Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.
–Isaiah 49:16
A leader always begins with distress about a certain need. That distress becomes determination–“I am going to do something about this”–and that determination drives us to a dependence upon the power of God. But every one of us who is a leader must begin by leading ourselves. God wants all of us to lead ourselves from where we are to where we need to be. In Isaiah 49:16, God compares our lives to a wall: “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.” What is the condition of your wall–your relationship with God? Is it strong or has it begun to crumble? Some of you might say your relationship with God is not what it used to be. There are attitudes or practices in your life that you are ashamed of. In fact, you cannot really believe you are where you are right now spiritually. A relationship with God does not collapse all at once. Instead, it deteriorates over a period of time, through a failure to spend time in God’s Word, a failure to pray, a compromise here and there. But slowly, the wall begins to crumble, and ultimately it collapses, making your life open to the enemy.
Did you know Satan is marching around the wall of your life right now? Peter said, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan knows exactly the status of your relationship with God, and he is looking for that weakest point where he can enter and destroy everything important to you. How can you strengthen the wall around your life? Let me share with you three characteristics of a rebuilder, somebody who wants to rebuild his relationship with God.
First of all, a rebuilder must be realistic. Just as Nehemiah asked for an unvarnished report about what the situation in Jerusalem was like, you need to do an honest assessment of your spiritual life. What is your relationship with God really like today? Are you spending time in God’s Word? Are you praying? Are you serving His kingdom? Are you standing firm in your convictions? What is the real status of your relationship with God? Be realistic.
Second, a rebuilder has to be resolved. There has to be a determination that says, “Even though my relationship with God may be in shambles, I am not content to allow it to stay the way it is. I am ready to pay whatever price, forsake whatever relationship, engage in whatever discipline necessary to rebuild that wall in my relationship with God.” There has to be resolve.
Finally, a rebuilder must be reliant. A rebuilder has to be reliant upon the power of God, saying, “God, I cannot do this by myself. I need Your supernatural power to remove the rubble of sin from my life.” We need the power of God.
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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Living Your Dreams” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2010.
Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.