Friendship with God
Have you ever wondered what qualified Abraham to be called the friend of God? James 2:23 says, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."* He was even called the friend of God.NLT
It was Abraham’s faith in God that qualified him to be called the friend of God. What were the factors of his faith? How do those relate to our most important friendship—our friendship with God?
Jesus said, in John 15:14-16, You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you. NLT
1. We must obey what he asks us to do to experience His friendship. Abraham obeyed God even to the point of being willing to sacrifice his only son.
2. His friendship with us involves revealing the heart of God to us. Whatever the Father has told Him, He passes on to us. As we obey Him He counts us trustworthy and reveals His truth; so trust must be a factor in our friendship. God revealed His heart to Abraham; and even though it seemed impossible that God could fulfill His promise if Abraham killed the son he gave him in fulfillment of a promise, he was willing to trust God to do as He had said.
3. Loyalty is another factor. In inviting Him to be Master of our lives we are committed to His way of dealing with us. So no matter what He allows in our lives we must remain loyal to Him and trust that He is always working for our good and His glory. Abraham certainly exhibited this kind of loyalty to His Master.
4. Vulnerability is important also. Abraham stepped out in faith to do as God had asked. We must do the same in order to build a solid friendship with God. Though those around us may not understand or agree, and we, ourselves may not understand, we obey because we trust Him as our Friend. He will never ask us to do anything that is contrary to His love. Never!
5. He chose us first, to be our friend. His commitment is absolute. Ours should be nothing less. He is our ever faithful God.
What security we enjoy in the fact that He promises “never to leave us or forsake us”.
You call me Friend
But do you realize
How much the name implies?
It means that down the years,
Through sunshine and through tears,
There’s always Someone standing by your heart.
--H. B. Farr
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
How Essential Is Knowledge of The TRUTH?
In this column I cannot begin to proclaim all that Jesus teaches about TRUTH in the New Testament, but I pray that these introductory thoughts will create a desire for you to do your own search. It’s fascinating!
Jesus claims, “I am the way, the truth, the life…”. I consider these three in one. In knowing the truth (JESUS), we also know the way and we have the life; because He IS our life—the TRUTH! In other words, apart from Him we cannot know the truth!
John 8:31 and 32, Jesus said: “You are truly my disciples (followers) if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” When I first read this verse I wondered, how does the truth set me free?
Here are a few things I am discovering:
Notice first he said, ‘if you obey My teachings (TRUTHS)’…how can we obey His teaching (truths) if we do knot know them? How do we get to know them? We cannot know them apart from the Holy Spirit’s revelation of them to us. In John 14:17 Jesus says that He gave the Holy Spirit to ‘lead us into all truth’. So we cannot obey the truth that God has given to us for successful and victorious living if we do not invite the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. Once we have asked the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth I believe we also need to ask that we will be ready to RECOGNIZE it so we can obey it or respond to it as we should.
Second, what is the value of knowing the TRUTH? I always look for the practical—and one practical benefit of knowing Who He is through the revelation of His Word is being assured that He is loving in all He does, He is faithful even when we are not, He guards and protects us, He knows the plans He has for us…and so much more! So when circumstances come into our lives that are difficult to handle or hard to understand, we can trust Him (the Truth) to be all He promises to be through His Word! Truth sets us free when don’t know the ‘why’, but we do know the ‘Who’ that is behind the circumstances we face. We can trust the TRUTH—Jesus!
Third, it is necessary that we know the truth, because it prepares us for life’s joys and challenges. We are less likely to be distracted to look elsewhere and we will go immediately to the TRUTH of what we know about Jesus. We find freedom in that truth.
Jesus claims, “I am the way, the truth, the life…”. I consider these three in one. In knowing the truth (JESUS), we also know the way and we have the life; because He IS our life—the TRUTH! In other words, apart from Him we cannot know the truth!
John 8:31 and 32, Jesus said: “You are truly my disciples (followers) if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” When I first read this verse I wondered, how does the truth set me free?
