"Ouch" moments

 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'~ Matthew 22:37

Have you ever experienced an "ouch" moment with God?  You know when you think every thing is on track and then you hit a bump that causes you to examine yourself.  They are not the best moments to have the, but definitely needed ones.  

This morning I experienced an "ouch" moment with God.  One that caused me to wail on the inside.  I was listening to praise and worship music and the song was talking about desiring Jesus more than silver than gold.  Rather than just sing along with the song, I had to ask myself is this true.  Do I desire Jesus more than silver and gold?  My first thought was surely my answer is yes, but I started thinking about my life in this season.  I am blessed.  God has been seeing me and my family through this pandemic.  I have a good job.  Family is doing well.  I have become comfortable.  These blessings have become my silver and gold.  Do I really want to give that up?

Ashamedly, I had to admit that I have let my comforts come before Jesus.  My blessings have become idols.  So I confessed and am full of gratitude that I serve a God who sees me, knows me and loves me anyway.  I serve a God whom I only need ask for forgiveness and I can receive it ( 1 John 1:9).

It is imperative that I (we) desire Jesus rather than the things He gives us and does for us.  Those things are just icing on the cake,  Jesus is the substance.  Jesus is what it is all about and I ( we) must love Him with everything I (we) have.  I must desire Jesus more than life itself because He is the only way that I have my being (Acts 17:28).

Life will not always be this rosy.  Storms will come as they have been here before and Jesus was the one who saw me through and will see me through.  He is my anchor, not the stuff.  I would hate to go through life without Him being the priority.  For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? _Mark 8:36 (KJV)

Now you know Satan tried to step in have me remain in the "ouch' rather than move forward to repentance and healing, but God would have none of that.  I love the Lord and there is nothing or no one I rather have than Him because He is my everything.  If I didn't have Jesus  I would not be redeemed.  If I did not have Jesus I would have no hope.  It is He who causes me to walk in the light so that I can see the shadows that lurk in my heart and deal with them 1 John 1:7).  So I thank Him for the "ouch" moments.  I thank Him for helping me to guard my heart (Proverbs 4:23)

Lord, you revealed an area of my life where I was lacking and You filled it.  Thank You.  Thank You for being God and thank You for your Son Jesus.  Help us to come to you with the good, bad, and ugly knowing that we can find mercy in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).  Thank you for your grace.  Forgive me of my sins and help me to turn away from them.  In Jesus name.  Amen

PS.  As I ponder over this post, Job came to mind. and how the enemy was saying that Job was just good with God because He had so much ( paraphrase).  I want to respond like Job and worship the Giver and not the gifts.  Thank You Jesus.