Yikes! It is the end of the first month of a New Year. This year was going to be different. This year we had plans and goals that we knew would head us in the direction we wanted to be going.
What were you seeking in this first thirty days of the New Year? Perhaps it was happiness, success, new relationships, meaningful work -- our lists are undoubtedly different and probably quite long. But whatever was at the top of our list, we realize how far we have yet to go.
J.I.Packer reminds us, "The paradoxical truth is that to seek pleasure, comfort, and happiness is to guarantee that you will miss them all. ... These subjective states become heart realities only as by-products that come from focusing on something else, something perceived as valuable, invigorating, and commanding." (Hot Tub Religion, 64-65)
The Reality is: Happiness is a by-product of loving God.
In the end, we must agree with David, who for all his failures, mess-ups, and griefs knew that joy is found in a life lived in companionship with God. "You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever" (Psalm 16:11).
The Life Application Bible reminds us: True joy is far deeper than happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is lasting because it is based on God's presence within us ... As we understand the future he has for us, we will experience joy. Don't base your life on circumstances, but on God."
So what has gone wrong for you in January 2011? Perhaps you are doing the most important work of your life -- and the enemy knows it and has stepped in with some direct shots of spiritual warfare. Perhaps you are grieving the death of a loved one or the loss of an important relationship you thought would last forever. Perhaps the news from your doctor is worse than you are prepared to accept. Perhaps your finances have taken a big hit -- and in this economy its hard to see how you'll ever dig yourself out of the pit.
Do you think any of your problems have caught God by surprise? No, definitely not. And he has not left us unprepared or unarmed. In fact, his instructions are very specific. Read them with me in Deuteronomy 30:6-11 New Living Translation:
"The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! ... The Lord your God will make you successful in everything you do. The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. ... This command I am giving you today is not too difficult for you to understand, and it is not beyond your reach."
And you can proceed confidently on the biblical promise found in Joshua 1:8-9 NLT: "Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Okay, its a brand new month and we get another chance. To be successful, we must follow God's words to Joshua. We may not succeed by the world's standards, but we will be a success in God's eyes--and his opinion is most important (LAB note).
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Are You Measuring Up to Your Calling?
How often have we felt like praying Jeremiah's prayer: "I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle" (Jeremiah 10:23-24 NLT).
Hudson Taylor gave us a wise perspective on life when he said: "I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked God if I might help Him. I ended up by asking him to do His work through me."
If we run the race set before us, engaging in duties God-appointed and not self-chosen, and bestowing all our energies, and that cheerfully, on the God-appointed tasks and sorrows, then may we rest in full assurance that our strength shall never fail, that our fruit shall remain, that our life shall, though apparently fragmentary, be complete, that we shall reach the end, and be counted faithful in that day. -- Adolph Saphir
This summer I was able to sit under the teaching of my favorite author at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This humble man of God's writings have impacted every part of my life--he practices what he preaches. He believes that "what I do and achieve cannot be the core of what I am. While God calls me to partnership with Him in changing the world, He first of all loves me for who I am. In fact, He loves me in all my vulnerability and need. ... I am an amazingly loved person by the God of all grace and mercy, and as such I can confidently live to fully please God in all that I do." -- Charles Ringma (Resist the Powers with Jacques Ellus)
Ringma goes on to remind us, "while we may celebrate the work of our hands as God's gift, we should never depend on it. For it is God alone who sustains us and He ought to be the focus of our adoration."
Hudson Taylor gave us a wise perspective on life when he said: "I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked God if I might help Him. I ended up by asking him to do His work through me."
If we run the race set before us, engaging in duties God-appointed and not self-chosen, and bestowing all our energies, and that cheerfully, on the God-appointed tasks and sorrows, then may we rest in full assurance that our strength shall never fail, that our fruit shall remain, that our life shall, though apparently fragmentary, be complete, that we shall reach the end, and be counted faithful in that day. -- Adolph Saphir
This summer I was able to sit under the teaching of my favorite author at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This humble man of God's writings have impacted every part of my life--he practices what he preaches. He believes that "what I do and achieve cannot be the core of what I am. While God calls me to partnership with Him in changing the world, He first of all loves me for who I am. In fact, He loves me in all my vulnerability and need. ... I am an amazingly loved person by the God of all grace and mercy, and as such I can confidently live to fully please God in all that I do." -- Charles Ringma (Resist the Powers with Jacques Ellus)
Ringma goes on to remind us, "while we may celebrate the work of our hands as God's gift, we should never depend on it. For it is God alone who sustains us and He ought to be the focus of our adoration."
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Making A Difference
We all want to do something effective in this world while we are here. The key is being faithful to what God lays on our heart.
What dreams, plans, and thoughts about the future has God given you?
What is He asking you to do to prepare yourself for this call on your life?
"Nothing compares with knowing that you are doing God's will! ... Pleasing God by doing what He asks becomes the chief joy of life." -- J. I. Packer (Knowing God's Purpose For Your Life)
Jesus speaks to those who would hear: "I am bringing you into a new ministry. The former shall be enriched and made fuller and more meaningful. I am not undoing anything. I am adding. I shall be enriching your own soul and bringing about your sanctification. Each time you launch out into a new ministry you bring new life and strength and health-building forces into operation within your own soul." -- Frances J. Roberts (Come Away My Beloved)
When God speaks to us about future ministry, we must respond in faith and take appropriate steps of preparation, awaiting the fulfillment of God's perfect timing. The Holy Spirit will give us the strength, wisdom, resources, and power we need to do what God has called us to do. -- YWAM Study Notes (Christian Growth Study Bible, NIV)
Are you a little timid at stepping out in faith? For further study it is good to remind ourselves of these Bible stories and promises: Judges 6:11-16; Luke 4:18-21; and Acts 13:1-4.
There is a universal desire among people today: to make a difference, to have a purpose for our life. The biggest roadblock in finding "where" we can be most effective is not knowing our purpose and our calling.
When we make a decision to seek God's wisdom it will mean:
(1) Getting to know God better so we can apply His wisdom in all our decisions;
(2) Waiting patiently for God to open and close doors as He engineers our circumstances;
(3) Doing what is closest at hand that we know is God's will.
For example, God's concern for the poor is evident in nearly every book of the Bible. Central to following God is seeing that the poor and oppressed around us are treated fairly.
When we cultivate a compassionate spirit, we mirror God's love and concern for a needy world.
God has given each of us a purpose for living, and when we are serious about wanting to know it and faithful to obey what He shows us, we can trust Him to guide us into that place of His perfect will. -- Elaine Wright Colvin (Treasury of God's Virtues)
What dreams, plans, and thoughts about the future has God given you?
What is He asking you to do to prepare yourself for this call on your life?
"Nothing compares with knowing that you are doing God's will! ... Pleasing God by doing what He asks becomes the chief joy of life." -- J. I. Packer (Knowing God's Purpose For Your Life)
Jesus speaks to those who would hear: "I am bringing you into a new ministry. The former shall be enriched and made fuller and more meaningful. I am not undoing anything. I am adding. I shall be enriching your own soul and bringing about your sanctification. Each time you launch out into a new ministry you bring new life and strength and health-building forces into operation within your own soul." -- Frances J. Roberts (Come Away My Beloved)
When God speaks to us about future ministry, we must respond in faith and take appropriate steps of preparation, awaiting the fulfillment of God's perfect timing. The Holy Spirit will give us the strength, wisdom, resources, and power we need to do what God has called us to do. -- YWAM Study Notes (Christian Growth Study Bible, NIV)
Are you a little timid at stepping out in faith? For further study it is good to remind ourselves of these Bible stories and promises: Judges 6:11-16; Luke 4:18-21; and Acts 13:1-4.
There is a universal desire among people today: to make a difference, to have a purpose for our life. The biggest roadblock in finding "where" we can be most effective is not knowing our purpose and our calling.
