Author: rbeaird

WHY PRAY IF IT DOES NOT CHANGE THINGS???


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James 5:16b – “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  NASU

James 5:16b – “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” KJV

James 5:16b – “The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].”  AMP

 

I have, more than once, discussed this question with people of varying doctrinal views within Christianity.  There are those who argue, “Prayer does not change things, nor does prayer change God or His mind.”  I have been told, “Whatever God has predetermined is going to happen whether we pray or not and no amount of prayer can or will change that.”  When given those arguments and other similar ideas I always ask or wonder, “If prayer has no effect WHY did Jesus encourage His disciples to pray and encourage us to pray?”  If prayer has no purpose or power, WHY PRAY?  Would it not be a total waste of time?  If prayer has no purpose or effect the many passages in the God’s Word seem contradictory and would allow questioning God on many fronts.

I believe, based on Scripture, that prayer does change things. I know it changes people and frequently people change things.  However, if prayer has no effect shall we erase our text passage from the Bible?  How about the examples in Scripture where people like, Hezekiah, Moses, Joshua, David, Hannah, Paul, and others received specific answers to their prayers?  The patriarchs and prophets of old and the apostles and disciples of the New Testament believed in prayer, it’s power and purpose.  There are literally hundreds of verses where people in the Bible prayed asking God to CHANGE THINGS and He did!

One of my go-to verses concerning our nation and lives is 2 Chronicles 7:14, “…My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  That seems a bit sadistic on God’s part if Prayer has no effect and changes nothing.  How about Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”  Our Lord instructed in Matthew 6:5-6, ““Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.”  If Prayer has no effect and our LORD was guilty of giving false hope to His followers and that is not the God of the Bible.

I know from both the Word of God and personal experience that PRAYER is POWERFUL and CHANGES THINGS!  If there is one thing that we need to do in our present world is become PEOPLE OF PRAYER.  We need to make 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Matthew 6:33 a significant part of our lives.

God, bless you richly is my prayer and may you find that when you do not know how to pray rightly the Holy Spirit will pray through you according to Romans 8:26-27 – “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” 

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PROTECTED…


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1 Peter 1:3-5 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  NASU

 

These three verses are incredibly interesting and powerful, in my view.  They convey a message of Salvation and Hope but offer some interesting phraseology that is not commonly discussed in most religious circles.  I would like for you to journey with me through these verses and let’s see if we can glean some beneficial truths to help us in our walk, work, and warfare in Christ.

Peter begins, acknowledging that God’s mercy through Jesus is the provision for our salvation.  He says, that God’s mercy ‘caused’ us to be born again is the verbiage here but in the KJV we read, “hath begotten” us.  The message is that the Mercy of the Father produced the seed that would procreate in us a life that can only be found in Him through Christ Jesus.  The effecting of this salvation is realized through, not just the death of Jesus on the Cross, but His resurrection from the dead.  We have an empty cross and an empty tomb because He is no longer found there.  As the angel said, “He is not here but is risen.”  The offer of Salvation according to multiple passages of scripture is to ‘whosoever will’.  We know that it is not God’s will that any should perish, so the offer of Grace and Mercy is to everyone.

The New Birth produces an inheritance that is more than amazing!  The inheritance, Peter describes, is Imperishable and Undefiled.  It will never fade away so it is eternal.  Jesus came that we could have life and life more abundant NOW not just in Eternity.  In fact, John informs us in 1 John 4 that we are as He is in this present world.  John points to the reality that while we are spiritually seated with Christ in the heavenly places, we live in this present world.  Jesus is not so removed from this world that we are left alone but we have the Holy Spirit to teach us to pray, guide our steps, teach us the truths of Christ, and empower us to live.  That suggests that IN THIS LIFE we Abundant Life NOW.  Not to lose sight of our heavenly reward, he tells us that that inheritance is RESERVED IN HEAVEN for us.

