Archive for January, 2009

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"God Moments"

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

Have you ever had an experience you recognized as a “God moment?” You know, something extraordinary happens and you realize that only God could have orchestrated it. Or a little voice inside you prompts you to speak to someone behind you in the grocery checkout or seated beside you on a plane or bus, and when you obey, you find out, perhaps, that they’ve recently lost a loved one and needed your word of encouragement/hope.

I’ve had a few of those experiences. On a recent plane ride, my husband and I were assigned to the last row. A pretty gal in her early 30s sat by the window and I took the middle seat. She sat quietly, looking out the window as the plane taxied toward the runway and took off. Then she closed her eyes and rested for the hour-long flight.

When we landed, I felt a divine nudge to ask if she was coming home from a trip. “No,” she replied. “I live out east. I’m here for my cousin’s funeral. She was murdered last week.”

My heart nearly stopped. “I’m so sorry,” I said. My eyes filled with tears as she continued to tell me about the tragedy. As she spoke, I learned that she was a believer and was praying for an opportunity to share God’s love and hope with her grieving aunt and uncle. I was able to speak a few words of encouragement to her before we went our separate ways.

Beyond a doubt, that was a “God moment.”

I read this morning about Jacob’s “God moment” (Genesis 28). He had a dream — an extraordinary one, to be sure — in which he saw a stairway to heaven with angels going up and down, and the Lord standing at the top. During that dream, God made several promises to Jacob. When Jacob woke up, he realized that something supernatural had happened. He said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it.”

I think Jacob’s words reflect one of my greatest fears. Heaven forbid that I wake up to realize I’ve missed an opportunity to share His love with someone who’s hurting, or I’ve missed hearing His message to me because I was too busy or too preoccupied with other things. May I never say, “Surely the Lord was in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it.”

May God plant within us a super-sensitivity to His Spirit so we will be aware of His presence and divine nudges, and be willing to obey.

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Rebekah the Cunning

Monday, January 12th, 2009

Rebekah may have been gorgeous on the outside, but her inside could have used a makeover. Genesis 27 reads like a soap opera as it tells the tale of her deceit.

First, she plays favorites with her son Jacob, convincing him to lie to his father to receive his brother’s blessing. As if her own deceitfulness wasn’t enough, she drags her boy into it, too. No “Mother of the Year” award for her!

When brother Esau discovers what’s happened, he plots to kill Jacob. Someone catches wind of the plan and reports it to Rebekah, so she tells Jacob that he’d best leave town in a hurry. Rather than tell her husband Isaac the truth about all the trouble she’s caused, she hints at Jacob’s need to leave by saying he needs a wife, “I’m sick and tired of these Hittite women,” she says. “I’d rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.”

Goodness….this woman seems to have an issue with integrity. She has a cunning heart, one that’s sly and sneaky. The result? Deceit, division, and disappointment within her family.

What a difference between Rebekah and the woman described in Proverbs 31! The heart of her husband trusts in her, and her children stand and bless her.

Rebekah stands on the left. Proverbs 31 lady stands on the right. Which one do I resemble? I hate to admit it, but without Christ in my life, I’m just like Rebekah — sly and sneaky, trying to control things so they turn out the way I want them to. Playing favorites. Telling lies.

What’s the secret to becoming more like Proverbs 31 lady, whose beauty is more than skin deep? Verse 30 says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.”

There it is — the fear of the Lord. Respecting Him, honoring Him, obeying Him, giving Him the reverence that He’s due. Rebekah slipped up in that department, and her entire family paid the price. May God guard our hearts so true beauty — His beauty — shines from within and blesses those around us.

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Abe’s Attitude

Friday, January 9th, 2009

Abraham’s life is soooo inspirational to me. He was nowhere near perfect, but his heart, overall, was bent on knowing God.

This morning as I read in Genesis 22, I saw two verses that I’ve not noticed before. That chapter is about Abraham’s infamous test of obedience. He comes through that experience with flying colors. And then he hits a wall. Verse 20 says, “Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. Verse 24 says, “In addition to his eight sons from Milcah, Nahor had four other children from his concubine.”

Why are these verses included? What’s the point anyway? Here’s my thought:

Abraham’s life had not been an easy one. He’d trusted God when He told him to leave everything familiar and go to a strange country. He’d trusted God for a promised son even though it meant more than 20 years of waiting. He’d taken a detour when he slept with Hagar, and later felt the pain of sending her and Ishmael into the wilderness to keep peace with Sarah. Most recently, Abraham had just come through the most challenging experience of his life, when God asked him to be willing to sacrifice Isaac. His actions had proved his faith in God and marked a huge spiritual victory. And then comes verse 20.

“Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah , his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons.” Add the concubine’s four kids, and the brother has 12 offspring.

