Have you believed God for something, but the end result was not what you anticipated? you feel disappointed by Him?
Did
I believe we all have been there, at one time or another.
So what do we do in those situations?
Do we give up on God, or do we press into Him
even more? Recently, I found myself in a spiritual quandary. Standing at the crossroads of a major intersection of faith, I could allow my disappointment, heartache and frustration to interfere with my walk with God OR press into Him even more.
At that moment, I realized that I
am not alone! As I read through the Gospels, I came upon the story of Mary and Martha, who reach out to Jesus for their ailing brother, Lazarus.
Jesus’ initial response toward their
request is not what they expect. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been there, my brother would not have died.
But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
(John 11:21-22, NIV) Martha knows Jesus has the power to save Lazarus. But, for some reason, He chooses not to.
Just like Martha, you and I have been there. Different circumstances but with the same
hope in God to act on our behalf.
We are left bewildered and stunned, when He does not
respond to our heart’s deepest desire.
“But I know that even now….” Yet, Martha does not allow her disappointment to impact her hope in Jesus.
She still believes in Jesus for she knows Who He is!
from you and me.
God desires the same
Even though we may not understand the ‘whys’ in life, He longs for our
hope to ever be in Him.
He wants us to realize His intentions for our lives are always good,
and He desires only the best for us. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes
in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.
Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, NIV)
In the midst of her sorrow, Jesus reveals a greater side of Him to her. He cannot do.
He brings forth life in things we believe to be dead.
is ‘dead’ in our life? our future?
Is it our marriage?
There is nothing
What do we believe
Is it our relationship with God?
Do we question
Just as Jesus speaks to Martha, He speaks over our circumstances – I am the
resurrection and the life…
Allow the Author of Life to breathe into us and our situation.
The
end result is going to be far greater than we can imagine! As we celebrate Easter, remember: the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power He longs to demonstrate within our lives!
This resurrection power births
new life.
Trust Him, even when we do
Jesus desires we have life – to the fullest in Him!
not see the ending.
Believe in Him, even when everything around us is dictating the opposite.
In the end, God will prove Himself to be our Enduring Hope!
A temple is regarded as having a divine presence within it and a place devoted to a
I think we as Christians put much time and emphasis on our spiritual growth and neglect
special purpose, the very sanctuary of the
our physical bodies, not seeing them as holy
Holy Spirit.
To honor means to hold in
as Jesus most certainly does. If you agree
highest respect, to fulfill an obligation or
that you were put on this earth for a special
agreement, or to have the privilege of.
Glory
is to take great pride in, to hold in the highest regard. So Jesus is saying that He shed his
purpose, achieving that purpose will most assuredly depend on the health and wellness of your physical body. I also believe, because we are home to the precious Holy Spirit, we
own blood to give us this amazing gift, the
are held to a higher standard than
very sanctuary to have the privilege of
unbelievers. Are we not?
housing His divine presence, a place we should uphold with the highest respect. We
Gluttony (excessive eating) is mentioned
can then fulfill our obligation to Him and
many times in the bible. In Proverbs: If you
through it realize our special purpose.
find honey, eat just enough – too much of it,
So I ask again, how is your temple?
Wow!
and you will vomit (25:16). Do not join those
who drink too much or gorge themselves on
mindful so that He would be honored in the
meat (23:20).
choices you are making.
Put a knife to your throat if
you are given to gluttony (23:2). The bible is very clear on this subject and, as with everything in life, our answers to life’s
And God is faithful;
he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out to that you can stand up under it (1 Corinth 10:13, NIV).
question are found in the word of God. So I encourage you:
Do not conform any
Christ wants us to be healthy, strong,
longer to the pattern of this world, but be
confidant, and self-assured.
transformed by the renewing of your mind . .
function with the highest self-esteem to
(Romans 12:2, NIV).
accomplish great things in His kingdom.
Pray every day that
He wants us to
It
the Lord will guide you in how you can bring
is our obligation to honor this earthly vessel
honor back to your body.
as best we can. Take care of the wonderful,
Every time you
begin a meal, not only thank Him for that
beautiful, amazing gift Christ has shed his
food,but also ask the Lord to keep you
blood for . . . you are not your own.
