Why Sit Here Until We Die?

T

TMK Jul 22, 2016

2 Kings 7:3-4 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”

What do all of you do when go through a dry period with the Lord, when everything seems "blah?" I have been in such a spell for a while, seemed to come out of nowhere. Difficult to pray, When I read the word it seems like I have read it many times before (I have but that used to not matter), worship is hard. It's not that I don't ”¢”¢want”¢”¢ to do these things but it seems sort of like drudgery which is not pleasant.

Like the lepers in the above passage, what I am doing is not working do it's time to try something different.

Any ideas?

sermonindex Jul 22, 2016

Humility: The Beauty of Holiness
by Andrew Murray

A Prayer for Humility

I will here give you an infallible touch-stone, that will try all to the truth. It is this: retire from the world and all conversation, only for one month; neither write, nor read, nor debate anything with yourself, stop all the former workings of your heart and mind: and, with all the strength of your heart, stand all this month, as continually as you can, in the following form of prayer to God. Offer it frequently on your knees; but whether sitting, walking, or standing, be always inwardly longing, and earnestly praying this one prayer to God: "That of His great goodness He would make known to you, and take from your heart,Â every kind andÂ Â and degree of Pride,Â whether it be from evil spirits, or your own corrupt nature; and that He would awaken in you theÂ deepest depth and truth of that Humility,Â which can make you capable of His light and Holy spirit." Reject every thought, but that of waiting and praying in this matter from the bottom of your heart, with such truth and earnestness, as people in torment wish to pray and be delivered from it.... If you can and will give yourself up in truth and sincerity to this spirit of prayer, I will venture to affirm that, if you had twice as many evil spirits in you as Mary Magdalene had, they will all be cast out of you, and you will be forced with her to weep tears of love at the feet of the holy Jesus.

- The Spirit of Prayer,Â Pt. 2, p. 123.

S

StirItUp Jul 22, 2016

Hi Todd,

I hesitate to give advice in your case because each person is so unique as an individual and in how they relate to the Lord, however I will volunteer my little bit.

I recently heard a sermon which included a Psalm about how David "encouraged himself in the Lord"
As believers we are to have faith in and rest in His love for us.

Sometimes we need to put ourselves in a position to receive from Him a renewal of strength and refreshing of spirit and soul.

Find a quiet place and just gently speak to the Lord. Confess to Him your great need of Him. Confess your sense of spiritual dryness. Confess your love for Him and your faith in Him, that you believe in Him though not seeing Him, and still not seeing Him you love Him and rejoice with a joy inexpressible and full of glory!
Ask him to restore to you the joy of your salvation. Tell Him that you repent of all human wisdom and efforts and come to Him and Him alone as your first love.

Basically, it is "encourage yourself in the Lord"

If you continue for a while and persevere in your confessions of faith and love, I believe He Himself will become your portion and your refreshing! You will find that you are feeding on the bread which came down from heaven and it will be life unto you!

I pray this little word will be what you need to just go to Him and find in Him the spiritual supply you yearn for.

In His Love,

William

T

TMK Jul 22, 2016

Thanks to both of you- very good words of advice.

sermonindex Jul 22, 2016

by TMK on 2016/7/22 13:13:32
2 Kings 7:3-4 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.”
What do all of you do when go through a dry period with the Lord, when everything seems "blah?" I have been in such a spell for a while, seemed to come out of nowhere. Difficult to pray, When I read the word it seems like I have read it many times before (I have but that used to not matter), worship is hard. It's not that I don't ”¢”¢want”¢”¢ to do these things but it seems sort of like drudgery which is not pleasant.
Like the lepers in the above passage, what I am doing is not working do it's time to try something different.
Any ideas?

Brother Todd,

I love posts like yours because so much of the Christian life, if we are truly pressing into God, and hungering and thirsting for Him, is full of valleys, and rocks and thorns in this wilderness (world) we are travelling. The Holy Spirit is always doing a shaking in our lives, separating us from that which is not of Christ. Ultimately, God is looking for those who choose to willingly suffer with Him, turning away from everything the world, the flesh and the Enemy have to offer.

Often, we have no understanding or illumination regarding what is happening to us and WHY it is happening. This can run the gamut, sickness, persecution from fellow believers, rejection by those who are supposed to love you, freak accidents, love ones lost, etc, etc.

It seems like you have been in the place where all you could do is hold onto God by faith, because you know Him and you know that you have been joined to Him by His Spirit and you know that ALL THINGS WORK FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

This small, seemingly insignificant verse has brought me much comfort and strength and I hope it does the same for you. He is a Mighty God and He loves and cares for us.

2Ch 20:12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

NEITHER KNOW WE WHAT TO DO: BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON THEE!