Then, he gives us great comfort that we are PROTECTED by God and our salvation GUARDED by His person.  The fullness of our Salvation will not be revealed or understood until the last time.  We see through an opaque glass in this life but one day we will see what we do not now see.  We operate and live by faith.  We have not SEEN but we BELIEVE His promise and Word.  Yet we know that NOTHING can separate us from God’s Love and we have His promise to NEVER leave us nor forsake us!  We have God’s Divine Protection and we need to run into His pavilion tent and allow Him to guard and guide our lives!

You and I have a Salvation that comes through God’s incredible mercy and are born again into a Living Hope that is Eternal, Imperishable, and will Never Fade.  God protects us by His power through faith.  If you have received Jesus as your personal savior I urge you to place your complete confidence in His Power to keep that which you have committed to Him and never lose your hope of our inheritance. Let us REJOICE in His PEACE that passes all human understanding!

God, bless you richly is my prayer!

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THE WRONG QUESTION(s) HINDERS PROGRESS…


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Exodus 3:10-12 – “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, ” Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”  NASU

 

The account of Moses is an incredible journey and reveals how intricately God works in our lives preparing us for His purpose(s).  Moses, as you will recall, was born in a time when Pharaoh had issued an edict to kill all the male children born to the Hebrews.  Moses’ mother hid him for 3 months then placed him in a wicker basket in the Nile where he was found by the daughter of Pharaoh who had compassion on the child.  Miriam, Moses sister, was watching and suggested that she be allowed to find a nurse to care for the child.  Moses was raised in the nurture and admonition of the LORD by his birth mother before entering Pharaoh’s house where he was trained in multiple disciplines in Egypt.  We remember his flight into the desert fleeing a vengeful Pharaoh and there came into the house of Jethro and married Zipporah and had children.  While watching the flocks of Jethro he saw a phenomenon in the desert a burning bush.  That was not unusual and as the words of Moses reveals it was not the burning bush that caught his attention but that the bush burned but was not consumed.  This was out of the ordinary and he wanted to find the reason and observe the strange occurrence.

It was as Moses approached the bush that God spoke to him and instructed him to take off his shoes because he was standing on Holy Ground.  It was holy because God’s presence was there!  God made it holy as He does wherever He is.  God revealed to Moses that He had heard the ‘groaning’ of the people of Israel in Egypt and in honoring His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob God was going to deliver them.  God said to Moses, “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”  God had prepared Moses for such a time as this but Moses’ mind was not sufficiently set free and he resisted.  He asked the Wrong Question, saying, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”   WHO AM I is the wrong question and posed a potential problem to shipwreck God’s Plan for Moses and Israel.

The question should be replaced by a more pertinent one.  We should be asking, “WHO ARE YOU, LORD rather than WHO AM I?”  The success of God’s purpose(s) is not dependent on Who We Are but Who He Is.  The focus should be on WHO GOD IS and His sufficiency, not our insufficiency.  If we focus on our insufficiency without focusing on His sufficiency, we guarantee defeat.  If we focus on His sufficiency and recognize that in our weakness His strength is released powerfully we will find success.  God responded to Moses question with a promise to God with him but Moses still protested out of his limited mindset.  God’s response to Moses’ protest and the question as to WHO GOD IS was powerful.  God said, “Tell them I AM.”  He said I AM WHO I AM! 

Moses, what do you need?  I AM That!  God tell Israel that the All Sufficient, All Powerful, All Wise, and Eternal God has sent you and whatever you need I AM.  I will be with you, go before you, empower you, enable you, enlighten you, and anoint you to do that which I have sent you to do.  SUFFICIENCY is with you!  That is the message you and I need to become engraved in our hearts and in the forefront of our minds.  It does not matter our status in life, our age, our education, our finances, our experience WHO GOD IS matters and that is all that matters!  It is our willingness to obey His call and pursue His purpose(s).  He will NEVER leave us, nor will He FORSAKE us.

God, bless you richly is my prayer!

