Habits

Good habits get us through the day. We try to get good night’s sleep, buy coffee in the same place every morning, check the weather and turn the stove off when done cooking. All good things to do – without them life would be a mess. Habits keep us from harm and they cut down the number of decisions we make. They’re a real time saver because they allow us to stop thinking.

But habits can be negative, too: habits of laziness, over-indulgence and thoughtlessness. Some habits are downright sneaky. We acquire them and don’t realize it, because they are subtle, and don’t appear to be either good habits or bad habits, so they are easy to ignore. We pray for the same things, without really thinking about our prayer. We sit in the same pew at church, talk to the same people, and quickly put aside the things of God.

Try a different routine, shake things up. Put on a different attitude, expect something new, pray for something bigger than ever before. Look at your life and ask yourself “What do I really want God to do in my life? And what do I really want to do for God?” Leave your habits and step into a fresh relationship with God.

Remember

Have you ever asked God for something, something that you really needed? And then your prayer was answered, and God gave you what you desired?

When God brought the Hebrews out of Egypt, they saw the plagues brought upon Egypt, and were spared when the firstborns died. They saw the Red Sea parted before them, and Pharaoh’s army destroyed. They ate manna in the wilderness. But when they came to Meribah they complained that God had brought them out of Egypt to Meribah only to die of thirst.

How soon we cease to remember the mercies of God. His Blessings soon grow commonplace. He answers us, whether our requests are small or large, and yet we so soon forget to be grateful, and ask for more as if we have never received at all. God does not mind if we ask and then ask again, but we should be mindful of what we have received. We each have a journey that we have made with God beside us, and we should not cease to see how far God has brought us.

Choices, Choices

Life is full of choices: little choices in what to wear, when to eat lunch, what book to read; bigger choices in honesty, kindness and how to treat others. The biggest choice we make is the decision to become a Christian, but after that every day is the choice to do things God’s way or not. There are only two choices. If you don’t live your life for God, then you follow the way of the world. God or mammon; which will it be?

When we try other ways and other choices, the result is never good. David disobeyed God, and was given three choices (I Chronicles 21). Even though his disobedience had a fearful consequence, David made the choice to fall under the hand of God instead of the hand of man.

If you choose God, the rest of the choices are clearer. Choose wisdom, not foolishness. Choose goodness, not evil. Choose love, not hate. Look at how often God tells us to follow the way “which the LORD your God shall choose”. Joshua chose to follow God. Solomon chose to ask for wisdom. Elijah chose to remain faithful to God, even when confronted with 400 priests of Baal.

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.

Moving On

We know that things happen in God’s own time. We also know that, like it or not, things just plain happen. We all experience daily events, the changing seasons, the passing years. Our circle of friends changes; we get a new job; we move to a different house. Nothing remains the same. Some of the changes are expected. We grow from child to adult. We move from the classroom to the workplace. We marry, have children, and bury our parents. No matter what your relationship is with God, these changes are inescapable. The only control we have is our reaction to the changes. The only possible constant in the midst of these changes is our relationship with God.

If our secular life changes, so does our spiritual life. We grow from enthusiastic new Christian to settled maturity. There are times of quick growth, hard times of adversity, and times of winter dormancy. Like the growth of a crop, there are good years of bounteous harvest and lean years when the harvest is only enough to plant anew the next year. As in our secular lives, the only constant is God.

We should expect change, just as we expect the seasons of the year to be different. Do we expect a spring day to be as warm as a summer day? Do we expect the same clouds, the same rain and sun every day? And should we expect our spiritual life to be unchanging? Even though God is the only possible constant, we can still become closer to God each day. He does not change, but we can move closer to Him. And if only God is consistently there for us, why do we spend so much time ignoring Him?

Few Words

I will lay my hand upon my mouth.

This verse is both amusing and provides us with a timeless message. It comes after Job and his friends have had long discussions about God. Each one of them has spoken at length about man’s relationship to God, and each one has something different to say. Finally, they are all done. Each one has spoken till there is no more to say, and still there is no final conclusion.

The men have no more words, and now God Himself speaks. He speaks of His own greatness, and how little mankind knows, even about the things God has created. If we don’t even know why mud sticks together, how can we fathom the greatness of God? When Job hears God’s words, he understands that he cannot presume to speak, but must only listen and acknowledge the greatness of God. My mental picture is of these men, seated on the ground, and Job lays his hand over his mouth as a sign that he has spoken without understanding.

