Thanksgiving feasts are over. Football games played out for us who watched from our recliners! Our families are thinking about going home. And today ... is 'Black Friday,' the day when American consumers spend $Billions! It is called "Black Friday" because retailers count on the burst of spending to put their annual revenue in the black. Today and tomorrow will likely be the most profitable days in retail sales for the entire year. So begins the Christmas Season, but hopefully, But, hopefully Believer, you will walk through the Advent Season differently than the wider culture.I want to encourage you to make this a holy time of great joy.
Advent is the time when Christians prepare themselves for the coming of the King. In various ways- fasting and feasting, with special songs, exchange of gifts, meditations on Scripture, readings, and worship - we celebrate the fact that God entered the world as a baby boy, or as John's Gospel tells us: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, NIV)
Without attacking the rituals that are very much a part of an American Christmas, may I plead with you to make it a Christ-centered Christmas this year?
By that I do not mean that we play into the hype about the 'X-mas' ads or the failure of public school programs to include Christmas in their 'holiday' concerts. Yes, let's just acknowledge that in many ways America is a secular country that is increasingly losing touch with her Christian roots, then let's go beyond symbols and rhetoric, to truly celebrate a Christian Christmas! Instead of coming to January 1, 2007 with credit cards maxed out and an extra 10 pounds packed onto our waistline, why not come into the New Year with a full heart and the joy of knowing that you touched someone with the same kind of love that God showed us in the Gift of His Son? Like Peter and John, who realized the source of True wealth, let's give away the best and richest gifts in the Name of Jesus. Those two men were presented with an opportunity when a beggar asked them for money as they went to worship. Peter's reply makes me smile.... "Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!”" (Acts 3:6, The Message) That beggar received a grace gift that day and his life was changed. Wouldn't it be great to be used of God this Christmas Season to give away grace gifts of love and healing?
Let me make some suggestions for a sane and Christ-honoring celebration:
Set an affordable budget for all your gift-giving BEFORE you venture to the store. If you find it too hard to discipline yourself to the spending limits, then leave your credit cards home and shop with cash only.
Keep yourself from exhaustion by wisely choosing which activities you will attend. When we try to fill our schedule too full with many good things, we become cranky and miserable, and end up making the Season something to endure rather than days to celebrate.
Include regular times of spiritual renewal. Move church attendance UP on the list, not down. Step out of your comfort zone and go to church with other members of your family that attend a church that worships differently. (Believe it or not, some of the most meaningful Christmas services this life-long Pentecostal Believer has attended were at an Episcopal church where the priest was a close personal friend. Those ancient liturgies, reading, and prayers - interspersed with carols - made me REALLY think about the meaning of the Gift of Heaven.)
Include charitable organizations, needy families, and/or your church on your gift list - giving in honor of Jesus, God's gift.
Here's an ancient hymn/prayer - weaving together many strands of the prophetic themes that God used to tell of the coming of His Messiah. Here at the beginning of the season of Advent, make this hymn your personal prayer.
___________________
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save, And give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Dangerous Blessings
I am blessed in too many ways to count! My life has been filled with good things - loving parents, a rich spiritual heritage, enough resources available so I can have food, health care, shelter, and creature comforts more than I need. I am loved by my wife, have great children, work at a profession I love (most of the time!), and enjoy robust health. My life is filled with purpose. I know peace with God and, because of His grace, I am assured of eternal life in the Presence of Jesus. What more could a person desire? Sad to say - Plenty! Contentment eludes me too often and I find myself complaining or at least wishing for 'novel,' or 'different.' It is the curse of 'entitlement.'
Those who know great blessing often come to believe they deserve it, that they are owed more and more by God, others, and even the government. It shows up all through the American way of life. Many kids believe that they are owed a college education and never even think of it as a privilege. They assume Mom and Dad are required to go into debt to get them a degree. At the other end of life, many of us make little preparation for those years when we will not be able to work to earn a living because we believe that the government owes us a pension and health care. When disaster strikes in America today, many people sit down and wait for help to arrive because they feel entitled to assistance from Uncle Sam. Even McDonald's played to our sense of entitlement with a wildly successful advertising campaign built on the slogan - "You deserve a break today!"