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THERE IS A PURGE COMING…


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Zephaniah 1:1-6 – “The word of the LORD which came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah:

2 “I will completely remove all things From the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.  3 “I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the ruins along with the wicked; and I will cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.  4 “So I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the names of the idolatrous priests along with the priests. 5 “And those who bow down on the housetops to the host of heaven, and those who bow down and  swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom, 6 And those who have turned back from following the LORD, and those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him.” NASU

 

As I read this prophecy and warning of impending judgment I cannot help but relate it to our day.  We read, in numerous passages, that the patience of God is not unlimited.  There will come a time when He says, “Enough!”  I am not alone in my declaration that I truly believe based on what I know of the Bible, through prayer and observation that there is coming a ‘purge’ in the world of Christendom and the world as a whole.

Sadly, in our present world, and in America in particular, we have severely tested the limits of God’s patience.  We have allowed the eviction of God and the Bible from all things public. We have insisted that it is not allowable or acceptable to pray in school or at government sponsored events or activities.  We have determined that it is acceptable to force people to violate their convictions to accept a lifestyle or activity that they believe anti-biblical.  We have allowed the slaughter of MILLIONS of babies in the womb.  We have allowed this nation to become so secularized and guided by Political Correctness that churches and ministers walk on eggshells fearing to let their voice be heard.  In a real sense, the spirit of Baal is imposing its will on churches through the federal government’s edicts.  We have allowed worldliness to enter the church and in our pursuit of tolerance and being accepting we have diluted the Gospel message and included teachings that are specifically and directly foreign to the Bible.  Many have been and are being led astray by diabolical ministers and well-meaning ministers alike.

God is not going to tolerate the perversion of His Gospel and He that sets up kings and takes them down also sets up Christian leaders and takes them down.  There is coming a shaking in the church and the world and when it comes it will be both terrible and wonderful.  Terrible in that the shaking will cause such chaos and embolden many who hate the Bible and perilous times will become more pronounced.  Wonderful in that those God raises up to take the place of the fallen leadership will go with the spirit and power of Elijah and Elisha as well as the diplomacy of Moses, and the courage of Paul.  God is going to have a harvest in these last days and the shaking or purging will open the door to a MIGHTY REVIVAL and that is coming soon.

God, bless you and may you find that when the shaking comes you are on a solid foundation in Jesus with a pure heart and right motive. 

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THE INCREDIBLE CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY…


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2 Peter 1:1-11 – “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”  NASU

 

Each time I read this passage the thought of the “Incredible Christian Promise” comes to mind.  The apostle Peter, often a rash and even brash man had a heart so tender and in total contrast to his physical presence, that reality is amazing and inspiring.  This salutation regarding Christian virtue is powerful and worthy of examination.  He identifies his audience as ‘fellow believers’ and prayed for the multiplication of God’s Grace and Peace to them.  He then reminded them that, in Christ, the Divine Power of God had opened the door to everything pertaining to life and godliness.  He reminds them that, as believers, they are partakers of the Precious and Magnificent Promises of God.  He then details some of those promises and provisions or benefits of being a Christian.

That Grace enabled them to become partakers of the ‘divine nature’ and enabled them to escape the corruption of the world that is facilitated by lust.  If you only understand lust as being sexual you miss the message.  If you understand that lust is, by definition, a longing for something especially that which is forbidden you move toward the light powerfully.  He then implores them to take definitive action in their lives by applying diligence in faith and yearn for and reach for ‘moral excellence’ or ‘virtue.’  Moral excellence will produce godly knowledge and that knowledge inspires ‘self-control’ and ‘perseverance.’  Perseverance will in turn produce ‘godliness’ and through that pathway comes ‘brotherly kindness’ and the fruit of that is LOVE!

How long has it been since you paused to deeply consider what has been granted you in SALVATION?  Heaven is a phenomenal prize and worthy of pursuit but there is so much more afforded us that applies to the HERE and NOW!  He has come and called us to Him!  As we respond to His call to Salvation let us then move into His purpose for our lives and through His LOVE fulfill our assignment here on earth with JOY!  We do not have to live under the torment of the devil and the almost unbearable pull of temptation for we have partaken of His divine nature and IN CHRIST we are FREE!

