Archive for year: 2019

Moving ahead in God’s strength:
David didn’t spend time waiting to slay Goliath—
after gathering five stones for his slingshot—he attacked.
(See 1 Samuel 17:32.)

Lazarus didn’t linger in the tomb when he heard Christ’s
voice—he came out immediately. (See Luke 11:43-44.)

When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, they “left
their nets at once” (Matthew 4:20 NLT).

Waiting patiently in God’s strength:
When God promised Hannah a son, she trusted His Word and
waited for the promise to be fulfilled. (See 1 Samuel 1.)

After bombarding God with an entire chapter of questions,
Habakkuk climbed his watchtower and patiently waited for
God to speak. (See Habakkuk 1-2.)

When David was only a teenager, he knew God had
appointed him to become the king of Israel, but he
waited years for God to make it happen.

When God tells us to GO, we need to move forward immediately.
But when He tells us to WAIT, the worst thing we can do is to move
ahead on our own.

Those who act impatiently always have to deal with the
consequences on moving forward outside of God’s timing.

Saul got tired of waiting on God’s chosen leader Samuel to sacrifice
the burnt offering, and he directly disobeyed God by offering it
himself:

“Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had
instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. So he demanded,
‘Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!’ And Saul
sacrificed the burnt offering himself” (1 Samuel 13:8-9 NLT).
Consequence: The kingdom was taken away from him.

Sarah got tired of waiting on God to fulfill His promise to give her a
son, so she gave her servant, Hagar, to her husband, Abraham, to
conceive and have a son for her.
Consequence: Ishmael (son through Hagar and Abraham) and
Isaac (God’s promised son through Sarah and Abraham 25 years
later), became two rivaling people groups who are still at war today
(Muslims and Jews).

So . . . how do know when to move and when to wait?

Great question!
We’ll continue this chat next week, March 26.

Thoughts?
Want to share how you’ve discerned the difference of when to wait on
God and when to move forward in His strength?

Many times when Jesus healed someone in the Bible,
He told them to get up or to go after He had touched them.

• The paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5).“Get up.”
• Another paralytic man in Matthew 9. “Get up.”
• The woman with the diseased blood (Luke 8). “Go in peace.”
• A leper (Mark 1). “Go.”
• The blind man (Mark 8). “Jesus sent him . . .”
• A man who was born blind (John 9). “Go.”
• The man who had dropsy (Luke 14). “He sent him on his way.”
• The 10 lepers (Luke 17). “Go.”

In each of the above situations, Jesus didn’t hold their hands
and pull them up or guide them home. He healed them—
and in His strength, they moved.

But THEY had to move.

Often we pray about a specific area in our lives in which we
desire God to work. He’s always willing to help us—but that doesn’t
mean He will do the moving FOR us. He wants US to get up.

He brought Lazarus back to life, but He didn’t carry him out of the
grave. “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus had to get up and go.
Is there something you’ve been praying about but haven’t actually put
your prayer into action? It could be that God has touched you, but
NOW you need to respond by moving.

Thoughts?

Please pray for me this week as I speak in Science Hill, KY.

It seems the overriding message of the Old and New Testaments is
come.

God goes to great lengths to make sure we know He yearns for us to
come to Him.

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’
And let the one who hears say, Come!’
Let the one who is thirsty come;
and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life”
(Revelation 22:17 NIV).

Yes, God desires for us to come to Him so He can forgive us and
make us righteous, but He also wants us to come to Him so He can
meet our needs.

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters”
(Isaiah 55:1 NIV).

He wants to refresh us, fill us and restore us.

“Come, let us sing to the LORD!” (Psalm 95:1 NLT)

When we come to Him, He also desires our praise and worship.
Think about the way you approach Him. Is it only with a list of
requests, or do you also adorn Him with praise?

“Come to me with your ears wide open” (Isaiah 55:3 NLT).
The above verse tells us God wants us to LISTEN. I confess it’s easy
for me to do most of the talking when I come to Him throughout the
day. I’m asking Him to teach me to come with my ears open. I want to
hear His voice more.

“Let us come to him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 95:2 NLT).
This year I’m determined to thank Him more. I don’t want to take the
little things for granted, because even the small things are blessings
from Him . . . the weather, the changing colors of the seasons, a call
from a friend, the soft fur of my dog in my lap . . . I want Him to know
I’m truly grateful for every blessing He brings my way.

“Come, let us worship and bow down” (Psalm 95:6 NLT).
And yes, He desires genuine worship from us when we come to Him.
This week, think about the variety of ways you come to the Father.

Determine to come to Him with open ears, gratitude, worship and
restoration this week.

Thoughts?

Please pray for me this weekend as I speak to ministers and mates
on the Joplin, MO district at their annual retreat.

I’ve always admired those little “smart cars” and have longed to drive
one. They remind me of the old-fashioned bumper cars
I used to ride at the amusement park when I was a child.

So when a friend of mine got a smart car, I longingly looked inside,
admired it, and secretly wished I could get one.

I’ve often thought it would be really fun to own some land—
a few acres . . . or even one acre . . . a place where my dogs Obie
and Amos could just go crazy. When a friend of mine moved onto 40
acres and built a new home, I found myself wanting that as well.

I’ve wondered what it would be like to have a padded bank account
and be free from the concern of meticulous budgeting. And when my
friend’s husband got a promotion and began bringing in six figures,
I dreamed of what that would be like.

God tells us in Exodus 20:17 that we’re not to covet.
What exactly does it mean to covet?

According to the dictionary:

“to desire wrongfully, inordinately, 
or without due regard for the rights of others.”

Although I wasn’t exactly coveting these things I’ve mentioned,
I’ve recently felt checked by the Holy Spirit about even desiring
things that others have, because it takes my focus off of God.
Jesus was having an all-important conversation with Peter.

He was actually pulling back the curtain to Peter’s future and
revealing the life, ministry and death Peter would experience.

But Peter, looking around, saw John and asked about him.

“Peter asked Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ “
(John 21:21 New Living Translation)

It may be natural to compare our lives with others—
but it’s not God’s will. His desire is that we remain
clearly focused on Him.

I confess I sometimes look at the ministry someone else has
and wonder why the ministry God has given me doesn’t
look like that.

Or I wish I had a spiritual gift I see in another.

But God is teaching me to keep my eyes on Him and to be grateful
for the specific ministry He has given me.

Dear Jesus, help me to be grateful for what I have remain
solely focused on You.

Thoughts?

I’d appreciate your prayers as I speak in Sharpsburg, IN
this weekend.