When we make a decision to seek God's wisdom it will mean:
(1) Getting to know God better so we can apply His wisdom in all our decisions;
(2) Waiting patiently for God to open and close doors as He engineers our circumstances;
(3) Doing what is closest at hand that we know is God's will.
For example, God's concern for the poor is evident in nearly every book of the Bible. Central to following God is seeing that the poor and oppressed around us are treated fairly.
When we cultivate a compassionate spirit, we mirror God's love and concern for a needy world.
God has given each of us a purpose for living, and when we are serious about wanting to know it and faithful to obey what He shows us, we can trust Him to guide us into that place of His perfect will. -- Elaine Wright Colvin (Treasury of God's Virtues)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
A New Self Can Emerge
"We too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4 TNIV).
"In the midst of change, where previous certainties and securities slip away, a new self can emerge. While we may grieve over what we have lost, we can also rejoice in the new things that we are discovering about ourselves." -- Charles Ringma (Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
God's plan may not take you in the direction you were expecting. It may not "fit" the dream you've seen of your life. But when you trust him and take the next step of obedience according to his will, you can be assured he is working out the plans for your life.
God has said, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16 TNIV).
"There are many events in our lives over which we have no control. However, we do have a choice either to endure trying times and press on or to give up. The secret of survival, whether or not we question God's presence or His ability to help us, is remembering that our hope is in the fairness, goodness, and justice of God. When we put our trust in the character of a God who cannot fail us, we will remain faithful. Our trust and faithfulness produce the endurance that sees us through the "tough stuff" we all face in this life." -- Elaine Wright Colvin (Treasure of God's Virtues)
God, you're leading me.
With confidence I face my day,
Every duty and interruption
are appointments
you've sent my way.
--Elaine Wright Colvin
"In the midst of change, where previous certainties and securities slip away, a new self can emerge. While we may grieve over what we have lost, we can also rejoice in the new things that we are discovering about ourselves." -- Charles Ringma (Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen)
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
God's plan may not take you in the direction you were expecting. It may not "fit" the dream you've seen of your life. But when you trust him and take the next step of obedience according to his will, you can be assured he is working out the plans for your life.
God has said, "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16 TNIV).
"There are many events in our lives over which we have no control. However, we do have a choice either to endure trying times and press on or to give up. The secret of survival, whether or not we question God's presence or His ability to help us, is remembering that our hope is in the fairness, goodness, and justice of God. When we put our trust in the character of a God who cannot fail us, we will remain faithful. Our trust and faithfulness produce the endurance that sees us through the "tough stuff" we all face in this life." -- Elaine Wright Colvin (Treasure of God's Virtues)
God, you're leading me.
With confidence I face my day,
Every duty and interruption
are appointments
you've sent my way.
--Elaine Wright Colvin
Friday, January 7, 2011
God is Preparing You for the New!
"God is preparing YOU for a prepared place, a prepared ministry, and for a prepared people that He wants to reach. He knows how to perfectly prepare you for what He has ahead." -- Roy Lessin
In the economy of God, nothing He allows to touch our life is ever wasted. Sometimes God has to slow us down and remove us from our busy world in order to give us the time to gain new direction and inner renewal.
Henri Nouwen said, "to reach the inner sanctum where God's voice and direction can be heard and obeyed is not easy if you are always called outward [to be and do with lots of people]." (The Road to Daybreak)
We must stop repeating the same mistakes and establish new priorities that lead to our spiritual growth and Kingdom service.
Let us begin the New Year by putting first things first in our life. And what are these first things?
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [what to eat and what to wear] will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33 TNIV).
It is good to remember that the "tough stuff" of preparation is for the greater end result: That we may love and serve more purposefully.
In the economy of God, nothing He allows to touch our life is ever wasted. Sometimes God has to slow us down and remove us from our busy world in order to give us the time to gain new direction and inner renewal.
