Andy Bonikowsky's Blog, page 22
September 2, 2014
Comfort
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. . . . The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever. . . . (Isaiah 40:1,8)
The best comforter in all the world is God.
He made us and understands exactly how our minds are put together. He is fully aware of what goes on in the heart of the person who is discouraged and He knows the exact way to lift him out of his depressed thoughts. Whether we take the advice or not depends on our faith and desire, but if we truly want to rise above the circumstances that knocked us down, we need to listen and trust and obey.
How then does the Lord comfort His people? One answer can be found in Isaiah's fortieth chapter.
It begins with, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people..."
The words that follow are one of the grandest and most majestic theological dissertations of Scripture. Maybe this kind of therapy comes as a surprise to us. Is theology the medication we need in times of pain and depression?
Apparently so. It's what our heavenly Father chose.
Notice some of the key elements in the passage. They make a powerful combination, just right for the physically, emotionally, or spiritually hurting. They are a medicine that can soothe the drooping soul, turn it around, and make it soar into realms of praise.
First God exalts His Word. "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever." (8) He sets it far above any human being or earthly solution. Nobody else, anywhere, can claim to be the answer to the suffering of a sin infected race. The divine Word is man's only hope for hope.
Then, the bulk of the chapter is given over to one argument, to which the rest of the Bible agrees wholeheartedly: The infinite superiority of the Creator over all creation allows Him to offer real comfort.
Because of His massive strength He can deal gently with His people while simultaneously managing oceans, earth, and heavens. The totality of nations, both small and huge, are before Him as insignificant as the fine dust on a vender's scale. It is shameful to even mention His living personality in comparison with the dumb idols of pagan cultures. The dizzying array of heavenly bodies, in its mind boggling expanse, is as easy for Him to control as the sliding of a curtain in a tent. And finally, every object of the universe, even those outside our knowledge, He has personally given a name.
Here God stops.
He has made His point and there is absolutely no reason to go further.
It's at this moment, with a seemingly incredulous voice, that the Almighty basically asks, "How can you possibly say I don't see you and can't help you? Such thinking is preposterous!"
Look to me. Consider who I am. Then wait on me.
You will mount up with wings as an eagle.
True comfort comes when the human heart hears and understands and believes in the greatness of God.
Dear Father, how easily I look at big obstacles, big adversaries, big problems, and feel overwhelmed. I forget to see how You completely dwarf them with Your infinite being. Forgive me, help me fix my eyes on You, and I will need no other comfort. Amen.
The best comforter in all the world is God.
He made us and understands exactly how our minds are put together. He is fully aware of what goes on in the heart of the person who is discouraged and He knows the exact way to lift him out of his depressed thoughts. Whether we take the advice or not depends on our faith and desire, but if we truly want to rise above the circumstances that knocked us down, we need to listen and trust and obey.
How then does the Lord comfort His people? One answer can be found in Isaiah's fortieth chapter.
It begins with, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people..."
The words that follow are one of the grandest and most majestic theological dissertations of Scripture. Maybe this kind of therapy comes as a surprise to us. Is theology the medication we need in times of pain and depression?
Apparently so. It's what our heavenly Father chose.
Notice some of the key elements in the passage. They make a powerful combination, just right for the physically, emotionally, or spiritually hurting. They are a medicine that can soothe the drooping soul, turn it around, and make it soar into realms of praise.
First God exalts His Word. "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever." (8) He sets it far above any human being or earthly solution. Nobody else, anywhere, can claim to be the answer to the suffering of a sin infected race. The divine Word is man's only hope for hope.
Then, the bulk of the chapter is given over to one argument, to which the rest of the Bible agrees wholeheartedly: The infinite superiority of the Creator over all creation allows Him to offer real comfort.