The lesson here is unchanged from Job’s time. God is still supreme. When we presume to speak without knowledge, we fail to acknowledge God Himself.

Be not rash with thy mouth,
and let not thine heart be hasty to utter and thing before God:
for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth;
therefore let thy words be few.

The Prophetess

Deborah, a prophetess…judged Israel at that time.

The job of a prophet is to speak for God. A prophet may speak of the future, but not always. A prophet does not lead, like a king or a general, a prophet simply speaks. The job of a prophet is difficult; the prophet must be accurate and never speak their own words, but only the words God gives them. And since a prophet does not lead, the prophet often sees God’s people ignore His words.

Deborah judged Israel at a time when they were under attack. A mighty army with 900 chariots (the tanks of the day) was moving into position to conquer. Deborah called Barak, the leader of Israel’s army, and told him to attack. This man, who was in command of the entire army, said he would lead the attack only if Deborah accompanied him. Deborah’s job was not to lead the army. Her job was to speak the words God gave her. In this case, words of encouragement and reassurance. Some foretelling of the future was also included when Deborah foretold the downfall of Sisera at the hands of a woman.

Since Barak heeded Deborah’s words, he was able to lead the army to victory. Sisera’s chariots were mired in the soft ground near the River Kishon, and the powerful army was destroyed.

The Living Word

Thy words were found, and I did eat them;

and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:

The Word of God is a living document. Reading in the Word brings you closer to God. It is a living link between mankind and God. It’s like the internet – interactive with endless possibilities. It has an application for any problem or situation. It never becomes obsolete. The Word lives within our mind when we read it, and it lives for others when we speak it forth.

God devised His Word with a purpose in mind, and the Word always accomplishes its purpose. We may never see the result or the final accomplishment of speaking the Word. But it is there nonetheless. The Word should be close as our breath, as essential as food for our lives.

Pray for Blessing

And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends.

Job received a benefit when he prayed for his friends. One reason he received a benefit was that in prayer for his friends, Job’s love and forgiveness for them was kindled. Another reason was that in giving to others, God is able to bless the giver.

Christian relationships need the continual nurturing of prayer. If you are married, pray for your spouse. If you have children, pray for them. If you are in ministry, pray for your partners and fellow church members. How will God bless your marriage if you will not pray for your spouse? How will you God bless your ministry if you will not ask favor for your partners?

It is essential to pray first for the relationships in your life. The prayer must be for your partners first. Later you can ask a blessing for yourself, but it is secondary to the blessing for another. God will not grant the selfish prayer.

Greed

When we think of greed, the picture that comes to mind is of an obvious, almost medieval vice. We think of wealthy men hoarding piles of gold, or the collector who must have just one more item. But the actuality of greed is much more subtle and insidious. We experience it everyday.

Just as the worker deserves the pay he has earned, the price for goods bought and sold should be a fair price. But we are on the constant lookout for bargains, suspicious that we will be taken advantage of. Many people will not buy unless there is a sale, or they can buy in bulk. Discount stores abound; well-made goods for a fair price are hard to find.

Employers and employees both try to get the most out of the relationship while putting the least into it. Employers cut benefits and expect more production. Employees expect unreasonable benefits. Look at the airline workers who refuse a pay cut when the company is so bankrupt that they can’t make the next payroll. This is a relationship based on greed.

In restaurants, the size of the portions becomes larger and larger. Even standard restaurants serve more than one person can eat in a sitting. All-you-can-eat buffets are popular. Fast food establishments provide the maximum amount of food for the least cost, usually in a way that is unhealthy in the type and quantity of food. Why do we expect more food than we need? The purpose of eating is to nourish the body, and we enjoy foods that we do not cook at home. But to expect super portions for rock bottom prices is greed.

Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, and
shaken together, and running over,
shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal
it shall be measured to you again.

The Word of God

The parable of the seeds that landed on four kinds of ground is a familiar one. Sometimes it is instructive to rearrange the verses a little, like this:

11. The seed is the Word of God.
5. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.	12. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
6. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.	13. They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.	14. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
8. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.	15. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience.

The last three examples are all of people who have received the Word of God and believed it. They are all Christians. But the people in the first example are not believers, even though they have heard the Word. They have heard enough of the Word for it to enter their hearts. But before they can believe, the devil comes by and snatches it away.

It is shocking to realize how close these people are to salvation, before deception keeps them from it. Our adversary has the ability to deceive us, and to make the most attractive promise God has for us to appear worthless.

