Let us test and examine our ways

Good morning! This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. What a beautiful day that the Lord has given us. Let's do our best to enjoy every moment of it, and not take His blessings for granted.

I have reading and studying Lamentations 3 for the past few days. It has some wonderful truths in it. One of the truths that I want to share with you today is from Lamentations 3:40:

Lamentations 3:40 (AMP) Let us test and examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord!

(KJVR) Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

(MSG) Let's take a good look at the way we're living and reorder our lives under GOD.

What a powerful truth from God's Word for us today. Jeremiah the "weeping" prophet wrote Lamentations, and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, he tells us the importance of testing our ways. In fact, I listed three translations of this verse so that we get deeper meaning from it. There are five things that we need to do to make sure we are on the right pathway with God:

1. Test the way we are living
   
2. Examine the way we are living
   
3. Search the way we are living
   
4. Try the way we are living
   
5. Take a good look at the way are living
   

After taking a thorough and honest look at our spiritual life, then the Prophet tells us to "reorder our lives under God" and to return to Him. Our fast paced living has a way of causing us to drift slowly away from God. That is why it is so important to daily take a good look at our lives. I read the following story this morning:

A guy rushed into a service station one day and asked the manager if he had a pay phone. The manager nodded, "Sure, over there." The guy inserted a couple of coins, dialed and waited for an answer. Finally someone came on the line. "Uh, sir," he said in a deep voice, "could you use an honest, hard-working young man?" The station manager couldn't help overhearing the question. After a moment or two the guy said, "Oh, you already have an honest, hard-working young man? Well, okay. Thanks all the same." A broad smile stretched across his face. He hung up the phone and started back to his car, obviously elated. "Hey, just a minute," the station manager said, "I couldn't help but hear your conversation. Why are you so happy? I thought the man said he already had someone and didn't need you?" The guy smiled. "Well, you see, I am that honest, hard-working young man. I was just checking up on myself!"

How serious are we about our walk with God? If it is important to us, then we MUST examine ourselves regularly. Am I praying, reading God's Word and renewing my mind daily? Am I working hard at keeping a RIGHT SPIRIT? Am I asking God to RENEW me daily? Am I slipping in any area of my life? How about my attitude? Is it slipping? My attitude sends a signal before I've said a word. It's like traffic lights. Sometimes they flash red, which means 'stop, don't get in my way, I'm too busy to love, help, or care.' Sometimes they flash yellow, which means 'I'm touchy and out-of-sorts, I could go either way.' Sometimes they flash green, which means, 'it's go, I'm with you, you can count on me.' The Bible says, "take a good look at the way we're living, and then reorder our lives under God" What needs to be examined regularly? "Our ways!"

I love you guys, and hope you have an awesome, blessed day in the Lord! Blessings!

Pastor Rusty

MEMORY VERSE: Lamentations 3:40 (AMP) Let us test and examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord!