Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Delayed Gratification
I think one of the hardest things to ever learn in life is the practise of delayed gratification. Even those words make my nose shrivel... but its what God has been teaching me... for a long time. Sometimes I will pray and God will immediately and so obviously answer my prayer. It builds my faith and I thank God so much because I can see that He moved so fast and powerfully.
Sometimes God seems to have "forgotten" my prayers. I get frustrated, but by His grace, I am taught to keep praying and believing.
Delayed gratification is a foreign concept in today's society: have fun now, party now, please yourself now, if its not now then make your own way. We are the society that wants desert before dinner (and I am not excluded from this). Four years ago I asked God for patience and after I asked Him, I regretted it because He definitely took charge of personally teaching me the ways of patience... by making me wait. Of course, I am glad He is though.
"The final stage in the life of faith is the attainment of character... the life of faith is not a life of mounting up with wings, but a life of walking and not fainting"- Oswald Chambers. Abraham went out not knowing where he went (Hebrews 11:8). Right now, God is leading me in a new way than ever before, a harder growing of faith. I don't know the destination, I only can know the One who holds my life in His hands, the One who is leading me. "The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person" (Jesus Christ) - O.C. Abraham's faith was a tried faith built on God. One of my favorite lines in the whole Bible is this: "Abraham believed God."
If God tells us to wait for the thing we prayed for, or even to wait because we are praying for the wrong thing, then we sometimes assume nothing is happening and He is doing other things. Our perspective is like a worm in the light of galaxies. God is always moving and working in a way beyond our figuring out. He is always thinking good thoughts about us and for us. He is always moving behind the scenes and positioning events. We must trust in the hidden work of God. Often we must wait because God has the perfect timing and He wants to do more than we asked. For those who love God and wait for Him, He has the best in store. My teacher said to not let the good things keep you from the best things.
I have an example of this concept that continues to encourage me: Over a year ago, I randomly was looking online for church trips to Israel. I NEVER EVER thought I would ever go to Israel. I was thinking how someday I could take one of those 2 week tours when I was old. But, God always surprises me with more than I could NEVER even think of. I couldn't even have planned it. God ended up taking me to Israel for 3 months for half the cost of a two week trip. I have adventures and memories that I still can't believe even happened. I even had the best group of people ever to have shared it with. And I encountered God in ways I can't even describe.
Sometimes we hear that God's ways are better. But this is just one proof in my own life that they are. Even horrible circumstance left in God's hands with be turned around and made beautiful. Only God can do that.
In the same way, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith"-Galatians 3:6. We are not righteous because of what we do, but because of Who we believe on: Jesus.
"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us 'go'"- Oswald Chambers
Sometimes God seems to have "forgotten" my prayers. I get frustrated, but by His grace, I am taught to keep praying and believing.
Delayed gratification is a foreign concept in today's society: have fun now, party now, please yourself now, if its not now then make your own way. We are the society that wants desert before dinner (and I am not excluded from this). Four years ago I asked God for patience and after I asked Him, I regretted it because He definitely took charge of personally teaching me the ways of patience... by making me wait. Of course, I am glad He is though.
"The final stage in the life of faith is the attainment of character... the life of faith is not a life of mounting up with wings, but a life of walking and not fainting"- Oswald Chambers. Abraham went out not knowing where he went (Hebrews 11:8). Right now, God is leading me in a new way than ever before, a harder growing of faith. I don't know the destination, I only can know the One who holds my life in His hands, the One who is leading me. "The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person" (Jesus Christ) - O.C. Abraham's faith was a tried faith built on God. One of my favorite lines in the whole Bible is this: "Abraham believed God."
If God tells us to wait for the thing we prayed for, or even to wait because we are praying for the wrong thing, then we sometimes assume nothing is happening and He is doing other things. Our perspective is like a worm in the light of galaxies. God is always moving and working in a way beyond our figuring out. He is always thinking good thoughts about us and for us. He is always moving behind the scenes and positioning events. We must trust in the hidden work of God. Often we must wait because God has the perfect timing and He wants to do more than we asked. For those who love God and wait for Him, He has the best in store. My teacher said to not let the good things keep you from the best things.
