The first to apologize is the bravest.
The first to forgive is the strongest.
The first to forget is the happiest!
~Unknown
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
~Ephesians 4:32 ESV
I Don’t Want to Forgive
Have you been hurt so deeply that you feel trapped by the pain, yet there is something deep within you that refuses to forgive?
At times it seems there are two forces pulling at you, kinda like those cartoons we’ve seen of characters having an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. That angel whispers the Scriptures into your ears – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13). “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…” (Luke 6:27). “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19). “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44). “Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you” (Proverbs 20:22).
That devil on the other shoulder is whispering, too. “Don’t forgive them; they don’t deserve it. Don’t you remember what they did to you?”
The angel whispers all the more…,”Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless…” (1 Peter 3:9). And the devil ramps up his whisperings, too…, “What you need to do is get even. If I were you, I’d get them back!”
Forgiveness is hard. It’s even harder when you don’t really want to forgive. Yes, you want to empty yourself of all that bitterness, and you want to enjoy a close relationship with God (because in case you didn’t realize it, bitterness and refusing to forgive separates you from God). But deep down within, you crave vengeance. You just want to even the score somehow, pay them back. After all, that’s what they deserve!
Confession. I have held bitterness toward a certain “them” and “they” in my heart for quite some time now. I said that I forgave, but I didn’t. I thought for a while that I had, but I haven’t. I was sure that I wanted to, but I don’t. I don’t want to forgive them. Oh, in my head I do; I know right from wrong. But the awful, cold, hard truth is that in my heart, I don’t want to forgive them.
I realized that today when I had an opportunity to celebrate “them.” To praise “them.” To congratulate “them.” I didn’t want to do any of those things. Rather, I wanted to remind “them” of their evil, their spite, their prejudices and their mean-spiritedness. But therein lies the rub. I couldn’t remind them of any of their shortcomings and faults without being reminded of my own. Dang.
And so today I realized, fully realized what I already knew in my head. Forgiveness is not really for “them.” It is for me.
You see, by refusing to forgive, I imprisoned myself. I shut myself away in a lonely, desolate and miserable place where I played and replayed the videos and recordings of all that they had done wrong. Meanwhile, they went about their lives – happy, laughing, enjoying. I am sure that they haven’t spent one minute thinking about what has robbed me of peace for more than a year now.
Today, I decided it’s time to be released from prison. I forgave. Once, for all and for always – with the help of the Holy Spirit!
As children of God we are commanded to forgive. It really is not an option, but God will not rush us. He’ll let us linger and languish in the prison of bitterness as long as we desire. When we come to our senses, we understand that He empowers us by His Spirit to forgive just as Jesus forgave when He looked down from the cross at His false accusers, the naysayers and the soldiers who had beaten and whipped Him and now cast lots for His clothing. Amidst all that, He said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Surely, I can forgive those who hurt me, and I did.
Here’s what we can be sure of – What God commands us to do, He empowers us to do by His Spirit. And that includes forgiving just as Jesus did!
THIS WEEK break free of any prison of unforgiveness that has you bound. “As those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Colossians 3:12-13). Identify your shortcomings and seek the Lord’s forgiveness for those then, if possible, reconcile with your offender. If you cannot reconcile because your offender is not ready, know that you have done what the Lord has required of you, and go in peace (Romans 12:18).
The WhatIfs
Shel Silverstein, long one of my favorite poets, penned a poem entitled WhatIf. It begins, “Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear and pranced and partied all night long and sang their same old Whatif song: Whatif I’m dumb in school? Whatif they’ve closed the swimming pool? Whatif I get beat up? Whatif there’s poison in my cup? Whatif I start to cry? Whatif I get sick and die?”
Instead of breaking up the late night party, we join in, serve refreshment, turn the music up and add our own lyrics!