Here are a few things I am discovering:
Notice first he said, ‘if you obey My teachings (TRUTHS)’…how can we obey His teaching (truths) if we do knot know them? How do we get to know them? We cannot know them apart from the Holy Spirit’s revelation of them to us. In John 14:17 Jesus says that He gave the Holy Spirit to ‘lead us into all truth’. So we cannot obey the truth that God has given to us for successful and victorious living if we do not invite the Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. Once we have asked the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth I believe we also need to ask that we will be ready to RECOGNIZE it so we can obey it or respond to it as we should.
Second, what is the value of knowing the TRUTH? I always look for the practical—and one practical benefit of knowing Who He is through the revelation of His Word is being assured that He is loving in all He does, He is faithful even when we are not, He guards and protects us, He knows the plans He has for us…and so much more! So when circumstances come into our lives that are difficult to handle or hard to understand, we can trust Him (the Truth) to be all He promises to be through His Word! Truth sets us free when don’t know the ‘why’, but we do know the ‘Who’ that is behind the circumstances we face. We can trust the TRUTH—Jesus!
Third, it is necessary that we know the truth, because it prepares us for life’s joys and challenges. We are less likely to be distracted to look elsewhere and we will go immediately to the TRUTH of what we know about Jesus. We find freedom in that truth.
Monday, May 31, 2010
What is True Rest?
One of my favorite reminders of REST, as one of the provisions of God for us as Christ-followers, is Matthew 11: 28-30. “Jesus said, come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”
At one time or another we will all have burdens too heavy for us to carry. Sometimes these burdens are daily. This verse tells me that whenever or however they come, they come with a purpose; and they come from HIM. The main purpose is that we would come and let Him carry the load with us—to yoke up with Him in a yoke that fits perfectly-- because then the burden is light. If we choose to go our own way and try to fix or shoulder the burden on our own it will always be too heavy. We were never meant carry it alone.
Another invitation He gives is to ‘let Me teach you’. As we ask Him to teach us what He wants us to learn through the heavy burden, we are certainly placing ourselves in a position to see things from His perspective because He will reveal the truths we need to know. Then we are in a position to learn from Him rather than grumbling under our burden.
Rest and trust go hand in hand. We can’t have one without the other. A couple of weeks ago I was reading in Steams in the Desert, a daily devotional book. I came across this quote: “Quiet tension is not trust. It is simply compressed anxiety.” This in not a picture of trust and rest. Rest is really the fruit of trust.
To me, the key to rest is responding to His invitation to ‘come to Me.’ He IS our place of rest and true rest will be found in no other place. Jesus gave the invitation in John 7: 37, ‘if anyone is thirsty, come to Me." Rest and water are two things we must have to live; and we are to find both freely and abundantly in HIM!
At one time or another we will all have burdens too heavy for us to carry. Sometimes these burdens are daily. This verse tells me that whenever or however they come, they come with a purpose; and they come from HIM. The main purpose is that we would come and let Him carry the load with us—to yoke up with Him in a yoke that fits perfectly-- because then the burden is light. If we choose to go our own way and try to fix or shoulder the burden on our own it will always be too heavy. We were never meant carry it alone.
Another invitation He gives is to ‘let Me teach you’. As we ask Him to teach us what He wants us to learn through the heavy burden, we are certainly placing ourselves in a position to see things from His perspective because He will reveal the truths we need to know. Then we are in a position to learn from Him rather than grumbling under our burden.
Rest and trust go hand in hand. We can’t have one without the other. A couple of weeks ago I was reading in Steams in the Desert, a daily devotional book. I came across this quote: “Quiet tension is not trust. It is simply compressed anxiety.” This in not a picture of trust and rest. Rest is really the fruit of trust.
To me, the key to rest is responding to His invitation to ‘come to Me.’ He IS our place of rest and true rest will be found in no other place. Jesus gave the invitation in John 7: 37, ‘if anyone is thirsty, come to Me." Rest and water are two things we must have to live; and we are to find both freely and abundantly in HIM!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Praise: An Essential Part of Prayer
Praise is a part of prayer that we often neglect in our rush to thank God for His blessings or ask urgent requests of Him. But praise is essential if we are to learn to view life from His perspective. Because, you see, praise enables us to see things from His perspective. Praise is focusing on who God is—not on what He has done or will do. David praised the Lord in
1 Chronicles 29:10-13:
"Praise be to you, O LORD , God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD , is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD , is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. NIV
In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat discovered his circumstances filled with insurmountable obstacles, and His first response was to begin Praising God as ruler over all the kingdoms of the earth, so powerful and mighty that none could stand against His will. He recalled past victories and praised God for those; then admitted, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." NIV Praise enabled him to see from God’s vantage point!