Henri Nouwen said, "to reach the inner sanctum where God's voice and direction can be heard and obeyed is not easy if you are always called outward [to be and do with lots of people]." (The Road to Daybreak)
We must stop repeating the same mistakes and establish new priorities that lead to our spiritual growth and Kingdom service.
Let us begin the New Year by putting first things first in our life. And what are these first things?
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [what to eat and what to wear] will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33 TNIV).
It is good to remember that the "tough stuff" of preparation is for the greater end result: That we may love and serve more purposefully.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Beginning A New Journey
"No one walks our journey for us and no one else's pace is appropriate for us. It is our journey. We walk through life as unique persons created by God." --Walter C. Wright (Mentoring)
When we're still and hear the voice calling us to take on new challenges, it can be very unsettling. It may cause us to struggle knowing that we'll have to face the pain of letting go of old friends, places, and things in order to embrace the new calling.
What it boils down to is a matter of trust. Do we trust a Sovereign God enough to believe he always has our best interests in mind? Do we believe he has a perfect plan for our life? Do we really understand that in the center of his perfect will for us is the only place we'll find lasting peace and joy?
And it is this joy which comes from God that gives us the strength to do whatever he ask, to go wherever he calls, to endure and embrace whatever comes our way.
As we go out on our new journey with the joy of the Lord, we will be able to affirm to others: "Surely he has done great things! Do not be afraid ... be glad and rejoice" (Joel 2:21 TNIV).
When we're still and hear the voice calling us to take on new challenges, it can be very unsettling. It may cause us to struggle knowing that we'll have to face the pain of letting go of old friends, places, and things in order to embrace the new calling.
What it boils down to is a matter of trust. Do we trust a Sovereign God enough to believe he always has our best interests in mind? Do we believe he has a perfect plan for our life? Do we really understand that in the center of his perfect will for us is the only place we'll find lasting peace and joy?
And it is this joy which comes from God that gives us the strength to do whatever he ask, to go wherever he calls, to endure and embrace whatever comes our way.
As we go out on our new journey with the joy of the Lord, we will be able to affirm to others: "Surely he has done great things! Do not be afraid ... be glad and rejoice" (Joel 2:21 TNIV).
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Being In The Place To Find New Direction
"We cannot become what we need to be by remaining where we are." -- Max DePree (Leadership Is An Art)
Where can we go that we will not hear the old and familiar call to do more, to give more, to be more? Where can we hear God's voice and know what he thinks about our life's direction, priorities, and endless activities?
Where can we go that we will be able to hear what our heart is saying? What are the heart changes God is bringing into your life--into my life?
Learning to listen carefully to the inner movements of the spirit and struggling with the question: How do I follow Jesus all the way? -- is a prerequisite to change.
"This is the struggle to hear what we may not wish to hear. It is groping toward an openness that may cause our life to be turned around. Yet hear new things we must! For we cannnot simply continue to plunge headlong into the incessant round of activities that are no longer part of God's direction for our lives and that no longer express our creativity and our central concerns," says Charles Ringma (Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen).
I believe we can all hear God speak, we can be aware of his still small voice, and we can recognize Holy Spirit nudges. He is more anxious for us to know his will for our lives than we are ready to listen. He is more anxious for us to understand our gifts, calling, and place than we are to change, leave our nets, and follow him.
In that day when we hear "the call to the new" may we answer with the words of Samuel, "Speak, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9 TNIV).
God is not looking for us in a certain place, position, or posture to receive guidance and direction. But he is looking for hearts that long to hear his voice and are truly open when he bids us to "come and do my will." And often we will hear that "still small voice" when we least deserve or expect it. It is God's surprise confirming that he is here for us when we so urgently need him.
"...and he will tell you what is yet to come" (John 16:13 TNIV).
Where can we go that we will not hear the old and familiar call to do more, to give more, to be more? Where can we hear God's voice and know what he thinks about our life's direction, priorities, and endless activities?
Where can we go that we will be able to hear what our heart is saying? What are the heart changes God is bringing into your life--into my life?