Our grownup version tends to go more like this: Whatif I can’t pay my rent? Whatif all my money’s spent? What if my spouse decides to leave? What if my children begin to deceive? What if the doctor gives me a cancer scare? What if I lose all my hair? What if my house is taken away? What if I die and this is my last day…? What if my child is born with defect? What if my teenagers are in a wreck? And so on…you know how it goes.
I challenge you to change the tune completely and consider these lyrics: What if God is, as His Word says, in control? What if God is omniscient? What if God is omnipresent and is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9)? What if God has a plan for your welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11)? What if with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)? What if God’s Word does not return empty but, rather, accomplishes His purpose and succeeds in the thing for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:8-11)? What if in His hand is the life of everything (Job 12:10)? What if God is faithful and will provide (1 Corinthians 10:13)? What if nothing is too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:27) and what if you can do all things through Him (Philippians 4:13)? What if God will strengthen, help and uphold you (Isaiah 41:10)? What if all that seems to be meant evil towards you God means it for good (Genesis 50:20)?
What if you stopped worrying and started trusting?
Silverstein ends his poem, “Everything seems well, and then the nighttime Whatifs strike again!”
When the Whatifs strike you, strike back with the Word of your Lord! Stop worrying. Start trusting.
THIS WEEK take captive every thought (2 Corinthians 10:5) including your whatifs! Replace each with a promise from God.
The Whatifs: A Silverstein Poem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plxOibb0L0s
Something to Worry About
Yes, last post I wrote that worrying was for the birds, but as I continue to reflect upon the teaching of Matthew – and all the Scriptures, I realize there is something that you should worry about.
Your focus. That you have it wrong. Your thinking. That it’s misguided.
Admittedly, my own focus and my own thinking may have been off, too. While I wrote that worrying was for the birds, was I making too light of it? When we look at the teaching of Matthew 6, we are told several times not to worry. Specifically, in Matthew 6:25 (CEB) we read, “I say to you, don’t worry about your life…” Verse 28 asks, “Why do you worry about clothes?” and verse 31 says, “Don’t worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?” And if we missed or misunderstood any of those, verse 34 makes it crystal clear, “Stop worrying about tomorrow.”
Whether you read the Common English, New International, King James or some other translation, the teaching is the same. Whether your Bible tells you not to worry, not to take thought or not to be anxious, the command is the same. No translation offers suggestions; they all offer edicts. Directives. Decrees. Commandments. And this is where and how we get off base with our thinking and our focus.
Let me be clear. Worrying is not just problematic. Worrying is wrong. Worrying is a sin. At the risk of offending some readers, I will be bold. Worrying is a sin just like stealing, killing and adultery. OMG you say. But if we disobey God’s word, we sin. Hmm, you wonder. Don’t just take my word, let’s consider examples. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:2-3). Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:7 and Luke 17:32). Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:25-33). Jonah (Jonah 1:1-3). While you are reading, read 1 John 2:3-6 which cautions us, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Can it be any clearer? If we do not keep the commandments of God – not just the ten, but all the commandments of His word, we sin.
And worrying is not somehow a little or a lesser sin. That’s more of our “misthinking.” Adultery is a BIG sin. Stealing is a BIG sin. Murder is a BIG sin. Worrying is a little sin. A cute sin. A “I can’t help myself, and anyway we all do it” sin. As my pastor says, we think people go to hell for the BIG sins and, perhaps, to an air conditioned hell for the little sins. No. Sin is sin. If you’re thinking otherwise, I caution you; your thinking is misguided.
Matthew 6:33 (CEB) tells us that we should “desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness.” In other words, our focus should be God, His kingdom and His righteousness rather than worrying about our lives, our clothes, what we will eat or drink or about tomorrow. Further, Matthew teaches, when God is first, all those things will be ours, too!
THIS WEEK reassess your thinking and your focus. What are you choosing to worry about? Understand that worry steals your strength and buries your blessings. Search the Scriptures for examples of those who worried and disobeyed God and those who cast their cares upon Him. Decide which group you want to be associated with.
