How would one declare his net worth?
From the time we were born we have been trying to find the right way to do things in our lives. To some, it seems easy; they just seem to glide along with very little interference. They are like ducks and water rolls off their backs.
Then there are the ones that seem to take everything that comes down the pike personally eventually succumbing to the effects of these attacks. Let's look a Moses.
NLT Exodus 2:11-15 11Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his people, the Israelites, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrew slaves. 12After looking around to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. 13The next day, as Moses was out visiting his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. "What are you doing, hitting your neighbor like that?" Moses said to the one in the wrong. 14"Who do you think you are?" the man replied. "Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Do you plan to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?" Moses was badly frightened because he realized that everyone knew what he had done. 15And sure enough, when Pharaoh heard about it, he gave orders to have Moses arrested and killed. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and escaped to the land of Midian.NLT Exodus 3:1-2, 4-8, 10-13 1One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. 2Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. 4When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. 5"Do not come any closer," God told him. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground." 6Then he said, "I am the God of your ancestors-- the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God. 7Then the LORD told him, "You can be sure I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries for deliverance from their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 10Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." 11"But who am I to appear before Pharaoh?" Moses asked God. "How can you expect me to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?"
God had given Moses specific instructions of how to accomplish the task at hand and yet he still protested. Do you think Moses was excited and ready to go do what God said?
Verse 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God.
Do you think he might have thought back to when he was last in Egypt?
NLT Exodus 4:1 1But Moses protested again, "Look, they won't believe me! They won't do what I tell them. They'll just say, 'The LORD never appeared to you.'" 2Then the LORD asked him, "What do you have there in your hand?" "A shepherd's staff," Moses replied. 3"Throw it down on the ground," the LORD told him. So Moses threw it down, and it became a snake! Moses was terrified, so he turned and ran away.
Moses had a lot of things he was concerned about, fear, past events, doubt. How do you think Moses was able to do the things God asked him to do? We saw that he questioned God and God loving led him step by step.
We have to be willing to put our whole heart and life into trusting God.
The Bible says that David was a man after God's own heart. Look what he did. Remember the beauty, Bathsheba?
NLT II Samuel 11: 2-4 2Late one afternoon David got out of bed after taking a nap and went for a stroll on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite." 4Then David sent for her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her.
When David found out that she was pregnant he sent for her husband Uriah, who was serving in the army. He wanted Uriah to come home and sleep with his wife to cover up his mistake; however, Uriah couldn't enjoy his homecoming while his men were still in battle. After several days David gave up and sent a letter with Uriah to Joab telling him to move Uriah to the front lines.
II Samuel 11:14-17 14So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. 15The letter instructed Joab, "Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed." 16So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy's strongest men were fighting. 17And Uriah was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.
Then there was Ziklag. David and his men came back from a campaign (I Samuel 30:1-3) and found there home raided and burned. Their families were taken and everything they owned. The men were a little upset. They were so upset they wanted to stone them. David had to encourage himself in the Lord because it didn't appear anyone else was going to encourage him.
I Samuel 30:8 Then David asked the LORD, "Should I chase them? Will I catch them?" And the LORD told him, "Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!"
Do you think David's men were happy? Do you think they may have said a few things to him — maybe not so nice? Has anyone ever said mean things to you? Made you feel less than what you are? Did you let it go? Or do you still carry it with you today?
If David was a man after God's own heart, then what is it that we could have done in our past that would keep us from being a man or woman after God's heart?
What about Paul? He was there at the stoning of Stephen. Heck he even agreed to it.
NAS Acts 7:58 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.NAS Acts 8:1a And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem;
Saul didn't stop at Stephen he was just getting started.
Acts 8:3-4 3But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. 4Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Saul was making threats with every breath against the Lord's followers. That is until he met the Lord on the road to Damascus.
NLT Acts 9:3-6 3As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him! 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" 5"Who are you, sir?" Saul asked. And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do."
If God could forgive Saul/ Paul for what he did to God's church. Don't you think he can and WILL forgive you for whatever your past has brought on you?
In order for us to know our exact worth we need to look at the bottom line.
The blood of Jesus wiped our spreadsheet clean. When we look in the mirror and those bad thoughts from our past tell us we are no good.
WE HAVE TO LET IT GO!
In order for us to move forward we have to truly leave behind the thoughts and past experiences that hold us back.
Sometimes we live with things for so long we don't consider them a problem. However, if you still get a fleeting thought perhaps it is still there and it is holding you back for being your best for God. He wiped our slate clean allowing us to be our best and move freely for God with nothing holding us back. ÿ