“…Find rest, my soul, in Christ alone; know His power, in quietness and trust…” (Still by Hillsong). Those lyrics remind me of the birds in Scripture:
“Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?...And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
Yet I tell you
If that is how God
clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you.” (Matthew 6:25-34, NIV).
I sense from the Lord that many of us genuinely worry and are concerned about things that are precious and especially important to us. I sense that the Lord sees how important these situations are, and He wants to lead us “beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:2, NKJV).
Still waters
are calm waters – where He lifts our burden and the torment of anxiety and worry. As Matthew 6:27 says, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (NIV) To continue… Can any one of us, by worrying, change the outcome? Can any one of us, by worrying, fix the problem?
Can
any one of us, by worrying, find a solution? Can any one of us, by worrying, get what we need? The Lord wants to lead us beside the still waters – just as Mary (Luke 10) does when she chooses what she really needs. Mary chooses the still waters, sitting at Jesus’ feet, while her sister, Martha, is preoccupied and distracted by other things. Martha’s focus turns her attention away from Jesus, yet He is Who she really needs. Jesus says, “…Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42, NASB). He is saying to us, with great love and kindness, “(insert your name), (insert your name)… you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary…[Come, sit at My feet, in quietness and trust]” (Luke 10:41-42, NASB – author’s brackets added). Think back to those birds (verse 26). They trust the Lord to respond to their needs and desires.
I just
recently moved. And the decorating theme the Lord gave me is joy, praise, and springtime. I’ve used bright turquoise, lots of yellow, flowers and many birds in the décor. I have letters on a shelf spelling JOY! I look around the living room and am reminded that the birds, daily, sing praises to the Lord.
Is this yet another ‘picture’ of being led beside the still waters?
When birds fly, they soar
through the air with great ease; there is no striving. And, they sing and make music unto the Lord. I think of the lyrics in “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (lyrics by Joseph M. Scriven, 1819-1886; music by Charles C. Converse, 1834-1918): “…Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge…In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there…”
Jesus is our refuge. He is our place of still waters. We will
find solace there. It’s exhausting to worry and be concerned about things – how to fix them – trying to figure them out.
This exhaustion leaves us
susceptible to more worry in our weakened state. Remember, one thing is necessary…(not the worry) the rest beside still waters, that place of solace at Jesus’ feet! Many of us are exhausted, tired in our soul (mind, will, emotions) and body because we are cumbered by our cares.
Perhaps our
instruction, in this season, is to cease striving to figure out (or work out) those situations. Remember, “…YOUR Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8, NIV). Perhaps our instruction for this season is to rest in Him and, like the birds, sing praises to Him.
When we praise the Lord, we are exalting Him above all situations. We are magnifying
Him rather than the worry, choosing to worship HIM. This doesn’t mean we are thanking Him for hard things; it means we are simply worshiping Him.
Our worship has nothing to
do with circumstance, because He is always worthy of our praise, for Who He is.
So, perhaps
our instruction is to come before the Lord in quietness; just be with Him, praising Him.
Maybe,
for us, it’s a matter of focusing on Jesus, not the circumstance. Maybe it’s a matter of our not responding to them, so that He can.
When this happens, it’s time to stop and praise
the Lord instead. Just thank Him for knowing what is needed in the situation. “…[He]…knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8, NIV).
As we do this, I believe the JOY
of the Lord will replace the worry, concern and exhaustion. We are strengthened in His joy because, as the Bible says, “…the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV).
Make this your motto in this season: “Find rest, my soul [mind, will, emotions], in Christ alone. Know His power, in quietness and trust [cease striving].
When the oceans rise and thunders
roar, I will soar [like the birds] with you above the storm. flood.
Father, You are King over the
I will be still [still waters] and know You are God” (Still by Hillsong – author’s brackets
added). If with you now, I’d sing those lyrics over you. I feel that doing so would truly express our Lord’s heart toward you.
Often, we can tell by our baby’s cry whether he (or she) is
angry, scared or hungry.
As the Lord gave me this message, I hear the fear and worry in
the sound of your crying.