Because of His massive strength He can deal gently with His people while simultaneously managing oceans, earth, and heavens. The totality of nations, both small and huge, are before Him as insignificant as the fine dust on a vender's scale. It is shameful to even mention His living personality in comparison with the dumb idols of pagan cultures. The dizzying array of heavenly bodies, in its mind boggling expanse, is as easy for Him to control as the sliding of a curtain in a tent. And finally, every object of the universe, even those outside our knowledge, He has personally given a name.
Here God stops.
He has made His point and there is absolutely no reason to go further.
It's at this moment, with a seemingly incredulous voice, that the Almighty basically asks, "How can you possibly say I don't see you and can't help you? Such thinking is preposterous!"
Look to me. Consider who I am. Then wait on me.
You will mount up with wings as an eagle.
True comfort comes when the human heart hears and understands and believes in the greatness of God.
Dear Father, how easily I look at big obstacles, big adversaries, big problems, and feel overwhelmed. I forget to see how You completely dwarf them with Your infinite being. Forgive me, help me fix my eyes on You, and I will need no other comfort. Amen.
July 14, 2014
Open Eyes
And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)
God is always doing much more in our surroundings than our eyes can see.
The story of Elisha and his servant uniquely teaches this truth. Unfortunately, we often become so familiar with the amazing accounts in the Bible that we develop a kind of spiritual crust over our hearts. Eventually we can read them with hardly a blink at the awesome details.
It's not that we deny their truth. But we end up placing them on a lofty shelf of our mind’s library, up in a section reserved for things God did a long time ago, to people in a different world than ours. And so, we distance ourselves from the facts and consider them totally irrelevant to our modern lives.
If that's the way we read the Scriptures, we have put on spiritual blinders, and will miss one of the important purposes behind them.
So let's look at this passage with an eye to understanding what it's there for.
A Syrian general is told that God's prophet is exposing each one of his most secret military plans. Unbelievably, that same commander thinks that by moving his troops at night he can catch the servant of the Lord by surprise! Unknown to him, his foolish maneuver does nothing more than set the scene for God to teach Elisha's assistant a powerful lesson. And because it was included in the sacred text, it becomes a most encouraging one for us too.
With a short little prayer the man of God merely asks that his servant be able to see. He does not ask for protection, for wisdom to know what to do, or for any calamity to happen to the enemy. All he wants is for his helper to truly see what's out there.
Wouldn't you like to see the expression that came over the servant's face when he saw things as they really were? I sort of think Elisha was smiling.
Notice what the truth was and how it applies to every one who is in God's will.
They were never in real danger, nor had God abandoned them. However, the servant, who had seen only the visible circumstances, came to the normal, logical, human conclusion . . .
They were doomed!
But he was simply and completely wrong. He thought that what he saw with his physical eyes was the whole scene.
I think if we are honest we will recognize that often this man's mindset is firmly lodged in our own thinking habits.
We read, "I am with you alway", but live as though Jesus is a universe away.
We hear about the "cloud of witnesses", but act as though we are totally alone and unwatched.
We know the Bible says, "the just shall live by faith", but we insist on wanting to see and understand everything that is going on around us.
We would do well to remember the words Christ spoke to Thomas: "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
Dear Father, please increase my faith, that I be able to see without having to see. Help me live according to reality as given in Your Word, as I would see it if You opened my eyes like Elisha's servant. Amen.
JAM#153
God is always doing much more in our surroundings than our eyes can see.
The story of Elisha and his servant uniquely teaches this truth. Unfortunately, we often become so familiar with the amazing accounts in the Bible that we develop a kind of spiritual crust over our hearts. Eventually we can read them with hardly a blink at the awesome details.
It's not that we deny their truth. But we end up placing them on a lofty shelf of our mind’s library, up in a section reserved for things God did a long time ago, to people in a different world than ours. And so, we distance ourselves from the facts and consider them totally irrelevant to our modern lives.
If that's the way we read the Scriptures, we have put on spiritual blinders, and will miss one of the important purposes behind them.
So let's look at this passage with an eye to understanding what it's there for.
