Get Out of the Way

First of all this morning I want to say that not posting yesterday, left me feeling empty for the day. I decided that with all I had to do Saturday afternoon, and early Sunday morning, there would be no way I would have had time. Apparently that was my decision, and not God's. It would have been difficult to get a post done, but at this point I am so glad to get back to posting, I just can't explain the joy.
Now, I heard on the news this morning that in Florida there is a Earnest Hemingway look a like contest, what is note worthy is that the winner this year said he shares more than looks with the author, they also share a love for women, and alcohol. In other words he is happy to share being known for being a drunk, and an adulterer. I would rather be known for resembling my LORD and Savior.
Finally to the devotion, a familiar passage, one that I have discussed before, but I am going to take a different look at it this morning. Let's start in 1 Kg 8:10-11, "And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD. So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD". Last time I discussed the Shekinah Glory of God, and the power it contains. But, what I want you to see this morning is that the cloud could not come down until all the priest had left the building. Man had to get out of the way before God could work.
I know in my life there have been a lot of times when I was facing a difficulty, a trial, temptation, or attack by Satan, and I tried to take care of it myself. All I did was make it worse, or at least accomplished absolutely nothing. Then I would finally, pray and turn it over to God, and just as I could see Him working I would decide I did not like what He was doing, so I would take over again. Or, I would wait a couple of hours, and not see anything that He was doing and my worry would get the best of me, and I would take over again. Strangest thing, as long as I would try to be in charge and not depend on Him, He did not work, He could not work. I had to take it, lay it at His feet and leave it there for Him, and no matter how tempted, I had to force myself to stay out of the way and let Him handle it in His own time, in His way, no matter what or how I wanted it done.
Turn over to Ex 40:33-35, something else very important to look at here, in the last part of vs 33 and the first of vs 34 the Bible says "So Moses finished the work. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation". What we see here is that, we have to do the job that God commands us to do, before He can do what He promised. Ask yourself this question, "How could the cloud (the glory of God), fill the tent, if Moses had not built the tent?" God could not do what He promised, until Moses finished the job that God had given him to do. Now I know that some people will say that God does not need us, He can do what He wants when He wants. This is true to a point, however the Bible says, that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved". It does not say some will call upon the name, others will just be saved because that is what God wants. We have to call upon Him first, then we will be saved. We have to do our part, before He can do His part. Rev. 22:12 says "And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be". We are commanded to work, therefore we must work.
If you look at Mk 9:14-29, we see the account of the disciples that tried to cast out a demon unsuccessfully. In vs 23 Jesus says "If thou canst believe, all things are possible", we have to do our part first, then get out of the way, and let God do His part. Matt. 10:18-20 tells of Jesus instructing the twelve, and sending them out on a mission trip. He tells them that they will be brought before the authorities, but they are not to worry. They are supposed to speak with boldness, because, (vs 20) "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh IN you". We are to go to the world, we are to be witnesses, and we are to speak that is our part, if we do that then God will do His part, and that is to send His Spirit to speak through us. But He can not speak through us, if we don't go. He can not fill the temple, if we don't do our part, and build the temple.