            God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

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WAITING IS SO VERY HARD… [Part Three]


 

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Text:  Psalm 62:1-8; Isaiah 40:31

             We are to WAIT for God to direct our steps. We are to TRUST God to provide our needs.  We are to WAIT silently in silence.  Those steps are powerful and needed but there is more so I ask you to continue our pursuit for guidance and learn to WAIT on God.

WAIT IN STABLE CONFIDENCE.

“He is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense (stronghold); I shall not be greatly moved.”  [v.2].   There is stability in Trusting the Lord.  We can wait on Him in quite confidence and the knowledge that HE NEVER FAILS.

Isaiah 40:31 tells us that “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.”  In this instance, WAIT means to “twist or stretch in order to become strong.”  In the noun form, it means “a line” or “a rope.”  The idea is of stretching or twisting strands of hemp so that, in the process, it gains far greater strength.  This is where we trade our weakness for His strength.  I take my little strand, like that of a spider’s web and wrap it around the steel cable of His strength.  This is accomplished in the WAITING PROCESS and there my strand is as strong as His character.  I exchange my weakness for His strength.  His strength gives way in the Heat of Battle and it always holds firm.

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In WAITING on the LORD, there are three specific things that transpire.  We will mount up with wings as eagles.  We will run and not get tired.  We will walk and not become weary.  The Hebrew meaning is: “They will sprout wings like eagles.”  There is a place in God where we can soar above the problems and cares of this life.  Also, we can run the race set before us and no longer drag an anchor.  We can walk through the normal routine of life and not grow weary or faint.  WHY?  Because we are WAITING.  We are not going in our own strength but His and God NEVER gets tired.

The Benefit of this is powerful and quite simple.  We are to wait because:

  • He is our ONLY Deliverer – – He is our salvation (v.1).
  • He is our ONLY Security – – He is our stronghold (v.2)
  • He is our ONLY Hope – – Our hope is from Him (v.5)
  • He is our Glory – – On God, my Salvation and my glory rests (v.7)
  • He is our ONLY refuge – – My refuge is in God only (v.7) 

That is the theme…  It is ONLY GOD!  He and He alone is our source, strength, hope, deliverer, refuge, and hope.  He is our Provision.  So WHY DO WE WAIT?  Because without Him, we do not have deliverance.  We do not have Security, Hope, Glory, or Refuge.  Without Him WE ARE HELPLESS.

Waiting involves TRUSTING.  Waiting includes PRAYING.  Waiting implies RESTING.  I can assure you that God will keep His word if you are willing to wait!  Perseverance is a key!  We grow and learn, not when things come to us instantly, but when we are forced to wait.  It is in the times of waiting that God tempers and seasons us mellowing and maturing us.  He readies us for His service and call.

The Phillips translation of James 1:2-4 reads, “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!  Realize that they come to test your faith and produce in you the quality of endurance.  But let the process go on until the endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence.”  We need to change American’s Prayer to the Christian’s Prayer: “Lord, make me mature and I am willing to wait on You.”

If you would have patience you must learn trust!  You must practice self-control and have enough confidence in Jehovah God that you will AWAIT His direction regardless.  Patience is not a gift He will drop in our hearts it is a virtue that is developed through application of the principles and truths of His word.  We must Love Him completely.  We must Trust Him implicitly and we must Learn to wait!

God, bless you as you move forward in your journey and learn to WAIT! 

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WAITING IS SO VERY HARD… [Part Two]


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Text:  Psalm 62:1-8; Isaiah 40:31

We are talking about patience and how difficult it is for us to wait.  Let me offer something I believe can be encouraging found in Psalm 62.  We find a simple outline to guide our thinking with regard to “Victorious Waiting”.  The truth is that we do not need lengthy teaching on the art of waiting, we need long practice times of waiting!  Most of us know about waiting, what we need to do is WAIT.  Consider the help with me if you will.

