God's Voice Amidst The Tempest (Job 9:16-17)

My father had been ill for some time.  Heart disease had deteriorated him to a weakened state and he was slowly dying.  It was only a matter of time.  We waited.  I was at a meeting representing a Bible college that I had worked for when I was notified that I had a phone call.  When I answered, I heard my pastor's voice.  After stuttering for a few seconds, he told me that my father had passed away.  I thought I was ready, but the news still hit me like a ton of bricks.

When bad news comes, it hits us at the pillars of our strength.  We are rocked at that foundation and the structures of our own making begin to crumble.  Our works, knowledge, service and determination cannot help at that moment.  The foundations are established in our hearts and as the heart crumbles so do the foundations.  However at the same time the Holy Spirit bears witness to our spirit of truth and our faith secures the truth structures that remain.  

The testing time is when we believe in the goodness of God even though we cannot hear his voice.  When we cry out to him, he answers or his eye is on us* just as it is on the sparrow.  He may speak to us, but the devastation of the wounds in the trial make him seem to be silent.  There will come a time when his voice will ring clearly, but until then, the still small voice is crowded by wounds from the tempest.  The purpose for the trial is to remove our false securities and be strengthen in faith and fellowship with the Lord.

Until the trial ends or the voice of the Lord sounds clearly, bath yourself in the word of God.  It is his written voice and can be heard at all times and under all circumstances.  Pain cannot drown it out and it is the truth that the Holy Spirit will use to secure the truth foundations in your heart.

* the definition for answered contains the idea of God focusing his eye on something or paying attention to it.

Compassion (Luke 15:20)

The story of the prodigal son is familiar to most people.  It has been preached countless times and expounded upon in many ways.  Most focus on the passage in light of a salvation account, but the purpose of the parable was in response to the Scribes and Pharisees' accusation of Jesus receiving sinners (vs. 2). It is another story revealing the compassionate heart of God towards sinners who come to him.  From the qualities displayed by the father in the parable, we can measure our heart for compassion towards those that God loves.

While the son was off at a distant land wasting his life, the father did not go after him and try to deliver him from the circumstances in life that the son brought upon himself.  If we have compassion, we will not enable other people in their sin by trying to remove their consequences to protect us from shame or embarrassment.  By doing this, we, with compassion, are more concerned about them than ourselves.

Compassion will cause you to desire the fallen to come back to the Lord.  It is my belief that the father saw the son a great way off because he continually desired and looked for the day that he would return.  When we have compassion, we will see people who are far away from The Lord and our hearts will be moved with the desire that they would return.  When the son returned, he was not questioned by the father about where he had been and what he had done.  He was received with gladness.  When sinners return, we too out of compassion will leap at the opportunity to receive them without asking questions (vs. 20).

As a musician is compelled to play music because of what is inside of him, compassionate people cannot hold back compassion, but must show it.  They, from compassion, will celebrate the victories of restored (vs. 20) and bring others into the rejoicing (vs. 22-23).  From there, they invite the them back into fellowship and will lead others to do the same.

They accomplish all this by one means: they focus on the person and not the sin.  This quality is missing in so many circles of our faith.  Compassion is the manifestation of love that Jesus said would be the means by which all men shall know that we are his disciples.  What do the lost need from us?  Compassion.  What do people in the church need from us?  Compassion.  What do you and I need from others?  Compassion.

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:  (1Peter 3:8)

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Anguish of Spirit and Bitterness of Soul (Job 7:11)

As Job sat upon the ashes and scraped his sores, he continued to express how he believed his trial would end and comfort would await him upon the end of his short life. Until that time came, he expressed his heart and soul's anguish and bitterness.  Many believe that spiritual people will never complain about the conditions in their lives, but that view is not accurate.  

When we speak about our problems to people who do not have the power to bring about a resolution or enable us to bear the burden of it, then we are complaining.  However, when we express our problems to those who can bring about change, we are problem solving.  This is true for the home, work place, school and life in general.