Believers are not exempt from that entitlement mindset. It is easy to begin to believe that God owes us more and when He does not give us what we want, we start to complain, often bitterly. Ancient Israel is an example for the modern Church. After their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt, God provided for their every need. Most amazingly, every morning they went out of their tents and found manna on the ground, angel food that the Lord gave them to sustain them in the wilderness. Did they appreciate it? For a few weeks, then they started to feel entitled to more. The Bible says, "The riff-raff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, “Why can’t we have meat? We ate fish in Egypt—and got it free!—to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is manna, manna, manna.” (Numbers 11:4-6, The Message) Time and again, when God gave them something, they tired of it and wanted more.
And I do it, too! Do you?
There are a couple of things we can do that will help us to avoid the ugly characteristics of entitlement thinking.
First, practice the discipline of giving, generously and sacrificially! I am convinced that tithing (giving 10% of our earnings) is a principle that is good for us. God demanded the tithe of the Jews under the first covenant. For those of us who are in Christ, under the agreement of grace, it is no longer a law, but it is a great guiding principle for our giving. We need to go beyond giving as a emotional response to sad stories, or because we feel pressure from a preacher, or because we buy into the 'seed faith' nonsense (basically a 'give to get' scheme without Biblical merit) that prosperity teachers use to manipulate us. Instead, we should give purposefully, like an investor uses his money. We should look for worthy ministries, well run charities, and individual people that we can help onto their feet. In these ways, we put a portion of our resources, at least a tithe, to work for God. When we choose to set aside some of our wants so we can give, we gain a renewed sense of our blessings. We are able to grasp that what we have is not because we are more deserving than someone else, but because we are God-blessed.
Second, worship deeply, regularly, and from the heart! True worship restores proper perspective. Taking a significant amount of time each day and on a special day each week to focus our attention on God, reminds us that He is God and we are not! As we mature in our prayerfulness, we begin to talk to Him less about our wants and listen more intently to His instructions. In worship we learn more about how to live to bless than we do about how to gain blessings for ourselves. That's not to say it is wrong to pray about our needs. God wants us to ask boldly. But I think each of us can remember more than a few prayers that were more about our wants than our needs. Spiritual worship helps us to discern the difference.
Third, we need to express our gratitude! Cultivating a habit of thankfulness helps us to avoid a 'me centered' life. We keep in sight the ways that God has blessed us. We realize how much those around contribute to our well-being. Thanksgiving should not be just a day on the calendar for Believers. It should be a way of life.
Here's a word from the Word. It is an excerpt from the 'song of Moses,' which he recited for the people of Israel when he was advanced in age and near the end of his time of service. In this passage he warns them of the danger of blessings - that they would begin to feel entitled and forget to serve God. I pray that these ancient words of warning will find a place in our hearts and minds today, so that we will give glory to God.
"For the people of Israel belong to the Lord; Jacob is his special possession. He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as his most precious possession. Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them in and carried them aloft on his pinions.
The Lord alone guided them; they lived without any foreign gods. He made them ride over the highlands; he let them feast on the crops of the fields. He nourished them with honey from the cliffs, with olive oil from the hard rock. He fed them curds from the herd and milk from the flock, together with the fat of lambs and goats. He gave them choice rams and goats from Bashan, together with the choicest wheat. You drank the finest wine, made from the juice of grapes.