Psalm 62:1 – “My soul waits in silence for God only.”  The literal Hebrew reads almost backward from the English translation.  It reads: “Only for God in silence does my soul wait.”  The word translated SILENCE comes from the Hebrew verb meaning “to whisper softly.”  It is the idea of whispering a secret to someone you love but not loud enough for anyone else to hear.  In this case, it is only for God to hear.  The word “ONLY” appears six times in this Psalm and I believe that tells us that for David, there is no one else but the LORD.  I ask that you consider the following:

  • WAIT FOR GOD TO DIRECT YOUR STEPS.

“My soul waits in silence for God only.”  Do not run ahead – WAIT.  A red light means WAIT and watch carefully.  You cannot run and wait at the same time.  The ability and strength to run spiritually comes after and through waiting.  I suggest you call to remembrance the story in the Old Testament where Joab called Cushi and told him to run to King David with the news about Absalom.  Ahimaz begged to run, but he had no message.  God instructed Moses while standing at the Red Sea with the armies of Egypt hot on their trails to STAND STILL & SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD!

Verse one is David’s declaration and verse five is his command: “My soul, wait in silence for God only.”  It is well to note that David was talking to himself. He was directing his will.  He was instructing his inner man to “Wait for God to direct his steps.”  That is not easy when we are anxious to run.  Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and know Me.”  We need to learn to hear and know the voice of the Spirit of God.

  • TRUST GO TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR NEEDS.

“From Him is my salvation.”  This is a continuation of verse one.  In verse two we read, “He only is my Rock.”  This directive is simple.  We are to WAIT ON HIM.  We are to TRUST HIM to provide for our needs.  The only question is “How Are or How Do We Do That?”

I believe that if you have been around Church for any length of time you have heard the instruction, “Wait for God.”  I can teach, but I cannot learn you anything.  God has to help you LEARN and that frequently requires WAITING.  Some things are only learned through experience.  Consider God’s Record – HE WILL NOT FAIL.  He is El-Shaddai, the God of plenty and the God who NEVER FAILS.  We can and must trust Him and He will, in due season, come through.  We cannot afford to become impatient or faint in the process.  When we wait on God to direct our steps – HE DOES.  When we trust God to meet our needs – HE WILL.

  • WAIT SILENTLY, IN STILLNESS.

“My soul waits in silence” (v.1).  “My soul, wait in silence.” (v.5).  The songwriter said: “Speak, Lord, in the stillness, while I wait on thee; Hushed my heart to listen, in expectancy.”

I have found that some of my best prayer times are virtually Wordless Times.  Those are times when I stop speaking, close my eyes, and meditate upon what I have been reading or saying, and LISTEN deep inside.  I listen deeply.  I listen for reproof and guidance.  I LISTEN FOR HIM and TO HIM!  It is here that the Holy Spirit takes over and directs our hearts.  It is here that the Holy Spirit gives directions.  It would be good for each of us to take time and read Revelation 2:1-7.  It is a letter that the Lord Jesus dictated to the Church at Ephesus.  On the surface, everything appeared to be wonderful, but something was missing!  Something went wrong!  They had left their first love! They were orthodox and predictable, solid to the core, standing staunchly for truth, BUT, they had lost the fire of their first love.

This was so significant that Jesus informed them that UNLESS they returned He would remove their lampstand from its place and take their light away.  They would be nothing more than an empty shell with a sign out front but no life inside.

I want to address this a bit more so we will pause here and pick up next time and look further at the encouragement and guidance found in this Psalm.  God, bless you and guide you as you take the next step in your journey in Him.

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WAITING IS SO VERY HARD…


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Psalm 62:1-8 – “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3 How long will you assail a man, that you may murder him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?  4 They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; they delight in falsehood; they bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse. Selah. 5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.”  NASU

Isaiah 40:28-31 – “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.  His understanding is inscrutable. 29 He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. 30 Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, 31 Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”  NASU

 

I have become fully convinced that Americans are among the world’s most impatient people!  We do not wait well.  We want everything yesterday and waiting is a most difficult requirement for many if not most people.  It seems that we fit the prayer ascribed to Americans: “Lord, give me patience…And I want it right now!”  It is very difficult for a country that exists on frozen dinners, instant potatoes, powdered orange juice, packed cake mixes, lighting fast computers, and freeway express lanes to teach it’s young to wait.  Time waits for no man and most of us believe we are time and should not have to wait.

