journey onWord with us

Very few illustrations of trust paint a better picture, than that of a young child holding the strong hand of Dad. A child seems to know instinctively that they are secure.

Throughout the journey from childhood to adolescence, something happens. The introduction of independence, developing their own set of opinions, and being influenced by friends, television, computer games etc… often causes trust to be filtered through the thick net of skepticism. Dad is still loved, but no longer implicitly trusted. Parallel the independent teenager with how we love, but often filter, the messages of God. He communicates to us in a variety of ways, but would an impromptu snapshot of our trust reveal childlike faith?

Exodus 6:9 (NIV)
Moses reported this to the
Israelites, but they did not
listen to him because of their
discouragement and cruel
bondage.

Exodus 6:9 (MSG)
But when Moses delivered this
message to the Israelites, they
didn’t even hear him-they were
that beaten down in spirit by the
harsh slave conditions.

Understanding the context of the above verses is important. God had told Moses to let the Israelites know that He would release them from slavery, and would take them as His own people (read verses 6-8). But their bondage in Egypt had made the Israelites skeptical. God was serious about His plan, but the filter of discouragement and bondage caused the counsel to fall on deaf ears. In fairness, I (and you) may have struggled the same way. The spiritual portrait of my life may not always involve discouragement, but other filters can also easily drown out God’s voice. Have you found that the struggles and pains of life cause you sometimes to listen to the counsel of God like that way skeptical teenager?

God’s Word is Truth. His Truth read, and applied will be a path of joy. During my teenage years, I knew my Dad had wisdom, but I wanted my own way. It is not much different with the way we view God and His Word. We know the Truth, but filtering it through “our way” will hinder God’s working in us. You may have felt the pain of trying to help your son or daughter, only to have them choose “their way” and suffer because of it. How we must make God feel, when we choose the same?

To help us gain perspective, consider a well-known verse …

Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law
depart from your mouth;
meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to
do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous
and successful.

Many can quote this verse, but many more tend to put meditating on God’s Word through their filters, and remove its power. We all have a variety of “why we don’t” reasons. But what would happen if, with childlike trust, we meditated on the Word day and night? Look no further than the conclusion of the verse … we would have His success.

Our background, emotions, personal pain and current circumstances can remove the power of God’s Word in our lives … if we let them. Challenge yourself to know and apply His Word with childlike trust. Imagine what that would do to the portrait of your life!

When Moses arrived at the burning bush, he brought with him a rich and storied past. Forty years as the prince of Egypt, and another forty years as a shepherd. You may have heard of the shepherd years, called his “backside of the desert experience”. Standing there, confronted with his future and God’s plan for him, excuses dominated. As our most recent article articulated, Moses was less than confident as God’s appointed deliverer for Israel. However, in the face of low self-confidence, he chose to follow God.

We all have stood at a crossroad, looking back at our past and wondering about God’s design for our future. Have you ever reviewed the past, present and future of your spiritual journey and concluded that “yesterday was better”?

As I rub shoulders with Christ followers, I am struck by the fact that so many have lost their zest for the journey. They can remember spiritual milestones and answers to prayer. But there are also fresh memories of church hurts, and being bruised along the way. Churches are filled with individuals who once served and used their gifts, but are now fading into the background. For all of us there will need to be seasons of rest or healing.  But those seasons should just be that, and should never prolong at the expense of missing the Father’s future design for us. Moses had eighty years of experience when God confronted him with the new phase of his journey. I am so glad, and encouraged that even through his excuses, he obeyed.

You may not be standing in front of a burning bush, but you are standing at a place with future opportunities. Don’t let anything in your past become a weight that holds you back from the God-designed future you can have. The emotions that say “yesterday was better” will cause you to look at tomorrow with a clouded view. God didn’t waste adversity in the life of Moses, nor will He for you. He wants all of your past, good and bad, to help prepare you for a Son-filled tomorrow.

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded
by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out
for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our
faith, who for the joy set before
him endured the cross, scorning
its shame, and sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God.

