Posts Tagged ‘God’s character’

Voices – Part 1

Friday, September 24th, 2010

I’ll always remember the voice on the phone that day: “Why do you bother doing what you do? If I were you, I wouldn’t even have tried.”

The woman was referring to my writing and speaking ministry. Her words so shocked me that I didn’t know how to respond. The conversation ended moments later and I slumped into my office chair feeling defeated to the core.

Thankfully God, in His wisdom, used that incident as a pivot-point for me. Through it, I learned the importance of choosing which voices to heed and which to ignore. I’ll bet you know what I’m talking about…

Voices that whisper fears when you debate a new venture: “You want to do what? You don’t have the know-how. What if you try and fail?”

Voices that mutter misgivings and cause you to question your worth: “You’re not as pretty or capable as other women. Move over, sister – you’re out-of-date.”

Voices that murmur doubts and cause you to query God’s character: “A good God would never allow such painful circumstances. Why devote yourself to Him? He obviously doesn’t give a rip about your well-being.”

Three Hebrew officials – Eliakim, Shebna and Joah – encountered a negative voice, too. Their story, told in Isaiah 36, began when an enemy king sent his chief of staff with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. When the three Hebrews went out to confront the army, the chief of staff made it his mission to discourage them. Here are some of the things he said:

“What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength?” (vv. 4,5)

“I’ll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master’s troops, even with the help of Egypt’s chariot and charioteers?” (vv. 8,9)

“…Do you think we have invaded your land without the LORD’s direction? The LORD himself told us, ‘Attack this land and destroy it!’” (v. 10)

“What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?” (v. 20)

As if those comments weren’t enough, the chief of staff blatantly disregarded the official trio’s request to speak in Aramaic to protect the Hebrew population from overhearing him. Instead, he shouted to the Hebrew people, “Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you. Don’t let him fool you into trusting in the LORD by saying, ‘The LORD will surely rescue us…” (v. 13-15)

Unfortunately, the Hebrew men listened to the negative voice. Despair overwhelmed them, and they tore their clothes in response to their mental and emotional state.

We probably wouldn’t tear our clothes, but depending on our circumstances and what the voice says, we might feel equally as distraught. And so we’re faced with a choice: do we listen or do we ignore? We all know the right answer, but knowing how to do it (or choosing to do it) is where the challenge lies. I’ll talk about that on Monday’s post. See ya then!

What negative voices have you encountered in your life? How did they impact you?

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God’s Reputation

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Our reputation is a priceless treasure…when it’s a good one, of course. Most of us want to be known for our integrity – that we’re reliable and honest in all our dealings. Depending on one’s role in society, we might also like to be known for our technological savvy, our money smarts, our intellectual abilities, or our creative giftedness. We try hard to live up to our reputation, and we probably feel hurt if others don’t trust it.

God has a reputation, too, and it’s a goodie. Through the ages, He’s proven Himself to be faithful and compassionate to those who love Him. Time and experience show that He’s able to do the impossible. He’s eternal, never-changing, and all-wise. He’s capable of turning tragedy to triumph and turn sorrow into joy. And that’s just the beginning! Based on His rock-solid reputation, we have every reason to trust Him and His commands.

God’s reputation gives us assurance that He hears us and will answer when we call to Him for help. Psalm 109:21,26 say, “But deal well with me, O Sovereign Lord, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good…Help me, O lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love. Let them see that you yourself have done it, Lord.”

You know what strikes me in these verses? The pray-er’s faith that God will answer based solely on His reputation as being faithful, good, and loving. There’s no hint of trying to convince God that he’s a good person who deserves help. He simply lays out his concerns and then asks God to answer because of who He is.

This is a good prayer model for us. Here are a few examples:

  • When we’re anxious about wayward kids, we can ask God to draw them back to Himself because of His unfailing love for them.
  • When circumstances threaten to overwhelm us, we can ask Him for strength and wisdom because He is faithful and good.
  • When we’re afraid of financial setbacks, we can ask God to meet our physical needs for the sake of His reputation as Jehovah Jireh, the provider.

I find encouragement in knowing that whether or not God answers my prayers isn’t based on how eloquent my words are, or how good I am. It’s based on who He is, and that never changes.

Can you think of other examples to add to the list above?

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“I Doubt It”

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

How do you feel when someone questions your integrity or competency? If you’re like me, the answer is lousy. How, then, must God feel when we doubt Him – the One who’s power exceeds our imagination and whose character is flawless?

The Israelites found out the hard way. Psalm 78:19,20 say, “They (the Israelites) even spoke against God himself, saying, ‘God can’t give us food in the desert. Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can’t give his people bread and meat.’”

Perhaps they’d forgotten that God has good hearing when they uttered those words. In any case, they verbalized their thoughts about His ability, and He decided to defend His reputation. “When the Lord heard them, he was angry. The fire of his wrath burned against Jacob. Yes, his anger rose against Israel, for they did not believe God or trust him to care for them” (vv. 21,22).

The passage tells about the skies opening and raining down manna. This was followed by birds, birds, and more birds  – as plentiful as the sand on the seashore. The people gorged themselves but before they could swallow their fill, God struck their strongest men dead.

You’d think they’d learn their lesson: God isn’t happy when we doubt His character. But noooo. “In spite of this, the people kept on sinning. They refused to believe in his miracles. So he ended their lives in failure and gave them years of terror” (vv. 34,35).

We might sit here and say, “Wow – what a dumb bunch. God told them He’d provide. Why didn’t they believe Him?” We compare ourselves to them and give ourselves credit for not doing as they did. After all, we’d never say outright that we doubt God’s ability to give us what we need or to direct us regarding a specific decision we must make. We’d never dream of telling Him that He’s unable to heal a broken marriage. We’d never consider saying He’s unable to protect our kids…or would we? While the words might never cross our lips, our actions often convey our thoughts. And fear is a pretty good indicator that we struggle with doubt.

Wow – this passage really convicts me. Like a spotlight into the recesses of my heart, it exposes room for growth in my faith walk, especially in the area of trusting God’s ability to provide for my adult kids’ needs as they seek housing and better employment. How about you? What does this passage teach you?

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