I don't know what hit me last night, but by 7PM I was struggling to stay awake. Hubby had turned off the TV (YAY) and I was reading in one of my books - and although it was really interesting, my eyes kept shutting. A little after 8PM I told hubby I couldn't stay up any longer. I took another ibuprofen before I went to bed as my head was hurting again. I slept deep, but the weird dreams kept coming, one after another. But what has stayed with me, is that in each dream I had a scripture come to my mind......
James 4:7 (NKJV): "Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
In every single weird dream - of which I can't remember what they were, but I can remember screaming out for Jesus.... and the words 'submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.' would come to my mind. And the weird dream would go away and another would take its place. No wonder my neck and head was hurting this morning!
I admit, I played with the thought of not going to church this morning. My head does hurt still, but moreso my neck. I may have slept wrong. It could have been how I was holding my head/neck while I was reading for awhile last night. Regardless of how, it is hurting. I thought that perhaps I'd stay home from church and spend more time in here. But I also know that wouldn't really happen. I have a hubby who would either suggest going out for breakfast or wait for me to fix him breakfast.
When hubby got up shortly after I did and brought in my coffee, he asked about my head. I told him it was still hurting. He suggested 'WE' stay home from church and watch Jentezen Franklin on the computer. Tempting. We haven't watched him for some time because we have been going to our church. I told him I couldn't think about it right now; I'd let him know.
And the scripture keeps coming to me.... "Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." I'm thinking the service may be a pretty good one today and the devil doesn't want me to go. I know we are having a guest speaker today as they announced it last week. It's always tempting to stay home when there is a guest speaker. And, technically, I DID have 'church' Friday night at the women's conference, right? We had worship; we had a message; we had an altar call; we had baptisms.
But as tempting as it is to stay home and just chill, I/we are going to church this morning. Hubby will grumble, I'm sure. Interesting, when he was not feeling well, I still went; but if I'm not feeling well, he will stay home with me. But we are going to church and I will be stopping shortly to jump in the shower and start getting ready. I'll get him going by telling him if he gets moving, we can possibly stop at Einstein's for a bagel and a coffee on our way to church. Anything to do with food and he is all for it.
I can take another ibuprofen for the pain. I can shower and get dressed. I can put makeup on. I can do all these things.... and I will go to church and learn something. Why am I making myself go when it would be so easy to stay home? Because I love Jesus and I want to be obedient to Him and be with fellow believers. I want to worship Him. And sometimes in the worship, because of obedience to spend this time with Him, my pain generally goes away. Win-win, right? I love worship and I would love to spend all day with worship going and spending time with God. I think that is why I miss the hermitages so much. No interruptions for meals or calls or anything. I just want to sit at Jesus' feet and learn from Him.
People don't understand me at times. Even hubby doesn't understand me. He 'tries' to put up with my insistence of 'leave me alone while I have my time with God' - but he isn't even always quiet when he brings in my coffee, but will interrupt my reading to ask 'did you sleep well?' or 'don't forget I'm having breakfast with...." or 'what are we/you......" He just doesn't get it that when I'm in here alone with God and reading my Bible - don't interrupt. If you have to bring coffee in.... just set it down and leave. Quietly.
Am I grumbling? I don't mean to this morning. I would love to stay home and watch 'church' on the computer. I always get something out of Jentezen Franklin's messages. But I feel I need to resist the temptation to stay home and go to church. I need to be with other people worshipping Jesus.
Do you feel the temptation of staying home this morning as well? Perhaps you need to consider 'resisting the devil's temptation' as well. Don't usually go? Maybe you should go. Don't you love to do things when some thing or some one tells you not to? It's built in us, I think. "Go to church" No, I'm staying home. "Stay home today; you deserve a day of relaxation". No, I'm going to church. Reverse psychology?
One thing for sure.... when we turn to our pleasures and follow them, we will be missing out on the blessings of God. It's when we put Him first in our lives that He will bless us and give us the desires of our heart. I think I will choose Jesus first. What about you?
Blessings!