A Syrian general is told that God's prophet is exposing each one of his most secret military plans. Unbelievably, that same commander thinks that by moving his troops at night he can catch the servant of the Lord by surprise! Unknown to him, his foolish maneuver does nothing more than set the scene for God to teach Elisha's assistant a powerful lesson. And because it was included in the sacred text, it becomes a most encouraging one for us too.
With a short little prayer the man of God merely asks that his servant be able to see. He does not ask for protection, for wisdom to know what to do, or for any calamity to happen to the enemy. All he wants is for his helper to truly see what's out there.
Wouldn't you like to see the expression that came over the servant's face when he saw things as they really were? I sort of think Elisha was smiling.
Notice what the truth was and how it applies to every one who is in God's will.
They were never in real danger, nor had God abandoned them. However, the servant, who had seen only the visible circumstances, came to the normal, logical, human conclusion . . .
They were doomed!
But he was simply and completely wrong. He thought that what he saw with his physical eyes was the whole scene.
I think if we are honest we will recognize that often this man's mindset is firmly lodged in our own thinking habits.
We read, "I am with you alway", but live as though Jesus is a universe away.
We hear about the "cloud of witnesses", but act as though we are totally alone and unwatched.
We know the Bible says, "the just shall live by faith", but we insist on wanting to see and understand everything that is going on around us.
We would do well to remember the words Christ spoke to Thomas: "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
Dear Father, please increase my faith, that I be able to see without having to see. Help me live according to reality as given in Your Word, as I would see it if You opened my eyes like Elisha's servant. Amen.
JAM#153
Open Eyes, JAM#153
And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)
God is always doing much more in our surroundings than our eyes can see.
The story of Elisha and his servant uniquely teaches this truth. Unfortunately, we often become so familiar with the amazing accounts in the Bible that we develop a kind of spiritual crust over our hearts. Eventually we can read them with hardly a blink at the awesome details.
It's not that we deny their truth. But we end up placing them on a lofty shelf of our mind’s library, up in a section reserved for things God did a long time ago, to people in a different world than ours. And so, we distance ourselves from the facts and consider them totally irrelevant to our modern lives.
If that's the way we read the Scriptures, we have put on spiritual blinders, and will miss one of the important purposes behind them.
So let's look at this passage with an eye to understanding what it's there for.
A Syrian general is told that God's prophet is exposing each one of his most secret military plans. Unbelievably, that same commander thinks that by moving his troops at night he can catch the servant of the Lord by surprise! Unknown to him, his foolish maneuver does nothing more than set the scene for God to teach Elisha's assistant a powerful lesson. And because it was included in the sacred text, it becomes a most encouraging one for us too.
With a short little prayer the man of God merely asks that his servant be able to see. He does not ask for protection, for wisdom to know what to do, or for any calamity to happen to the enemy. All he wants is for his helper to truly see what's out there.
Wouldn't you like to see the expression that came over the servant's face when he saw things as they really were? I sort of think Elisha was smiling.
Notice what the truth was and how it applies to every one who is in God's will.
They were never in real danger, nor had God abandoned them. However, the servant, who had seen only the visible circumstances, came to the normal, logical, human conclusion . . .
They were doomed!
But he was simply and completely wrong. He thought that what he saw with his physical eyes was the whole scene.
I think if we are honest we will recognize that often this man's mindset is firmly lodged in our own thinking habits.
We read, "I am with you alway", but live as though Jesus is a universe away.
We hear about the "cloud of witnesses", but act as though we are totally alone and unwatched.
We know the Bible says, "the just shall live by faith", but we insist on wanting to see and understand everything that is going on around us.
We would do well to remember the words Christ spoke to Thomas: "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
Dear Father, please increase my faith, that I be able to see without having to see. Help me live according to reality as given in Your Word, as I would see it if You opened my eyes like Elisha's servant. Amen.
God is always doing much more in our surroundings than our eyes can see.
The story of Elisha and his servant uniquely teaches this truth. Unfortunately, we often become so familiar with the amazing accounts in the Bible that we develop a kind of spiritual crust over our hearts. Eventually we can read them with hardly a blink at the awesome details.
It's not that we deny their truth. But we end up placing them on a lofty shelf of our mind’s library, up in a section reserved for things God did a long time ago, to people in a different world than ours. And so, we distance ourselves from the facts and consider them totally irrelevant to our modern lives.
If that's the way we read the Scriptures, we have put on spiritual blinders, and will miss one of the important purposes behind them.
So let's look at this passage with an eye to understanding what it's there for.
A Syrian general is told that God's prophet is exposing each one of his most secret military plans. Unbelievably, that same commander thinks that by moving his troops at night he can catch the servant of the Lord by surprise! Unknown to him, his foolish maneuver does nothing more than set the scene for God to teach Elisha's assistant a powerful lesson. And because it was included in the sacred text, it becomes a most encouraging one for us too.
With a short little prayer the man of God merely asks that his servant be able to see. He does not ask for protection, for wisdom to know what to do, or for any calamity to happen to the enemy. All he wants is for his helper to truly see what's out there.
Wouldn't you like to see the expression that came over the servant's face when he saw things as they really were? I sort of think Elisha was smiling.
Notice what the truth was and how it applies to every one who is in God's will.
They were never in real danger, nor had God abandoned them. However, the servant, who had seen only the visible circumstances, came to the normal, logical, human conclusion . . .
They were doomed!
But he was simply and completely wrong. He thought that what he saw with his physical eyes was the whole scene.
I think if we are honest we will recognize that often this man's mindset is firmly lodged in our own thinking habits.
We read, "I am with you alway", but live as though Jesus is a universe away.
We hear about the "cloud of witnesses", but act as though we are totally alone and unwatched.
We know the Bible says, "the just shall live by faith", but we insist on wanting to see and understand everything that is going on around us.
We would do well to remember the words Christ spoke to Thomas: "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
Dear Father, please increase my faith, that I be able to see without having to see. Help me live according to reality as given in Your Word, as I would see it if You opened my eyes like Elisha's servant. Amen.
July 2, 2014
Focusing our Investment (Eccl. 2:17-19)
Every one of us is an investor of talents and resources. Solomon's reasoning here gives us a powerful back door argument for investing in people. We have no guarantee that anything we leave behind will be properly managed. For a variety of reasons, the hard earned results of the diligent tend to fade quickly into the forgotten fog. From many different angles, the truth of Scripture points in one direction: Focus your efforts on serving God through serving people.
So, today . . . How will you invest? In mere projects, personal dreams, or vain entertainment? Or will we look around at the individuals God has placed in our lives--many who will outlive us--and be a blessing to them?
The Lord makes sure these investments pay off.
Forever.
(Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous to me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun . . . )
So, today . . . How will you invest? In mere projects, personal dreams, or vain entertainment? Or will we look around at the individuals God has placed in our lives--many who will outlive us--and be a blessing to them?
The Lord makes sure these investments pay off.
Forever.
(Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous to me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun . . . )
May 30, 2014
The Perfect Food (Deut 8:3)
The wilderness manna was the perfect kind of lesson. Every day it gave the same instruction, which the Israelites were (and we are) supposed to learn permanently. We were made for two kinds of food. Neglect either one and we are in serious trouble. Our bodies need daily, healthy physical nourishment, while our souls require the spiritual menu provided in the Word of God. Manna came as a tasty morsel that filled their stomachs; faith grew in their souls as they realized Jehovah's promise was unwavering and complete.
How simple to understand. How easy to believe. How difficult to embrace.
(Deuteronomy 8:3, And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.)
How simple to understand. How easy to believe. How difficult to embrace.
(Deuteronomy 8:3, And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.)
May 28, 2014
The Shield, Jam#151
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. (Genesis 15:1) . . . The LORD is my strength and my shield. (Psalm 28:7)
God does not hand out shields to His children nor distribute them as prizes to favorite servants. He never offers any kind of visual or physical device to guard us from Satan or adverse circumstances. His plan for our safety and well being is much more personal, and infinitely more reliable.