The Cynic's Prayer

Dear God (if you do exist, and might possibly be listening):

If You wanted me to believe in you, why didn’t You send me a personal message? I don’t count Your Bible. I know that Your Bible is full of contradictions, even though I’ve never read it. And I know that the things people tell me about You are wrong and misguided, even though I don’t know You.

If You want my worship, then why haven’t You helped me? I’ve been through some difficult times when I needed assistance. Help me first, then I’ll consider believing in You.

And why did You create the world the way it is? This place is really messed up. You could make things perfect. Just don’t let people be unkind or selfish and everything will be better. I’m sure that if people were in charge we wouldn’t have let things get so bad.

Well God, I’m sure You are going to ignore this prayer. Am I not good enough? Maybe You could have sent someone special, just for me, to help me find You. Someone who would love and care about me; someone willing to bring me close to You, a real friend.


Wish I could hear from You-
Your Cynical and Unbelieving Friend

Little Things

There are so many things we should take to God for His guidance and protection. In actuality, we should take everything to Him. Whenever I lose something, I ask God to help. I know that with God’s help, the item will soon “turn up.” But because there are so many little things, we shouldn’t spend much of our time, or of God’s time, on these items. When I lose something, I thank God for showing me the place to look, and then I move on to another topic. This is one of those quick check-in communications with God. He always comes through.

Go to God for the little things, but don’t spend very much time on the little things. After all: 1. These are little things 2. He’s going to come through. 3. If you keep praying about it, your unbelief is showing. 4. The priority is to spend more time with God on the big things.

If you waste your time in long prayer about little items, you will never have time to take the big things to God. You will never have time to do big things for God, because you are stuck on the little things. So be faithful to the little things, but when they are done, move on to the big things. Pray a little bit about the little things, but pray a lot about the big things.

Cold Nights

When my daughter was very young, she used to get mad at the constellation of Orion because she blamed Orion for bringing the cold of winter nights. In a way, this actually makes sense. Orion is a bright and distinctive set of stars, easy for a small child to pick out of the night sky. Orion is only visible in the winter months. It appears early in the evening on the horizon, and moves upward in the sky as the night progresses. And stars are best viewed on the cold, cloudless nights. So on the coldest of nights, Orion was visible, and became associated with the cold.

This kind of occurrence, that Orion is always visible on a cold night, is too consistent to be a coincidence. But Orion does not cause a cold night to occur; and cold nights to not cause Orion to appear. These two things are not cause-and-effect, they are not coincidence; they are in correspondence to each other. A cold night has the corresponding effect of the appearance of Orion.

It is easy to see why people in the past believed in the signs and superstitions in the natural world. The Harvest Moon always appeared on the summer nights when a few more hours of light were needed in the fields. A certain star always appeared at the right time to plant. But these are corresponding events. They just happen to occur at the same time.

In God’s Word, there are no corresponding events. There are no coincidences. There is a reason that each event is included in the Bible. There is a reason that each decision has a specific result. And each person mentioned is there to teach us with their story. But we must read with the understanding of an adult, and not the narrow understanding of a child.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Captivity Turned

And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends.

Job is the story of a man who was assaulted by the adversary. He lost all his great wealth, his wife and his family, and he lost his health. He was counseled by three friends, who only blamed Job and explained his troubles as a result of Job’s own sin. Each one of them saw in Job a different weakness or fault, and expounded on it at length. Finally, it was God Himself who spoke to Job, and recounted His limitless power, His unequalled knowledge. What are we, in comparison to God?

Finally, Job realizes that there is nothing for him to say, except in praise and admiration of God. And God commanded that the men sacrifice together and pray for each other, and so be reconciled. It is when Job prays for the others that his captivity is turned. I’m sure that Job wasn’t feeling kindly towards his friends, who only had words of blame and injustice for him. When he needed comfort and encouragement, they gave him disappointment. Job compared their words to a brook that dries up in the summer. Just when you need comfort the most, it is not there.

But still, Job’s captivity is turned, not when he acknowledges God’s sovereignty, not when he sacrifices with the others, but when he prays for them. It is important to pray for others; to not “hog the blessings” and try to gather them all for oneself. When you pray for another, it is a giving that blesses you back.

Alone in a Crowd

Alone, or lonely? Which are you?

