Who’s calling the shots?

We use the phrase ‘call the shots’ about the person in charge, the one with authority. Supposedly it comes from the military, from artillery batteries. The officer who decided where and when to fire the powerful weapons was the said to be ‘calling the shots.’ That person’s authority was unquestioned. So, let me ask you, Christian, to put it the context of your life. Who is calling the shots?  Who determines what you do?  We speak of Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord, rightfully so.  However, is that just rhetoric or is it truth? 

Jesus told a story about two sons who were given a directive by their father.  One said, “OK, Dad. I’m on it.” But then, he went off and did what he wanted to do. The other said, “No, that’s not for me.” Later, he reconsidered and did what the father asked of him. He then made the point that it is not words but actions that matter. 

Do you sing of your devotion in church, hands raised, eyes closed as if in adoration, only to walk out the door and do your own thing? Do you know what God desires, but choose your own way, justifying your choices as ‘necessary?’ I know how that goes, too! There are too many chapters in my life where I chose what seemed to be expedient over what was right. 

Those of us who find ourselves afraid of the will of God because of the cost, or because of some imagined consequence, walk a road with many companions.  Abraham, the father of the faithful, in one of the more strange episodes of his life, allowed fear to ‘call the shots,’ and made a foolish choice. His wife was so beautiful that when he moved into the Negev, he became convinced that the king would kill him to take her for his harem! So, Abraham chose to lie and broke faith with his wife and his God. The mercies of the Lord were abundant and He spoke the pagan king in a dream and the story closes with Sarah restored to Abraham, but I can only imagine the damage done to that man’s credibility.

The open secret of obedient devotion is not more rigid self-discipline. It is deeper trust, which rests on intimacy with our Father, which is only possible when we accept His promise of grace and the complete salvation, by faith. We cannot give ourselves wholly to a Father we see as cruel, capricious, or unloving. The big lie of the Enemy of our soul is as old as Eden – “God is not good, He withholds good things from you.” He whispered it to Eve and when she believed it, disobedience followed. Do not focus on your failure, but on His grace. Do not look at the temptation, but on His ever-present help in time of testing. Do not rehearse your desire, but rather confess the abundance that is found in Christ alone.  Ah, yes, friend, these are not easy choices, but they are possible.

I close this thought today with a lengthy passage. As you read the word from the Word, see that the truth always points to Him, that we yield and rest on His ability to save.

"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." (Romans 8:5-14, NLT)

Tell Him that He calls the shots!  Then, let the peace of Christ rule your heart and mind, trusting the outcomes to Him.

_______________

Good, Good Father  (listen, learn, and worship at this link)

I've heard a thousand stories

Of what they think You’re like

But I've heard the tender whisper

Of love in the dead of night

You tell me that You’re pleased

And that I'm never alone

You're a Good Good Father

It's who You are

It's who You are

It's who You are

And I'm loved by You

It's who I am

It's who I am

It's who I am

I've seen many searching for answers

Far and wide

But I know we're all searching for answers

Only You provide

Because You know just what we need

Before we say a word

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

Love so undeniable I can hardly speak

Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

Into love love love

You're a Good Good Father

It's who You are

It's who You are

It's who You are

And I'm loved by You

It's who I am

It's who I am

It's who I am

Anthony Brown | Pat Barrett

© 2014 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Common Hymnal Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Monday’s opportunities

The young man told me that he felt he had a second chance at life and was resolved to make better choices. Several years ago, after a night of partying, he was in a catastrophic crash. The driver hit utility poles at high speed, flipping the car three times, and Matt was thrown into the roadway. His body was broken, his life hung by a thread. He told me that the medical bills were over a million dollars!  And now, he’s turned around, looking for ways to make his life count.  Perhaps your story is not so dramatic.  As a result, are you are content to drift from day to day, caught up in that common idea that life goes on forever? It doesn’t!  God is preparing opportunities for you, for me. Will we make the choice to step up?

The Word speaks this practical challenge to us. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:9-10, NIV)  What can we take away from this passage?

First, we are urged not to give up. Who has not had a moment when life just seemed too much to carry on?  “I quit!” plays in the corners of our mind.  A standing pastor joke is that most of write our resignations on Monday morning. After a day of preaching, loving, caring, sharing, praying there is a kind of weariness of soul. Sometimes when a Sunday has included disappointments, when the congregation was small, or the sermon did not ‘connect,’ we are tempted to say, “I’m finished!”  It is not just pastors, is it?  You probably have had moments when you wanted to quit your job, walk away from some commitment, call it quits on a ‘friend,’ or even abandon faith.  The Word promises us a harvest “if we do not give up.”   Before you quit, pause. Rest is required and in those pauses, we can find renewal, new perspective, a reason to try again.

Second, we are told to look for the opportunities. Are you waiting for your ‘big break?’  Are you sitting around in the mistaken belief that success will find you while you wait? Stand up, open your eyes, and do what you can do right where you are.  In my life, I have learned one secret of being productive.  I take advantage of the moment. In  between the major responsibilities, I do things that can be done in 15 minutes, in an hour. Instead of waiting for a ‘clear schedule’ I find ways to accomplish the small tasks in between the big ones. So in one day I can get one or two major things done and fit 5 or 6 lesser things in between. But, that demands a constant awareness of ‘what’s next?’

