Have You Groan?

Have you Groan this Year?
No, its not a typo – I am asking you about something that is stirring deep inside of you that is longing for real and lasting change. I believe groaning is something deeper than a non-verbal expression. I think that groaning is a language that many do not give enough credit for in its ability to communicate with the most important person that you can communicate, God.
A groan expresses a desire for change to come upon you much like what the Israelites did in Egypt. "So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. {25} And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them." (Exo 2:24-25 NKJV)

Obvisouly God knows the difference between groaning and grumbling since He judged Israel for the grumbling but delievered them because of groaning. Are you groaning or grumbling? Groaning is a language God understands.
In Egypt 4 things is said about God when the groans of His people; 1. Heard the groans of His people. 2. Remembered His covenant 3. Looked Upon Them 4. Acknowledged His people.

GOT GROAN?
Webster’s dictionary defines groan: To utter a deep moan indicative of
1. Pain,
2. Grief, Or
3. Annoyance.

Why are you groaning?
Is it because of pain? For many pain is a way of life, and a common response to pain is to let out an exclamation of pain called a groan.

Is it because of grief due to loss? Everyone goes through the five stages of loss (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) and a common response to loss is a groan deep within our spirit.

Is because you are annoyed? We are being vexed by life itself and many things triggers a groan within our spirit.

Groaning begins a process of change, but real change takes time. Many people treat change like a fad diet which they try for a time and then give up and by the time that they are done end up worse then they started.
Sometimes when you are close to freedom – it will seem like we face our Pharoah and he will say “Make bricks without straw”, know that your redemption is already an accomplished work if you have a covenant with God – it just hasn’t come into visibility yet – He has set a plan in motion for you, your groans have already been heard and He acknowledges you as a child of God.
“…for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them.” Judges 2:18

The Holy Spirit Groans
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

There is a groaning taking place in the Spiritual realms from the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is Groaning
In pain because of the things that are contrary to God’s purposes.
Grieved due to His purposed being quenched.
Annoyed and irritated because of our weaknesses.

Is it any wonder that the Spirit is groaning? There is a language of the Spirit at work within us when we groan – The Holy Spirit is working within us
My spirit groans as well for what I see in myself and in God’s people, and in this world, and I take heart in Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
He has heard you, He has remembered your blood covenant, and He has sent forth His purposes before you.

(Rom 8:24-25 NKJV) For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? {25} But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

If you have groan? Then you have grown, and when you have grown and hopefully you are seeing things in a different perspective, and a level of maturity has been added to you that will help you rise heaven bound rather than keeping you stuck in the same old same old.

Let out your groan, don't hold it in, make it work for you and not against you. So in my journey if I hear a groan I'll ask God did you hear that, and I will smile with the knoweldge that things are about to change.

Honoring Army Spec. Allen J Knop

Army Spc. Allen James Knop, 22, died Nov. 23, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq. He was a U.S. Army Veteran of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, based in Fort Campbell, KY. He loved all sports especially basketball and golf. He was a 2002 Graduate of North High School where he made Academic All Conference in basketball. He touched many people in his life and would put others before himself. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Have you ever believed in something that you were willing to put your life on the line, something worth dying for? When I consider that there are select group of Americans that believe in the American cause that they are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. I am honoring Allen for his courage to not go on one tour but two. I honor him for giving up his leave time while in Iraq for 13 months to other men who were married and had children. I honor him for his character and commitment to keep his vows in service to our country.

Are the things that I am living for worth a 22 year-old-man dying for?

No greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friends John 15:13