Insight enough for Thankfulness

No matter what season we are going through in our life there is reason enough to show gratitude, for even in the valley God is with us. We are loved and protected even though we are not perfect; it was this way with Jacob. Though he tricked his brother and had to run away because of his brother’s great anger God loved Jacob and protected him. Jacob was over his household and this is what he told them,

(Genesis 35:3 NLT) “We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone."

Thankfulness is the response of a person who has insight into their own need for a Savior full of grace and mercy and it brings us into communion with the Father when we need Him most! Living with in a state of thankfulness is not just for the times when we are in the valley but mountaintops as well. Yes, there are times when Father God will lead us through the deep forest of faith where we are tested in order to bring us to the mountain of courage. Here He shows us a humble footpath leading upward and though it is treacherous at times we sense there is purpose in it and that we are not alone; we have come too far to turn back now. In this time the faith that was gained proves to be good and necessary, this experience too we will find is necessary for where He is leading us next but before that comes rest. As we reach the end of the footpath we come the summit of peace. In the awe of it all we look around, hardly able to believe this place exists. Then we look out over the valley where we once were and see evidence of God being with us. For many times we were close to pitfalls and snares that could not have been navigated without an experienced guide. At that moment it all comes together and all the questions why seem so small and remote. Looking the other direction we see places that we have not yet gone but somehow we know standing in this place we will endure whatever comes our way. Through it all what we are gaining a rich relationship and love with the One who guides us. All of this is possible because of a thankful heart!

(Colossians 2:7 NLT) “Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

Worship in Surrender

Lord, you have brought me to this place so that I may worship You. Sometimes this place is surrounded by storms, sometimes the path is treacherous, but this place is always filled with peace! Amazing as that is I know it’s not because of the space but because where You are is holy and because of You I find my only true rest. Like king David said, “For You are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.” In this place I can feel the passion of the Father’s heart for me, in this place the lies of the enemy dissolve and melts away and I am free to listen to Your instruction. Too many times I’ve tried to make it on my own and as many times I have missed the mark yet You wait for me and I know You long for me to lay it down so that I may know Your purpose.

Father teach me to pray, may my prayers be an extension of my heart and may my heart yield to the molding of the Master’s hand. Lord, at times I allow fear to control me but it’s then I realize my gaze is no longer where it should be... (Job 22:23-30 NLT) “If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored--so clean up your life. If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, the Almighty Himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver! "Then you will take delight in the Almighty and look up to God. You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to Him. You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you. If people are in trouble and you say, 'Help them,' God will save them. Even sinners will be rescued; they will be rescued because your hands are pure." This advise was given by a well-meaning friend in time of trouble and though in the end the friend was rebuked what he spoke here is still true. How do I “clean up” my life? Surrender.

God you said that You would bless those who are poor and realize their need for You, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs! I understand now when Peter said, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” If I must be brought low so that You can lift me up then so be it. Who am I to argue with the One who gave me life? Surrender that comes in battle brings pain and suffering but surrendering in worship to the Lord God is sweeter than honey and brings new life and purpose! Today I will dwell in the house of the Lord and peace will be mine, not because of anything I have done but because of the treasure I have found in You, O Lord. Be blessed, for I am Yours!

No Idols

(Leviticus 19:4 NLT) "Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.”

God’s Word warns us not to make idols for ourselves many times and instantly my mind says, “Whew, I’m glad I don’t have to be concerned about that, after all there are no golden calves in my house or yard!” But what of those things in my heart or the things that fill my thoughts throughout the day? O, to be single minded and whole hearted in my following after the Lord, my God!

Do you ever wonder why it is so hard to concentrate on things that you know are important? I find most people, one time or another have put so many things on their plate they become distracted from their true purpose. Just as spending money indicates to true condition of our hearts, the way we spend our time tells of the thoughts we have filled our minds with. Here is a revealing question – with an honest heart can I say the way I spend my time (and money) is pleasing to my Heavenly Father? We all have times when the answer would be “no” but that’s not the end of the world it just means we need God to help us change, we’ve tried living life ourselves and it doesn’t go well without Him. Those who realize that and make the life-change to trusting God’s leading are blessed because the Holy Spirit has revealed what is right to them.

