A Hard Lesson to Learn – Soul Care is Dependent on what YOU are willing to Receive.

How Is It With Your Soul ? Day 17
Soul Care Is Dependent Upon What You are willing to Receive !
Prepared by Pastor Calvin Cook – November 25, 2024

Scripture focus: 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

As a preacher, I’ve noticed that many of the sermons I draw inspiration from, often guided by the Holy Spirit rather than tailored to a specific situation, tend to speak to me personally as much—if not more—than they do to the audience receiving them. For me this is called “getting out of the way, to allow the Holy Spirit to work and have being.”

In the midst of all of this, by listening and receiving I have truly found the work that the Holy Spirit desires to do, the problem is with receiving. Nothing has been more evident than the last few sermons prepared and delivered that spoke to my heart in the shadow of the delivery and reflection.

This weekend’s sermon on “Turn the Cup Over” was one such sermon that spoke big to me. It has settled the question that when we are in a place that we are not receiving, it is on us because we have only been willing to receive what we want and not what God is desiring to pour into our lives. I know we go through cycles where we feel everything is good, but is that because our desires are being met or because God’s desires for us are being met?

The title of this devotional “Soul care is dependent upon what you are willing to receive!” was affirmed through the scripture from 2 Peter 3:9 in the ESV. These words paused me! This scripture follows the definition of 1000 years to the Lord is as one day to us. Where it paused me and caused me to say “hmmm” was the words “He is patient with you.” Is it because we are not receiving what God desires to do in our life that God has to be so patient with us?

One of the big revelations reaffirms the way I changed praying for the Holy Spirit to be poured out. It is not necessarily the pouring out, but the receiving. All that God has done through the Holy Spirit has been poured out, we just haven’t received!

The same comes to us personally when we turn the cup over to receive are we willing to receive what the Holy Spirit is doing, has done, and will do. Have we received?

My prayer this morning from Psalm 17 – Incline your ear to me O God, I am calling upon you for answers and directions. Wondrously show your steadfast love, surround me, teach me, guide me in the path of righteousness. May my soul be filled by your Holy Presence. In Jesus name I pray – Amen