...but you can get what you need.
In reading Psalm 37 this weekend, this is what swept over me. We really have been taking this verse, and most of scripture for that matter, out of context. It came about in the first few verses:
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act." (verses 3-5, ESV)
Too many people look at the Bible and look at verses like these like God's blank check. They look at verses such as this as well as Deuteronomy 8:18, which in the NASB reads "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." The KJV says the "power to GET wealth." They misinterpret these so easily: God's gonna make me rich. God's gonna give me my heart's desire. Then they get disappointed when they don't get rich.
Deuteronomy 8:18 says God gives you the ability to do work and produce income for your family. God's not promising you a life of wealth with this verse, it says that through Him is the ability to do work to put food on your table. Through him, you earn a living, and produce wealth.
Back to Psalm 37: Trust in the Lord, be faithful to Him. Delight in Him, and He will give you your heart's desire. In other words, align yourself with His ways of thinking. Seek what God wants for you and through you. If you seek selfish desires, that is not what God wants, that is what you want. If you seek His kingdom and advancing it, His desires become your desires. He will then give you your heart's desire, because at that point your heart is right, and He will give you the means to make that desire become a reality (See Matthew 6).
As it says later on in Psalm 37: "I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing" (v. 25-26, NASB). If you are seeking what God wants, and looking to serve Him by being generous and helping others, He will satisfy you and will not leave you begging. And as I've mentioned recently, He doesn't operate on our timetable. It may seem lean, but He knows what you need, just when you need it. Trust Him, praise Him, and serve Him. You will be pleased with the results.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
It's true: the waiting IS the hardest part
"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage;wait for the LORD!" Psalm 27:14 (ESV)
If there's anything I have been trying to tell people during the whole "the rapture is coming on May 21" issues of the last few weeks, it is this: God operates out of time. That verse from 2 Peter that says a day to the Lord is a thousand years and vice versa? It's not meant to be taken literally. It simply means to God time is irrelevant.
To us, the human race that works 40 hours a week, need our pizza delivered in 30 minutes, popcorn in 2 minutes, and the preacher to be done by noon so we can hit the buffet and tip poorly? We operate in the world of time. The sun goes up in the east, and down in the west. The moon reflects the sun's light to shine at night. We have 3 shifts to work around the clock. Doctors give a prognosis that a sickness may take a loved one in weeks, months, or hours. We have deadlines that demand our attention.
Days lead to weeks, months, and years. Time leads babies to adulthood, away from their parents, and repeating the cycle.
In other words, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT.
But that it was God wants. He wants us to wait. Later in Psalm 130:5, it says "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope." It is hard to wait, and this is true. It is hard to wait when you see the prognosis given to one of your family members. It is hard to wait when you are not sure how the finances will turn out. It is hard to wait when the children that you took from the hospital in a tiny bundle are asking for your car keys. It is hard to wait when the world will not.
Think of John 11. This has been used way too many times to see the perfect example of waiting on God, but it is the best one. Mary and Martha waited on God, and waited until they could not wait no more.
Then He came, and showed His glory.
What am I saying? simply to hold on. It may be very hard. You may never know when you're going to escape the hum-drum existence of your life into what God promised, or when you will see your loved one healed. But he asks for you to wait. Wait and be amazed when He shows up.
If there's anything I have been trying to tell people during the whole "the rapture is coming on May 21" issues of the last few weeks, it is this: God operates out of time. That verse from 2 Peter that says a day to the Lord is a thousand years and vice versa? It's not meant to be taken literally. It simply means to God time is irrelevant.
To us, the human race that works 40 hours a week, need our pizza delivered in 30 minutes, popcorn in 2 minutes, and the preacher to be done by noon so we can hit the buffet and tip poorly? We operate in the world of time. The sun goes up in the east, and down in the west. The moon reflects the sun's light to shine at night. We have 3 shifts to work around the clock. Doctors give a prognosis that a sickness may take a loved one in weeks, months, or hours. We have deadlines that demand our attention.