There is nothing wrong with pouring out your heart and expressing to God the hurt and anguish that you are experiencing.  Job expressed having anguish and bitterness.  Because his spirit was crowded or held in a tight place, he began to experience bitterness in his soul.  In most cases, bitterness is not a good thing, but for Job it was different.  Usually when people face grave circumstances, they become bitter towards God and others.  For Job, he was bitter or angry with the circumstances in his life and not with God.  Remember the scriptures say that in all this Job did not charge God foolishly.  The Bible is filled with examples of people expressing themselves in this same manner to God: David (Psalm 55:2), Elijah (1Kings 19), the Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17/10-12), the children of Israel crying out in bondage (Exodus 6:5), Hannah (I Sam. 1:16), Asaph (Psalm 77:3) and the list can go one.  

What we must remember is that when we pour out our hearts to God as we are in anguish of spirit and in bitterness towards the circumstances in our lives, we do not make accusations against The Lord or his people.  Moses redirected his complaints away from God and instead attacked God's people (Numbers 20:10-11).  Because of this, he experienced the loss of not leading God's people into the promises land.  The children of Israel did the same by complaining about God and the circumstances into which he led them (Numbers 11) and their results were repeated acts of chastening.

Pour out your heart to God.  Share the burden of your soul and continue to wait on him.

Psalm 62:8  Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.  

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Being A Disciple (Luke 14:33-34)

When my daughter was a little girl, she had a favorite stuffed animal.  Wherever she went, it was always with her.  When she was admitted to the hospital as an infant, we left it at home thinking that the hospital would not permit it there.  Needless to say, another stuffed animal needed to be purchased.  Her little stuffed bunny stayed with her in the hospital and everywhere that she went.  She slept, played and ate with bunny.  Needless to say, when it was time for bunny to move on she was not pleased and wanted to hold on to it regardless of its condition.  

As adults we sometimes function in the same manner.  We hold onto things thinking they will help us be what we want to be, but they really keep us from being what we could be.  There are supposed securities in our lives that we cling to and we keep these to help us face our fears in life.  These securities may be people, vocations, savings, alcohol and medication or walls of protection that we put up to keep people and things from hurting us.  

People are not God and will always come up short when it comes to protecting you or meeting your needs.  As we saw a few years with the financial structure of the United States, the bottom can fall out at any time and the effects can be devastating.  Finances are never a security and are nothing more than a house of cards.  When times of stress crowd people in, some believers turn to alcohol or drugs.  By these tools, they adjust their moods and either remove the stress or gain the courage to move forward.  In the past, great walls protected cities from attack.  In like manner, people build walls in their lives to protect them from people and life events.  Whenever they face trials or oppositions, they retreat behind their walls and protect themselves.

These and other qualities are the very things that God wants us to forsake so that we can be a disciple of Christ.  Our success in Christ is not solely caused by what we do or the qualities that we may have, but is more so based on how little baggage we are carrying.  What hinders believers the most is a double heart meaning a heart for Christ our fortress and one that also is holding on to other securities.

What is hindering you from being a disciple?  What in your life are you trusting instead of Christ or in addition to Christ?  In spite of it, the Lord has brought you this far.  Now is the time, to let it go.

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I Want Out (Job 6:8-11 - part 2)

While in the midst of his trial, Job requested that God would remove him from the burden and accomplish this by taking his life.  As we know, The Lord did not answer his prayer and so is the case with us.  The Lord does not solve problems our way, but instead follows his divine plan.  However for some people when God does not respond as they request, they take matters into their own hands and attempt to remove themselves.

One manner of attempting to remove yourself from the trial is by taking action--regardless of how drastic--to resolve any issue causing the trial.  People may utilize credit to remove themselves from a financial trial.  If a trial involves work, they may resign or change jobs to get away from people or circumstance causing the trial.  Others may remove themselves and escape the trial's pressure by altering their mood with drugs, alcohol, food or lust.   What they fail to recognize is that The Lord has allowed the trial to fulfill his own purpose for their lives.  He intends to use the trial to conform them into the image of his son and by removing themselves from the trial, they lose any progress that God has accomplished and will face a similar trial to begin the same work again.  Sad and shameful to say, others take their own lives.  They hurt the people that they love, destroy their testimony for Christ and create trials for others.  Their epithet for life becomes "God is not enough".

How did Job respond?  He petitioned God, but yielded to his sovereignty and divine will.  It is not an easy task and the journey may be long, but you will not be alone.  His presence will be experienced in fellowship and he will carry you through when you feel you cannot go any farther.

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I Want Out (Job 6:8-11)

As the dialog between Job and his friends goes on, what is in the heart of Job begins to manifest itself.  As he sorts through the matter in his heart, Job comes to a conclusion for the answer.  Job's solution is to cut himself off from the sorrow.  He desires for God to bring his life to an end.  It is then that he believes his soul will be able to leap for joy.  He sees no hope in the matter or any expected end that should give him strength.  

Because this event is recorded in the scriptures, we can see the end from the beginning.  We can see that Job will be victorious over the trial.  We can see that the trial may last for some time, but there will be an end.  We can also see the purpose for the trial and how his faithfulness in it will be a help and encouragement to untold millions.  However, Job is blinded to these details.  All he can do is trust the righteousness and goodness of God.

Our trials are similar to Job's.  We are blinded to the purpose of our trials and the benefits that will come from them.  God sees the beginning from the end and has allowed them to occur for his glory. He will be glorified by us as we see him lifted up in power.  He will receive glory from others as we demonstrate his grace in action and our trials will be a part of the multitude of events for which we will give praise to God in eternity.  

The answer for trials is not to seek an escape, but to seek for God.  You can do this in a two fold manner: face the trial by accepting it as something God has ordained for your life, which he determines to be good (Romans 8:28; 12:1-2) and seek hope from the promises of God's word.  Through these acts of faith, you will find God who by his Holy Spirit will bring comfort and power to you.

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Sorrowful Meat (Job 6:7)

Before coming to Christ, I spent many holidays fellowshipping with family and friends while sitting around a card table playing poker.  After the cards were dealt, I would glance at my hand and had to make a determination: should I keep the cards and play the hand or determine that nothing good could come from them and decide to fold or drop out of that round of play.

As we walk through life, unpleasant situations come our way.  Situations in our lives may change drastically and to the point that we experience life in a way that we thought would be impossible and avoidable.  Job stated this condition in terms of food when he said, "The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat."  Because life is not a game like cards, we do not have the option of folding or tossing in our cards for a better hand.  What we must do with this situation is make right decisions, live holy, trust God and move forward.

Some time ago, I knew a person who worked for a rather large ministry that had the financial bottom drop out.  Because of that, there was no money coming in to meet his financial obligations.  Instead of looking for blame or making hasty decisions, he decided to seek the Lord's face and allow him to lead.  He remained faithful to The Lord, continued to serve him and moved forward.  Through it all, The Lord provided a partial income through a second job and supplied the remainder of his budget through answered prayers.  In the midst of the great trial, he experienced another set back with the starter in his car breaking down.  The Lord blessed through the faithfulness of others the material needed and the labor for the car to be repaired.  At first glance, the hand dealt to him looked pretty bad, but instead of throwing in the hand, he looked for God to get in and perform his might work.

For you, things may be looking pretty bleak, but it is not the end.  The Lord wants to lead you, meet with, strengthen you and provide all that you need through this time.  Until then, pray for guidance to make right decisions, live a holy life by following the principles of the scriptures, trust God's faithfulness and take the next step.  

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Psalm 119:105

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The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

The happy life begins with believing that The Lord is a shepherd to us and by his sovereignty will provide what is need for our lives.  To experience this, we must recognize him as shepherd and believe that whatever comes our way is part of his plan and is intended to meet our needs in a special and personal way.

When we live our lives away from his shepherd leading, we run to a fro in the Earth looking for peace, security and satisfaction. The places where we look will never contain essentials for our happiness.  That is why The Lord leads us to a different place and causes us to lye down in it.  This place where he leads is where we live without want.

As we follow his lead, he changes our emotional state.  He restores our soul or brings it to a point of resting in him.  The troubles of life crowd in the soul, agitate it and cause it to worry and fret, but as we lye down in his pasture, we experience security in him and the negative emotions dissipate.

In order for us to follow God's righteous leading, he must first lead our hearts.  He leads us from the pasture experience with him to our life's plan designed by him.  Because of the pasture experience, we are able to rest in the promise of his continued security.  The security that we have does not promise the avoidance of troubles, but instead the promise of his presence in the midst of troubles.  With him, we can fear no evil.

Whether we walk through valleys or experience abundance of blessings that the enemies are unable to thwart, it will be because of his leading and provision.  This is the goodness and mercy of The Lord.  We can rejoice in his promise, presence and provision in each trial of life, but we can only experience them in their fulness after we lye down in his pasture.