What’s In a Name
This weekend I joined my sweetie at his family’s reunion. It was something awesome and beautiful to behold – more than 300 family members being reunited or meeting for the first time; sharing stories, laughs and love and, of course (because we are in the South), engaging in this reminiscing over a scrumptious meal. I especially enjoyed the family photos and the history that was documented from the early 1800s until present day. The research included a history of the family name which, in this case was Irish and Korean!,
What’s in a name? Shakespeare’s Juliet declared that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet was in love with Romeo, yet he bore the name of a rival family, Montague. Juliet would argue that the name of a thing, or in this case a person, mattered not and did not affect who are what they really were.
But names are powerful.
Everyone recognizes himself or herself by name – family, given, nickname… The power of a name and its value has long been immortalized in prose, poetry, history and religious ceremony. Some families devote much thought to the naming of a new baby. Others, I fear, don’t spend enough, but that’s a personal pet peeve and, perhaps, another blog post. Names are enduring and there are those, like the Kabalarians, who believe that the quality of one’s mind—thoughts, desires, opinions, likes, dislikes, reactions—can be measured by the linking of the most personal form of language, one’s name, to mathematics. They suggest that when language is used to attach a name to someone this creates the basis of mind, from which all thoughts and experiences, strengths and weaknesses flow.
Scripture, too, suggests that names are powerful and important often having considerable influence on the development of that child’s character. Names were not only descriptive but at times prophetic. As an example, the name of the patriarch Jacob, or Ya’akov, means “usurper”; it describes both how he tried to usurp his brother Esau’s birth from the womb by grabbing his heel during birth (Ya’akov in fact derives from ekev, “heel”) and how he ultimately usurped Esau as the heir of their father, Isaac, and grandfather Abraham and stole Esau’s birthright. Similarly, the name of the prophet Samuel, or Shemu’el, means (according to some scholars) “the one about whom God heard me,” referring to his previously barren mother’s prayer for a child. There are times, too, when special meaning was also attached to the name. Consider Nabal, whose name means “fool.” Abigail explains to her husband David in 1 Samuel 25:25, “For as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him.”
The most powerful name? The name of the Lord! Psalm 148:13 tells us to praise the name of the Lord; for His name alone is Excellent, and Proverbs 18:10 says His Name is a strong tower. We may make the mistake of thinking God to be an “it” or a “thing” to which we pray, but He is Our Father, Our Master, Our Lord, Our Shepherd, Our Righteousness, Our Everlasting God, Our King and Our Savior.
In Luke 11:1, one of Jesus’s disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Obliging this request, Jesus responded, “When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” Wikipedia says that to hallow a thing is to make it holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate.” To hallow the name of God is to regard Him with complete devotion and loving admiration. How do we do this? Consider, God knows us by our name.
Isaiah 43:1 “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”
John 10:14-15 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
John 10:3 “To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ”
Essential to our ability to glorify God – to Hallow His Name – is having knowledge of God and knowing Him personally in view of that knowledge. God knows us by our name. Shouldn’t we know Him by His?
THIS WEEK begin studying the Names of God. A good first step might be learning then praying specific names and attributes of God. One resource might be found at http://www.navigators.org/Tools/Newsletters/Featured%20Newsletters/Disciple-%20Monthly/September%202014/September%202014/30%20Days%20of%20Praying%20the%20Names%20and%20Attributes%20of%20God.
For the Birds
Last fall my mother gave me a bird feeder – one of the beautiful, hand crafted ones that had to be erected on a post. For my birthday, my sweetie had it erected, and I have enjoyed it every day since. I had him position it outside one of the kitchen windows so that I could watch while doing dishes (might be why I see it EVERY day – smile) and while eating breakfast and dinner (two times I most often sit at the kitchen table).
