Stir Me Up Lord!

Have you ever gotten into a routine and found yourself lacking that ‘fire’ or ‘desire’ you once had? I had seemed to have gotten into a bit of a rut lately, praying for others, trying to encourage others, writing my blog and devotions for others, posting scripture for others…but forgetting about myself in the midst of all that. I don’t mean I was being selfless and not  praying for myself, I mean I was without passion, just praying the same prayers without any sincerity. Sometimes I get caught up in trying to be strong for everyone else, that I forget that I NEED Jesus to strengthen and encourage me too!

I can’t tell you how thankful I am to be able to attend a Ladies Prayer group, where I was able to fill myself up on prayers. Kind of like, a porcelin vase with a nice glaze finish on the outside, but if you looked inside it was empty, dry and cracked. Today's humbling experience showed me to receive the blessings HE has for me I needed to have someone else pray for me, I needed someone to stir me up. Because GOD didn’t empty me, I emptied myself, but GOD can take any mess we get ourselves in and HE can bless us beyond measure. HE wants us to be full of HIS Spirit, full of HIS love, full of HIS blessings, favor and grace. We just have to receive it and I am ready to receive again.

The reason I began this blog of devotions was to bless and encourage others, but I forgot I also need those blessings and encouragement myself.  I got the name, Stir Me Up Lord, from Haggai 1:14 (NKJV), “So the Lord stirred up the spirit ...of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,”. This is a book of the Bible, I was not very familiar with before, but when I saw the words ‘so the Lord stirred up the spirit’ that spoke to me.  Stirred up means to rouse, awaken, excite, raise up; to incite; to arouse to action; to open one’s eyes. The Hebrew word used in the Bible, is actually ‘ur’ and this same word is used in Isaiah 51:9, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord!...”  Notice the example, arouse to action, to cause movement, to physically step out and cause an action. Our eyes can be opened and we can see the changes we need to make. We need to get fired up, awakened to GOD’s plan for our lives, and put those plans into action!

When we pray for GOD to reveal our purpose, HE will answer us, we need to pray to stay on the path that GOD has for us and to not stray from it. During prayer today, our Pastor’s wife spoke about John the Baptist and preparedness in Matthew 3:2-3 NKJV, “…”Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ “  And the part 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'  jumped out at me. We need to prepare for Jesus' return, we need to be prepared, we need to be doing our 'jobs' our 'purpose' that GOD has given us. We need to keep ourselves in line with GOD’s word and will, keep our hearts tender and repentful before GOD, if we do this, our path will remain straight.  

In Haggai, the people of Israel had stopped GOD’s work and replaced them with their own worldly desires – they had a big problem, they had a developed a disinterest in GOD. They had just returned from captivity and instead of rebuilding GOD’s temple, they were putting themselves before GOD and only giving GOD what they had left, which ended up being nothing. “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!” (Haggai 1:4-6 NLT). You cannot fill yourself with worldly and fleshy things, you will never get enough to fill the void that only GOD was meant to fill. If we keep ourselves stirred up for GOD, we will never know hunger or thirst; if we put GOD first we will always have plenty and never lack. 

The next problem in Haggai, is discouragement. You see the people that had been around to see the Temple of the Lord that Solomon had built, they knew the beauty and splendor of the past and could not ‘vision’ the future temple.  Sometimes, we get into a rut, we know how we were on fire with GOD in the beginning and and when that fire starts to burn cooler until its just a flame, we can't imagine that fire burning that bright again. GOD's people had this same problem, they needed to get from 'just getting by', to being stirred up again, so GOD encouraged HIS people and said: “…Be strong…Be strong…Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised….so do not be afraid.’…In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” (Haggai 2:4-9NLT). GOD’s got a plan for us, we need to be strong and we need to keep on working, because the splendor of GOD’s plan will bring glory and peace!! Don't stop, don't give up, keep on moving in GOD's direction, stay strong, you're on the right path now, just keep taking steps in HIS direction!!

The final problem was dissatisfaction. The people wanted to be blessed, they wanted to receive more than they had put into the building of the Lord’s Temple. “’Think back. Before you set out to lay the first foundation stones for the rebuilding of my Temple, how did it go with you? Isn’t it true that your foot-dragging, halfhearted efforts at rebuilding the Temple of God were reflected in a sluggish, halfway return of your crops-half the grain you were used to getting, half the wine?” (Haggai 2:15-16 MSG). If we only give GOD half our heart, if we only give GOD half of our efforts, we’re not going to receive GOD's full blessings. HE’s ready to give us an abundance, but we have to prepare our hearts, we have to follow GOD’s path for us, all the way! We can't give GOD our hearts and attention half the time; don't just follow GOD on Sunday morning, and then here and there throughout the week, we need to give GOD our hearts 24/7. Remember we don’t earn GOD’s blessings, we are graced with GOD’s blessings, although the people had just started rebuilding the temple, and after only 3 months, when they had neglected GOD for 16 years; GOD still blessed them; “…But from this day I will bless you.’ “ (Haggai 2:19c NKJV). My Bible says this about this verse, “Make the work to which God has called you a priority in your life. When you establish that as a foundation in everyday living, you will see the Lord’s blessing begin to flow in and through your life.”

When we keep ourselves stirred up for GOD, we can bless and encourage others. When we keep ourselves stirred up for GOD by giving HIM all of our heart, all of our efforts, we become a channel that allows HIM to pour out HIS abundance of blessings into our lives. "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.  (Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT)