Our present circumstances always seem to have a way to help us forget the truth of what is at work in us. My campus minister Heather told me a quote one day and I will never forget it. She said, "God does not called the equipped, but He equips the called." This statement was so profound to me when I first heard it. Matter of fact it still has as much affect on me now. God will not call us to act in our comfort zones. If you are comfortable where you are, you will not be depending on God’s strength but on your own. Many times in order to show that He indeed is in charge, God will call you out of your comfort zone. How can God show His strength when you feel like you are in control? Look at the example of Moses. Moses was comfortable working for his Father in law. However, God wanted to use him in a mightier way and so called him out of his comfort zone. It is not in his own strength that Moses performed those miracles. It is only because God chose to work through Moses. Moses did not have a say in the matter. If it was up to Moses, Aaron would have been in charge or he would have still been shepherding sheep, not God’s people.
God wants to use us. However, he has to put us in a position where we can be used by Him. His heart for us is unimaginably huge. He wants us to be made whole. He wants us to live like we’re loved. The revelation of God’s love for you is imperative to your well-being. God doesn’t want us to limp into heaven. God wants us to experience eternal life here on earth. John 17:3 says, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Eternal life starts when we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts. We just choose to live like we are unloved. If we live like we are loved, prosperity and joy will run rampant in Christians today instead of an increasing suicide rate, depression rate, divorce rate, etc.
Daily, God extends to us an invitation. He invites us to walk in Him. He asks us to trust Him and do what He says for us to do. We have to make a choice to accept this invitation. Love would not be true love if the other person was being forced into it. People get caught up in thinking, "If God knows we're going to mess up, why would He even make us?" He made us because He loves us. He loves us because He made us. Then, He gave us the choice to choose to love Him back. If I threatened your life to love me, it wouldn’t be real. However, when you make the decision to love me, it gains meaning. It takes on the qualities of I Corinthians 13. It becomes patient, kind, trusting, never boasting, always persevering, etc. That’s why God extends an invitation to us, so we choose to love Him and trust Him.
Your reality is not your finality. Your present circumstances only present you with the opportunity to trust God's sovereignty and ultimately His love that surpasses all understanding.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Delight yourself in the Lord...
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (NIV). Some people see this and believe that if they just pray some here, or read their bible there, or sing this worship song, etc, that God will give them whatever they want. If that is you, I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but that’s not how it works. You can’t trick God into giving you those things that you think will make you happy. Having a relationship with God is unveiling a mystery that will never be completely solved during this lifetime, it is infinitely renewable, and is as full of surprises as the first time you felt His truth. Let’s take a closer look at this scripture:
• To delight oneself means to take or seek pleasure in; to enjoy (http://www.dictionary.com)
• Lord is more than just another name for God. The title Lord means that person has lordship over your life and over what you do. They reign in supremacy in your decisions, actions, and emotions.
• “He will give you…” If God says He will do something, He will do it. There is no hesitation or doubt.
• “The desires of your heart.” This is what is the most important. Notice our desires come last in this sequence. Our desires cannot come into fruition until we have first made the vertical connection with God. There are many other examples of this in the bible. Judges 20:18 shows how the Israelites were about to fight the Benjamites and they asked God before doing anything who should they send first. God says “Judah shall go first.” Not only is it significant that the Israelites asked God before moving, but God said Judah was to go first. Judah means praise. Look what happens when you establish a relationship with God first. Verse 35 of that same chapter in Judges says, “the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel…”
When you delight yourself in the Lord, you become closer to Him. You begin to understand His personality, see His Characteristics, and know His heart. When you are close to God, you become more and more like Him. He is light and there is no darkness in the light (John 1:5-7). As you become more and more like Him, His desires become your desires. Therefore, God will not have any problem giving you the desires of your heart because they are what He desires you to have.
It is one thing to read and study this scripture and another to live it. My challenge to you is to discover the joy of being in the presence of the Lord. Become captivated by His presence. Be satisfied in Him first. Then you will see your life and heart change. Then you will see your Benjamin defeated. Then you will see your desires being met. Then you will see His heart to love you.
• To delight oneself means to take or seek pleasure in; to enjoy (http://www.dictionary.com)
• Lord is more than just another name for God. The title Lord means that person has lordship over your life and over what you do. They reign in supremacy in your decisions, actions, and emotions.
• “He will give you…” If God says He will do something, He will do it. There is no hesitation or doubt.
• “The desires of your heart.” This is what is the most important. Notice our desires come last in this sequence. Our desires cannot come into fruition until we have first made the vertical connection with God. There are many other examples of this in the bible. Judges 20:18 shows how the Israelites were about to fight the Benjamites and they asked God before doing anything who should they send first. God says “Judah shall go first.” Not only is it significant that the Israelites asked God before moving, but God said Judah was to go first. Judah means praise. Look what happens when you establish a relationship with God first. Verse 35 of that same chapter in Judges says, “the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel…”
When you delight yourself in the Lord, you become closer to Him. You begin to understand His personality, see His Characteristics, and know His heart. When you are close to God, you become more and more like Him. He is light and there is no darkness in the light (John 1:5-7). As you become more and more like Him, His desires become your desires. Therefore, God will not have any problem giving you the desires of your heart because they are what He desires you to have.
It is one thing to read and study this scripture and another to live it. My challenge to you is to discover the joy of being in the presence of the Lord. Become captivated by His presence. Be satisfied in Him first. Then you will see your life and heart change. Then you will see your Benjamin defeated. Then you will see your desires being met. Then you will see His heart to love you.
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