I’ve spent hours watching the birds. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Wrens, Robins, Sparrows, Goldfinches, Titmice, Thrushes, Eastern Bluebirds, Blackbirds, Wood Peckers and Mourning Doves. And those are just the ones that I recognize! Now, in case you are wondering, yes, I feed them a variety of seeds and nuts which is why I have so many feathered visitors. Over time I have noticed the character and habits of some of the frequent visitors. I thought the Blue Jays and Cardinals were aggressive until those Rusty Blackbirds and Brewer’s Blackbirds came along. They are larger, louder and quickly take over the feeder – so much so that I’ve since purchased another smaller feeder that I hung from the limb of a tree in my backyard.
Yes, I’ve noticed greedy birds, aggressive birds and persistent birds. But after days and days of watching – morning, night and early evenings, I’ve never seen a bird having a nervous breakdown. A panic attack. A pity party. A worry session. Even when they have come and found the feeder almost empty because Momma Bird Debbie didn’t refill it yet, they peck at the scraps, fly away and return later – still singing.
What’s my point? Matthew 6:26 (KJV) tells us to, “Behold the fowls of the air…” In other words, Stop. Look. Learn from the birds. The passage continues, “…for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.” They don’t plant, so they don’t harvest. The Message translation describes the birds as “free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.” And while the King James translation of this passage ends with a question – “Are ye not much better than they?” The Message translation concludes with a powerful declarative statement – “And you count far more to Him than birds.”
Matthew Henry’s commentary on this Scripture reads, “There is scarcely any sin against which our Lord Jesus more warns his disciples, than disquieting, distracting, distrustful cares about the things of this life” while Barnes’ Notes tells us to, “Put confidence, then, in that Universal Parent that feeds all the fowls of the air, and do not fear but that He will also supply your needs.”
If we read ahead in Matthew, we find two verses, 33 and 34, that conclude this section of the Scriptures, and we are wise to read them in conjunction with verse 6 for they provide the closure to verse six’s lesson:
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof.
Let’s go back to Matthew Henry for the clarification. “Thoughtfulness for our souls is the best cure of thoughtfulness for the world.”
Bottom line, our worries about the world – hair, clothes, shoes, house, vehicles, job titles, degrees, relationships… – all those things that we believe define us and all those things that we mistakenly label as NEEDS rather than WANTS, do us no good. Those worries only cause us stress and rob us of peace and joy! And here are two bonus lessons for you. Lesson 1: The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV). Lesson 2: Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10, NIV). And guess what he wants most? Your joy! Not your stuff! He wants your joy because he knows that that is your strength!
I would say that worrying about the world is “for the birds,” but that’s not even true. Behold. Look. Learn from them. You count far more to our Lord than the birds. Seek Him and His Kingdom. “That’s a good way to starve,” you say. No, that’s the best, the right, the only way to surthrive this world! Seek Him first and all “the other” will be added!
THIS WEEK BEHOLD the birds. Look. Learn from them. Act on your new learning!
In a Flash
Summer, one of my favorite seasons, is almost here! Already it is hot enough to be summer; today the temperature climbed into the upper 80s, but that’s a good thing because I like to stretch summer out as long as possible. When the hot days come early and linger well past the official end date on the calendar, I consider ALL those days SUMMER. But even when I do that – milk out a few extra days or weeks, summer is still just too short. Always, it seems, I am left wondering, “What happened? Where did it go? I didn’t get everything done that I wanted to!” For example, last year, we never made it to the ocean. Not even once.
This summer will be different, or so I have promised myself. I am making plans – plans that include time at the ocean, time walking on the beach, time sailing, time fishing, time watching the dolphins, time eating freshly caught seafood and time hot air ballooning! Yes, summer seems to come and go in a flash, but I have a plan to milk everything out of it that I can.
