Archive for May, 2012

“Aw, Do I Have To?”

Monday, May 28th, 2012

How do your kids respond when you tell them to clean their rooms? What do they say when you tell them to eat their veggies, or to turn off their favorite TV show?

Maybe some of them throw a big grin your way and say, “Sure, Mom. Your wish is my command!” But chances are pretty good that most of them say something like,  “Aw, do I have to?”

I did the same thing when I was a kid. Changing my bed sheets every Friday was a chore I really disliked for some reason. Before I’d leave for school, a conversation ensued between me and my mother:

“Did you strip your bed?”

“No.”

“Go and do that now, please.”

“Aw, do I have to?”

I wonder how often we hold similar conversations with God. He tells us to forgive someone who’s hurt us. Our first response is, “Aw, do I have to?”

He tells us to mow the neighbor’s lawn as a random act of kindness. “Aw, do I have to?”

He nudges us to offer to pray with someone who’s obviously distraught. “Aw, do I have to?”

I’m guessing God must feel like a parent sometimes, wishing His kids would stop questioning and instead eagerly obey what He’s asking us to do. Let’s strive to respond in a way that reflects the Psalmist’s attitude: “Lord, you are mine! I promise to obey your words!…I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands” (Psalm 119:57, 59-60).

If you’ve displayed an Aw, do I have to? attitude toward God,  then ask Him for a fresh start. Ask Him to give you a heart that obeys Him without delay. I guarantee you this—God will answer that prayer with a resounding yes.

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Observations from a Hospital ER

Friday, May 25th, 2012

This week took an interesting twist when I landed in the hospital ER with chest pains. The activity around me matched that of a soap opera. I’ve written my observations here.

http://www.extantmagazine.com/observations-from-a-hospital-er/

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Of Course I Believe You, God, But…

Monday, May 21st, 2012

What’s your first response when you sense God inviting you to a faith adventure? Do you respond with an eager yes?  Or do you hesitate, weighing the pros and cons? Do you try to figure out the details before giving your nod of approval?

I grew up in a family of faith. I attended Sunday school, Pioneer Girls, youth group and church summer camp. I even graduated from Bible college. You’d think a background such as this would have educated me to walk in habitual instant obedience to God. Unfortunately, my strong Sunday school theology hasn’t always served me well. It’s been put to the test on occasion and found sorely lacking.

Personally, I find it difficult to trust God with my future. While I believe He’s led me faithfully to this point, I sometimes wonder how He’ll weave the various threads of ministry together so I can be most effective in building His kingdom. It’s easy for me to feel anxious despite knowing His promises to guide me when I trust in Him. My thoughts go something like this: Yes, Lord, I trust You but I don’t have the funds to pay for the marketing that needs to happen for my latest project. Or Yes, Lord, I believe Your promises but what if I do what You’re asking and my efforts fail?

Martha demonstrated a similar attitude in John 11:26,27,39. She’d notified Jesus when her brother, Lazarus, was deathly ill. Sadly, Lazarus died before Jesus responded. When He finally showed up, He said to her, “Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

“Yes, Lord,” she said. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” There’s her Sunday school theology. Yup, I believe.

Then came the cruncher. “Roll the stone away,” said Jesus.

Martha’s Sunday school theology flew out the window. “But Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible!”

Dear, dear Martha. Gotta love that woman’s humanity. Yes, I believe You’re the Messiah, but get real. We’ve got a problem here.

That scene was an emotional one for Jesus. Scripture says He felt anger, He was deeply troubled, He wept, and He felt angry again (vv. 33, 35, 38). My hunch is that Martha and her friends’ unbelief triggered those emotions. Why, after witnessing His power in so many ways, were Martha and the others not able to connect the dots?

Thankfully, in His mercy, Jesus stuck around and showed them His power once again. Sunday school theology leapt off the page and into real life as Lazarus walked from the grave.

What does your Sunday school theology say about God? How does that SS theology impact your day-to-day actions and attitudes? Take a few minutes to answer these questions. Feel free to share from your heart. I’d love to hear from fellow sojourners.

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Amazing Promises for Those who Fear God

Friday, May 18th, 2012

In the thick of daily life, I sometimes forget the many amazing blessings God promises me for reverencing Him. How about you? Are you aware of the blessings listed—specifically in Psalm 112:1-9? If not take a moment to read these verses. I guarantee you’ll be encouraged:

How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands.

Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.

They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.

Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.

Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.

Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered.

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.

They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.

They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.

Personally, I think I need to spend time meditating on these Scriptures, soaking up their application to my life, and then turning them to prayer. For starters, I’m going to revel in the truth that my relationship with God means I can be confident and fearless. I can face whatever foe comes my way because God says so.

What bolded phrase means the most to you today?

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The Heart’s Skewed

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

I’m not a trained psychologist, but it doesn’t take a degree to figure out that the human heart is a bit skewed sometimes.

Take Saul, for example. When God decided to settle accounts with the Amalekite nation for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt, He gave Saul specific orders: “Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” Any questions?

So Saul sets out with nearly a quarter million soldiers. Somewhere in the midst of the battle, he forgets—either accidentally or intentionally—what God said. Or perhaps he figures God wasn’t serious. And so, he wipes out all the Amalekites…except King Agag. Oh yeah, he also keeps “the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality” (1 Samuel 15:2,9).

Huh? Why did Saul think he could fulfill only part of God’s command and not all? Perhaps he thought it was okay so long as he could justify his actions. When Samuel confronted him about those actions, he said cheerfully, “It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle…but they are going to sacrifice them to the LORD your God. We have destroyed everything else” (v. 15).

See what I mean about the human heart being a bit skewed at times? We knowingly do our own thing and then justify our behavior thinking God will recant: “Okay, I see your point. You’re right; I was wrong.”

When God saw that Saul had not fulfilled His command completely, He was sorry He’d ever appointed him as king. The story would have had a much happier ending if Saul had simply done as God had commanded.

What is God telling you to do? Remain faithful to your spouse? Give generously to those in need? Sell your business and take up career ministry? Do what He says, every part. Don’t settle for less thinking you can justify your actions.

I’ll commit to doing the same. The last thing I want is for God to be sorry He’s given me the position of leadership He’s entrusted to me. How about you?

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Settling for Less Than God’s Best

Friday, May 11th, 2012

Sometimes I wonder how often we settle for less than God’s best. He might have great and glorious plans for us, but we never see them realized because unbelief steps in:

  • We doubt His ability to provide financially.
  • We doubt His wisdom in asking us to do a specific task.
  • We doubt His strength to perform whatever’s necessary to get the job done.
  • We doubt His sovereignty over every detail.
  • Ultimately, we doubt His love. If that weren’t true, we wouldn’t have an issue with trusting Him implicitly.

The Hebrews doubted and settled for less, too. Psalm 106:24,25 says, “The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them. Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord.”

I read those verses and feel sadness for the Hebrews. They chose to wander through the wilderness for 40 years rather than believe God and enter the Promised Land. How sorry is that? And yet, we often mimic their behavior.

  • We settle for less than God’s best in a marriage partner because we doubt His ability to provide a spouse for us.
  • We settle for a job we don’t like because we doubt God’s ability to provide financially if we follow our passion.
  • We settle for a ho-hum faith because we doubt God’s ability to care for us if He asks us to take a divine risk.

Those are just a few examples of how we settle for less than the Promised Land. I’m sure there are many more. Can you think of some?

“God, please give us the faith to believe You and trust Your promises so we can live the abundant life You’ve promised. We want the Promised Land; we don’t want to settle for less than Your best!”

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The Beauty of Meanwhile: A Glimpse of God’s Work Behind-the-Scenes

Monday, May 7th, 2012

Sometimes life leaves us baffled or bruised. We wonder if God is as wise as He claims to be, and we question why circumstances don’t happen how and when we wish they would. When I feel this way, I take courage from the Scriptures.

Recently I read about the prophet Samuel’s boyhood. One word—meanwhile—popped up several times in the account. It reminded me that, no matter what life looks like, God’s at work behind the scenes to accomplish His purposes.

  • “And the Lord gave Hannah three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:21).
  • “Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the LORD and with the people” (1 Samuel 2:26).
  • “Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon” (1 Samuel 3:1).

Events both good and bad unfurled on a daily basis at that time. Meanwhile, God was quietly raising up a prophet who would honor Him and faithfully proclaim His word.

The beauty of meanwhile remains true today. A couple years ago, Stonecroft Ministries asked me to produce a DVD-based Bible study to accompany my book, Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman’s Guide to Peace in Every Situation. I had no funds and no clue how to do this. The thought of producing such a resource made good sense, but it also unnerved me. And so I prayed: “God, if You want this project done, then You’ll need to bring me a team of skilled people to help. And you’ll need to work out all the details including funding.”

For the next year, I went about my usual business of writing, speaking, and ministering overseas. Meanwhile, the bi-weekly women’s Bible study that my daughter-in-law organized lost its teacher.  “Can you teach it now, Mom?” asked Cheryl. “Preparations won’t take long if you teach from Moving from Fear to Freedom because you already know the material.” I thought about the DVD study. Using this opportunity as a test run seemed divinely orchestrated, so I agreed and started writing the lessons.

Meanwhile, I met a man in my church who’d specialized in audio-visual work while a missionary in Africa many years prior. He had a local friend who owned two filming cameras. Both agreed to help.

Meanwhile, a national women’s ministry set aside money for projects such as this. One day the president handed me an envelope containing a grant application. “Fill out the form and ask for funding,” she said. I applied, and the committee approved. Within a year, the DVD-based Bible study became a reality.

Perhaps you’re facing a challenge today. Pray and take courage in the Scriptures, especially in the word meanwhile. You work. You wait. Meanwhile, God is on the move behind the scenes to fulfill His plan.

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The Lord is Like a Father – What Does That Mean to You?

Friday, May 4th, 2012

What comes to your mind when you hear that God is like a father to us?

Some folks cringe at the thought because their fathers abandoned them. Or beat them. Their fathers drank themselves into oblivion and then climbed into the driver’s seat. Or lay sprawled on the living room sofa, beer in one hand and TV remote in the other. The thought of God being like a father makes these folks determined to disconnect themselves from Him and run the opposite direction.

Other folks find great consolation in knowing God is like a father. Their dads protected and provided for them. They offered wise counsel. They disciplined in love, and they remained committed to their families. They weren’t perfect, but they were humble and willing to admit their mistakes.

In a perfect world, every father would be like the latter and mirror the character of our heavenly Father. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. Therein lies the problem. We see God through the lens of our life experience, and when it’s been a difficult one, our impression of Him is sadly skewed.

The enemy of our souls loves keeping our understanding tainted with lies about who God is and what He’s like. He knows that a wrong understanding will hinder us from fully trusting God. It’ll cause us, then, to try to do life on our own. And that often leads to a lot of heartache and ultimately not seeing God’s purpose for our lives fulfilled.

No matter what our life experience with earthly fathers, it’s vital that we focus on the truth about God’s character. What is that? Psalm 103:3-14 describes Him:

“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful. Slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children. Tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.”

How do these words compare with your understanding of God’s character based upon your life experience with your father? Hopefully they correct false understanding and plant healing and hope in your heart.

Question: What part of the description above means the most to you today?

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