If the truth were known, many would rather do the wrong thing than wait.  WE HATE WAITING!  I have found that waiting is the rule rather than the exception in life.  The exception is the Open Door and when you have one – GO!  But waiting, when the door is closed does not mean you are out of the will of God.  It just might mean that you are in the center of His will while waiting.  We face more Red (stop lights) and Yellow (caution lights) than we do Green (go lights).  We are frequently faced with WAIT-WAIT-WAIT.  We need to discover the truth and revelation that WAITING ON GOD is resting rather than worrying!  You can many things in life and we sometimes attempt to fake it while waiting.  We appear on the surface as being patient but we are torn up inside.  We put on our plastic front that suggests peace but there is no peace inside.

Let me share a very old illustration that most have probably heard that has helped me understand.  It was a story about some American soldiers during the Korean war.  They had rented a house and hired a local boy to do their housekeeping and cooking.  That seems to have been a common happening during the Korean war.  The Korean man they hired had an unbelievable positive attitude.  He was always smiling.  The soldiers began to play tricks on him.  The nailed his shoes to the floor and the next morning he would get up, pull the nails out of his shoes and maintain his excellent attitude.  Then they put grease on the stove handles, and he simply wiped it off and kept smiling and singing.  They balanced buckets of water over the door to soak him when he walked through.  He simply dried off and kept smiling never complaining.  Finally, they began to feel guilty and called him in and said, “We want you to know that we know that we are never going to trick you again.  Your attitude has been amazing and outstanding.”  He smiled and asked, “You mean no more nail in shoes?”  They said, “No more!”  He asked, “You mean no more sticky on stove handles?”  They said, “No more!”  He said, “You mean no more water over door?” They said, “No more!”  He smiled and said, “Okay, then no more spit in soup.”  I know that is a bit gross but it reflects what I’m saying that what you see on the outside may not be what is happening inside.

Genuine patience is something that is acquired through learning to fully and completely trust!  Genuine patience enables us to enjoy TRUE PEACE at all times!  The question for each of us is, “Do we Trust and can we wait?”   There is more that I feel compelled to share on this but for now, we will pause and pick up here next time.

God, bless you as you learn to wait!

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SPIRITUAL FOCUS…


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Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  NASU

 

This is an often quoted passage familiar to virtually everyone in Christendom.  I read it like I read Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God…”  Here the first words are an injunction with promise but imperative if we are going to truly be and receive all God desires for us.  “BUT SEEK FIRST…”  What are we enjoined to do?  Seek.  When are we to seek?  First.  What are we to seek?  God, His Kingdom, and Righteousness.  That is simple, right?  But, in reality, it is frequently not the ‘first practice’ of believers.

How many times have you waited until you were desperate to SEEK HIM?  Probably more often than you or I truly want to admit.  Sometimes we declare that we are SEEKING HIM when we are ‘seeking answers’ not necessarily HIM, His Kingdom, or His Righteousness.  We have a problem or need and we desire an answer.  Our prayers are often ‘self-centered’ and ‘self-serving’ rather than SEEKING HIM.  Too often, I have failed in this, even knowing that HE IS THE ANSWER and if I FIND HIM, I also find the answer to my question, plight, problem, or need.  The solution is not necessarily in me getting something externally but developing a relationship with Him and the IN HIM, I am able to live and move and have my being.

I would never suggest we omit the last part of the verse for it is very important.  God says, that if we SEEK FIRST His Kingdom and His Righteousness, in that hungering and thirsting, what we need is added or granted to us.  I asked the question on social media some time back, “HOW PASSIONATE ARE WE FOR GOD?”  That was not a question of condemnation or judgment but a quickening of the Holy Spirit to my own heart.  What is our passion level?  How earnestly are we SEEKING HIM?  How desperately are we SEEKING HIM?  How important is it to us to FIND HIM, His kingdom, and righteousness?  How important is His Presence in our lives and our daily dealings?  I am reminded of Israel, in the wilderness, and their rebellion.  God said to Moses in Exodus 33, “…Depart, go up from here, you and the people you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘ To your descendants I will give it.’ 2 “I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.”  Picture in your mind, God speaking to Moses and saying, “I’m done with you and this people.”

