“And see, now I go bound in the spirit."
[Acts 20:22]
As you read I really want you to visualize what’s happening…
I was running my car through a car wash the other day at a place I had not been before. The nice young man made sure I selected the option that I wanted and then rushed to guide the people in front of me into the cave of soap, water and giant brushes.
As I pulled around, he said something to me, and I could tell it was important, but I couldn’t hear him. I asked him again, but I still couldn’t understand. So, as I started to get increasingly more concerned because I was about to enter the wash with my window down, I desperately asked again and he said loud and clear, “PROCEED IN NEUTRAL!”
In the nick of time, I rolled my window up and realized I felt like a small child that’s overwhelmed by the carwash! Isn't this what God is saying to us sometimes?
“PROCEED IN NEUTRAL... Get your foot off the gas, put the car in neutral and let Me push.”
We should always persevere and press through our obstacles, but we don’t always need to be trying to manipulate the situation and fix it. Sometimes we need to be still and recognize that God is in control.
When we have our armor on our mind is protected from negative thoughts because of our helmet of salvation. Our heart and vital organs are protected because of our breastplate of righteousness. We recognize the lies of the enemy when we have our belt of truth on. We have peace knowing God is in control when our feet are shod in the gospel of peace, and we are ready when God says “GO!”. We can repel the attacks of the enemy with our shield of faith because we stand knowing God keeps His promises and we can actively fight the enemies lies with God’s Word which is our sword. A soldier doesn’t go to battle until the person in charge tells him to.
We need to be walking in the Spirit so we can know each step to take. In fact, Paul says he was “bound in the Spirit” and he was unsure of his future on his way into Jerusalem. Oh, may we be bound in the Spirit so we can have the wisdom, counsel and truth to know what to do in all situations!
Look at the consequences Sarah and Abraham faced when Sarah convinced Abraham to have a child with Hagar. It ended up a mess. Strife, jealousy, hurt and rejection. Those words sound similar to what happens when we keep our foot on the gas, too.
God always keeps his promises. God loves you. You’re not an orphan if He is your Father, so you can trust Him because you are adopted into the family!
If you have tried everything to fix a situation and it isn’t working, put it in neutral and let Him clean it up.
Dig Deeper
Acts 20:22 | Ephesians 6:10-18 | Genesis 16,17,21 | Proverbs 3:5-6