But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation." (Deuteronomy 32:9-15, NLT)
Those who know great blessing often come to believe they deserve it, that they are owed more and more by God, others, and even the government. It shows up all through the American way of life. Many kids believe that they are owed a college education and never even think of it as a privilege. They assume Mom and Dad are required to go into debt to get them a degree. At the other end of life, many of us make little preparation for those years when we will not be able to work to earn a living because we believe that the government owes us a pension and health care. When disaster strikes in America today, many people sit down and wait for help to arrive because they feel entitled to assistance from Uncle Sam. Even McDonald's played to our sense of entitlement with a wildly successful advertising campaign built on the slogan - "You deserve a break today!"
Believers are not exempt from that entitlement mindset. It is easy to begin to believe that God owes us more and when He does not give us what we want, we start to complain, often bitterly. Ancient Israel is an example for the modern Church. After their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt, God provided for their every need. Most amazingly, every morning they went out of their tents and found manna on the ground, angel food that the Lord gave them to sustain them in the wilderness. Did they appreciate it? For a few weeks, then they started to feel entitled to more. The Bible says, "The riff-raff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, “Why can’t we have meat? We ate fish in Egypt—and got it free!—to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is manna, manna, manna.” (Numbers 11:4-6, The Message) Time and again, when God gave them something, they tired of it and wanted more.
And I do it, too! Do you?
There are a couple of things we can do that will help us to avoid the ugly characteristics of entitlement thinking.
First, practice the discipline of giving, generously and sacrificially! I am convinced that tithing (giving 10% of our earnings) is a principle that is good for us. God demanded the tithe of the Jews under the first covenant. For those of us who are in Christ, under the agreement of grace, it is no longer a law, but it is a great guiding principle for our giving. We need to go beyond giving as a emotional response to sad stories, or because we feel pressure from a preacher, or because we buy into the 'seed faith' nonsense (basically a 'give to get' scheme without Biblical merit) that prosperity teachers use to manipulate us. Instead, we should give purposefully, like an investor uses his money. We should look for worthy ministries, well run charities, and individual people that we can help onto their feet. In these ways, we put a portion of our resources, at least a tithe, to work for God. When we choose to set aside some of our wants so we can give, we gain a renewed sense of our blessings. We are able to grasp that what we have is not because we are more deserving than someone else, but because we are God-blessed.
Second, worship deeply, regularly, and from the heart! True worship restores proper perspective. Taking a significant amount of time each day and on a special day each week to focus our attention on God, reminds us that He is God and we are not! As we mature in our prayerfulness, we begin to talk to Him less about our wants and listen more intently to His instructions. In worship we learn more about how to live to bless than we do about how to gain blessings for ourselves. That's not to say it is wrong to pray about our needs. God wants us to ask boldly. But I think each of us can remember more than a few prayers that were more about our wants than our needs. Spiritual worship helps us to discern the difference.
Third, we need to express our gratitude! Cultivating a habit of thankfulness helps us to avoid a 'me centered' life. We keep in sight the ways that God has blessed us. We realize how much those around contribute to our well-being. Thanksgiving should not be just a day on the calendar for Believers. It should be a way of life.
Here's a word from the Word. It is an excerpt from the 'song of Moses,' which he recited for the people of Israel when he was advanced in age and near the end of his time of service. In this passage he warns them of the danger of blessings - that they would begin to feel entitled and forget to serve God. I pray that these ancient words of warning will find a place in our hearts and minds today, so that we will give glory to God.
"For the people of Israel belong to the Lord; Jacob is his special possession. He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as his most precious possession. Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spread his wings to take them in and carried them aloft on his pinions.
The Lord alone guided them; they lived without any foreign gods. He made them ride over the highlands; he let them feast on the crops of the fields. He nourished them with honey from the cliffs, with olive oil from the hard rock. He fed them curds from the herd and milk from the flock, together with the fat of lambs and goats. He gave them choice rams and goats from Bashan, together with the choicest wheat. You drank the finest wine, made from the juice of grapes.
But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation." (Deuteronomy 32:9-15, NLT)
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Tempted?