He wants to BE our shield.
That is so radically different than what we often believe.
We have drunk deeply from the world's wells. The idea of actually trusting God for our basic, everyday, protection is almost a foreign concept. We may pray before a trip or job project, but generally we feel naked and vulnerable if we do not have everything our culture says we need to safeguard ourselves from evil situations or people. So, we surround our bodies and goods with the latest in electronic devices, full guarantees, and water tight contracts, hoping to then walk through life undisturbed.
But down inside we know that there is always somebody nearby who is figuring out a way to get around our shields.
All the while, God is telling us in the plain text of Scripture, "There is a much better way."
King David learned about God's shield early on, fighting lions, bears, and giants. He found out that being where his Master wanted him to be and doing what he was supposed to do were the main conditions for divine protection. This truth became so foundational for him that he repeated it almost a dozen times in his songs.
These became valuable instruction for his physical and spiritual descendants, including Hezekiah who lived three hundred years later. In answer this king's faith, 185,000 Assyrian corpses were the silent witnesses to Jehovah's ability to shield Israel from it's enemies.
Flipping over to the New Testament we find the theme restated or illustrated in every major character and book. Why even the Great Commission contains the message! It begins and ends with Christ's absolute authority and His everlasting presence promised to every child who preaches the Gospel.
Then again, to Paul, facing fierce opposition and ever present physical danger in Corinth, the Master broke into his sleep one night with this message: "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee . . . " With that assurance he continued on for 18 very fruitful months of ministry.
Why then do we find it so hard to apply this truth in our ordinary walk?
There can only be one answer. It is the simple and embarrassing sin of unbelief. But for the Lord's grace, it taints our every thought.
God says, "Let ME be your shield!", to which we often respond, "Ok. But just in case..."
Ironically, If we would take Him at His Word we would learn that the reward for trusting Him as our shield ends up being much more than just protection.
Dear Father, help me believe. At times I get the idea that this age is different and somehow Your principles don't apply. Give me the simple faith to take You at Your Word. Amen.
God does not hand out shields to His children nor distribute them as prizes to favorite servants. He never offers any kind of visual or physical device to guard us from Satan or adverse circumstances. His plan for our safety and well being is much more personal, and infinitely more reliable.
He wants to BE our shield.
That is so radically different than what we often believe.
We have drunk deeply from the world's wells. The idea of actually trusting God for our basic, everyday, protection is almost a foreign concept. We may pray before a trip or job project, but generally we feel naked and vulnerable if we do not have everything our culture says we need to safeguard ourselves from evil situations or people. So, we surround our bodies and goods with the latest in electronic devices, full guarantees, and water tight contracts, hoping to then walk through life undisturbed.
But down inside we know that there is always somebody nearby who is figuring out a way to get around our shields.
All the while, God is telling us in the plain text of Scripture, "There is a much better way."
King David learned about God's shield early on, fighting lions, bears, and giants. He found out that being where his Master wanted him to be and doing what he was supposed to do were the main conditions for divine protection. This truth became so foundational for him that he repeated it almost a dozen times in his songs.
These became valuable instruction for his physical and spiritual descendants, including Hezekiah who lived three hundred years later. In answer this king's faith, 185,000 Assyrian corpses were the silent witnesses to Jehovah's ability to shield Israel from it's enemies.
Flipping over to the New Testament we find the theme restated or illustrated in every major character and book. Why even the Great Commission contains the message! It begins and ends with Christ's absolute authority and His everlasting presence promised to every child who preaches the Gospel.
Then again, to Paul, facing fierce opposition and ever present physical danger in Corinth, the Master broke into his sleep one night with this message: "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee . . . " With that assurance he continued on for 18 very fruitful months of ministry.
Why then do we find it so hard to apply this truth in our ordinary walk?
