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).
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