1 Kings 22:29-35 (click on reference to read text)
I never thought I would say this, but I sure can act just like King Ahab. He was told by a prophet of the Lord that he would die if he went into battle. Instead of believing the word from the Lord, he charged ahead anyway, just with a plan! He disguised himself and dressed like a regular army man because the enemy army was only charged to "fight with the King of Israel alone" (vs. 31). However, a "certain man drew his bow at random and struck the King of Israel in a joint of the armor" (vs. 34). It did not matter how much manipulation or plans he devised, God's will still came to pass.
I can count numerous times that I have tried in my best might and ability to control all the details of situations in my life. I have devised great plans over the course of my life on how to find a husband, get the perfect job, find the perfect house, protect my family, prepare for the future, save us money, and raise my children. The problem, all in my own strength and personal ingenuity! Throughout my life in each of these situations, I have had to come to the point of surrender and trust the Father. And guess what? When I depend on His ways, His strength, His thoughts, and His power... things just seem to have a way of working out (often times better than I could have hoped).
When will I finally learn that God is Sovereign... PERIOD!?! When will I truly believe, and actually show through my actions, that "his ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts than my thoughts (Is 55:8-9), and that although I can plan my course the Lord will direct my steps (Prov 16:9)? Praise the Lord for that truth because I know His ways are best and always work out for my good (Ro 8:28)! I trust the heart of my Father. I know that He loves me so much He gave everything for me (Ro 8:32, 1John 3:1). It is time to start walking out the faith that my heart believes with certainty! So... my lesson today... give up my ingenious plan and just start believing the loving voice of my Father. Will you join me?
For further reading: Ps 37:25, Matt 6:33, Prov 3:5-6, Prov 3:7, Is 5:20-21, Phil 1:20-21, Phil 3:7-14
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Human Sacrifice...
2 Kings 3:24-27 (Click on reference to read text)
I read this passage this morning and it literally made me nauseous. How could a grown man ever hang their child on a wall and offer them as a burnt sacrifice to a false god? And even if by doing such an act could induce this god to come to his aid, why would you ever serve a god that requires such cruel and grotesque means of worship? Yet, as always happens, in my moment of greatest judgment and self-righteousness, the Holy Spirit began to whisper to my heart. Nausea was replaced by tears as I realized, how can I so quickly offer my children as a sacrifice to my own desires and ambitions?
Although you would never see any children in a American being burned as an offering, there are families and children all across this country who live the lives of sacrifice to their parent's false gods. Children are forgotten or pushed off to various camps and day cares so that parents can get ahead, work longer, and not have to do the day to day rearing and training. TV has become the cheapest babysitter our generation has ever known. Quality family time has been replaced by busy schedules and pushing children to be great at sports, academics, and music pursuits at increasingly younger ages.
Each of these things in small increments can actually be beneficial. It is wonderful for our children to have the joy of sports, learn to play a musicual instruments, or for us as parents to work hard and provide for our family. However, we must make sure we are living a life of balance that is pleasing to the Lord. We must make sure we are living our lives in priority to His standards. I have been increasingly convicted of my schedule and what I allow to drive my day. As we pray about Christian ministry and what the Lord would have us do for Him, as a parent, those questions become painfully obvious. If you have children, the Lord has entrusted them to you, raise them in a way pleasing to Him! They must always be our first "ministry."
I am preaching to myself. Just today I was thinking about how I really "needed" time to myself, so I was all set to allow them to have a day of watching hours of television or whatever necessary so that I could appease the god of "me time." How quickly I justify my actions by cultural acceptablity and not my Heavenly Father's viewpoint. I pray that I will never sacrifice my children to gods that do not satisfy, that cannot truly bring peace and lasting reward, and that simply destroys my family and my children in the long run. Instead "in view of God’s mercy, may I offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God for this is my true and proper worship. May I not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Then I will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. " (Romans 12:1-2).
I read this passage this morning and it literally made me nauseous. How could a grown man ever hang their child on a wall and offer them as a burnt sacrifice to a false god? And even if by doing such an act could induce this god to come to his aid, why would you ever serve a god that requires such cruel and grotesque means of worship? Yet, as always happens, in my moment of greatest judgment and self-righteousness, the Holy Spirit began to whisper to my heart. Nausea was replaced by tears as I realized, how can I so quickly offer my children as a sacrifice to my own desires and ambitions?
Although you would never see any children in a American being burned as an offering, there are families and children all across this country who live the lives of sacrifice to their parent's false gods. Children are forgotten or pushed off to various camps and day cares so that parents can get ahead, work longer, and not have to do the day to day rearing and training. TV has become the cheapest babysitter our generation has ever known. Quality family time has been replaced by busy schedules and pushing children to be great at sports, academics, and music pursuits at increasingly younger ages.