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Forgetting Those Things Which Are Behind (Phil. 3:13-14)

This great passage has been a help to many with maintaining or gaining a right focus.  However, so many people have misused this passage or applied it incorrectly to their lives or the lives of others.  Probably the most damage has occurred when people, who have been wounded by abuse, have been told that they don't need to get closure or help in dealing with their wounds that have caused them to fight anger, bitterness, depression and anxiety, but instead forget about their past and those things that are behind and press forward for Jesus.  I am glad to say that the meaning of this passage is something completely different.

In verse three, Paul makes an important state.  He speaks about worshipping God and rejoicing in Christ and then says, "And have no confidence in the flesh."  From there, Paul boasts on everything from being circumcised on the eighth day, to persecuting the church and finally touching the righteousness of the law and being blameless.  He then sums it up with counting all things but loss, accounting his righteousness because of Christ and recognizing that he has not arrived.  After the contrast is made between his life in the law and now in Christ, Paul's says, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  In other words, Paul is saying that his focus is not on his past accomplishments, but instead on what he is in Christ and that he will determinately and faithfully stand and live for him.

A practical application would be to recognize that what you were will not provide the success, accountability and influence for today and tomorrow.  You cannot live on past victory and success because today is another day that brings its own trials and work.  Just as past success cannot determine today's victory, sins of the past are not a determination for today or future failures.

So be like Paul and forget about your past in the flesh, forget about your past spiritual accomplishments and make today count, because it is the only day that you have the power to change.

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Standing In The Trial (Job 4:12-21)

Trials are times of testing.  They may test us physically, spiritually and emotionally.  Trials are confusing in that the circumstances that they present seem to prove God and his promises to be untrue.

Although God allowed Job's trial to come, the author and instigator of the trial was the enemy.  After taking away his family, possessions and health, he remained unsuccessful at causing Job to fail.  Therefore, he continued to bear on Job's faith and righteousness by way of his accusers.  In the same way that Satan, in Heaven,  brought accusations against Job to God, he is now doing the same on Earth.  In Job 4:12-21, we see that Eliphaz received a spiritual visitor who attacked Job's righteous living.  Most likely this visitor was Satan himself.  He lead Eliphaz in an attempt to destroy Job's hope (vs. 3-6) and to bear upon him with false accusations (vs. 17-21).

Since the Scriptures are for our guidance and admonition, we must recognize that the enemy will work in the same manner towards us as he did for Job.  But how can we stand against such great accusations and overcome the hurt without caving in from weariness?

While in a trial, you must stay in God's word.  Truths that he shows you in devotion times will become the focus of your faith (Job 23:12).  Without his word, you will not have what is needed to dispel the onslaught of lies from the enemy.  Truth dispels lies in the same way as light dispels darkness.  Without truth, you will become weary and eventually fall.

For victory, you must maintain your righteous living.  Circumstances do not determine your measure of righteousness, but your faith does.  Keep your heart clean and continue walking believing that you are right with God.  If you fall, repent, confess and believe you are forgiven.  Trials are not a punishment, but a manner to test or reveal the measure of faith and righteous living that you already have.  

In the end, God will be glorified by your demonstration of faith and grace and your faith will be strengthen through and from the trial.

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An Upright Heart (Job 1:1)

Job is a name and person associated with trials and troubles.  His success through great trial has been an inspiration to many.  He was a man who was perfect and upright.  Perfect in that he was complete and had all the qualities that God expected a man to have and upright in that his actions were the result of a righteous motivation that was within him.

Many think that Job's trial was his loss of family and possessions along with his loss of health, but that was the beginning.  Job endured those trials along with the attack of his wife and friends. The latter trial was just as difficult as the former.

Remember that as Job lived an upright life, it convicted those around him in areas where their lives fell short.  His honesty pricked the hearts of the dishonest, his patience convicted those without longsuffering and his love for God revealed the doubled mindedness of others.  This was more than likely why his friends' cast judgments so hard upon them.  It was their payback time.

As we are in the midst of our trials, the enemy works on our hearts.  What they do is press upon our hearts an emotion coupled along with a statement presenting itself as truth.  An example could be a deep feeling of sorrow along with an accusation of "Why didn't God keep this from happening?  At that point, our hearts could either embrace the deception and charge God foolishly or by our uprightness resist it and cling to the truth of God being faithful and good.  