Snack chips are a weakness of mine! Just about any variety will do, however sour cream and onion potato chips and nacho cheese corn chips top my personal snack list. But, chips are not health food so I must fight off the longing to eat them. They are loaded with carbs, fats, and sodium and pack a calorie punch into a tiny serving of about 8 chips. Who eats just 8 chips? Remember that old line ad line from Lay's - "Betcha Can't Eat Just One" ? Oh, what a temptation they are! Because I know my proclivity for over-indulgence, I take active steps to keep myself from eating chips by addressing two things: opportunity and desire. We just don't keep them in the house which takes care of opportunity most of the time. You can't eat what's not available. When I'm buying lunch at the deli, I have to address desire because that bag of Doritos calls out to me. So I remind myself that my hunger will soon be satisfied with more healthy food, that the apple will be much more nourishing, and that in an hour I will be glad I didn't wolf down 400-500 calories in 45 seconds - and I walk right past the chip display with desire in check.
Hopefully, you realize that this TFTD is not really about snack chips! It is about temptation, which is the common experience of every living human being. The Bible says that "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV) We often think, "Nobody will understand how difficult this is. Or, we live alone with our struggle thinking, "I'm weird, twisted, because surely no one else has this kind of desire." But, we're wrong on both counts. Temptation is part of being human. The truth is that temptation's power is reduced when we find others who understand us, who support us, and open up our hearts. That's the genius of 12 step groups. Those groups bring together people who are slaves to alcohol, drugs, food and provide them a safe place to admit to their temptation, to process their inner thoughts with others who share the same way of thinking. Together, they are able to find strength to defeat the temptation.
It is true that we are each tempted by different things depending on our personality and/or our situation. Temptation comes to us out of the natural longings and needs of our lives. Sexual longing quickly morphs into lust. We easily slide from a proper use of money, which allows us to provide for ourselves, into greed. Our need to be secure is a source of temptation to become people who control others. Our God-given curiosity about the world we live can become the fertile ground in which doubt grows with the rapidity of weeds. James explains this - ". . . each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:14-15, NIV)
You may thinking, "What about the Devil, Jerry? Doesn't he have anything to do with temptation?" Yes, he does. The Bible convinces me that evil has a father, that evil is organized by a person who brings his demons to fight against God and good in me and in my world. But, I believe we give him way too much power by blaming him directly for things he does only indirectly. The Devil can only exploit desires that exist in you and me. For example, if I refuse to hate and practice forgiveness on a regular basis, the Devil has no way to tempt me to murder anybody! He can't plant that seed in my mind if there is no soil in which it can grow. Does he try to manipulate situations so that I will misunderstand others or misjudge them? Yes, he does! And where I allow him to succeed in these small ways, he finds opportunity to do worse things. And, yes, over time, if a person gives more and more of his life over to evil, the Devil is able to use that person to do greater and greater evil.
In the life of the Believer, where the Spirit of God is actively at work, the places to deal with temptation are at the points of desire and opportunity. First of all, we need to understand our true needs and how we think about them. Let me use sex as an illustration since so many people get that one all tangled up! Sex is a God-given part of our humanity, a gift He has given to us that propagates the human race, that provides us with pleasure, and that powerfully bonds us to the person we marry. Sexual desire is not sinful- in itself. But, because it is such a powerful part of us and because we live in a culture that worships sex, our legitimate sexual desire is a frequent source of temptation! One of the ways we defeat that temptation is to satisfy the desire in the way that God intended. The Scripture is quite practical about this. Take a look at the opening lines of 1 Corinthians 7. There Paul makes a couple of suggestions. "Get married and don't withhold sex from your mate!" These choices, he says, deprive Satan of a place to tempt us. To return to my illustration about chips- I am much less inclined to long for a bag of Doritos after I've eaten a balanced, healthy meal! So the first place to attack temptation is at the source of desire asking two questions: What legitimate need is letting this temptation gain my attention? How can I meet that need in a good and godly way?
