The Lord's will

1 John 2:17  (ESV)

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

I read a story about an interesting experience from a new believer. She was still single at the time and wasn’t happy with her living situation. She was renting a room from a family in her congregation and wanted to get out and rent her own apartment. The only problem was that she was rebelling against a feeling she had that God wanted her to stay there for a season, to get grounded in the Lord and to be a blessing to this family. Still, she convinced herself that getting her own apartment would be a good thing.

After much searching, she found what she was looking for. Although it needed some work and the rent was rather high, she managed to bargain her way into fixing up the place in lieu of three months rent.

Six weeks went by and all the work was done. New tiling, carpeting, painting, curtains, it looked just fabulous and it was time to move in. As she finished unpacking and putting on all the finishing touches, she sat down and marveled at all her hard work. Yet she still battled this little still small voice saying “This is not My will.”

The next day she went to work. About midday, Rivka received a phone call from her new next door neighbor. “Water is gushing out of your front door,” she said, “You might want to get over here and check it out.” A sick feeling arose from the pit of her stomach as she picked up her things and dashed out the office door.

Sadly, it was true. The whole apartment had been flooded by a random break in the pipes outside of her basement apartment and much of her hard work and some of her belongings were damaged. When the landlords didn’t even want to pay for the cleanup, Rivka decided to take them to small claims court for the cost of her labor and damages (not to mention the three months of rent she never received). Without any explanation, the judge ruled in favor of the landlords. Even more ridiculous was that they didn’t even show up that day!

Truly, Riv learned the hard way that the bad feeling she had throughout this whole ordeal was the conviction of the Holy Spirit urging her to be obedient. She would be very careful not ignore that leading again.

Are you trying to get your way with the Lord today? Take this as a warning!

He will have His way one way or another. Give Him your heart again today. He has such great things planned.

Dear Lord, help us not get in Your way today. Help us to listen to the Holy Spirit as He tells us what to do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Getting other ready

Matthew 25:1-4 (ESV)

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

Notice that though all of the virgins here were expecting the bridegroom's return, only five were prepared. This parable was written about those of us that have knowledge of Jesus and His return, but have not made ourselves ready. The foolish virgins had not stored any oil for His return. Interestingly, oil is symbolic of the Spirit of God.

This parable teaches us the importance of spiritual preparation. There is really no substitute for it. When we prepare spiritually, by daily reading the Word and practicing worship and prayer, we will become equipped with the oil of His Spirit. Not only will we be preparing for His return but as an extra added bonus, it will empower us to face today's trials. And when those unexpected challenges come, we'll have the power of the Spirit already working within us, helping us through! What a great deal!

Let's get ourselves ready so that we can help others get ready!

Dear Lord, help us to be in the process of helping those around us be ready for Your return. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Compassion

John 10:28 (ESV)

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

I read a story about a new young partner in a law firm. The senior partners had set extremely high standards and had coached him carefully. He did well in some minor trials but he lost his first big case. When the partners reviewed the trial, they pointed out his errors and suggested different strategies. Even with all their critique, he lost the next big one. He felt terrible. Were they ready to give him the boot?

Then one of the partners took him aside. "Look," he said, "you're learning. Just keep going. You'll start winning. Meanwhile, your position is secure. You're one of us." Those words were exactly what he needed to hear.

Have you ever experienced this kind of compassion when you were feeling hopeless? If we’re believers, we have. The Lord has taken us aside and said, “Yeah, you’ve made some mistakes, but don’t worry -- your position is secure.

Know that God has provided your security today. Rest assured in Him -- and be sure to convey that same kind of compassion to struggling siblings in the faith. All of us need to be reassured once in a while.

Dear Lord, thank You that You have showed great compassion to each one of us.  Help us share the same compassion to those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Stumbling

Psalm 37:23-24 (ESV)

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,

    when he delights in his way;

24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong.

Today as I was walking to my office and failed to see Diamond’s bed and I stumbled on it and went to the ground. Stumbling is not one of my most favorite things in the world. It's embarrassing and often hurts. The fact is, however, that stumbling is something we all must experience. The question is -- what do we do when it happens?

Imagine this. You're walking home and you trip and fall over a random object on the sidewalk. You scraped your knee and it hurt a little. And the kids walking home from school behind you saw you trip and and giggled amongst themselves -- that was kind of embarrassing. But will you go all the way back from where you came and start again from the beginning? Or will you just sit and sulk on the curb, refusing to take another step at the thought of it happening again? No! Of course not! That would just be silly, wouldn't it?

So is it on our walk through life with the Lord. Satan would love nothing more than for us to go sulk in a corner somewhere and dwell on our humiliation and fear that it might happen again. But the Lord wants us to rise up, dust the dirt off our clothes, maybe give a little chuckle ourselves and move forward for His Kingdom!