There can only be one answer. It is the simple and embarrassing sin of unbelief. But for the Lord's grace, it taints our every thought.
God says, "Let ME be your shield!", to which we often respond, "Ok. But just in case..."
Ironically, If we would take Him at His Word we would learn that the reward for trusting Him as our shield ends up being much more than just protection.
Dear Father, help me believe. At times I get the idea that this age is different and somehow Your principles don't apply. Give me the simple faith to take You at Your Word. Amen.
May 27, 2014
The Spouse Chooser, JAM#150
And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought he unto the man . . . (Genesis 2:22)
Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter . . . then will I do the part of the kinsman to thee, as the lord liveth. (Boaz, in Ruth 3:10, 13)
It was no ordinary man God chose to be king David's ancestor.
He was rich. He was powerful. He was respected.
But more importantly, Boaz was godly.
He ran his business with a spiritual atmosphere, so much so that when he arrived to check out the progress at his fields, the opening conversation with his workers went as follows: "Hey men, may Jehovah be with you today!" To this they would heartily answer, "And God bless you too, Sir!"
Wow!
But it appears there were a couple more interesting things about him.
He was patient. He was single.
Maybe he had not read Genesis 1 & 2, but it is pretty clear he understood the concepts taught there.
In the beginning God gave an unbeatable model for choosing a spouse. First He set the scene by having Adam name the animals. As the man thought over each species in that peculiar zoo at Eden, one thing became painfully clear. Every creature on earth had a mate, except him. He was all alone and soon was longing for company.
So God performed surgery on him.
When Adam woke up from his deep sleep, the Lord walked over to him with His beautiful surprise. The Creator must have enjoyed this moment more than any other in the six days of creation. What a scene! Surely it brought a special delight to His heart. It was so sacred, so pure, so right.
Thousands of years later Boaz was looking to the very same God to choose a wife for him too, and his desire was honored. His wealth and influence would have provided numerous opportunities for finding a female companion, but that was not the way this man understood things. He knew the best way to find exactly the right lady was to let the Lord bring her to him, even if it took years.
And that is precisely what happened.
Faith and patience paid off, as they always do.
May we encourage the younger generation to not get swept up in the mood of the age, or the vanity of youth, or the pressure of culture, or whatever else goes against pure and simple Biblical sense. Our world seems to take for granted that young people need to go off in search of their mates, that they are automatically wise enough to discern what is true love. Sadly, some do just that, forsaking the teaching of Scripture and the advice of parents and pastors.
What follows is usually not a pretty sight.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God . . ." and "Honor your father and your mother" and "Wait on the Lord" may be old phrases, but they are truth as relevant as this morning's sun. They are the only way to find God's perfect choice of spouse, if He wants one to be found.
Dear Father, protect our young people from the pull of the age, from following the world's manual. Help us teach by example, not rushing into the future with personal strategies and agendas, but waiting, trusting, and letting You bring the best our way. Amen.
Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter . . . then will I do the part of the kinsman to thee, as the lord liveth. (Boaz, in Ruth 3:10, 13)
It was no ordinary man God chose to be king David's ancestor.
He was rich. He was powerful. He was respected.
But more importantly, Boaz was godly.
He ran his business with a spiritual atmosphere, so much so that when he arrived to check out the progress at his fields, the opening conversation with his workers went as follows: "Hey men, may Jehovah be with you today!" To this they would heartily answer, "And God bless you too, Sir!"
Wow!
But it appears there were a couple more interesting things about him.
He was patient. He was single.
Maybe he had not read Genesis 1 & 2, but it is pretty clear he understood the concepts taught there.
In the beginning God gave an unbeatable model for choosing a spouse. First He set the scene by having Adam name the animals. As the man thought over each species in that peculiar zoo at Eden, one thing became painfully clear. Every creature on earth had a mate, except him. He was all alone and soon was longing for company.
So God performed surgery on him.