(Matthew 6:33 NLT) “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

The Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32)

Father God does not cause bad things to happen because of one’s disobedience but rather it is the disobedience that because of the law of sowing and reaping trouble becomes the neighbor of the disobedient. However, Jehovah is a great God and His love is beyond comprehension. It is because of this great love for us that He is able to use that which the enemy has intended for destruction for our own good! Yes it was the prodigal son’s actions and the effects of which that brought him to the brink of destruction but it was also the very thing that allowed him to hear God’s Holy Spirit call him back to the Father because prior to that his heart was filled with pride, thinking he knew better than anyone else what was best for his own life. I hate to say it but we do the same with God. O, it starts out innocent enough you’ve had a hard day so you don’t read your Bible or you watch TV instead of invest time with you wife and children, honestly you’re looking for an easy way out, an escape but that is wrong. What makes it even worse are those who recognize your faults and are more than glad to point them out to you. Even worse than that are those who pretend to care but instead stir up trouble by making it their business to tell others how you don’t measure up, blind to their own shortcomings (Matthew 7:3). I believe this person has paid a great price and will not fully be aware of it until the end though its not because God isn’t speaking to them too. Things like this only push us further away, making us feel isolated and unforgivable but God has a plan and He is bigger than all of that. Ultimately, we too are turned back to the Father because of the desperation we face living in our own strength. In the act of coming home we find that God has been waiting and watching for our return and the first thing we see is Him running towards us with arms open wide!

Why is it wrong to look for an escape from a life that is difficult at times? Because the difficulties are there to point us towards God, so that we might trust Him and see His deliverance but by looking and finding an escape we short-circuit God’s plan for our lives. Yes life can be difficult but if we hold onto Him we have His promise that He is making us into something we cannot be on our own and that something has great purpose in God’s story!

Seeking God’s blessing in my life

As a modern day Christian often my mind is filled with thoughts about how I might be blessed by God. I know that often His blessings are impeded because of my attitude but it goes deeper than that. My actions and my will are many times selfish, instead of concerning myself with things that concern God. What would happen if God blessed my selfishness? Would I not become more selfish, turning more and more inward until thoughts of myself consumed me? Would that be good for me or does God have something else in mind? Though I don’t like to admit it struggles and heartache are paths that lead me back to the throne room of God and for me personally they are a reminder that God loves me too much to let me have my own way about things. Too many times I go around in circles because I refuse to make time to align myself with God’s heart. I believe there is a purpose in the things we go through, a purpose that is bigger than any individual – that is shown time and time again in the Bible but when that individual aligns him or herself with God’s will the blessings overflow in that person’s life – every time! Through out the Bible God purposed for His people (Israel) to display His power, glory, and love for mankind. Though as a whole they did not make the best example of what God’s presence in one’s life can do and seeing things from our vantage point, as we read about it in the Bible we can see how their own selfishness caused many hardships but God’s favor was still upon them in spite themselves and it is even upon them today, not because of what they have done but because of God’s Word to them. Through all that happened from the Old Testament to the New we now can share in that favor because of what Jesus did for us at the cross, if you accept Him, whether you are a Jew or not but still God’s purpose for His people (Israel) has not finished – there is more to come and once again we have a chance to be part of God’s plan for days ahead! Genesis 12:3 God told Abram (Abraham) that He would bless those that bless you and curse the one who curses you. And in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Today if I want more of God’s blessings then I should ask Him how I might bless His people, starting with those around me but never forgetting about Israel. Pray for them each morning and support ministries like International Fellowship of Christians and Jews http://www.ifcj.org and then pay attention to how God starts to change your life. Changes will start small - meaningless things become just that and our hearts begins to form after God’s own heart. As we are found faithful and obedient the changes become more profound and easily identified by those around us.

What a friend is meant to be

(Proverbs 27:17 MKJV) Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the face of his friend.