Praise allows us to place the circumstances we all face from time to time, that we can do nothing about, into the hands of Him Who ‘’is able to do far beyond anything we could ever ask or imagine’! Eph. 3:20
As a young wife and mother, I was in the midst of circumstances that were overwhelming to me. As I came to a point of thinking there was ‘no way out’, I was invited to hear Ruth Denler Myers speak. She and her husband were missionaries in Hong Kong with two young children when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. His example to her throughout his illness was one of praise to the Lord—his words to all who entered his room were words of encouragement. When the Lord took him Home, Ruth was faced with some difficult decisions and eventually decided to return to the States with her children.
What she shared that day changed my life! She talked about God’s sovereign control and loving intentions in all the circumstances of our lives; and how ‘praise’ enables us to focus our attention on Him instead of our distressing circumstances, which are God’s blessings in disguise. She said, “They rip away the flimsy fabric of our self-sufficiency making room for God’s spirit to weave in the immeasurably deeper confidence, ‘I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me’ (Phil. 4:13). Trials bring the scum to the top in our lives, refining and beautifying us. When we praise God for a trial, we cooperate with His plan to remove the scum. When we complain, we resist His plan and stir the impurities back into our lives. This necessitates yet another trial to accomplish His purpose, delaying the unfolding of His plan for us and our loved ones….Praise is the catalyst that speeds up the maturing process in our lives.”
God had my attention; and that day I began to learn to praise God. When I choose to praise I can see my problems as insignificant in the light of God’s mighty, unlimited power and purposes for my life. I see them as opportunities rather then hindrances—as steppingstones rather than obstacles. Praise allows me to really see Him for Who He is!
Praise can enable us to have peace in the midst of suffocating, depressive, painful circumstances that we cannot change. Praise turns apparent defeats into glorious victories. “True praise is unconditional,” Ruth said. “It is not an attempt to manipulate God into producing the results we prefer. It is accepting the situation as it exists whether or not He changes the outer circumstances. Continued praise brings us to the place where we can say, "Father, I do not want You to remove the problem until you have done through it all You desire in me and in others."
That year, we were in the midst of what would be 8 moves. The circumstances appeared hopeless at the time, but God began that gentle process of delivering my heart from the oppression of my circumstances to see Him through praise. Through praise we are not denying our circumstances or our feelings, but seeing them in light of God’s character and the promises He has made to us in His Word. What a glorious privilege to praise HIM!
1 Chronicles 29:10-13:
"Praise be to you, O LORD , God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD , is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD , is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. NIV
In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat discovered his circumstances filled with insurmountable obstacles, and His first response was to begin Praising God as ruler over all the kingdoms of the earth, so powerful and mighty that none could stand against His will. He recalled past victories and praised God for those; then admitted, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." NIV Praise enabled him to see from God’s vantage point!
Praise allows us to place the circumstances we all face from time to time, that we can do nothing about, into the hands of Him Who ‘’is able to do far beyond anything we could ever ask or imagine’! Eph. 3:20
As a young wife and mother, I was in the midst of circumstances that were overwhelming to me. As I came to a point of thinking there was ‘no way out’, I was invited to hear Ruth Denler Myers speak. She and her husband were missionaries in Hong Kong with two young children when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. His example to her throughout his illness was one of praise to the Lord—his words to all who entered his room were words of encouragement. When the Lord took him Home, Ruth was faced with some difficult decisions and eventually decided to return to the States with her children.