Days lead to weeks, months, and years. Time leads babies to adulthood, away from their parents, and repeating the cycle.
In other words, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT.
But that it was God wants. He wants us to wait. Later in Psalm 130:5, it says "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope." It is hard to wait, and this is true. It is hard to wait when you see the prognosis given to one of your family members. It is hard to wait when you are not sure how the finances will turn out. It is hard to wait when the children that you took from the hospital in a tiny bundle are asking for your car keys. It is hard to wait when the world will not.
Think of John 11. This has been used way too many times to see the perfect example of waiting on God, but it is the best one. Mary and Martha waited on God, and waited until they could not wait no more.
Then He came, and showed His glory.
What am I saying? simply to hold on. It may be very hard. You may never know when you're going to escape the hum-drum existence of your life into what God promised, or when you will see your loved one healed. But he asks for you to wait. Wait and be amazed when He shows up.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
I am not a trusting source.
In the midst of the battle I have had recently with the depression that has had me down, I confessed something to God. What it was was truly scary, and what I honestly felt:
I did not trust God to have my best interests in store for me.
Something happened after I confessed that to God on my way to work last Thursday. The heavens did not open and angels sing a chorus to me. Nor did I get struck by lightning or swallowed up by the earth because of my unbelief.
What happened was I asked Him for help, and he provided it to me. He lifted me out of the depression and showed my that He is God, and he is worthy to be trusted. Saturday at church, He reiterated that point. Through the sermon in Genesis 24, God used Pastor Steven Furtick's message and a verse that isn't in the Bible. Abraham (a lesson on trusting God, going into a land he never had been to or knew because God asked him to) asks his servant to go into his homeland and find a wife for his son Isaac. So the servant loads 40 camels and makes the trip. The next verse shows him at the destination. What isn't listed? The long journey from one land to another. The 500 mile trip. No doubt it was hard, but in the end the trip wasn't even worth mentioning.
God showed me that I am in the middle of the trip, but I will make it to the other side, and He will lead me there. He is worth trusting.
I am mentally out of the pit I had been in the last two weeks, and it feels great. Yeah, the struggles are still there. The job is pretty hard. There are questions that still have to be answered on a daily basis, and we currently don't have those answers, but God is showing Himself faithful to be trusted. He has shown me again in my daily Bible reading.
Take a look at people that learned that God is faithful:
Abraham.
Isaac.
Joseph.
Gideon.
David.
Peter.
My parents.
My mother-in-law.
Me.
Countless millions of others.
Daily He is showing himself faithful. He is not a fan of doubt, but He wants you to confess your fears and faults to him, and He will lift you out and show himself mighty. It is not always easy. But it is worth it.
I did not trust God to have my best interests in store for me.
Something happened after I confessed that to God on my way to work last Thursday. The heavens did not open and angels sing a chorus to me. Nor did I get struck by lightning or swallowed up by the earth because of my unbelief.
What happened was I asked Him for help, and he provided it to me. He lifted me out of the depression and showed my that He is God, and he is worthy to be trusted. Saturday at church, He reiterated that point. Through the sermon in Genesis 24, God used Pastor Steven Furtick's message and a verse that isn't in the Bible. Abraham (a lesson on trusting God, going into a land he never had been to or knew because God asked him to) asks his servant to go into his homeland and find a wife for his son Isaac. So the servant loads 40 camels and makes the trip. The next verse shows him at the destination. What isn't listed? The long journey from one land to another. The 500 mile trip. No doubt it was hard, but in the end the trip wasn't even worth mentioning.
God showed me that I am in the middle of the trip, but I will make it to the other side, and He will lead me there. He is worth trusting.
I am mentally out of the pit I had been in the last two weeks, and it feels great. Yeah, the struggles are still there. The job is pretty hard. There are questions that still have to be answered on a daily basis, and we currently don't have those answers, but God is showing Himself faithful to be trusted. He has shown me again in my daily Bible reading.