I have an example of this concept that continues to encourage me: Over a year ago, I randomly was looking online for church trips to Israel. I NEVER EVER thought I would ever go to Israel. I was thinking how someday I could take one of those 2 week tours when I was old. But, God always surprises me with more than I could NEVER even think of. I couldn't even have planned it. God ended up taking me to Israel for 3 months for half the cost of a two week trip. I have adventures and memories that I still can't believe even happened. I even had the best group of people ever to have shared it with. And I encountered God in ways I can't even describe.
Sometimes we hear that God's ways are better. But this is just one proof in my own life that they are. Even horrible circumstance left in God's hands with be turned around and made beautiful. Only God can do that.
In the same way, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith"-Galatians 3:6. We are not righteous because of what we do, but because of Who we believe on: Jesus.
"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us 'go'"- Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Risk
The other morning, I went with my family to hike to the top of a local mountain. As we were driving through my town to get to the mountains, the weather was dark, overcast, and foggy. It was rather depressing and ominous. We arrived at the mountain and started the round trip, 6 mile hike.
About halfway up, I looked out over the valley and all of it was under the cloud cover. From my elevation, however, I could see the sun and clear, bright skies to the left of the mountains. I thought, "Oh good! Today will turn out to be a beautiful, bright day. The sun is around the corner." If I were still in the valley, I would never have known that sunny and clear skies were just around the corner; I would have assumed that the day was going to be rainy and gloomy. It made me think about perspectives. I only knew the hope of the sun, because from where I was looking out; I could see both sides of the mountain. God always sees both sides of the mountain and every other angle we are not even conscious of. He has resources in places we could never think of. He has gifts and hope at every turn. Though we often must walk through the winter times of rain and tribulation, there is always a Spring that is around the corner. In fact, the harder the winter is, the more rain it sheds, and the more magnificent the Spring will be. But Spring will never come, if one does not endure the winter first.
Christians are called to not be shaken by circumstances. We are not to live by what we can see in front of us, because faith is not by sight. We do not take steps of faith only when we can control and understand the situation. Rather, faith requires an abandonment to God. Though I cannot make sense of what He is doing, I will trust in Him. I will follow God because I love Him and His Word proves true. If I lose my life, I will only find it.
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”- Jesus
Often, we do not want to step out in faith because we will be taking a risk. We might be risking life as we know it, possessions, image, the opinions of others, even our physical lives. Faith takes a risk - you fork over the control to God.
But once you take the step of faith, you find liberation and that God is a God who is more than trustworthy. You begin to experience the amazing, incredible liberation of a life that is truly free: free of what others think, free of the world's ways, free of the threat of death and fear. The "risk" turns into victory, because all you risked was your own self, and what you found is much more than that. You gain life abundant and the discovery of the adventure God created you for. You'll never know if you never take the "risk" ;)
About halfway up, I looked out over the valley and all of it was under the cloud cover. From my elevation, however, I could see the sun and clear, bright skies to the left of the mountains. I thought, "Oh good! Today will turn out to be a beautiful, bright day. The sun is around the corner." If I were still in the valley, I would never have known that sunny and clear skies were just around the corner; I would have assumed that the day was going to be rainy and gloomy. It made me think about perspectives. I only knew the hope of the sun, because from where I was looking out; I could see both sides of the mountain. God always sees both sides of the mountain and every other angle we are not even conscious of. He has resources in places we could never think of. He has gifts and hope at every turn. Though we often must walk through the winter times of rain and tribulation, there is always a Spring that is around the corner. In fact, the harder the winter is, the more rain it sheds, and the more magnificent the Spring will be. But Spring will never come, if one does not endure the winter first.