As a loving Father, the Lord picks us up and holds us close,
whispering words of comfort, “Shhhh…It’s okay. Daddy’s here. It’s okay. I’ve got you. It’s okay. Daddy’s here.” Written by: Shelly Hess
[ Discovering Hope in Luke 17: 5-10 ] Jesus first addressed the importance of faith. not determined by quantity but by quality.
Jesus emphasized the point that faith was
Jesus used the analogy that having the faith the
size of a mustard seed could move mountains. but who was behind that faith.
Jesus’ point was not in the size of faith
He wanted them to realize there was nothing impossible for
Him to do if they just believed. He then addressed the disciples with their attitude towards being a servant. them of their hearts.
Jesus warned
He wanted them to remain humble and not to expect anything in return
for fulfilling the Kingdom works. These two principles apply to our lives today.
God desires for us to have faith in Him.
is our faith in Him that moves the mighty mountains and giants out of our way.
It
It is our
faith in Him that ignites His heart to act on our behalf. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). The same is true when we do not operate in faith.
It displeases the heart of God because
in essence we are telling God we do not trust Him enough to handle all situations.
We do
not believe He is capable of destroying the mighty giant that stands in our way. Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older.
All of you, clothe
yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble� (1 Peter 5:5 - NIV). God desires for our attitudes to be clothed in humility. or prideful in our acts of service for Him. face to the floor!
He never wants us to become arrogant
No matter how high God takes you, keep your
Allow Him to praise you for the works you accomplished.
Do you have the right attitude God is looking for you to have? some adjustments?
Or do you need to make
ave you ever found yourself analyzing how God is going to make something happen in your life? Do you wonder how He could ever fulfill a specific promise that He's made
H
to you?
How He could ever answer that prayer?
Scripture is full of stories of men and women who didn't get what God was doing or how He was going to do it...because He is beyond logic!
Our human brains, while elaborately
intricate and wonderfully made, cannot begin to understand anything the way God understands. If you're in a place of seemingly impossible circumstances, read through Scripture – you're in good company! Marching your army around an enemy's city and yelling doesn't seem like a victorious battle plan – unless the Sovereign Lord tells you to do it.
Then, it's a guarantee (see Joshua 6)!
If you happened to lose a heavy iron ax head in a river, how do you suppose you'd get it out, if you even could? away in the current?
Tread through the water and search for it, hoping not to be swept
Dive in and attempt to see through the murky waters? Those seem
like 'logical' possibilities to solve an ax head problem.
But what did God do?
He had Elisha,
a man who listened to God's voice; throw a stick in the water and the iron ax head floated. Who even thinks like that? God does (see 2 Kings 6)! Here are 3 Simple Tips for living beyond logic: S.I.M.P.L.E. Tip #1: Him.
reassure yourself, through God's Word, that you are not smarter than
When you come to that place of humility, you'll trust Him more.
Study these verses
to help you get there: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:25, NIV). “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV). Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...to him be glory… (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV). S.I.M.P.L.E. Tip #2:
Decide what you believe, then live as though you believe it.
Circumstances change; God does not.
Our minds can become clouded with doubt, but we
can choose to believe what God says instead of what we think.
V. Raymond Edman, an
author and missionary, had a really neat quote that sums up our point: “Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.” S.I.M.P.L.E. Tip #3:
God knows we can grow weary in waiting.
Hope deferred makes the
heart sick… (Proverbs 13:12, NIV). When you're in a place of uncertainty, lean on God that much more.
Don't allow the waiting and wondering to rob you of your faith.
at the right time, and He will also encourage you at the right time. Joshua was promised the land of Canaan for Israel to inhabit.
God will provide
In the Old Testament,
After years and years of fighting
and taking possession of land, this is how God encouraged Joshua: When Joshua had grown old, the Lord said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over...I myself will drive them out before the Israelites.
Be sure to allocate this
land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you...” (Joshua 13:1,6, NIV). not lie.
God does
We often do not know or understand His timetable, but it's our privilege to trust Him!
Let Him encourage you when the waiting seems long.
And never stop seeking His face.
He will do what He has promised! Choosing to trust in the One Who says, “…I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled” (Jeremiah 1:12, NIV). ~Jamie C.