Yes, we may stumble on this long and sometime treacherous journey but we will not be cast down! The Lord has upheld us and He will always! Let's get up and move on today!

Dear Lord, help us in our walk with You that when we stumbled we will get back up and keep going.  Help us to keep going forward for You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

God's gifts

Philippians 2:12 (ESV)

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

One of the paradoxes of our walk is that God’s gifts often require work on our part. After He delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, the Lord led them to the Promised Land and told them He was going to "give" it to them. It wasn't long before they realized, however, that they were going to have to fight battles and overcome fortified cities in order to inhabit the land. God did promise that they would not have to fight the battles on their own, but even with this divine advantage the Israelites themselves would be required to destroy their enemies – they would still need to fight.

They might have preferred that God just give them the land, without having to do anything; to just walk into already built cities and houses without any conflict or opposition. But this was not God’s plan. He desired and expected their full cooperation, expecting them to take serious responsibility for the destiny He had prepared for them, and to grow in faith, thereby.

Our situation is similar. Though the gift of our salvation is free, the Lord requires us to work it out...with fear and trembling! [Phil. 2:12] We are not automatically or supernaturally filled with knowledge of the Bible, or faith to move mountains, or the power to pray without ceasing. Instead, we discover that we have to fight the fight of faith, taking serious responsibility for the destiny He has prepared for us.

Are you discouraged because the walk of a believer is more difficult than you imagined and the challenges greater than you expected? Don’t be! God is calling you to the simple responsibility of working out your faith and participating in your own destiny. You can be grateful that He doesn't treat you like a helpless infant who has no part in shaping his/her life, but as a growing adult who can rejoice in his/her participation with a loving and powerful Creator.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the Salvation You give us freely. Help us to work at learning all we can about You and serving You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Not the Waves!

Matthew 14:26-32 (ESV)

26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,[a] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Peter exhibited GREAT faith when he stepped out on the water... but then he allowed his immediate surroundings to hinder his walk! Peter's faith began with a tremendous bold step, but it required a level of focus that he wasn't used to. Follow through.... that was the problem; those pesky waves, and the way he usually thought about and experienced water; (not something that generally supports your feet)...

We all know what Peter should have done, right? Keep his eyes on the Lord, NOT the waves!!! That's easy for us to say. But how many of us have ever stepped out of the boat? I didn't notice any of the other disciples playing follow the leader with Peter.

I see two things from this: First, put a little adventure into your life; step out on the water; you might actually enjoy the exhilaration and really glorify God on the way. And secondly, If and when you do, learn from Peter's mistake. Make sure you live life keeping your focus on the Lord (not on your own spiritual ambitions)...because you can be totally confident the waves will come, once you're out of the boat. But watching the Lord of Life walking there with you will give you the vision to follow through.

Dear Lord, we pray that when adventure comes in our life we will be ready to walk on the water without fear of sinking. Help us keep our trust in You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Recapturing the heart of the prodigal

Daniel 12:3 (ESV)

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Most people have never heard of the first overseas missionary from America to Burma, Adoniram Judson. Judson was a brilliant man who learned to read when he was only 3. He went to college when he was just 16. He graduated valedictorian of his class at the age of 19. He was the son of a pastor, having been raised with Godly values, however while in college, he met a student named Jacob Eames, a deist who denied the miracles of the Bible. By the time Judson finished college he had turned completely from the Lord. For a short while, he lived a vagabond and reckless life, until a series of God-incidences turned his life inside out.

During this time, he left to visit his uncle, but instead, unexpectedly encountered a pious young man who amazed him by his strong Christian convictions, yet without being austere or dictatorial. The Lord placed this young man in the path of Judson to recapture the heart of the prodigal.

The very next night, he stayed at a small village inn where he had never been before. The innkeeper apologized that his sleep might be interrupted because a critically ill man was staying in the next room. The following day, as Judson was leaving, he asked the innkeeper about the sick man, and was informed that the man had passed during the night. Judson then asked the innkeeper, “Do you know who he was?” The man replied, “Oh yes. Young man from the college in Providence. Name was Eames, Jacob Eames.”

Upon hearing it was his old friend that just passed, Judson could hardly move. He stayed there for hours pondering death and eternity. He thought, if Jacob Eames was right, then his death was just a meaningless event. Judson could not believe it, and said, “That hell should open in that country inn and snatch Jacob Eames, his dearest friend and guide, from the next bed-this could not, simply could not, be pure coincidence.”

From that moment forward, Judson knew God was real. He rededicated his life and became a missionary in Burma for nearly 40 years. Before he died, he translated the Bible into Burmese, and planted over 100 churches.

Perhaps God will place someone in your path today because He wants you to be a light so that his or her life might be turned around! With the greatest harvest fast approaching, each of us is called to the mission field – the one right outside our door!

Dear Lord, we pray that You would bring someone in our path today so that we can share your love with them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.