Christians are called to not be shaken by circumstances. We are not to live by what we can see in front of us, because faith is not by sight. We do not take steps of faith only when we can control and understand the situation. Rather, faith requires an abandonment to God. Though I cannot make sense of what He is doing, I will trust in Him. I will follow God because I love Him and His Word proves true. If I lose my life, I will only find it.
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”- Jesus
Often, we do not want to step out in faith because we will be taking a risk. We might be risking life as we know it, possessions, image, the opinions of others, even our physical lives. Faith takes a risk - you fork over the control to God.
But once you take the step of faith, you find liberation and that God is a God who is more than trustworthy. You begin to experience the amazing, incredible liberation of a life that is truly free: free of what others think, free of the world's ways, free of the threat of death and fear. The "risk" turns into victory, because all you risked was your own self, and what you found is much more than that. You gain life abundant and the discovery of the adventure God created you for. You'll never know if you never take the "risk" ;)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Living the Promise Life
How do you live a life that moves from victory to victory? How do you lay hold of all God's promises for you? If you are like me, we don't want to settle for a life less than what God intended for us. I don't want to die and realize how much potential I wasted following after my own flesh. I once read (paraphrased) that the world has yet to see what God can do through a man who is absolutely surrendered to Him. Not that I have in any way "arrived," but I want to see what my God can do.
After the Hebrews escaped from slavery in Egypt, by the hand of God they safely crossed the Red Sea on dry land. They came into a wilderness, but after 11 days they arrived at the threshold of the Promise Land (Israel). The Hebrews were too afraid to enter in; they saw the "giants" of the land and their strong walled cities. They did not trust that God would give the land over to them like He said He would. The Hebrews thus wandered 40 years in the wilderness until a whole generation of them died.
The believer likewise, will go through a time of wilderness in his or her life. A wilderness of living one foot in the Kingdom and one foot in the world. It is an unstable time of ups and downs, a war over the absolute surrender of the soul to God. A time will come however, when each will stand at the threshold of the promise land (promise life) and decide to either trust God and enter in, or turn back to continue wandering in the wilderness. A time in my life came where, after the wilderness, God showed me the promise land (promise life). By God's grace I was brought in, and there is no turning back now. I have entered into the promise life.
But entering into the promise land (promise life) is not all of it, but just the beginning. Once the Hebrews finally came into their land, they never claimed all that God intended for them to have. Sadly, they stopped short of laying hold of all that God had conquered for them. By the grace of God, I pray that you and I will not stop, until we lay hold of every promise of God, walking by faith and not by sight, lest we scurry away from the "giants" we encounter. The battle is the LORD's and He has already won the victory for us. Amen!
After the Hebrews escaped from slavery in Egypt, by the hand of God they safely crossed the Red Sea on dry land. They came into a wilderness, but after 11 days they arrived at the threshold of the Promise Land (Israel). The Hebrews were too afraid to enter in; they saw the "giants" of the land and their strong walled cities. They did not trust that God would give the land over to them like He said He would. The Hebrews thus wandered 40 years in the wilderness until a whole generation of them died.
The believer likewise, will go through a time of wilderness in his or her life. A wilderness of living one foot in the Kingdom and one foot in the world. It is an unstable time of ups and downs, a war over the absolute surrender of the soul to God. A time will come however, when each will stand at the threshold of the promise land (promise life) and decide to either trust God and enter in, or turn back to continue wandering in the wilderness. A time in my life came where, after the wilderness, God showed me the promise land (promise life). By God's grace I was brought in, and there is no turning back now. I have entered into the promise life.
But entering into the promise land (promise life) is not all of it, but just the beginning. Once the Hebrews finally came into their land, they never claimed all that God intended for them to have. Sadly, they stopped short of laying hold of all that God had conquered for them. By the grace of God, I pray that you and I will not stop, until we lay hold of every promise of God, walking by faith and not by sight, lest we scurry away from the "giants" we encounter. The battle is the LORD's and He has already won the victory for us. Amen!
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