November 2016 Archives
Prayer is an Action
I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed this evening. There are at least three people whom I care about who are in desperate need of a physical touch from God. There is the fire near Pigeon Forge and the people I know in that area who may need to evacuate. I have friends who are expecting babies in the next few weeks. And then there is our country: wisdom needed for the President-elect to appoint cabinet members and a Supreme Court Justice, talk about recounting ballots, etc. I feel like there is so much to pray about and yet my mind is going in so many directions it’s hard to focus. I’m physically drained which doesn’t help either.
That said, as I was praying for various friends this afternoon, I was reminded that prayer is an action. It is not something that should be done as a passive formality. I have seen people approach God as they might talk to Santa Claus, with a list of things they would like but they are also fine without. I think we need more people like the persistent widow who kept going back to the judge until he finally granted her petition because he was weary of her.
I am not name it, claim it. I do not believe God owes me anything. But I do believe that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much (James 5:16). The answer may still be no, but I do not want to be one of those people who has not because she asks not (James 4:2). Sometimes I think God wants to know just how badly we want what we ask for. Do we really want to see our loved ones saved or healed, or do we just pray because that is what “good Christians” do?
I hate feeling helpless but I serve a God who is anything but helpless. I can’t be everywhere at once, but God can be. He is the only one who can control the outcomes to the things I mentioned. I need to pray as if I believe that.
If prayer has become more of a ritual instead of something meaningful, I encourage you to break up the routine. Try a different room, take a walk, kneel … whatever will help you to regain focus, do it. Seek His face, make your requests known, believe that He hears, and I expect you will begin to see answers to those prayers in ways you never dreamed.
Love Deeply
It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
I sometimes wonder but I pray that I will never stop loving … and loving deeply.
But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us ~Romans 5:8.
THAT is deep love. That is the example Christ set. He suffered rejection, mocking, cruelty, and yet He never stopped loving. And He must have hurt deeply!
As we approach Thanksgiving, I begin looking forward to Christmas. I love this time of year. But it’s not about me. It’s about Him. How does He want me to live? What does He want me to do? How can I show more love to others?
My heart aches as I watch loved ones make bad decisions, become distant, go through hard times, etc. But, if I love them, I will still pray for them, be there for them, and reach out as God leads me to. It’s a tad easier when I realize that I am not always easy to love either.
There is a reason the Bible tells us to “bear each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things (1 Corintians 13:7), forgive as you have been forgiven (Mark 11:25). These things are not easy to do but they are required if we desire a close relationship with Him.
Don’t let the hecticity of this holiday season keep you from reaching out and showing genuine love to others.
Failure Isn’t Final
I was getting ready for bed when my brain started running. Funny how that often happens and yet I rarely find myself laughing. I sometimes ask God to speak to me but am usually too tired to hear. This evening, however, I was thinking about various areas I seem to fail in, especially that of relationships and business. My body has grown tired, and it is hard to fit in everything I would like to do in a day’s time. Before I could go too far down that road, a song came to mind which Lulu Roman sang on the Homecoming video Marching to Zion.
Failure isn’t final with the Father
Failure opens doors to start again
Falling only hurts for a season
And starting over brings new life again
I like to do everything perfectly. I want everyone to like me. I like to be the one who is always “there” for others. I’m also human, and, as such, I do not do everything as perfectly as I would like to. During these moments of realization, it would be easy to give up and just stop trying. Once I have done that, though, satan has won. This is when I turn to the Lord and ask if I am at least doing what He would have me to do. If I am, that is all that matters and I must rest in that. All of my other goals are things I want to do in my own strength for my own gratification, and this is probably why God doesn’t let it succeed.
This is not always easy. My family and close friends can attest to the fact that I end up in tears of frustration when I feel I have failed someone or something, but I’m thankful that God continues to pick me up, dry my tears, and remind me that it’s not too late to start over. I also know that the closer I draw to Him, the more I will do these things that He has placed on my heart to do. It will no longer be me pushing in my own strength, but His Spirit will take over to be the blessing that I cannot be without Him. Thank You, Lord, that Your mercies are new every morning.
Thoughts on Obedience
I’m reading through the book of Deuteronomy, and I’m struck again at how specific God’s commands were. In Deuteronomy 12:18, God goes so far as to tell the Israelites, “But you must eat them before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God chooses … and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all to which you put your hands.” Wow. Talk about demanding! If someone told you today that they were only allowed to eat meat in a certain state, you would probably laugh and call them extreme and, yet, that is what God told His people to do in this passage.
It saddens me that many Believers consider obedience to be legalism and, therefore, not necessary. The first definition given at dictionary.com is “strict adherence to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.” Although I agree that some miss the spirit of which a law was given, when talking about God’s laws, it is better to err on the side of strict adherence rather than ignore it. The key is in obeying without developing a self-righteous attitude.
I have friends who keep a Saturday Sabbath, some who observe a Sunday Sabbath, and some who worship on Sunday but don’t believe it’s necessary to keep a Sabbath as such. I know people who believe the dietary laws apply to today and some who have no problem eating pork and shrimp. Some friends wear headcoverings; some don’t. Some wear jewelry and makeup; some feel like that is forbidden. The same could be said of alcohol.
I’m sure we would all agree that there are unquestionably sins, but I think there are other things that are not quite so black and white. These are the areas in which we must learn to give grace to others. If a friend is convicted to do one of the things I mentioned above, it is not my place to convince him or her that they are being legalistic. I believe God will honor their obedience if it is being done out of love for Him. At the same time, I hope my friends will bear with me if my convictions differ from theirs. If a person is sincerely seeking God, He will show them where they need to change. Although I may be the example He uses, I am not the Holy Spirit.
The main thing is to make sure that whatever you are doing is what He wants you to be doing where He wants you to do it. Then move forward in faith.
