Lord, Use Me

(All verses used in this post have a hyperlink to each chapter)

I've recently been contemplating God's plan and purpose for my life. What is His purpose for me? What does He want me to accomplish? Are the things I'm interested in motivated by selfishness? Am I going toward His will for me or away from it?

All these questions (and more) have been circulating in my brain for months because I didn't want anything but what I knew, without a doubt, that He had for me to accomplish.

For the past few months, I've been learning about the foundations or roots of Christian belief, the rules God gave before and after Christ, and the order set for Christians living under the law of grace. These foundational concepts/principles have been so wonderful to study and learn about, whether in Sunday School, in a sermon preached on Sunday or Wednesday, or in my schoolwork. I started to notice that I would study something in my Bible reading and prayer time, then a sermon would be preached on the same topic, or my Sunday School teacher would discuss it. I even had some of the books I was reading at the time align with the same principle I was studying in the Bible. I genuinely believe that this was God only further establishing His Word and promises over my life. I am not naive enough to think that the devil would use similar tactics to convince me in favor of selfishness (unaware that I am going that way because it all seems right) against God. Still, God would send another confirmation whenever I came to a place of confusion. According to 1 Corinthians 14:33, confusion is not of God. In these times of confusion, I turned to the One who gives me control over confusion, my Heavenly Father, because I needed His help. My faith was not yet strong enough to withstand shaking when the ground around it shook. These moments of confusion were not meant to harm me but rather to prove me and strengthen my faith. It's in our lowest moments that God can be shown the most, so even in those times of confusion, there is no need to fear or doubt that God will come through.

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Fast forward about five days,

I wrote the portion above on Friday night, then, on Saturday, I walked right into a trap the devil set for me. I cried as I fell asleep, not because I was angry, but because I immediately wanted to repent and break the repetition of falling into temptation. I knew better; I wanted better, so why did I keep giving in? I had no answer for that, so I turned to the word. I read scriptures about temptation, mercy, and grace. The one that spoke to me the most was Psalm 6.

PSALM 6

Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.

To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments, set [possibly] an octave below.

A Psalm of David.

1. O Lord, do not rebuke or punish me in Your anger,

Nor discipline me in Your wrath.

2. Have mercy on me and be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am weak (faint, frail);

Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed and anguished.

3. My soul [as well as my body] is greatly dismayed.

But as for You, O Lord—how long [until You act on my behalf]?

4. Return, O Lord, rescue my soul;

Save me because of Your [unfailing] steadfast love and mercy.

5. For in death there is no mention of You;

In Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) who will praise You and give You thanks?

6. I am weary with my groaning;

Every night I soak my bed with tears,

I drench my couch with my weeping.

7. My eye grows dim with grief;

It grows old because of all my enemies.

8. Depart from me, all you who do evil,

For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

9. The Lord has heard my supplication [my plea for grace];

The Lord receives my prayer.

10. Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly horrified;

Let them turn back; let them suddenly be ashamed [of what they have done].

While this seems to be a cry to help from a literal enemy David faced in battle, we can apply it to the battles we fight against the devil because he is our enemy. As I read that Psalm, I wept (as the Psalmist says) because it reminded me that I have absolutely no reason to doubt God, fear my enemy, or fall for the tricks of the devil (you do, too!). The underlined verses spoke to me more than the others because the Psalmists knew they would only receive God's help through His grace and mercy, which is undeserved favor amid our trials. Verses that can be related to this are:

• Hebrews 4:15 AMP

For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our

weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it

feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.

• 1 Corinthians 10:13 AMP

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not

common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human

resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and

He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the

temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well,

so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation

with joy].

• James 1:5,6 AMP

If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to

ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or

blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without

doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of

the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind.

• Mark 14:38 AMP

Keep [actively] watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the

spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

Last but not least, I was reminded of 2 Timothy (One of my favorite books) and how it talks about our youth and being steadfast despite the norm around us.

• 2 Timothy 2:22

Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those

[believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

On my way to church that Sunday, I admitted to God that I had accepted the temptation and asked for help to break the repetition in my life...then the sermon was about breaking cycles because we already have the power over those temptations. "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" kept going through my head as I listened in awe of how God put that sermon in my life right when I needed it. My spirit was willing to please God in everything, but I let my fleshly desires control my actions. I let the seemingly harmless, enjoyable, "feel-good," and selfish desires dictate my actions and choices. I was extremely encouraged by the sermon preached because it confirmed what I knew (but wasn't acting on), and it also helped me repent and have a game plan for keeping the victory over cycles of repeated sins.

Alas, James 1:2 and 3 say, "Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]." AMP

Finally, I encourage you despite the temptations you may have given in to and selfishly accepted. This post was very raw* concerning temptations and overcoming them, but let this encourage you, as James said in the above verse! We don't have to fall into the temptations because God has given us the power over those temptations. When you face temptation, repent, pray for strength to resist, read the Bible, and turn away from it in victory! Instead of feeling guilty because you did not resist temptation, be encouraged that the devil still wants to take you down. If you didn't have a divine purpose, he wouldn't care to tempt you against it. Don't lose sight of what God has planned for you; even if you cannot see it, keep your eyes on Him! Completely trust in Him and find your hope and strength straight from the source, God. Do not be discouraged, my friend! God has a plan for you, even if you cannot see it now; trust Him despite everything.

To prove that temptation is worth fighting against AND that we don't have to fear temptation (instead, count it as a joy to conquer), my only conclusion is that I am absolutely nothing, and He is absolutely everything. Why would we (nothing) want to live life not in accordance with Him (everything)? He can take nothing (our life) and make it into a life worth living because He is the only source of everything good. Why would I not want to be used by Him?

Definitions:

Raw - /rô/ - adjective

• (of an emotion or quality) strong and undisguised:

• Frank and realistic in the depiction of unpleasant facts or situations:

Additional Resources & Reading

Sermons

• Redeeming the Time, Jonathan Edwards - https://youtu.be/Mt6XUf5ikfQ

On using your time wisely instead of wasting it on trivial, non-important things

• Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards - https://youtu.be/3vmvZIAGKJo

On the mercy and grace that we do not deserve yet still receive from God.

Scriptures (Titles are in AMP)

James 1 - Testing Your Faith

Romans 7:14-25 -The Conflict of Two Natures,

Romans 8:1-39 - Escape From Bondage (1-25), Our Victory in Christ (26-39)

Romans 14 - Principles of Conscience

1 Corinthians 10 - Avoid Isreal's Mistakes

1 Timothy 1:1-20 - Misleadings in Doctrine and Living

2 Timothy 2:1-26 - Be Strong (1-13), An Unashamed Workman (14-26)