Take a look at people that learned that God is faithful:
Abraham.
Isaac.
Joseph.
Gideon.
David.
Peter.
My parents.
My mother-in-law.
Me.
Countless millions of others.
Daily He is showing himself faithful. He is not a fan of doubt, but He wants you to confess your fears and faults to him, and He will lift you out and show himself mighty. It is not always easy. But it is worth it.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The Mind is a Steel Trap. To Be Honest, a Bear Trap.
You have to have a fertile mind to have a blog, I do believe. My mind is somewhat fertile, but it only allows for inspiration once a week. But you may be wondering, what do I struggle with most of all? I have chronicled the hardships of the past year, and I have offered bits and pieces of inspiration in the middle of that. But I would say the greatest struggle I have is this:
Depression is not my friend, but it is a constant companion of mine.
That is the danger of this fertile mind. It can trap me with my thoughts. It forces me to dwell on things I cannot change. It reminds me I am not in control, what I have not done correctly, and encourages me to worry about them. That fear also causes me to think I am a failure, not worthy of the love of my family, friends, or even the God that sent His son to redeem me.
That fear leads to the fear that I will fail, which attacks my pride, which encourages me to believe that I cannot do anything. I fear that anything that changes will cause me to lose my current identity, that I will be less of a man, a husband and a father that I am supposed to be. This leads me to basically want to assume the fetal position on the couch. I can't even sleep well, because my dreams are not pleasant.
I honestly doubt I could be any more honest than that. In this situation I am hard to encourage. I basically want to be left alone, and that is the most dangerous place for me.
That is the truth regarding my struggle. If you should find me in this position, put something in my hand. Encourage me. Reach out to me. Remind me of the God I serve, and His promises that are yes and amen. Remind me that I can do all things through His strength, and that He is for me. Point out His blessings in my life.
I may not seem receptive, but trust me: each reminder will loosen the trap of my mind, little by little. I cannot promise that I will not step back into the trap, but it will be good to be free for a while.
Depression is not my friend, but it is a constant companion of mine.
That is the danger of this fertile mind. It can trap me with my thoughts. It forces me to dwell on things I cannot change. It reminds me I am not in control, what I have not done correctly, and encourages me to worry about them. That fear also causes me to think I am a failure, not worthy of the love of my family, friends, or even the God that sent His son to redeem me.
That fear leads to the fear that I will fail, which attacks my pride, which encourages me to believe that I cannot do anything. I fear that anything that changes will cause me to lose my current identity, that I will be less of a man, a husband and a father that I am supposed to be. This leads me to basically want to assume the fetal position on the couch. I can't even sleep well, because my dreams are not pleasant.
I honestly doubt I could be any more honest than that. In this situation I am hard to encourage. I basically want to be left alone, and that is the most dangerous place for me.
That is the truth regarding my struggle. If you should find me in this position, put something in my hand. Encourage me. Reach out to me. Remind me of the God I serve, and His promises that are yes and amen. Remind me that I can do all things through His strength, and that He is for me. Point out His blessings in my life.
I may not seem receptive, but trust me: each reminder will loosen the trap of my mind, little by little. I cannot promise that I will not step back into the trap, but it will be good to be free for a while.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Christian Killjoys
May 1, 2011 was a day in which the United States and the world received great news:
Osama bin Laden had met his maker. He also learned that 70 virgins were not waiting for him, neither were 70 trashy prostitutes, only hellfire and gnashing of teeth. This was a great announcement. I for one congratulate the Navy SEALs as well as the CIA team for getting the job done in Pakistan. I also congratulate President Obama for signing the order to strike. What happened was not the end of the war, but a major step in the right direction.
What then should have been a night of great celebration for me turned into a night of groaning when some Christians on Twitter started issuing the following verse, Ezekiel 33:11: "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people." (also, it should be noted that Michael Moore was one of the many people tweeting this, so take that for what it's worth.)