Then there is opportunity! If we know that we are prone to temptation around certain things, we would be wise to limit our exposure to those things. Evangelist Billy Graham, who has served his entire career in very high profile ministry, recognized his humanity and the tendency for temptation to grow in strength when we are alone. So, he and his inner circle of associates made a pact that they would not be alone, that they would serve as a team! This limited their opportunities to give in to temptation. An alcoholic who is serious about staying sober doesn't keep a huge wine cellar full in his house, nor does he spend Friday nights in a bar! Believer, don't set yourself up to sin by creating opportunities for temptation. Often victory is found in something as simple as just not going somewhere, or taking a preventative step early on before the temptation is a raging war.
Here's God's promise for you and me. Meditate on it today - "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT)
_____________________
Hopefully, you realize that this TFTD is not really about snack chips! It is about temptation, which is the common experience of every living human being. The Bible says that "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV) We often think, "Nobody will understand how difficult this is. Or, we live alone with our struggle thinking, "I'm weird, twisted, because surely no one else has this kind of desire." But, we're wrong on both counts. Temptation is part of being human. The truth is that temptation's power is reduced when we find others who understand us, who support us, and open up our hearts. That's the genius of 12 step groups. Those groups bring together people who are slaves to alcohol, drugs, food and provide them a safe place to admit to their temptation, to process their inner thoughts with others who share the same way of thinking. Together, they are able to find strength to defeat the temptation.
It is true that we are each tempted by different things depending on our personality and/or our situation. Temptation comes to us out of the natural longings and needs of our lives. Sexual longing quickly morphs into lust. We easily slide from a proper use of money, which allows us to provide for ourselves, into greed. Our need to be secure is a source of temptation to become people who control others. Our God-given curiosity about the world we live can become the fertile ground in which doubt grows with the rapidity of weeds. James explains this - ". . . each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (James 1:14-15, NIV)
You may thinking, "What about the Devil, Jerry? Doesn't he have anything to do with temptation?" Yes, he does. The Bible convinces me that evil has a father, that evil is organized by a person who brings his demons to fight against God and good in me and in my world. But, I believe we give him way too much power by blaming him directly for things he does only indirectly. The Devil can only exploit desires that exist in you and me. For example, if I refuse to hate and practice forgiveness on a regular basis, the Devil has no way to tempt me to murder anybody! He can't plant that seed in my mind if there is no soil in which it can grow. Does he try to manipulate situations so that I will misunderstand others or misjudge them? Yes, he does! And where I allow him to succeed in these small ways, he finds opportunity to do worse things. And, yes, over time, if a person gives more and more of his life over to evil, the Devil is able to use that person to do greater and greater evil.
In the life of the Believer, where the Spirit of God is actively at work, the places to deal with temptation are at the points of desire and opportunity. First of all, we need to understand our true needs and how we think about them. Let me use sex as an illustration since so many people get that one all tangled up! Sex is a God-given part of our humanity, a gift He has given to us that propagates the human race, that provides us with pleasure, and that powerfully bonds us to the person we marry. Sexual desire is not sinful- in itself. But, because it is such a powerful part of us and because we live in a culture that worships sex, our legitimate sexual desire is a frequent source of temptation! One of the ways we defeat that temptation is to satisfy the desire in the way that God intended. The Scripture is quite practical about this. Take a look at the opening lines of 1 Corinthians 7. There Paul makes a couple of suggestions. "Get married and don't withhold sex from your mate!" These choices, he says, deprive Satan of a place to tempt us. To return to my illustration about chips- I am much less inclined to long for a bag of Doritos after I've eaten a balanced, healthy meal! So the first place to attack temptation is at the source of desire asking two questions: What legitimate need is letting this temptation gain my attention? How can I meet that need in a good and godly way?