When Adam woke up from his deep sleep, the Lord walked over to him with His beautiful surprise. The Creator must have enjoyed this moment more than any other in the six days of creation. What a scene! Surely it brought a special delight to His heart. It was so sacred, so pure, so right.
Thousands of years later Boaz was looking to the very same God to choose a wife for him too, and his desire was honored. His wealth and influence would have provided numerous opportunities for finding a female companion, but that was not the way this man understood things. He knew the best way to find exactly the right lady was to let the Lord bring her to him, even if it took years.
And that is precisely what happened.
Faith and patience paid off, as they always do.
May we encourage the younger generation to not get swept up in the mood of the age, or the vanity of youth, or the pressure of culture, or whatever else goes against pure and simple Biblical sense. Our world seems to take for granted that young people need to go off in search of their mates, that they are automatically wise enough to discern what is true love. Sadly, some do just that, forsaking the teaching of Scripture and the advice of parents and pastors.
What follows is usually not a pretty sight.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God . . ." and "Honor your father and your mother" and "Wait on the Lord" may be old phrases, but they are truth as relevant as this morning's sun. They are the only way to find God's perfect choice of spouse, if He wants one to be found.
Dear Father, protect our young people from the pull of the age, from following the world's manual. Help us teach by example, not rushing into the future with personal strategies and agendas, but waiting, trusting, and letting You bring the best our way. Amen.
No, JAM#149
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. (Acts 16:6-7)
"I don't want you to go there", the Holy Spirit said to Paul and his companions.
It may have come to them as a complete surprise since God's unmistakeable blessing had been on their journeys so far. Everywhere they had gone the churches had been strengthened and people had been saved daily. As far as we know, the Lord had prospered every choice they had made up to this point.
But on this day the Holy Spirit had said NO.
So they turned north . . . and the Spirit stopped them again!
From what we know of Paul, we can be quite sure he had had a plan. That's the kind of person he was. Before his conversion his had been the highly regimented lifestyle of the Pharisees, and in that circle he was at the top. He was known for excelling in everything and famous for leaving his peers behind in his unparalleled zeal for the Law. He knew where and how he was going, and wouldn't stop until he got there!
But that was before.
Paul viewed his new mission in a completely different light. He no longer had a personal agenda nor was his primary focus on checking off his list of target cities. God was the One who made his decisions now. The courageous and energetic missionary had humbly submitted to the will of his Master. The Lord Jesus could move him in any direction, at any moment, and in any way.
And that is exactly the attitude we should have.
Who of us has not heard this same NO?
Can you remember having your suitcases packed and ready when the Spirit clearly made His point: "That is not where I want you to go"? What about the business objective or ministry goal that you were sure was the ideal one? Or how about the family dream you had looked forward to for years?
It can be a disconcerting experience to have these changed by God, but that is what He often does. And every time He moves to rearrange our plans, it is to prepare us for His better ones.
In this Biblical scene, the Spirit had a whole package of spiritual victories awaiting the Gospel preachers. There was Phillipi and it's church born in the jailer's house. There was the congregation of Thessalonica, with its exemplary conversion from idols to the living and true God. There were the Bereans, who eagerly compared the message with the Scriptures, and then the Athenians who heard Paul's mighty sermon about the Unknown God. Finally, before the messenger of God turned back to his sending church at Antioch, a remarkable ministry would be established on the isthmus of Corinth.
All this because a man was open to having the Lord interrupt his schedule.
Are we wise enough and humble enough to be used in this way?
Dear Father, You always know best. I fear that many of my spiritual plans are still laced with subtle strands of private ambitions and desires. Make me easy to direct, easy to change, easy to move in the direction of Your perfect will. Amen.
Andy
"I don't want you to go there", the Holy Spirit said to Paul and his companions.
It may have come to them as a complete surprise since God's unmistakeable blessing had been on their journeys so far. Everywhere they had gone the churches had been strengthened and people had been saved daily. As far as we know, the Lord had prospered every choice they had made up to this point.
But on this day the Holy Spirit had said NO.