This Monday morning God may present you with an opportunity to encourage someone who is feeling broken, and it might be that your concern will help them make a decision with far-reaching consequence. The Spirit may whisper an invitation to you to listen to His voice while you drive. Will you? Or, will you turn on the radio and drown out His voice?  Your child may come looking for your loving attention, an opportunity. Will you look up from whatever you’re doing to listen and love?  The list goes on and on.  There are opportunities prepared all around us to make a difference in the world, but most are small, seeming almost inconsequential to us, but we cannot know what one simple act can do to change a life.

Meditate on this promise, a word from the Word before you move into your day.
"God can do anything, you know—
far more than you could ever imagine
or guess or request in your wildest dreams!

He does it

not by pushing us around

but by working within us,

his Spirit deeply and gently within us." (Ephesians 3:20, The Message)

Now, go make the most of those opportunities.

___________

I Surrender

(listen to the song at this link)

The riches of this world will fade

The treasures of our God remain

Here I empty myself to owe this world nothing

And find ev'rything in You

I surrender I surrender I surrender all to You

Take my life a sacrifice

In You alone I'm satisfied

Here I empty myself to owe this world nothing

And find ev'rything in You

Oh oh ev'rything in You

Not my will but Yours be done

Not my strength but Yours alone

Nothing else but You O Lord

I find ev'rything in You

David Leonard | Jason Ingram | Leslie Jordan

© 2016 Hyatt Street Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook]))

Integrity's Alleluia! Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook]))

CCLI License # 810055

God works in mysterious ways? Right?

There is a phrase we use when nothing else makes any sense. It is one of those that is true but usually it is more like an expression of defeat than an affirmation of faith. Sigh. “Yeah, God works in mysterious ways,” we say without much conviction. But, He does and He invites us to trust Him profoundly.

"God moves in mysterious ways" is part of a hymn written by William Cowper in the 18th century. He struggled with depression for most of his life. In the depths of his pain, he wrote poems that were set to music, many becoming loved songs of the Church. One of the best known is There is A Fountain. The hymn from which this line is taken was his last. The story of the hymn's origin is fascinating though we cannot confirm it. "One night he decided to end his life by drowning himself. He called a cab and told the driver to take him to the Thames River. However, thick fog came down and prevented them from finding the river (another version of the story has the driver getting lost deliberately). After driving around lost for a while, the cab finally stopped and let Cowper out. To his sur­prise, he found himself on his own doorstep: God had sent the fog to keep him from killing himself." – cyberhymnal.org

"God works in mysterious ways," is REAL comfort for suffering saints who are willing to wait, trust, and look to the Sovereign Lord.

Moses was living in the center of the will of God.  But, he ran into situations that made little sense. Exodus 5 read like a tragic comedy! Moses and Aaron arrive in Egypt with great news for the Hebrew slaves, "The LORD God has sent us to lead you out of slavery, back to the Land of Promise." The people heard their message with great joy and they worshipped the Lord. Then, these two men went to Pharaoh to appeal for release of the Hebrews. He laughed at them and doubled the slaves' workload, making life even more miserable! "Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’" (Exodus 5:17, NIV) Moses and Aaron were no longer popular. Their promise was rather hollow! "The foremen said to them, "May God see what you’ve done and judge you—you’ve made us stink before Pharaoh and his servants! You’ve put a weapon in his hand that’s going to kill us!"(Exodus 5:21, The Message)  Moses was as confused as anyone. He asked the Lord, "Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!" (Exodus 5:22-23, NLT) Yet, God was working!

From our seat in the grandstand of history we look over the story and realize that the Lord was setting the stage for a confrontation with the gods of Egypt, in which He would show His mighty hand and reveal that they were no gods at all. Egypt was a wonder of the ancient world. God would bring her to her knees before He was finished, but nobody knew that in the moment. They only saw a greater workload with less resources, a situation that appeared to grow worse by the day. But, God planned a day of deliverance when all Egypt would say, “Yahweh is the Lord!”

Cowper finished the thought that  "God works in mysterious ways" with this conclusion - "His wonders to perform!"  The affirmation of God’s purposes is not a spiritual aspirin meant to minimize our pain nor should we feel ashamed if we wrestle with faith as we try to comprehend His ways. It is a lifeline of truth thrown to us to pull us out of the murky waves of despair. In the darkest day, we speak our faith and live it – trusting in the Word’s revelation that God rules without hindrance and that His purposes always stand. 

So, we can, we must, take great comfort in His mysterious ways, praying for faith to let the picture form, so that all we see it.

Are you wrestling with things in life right now that would appear to be without purpose? Does it seem that life has overwhelmed God and His plans, leaving you just hanging onto a bit of wreckage on the sea of life trying to stay afloat?  Don’t quit!  Re-dedicate yourself to Him, with the simplest prayer, being real about your feelings. Then re-affirm your faith in the God who works in mysterious ways.

Here is a word from the Word.  I pray that the Spirit will make it a life preserver for you today.
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. …  For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. …  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, NIV)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:18, 24-25, 35-37, NIV)

______________

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

- Public Domain, William Cowper