When Moses relayed the words of God to the people they went into mourning.  Then, God comes back to Moses and warned them that were He to come into their midst He would destroy them because of their obstinance.  Moses was moved so deeply he engaged in intercession for the people and rehearsed their journey to God.  He finally declared in (v.15), “…if Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here…”  Simply, Moses said, “God if your presence, your person does not go with us, leave us here to die.”  That is passion for God and desperation for Him.  God said, “My presence shall go with you and I will give you rest.” 

In today’s world, we can easily become sidetracked and distracted with the affairs of life from the social, economic, relational, to the political and fail to SEEK FIRST that which is most important.  I do not suggest we leave the others unattended but that the PASSION OF OUR HEARTS and the FIRST SEEKING of our hearts is GOD.  Lord, help us to be consumed with PASSION FOR YOU!   I desire that in my own life and pray for it in the lives of all to whom I now speak.  Send the Fire of Your Spirit and stir up in us a desire that burns white-hot for You!

May the Lord kindle your passion, guard your hearts and guide your steps today and each day of your earthly journey.  BLESSINGS!

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WE ARE NOT FORSAKEN…


spiritual-blog-forsaken

Hebrews 13:5-6 – “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ” I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6 so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”  NASU

 

I am confident you have seen this as your read the words, “I will not leave or desert you, nor forsake you.”   The Promise of our Lord that we would never be abandoned, forgotten, or forsaken resonates so deeply in my heart and brings incredible comfort and confidence in my daily walk.  Many of us have felt so alone that we felt forsaken, forgotten, and abandoned and could not sense the presence of the LORD and our prayers seemed as though they never rose above our heads.  That aloneness is painful!  Sadly, many are in that condition and their desperation is pushing them to the brink of despair where they are gasping for hope and weary of life.  They have been abandoned by people and the sense of rejection is burying them in depression.  That is not the desire or provision of God and if we can somehow break through those dark clouds of abandonment the ray of hope can shine through and bring us into the light.

The Promise is that Jesus will NEVER LEAVE us.  His presence will be with us and is with us even when we cannot feel or sense His presence.  As David said in Psalm 139 there was no place he could go and the presence of God not be there.  In 2 Chronicles 16:9 we find the revelation that the eyes of the LORD search the entire earth and HE SEES.  In battle, the physical presence of your support is comforting and vital to your survival and victory.  Our LORD, promises that He will NEVER leave us.

The Promise is also that He will not FORSAKE us.  That indicates His emotional involvement in our situation.  He will not turn His back on us and as Hebrews reveals to us that He is ‘touched’ by the feeling of our infirmities.  He feels our pain as well as our joy.  He feels our desperation as well as our confidence.  He feels the cries of our hearts and in His knowing and His presence we can take comfort that WE HAVE HELP in the time of trouble.  All hell may be amassing an army against us and the flood of demonic attack may be bursting over us like waves breaking on the rocks, but HE IS THERE.  We are not abandoned and we are not forsaken.

If you are facing the worst time of your life and you wonder if God even cares let me challenge you to consider what Salvation cost God.  If you paid that kind of price for something or someone would you not be willing and determined to give them the comfort, strength, encouragement, and help needed to not only survive but thrive?  If we, as the Bible says, are willing to give good gifts to our children do we think God would do less?  Jesus endured the Cross for you and me and He did not to that to let us flounder in the spiritual winds, lose heart, and pull away from Him in our helplessness.  NO!  He is our Present Help.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and His word never fails. He has Promised that He will be there, so take heart and even if you cannot sense Him, receive His Promise by faith.

God, bless you as you embark on today’s leg of your life’s journey!

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