Then there is opportunity! If we know that we are prone to temptation around certain things, we would be wise to limit our exposure to those things. Evangelist Billy Graham, who has served his entire career in very high profile ministry, recognized his humanity and the tendency for temptation to grow in strength when we are alone. So, he and his inner circle of associates made a pact that they would not be alone, that they would serve as a team! This limited their opportunities to give in to temptation. An alcoholic who is serious about staying sober doesn't keep a huge wine cellar full in his house, nor does he spend Friday nights in a bar! Believer, don't set yourself up to sin by creating opportunities for temptation. Often victory is found in something as simple as just not going somewhere, or taking a preventative step early on before the temptation is a raging war.
Here's God's promise for you and me. Meditate on it today - "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NLT)
_____________________
Monday, November 20, 2006
Now, walk with God
God said, "Go to Nineveh!" Jonah said, "No, I'm having none of it!" and so starts one of the more amazing sagas of the Bible. The Bible says, "Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from the Lord. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping that by going away to the west he could escape from the Lord." (Jonah 1:3, NLT) The prophet's rebellion brought God's judgment in a storm and he told the sailors to toss him overboard. The Lord prepared a 'great fish' which swallowed him whole and he spent three nights in its belly where he concluded he would obey. The fish vomited him onto the seashore and he went off to do what the Lord asked him to do. Near the end of the short story, the self-will of the prophet shows up again in his complaint against God's will.
It's a story for every one of us. Have you ever been a Jonah? People run from God for all kinds of reasons - fear, self-will, misunderstanding - to name a few. Early in my own life, I had a real sense that God was calling me into His service. I considered a run for the hills, figuring that I could find success in some other field and then settle up with God later on down life's road. Thankfully, at prayer rail in a little church on a Sunday night, God spoke to me unmistakably. All these years later I still remember leaving that time of prayer in the Summer of 1971, where I just knew that it was 'make or break' time for me with Him. I could go my way and walk alone, or I could follow Him and trust Him with those things that made me afraid of saying, "yes" to His purposes. I am so glad that I was obedient. He has been so faithful to me!
One of the reasons Jonah resisted God's will was his unwillingness to see Nineveh, the enemy of Israel, blessed by God! The prophet took a look at the growing threat of Assyria to the north of his native country and concluded that it would be best to let God's judgment fall on that kingdom, but that was not the plan of Heaven. God wanted Jonah to preach to Nineveh and He wanted to bring about a spiritual renewal there through the efforts of that unwilling preacher. Implied in the text is this, "Jonah, you do what I tell you to do today, and I'll do what I need to do in the days ahead." Sometimes we attempt to live in the future and resist the will of God today because of what we think might happen tomorrow. That is a tragic deception. Jesus reminds us that if we want to please God, it must be today! He says, "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. " (Matthew 6:33-34, The Message)
Some of us run from God's plans, too, because we feel so inadequate. I don't know if just the thought of the task of preaching repentance to Nineveh was overwhelming to Jonah, but I can imagine it was. I know that there have been moments in my life when just the thought of obeying God was too much for me, given my natural abilities. Seems that is a common response to God's commission. Remember Moses' encounter with the Lord in the desert? He, too, had been on the run for years. God knew his address and showed up in a burning bush out in the wilderness. He spoke to the errant prince of Egypt and directed him to go back to that land and lead the people out of their slavery and into the Promised Land. Moses didn't jump for joy and do a little victory dance in the desert. He began to argue with God, telling the Lord about his inability, his speech impediment, and that nobody would listen anyway. Read the 4th chapter of Exodus. His dialogue with God is almost comical. Moses could not grasp that where God is leading, He is also preparing the way and providing the resources!
Those who walk with God are always 'on the edge,' and so they never feel completely adequate! So Paul writes, "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." (2 Corinthians 3:4-5, NIV) He tells of a time when things got so tough, he concluded that life was over. And then he writes, "We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!" (2 Corinthians 1:9, The Message) Obedience to the Lord's purposes will take us into a life where we have just one option - complete faith. Without it, we will not please Him.
So, what's facing you, friend?
Everyday, each one of us makes a choice - to obey or to 'escape from the Lord.'