Follow that up with these two verses and whatever else the Holy Spirit leads you to:
Psa_18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Psa_18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

The emphasis must be on Him if we are to endure till the end and pull through all the trials and tribulations of this life.

The clouds will eventually part, the SON will shine through. Remember, He is using everything in this world to test and try our hearts. God is trying us with his eyelids...

Psa 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

I always found that verse interesting. If He used anything more than His eyelids, it would probably be too much for us. He knows how much we can take and He wants us to find all of our sufficiency in HIM. It has to be, there is no other way except to strip us of everything we trust in. I have come to the place where I am thankful for that.

Psa 32:4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Isa 48:11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

Isa_42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Mat_12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

The truth He brings into our lives through ordeals and trials will bring us into victory and He will never break or crush our spirit.

S

StirItUp Jul 22, 2016

My pleasure and privilege, brother. I pray for you what Paul prayed in Ephesians chapter 3.
14Â For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father,
15Â from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16Â that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
17Â that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18Â may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19Â and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
20Â Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21Â unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen.

J

Jasmine Jul 22, 2016

I don't know if this will help but...

Testify to who God is and what He's done for you to yourself. On one occasion when I couldn't get out from under a particular oppression the Holy Spirit told me to think on the Supremacy of God. For me that is Genesis, "In the beginning God...” It was amazing. It was like dynamite. I could literally feel whatever this oppression was being blown to bits and I've never had that oppression like that again. Think on who God is and what He's done. Think on His majesty, His glory, His excellence, etc.

On another occasion I was at home by myself feeling some kind of way and the Holy Spirit told me to testify. In other words, remember and speak on those things that God had done for me. Go back and then come forward for example, firstHe saved me...he brought me out of xyz, then He gave me His Word that was/is good to my soul, then He did this and He did that...just keep remembering and speaking it. Telling God that you remember what He did for you. Remember He woke you up this morning and the mercies of the Lord are renewed every morning. Thank Him for everything He's done and is doing for you. Don't leave out anything. Then just pray the way the Holy Spirit is leading you to pray.

I have certain praise and worship music that I enjoy. Sometimes I just sing songs that I make up to Lord. Do you have some praise and worship arsenal? You know songs that fortify you spiritually? I don't quite know what music you like but here's a song that encourages me, go to YouTube and pull Fred Hammond ”“ No Weapon. I don't know maybe it will encourage you.

I've been where you are and I can tell you whatever God is working out in you, you will be alright. God is faithful. Go to Scriptures that strengthen you. Psalm 139 & 1 John 1:1-4 are some of my go to Scriptures. Continue to hunger and thirst after the Lord. Pursue Him. He won't disappoint.

sermonindex Jul 22, 2016

Erased for double post

sermonindex Jul 22, 2016

TMK,
God bless you for your humility & transparency. This isn't "THE ANSWER", and I don't know all that's going on in your life/calling, but I know for me, this is generally "part" of coming out of it:

Crying out to God like the persistent widow day and night for His presence. Praise and thank Him. By that, I mean sit before Him and thank Him out loud & think through everything you have to be thankful for. You may find as you get release and your memory (& the Spirit) begin to remind you of all you have been brought through by God, you start to see & feel release. And worship! Worship worship worship! For me, it's Not usually the really long complicated wordy songs that sing like the doctrinal dissertation of the book of Romans, but the ones crying out. Simply, purely, and even if I don't "feel" it at first, I just keep on worshipping Him & believing in faith He is going to answer by fire. And in all of it: FAST & pray. Put aside even your daily necessary bread to focus on seeking the bread that came down from heaven to fill you. "Lord, if your spirit doesn't go before me, I will surely die". Lord help me and answer my hearts cry with nothing more or less than YOU Lord! Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit! Praise Him! For the cross, for His picking you back up after failure, for specific miracles & provisions in your life, etc.

That's not a formula, but it's my thinking when I find myself in that place. And the longer I go without doing it, I always wonder afterwards: "why didn't I do that a long time ago?" ðŸ˜Š

God Bless You!
Jeff

T

TMK Jul 22, 2016

I appreciate the posts and have confirmed what I know in my heart I SHOULD be doing. Now to start doing it and not only doing, but resting.

Thanks for the worship recommendations. I have tons of all kinds of worship music but I have not had it in the cd of my car for many weeks, and that has got to change.

There is no better feeling than the times that we are on fire for the Lord which is why my favorite verse is Lk 24:32. That is why the enemy wants to steal it so very badly.

I

InTheLight Jul 22, 2016

Some encouragement from David Wilkerson on the subject...

http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/undated/tsdryspe.html

In Christ,

sermonindex Jul 23, 2016

Funny, I was just about to post this myself:

"Dry Spells", Sermon by David Wilkerson
https://youtu.be/KwfMUhaJt_M