What she shared that day changed my life! She talked about God’s sovereign control and loving intentions in all the circumstances of our lives; and how ‘praise’ enables us to focus our attention on Him instead of our distressing circumstances, which are God’s blessings in disguise. She said, “They rip away the flimsy fabric of our self-sufficiency making room for God’s spirit to weave in the immeasurably deeper confidence, ‘I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me’ (Phil. 4:13). Trials bring the scum to the top in our lives, refining and beautifying us. When we praise God for a trial, we cooperate with His plan to remove the scum. When we complain, we resist His plan and stir the impurities back into our lives. This necessitates yet another trial to accomplish His purpose, delaying the unfolding of His plan for us and our loved ones….Praise is the catalyst that speeds up the maturing process in our lives.”
God had my attention; and that day I began to learn to praise God. When I choose to praise I can see my problems as insignificant in the light of God’s mighty, unlimited power and purposes for my life. I see them as opportunities rather then hindrances—as steppingstones rather than obstacles. Praise allows me to really see Him for Who He is!
Praise can enable us to have peace in the midst of suffocating, depressive, painful circumstances that we cannot change. Praise turns apparent defeats into glorious victories. “True praise is unconditional,” Ruth said. “It is not an attempt to manipulate God into producing the results we prefer. It is accepting the situation as it exists whether or not He changes the outer circumstances. Continued praise brings us to the place where we can say, "Father, I do not want You to remove the problem until you have done through it all You desire in me and in others."
That year, we were in the midst of what would be 8 moves. The circumstances appeared hopeless at the time, but God began that gentle process of delivering my heart from the oppression of my circumstances to see Him through praise. Through praise we are not denying our circumstances or our feelings, but seeing them in light of God’s character and the promises He has made to us in His Word. What a glorious privilege to praise HIM!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Spring of Forgiveness
When Spring comes we think of NEW LIFE—trees budding, bulbs bursting into bloom as the ground warms, more sunny, warm days that make us itch (well, some of us!!!) to get outside to work the ground for planting so new growth can spring forth. It’s a refreshing time.
Forgiveness is like that! Many times the bitterness of our hearts is like winter—icy cold, with fierce blizzard winds whipping around and irritating our minds and emotions. Lam. 3: 19- 20 explains it this way: “I remember my affliction [hurt, offense, or grievance] and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me.” When we ‘meditate’ or ‘focus’ on our hurts or negative circumstances the bitterness grows and often consumes us. This is the picture Jeremiah was describing. And the Psalmist laments: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” Ever ask that question? I have.
But Jeremiah changes His focus in verse 21-25 of Lamentations: “Yet I dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is HIS faithfulness; HIS mercies begin afresh every day. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in HIM!’ The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for HIM and seek HIM.”
And what is our inheritance? When we receive Him we receive His life in exchange for our old life. He forgives us and cleans up our sinful lives. He gives us a fresh start—like spring!
Jesus says in Matthew 6: 14, 15: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins.” What a frightening truth! If I do not choose to forgive someone who sins against me—if I focus on that offense—then I cannot enjoy the forgiveness God offers to me!!! I remain in my ‘downcast’ condition and my focus is on myself and my hurt or offense.
Someone has described the bitterness that comes from unforgiveness as like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. On the positive side another said, that “Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet leaves on the heel that crushes it.”
Since a person is never more God-like than when he/she forgives, let’s look at offenses this way. God wants us to be like Jesus; so let’s ask Him to let us see our hurt from His perspective. Believing that ‘He makes all things work together for good to those who love Him…’, then the offense or hurt is allowed from His heart of love for us; giving us the opportunity to forgive another person and to become more Christ-like in the process. We free the other person, but we free ourselves as well to enjoy “…His mercies that begin afresh every day!”
Forgiveness is like that! Many times the bitterness of our hearts is like winter—icy cold, with fierce blizzard winds whipping around and irritating our minds and emotions. Lam. 3: 19- 20 explains it this way: “I remember my affliction [hurt, offense, or grievance] and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me.” When we ‘meditate’ or ‘focus’ on our hurts or negative circumstances the bitterness grows and often consumes us. This is the picture Jeremiah was describing. And the Psalmist laments: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” Ever ask that question? I have.
But Jeremiah changes His focus in verse 21-25 of Lamentations: “Yet I dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is HIS faithfulness; HIS mercies begin afresh every day. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in HIM!’ The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for HIM and seek HIM.”
