I loved her, and she knew what was best for me.  In momma's house I was safe. 

You know if we are not careful, we will heed to the wrong voices and they will lead us astray.  Sometimes those voices will even come from within the family.  A family member who is disgruntled with the pastor, the pastor's wife, or other saints in the church.  Given the opportunity that family member (saint) in the church will look for another family member (saint) who is down and begin to weave contention with very subtle words.  They will begin to tell them how wrong they have been treated.  How horrible the person is that did this or said this.  They will sow cords of discord among the brethren and even go as far as suggesting  that the grass is greener on the other side.  That it would be better if they "Ran Away".  If one is not careful to the voice you heed, then that voice will drive you away from "The House of God!"  Away from the man of God who prays for you, fast for you, cares for you.  That voice will drive you away from the one who watches over your very soul.  The one who fights to protect you from all evil that comes against you, who feeds you spiritually.  It will drive you from the House where you feel the protection of the Gods arms around you.  Take heed and consider the voice that you listen to.  If it is driving you from the House of God then it is the wrong voice.  Stay in the house where you are loved.  Stay in the house where your pastor and God knows what is best for you.  Stay in the house where you will be safe.  Consider the voice you heed!