Life comes and goes in a flash, too! Never thought I would say that. Remember being a child and waiting for your birthday? Or Christmas? Or recess? Or the last day of school? Time drug. Time crawled. Time slept. My mother used to tell me to just wait, though. She said, “When you get older, time will fly.” “Just get to be 30 years old,” she said, “and you will see the years coming in multiples of five, possibly ten.” She was right. You go to bed one night and you’re 29, but you wake up 40. You roll over for another snooze, and you wake up 50. After 50? Well, I won’t depress you “young’uns,” and those of you who are over 50? Well, you already know.
The funny thing, though, is that we make plans for summer, and for Christmas, and birthdays and even for recess – who we will play with, what games we will play, which boys we want to walk past, which girls we will talk to… But are you making plans for the most important time? Where you will spend eternity! Are you planning to go to Heaven? If you answer, “Yes,” what exactly is your plan? If it isn’t relying on Christ alone, you need another plan. Works, good looks and being nice aren’t enough. John 6:44 (NIV) teaches that “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day,” and John 14:6 (NIV) makes it clear that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through” Him.
Even our best laid plans for the beach may go awry. Life happens. Things come up. Plans have to change. But we can have every confidence in God and the plan that He has laid for our salvation. Instead of trusting our goodness and crossing our fingers and hoping we go to Heaven, we can trust Jesus and His goodness because He alone is God’s way of salvation. When we place absolute faith and trust in Him, turn from our sinful way and follow Him, we know that we will live with Him in Heaven. And not just for a summer. Forever!
Now while some Christians would disagree, as I read and understand the Scriptures especially the teaching of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:8, at death we immediately – in a flash – enter the presence of the Lord. Paul led a life full of danger, and he knew that at any moment his life on earth could end. But he faced death with hope that we can share: “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” He further declared, “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” (Philippians 1:23).
One last thought. Summer is always best when shared – with family, friends, special loves. I’m thinking Heaven will be extra special when shared, so don’t just plan on going alone. Plan for others to meet you there.
THIS WEEK share the Gospel (click the tab above to visit our Salvation page) with others – friends, family members, absolute strangers! Let’s plan for a heavenly crowd!
Lord, Hear Our Cry
The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. So, as presidents have formally done every year since 1952, President Obama on today, Thursday, May 7, will issue a proclamation urging our country to “turn to God in prayer and meditation.”
No one can seriously question whether our country – our world – needs prayer. We are troubled and in trouble. Just read the headlines or watch a little television as I did earlier today. Within an hour I heard stories about teens committing suicide because of cyber bullying, women swindling money from unsuspecting men by purchasing fake pregnancy tests, celebrities posing in the nude, men scamming hundreds of thousands of dollars from senior women desperate for love, Syria continuing to use chemical weaponry and families searching for lost loved ones in Nepal.
But I have mixed feelings about this day. I am not sure we need a National Day of Prayer any more than we need a Black History Month or a Veteran’s Day. Some things, some people, some history as well as some practices, like praying, need to be a part of every day. They need to be habit. I am also skeptical in 2015 of the government’s involvement in prayer. Yes, the day is part of our country’s heritage born from the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation to the call to prayer by President Lincoln when he proclaimed of a day of “humiliation, fasting and prayer” in 1863. Those days, those times and those prayers seemed different to me. It seems there was a time when our country was led by those who truly believed in God, who consistently sought His guidance and faithfully asked Him for wisdom and direction. Such was the case not just for our national leaders but also the leaders of our cities, towns, communities, schools and churches. These days? Not so much.
But according to the National Day of Prayer website, this day “has great significance for us as a nation as it enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people.” This statement is how I have made peace with the day. And the spirit of this statement is what I pray everyone will embrace – but not just for a day, for always and every day.
The web has been inundated with “model” and “sample” prayers shared for this special day. These actually might be the first misstep. Rather than recite a prayer scripted by someone else, I encourage you to embrace the theme of this year’s National Day of Prayer – “Lord, Hear Our Cry.” Cry out before the Lord sharing what is in your heart. Don’t worry about the “right” words, embrace the right attitudes – humility and gratitude. Don’t fret about the “right” posture, pray as the Holy Spirit leads you – standing, sitting, opened eyes, closed eyes, prostrate on the floor. The theme is not, ‘Lord, Look at Me,’ but rather, “Lord, Hear Our Cry.”