And what is our inheritance? When we receive Him we receive His life in exchange for our old life. He forgives us and cleans up our sinful lives. He gives us a fresh start—like spring!
Jesus says in Matthew 6: 14, 15: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins.” What a frightening truth! If I do not choose to forgive someone who sins against me—if I focus on that offense—then I cannot enjoy the forgiveness God offers to me!!! I remain in my ‘downcast’ condition and my focus is on myself and my hurt or offense.
Someone has described the bitterness that comes from unforgiveness as like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. On the positive side another said, that “Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet leaves on the heel that crushes it.”
Since a person is never more God-like than when he/she forgives, let’s look at offenses this way. God wants us to be like Jesus; so let’s ask Him to let us see our hurt from His perspective. Believing that ‘He makes all things work together for good to those who love Him…’, then the offense or hurt is allowed from His heart of love for us; giving us the opportunity to forgive another person and to become more Christ-like in the process. We free the other person, but we free ourselves as well to enjoy “…His mercies that begin afresh every day!”
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Woman of Influence Fears God
As I consider the influential qualities of the woman spoken of in Proverbs 31, my thoughts gather around verse 30; "Charm is deceptive and beauty does not last, but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised." To be praised means we have influenced someone in a positive manner. It brings me to the conclusion that because this woman feared the Lord, she was motivated to minister the way she did to her husband, family, and community. She was trustworthy, industrious, creative, strong, caring and selfless in meeting the needs of those around her and so much more.
So what does it 'look like' for a woman to fear the Lord'?
Gothard sums up the definition this way: "The fear of the Lord is the continual awareness that I am in the presence of a holy, just and almighty God; and that every thought, word, action, and deed is open to Him and is being judged by Him." So, this fact makes me very secure. As I fear the Lord I am aware of His presence and Psalm 16:11 says that 'in His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.' Because He is a holy, just and almighty God, He is fully worthy of my trust and confidence. As I acknowledge the fact that He is aware of my every thought, word, action and deed I realize I am accountable to Him for the way I live and the choices I make--they matter to Him! The more I fear the Lord, the more I want to please Him; thus my motivation to make right choices. Not only does that please God, but it is beneficial to me as well.
Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." We all want godly wisdom; and we seek godly wisdom from those who have it. It begins in us by learning to fear the Lord. This is not a fear whereby we cower in His presence or are afraid of Him, but a healthy respect and awe of this God who so loves and cares for every aspect of our lives!
Let me point out from some biblical women and men how this fear of the Lord was evidenced in their lives:
1) Abigail [you can read more about her in 1 Samuel 25]: her husband, Nabal's actions had angered King David and he was coming to kill him, but Abigail made a godly appeal to King David on behalf of her husband to keep the King from killing him in anger, which would have caused the King to be disrespected. Her husband was a fool and everyone knew it. She could have let King David kill him, but she feared the Lord--she did what she knew what would honor Him. As you read in the story, God took care of Nabal in His way. And He took care of Abigail as well.
2) Sarah [you can read more about her in Genesis 12]: Abraham placed her in a very compromising situation, but she trusted God and His care of her through her obedience to her husband. She is used as a godly example in 1Peter 3: 5, 6; "That is the way the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham when she called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do." I love this story of Sarah's faith and her godly influence. I know you will too!
3) Job: Job was a man of whom it was said, 'He was a man who feared God.' Throughout the entire book of Job I have noted instances of his fear of God. When he lost everything his response was, 'The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.' When his wife suggested he curse God and die, he said: '...shall we accept good from God and not trouble?' In all this, Job did not charge God with wrong doing.' At the end of the book Job declares (in spite of all his suffering) "My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You." Job had a greater trust and godly fear of the Lord at the end of the book--He knew God more intimately.