A few years ago I met a friend from school and many years before that both he and I graduated from high school, sigh. To my surprise the boy whom I once knew had matured and I sensed a hunger for the things of God in him, I guess in my mind he stayed the same all that time. I was delighted to see the change. Though the meeting was unexpected and of all places at the mall we both had other things to do but we talked for the better part of an hour as if that was our reason for being there. He asked me about Proverbs 27:17, I could tell it was something he put a lot of thought into prior to our encounter. It caught me off guard when he said iron doesn’t sharpen iron, as a matter of fact iron will dull iron. His point was well taken as I listened intently. At the time my only offering was that God’s Word was always true and full of purpose, if the purpose is not clear that doesn’t mean the purpose is not there or even incorrect but simply that we need His help understanding what was intended. That question wore on my mind for the next several days, eventually I forgot about it but God reminded me of it again this morning. Iron in the form of a sword was stronger than previous bronze swords. The iron sword could be made longer than before, required less maintenance, and stayed sharper longer but still in battle the sword became dull, especially when it hit another iron sword. Many times that seems to be what happens when two friends cannot agree. This is what confounded my friend that day and I could not deny the legitimacy of his question. What was missing was to follow that analogy through. If a sword becomes dull from battle what happens to it after the battle, before the next? The owner sharpens it! In the same way a wise person will listen to his friend, search his heart, and then go study – allowing the owner (God) to sharpen his understanding. The sharpening does not require being right either. The result is his life becomes better tuned to the Lord’s purpose, sharper and if he is truly wise this becoming sharper is not for the idea of being able to win the next disagreement but for the purpose of understanding God’s intent better so that he might make progress in becoming the person his Creator wants him to be!

Shedding your armor as you go

I’ve made a discovery this week about myself but only because I believe my spirit heard the Lord speaking in that small still voice (1Kings 19:12). Most of you don’t know this about me but I am a perfectionist and though I was much worse in my youth parts of it remain even today. That doesn’t work out well for me being just a man, as I am broken and often I struggle with my lack but God’s Word tells me that is why He sent His son Jesus to die and that’s a good thing, still I struggle. If I could step back far enough I would see my life do something like this – God places a dream in my heart, I am awakened to it and move passionately towards the fulfillment of it, the enemy attacks, and I miss the mark. It is at that moment I come to a fork in the road and often I become distracted from God’s purpose. I am now forty; soon to be forty-one but I still remember a song from my teen years. It was by a group called Harvest and though I don’t remember the title I do remember the chorus. “Are we walking into the enemy’s camp laying our weapons down, shedding our armor as we go and leaven it on the ground? We’ve got to be strong in the power of His might to prove to the enemy that we are the army of the Lord and we’ve won the victory!”

Examining the situation now I’m left asking myself why is the enemy allowed to attack while the dream is still tender within me? God says, “Because child I have called you by name and have prepared you for such a time. This battle is yours and though I am with you, just like I was with David as he faced Goliath, it is your feet that must step onto the field.” My childhood has been catching up with me (read perfectionist), as I walk onto the battlefield I stub my toe then I become so disheartened that I begin to shed my armor but God all along has been calling me to stand and keep moving forward. I have been forgetting something very important. It is not about how prepared I am, though that is important, it’s all about me getting out of the way and letting God have His way through me. David was just a shepherd boy without training for battle yet the God of all splendor had prepared him for a purpose beyond what David understood at the time and though it was David’s hand that delivered the fatal blow to the giant before him it was the God of Israel that was bringing deliverance to His people! Still David didn’t stand a chance had he faced Goliath on his own. How many times do we face giants on our own strength? I don’t know about you but it never works out well for me. In my mind I can see only a few moves ahead, how this victory would bless those around me but God has a purpose beyond my comprehension! The more I allow God to use me the more I become what I could not be on my own.

God, you are glorious, who is like you! I am amazed and humbled that I get to be part of your plan. You know me intimately and see each move I make still you say that I am yours! Could it be that my efforts limit what you want to do through me? Though it seems my plans would work out well I acknowledge that I do not know the way. Holy Father, I ask you now to consume me and lead me unto righteousness, for your glory. For your kingdom illuminates the darkness and has no end! As I am here with you my heart is overwhelmed with joy, the world outside fades away, and your peace surrounds me. Lord, I don’t ever want to leave this place but I know there is a battle raging and my heart is at stake not only that but the hearts of my children and wife and those I don’t even know. Because You have allowed me to hear your voice I ask that You strengthen me now and when I take that step onto the battlefield it would not be mine but Yours. In Jesus’ name, amen.