Matthew 6:7 (ESV) reminds us, ““And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” On this National Day of Prayer, pray freely. Pray openly. Pray passionately. Pray from the heart, and know that “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17, ESV).
Wet Feet
Just as the Israelites were on the verge of entering the Promised Land, God commanded the priests to step into the water. Hmm? Not exactly what you might expect, but no big deal, right? Wrong! The Jordan River was at flood stage! We’re talking wet feet and probably a few other wet things here.
Now surely God knew the Jordan River was there, and He knew that it was at flood stage when He told the Israelites to cross over to their Promised Land. Still He gave the command to Joshua: “. . . Arise, GO OVER THIS JORDAN, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give them. . .” (Joshua 1:2).
Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like getting my feet wet – especially when I have my shoes on! Ladies, you know the deal! Confession – yes, I take certain shoes off in the rain – even if I am wearing hose. The way I see it, I can buy another pair of Hanes for a WHOLE lot less money than I can a pair of shoes! I learned the hard way, but it only took one pair of spotty leather pumps for me to learn to save the shoes!
Anyway, back to the Israelites and the Jordan River.
Now, if we didn’t know before, we certainly knew after the Red Sea episode that God could part the waters. In Exodus 4:21 Moses stretched his hand out over the waters, and the Scriptures tell us that the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. We know, too, that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:24), so what’s up with the wet feet? He parted the Sea for Moses. Why not part the river for the priests?
I think it’s less about the wet feet and more about our desire for God to go first. That way, we don’t mess up our shoes. We don’t have to work as hard. We don’t have to wonder how things are going to go. We don’t get wet feet.
It’s that hesitancy to get wet feet that can keep us camped out on the wrong side of the Jordan River. It’s that waiting for God to go first that can keep us from our miracle. Hebrews 11:6 teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Several examples in the Scriptures – the Red Sea and the Jordan River encounters being two of them – teach us that we are always to exercise faith in God. Sometimes that faith requires us to be still and wait patiently (think Joseph in Potiphar’s prison), but at other times, it calls us to step up (think Nehemiah), step out (think Naomi and Ruth) and step into the waters (the Israelite priests).
Contrary to our belief, there can be just as much faith involved in taking personal initiative as there is in waiting passively for the Lord to provide.
Pray hard. Listen hard. Swallow hard. And go first! Step out in faith knowing that our God sees, hears and is faithful!
THIS WEEK seek God’s desire for you – patience or a step of faith. What would the latter look like? What’s holding you back? Are you being obedient in patience or fearful in waiting? Seek God’s direction for you and your life. He will give you peace about what YOU are to do!
Lord, You Said
Think your kids are too young to understand your grown-up conversations? Think again. They not only hear what you are saying, they will repeat it – often at the worse time possible (like in front of your mother-in-law or at school). And very often, they repeat your own words to you.
“Mom, you said…”
“Dad, you promised…”
While moms and dads sometimes have selective amnesia failing to remember what they said or promised, there is nothing God loves more than keeping His promises. He waits for us to take Him at His word – His word which contains literally thousands of promises waiting to be claimed in faith. Promises like Psalm 50:15 – “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me” and like 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
God stands ready and waiting for you to ask Him about Isaiah 40:29 (“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.”) and Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”) And when we stand on His word, He stands by His word, faithful to keep every promise. You have to claim them. You have to know them. You have but to say, “Lord, you said…”
THIS WEEK search the Scriptures for God’s promises. Which do you need to claim? Pray them keeping in mind Psalm 84:11 (“No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”) Praying is standing on the promises of God. If you take God at His word, you will experience the joy of knowing that He keeps His word.
You Said (Hillsong) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEpaG4VlBcA
Standing on the Promises of God
FULLY ALIVE! 