Stand Before Me

In the Scriptures we read of men and women who captured the heart of God. Abraham was a friend of God. Enoch was taken after walking with God for 365 years. Moses talked with God as a man speaks to his friend. Elijah was taken in a chariot of fire. Mary was visited by God who over shadowed her when carrying the Christ child.

These were ordinary people. People who struggled and failed but truly loved God. When He spoke to them, they listened and obeyed for the love of Him.

God tells Jeremiah, "Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them." (Jeremiah 15:19, NIV).

If we are to know what it is to stand before God (and only through His blood can we do so) we must separate the vile from the precious.

There are some things in our lives we have grown familiar and accepted, even calling some sins by another name. God sees differently. He knows the depths of the heart and what we might call good, God see the ill motives and selfishness. In our religious passion to do right, we miss the Spirit and soon walk in our strength. We make rules and to-do lists for our flesh to accomplish for God. Now, we are in right standing with Him!

No, beloved, no flesh can boast in the presence of a holy God. We wonder why we can't stand when the storms come or when the Enemy attacks us. Why we falter and fall rather than stand and minister to God when He calls our name.

Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. Psalms 24:4.

Beloved, lift up your hands to God and ask Him to take the thing you been holding on to - the thing you can't seem to live without, but it's destroying you.

God, I raise my hands to you in surrender, please take this broken life, this crushed heart, this idol of lust or anger etc from my grasp and deep in my heart. I want to minister to you, standing in the holy place where you dwell. Take me, Jesus, take me now and make me your own!