4) Joseph (you can read about Joseph's life in Genesis 37-50): So much has been written about this man who truly feared God--had a deep trust and confidence in Him and an awareness of His involvement in the circumstances of his life. Even though his brothers sold him into slavery, God had a plan for Joseph to rise to a place of authority so he would be in a position to save his family who had wronged him, in a time of famine. Joseph knew God, He feared God as the One who had orchestrated the events of his life--all of them--even when he was imprisoned wrongfully. He forgave his brothers and all those who had treated him unfairly; and at the end of the book he tells his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
Look at the lives these people who feared God influenced? I want to be a woman of influence in the same way, don't you? "God is good to everyone, and His compassion is intertwined with everything He does." Psalm 145:9 LB
So what does it 'look like' for a woman to fear the Lord'?
Gothard sums up the definition this way: "The fear of the Lord is the continual awareness that I am in the presence of a holy, just and almighty God; and that every thought, word, action, and deed is open to Him and is being judged by Him." So, this fact makes me very secure. As I fear the Lord I am aware of His presence and Psalm 16:11 says that 'in His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore.' Because He is a holy, just and almighty God, He is fully worthy of my trust and confidence. As I acknowledge the fact that He is aware of my every thought, word, action and deed I realize I am accountable to Him for the way I live and the choices I make--they matter to Him! The more I fear the Lord, the more I want to please Him; thus my motivation to make right choices. Not only does that please God, but it is beneficial to me as well.
Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." We all want godly wisdom; and we seek godly wisdom from those who have it. It begins in us by learning to fear the Lord. This is not a fear whereby we cower in His presence or are afraid of Him, but a healthy respect and awe of this God who so loves and cares for every aspect of our lives!
Let me point out from some biblical women and men how this fear of the Lord was evidenced in their lives:
1) Abigail [you can read more about her in 1 Samuel 25]: her husband, Nabal's actions had angered King David and he was coming to kill him, but Abigail made a godly appeal to King David on behalf of her husband to keep the King from killing him in anger, which would have caused the King to be disrespected. Her husband was a fool and everyone knew it. She could have let King David kill him, but she feared the Lord--she did what she knew what would honor Him. As you read in the story, God took care of Nabal in His way. And He took care of Abigail as well.
2) Sarah [you can read more about her in Genesis 12]: Abraham placed her in a very compromising situation, but she trusted God and His care of her through her obedience to her husband. She is used as a godly example in 1Peter 3: 5, 6; "That is the way the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham when she called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do." I love this story of Sarah's faith and her godly influence. I know you will too!
3) Job: Job was a man of whom it was said, 'He was a man who feared God.' Throughout the entire book of Job I have noted instances of his fear of God. When he lost everything his response was, 'The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.' When his wife suggested he curse God and die, he said: '...shall we accept good from God and not trouble?' In all this, Job did not charge God with wrong doing.' At the end of the book Job declares (in spite of all his suffering) "My ears had heard of You but now my eyes have seen You." Job had a greater trust and godly fear of the Lord at the end of the book--He knew God more intimately.
4) Joseph (you can read about Joseph's life in Genesis 37-50): So much has been written about this man who truly feared God--had a deep trust and confidence in Him and an awareness of His involvement in the circumstances of his life. Even though his brothers sold him into slavery, God had a plan for Joseph to rise to a place of authority so he would be in a position to save his family who had wronged him, in a time of famine. Joseph knew God, He feared God as the One who had orchestrated the events of his life--all of them--even when he was imprisoned wrongfully. He forgave his brothers and all those who had treated him unfairly; and at the end of the book he tells his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
Look at the lives these people who feared God influenced? I want to be a woman of influence in the same way, don't you? "God is good to everyone, and His compassion is intertwined with everything He does." Psalm 145:9 LB
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Joy of Contentment
Years ago someone said, “Sorrows come to stretch out spaces in our hearts for joy.” I am coming to believe that even little disappointments, inconveniences, as well as very painful experiences come into our lives for that purpose. God wants us to have hearts filled with joy!
In a time of transition in our lives, we were living in a small mobile home. I was very discontent with the tight quarters with no promise of a change anytime soon. There were also no other children in the area to play with our children. We had some friends who were home on furlough from the mission field and their children needed a place to play for the day, so one Saturday I arranged to pick up the children so they could all play together. When the Dad came to get them at the end of the day, I was complaining to him about our cramped space. He looked at me and said, “Dianne, don’t you remember that Jesus did not have a place to lay His head?” It was like a knife had gone into my heart! Even though it hurt at the time, God used that encounter to begin the process of teaching me contentment (and, by-the-way, it is still going on today!) Years later my husband and I were speaking at a conference where this man was also a speaker. I thanked him for how God used his reminder so God could bring me to the point where I could share my message for the day: “The Beauty of Contentment”. But I am still learning!