How did Abraham feel when he heard that news? He’d been faithful to God, willing to obey to the nth degree, and yet he had only one son by Sarah. Nahor had eight sons by his his wife. I wonder if Abraham compared his situation with Nahor’s and felt a twinge of jealousy. Maybe hearing this news, shortly after his spiritual high, bred some questions: “God, this isn’t fair. I’ve done so much on Your behalf, and yet You’ve blessed my brother more than me. What’s with that?”

It’s common to hit a wall after a spiritual victory. Sometimes we hear of someone else’s blessings and, with a twinge of jealousy, we compare our situation to theirs. Perhaps our faith journey has been more trying than theirs. It seems as though theirs is a stroll down Easy Street while ours is an ongoing trudge through Deep Valley. One glimpse at their situation tells us that they appear more blessed even though we’ve gone through tougher stuff. “What’s with that? It’s not fair, God.”

Yes, I wonder how Abraham felt. Scripture doesn’t tell us, but I have a hunch that he may have struggled a bit. After all, he was human like me and you. I can identify because I’ve struggled with comparison, too.

In the end, though, we have to trust that God knows what He’s doing. He sees the big picture. He’s just and righteous and makes no mistakes.

“God, please keep my (our) eyes on You. Make me aware if I begin comparing my situation with others. Give me a heart that rejoices when others are blessed, and help me trust You for every detail of my life. Amen.”

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Abe Prayed

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Back to Abraham and his relationship with God. Theirs was an intimate one as evidenced in their conversation about Sodom (Genesis 18) “God, You wouldn’t destroy the city if You found 50 righteous men there, would You? After all, You’re a just God.”

“You’re right,” said God. “I’d save it for their sakes.”

Abraham mustered his courage for round #2. “What if You found 45 righteous men?”

“I’d save the whole place for their sake,” said God.

“Forty?”

“If I find 40 righteous men, I’ll spare the city.” And so went the conversation, back and forth, until God agreed to spare the entire city if He could find 10 righteous men.

Verse 27 contains a word that describes Abraham’s approach. It’s the word bold. The dictionary says this word means, “without fear; daring.” Abraham was indeed daring in his prayers. I’m not convinced that he was without fear, however, because the passage sounds like he had to muster his courage before each request. Perhaps he was a little concerned that God might consider him a smart-alek for his approach. I think it was the opposite — it looks like God rather enjoyed the banter, otherwise He might have ended the conversation in disgust. Regardless, Abraham conversed with God in a way that’s possible only between friends.

This story encourages me in my prayer life. It shows me that God enjoys honest communication. He invites me to be daring in my requests and in my approach. That’s reinforced in Hebrews 4:16 — “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

May we all enjoy such intimate relationship with God that our conversations with Him reflect deep friendship!

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Chatter

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

I’m back after a day away from my office. Spoke at a MOPS group yesterday morning — had a great time talking with these younger women about how to face the new year with confidence. On a side note, I felt like I was in Grandma Heaven, with all those nursing babies and toddlers in the room. Then I dashed off to a hair appointment — took a risk and had a few reddish highlights applied. Hmmm. Do I like the look, or don’t I?? I returned home, hunkered down in my office to respond to business emails, and then spent the evening with a family of five that’s considering volunteering with International Messengers this summer. It was a profitable day.

BTW, I’ve submitted two book proposals in the past month. I’ve spent up to 16 hours a day trying to get these done — sitting in my lazyboy chair rather than at my desk! I discovered that my neck and upper back can withstand a lot more writing time in the chair with my feet up and my computer on my lap rather than sitting at my desk with feet down and elbows up.

The acquisitions committee will meet next Tuesday at Harvest House to select the projects they want to recommend to the publishing committee. That committee will meet on Thursday. If the Lord prompts you, would you please pray that God will direct their thoughts to align with His? I only want to write these books if that’s what He wants me to do. Thanks!

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Abe Believed God

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Abraham believed God’s promise (Gen. 15:6). Do I demonstrate the same level of trust?

Take finances, for instance. How often have I heard God’s promise to provide our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus? And yet, how often have I felt afraid in money matters? The fear comes from my lack of understanding God’s ability to provide, not from His inability to do so. Heaven knows He’s more than able.

What about His ability to give me wisdom when I’m faced with decisions about the direction I’m to go? He’s promised to direct my steps if I trust in Him (Prov. 3:5,6).

For every issue I face, there’s a God-given promise. It’s up to me whether or not I choose to believe that promise is true.

Abraham chose to believe, and God was pleased. I want to follow his example. I know it’s not always easy, but it’s always the best thing to do because God cannot lie. He’s faithful. He will fulfill.

How about you? What God-given promise are you choosing to believe even though, humanly, the odds are stacked against you?

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A Love Life Like No Other — part 3

Monday, January 5th, 2009

No matter how busy our lives get, our obedience to God is of utmost importance. When He speaks, we must do what He says. The older I get, the more I realize how critical this is.