When you are alone, it is easier to hear God. It is easier to experience the presence of God. His presence is clearer when no one else is near. And yet, how lonely it can be in the middle of a crowd. Job had friends to comfort and counsel him, but their presence made him feel more lonely, not less. Their presence made him feel further from God, and their counsel did not bring him peace.

When Jesus was tired from the crowds and the long days, he went up into the mountains, or into desolate places, to be alone. While alone (but feeling the presence of God), he became refreshed. Sometimes he took his followers, but only a select few, and sometimes he went completely alone. When he took followers, they also needed the rest afforded by being alone with God.

And when he had sent the multitudes away,
he went up into a mountain apart to pray:
and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

We all need space to be by ourselves. Too much noise and busyness is not exhilarating, but is tiring. God is our refuge. When we are with Him, there is safety, comfort, understanding. Seek time to be alone with God and experience the refreshing.

Woe unto them that join house to house,
that lay field to field, till there be no place,
that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

God's Needs

The Creator of the Heavens and the earth. The Most High God.
The Almighty. The Lord that Heals. The Lord our Righteousness.
The Lord who Sanctifies You.
The Lord Who makes Holy. The Everlasting. The Ancient of Days.

God knows our every thought. Nothing is hidden from Him. Even if we do not speak, God knows. So why do we pray? Does the Creator of the Heavens and the earth need to hear us pray?

When we worship God, is He strengthened? Is He restored? What profit does our worship give God? Does the Lord Who makes Holy need our worship?

If we speak out our thankfulness to God, does His power extend further? Does He become greater?

If we pray or not, God is still God. If we worship or not, He is still supreme. If we are thankful, His nature is unchanged. Our prayer, our worship, our thankfulness, are all for us. We need to pray. We need to ask, and know that it is God who answers. We need to worship, to acknowledge His sovereignty, to put our position in the proper perspective. We need to place our attention on Him instead of ourselves. And we need to thank Him, to remind ourselves that we can do nothing by ourselves. Our relationship with God is entirely what we choose to make it. If we ignore Him, the relationship withers. If we place God in the forefront of our attention, He draws closer.

The Fool

Have you ever met someone who is inconsiderate, but doesn’t seem to be aware of it? Or someone who tells rude jokes at a party, and doesn’t seem to be aware that no one finds them funny? How often people are completely unaware of their own faults!

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes… Prov 12:15

But consider again. If the fool, whose faults are so obvious, is unaware of them, what lesser faults do we all possess? And we are blind to all these faults. But there is hope for us. Our faults can be replaced with the wisdom that comes from God.

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom…Prov 15:33

True wisdom comes only from God. It is not the same as knowledge or education. Wisdom is something that we can acquire, or something that we can reject. Usually, wisdom comes little by little, because we ignore the leading of God, but God can pour out His wisdom in a river, if we accept it.

The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? Jer 8:9

A Guiding Light

The Christian walk is done by faith, and not by sight. We so often do not know the next step God wants us to take, until the last moment. Then we are shown an open door, ands we have the opportunity to walk out in faith.

If we could see our lives ahead of time, would we be walking in faith? If we knew where God wanted us many steps ahead, would we become discouraged? If we knew the difficult lessons God wanted us to learn, would we lose heart? God provides a guide, a direction for us to go. He doesn’t give us complete knowledge.

When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, God provided guidance; a light by night and smoke by day. Sometimes they stopped in one place for only one night, sometimes for much longer. Every morning the people stayed or journeyed as God guided them. God provided guidance. He did not give them a map.

The Race

…let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Heb 12.1

What does a person do, who is going to run in a race?
First, the person decides upon the length and type of race: is it a sprint or a distance run? Is it on a track or across country? The runner chooses the event, and enters her name. And she finds out about the race location. And the runner doesn’t wait until race-day to prepare. Although it is possible to finish a sprint without practice, neither the sprinter nor the marathoner will perform at the best without training, sometimes for months or longer.

So the runner prepares by learning about the race itself, the race location with all the turns and hills, the other runners and their techniques and by conditioning the body through training and diet. On race day, the runner is prepared, physically and mentally.

Our daily walk is like a race. We need to train for it. But this race is not one we choose. It is set before us. And it doesn’t sound like a sprint, because we need patience to complete it. As we go through life, remember that we are runners in training. We gain in strength and endurance as we run each day. Some days are sunny, and the run is like a downhill course. Other days are cold and windy, but we still must run. This is a run that requires patience, so we have the example of others who have run before us. If they did it, so can we.