Learning to listen carefully to the inner movements of the spirit and struggling with the question: How do I follow Jesus all the way? -- is a prerequisite to change.
"This is the struggle to hear what we may not wish to hear. It is groping toward an openness that may cause our life to be turned around. Yet hear new things we must! For we cannnot simply continue to plunge headlong into the incessant round of activities that are no longer part of God's direction for our lives and that no longer express our creativity and our central concerns," says Charles Ringma (Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen).
I believe we can all hear God speak, we can be aware of his still small voice, and we can recognize Holy Spirit nudges. He is more anxious for us to know his will for our lives than we are ready to listen. He is more anxious for us to understand our gifts, calling, and place than we are to change, leave our nets, and follow him.
In that day when we hear "the call to the new" may we answer with the words of Samuel, "Speak, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:9 TNIV).
God is not looking for us in a certain place, position, or posture to receive guidance and direction. But he is looking for hearts that long to hear his voice and are truly open when he bids us to "come and do my will." And often we will hear that "still small voice" when we least deserve or expect it. It is God's surprise confirming that he is here for us when we so urgently need him.
"...and he will tell you what is yet to come" (John 16:13 TNIV).
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Becoming Who We Are To Be
We are becoming who God created us to be.
I believe that my life is more likely to be assessed in the long run by the relationships I invested in than by the success of the organizations and writers conferences I have led, books I have written or edited, or money and things I have accumulated.
I believe you and I have more to do in our lifetime. If God was through with us working for him here on earth, he would call us home.
God is calling us--perhaps to go into new unknown territory this year. And with fear and some anxiety we wonder: Am I ready? Am I prepared for this? Am I walking into deep water that will be way over my head?
We may feel like Moses and need to remember: God's mighty hand will be holding onto us on each step of our winding path on our new journey.
Moses and God had a conversation about the new journey Moses was to take:
Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, 'Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You call me by name and tell me I have found favor with you. Please, if this is really so, show me your intentions so I will understand you more fully and do exactly what you want me to do. Besides, don't forget that this nation is your very own people." And the Lord replied, "I will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest--everything will be fine for you." Then Moses said, "If you don't go with us personally, don't let us move a step from this place"(Exodus 33:12-15 NLT).
This year we will learn new things and have new opportunities we've never experienced before. God has many ways of leading and guiding us into his perfect will.
Our growth in Christian character and service for him will likely include: new relationships, new places of ministry, new ability to pray, new avenues of praise, new adventures of faith, new steps of obedience, and new ways of expressing his love to others.
May we in all our ways submit to him--and then he has promised to direct and make straight our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
I believe that my life is more likely to be assessed in the long run by the relationships I invested in than by the success of the organizations and writers conferences I have led, books I have written or edited, or money and things I have accumulated.
I believe you and I have more to do in our lifetime. If God was through with us working for him here on earth, he would call us home.
God is calling us--perhaps to go into new unknown territory this year. And with fear and some anxiety we wonder: Am I ready? Am I prepared for this? Am I walking into deep water that will be way over my head?
We may feel like Moses and need to remember: God's mighty hand will be holding onto us on each step of our winding path on our new journey.
Moses and God had a conversation about the new journey Moses was to take:
Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, 'Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom you will send with me. You call me by name and tell me I have found favor with you. Please, if this is really so, show me your intentions so I will understand you more fully and do exactly what you want me to do. Besides, don't forget that this nation is your very own people." And the Lord replied, "I will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest--everything will be fine for you." Then Moses said, "If you don't go with us personally, don't let us move a step from this place"(Exodus 33:12-15 NLT).
This year we will learn new things and have new opportunities we've never experienced before. God has many ways of leading and guiding us into his perfect will.
Our growth in Christian character and service for him will likely include: new relationships, new places of ministry, new ability to pray, new avenues of praise, new adventures of faith, new steps of obedience, and new ways of expressing his love to others.
May we in all our ways submit to him--and then he has promised to direct and make straight our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
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