We're either moving toward Him or away from Him, for life makes just standing in one place impossible. Put your hand in His and trust Him for today. He'll take care of the rest.
_____________________________
On God's holy Word I challenge you,
To give to the Lord your life anew.
My friend, make your choice; He waits for you,
For this is the moment of truth.
Now walk with God;
And He will be your dearest Friend;
Where'er you go, In everything you do.
And may your life,
Reflect His love to ev'ryone.
Now walk with God,
And He will walk with you.
Now Walk With God - Otis SkillingsCopyright: 1969 Lillenas Publishing Company
It's a story for every one of us. Have you ever been a Jonah? People run from God for all kinds of reasons - fear, self-will, misunderstanding - to name a few. Early in my own life, I had a real sense that God was calling me into His service. I considered a run for the hills, figuring that I could find success in some other field and then settle up with God later on down life's road. Thankfully, at prayer rail in a little church on a Sunday night, God spoke to me unmistakably. All these years later I still remember leaving that time of prayer in the Summer of 1971, where I just knew that it was 'make or break' time for me with Him. I could go my way and walk alone, or I could follow Him and trust Him with those things that made me afraid of saying, "yes" to His purposes. I am so glad that I was obedient. He has been so faithful to me!
One of the reasons Jonah resisted God's will was his unwillingness to see Nineveh, the enemy of Israel, blessed by God! The prophet took a look at the growing threat of Assyria to the north of his native country and concluded that it would be best to let God's judgment fall on that kingdom, but that was not the plan of Heaven. God wanted Jonah to preach to Nineveh and He wanted to bring about a spiritual renewal there through the efforts of that unwilling preacher. Implied in the text is this, "Jonah, you do what I tell you to do today, and I'll do what I need to do in the days ahead." Sometimes we attempt to live in the future and resist the will of God today because of what we think might happen tomorrow. That is a tragic deception. Jesus reminds us that if we want to please God, it must be today! He says, "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. " (Matthew 6:33-34, The Message)
Some of us run from God's plans, too, because we feel so inadequate. I don't know if just the thought of the task of preaching repentance to Nineveh was overwhelming to Jonah, but I can imagine it was. I know that there have been moments in my life when just the thought of obeying God was too much for me, given my natural abilities. Seems that is a common response to God's commission. Remember Moses' encounter with the Lord in the desert? He, too, had been on the run for years. God knew his address and showed up in a burning bush out in the wilderness. He spoke to the errant prince of Egypt and directed him to go back to that land and lead the people out of their slavery and into the Promised Land. Moses didn't jump for joy and do a little victory dance in the desert. He began to argue with God, telling the Lord about his inability, his speech impediment, and that nobody would listen anyway. Read the 4th chapter of Exodus. His dialogue with God is almost comical. Moses could not grasp that where God is leading, He is also preparing the way and providing the resources!
Those who walk with God are always 'on the edge,' and so they never feel completely adequate! So Paul writes, "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." (2 Corinthians 3:4-5, NIV) He tells of a time when things got so tough, he concluded that life was over. And then he writes, "We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!" (2 Corinthians 1:9, The Message) Obedience to the Lord's purposes will take us into a life where we have just one option - complete faith. Without it, we will not please Him.
So, what's facing you, friend?
Everyday, each one of us makes a choice - to obey or to 'escape from the Lord.'
We're either moving toward Him or away from Him, for life makes just standing in one place impossible. Put your hand in His and trust Him for today. He'll take care of the rest.
_____________________________
On God's holy Word I challenge you,
To give to the Lord your life anew.
My friend, make your choice; He waits for you,
For this is the moment of truth.
Now walk with God;
And He will be your dearest Friend;
Where'er you go, In everything you do.
And may your life,
Reflect His love to ev'ryone.
Now walk with God,
And He will walk with you.
Now Walk With God - Otis SkillingsCopyright: 1969 Lillenas Publishing Company
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