Following God is never easy nor without its temptations to turn away from the straight and narrow path. I was reading about the prophet Balaam. When men came from king Balak asking him to come and curse the Israelites, he went to seek God’s direction. God told him, “No, do not go with them.” So he refused. Balak sent men of great importance to pressure Balaam to come. Knowing what God had said, Balaam still went to ask God about going with them. If you know the rest of the story, Balaam was almost killed by an angel and ended up listening to his donkey in order to get the message from God.
How many times do we stop to consider other things when we know that God has already spoken to us about. We know what we should do or where God wants us to go. Yet, we often seek the easier path. Jesus called it the broad road that leads to destruction. God does not promise easy. He promises to go with us on the road he has chosen for us. Our hearts and spirits know the way we are suppose to go, but our emotions and fleshly logic often call out to us for an easier, more ego driven way.
We are faced with a decision (Most of life is about making godly decisions). Am I really a follower of Jesus or am I follower of the world, the flesh and the devil? When asked that way the answer seems easy. When presented with a harder, God directed path or an easier emotional directed path, the choice gets very sticky.
Do I really believe that with God’s help I can handle whatever he leads me into? Do I really trust in the One who created me, gave me gifts and talents to assist me on this journey? The way is clear when we listen to his heart within us. We know the way. We can be free from the stress of hard choices. God does not always lead us down the easy way, but he ALWAYS leads us down the straight and narrow way that leads to life!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
A little boy is attempting to move a large rock by himself. His dad stands by watching him. As the little boy pulls, pushes and pries the rock refuses to budge. “You are not using all of your strength,” the dad says. So the little boy pulls harder, kicks at the rock, puts his shoulder on it and pushes for all he is worth. Still it doesn’t move. “You still are not using all of your strength,” dad says. The little boy looks up at his dad and back at the rock. “Yes I am, daddy!” he says. “No you aren’t” dad replies, “you have not asked me to help you.”
How often do we attempt to do things by ourselves before we seek God’s assistance? We want to believe ourselves independent and not needing anyone or anything to stand strong. Yet the truth be known we are very dependent on others and on God. Why is admitting this so hard?
Jesus told us, “Seek and you will find. Ask and it shall be given. Knock and the door will be opened.” Theophan the Recluse writes: “Such is the rule for spiritual advancement. Nothing comes without effort. The help of God is always ready and always near, but it is only given to those who seek and work, and only to those seekers who, after putting all their own power to the test, the cry out with all their heart: Lord help us. So long as you hold on to even a little hope of achieving something by your own powers, the Lord does not interfere. It is as though he says: ‘You hope to succeed by yourself—very well, go no trying! But however long you try you will achieve nothing’ May the Lord give you a contrite spirit, a humble heart.” [From the Art of Prayer]
The Lord will lead us to places where we realize that we are totally dependent on him. We see that we will utterly fail without asking, seeking and knocking on the doors of heaven and pleading for our Lord to guide us, grant us his wisdom and release our dependency upon ourselves.
Have you used ALL your strength? Have you called on your Father?
How often do we attempt to do things by ourselves before we seek God’s assistance? We want to believe ourselves independent and not needing anyone or anything to stand strong. Yet the truth be known we are very dependent on others and on God. Why is admitting this so hard?
Jesus told us, “Seek and you will find. Ask and it shall be given. Knock and the door will be opened.” Theophan the Recluse writes: “Such is the rule for spiritual advancement. Nothing comes without effort. The help of God is always ready and always near, but it is only given to those who seek and work, and only to those seekers who, after putting all their own power to the test, the cry out with all their heart: Lord help us. So long as you hold on to even a little hope of achieving something by your own powers, the Lord does not interfere. It is as though he says: ‘You hope to succeed by yourself—very well, go no trying! But however long you try you will achieve nothing’ May the Lord give you a contrite spirit, a humble heart.” [From the Art of Prayer]
The Lord will lead us to places where we realize that we are totally dependent on him. We see that we will utterly fail without asking, seeking and knocking on the doors of heaven and pleading for our Lord to guide us, grant us his wisdom and release our dependency upon ourselves.
Have you used ALL your strength? Have you called on your Father?
Monday, February 09, 2009
Questions haunt my heart
We all have questions about life, questions about direction and just plain “why” questions. We may stop and try to reason things out. We may attempt to seek advice. We can even pray about the issues, but still the questions remain. There are many who offer “answers.” They might be quick solutions or good advice. The problem is that they are other people’s answers to our questions.
There is a friend who is dying of cancer – why him? We are searching for direction – why doesn’t God tell us? We have prayed for our family – yet there are still trials. We have tried to follow the advice of others, but it has fallen short. Slowly doubt creeps into our hearts. We begin to question ourselves, our friends and God himself.
The questions force us to search our hearts, consider our beliefs and think through the things we value. If it is the emotions of the moment that lead the way we become mired down in the mud of life. If it is human reason that guides the way we discover so many dead ends that have wasted our time and energy.
So how do I discover the answer to the questions that haunt my heart? We read in the Bible: “I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.” Psalm 38:15. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 NIV
The real answers to our questions rest with God. These answers do not come in microwavable formulas. They are rarely the quick fixes we want. They come as we ask, seek and knock on the doors of heaven and WAIT for God to answer. Patiently waiting is difficult. But to wait patiently doesn’t not mean we do nothing. Rather we focus on God himself. We turn our hearts toward the Father who holds every answer within his hand. We draw nearer to him and know that He is working things out behind the scenes in places we cannot see. Isaiah tells us: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isa 40:30-31 NIV
So we discover that in the midst of all the questions, in the center of every trial there is God. He holds every answer and waits for us to seek him and his heart so that He can strengthen our hearts and teach the most important answer that we need to hear: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Ps 46:10 NIV
There is a friend who is dying of cancer – why him? We are searching for direction – why doesn’t God tell us? We have prayed for our family – yet there are still trials. We have tried to follow the advice of others, but it has fallen short. Slowly doubt creeps into our hearts. We begin to question ourselves, our friends and God himself.
The questions force us to search our hearts, consider our beliefs and think through the things we value. If it is the emotions of the moment that lead the way we become mired down in the mud of life. If it is human reason that guides the way we discover so many dead ends that have wasted our time and energy.
So how do I discover the answer to the questions that haunt my heart? We read in the Bible: “I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.” Psalm 38:15. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 NIV
The real answers to our questions rest with God. These answers do not come in microwavable formulas. They are rarely the quick fixes we want. They come as we ask, seek and knock on the doors of heaven and WAIT for God to answer. Patiently waiting is difficult. But to wait patiently doesn’t not mean we do nothing. Rather we focus on God himself. We turn our hearts toward the Father who holds every answer within his hand. We draw nearer to him and know that He is working things out behind the scenes in places we cannot see. Isaiah tells us: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isa 40:30-31 NIV
So we discover that in the midst of all the questions, in the center of every trial there is God. He holds every answer and waits for us to seek him and his heart so that He can strengthen our hearts and teach the most important answer that we need to hear: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Ps 46:10 NIV
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