66 years ago on this very day, the death of Adolf Hitler was announced. did our parents and grandparents start a steady stream of grieving for the death of this lunatic? I dare say they did not.
Do not get me wrong. It is indeed sad when any person dies without Jesus in their heart. But to heap proverbial ashes upon our heads because he is dead is really, REALLY being a Christian Killjoy.
What many of the people with this mindset miss is this: bin Laden did not receive mercy. He received JUSTICE. Many of these same people decry the poverty of the world, act like anyone with some affluence is evil. And if we dare celebrate the death of a madman, how dare we?
Read Romans 9. It goes into some detail of how God used Pharoah to reveal His plan for His people Israel. Do we mourn Pharoah? I think not. Read First and Second Kings. God used people to wipe out entire families because one king led the nation to sin. Were the brothers and sons of the kings of Israel responsible for this? No, but the law of God demanded justice and payment for sin.
Now, everyone has the payment for sin: it is Jesus, through His death and resurrection. The news is not only for the people of Israel like in the days of old, but for everyone. Yes, bin Laden had the opportunity to accept this as well, but he had rejected it. He will burn in a hell prepared for the devil and his angels, along with Hitler, and he deserves it.
Someone found this quote from Mark Twain:
"I do not wish anyone dead but there are some obituaries I do not mind reading..."
That said, don't trample on the joy of others when the event is worth celebrating. We who celebrate this are leading in generosity, helping the poor and needy, those facing disaster, and those in need of a Savior. Quit preaching your sermons to the church and try to reach some of these people you say you are concerned about. Quit complaining about the church and be the church.
Goodness, I had to get that off my chest. Some people...
Osama bin Laden had met his maker. He also learned that 70 virgins were not waiting for him, neither were 70 trashy prostitutes, only hellfire and gnashing of teeth. This was a great announcement. I for one congratulate the Navy SEALs as well as the CIA team for getting the job done in Pakistan. I also congratulate President Obama for signing the order to strike. What happened was not the end of the war, but a major step in the right direction.
What then should have been a night of great celebration for me turned into a night of groaning when some Christians on Twitter started issuing the following verse, Ezekiel 33:11: "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people." (also, it should be noted that Michael Moore was one of the many people tweeting this, so take that for what it's worth.)
66 years ago on this very day, the death of Adolf Hitler was announced. did our parents and grandparents start a steady stream of grieving for the death of this lunatic? I dare say they did not.
Do not get me wrong. It is indeed sad when any person dies without Jesus in their heart. But to heap proverbial ashes upon our heads because he is dead is really, REALLY being a Christian Killjoy.
What many of the people with this mindset miss is this: bin Laden did not receive mercy. He received JUSTICE. Many of these same people decry the poverty of the world, act like anyone with some affluence is evil. And if we dare celebrate the death of a madman, how dare we?
Read Romans 9. It goes into some detail of how God used Pharoah to reveal His plan for His people Israel. Do we mourn Pharoah? I think not. Read First and Second Kings. God used people to wipe out entire families because one king led the nation to sin. Were the brothers and sons of the kings of Israel responsible for this? No, but the law of God demanded justice and payment for sin.
Now, everyone has the payment for sin: it is Jesus, through His death and resurrection. The news is not only for the people of Israel like in the days of old, but for everyone. Yes, bin Laden had the opportunity to accept this as well, but he had rejected it. He will burn in a hell prepared for the devil and his angels, along with Hitler, and he deserves it.
Someone found this quote from Mark Twain:
"I do not wish anyone dead but there are some obituaries I do not mind reading..."
That said, don't trample on the joy of others when the event is worth celebrating. We who celebrate this are leading in generosity, helping the poor and needy, those facing disaster, and those in need of a Savior. Quit preaching your sermons to the church and try to reach some of these people you say you are concerned about. Quit complaining about the church and be the church.
Goodness, I had to get that off my chest. Some people...
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