Webster defines contentment: Happy enough with what one has or is; not desiring something more or different. Charles Kelly in an article in Discipleship Journal says, “Christian contentment is the God-given ability to be satisfied with the loving provision of God in any and every situation.” Hebrews 13:5 in the Amplified Bible says this: “Let your character or moral disposition be free from the love of money—including greed, avarice (too much desire to get and keep money), lust, and craving for earthly possessions—and be satisfied (content) with your present circumstances and with what you have; for He (God) has said, I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up, nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless, not forsake, nor let you down, relax my hold on you—assuredly not!” Ah! That’s the reason we can be content!
Notice that it is a choice, ‘Let your character or moral disposition be free…’ We must allow the Lord to BE who He is in our lives. Mark tells us in chapter 6 that Jesus took the food that the people had and gave thanks. He gave it to them and “they ate and were fully satisfied”—so contentment can be something we feel. But Jesus tells us in Mark 4: 19 that contentment is also the absence of craving earthly things.
Let’s look at some signs of discontentment.
Wrong attitudes that bring on murmuring and complaining, (Num. 11:1 ‘when the people complained it displeased the Lord…’);
a critical spirit - Romans 14:4 Phillips ‘who are you to criticize the servant of somebody else, especially when that somebody else is God…’;
or comparisons - John 21:21, Jesus told Peter to not worry about John, He said, ‘you follow me’. 2 Cor. 10:12 tells us that comparing ourselves among ourselves ‘is not wise’. We may have greater expectations than what God gives in material wealth or relationships.
I am slowly learning that God never intended that we would find our contentment or satisfaction or fulfillment in any other person or place or thing on the face of the earth, but ONLY in Him. People will fail us, circumstances will disappoint us, but God never will. We may find a measure of fulfillment but God will not allow anything to take His place in our lives.
Discontentment can also be a wrong focus. We can look only for what we can get rather than what we can give, in possessions as well as relationships. We can also get caught up in not enjoying what we do have because of focusing on what we don’t have. All of these things draw our hearts away from God. Do you wonder why God gave all those examples in the Old Testament? Romans 15:4 tells us that ‘whatever was written in the past was written to teach us…’ And we know that whenever the Israelites kept their focus on God, things went well--as well as they could in the desert! But when they took their eyes off of God’s promises they lost hope.
Disappointment or wrong expectations can be signs of being discontent. These happen in the daily activities of life—you had planned to take a trip and plans were cancelled, you expected your husband to do something for you and he didn’t—your child failed in a class at school—you didn’t get that position you wanted.
So what are some keys to contentment?
One big key is realizing it is a process—we are to 'pursue right living' according to 1 Tim. 6:11. Secondly, we need to keep our focus on God.
I have observed four essentials for keeping a right focus:
1) Knowing God, it must be a continual priority (Isa. 43:10);
2) Fearing God, (Isa. 33:6);
3) Believing God, (2 Sam. 22:31);
4) Praising God, (Psa. 145: 16, 17 and Psa. 139). The exciting thing about praise is that it releases our hearts to embrace an eternal perspective—to see Him in our daily experiences.
Contentment has a whole lot to do with choosing to see His hand in everything that happens in our lives. When we do, we will be content that He, indeed, does have our best interest in mind. In her book Surrender, Nancy Leigh De Moss quotes, “Someone has said that the will of God is exactly what we would choose if we knew what God knows"—which is why we so often find it difficult to embrace His will and why we must learn to ‘trust and obey’. Contentment comes when we embrace His will with all of our heart.