Through all of his trials, Job did not sin by charging God foolishly.  Him being complete and upright even enabled him to pray for those who wronged him.  It was at that point that The Lord turned him from being held captive by his circumstances. (Job 42:10)

Today, the Holy Spirit equips and completes us by his fruit, which enables us to respond properly to trials and overcome them.  With God's word to teach us in righteousness, we can experience victory as Job did.

The Error of Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

Mary and Martha were sisters with two different types of relationships with The Lord.  The passage tells us that Jesus had been invited to their home and the sisters had different responses to him being in the house.  The two relationships are displayed in that Mary was focused on Jesus and getting closer to him and Martha was concerned with serving.

Service is an important part of the Christian life, but it should not be the focal point.  Our focus should always be on our relationship with The Lord.  By doing so, we will be closer to him and more sensitive to his voice.  However living a life that is focused on serving The Lord will bring with it a series of problems and create conditions in the heart.

When you live a life focused on service, your life becomes cumbersome or you get distracted with being busy and striving for results.  This need for success or results creates the same anxiety and crowding in that Martha experienced.  It is at that point that you will fall as Martha did to having a wrong view of The Lord and begin questioning his concern for you and the work you are doing. You, as Martha did, will develop a victim complex in service causing you to focus on what others are not doing and become bothered with them.  Eventually the saddest of traits will be developed in the heart where God becomes your tool or servant for accomplishing the tasks.  Martha demonstrated this by telling The Lord to address the issue with her sister's lack of support and help.

However if we were to be as Mary and focus on The Lord and the relationship that he wants to have with us, we will not fall privy to the pitfalls as did Martha.  Works of service will not be for the reaching of goals or the establishment of success, but out of a heart of love and devotion.  As Paul stated that the greatest of gifts is love: it is still true today.

Make sure as you serve, you don't serve service, but serve The Lord.

Serve the Lord with gladness: ... Psalm 100:2

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Alone In The Trial (Luke 8:43-48)

Trials are difficult times for everyone.  What may seem to be the greatest difficulty with trials is that when you are in them, you feel all alone.  You may be surrounded by friends and family, but in the midst of the crowd, you stand alone.  The reason you feel alone is that nobody is experiencing the array of emotions that flood your heart.  These people may want to help, but all their efforts may come up empty because they are not in touch with what is happening in your heart.

This is the case for the woman with the issue of blood.  Because of Levitical guidelines, she was considered unclean.  Being separated from society and treated as an outcast probably brought more hurt and pain than her medical condition.  From the scriptural account, we see that nobody was able to help and many probably could have cared less.  What probably brought her help and hope were the testimonies that she heard from others

The problem of people feeling alone in their trials continues to occur today.  What causes greater pain for them is when other, with whom they fellowship in Christ, look at them in judgment.  As Job had friends who accused him of not being spiritual, fellow believers do the same by their words, their avoidance or how they gaze at those in trials.

However, that is not what The Lord intended.  By his sovereignty, he leads us into and through trials so that as he was touch with the feeling of our infirmities being made able to minister into us (Hebrews 4:14-15), we can do the same for others.  II Corinthians 1 says that as Christ has comforted us in our tribulation, we may be able to comfort others in the same manner as we were comforted.

God never intended for us to be alone or feel alone.  He has promised to never leave us forsake us. He has also provided others to give us empathy and comfort as he has provided to them.  However as great as this is, many fail to receive the compassion and encouragement that they need.  This happens because we fail others even though Christ has not failed us.

God's Power Flowing In Our Lives (Luke 8:46)

As I took another look at the passage of the woman with this issue of blood, I could not help but focusing on the Lord knowing he was touched for healing because he felt virtue or his power go out from him.  Many others who touched up against him did not experience his power nor did his power flow out from him, but only this woman.  The reason was because by faith she was looking to him for the help that she thought and believed only he could give.

We can experience this same power today because when we reach out in faith to God, it releases his power into our lives.  In my daily living, I continually need God's power to flow into my life or better put flow out out of my life.  I am thankful that his spirit lives within me.  Because of him, I already possess the same power that flowed into that woman on that miraculous day.

All I need for this to happen is to believe, pray and trust.  Easier said than done, right?  In order to believe, I must fight the battle in my mind against the lies that my flesh and the enemy bring.  