This morning I read the story of Abraham’s obedience — getting up and moving from the familiar into the unknown simply because God said so. I’ll bet that wasn’t easy. Actually, I know that wasn’t easy for him….you see, we’ve done it a couple or three times ourselves. Despite the angst that often accompanies such a move, there’s a strange sort of peace that goes with it when we recognize that God is the One giving the marching orders, and He’s in control of every detail.

Yes, there are certain times when God demands our obedience in the big things. But He also expects obedience in the little things — like telling the truth, being honest if the grocery clerk give us too much change, refusing to entertain lustful or critical thoughts, and so on. This kind of obedience is do-able no matter how busy our lives get. And it’s critical to our spiritual health.

Any insights out there? How has obedience (or lack thereof) impacted your relationship to God?

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A Love Life Like No Other — part 2

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Back to the question of how to keep relationship with the Lord as top priority in the midst of a busy life…

Yesterday I mentioned being sensitive to the Lord’s voice. In my case, I’ve been learning to listen to the message He’s giving me through the praise songs that are in my mind when I wake up. Without fail, the lyrics focus my thoughts on Him and one or more of His attributes.

This morning as I prayed, several songs entered my mind, one after the other. Each one focused on the name of Jesus: “Jesus is the sweetest name I know…,” “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus….there’s just something about that name…,” and “Jesus, name above all names, beautiful Savior, glorious Lord….” It was amazing, really, how one song ended and the next began without me consciously directing my thoughts.

It was such a sweet experience, and it reminded me that relationship with Jesus supersedes all else in importance. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus — there’s no other like Him. When that realtionship is in order, all else falls into place.

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A Love Life Like No Other

Sunday, January 4th, 2009

I think I’ll stretch this topic over a few days because there’s so much to it.

My friend Oce commented yesterday about the need to proceed into ministry opportunities with peace. I so agree. It’s ‘way too easy to assume that we need to accept every op that comes along, when in reality, that’s not always the case. Also, we don’t have to accept invitations immediately — rather, we need to take time to listen to God’s voice before saying yes. If we can do so with peace, then great! Move ahead. If there’s an uneasiness, then say no. Sometimes “doing” ministry can actually get in the way of our relationship with the Lord, and proceeding without Him is a sure-fire way for that to happen.

Here’s something that I’ve found interesting in the past week. I often wake up with a praise song running through my head. It never dawned on me until a few days ago that this could be the Lord Himself speaking to me, using the song as His instrument. Maybe I’m a bit slow to catch on. You see, He’s ministered to me many times through music, but those times have always been when I’ve been awake. This is different – the songs are already playing in my head when I wake up.

This morning I woke to the Newsboys’ “Amazing Love” — aka “You are My King.” Rather than brushing it off as simply a nice song, I considered it God’s way of speaking to me. I made a cup of tea, took my Bible and journal to my favorite spot in my living room, and spent a few quiet moments savoring the message in the lyrics, “Amazing love, how can it be, that You my King should die for me?” What a great way to start my day, being reminded by God Himself that He loves me and wants relationship with me!

Now that I’m aware of Him speaking through these early morning songs, I make a point of being quiet so I can hear them and understand what He’s trying to tell me.

How about you? Have you had a similar experience with a song?

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What Matters Most?

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

The beginning of a new year is a good time to ponder what really matters. Life gets so busy that it’s easy to be distracted and miss the mark. That’s not the way I want to live, and you probably feel the same way.

This morning I read about Enoch — the guy lived to be 365 years old. Genesis 5 gives him more attention than the other fellows listed before him, but still, it says only two things: he had a son named Methuselah when he was 65 years old, and he had a vibrant relationship with God.

It’s interesting that the last fact is mentioned not just once, but twice. Enoch had close fellowship with God (v.22) and he enjoyed a close relationship with God all his life (v. 24). Oh yeah, there’s one more thing: he suddenly disappeared because God took him.

The Bible could have listed Enoch’s accomplishments and adventures, but it doesn’t. It simply stresses the fact that he enjoyed a close walk with God.

As I look into the upcoming months, I must admit that I feel a little anxious at times. The life of a writer/speaker isn’t as glamorous as it may appear on the surface — there’s lots of behind-the-scenes hard work and sweat. And judging by what’s on my plate, I’ll be sweating more than a little. But the bottom line is this — the quality of my walk with God.

That relationship must come first. That means carving out time for Him when I’m fresh and alert, not giving Him the leftovers when I’m too tired to recognize His voice. It means saying no to some activities so I’m available for what He wants me to do. It means being willing to do whatever He asks even if it seems illogical or too time-consuming at the moment. If that relationship is in order, the rest of my life will be in order, too.

I’m not going to live to be 365 years old like Enoch. I’ll have 80 or 90 years on earth, maybe. What will people say about me when I’m gone? Will they say, “She had close fellowship with God?” I hope so.

Tomorrow I’ll blog about how I maintain fellowship with God in the midst of a very busy ministry. I’d love to hear your thoughts — struggles and secrets — on this topic.

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