Shrinkage or increase? (Is 9: 7)

Our text speaks of the increase of Christ’s rule This is a fitting text for Christmas and the New Year. For unto us a Son is given and he is no longer the baby in a manger but is the King of kings. Kingdoms of world started with great glory but increasingly became kingdoms of clay and iron at the feet. But the stone from the hill of God (as Daniel saw it) rolls across world with power and glory.

God said in the beginning (Gen 1:28) "be fruitful and mulitply". But individually, is His increase happening in you?

The experience of many Christians is not the increase of God but instead: shrinkage, declension, loss, narrowing, reduction, shriveling, unproductive, sterility, unfruitful, meandering and poverty stricken.

CAUSES OF SHRINKAGE:

- a distinct point of disobedience. Not allowing Him to govern you will block His growth and cause you to shrink. This may be a single point where you are at loggerheads with God.

- timidity or, the opposite, being loud-mouthed, and obnoxious, can cause you to shrink from coming to God’s throne of grace, or be so busy with yourself and your thoughts that you miss God's speaking because you’re too busy. Are you suffering from the `Martha-syndrome’ – so busy serving God but, in actual fact, getting upset and missing the Lord Himself.

- bitterness. The root which defiles many. This bitterness may be yours or belong to someone else; and they’ve smeared you because you were willing to listen and accept their bitterness. This bitter root (which we read of in Heb 12:15) is a cause of a lot of trouble and loss of shrinkage.

- lack of endurance. Hebrews says we are not of those "who shrink back" (Heb 10:39) lacking endurance. Some shrivel when they meet tough circumstances.

- sitting on but not using treasure. As an example, here at Kwasizabantu we used surface water which was quite good but sometimes brownish water and occasionally contained tadpoles, for nearly 3 decades. All the time, we were sitting on a treasure trove of wonderful water underground! Many Christians stay poor instead of using the riches they have in Christ.

- confusion. Some suffer from confusion and remain poor. You may have heard about the story about the local American lorist who went out of business? It was his own fault. It seems that he kept getting his orders all mixed up. One woman received flowers sent by her husband who was at a business meeting in Florida. She was perplexed by the message on her card which said "Our deepest sympathy." But she was not nearly as surprised as the woman whose husband had just passed away. Her card read "Hotter here than I expected, Too bad you didn't come."
Some live in a state of intoxication through all the influences around them. This makes them confused and incapable of growing.

- trying to achieve through law. Perhaps you’re stuggling to achieve growth by obeying laws and not through the Son who has been "given" for us.

Submit decisively to him, totally, holding back nothing. Allow Christ to give you His abundant life. His government will know no end in your life and will increase forever.