Your starting place today should be to fix your eyes on Jesus. Gaze on His life, and seek to become more like Him. The seeking will give you perspective on how to deal with the yesterdays and be excited about the tomorrows. Just as Moses possessed a past, and a God-designed future, so do you! I choose to believe for you that “yesterday was not better”, and that He will prove me right.

I would dare say that if 100 people were asked to name a top 5 list of epic heros from the Bible, a few more than 99.9% of those surveyed would have Moses somewhere on that list.  Does it get any more epic than starting your life floating down the Nile in a basket because of a mother’s selfless love, a royal ascension to Egyptian Prince, burning bushes, meeting alone with God on a mountain, stone tablets, being hand selected by God to lead His people out of slavery, leading an entire nation through a supernaturally parted Red Sea with the Egyptian army in pursuit, having Charlton Heston play you in perhaps the most epic biblical movie ever?!!  OK, maybe I got a little carried away on the last one.

But who could disagree, that Moses’ life and the monumental roles and circumstances that characterized it, were nothing short of epic.  But it’s the “hand selected” statement above that when looked at in finer detail, begs the title question of this post.  You see, for all his epicness, Moses had a major inadequacy complex.  In the face of God’s bold declaration that He had heard the cry of His people and had specifically chosen Moses to be their deliverer, he said to God, “Who am I …?” (Exod. 3:11).  This begins a recurring exchange with God that finds Moses questioning or pleading …

” … then what shall I tell them?” (3:13)
“What if they do not believe me or listen to me …?” (4:1)
“ … I am slow of speech and tongue.” (4:10)
” … O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” (4:13)

God responds to each question, lament and petition.  He assures Moses that He will go with him.  And that, “I am who I am.” (3:14)  He shows Moses some miraculous signs and offers them as “backup” when Moses goes to speak to the Israelites. And finally, he tells Moses, “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (4:12)  Over and over Moses recoils, and God pursues.

When Moses finally submits, and things don’t go well in Egypt, we find God and Moses back in the same spot once again.  This time Moses seems even more certain that he is not the right man for the job.

But after another brief exchange, and one last repeat of his inadequacy, the momentum of deliverance begins to shift.  Moses pushes back one last time, saying, “why would Pharaoh listen to me?”  To which God responds with a brief, but specific narrative of exactly what He will do to deliver his people.  Nestled almost unnoticed within the list of things God has planned and will do, is a simple and clear request to Moses and his brother.  “You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.” (7:2)  It is as if God is saying, I am going to act out the entire scene, and draft all its narrative.  And all that I ask of you, is that you bring an empty vessel, open it’s mouthpiece, and allow my narrative to pour out.

Throughout the remainder of this story of epic deliverance, you find no more questions from Moses.  Only repeats of God’s declarative …

“Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.” (7:6)
“So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded …” (7:10)
“Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded …” (7:20)

What struck me as I read the accounts of all the plagues that God brought because of Pharaoh’s hardened heart, was the repetition of  God’s instruction and Moses and Aaron’s immediate obedience.  Verse after verse, chapter after chapter, plague after plague.  God instructed, they obeyed, God acted.  God instructed, they obeyed, God acted …

When you look closely at the “epic” in the life of Moses, you can’t help but see the “empty”.  If I can be so bold to say it, God didn’t choose Moses because of his qualifications, He didn’t need them.  What God wanted, and was able to use in an epic way, was the empty.  Do we think it’s any different in our own lives?

John 3:30
He must become greater;
I must become less.

When you examine your life today, and who you are becoming, let me ask you this question … epic or empty?

It’s hard to believe, but we have already flipped a page on the 2010 calendar. Depending upon your particular season of life, you either enjoyed January, and bemoaned its quick passing; or celebrated that passing as one less month until the start of spring.  And as resolute as you may have been at the onset of the new year, you may have already slid back into routines developed over many years. Our routines tend to be burdened by too much activity, and not enough time that we value as meaningful. Christ followers know that we are to make a difference.  But the torrid pace of life, and long developed routines, can easily outweigh eternal work. To be clear, eternal work is simply meeting the needs of others, motivated by a growing relationship with Christ. Moses gave us great words in Psalm 90:12 … Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Gaining a heart of wisdom will create routine interruption, and a life that pleases God.

It is a given that we want to please God. Our struggle is often that we want to please Him based on our agenda (routine). No matter the length of your spiritual journey, stepping outside our comfort zone is threatening. But if we really want to live with wisdom, and gain His perspective in all things, comfort cannot be our target. Submitting our daily routine to His agenda may not produce comfort, but it will produce eternal results. Numbering our days this way will create a life of joy even in the midst of our daily struggles. Psalm 90:12 quoted from the Message gives a sense of what our lives can be … Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! Great words, but are you willing to interrupt long-standing routines to let Christ reshape your agenda?

Could today (and tomorrow) be days of seeking His will in all you do? If so, realign your routine to His Word, times of intimate prayer, and purpose in how you approach each part of your day. He has plenty of opportunities for us to minister His grace, but often our long-established routines blind us to those opportunities. But before reshaping your agenda, ask yourself, “am I willing to submit and live with His routine for me”? Just yesterday I was challenged with this point, when a friend wanted to help someone with snow removal. I was in “my comfort zone”, and my friend pulled me out of it. His heart was on others and they were blessed because of the care. I am not sure the same care would have happened from me.

Resetting your spiritual routines doesn’t mean you will preach sermons, give large amounts of money, or carry your Bible to work. What it does mean is that you will begin to seek His daily agenda instead of your own. There are amazing opportunities to be used of God all around us. An easy way to evaluate how your year has started is to ask the question, “am I growing more in love with God and with people?”  Although we all have some work to do in this area, accept the challenge to reset your routine … right now, while we are still in the beginnings of this new month.

People in our world need the hope of Christ!  Realign your routines.  Be a conduit of His grace. That is living wisely and well!

Talk about an incredible journey! He was sold into slavery by his brothers, accused of immorality by his boss’s wife, thrown into prison for the false accusation, forgotten by a man he helped in prison, and then rose to become second in charge of Egypt. It just doesn’t seem like the 21^st century model of how to get to the top. Most of you have heard about this character, Joseph.  He was seventeen when his brothers sold him to a caravan headed for Egypt.  And thirty when he was delivered from prison. His season of struggle was long, but his life was a picture of honoring God. Emotionally, it is hard for us to rationalize that honoring God will often lead us through “long winters”. Viewing Joseph’s life gives us a model for enduring those times.

Joseph’s road to Egypt was tragic, but his time there was blessed by God. I am convinced that even as a young man, his life revealed genuine faith. Look at what Scripture conveys about his beginnings in Egypt.

Genesis 39:2(a)
The Lord was with Joseph
and he prospered…

Genesis 39:3(b)
The Lord gave him success
in everything he did…

Genesis 39:5
From the time he put him in
charge of his household and
all that he owned, the Lord
blessed the household of the
Egyptian because of Joseph.

After being abused by his brothers, his life brought the blessing of God to the house of Potiphar (the Egyptian). But then Potiphar’s wife makes false accusations against him. How’s that line up with your definition of “fair”?!  The event lands him in prison, but we again see evidence of a man walking with God.

Genesis 39:20(b)-21
But while Joseph was there in prison,
the Lord was with him; he showed
him kindness and granted him favor
in the eyes of the prison warden.

Genesis 39:23
The warden paid no attention to
anything under Joseph’s care,
because the Lord was with
Joseph and gave him success
in whatever he did.

Joseph’s “long winter” was extended when a man he helped in prison forgot about him. But in the sovereignty of God, the Pharaoh of Egypt needed his dream interpreted. The forgetful cupbearer remembers Joseph, who had interpreted his dream in prison. Joseph is brought to Pharaoh, interprets his dream and rises to second in command of the whole of Egypt.

As hard as his journey was, it prepared Joseph for the amazing path God had planned for him. And bringing the full distance of it into view, we find evidence at every turn that Joseph confronted his obstacles with God-pleasing focus. It’s now a few thousand years later, but “long winters” persist. Our lives experience seasons of difficultly, and we wonder about God’s purpose in the midst of them. We don’t have the forward revelation that brings our full distance into view.  But we can be sure that God has a unique and specific plan for our lives.  One that often finds today’s difficulty preparing us for tomorrow’s test. Will we be faithful as Joseph was?  Courageous, consistent, obedient, as we meet each obstacle?  And will it be said of us that we confronted them with God-pleasing focus?

If I could peel back the cover of your mind, or you could know exactly what my thoughts are, our faces would blush with embarrassment. Truth be told, there are times where our mental images say things like “you jerk”, or “you deserve what you are getting”. Appropriate decorum keeps us from letting the truth of our thoughts exit our lips. None of us is exempt from having thoughts that cause regret. Often these mental images are caused by the hurt others inflict upon us. It is easy to counsel forgiveness, but to forgive is often very difficult.

Whether we feel like forgiving or not, Scripture is plain about the responsibility of believers to forgive. A true discussion of our spiritual journeys would expose hurt from parents, spouses, co-workers, and even those we thought to be our closest friends. Sometimes the hurt runs deep and compounds over many years. Often the pain would seem to be lessened if we could just avoid being in contact with the ones who inflict the pain or irritation. But no matter the depth or persistence of hurt and pain, the Father’s direction will always be to forgive. When by a choice of the will, we release those who hurt us, we free our spirits to love and also invite God’s blessing.

Matthew 6:12/14-15
Forgive us our debts, as we
also have forgiven our debtors.

For if you forgive me when
they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also
forgive you. But if you do not
forgive men their sins, your
Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and
asked, “Lord, how many times
shall I forgive my brother when
he sins against me? Up to seven
times?” Jesus answered, “I tell
you, not seven times, but
seventy times seven.”

Recently in listening to a CD from John Maxwell, he presented forgiveness in a great way. It went like this. “Forgive everyone, every time for every thing.” I agree intellectually, but my will struggles sometimes. But in knowing that the will of God for us is to forgive (let go), we also know that that the path of a joyful journey has to be one of releasing others (forgiving). Peter came to Jesus with the great human logic of seven times. Jesus took him to seventy times seven. Habitually forgiving will pattern First Corinthians 13:5: Love keeps no record of wrongs.

Forgiving does not deny reality, God knows our pain. He also knows that for us to walk in freedom, we must release others. You may also know that the one you forgive, could hurt you again. Don’t let that trouble you, because our Father will give grace to deal with the hurts. If you have accepted Christ, your model of forgiveness in all things is the way He responded to others. With love and forgiveness … always!

Paul Harvey brought smiles to millions with the rest of the story. But his humorous and profound stories are no match for the rest of the story found in Job chapter forty-two. What we see of Job’s life through the pages of Scripture, causes us to “feel his pain” and genuinely hurt for him. Losing his family, being directly attacked by Satan, and having his friends condescend to him, all took their toll. We catch a glimpse of his pain through his emotional and passionate words. But then something happened: God spoke! And the rest of the story is a picture of grace, forgiveness, healing and restoration.

If you have read the book of Job, you know God speaks in chapters 38-41. The counsel of others brought hurt, not help in the midst of Job’s plight. But when God moved in, Job was deeply moved. Principles from Job chapter forty-two provide a dramatic conclusion. Let the rest of his story give hope for your journey.

Job 42:2-3,5-6
2 I know that you can do all
things; no plan of yours can be
thwarted. 3 You asked, ‘Who
is this that obscures my counsel
without knowledge?’ Surely I
spoke of things I did not
understand, things too wonderful
for me to know.

5 My ears had heard of you but
now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself and
repent in dust and ashes.

For lack of a better way to say it, after God spoke, Job got the message. He acknowledges God’s sovereignty and speaks to God’s wisdom. And although I can’t know the depths of verse five, I believe Job was now seeing with eyes of faith and understanding that gave him an ability to accept God’s plan. Can you remember a time where your hearing became seeing, and your view of God’s plan became clear? And then when Job’s eyes were opened, repentance came. Whether at the moment of salvation, or along the spiritual journey, when our eyes are opened to our sin, repentance is needed.

As the rest of the story nears its conclusion, reconciliation between Job and his friends is in full view. God gave strong instructions to Job’s friends, and Job prayed for them. It was after this prayer that God restored to Job prosperity and blessed him again with ten more children. I sensed a heart of forgiveness in Job as he prayed for those who abused him. I sensed a heart of grace from God to restore Job’s wealth, and give him children. I am profoundly touched by the words of verse twelve. “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.” (WOW!)  When we face trials, do we really believe that what God has for us is the better than anything we could imagine or wish for ourselves outside of that trial?

God knew what He was doing with Job. He knows what He is doing with you. He knows the rest of your story. So when your seasons are tough, hold tight to our Sovereign God.

With relative certainty, I would surmise that you prayed last week. After all, isn’t that what “good Christians” do. It may have been a quick plea for help, an obligatory meal prayer or in some cases a desperate cry for God’s intervention. But as the words left your lips, did you really believe they would make any difference? As a fellow journey struggler, I must confess that my prayers are too often littered with unbelief. But even in my weaker times, I have seen dramatic answers to heartfelt cries. So what is the key to a prayer life that honors the Father?

Books have been written about model prayers, mountain moving faith, praying without ceasing etc… Our purpose in this article is not to answer all of your questions about prayer. But, rather to turn your heart back to the simplicity of seeking God through prayer, and seeing Him move on your behalf. If you are new to faith in Christ, please trust me when I say that prayer works, and God does move mountains. If you have journeyed with Christ for many years, trust me when I say God still wants to move mountains for you.

Psalm 5:3
In the morning, O Lord,
you hear my voice; in the
morning I lay my requests
before you and wait in
expectation.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord, and he
answered me; he delivered
me from all my fears.

David’s words in the first verse, suggest a firm and simple trust as he began his day seeking God. He is confident that God hears him, and he petitions and waits in expectation (the equation could not be any simpler, or more powerful). Psalm 34:4 gives us a great picture of uncluttered asking and receiving. As simple as the verses look, I have found that my (and your) filtering systems get in the way of simply believing that God can, and does want to intervene in our everyday lives. Turning faith inward, and not upward makes faith about us, and not the Father. If you find yourself there, make the directional shift, and I believe you will find that prayer will never be the same for you.

Lest my words be misconstrued, I am not advocating that God has to respond my way if I have enough faith, or that He always moves dramatically. He doesn’t heal our loved ones every time. And in His wisdom, He will allow difficulties in our lives. Remember God is Eternal and Holy. He will choose to move in our lives according to His design, in His time, which is always good. But the truth remains, that He wants us to pray with faith. History, Scripture, and my own life have taught me that God will intervene when faith is present.

Matthew 17:19-20
Then the disciples came to
Jesus in private and asked,
“Why couldn’t we drive it
out?” He replied, “Because
you have so little faith. I tell
you the truth, if you have
faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this
mountain, ‘Move from here
to there’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible
for you.”

This dialogue between Jesus and his disciples gives us powerful insight. You may be hearing it for the first time, or for maybe for the thousandth. And even still, you may feel your faith is too small. Looking at faith from an inward perspective will hinder mountains from being moved. Deciding today that God wants to take your faith and honor it, will change your prayer life and refresh your journey. Can you, will you believe that God will use your life of faith?!

Trust me, He can, and He will.

Difficulties in life come in various shapes and sizes. I may not easily understand your struggles, and you probably can’t relate to mine. When we are confronted with global chaos (Haiti) or particularly personal pain, a wide range of emotions can overwhelm our spirits. Thoughts such as “does God care?” tend to invade our minds, even if the words never exit our lips. God’s Word can give us confidence of His control, and our faith will help us through those seasons of difficulty. Recently, a few verses from the book of Job have given me fresh perspective on how real people really hurt.

For just a moment look with me at Job’s plight, and maybe to a lesser degree, some emotions that may have invaded you mind and heart. As you read this, think of someone in your life that may be dealing with a Job complex even now. God allowed Satan to attack a man who His Word called, blameless. He lost his children, his wealth, and health. Why didn’t God step in sooner? Why were his friends so condescending? As Job journeyed through the pain, see if his words resonate.

Job 23:8-9
But if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find Him.
When he is at work in the north, I do
not see him; when he turns to the
south, I catch no glimpse of him.
[Have you ever felt like God was hiding?]

Job 23:10
But he knows the way that I take; when
he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
[Often during the struggle you have probably
spoken with words of faith, just as Job did.]

Job 29:2
How I long for the months gone by,
for the days when God watched over me.
[Although you know God has not
stopped watching over you, have
you ever felt like Job did?]

Job 30:27
The churning inside me never stops;
days of suffering confront me.
[Often we wonder if the suffering will ever stop.]

Our journey struggles can cause the same heart cries as those of Job. But lest we forget, God blessed Job’s life abundantly again. Trying to figure out all the reasons for our suffering, or the pain of those we love, is a waste of time and a drain to our faith. By a choice of the will, you can have peace through pain.  And because of that choice, others can see hope. From experience, let me share a few thoughts that I believe will help.

• Decide to hold fast to the promises of God’s Word.
• Remember how God has intervened for you in past.
• Tell the Father exactly how you feel. (He can handle it!)
• Remember to let your faith look beyond today.

God wants joy for your life. He will, however, allow tough seasons. He alone knows the incredible worth of what they can teach you! Our challenge will be in trusting Him through the storms, knowing He is working for our good. Job said it well: “when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”  Take hold of it, and believe it!

If you are struggling with knowing God, or issues of faith, we would love to hear from you.  Reach out, and email us.  Brothers and sisters must stand united in times of testing and struggle.  We are not just words on a page, we are hearts that care.  Ready always to come along side.

Can I tell you how much I love the gospels?!  So much truth at every turn!  You can’t “look” away for even a single verse, or you may miss something amazing.

In one of the very first verses of our Matthew readings last week, I was confronted again with a phrase that, until recently, I have to admit I hadn’t really noticed.  I say confronted again, because some more recent reads and studies of the gospels have brought this phrase to the forefront of my attention.  Matthew chapter 8 begins with the story of Jesus healing a man with leprosy.  As I began to read the words of verse 4, the confrontation recurred … “Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone.” The verse ends with part B of Jesus’ instruction, that the man present himself to the priest and offer a sacrifice as a testimony.  But it is part A that spoke to me so profoundly.  You find similar instructions from Jesus several times scattered throughout the gospels.  It occurs again in verse 30 of Matthew chapter 9.  Jesus heals two blind men, and as verse 30 ends, we read  … Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.”

There were multiple reasons, the multiple times He gave similar instructions.  But I believe there is a consistent and relevant spiritual application, in our personal pursuit to model Jesus in front of others.  We may not have the ability to physically heal, as Jesus did on both these occasions.  But we do have the opportunity to serve and minister to others in humility and anonymity.

How many times have I served and helped, with just a bit too much “me”?  Judging my motives and desires in retrospect, and finding varying degrees of self-interest and gain.  We’ve all fallen victim to reaching down, or reaching out to help someone, only later to find ourselves telling the story and receiving praise for the charity we showed.  How hard it is to truly serve in silence, and simply leave it at the feet of Jesus.  But how much more is God glorified when we do?!  We may not intend it, but every ounce of praise that stops with us, is that much less than goes to its rightful recipient.

God knows our human frailty.  And in challenging you with this thought, I do not pretend to assert that you should shun even the tiniest hint of praise that is offered in your direction.  He knows us, and wants our best.  And He sends encouragement our way from time to time, in the form of kind words.  But our desire should always be for the praise to not end with us.  But rather be redirected to the only One that is truly worthy of it.  And when we serve, always meet the opportunity with humility and a genuine desire for anonymity.  It is only from that heart attitude, that we can truly model our Savior and the living legacy he left us.