So they turned north . . . and the Spirit stopped them again!
From what we know of Paul, we can be quite sure he had had a plan. That's the kind of person he was. Before his conversion his had been the highly regimented lifestyle of the Pharisees, and in that circle he was at the top. He was known for excelling in everything and famous for leaving his peers behind in his unparalleled zeal for the Law. He knew where and how he was going, and wouldn't stop until he got there!
But that was before.
Paul viewed his new mission in a completely different light. He no longer had a personal agenda nor was his primary focus on checking off his list of target cities. God was the One who made his decisions now. The courageous and energetic missionary had humbly submitted to the will of his Master. The Lord Jesus could move him in any direction, at any moment, and in any way.
And that is exactly the attitude we should have.
Who of us has not heard this same NO?
Can you remember having your suitcases packed and ready when the Spirit clearly made His point: "That is not where I want you to go"? What about the business objective or ministry goal that you were sure was the ideal one? Or how about the family dream you had looked forward to for years?
It can be a disconcerting experience to have these changed by God, but that is what He often does. And every time He moves to rearrange our plans, it is to prepare us for His better ones.
In this Biblical scene, the Spirit had a whole package of spiritual victories awaiting the Gospel preachers. There was Phillipi and it's church born in the jailer's house. There was the congregation of Thessalonica, with its exemplary conversion from idols to the living and true God. There were the Bereans, who eagerly compared the message with the Scriptures, and then the Athenians who heard Paul's mighty sermon about the Unknown God. Finally, before the messenger of God turned back to his sending church at Antioch, a remarkable ministry would be established on the isthmus of Corinth.
All this because a man was open to having the Lord interrupt his schedule.
Are we wise enough and humble enough to be used in this way?
Dear Father, You always know best. I fear that many of my spiritual plans are still laced with subtle strands of private ambitions and desires. Make me easy to direct, easy to change, easy to move in the direction of Your perfect will. Amen.
Andy
May 20, 2014
Sarah's Story (1 Peter 3/Hebrews 11)
How interesting and kind of God to give us more of Sarah's story. All we know from Genesis is that she devised the alternate plan for Abraham to have a son with Hagar, which miserably backfired. Then we are able to peek behind the scenes to see her laugh when the angel told her husband she would get pregnant.
It is not until 1 Peter 3 and Hebrews 11 that we are given a fuller account, one that leaves her shining with the radiance of a godly woman. She was a model of faith, as wife and mother, hand in hand with her famous husband.
It is wise to not be too harsh on others who make mistakes, especially when we don't know all the facts. (That is, always!)
(1 Peter 3 & Hebrews 11--Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord:/Through faith also Sarah . . . because she judged him faithful who had promised.)
It is not until 1 Peter 3 and Hebrews 11 that we are given a fuller account, one that leaves her shining with the radiance of a godly woman. She was a model of faith, as wife and mother, hand in hand with her famous husband.
It is wise to not be too harsh on others who make mistakes, especially when we don't know all the facts. (That is, always!)
(1 Peter 3 & Hebrews 11--Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord:/Through faith also Sarah . . . because she judged him faithful who had promised.)
May 16, 2014
The Right Stand (1 Kings 17:1)
In a day when so much importance is given to titles, qualifications, degrees, and human accolades, Elijah's story brings in a wise and balancing perspective.
As he appeared in the palace of the wicked and pagan king Ahab, the prophet gave only one personal credential: I STAND BEFORE GOD.
Wow! As it turned out, he needed no more than that. Proper preparation for any occupation or ministry has its legitimate place, but there is no substitute for spending time with God.
(1 Kings 17:1, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand...)
As he appeared in the palace of the wicked and pagan king Ahab, the prophet gave only one personal credential: I STAND BEFORE GOD.
Wow! As it turned out, he needed no more than that. Proper preparation for any occupation or ministry has its legitimate place, but there is no substitute for spending time with God.
(1 Kings 17:1, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand...)