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Cor. 10:4-5)

As our heart experiences the victory over the doubts created by these lies, we are then moved to pray.  Prayer before this point would be hopeful words aimed at convincing God to work, but with faith and truth, prayer is changed into something powerful.  After interacting with God through faith, we can then decide to rest in him, his power and promises.

Are you resting in him? If not, it's not a matter of praying harder, but instead praying with faith in light of his truth.

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The Pruning Process (Luke 8:15)

It is now rolling towards my favorite time of year.  Soon, i will be planting tomatoes, peppers, and various herbs.  but as I sit on my patio, I am looking at my fig tree.  Last year was the first year that I planted it.  During the winter months, I pruned the branches so that it would produce an abundance of fruit this year.  Pruning causes plants to grow more shoots, which will produce more fruit.

It is the same with believers.  This parable indicates that those who will produce an abundance of fruit in their lives are those who have the right heart condition, hear the word of God and hold onto it, and do so with patience.  The word used for patience has been defined as remaining under.

The Lord says that he is the vine and we are the branches and that he purges or prunes branches so that they may bring forth more fruit.  When does this pruning take place and what does it look like?  Is it accomplished by The Lord cutting away sin from our lives?  That would not be a bad idea, but it is not the case.  Is it accomplished by the Lord removing people from our lives who may cause us to stumble? Again, not a bad idea but not the case.  

Pruning is accomplished by the situations brought into our lives that we are forced to face with patience.  The Lord stated that those who bear under will be producing fruit.  We bear under when we live under trials and endure them by faith.  When we refuse to remain in the trials brought to us or allowed by The Lord, the pruning process stops.  He does not cut away the branches of our vine in moments of time.  Instead he is removing that which hinders us from producing by allowing those great trials that we face and dread.  They are our refining fires and also our pruning hooks.

As you face your trials today, don't look at them as the dreaded portion of your life, but instead the opportunity to remove that which hinders you the most.

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The Opportunity of Trials (James 1:12-16)

In the Christian life, there are so many blessings from God.  Our mates, children, jobs, health, answered prayers and abilities are just a few that can be mentioned.  However, this passage identifies one blessing that most of us would not have recognize.  God says that for those who experience trials and endure them, they will be blessed.  The blessing is two-fold: they will be happy and they will receive a crown of life.

Trials in themselves are not events that we enjoy nor do we look forward to them.  However, they are an ever present part of our lives.  This passage of scripture contains truths necessary to understand for us to be victorious through trials.  

When you are in a trial, it has either come from God or has been allowed by God to occur.  It is intended for the purpose of putting you on display with the intent of proving something to be acceptable.  You are not tried to prove to see if you should be accepted by God because positionally you are already accepted in the beloved.  However, you are a vessel of mercy intended to prove that God's grace is sufficient for every aspect of your life and your victory through each trial continues to display that to the world.  Your victory also displays in heaven the sufficiency of God's grace just as Job's victory did.

Another important truth to understand about trials is that in the midst of the trial, you will also be tested by your flesh and the enemy to disprove God's sufficiency.  During the trial, you will be tempted to sin as a manner of escaping or delivering yourselves from the trial or in a way to deal with the emotion and struggle of it.  

Some in the midst of trials have attempted to numb away the hurt, pain and fear with alcohol or drugs.  Others instead of exercising faith in God will try to orchestrate their own deliverance.  Some will just run away and attempt to avoid the problem.  All of these afore mentioned are sins that resulted from them first being enticed with a solution to their problem.  They were then lured away by their lust with the act of sin following quickly behind.  The end result was death, which means separation.  Just as those who are no longer alive are separated from us, these individuals were separated from God's presence, power and joy.

You cannot allow this loss to occur in your life nor should you display to the world that God's grace is insufficient. Although you may not feel his presence, he is present as he has promised.  Call out to God for his grace, hold fast to your faith and endure.

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Opportunity (Mark 13:3-9)

Opportunity: the very word reminds me of the commercial advertising the resale of football tickets.  When they become available, they are only there for a moment.  If you don’t snatch and grab them, they will be gone.

 

This woman saw an opportunity, reached out and grabbed the moment.  Because of it, we all have heard her testimony.  However taking advantage of the opportunity was not an easy task and never really is.  In this case, the woman needed to overcome personal opposition.  The fact that her hair was down and she was referred to as a woman, who was a sinner, indicated that she was not accepted in the company.  However, this barrier did not stop her from taking advantage of the opportunity that The Lord put upon her heart.