Each of these things in small increments can actually be beneficial. It is wonderful for our children to have the joy of sports, learn to play a musicual instruments, or for us as parents to work hard and provide for our family. However, we must make sure we are living a life of balance that is pleasing to the Lord. We must make sure we are living our lives in priority to His standards. I have been increasingly convicted of my schedule and what I allow to drive my day. As we pray about Christian ministry and what the Lord would have us do for Him, as a parent, those questions become painfully obvious. If you have children, the Lord has entrusted them to you, raise them in a way pleasing to Him! They must always be our first "ministry."
I am preaching to myself. Just today I was thinking about how I really "needed" time to myself, so I was all set to allow them to have a day of watching hours of television or whatever necessary so that I could appease the god of "me time." How quickly I justify my actions by cultural acceptablity and not my Heavenly Father's viewpoint. I pray that I will never sacrifice my children to gods that do not satisfy, that cannot truly bring peace and lasting reward, and that simply destroys my family and my children in the long run. Instead "in view of God’s mercy, may I offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God for this is my true and proper worship. May I not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Then I will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. " (Romans 12:1-2).
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Let Go and Let God...
"In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel. For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you." Psalm 71:1-6
The only action that the writer takes is praise! Are we trying to be our own refuge, deliverer, rescuer, savior, fortress, hope, confidence, or sustainer? Is our confidence about "how we are doing" in our life based upon how we measure up in these areas? If so... we need to get out of the way!!! Our response and responsibility is praise.
Praise the Lord Jesus who longs to be (and is way more capable at being than we are) our refuge, our deliverer, our rescuer, our savior, our fortress, our hope, our confidence and our sustainer. You don't have to hold it all together, because he already is (Col 1:17).
Simple, yet exactly what I needed to hear today. As the old saying goes... let go and let God!
For further study: Psalm 46:1-3, Psalm 140:6-7, Psalm 34:17-20, 22, Titus 3:5-7, 1 John 1:3-5, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 25:5, Philippians 3:1-14, Jeremiah 17:7, Nehemiah 9:5-21
The only action that the writer takes is praise! Are we trying to be our own refuge, deliverer, rescuer, savior, fortress, hope, confidence, or sustainer? Is our confidence about "how we are doing" in our life based upon how we measure up in these areas? If so... we need to get out of the way!!! Our response and responsibility is praise.
Praise the Lord Jesus who longs to be (and is way more capable at being than we are) our refuge, our deliverer, our rescuer, our savior, our fortress, our hope, our confidence and our sustainer. You don't have to hold it all together, because he already is (Col 1:17).
Simple, yet exactly what I needed to hear today. As the old saying goes... let go and let God!
For further study: Psalm 46:1-3, Psalm 140:6-7, Psalm 34:17-20, 22, Titus 3:5-7, 1 John 1:3-5, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 25:5, Philippians 3:1-14, Jeremiah 17:7, Nehemiah 9:5-21
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
It Takes a Little Time Sometimes...
Exodus 34:1-7 (Click on reference to read text)
We are a people of quick fixes and immediate results, but repentance takes work. Moses was initially handed the two stone tablets straight from the hand of God (Ex 31:18). Yet after He broke them on a rock (Ex 32:15-19), he begged God for a second chance. God, who is compassionate and full of grace, was willing to give Moses a second chance, but first He commanded Moses to "cut for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered" (vs. 1). Moses wasn't just given a second set. He had to work for them. He had to cut another set out of stone first.
How many times have we found ourselves in a mess and knew it was going to take the hand of the Lord to deliver us? We may cry out to the Lord, ask forgiveness and believe the Scriptures: That the Lord is compasionate, slow to anger and abounding in love (Ex 34:6), that "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness," (1 John 1:9 ) and "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Ps 103:12)
However, we get frustrated when things don't immediately iron out, our troubles don't disappear, and things seem just as messy as before we cried out to God. God is a God of second chances, but there are going to be consequences for our actions. Sometimes the road of repentance is long and hard. God is not the Navy Seals who will simply come in and rescue you. His purpose for you goes beyond a "rescue operation." His purpose is to make you more like Him and sometimes He does that through the long road of recovery from the bad choices we make. Just know that "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Ps 34:18). Rest in the truth "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning" (Ps 30:5).
When you relinquish control of your life to Him, He may require you to take the first step. That is okay. Start rebuilding and all the while know, you are not walking alone, you are forgiven, and eventually you will see how God will take your mess ups and turn them around for your good and His glory (Ro 8:28)."
Remember Isaiah's prophesy about our Lord... Jesus will "comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."(Isaiah 61:2-3)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