In a time of transition in our lives, we were living in a small mobile home. I was very discontent with the tight quarters with no promise of a change anytime soon. There were also no other children in the area to play with our children. We had some friends who were home on furlough from the mission field and their children needed a place to play for the day, so one Saturday I arranged to pick up the children so they could all play together. When the Dad came to get them at the end of the day, I was complaining to him about our cramped space. He looked at me and said, “Dianne, don’t you remember that Jesus did not have a place to lay His head?” It was like a knife had gone into my heart! Even though it hurt at the time, God used that encounter to begin the process of teaching me contentment (and, by-the-way, it is still going on today!) Years later my husband and I were speaking at a conference where this man was also a speaker. I thanked him for how God used his reminder so God could bring me to the point where I could share my message for the day: “The Beauty of Contentment”. But I am still learning!
Webster defines contentment: Happy enough with what one has or is; not desiring something more or different. Charles Kelly in an article in Discipleship Journal says, “Christian contentment is the God-given ability to be satisfied with the loving provision of God in any and every situation.” Hebrews 13:5 in the Amplified Bible says this: “Let your character or moral disposition be free from the love of money—including greed, avarice (too much desire to get and keep money), lust, and craving for earthly possessions—and be satisfied (content) with your present circumstances and with what you have; for He (God) has said, I will not in any way fail you, nor give you up, nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless, not forsake, nor let you down, relax my hold on you—assuredly not!” Ah! That’s the reason we can be content!
Notice that it is a choice, ‘Let your character or moral disposition be free…’ We must allow the Lord to BE who He is in our lives. Mark tells us in chapter 6 that Jesus took the food that the people had and gave thanks. He gave it to them and “they ate and were fully satisfied”—so contentment can be something we feel. But Jesus tells us in Mark 4: 19 that contentment is also the absence of craving earthly things.
Let’s look at some signs of discontentment.
Wrong attitudes that bring on murmuring and complaining, (Num. 11:1 ‘when the people complained it displeased the Lord…’);
a critical spirit - Romans 14:4 Phillips ‘who are you to criticize the servant of somebody else, especially when that somebody else is God…’;
or comparisons - John 21:21, Jesus told Peter to not worry about John, He said, ‘you follow me’. 2 Cor. 10:12 tells us that comparing ourselves among ourselves ‘is not wise’. We may have greater expectations than what God gives in material wealth or relationships.
I am slowly learning that God never intended that we would find our contentment or satisfaction or fulfillment in any other person or place or thing on the face of the earth, but ONLY in Him. People will fail us, circumstances will disappoint us, but God never will. We may find a measure of fulfillment but God will not allow anything to take His place in our lives.
Discontentment can also be a wrong focus. We can look only for what we can get rather than what we can give, in possessions as well as relationships. We can also get caught up in not enjoying what we do have because of focusing on what we don’t have. All of these things draw our hearts away from God. Do you wonder why God gave all those examples in the Old Testament? Romans 15:4 tells us that ‘whatever was written in the past was written to teach us…’ And we know that whenever the Israelites kept their focus on God, things went well--as well as they could in the desert! But when they took their eyes off of God’s promises they lost hope.
Disappointment or wrong expectations can be signs of being discontent. These happen in the daily activities of life—you had planned to take a trip and plans were cancelled, you expected your husband to do something for you and he didn’t—your child failed in a class at school—you didn’t get that position you wanted.
So what are some keys to contentment?
One big key is realizing it is a process—we are to 'pursue right living' according to 1 Tim. 6:11. Secondly, we need to keep our focus on God.
I have observed four essentials for keeping a right focus:
1) Knowing God, it must be a continual priority (Isa. 43:10);
2) Fearing God, (Isa. 33:6);
3) Believing God, (2 Sam. 22:31);
4) Praising God, (Psa. 145: 16, 17 and Psa. 139). The exciting thing about praise is that it releases our hearts to embrace an eternal perspective—to see Him in our daily experiences.
Contentment has a whole lot to do with choosing to see His hand in everything that happens in our lives. When we do, we will be content that He, indeed, does have our best interest in mind. In her book Surrender, Nancy Leigh De Moss quotes, “Someone has said that the will of God is exactly what we would choose if we knew what God knows"—which is why we so often find it difficult to embrace His will and why we must learn to ‘trust and obey’. Contentment comes when we embrace His will with all of our heart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)