 

Opportunities come from The Lord and we must recognize and take advantage of them so that we may accomplish the work that he wants.  For this woman, she had the opportunity to anoint his body for his burial.  This opportunity was brought just to her.  The women, who went to the tomb on resurrection morning, loved The Lord greatly, but did not have that opportunity.  It was too late, he was already risen.

 

As I pondered this passage, I knew that I could not have the opportunities as those who were present when The Lord was on the Earth.  However, I did ask myself, “What types of opportunities does The Lord bring to me?”

 

The Lord brings me opportunity to fellowship, serve, testify and give to him.  Because I am such a fast paced person, I have probably missed out on more opportunities to fellowship with God than any other opportunities.  I have needed to learn that there are sights, sounds, people and events that he brings to me daily so that I may stop, recognize his greatness and fellowship with him in praise.

 

Serving other is serving The Lord.  He said that if a person is to be great, he will be a servant.  Testifying is telling others what God has done and is doing in your life.  It can be done as a response to a question from a friend or a long discussion about salvation.  Giving is simply accomplished by giving yourself.  After you have given yourself, giving anything else is much easier.

 

Today, The Lord will bring one or many opportunities your way.  Will you miss the opportunity or will you snatch a grab it?

Grounded Faith (Luke 1:8-14)

The Scriptures are filled with the examples of people who lived and overcame by faith.  Zacharias was one of those individuals.  He and his wife were well stricken in years and yet still childless.  As he served in the temple one day, he received a visit from a messenger from The Lord announcing that he and his wife would have a son.  In their old age they would be a blessed both physically and emotionally.

As many read this and other accounts, they see these individuals as extraordinary people with endowments upon them that we do not have, but that view is incorrect.  Like us, they battled through life by faith.  They may have made decisions that we fail to choose, but their lives were no different than ours.  However in this account, we can see some details about Zacharias and his faith that caused him to experience victory.

Zacharias' faith endured because his life was not tainted with sin and even when he did sin, he dealt with it according to the scriptures (vs. 6).  As he lived a life of faith, he chose to pray in the face of adverse circumstances and believed that God could work and give him a child regardless of what the circumstances conveyed (vs. 13).  How long he prayed is not known, but while he waited, he continued to serve The Lord (vs. 8-9).  Then when he least expected it, his faith took him to the answer and promise as presented by the angel.

Remember as you prayerfully face your trials with circumstances which appear insurmountable, keep yourself from sin and when you fall deal with it as God has instructed, believe that God can overcome your circumstances and faithfully serve him while you wait for his answer.

Worthy-Unworthy (Luke 7:2-10)

Why do some people experience miraculous works of God in their lives and others do not?  Why can some pray and receive from God and others miss that experience?  The passage of the centurion reveals some qualities necessary for such to occur.

Before a miracle (an act that is the result of God's direct intervention) can occur, there must be a need.  We have been in situations like this many times in our lives involving financial, health, domestic and safety needs.  

What also is necessary is that there needs to be an absence of pride.  The centurion sees himself as unworthy, which is contrary to how others viewed him.  His view was not one of self rejection, pity or false humility, but a view that he fell short of meeting the mark for being worthy to face and ask Jesus for help.  Because we are in Christ and the Holy Spirit is in us, we should never see ourselves as unworthy with coming to Christ because Hebrews 4:16 tells us to come boldly to the throne of grace.  However, pride can take many forms.  It can be displayed by us resisting God and refusing to seek his help or it can cloak itself by praying to God for help and then beginning to try work out deliverance on its own.  

The final quality needed is faith.  Jesus recognized the centurion for his faith as demonstrated by his statement that Jesus only needs to speak the word and his servant shall be healed.  We too must walk in similar faith believing that God is able to deliver us from our plight and then just rest in him.  Remember when you came to Christ for salvation, you were in a struggle between working for salvation and trusting him.  When you finally settled the matter in your heart, refused to pridefully work for salvation and then called upon Jesus as Savior, you rested in the finished work of Christ on the cross.  No longer did you labor for acceptance with God, but rested in him and that you were accepted in the beloved.  This rest can and should be experienced by believers beyond their call for salvation.  God wants you to experience his rest as he continually delivers you from trials and struggles.