Grace blesses obedience…

Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his (Asa) place and strengthened himself against Israel. He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. (2 Chronicles 17:1–6)

The mystery and marvel of grace is that it is God's free gift and nothing I do can earn it, yet after receiving it in the wonder of salvation and eternal life, grace grants the power to earn His blessing. The example above is clear; Jehoshaphat did what God wanted and God then blessed him.

Obedience is not to earn a blessing but it is an expression of gratitude for already having a blessing. This king responded to the Lord’s goodness by walking in His ways, and the Lord responded to his obedience by granting him all that he needed and more.

This grace is so amazing. The more unworthy and helpless I feel, along with the deeper conviction of needing Him, the more blessings He pours out. Answered prayer is one of them. We have been praying for years about a rift between two family members. This week, God healed that rift and restored the relationship big time. It is so incredible that I can hardly grasp the reality. God did that? Awesome beyond awesome.

A young friend asked me for prayer regarding a promotion. He wanted more wages so he could help his dad with family expenses. The promotion seemed unlikely but with a big hug he told me yesterday that God granted it. Another awesome grace. And there have been more.

As for Jehoshaphat, he named a place where he gathered his soldiers to bless God after various peoples of the Transjordan invaded his land, but then slaughtered each other. He called that place Beracah, which means “valley of blessing.” (2 Chronicles 20:1–30) 

This response is mine too. Every day brings new needs and new surprises. Grace does not operate on expected predictability but on God’s ways being higher than mine. For this, my heart rejoices.

Lord Jesus, seeing You doing “exceedingly above all that I can ask or imagine” fills me with joy. Truly this week has been incredible. Thank You for Your abundant grace and a host of surprises.

Prayer in God’s will…

 

The NT is clear that I am to pray in God’s will. How do I learn or know what His will is for the things that burden my heart? This is the standard answer: “To discern God's will, one must engage in a combination of prayer, Bible study, and seeking wisdom from others, while remaining open to God's guidance through the Holy Spirit. This process involves aligning personal desires with God's revealed will in Scripture and trusting Him to lead and direct one's path.”

From observation and personal experience, I realize that if human desire is strong, it might be based on God’s will (like jumping in the river to rescue a drowning child) or it might be their own will and contrary to God’s will. For example, wanting the neighbor’s husband or to destroy a parent who is abusing me (neither are true in my life). The key is to recognize my own wants and not making them the focus of my requests.

But there is another explanation for missing the will of God and that is not praying very often so missing out on how to listen for His gentle instructions. Piper says this:

The disciples had been unable to cast out an unclean spirit from an afflicted boy. Jesus came on the scene and cast it out. The disciples ask, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus answers, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” There are spiritual forces that Jesus says are very hard to overcome. His disciples asked why they could not overcome the evil. Jesus answered, “Insufficient prayer!” What did he mean? Probably not that they hadn’t prayed over the demonized boy; it seems that would have been the first and basic approach. Probably he means that they had not lived in prayer. They had been caught in a prayerless period of life or a prayerless frame of mind. Notice that Jesus cast out the demon without praying: “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again” (Mark 9:17-25). Yet Jesus had prayed. He lived in prayer.

After yesterday’s revelation about the way God works, I’m now realizing how many times I’ve not known the will of God and asked Him to surprise me, then discovered His will by what happened next. It was always something I’d never thought of to ask for. Sometimes I’ve felt like this combo of “surprise me” and the result made me a spoiled brat because His answers have always been an unexpected and incredible blessing!

What does all this say about praying in His will? Sometimes, from what the Bible says, I know what it is. Love and do good to others. Honor my parents. Be faithful to my dear hubby. I also know what is not God’s will… but not always. An elderly friend is ill. Is this calling for a prayer of healing? Or is this God’s way of taking her home? I know what I want, but do I know what God wants? One thing is clear; when I say “Your will be done” it isn’t something nice to tack on the end of my prayers. I had better mean it, be prepared for whatever He does, and often prepared to experience a surprise.

PRAY: Jesus, yesterday I went out to do an errand wearing my computer glasses on instead of the usual. Since I can see distances without any glasses, I kept going, but several times called myself a ‘dummy’ for not paying attention. I don’t want to be a dummy when it comes to prayer. I want to hear You — in the Word, in wise and Spirit-filled people, and in Your gentle voice — and not think that my ideas are always the same as Your ideas. Keep me alert to You, and that means talking with You constantly — and listening to You instead of constantly wanting my own way.

Black or white, I’m still a sheep

 

Sheep are silly creatures, easily spooked and often wander off into unsafe places. As today’s reading says, we consider ourselves much wiser than sheep yet would never judge our Shepherd to err in His care for us. However, as the reading says, because of our so-called ‘superior intelligence’ we presume to take matters into our own hands anyway. Instead of listening to Jesus, we wind up acting much like sheep.

I chuckle at bit at this thought. The Bible often tells me to humble myself and that is not a command to think less of me, but to think realistically of me. When I realize the analogy of being called a sheep is a reality, I’m starting to get a good idea of my IQ level compared to the wonder of God’s knowledge — and that is humbling!

Reading Charnock’s vast section on the omniscience of God staggers me. I not only know very little about Him, I’m basically in the dark about almost everything else. I cannot perceive what others are thinking, and I don’t even see myself clearly, but God does.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139:1–6)

He is the same with all people, knowing the thoughts of hearts, what will be even before it is uttered, and knowing the number of hairs on each head. Multiply that by the number of people on earth, not just now but all who have ever lived. Staggering!

He also knows how to deal with each of us, and when He does, we are surprised, even shocked. This week alone, we had two different contractors find problems in our new home and quoted mega dollars to fix them, large shock. We were dumb-founded and not happy. But in each case, a different contractor came in to deal with two other issues. We told each of them about the first problems — and they repaired them for nothing! I told one of them, “You may not have wings, but you are an angel.”

How does God do that? He knows all things. He knew what we needed. He knew who could fill that need and how to send those persons our way. God’s surprises are faith-builders.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

The Message says, “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” Of course He gets the glory. In instances like these, we know that only God could come up with solutions like those two, and more. Each day seems to bring another surprise from God.

PRAY: I woke tired this morning, feeling needy even after eight hours sleep. Do I ask or imagine how to deal with this? Or do I wait on You to surprise me in some way that is beyond my ability? Lord, I’m too tired to do anything but wait on You. Thanks for assurance of Your presence and Your power to take care of all troubling things and to hold me from running off elsewhere like a silly sheep.

When Jesus changes lives…

 

The Lord taught me much at our family reunion that last weekend in July. As I reflect, it was not just for family that we were entirely blessed. He blessed me by letting me experience what it was like to be filled with His Spirit and feel entirely free to do or say whatever came to mind — and whatever came to mind was always praise and honor to Him. Complete freedom. I never once worried what others might think or that I might look like some sort of nitwit. Later, I was told by someone who wasn’t even there that I made a lot of people happy. That was Jesus at work and when the weekend was over, the joy remained. I felt like I’d just experienced a taste of heaven. Indescribable joy and worship.

That lesson reinforced what I’d known but never experienced in such measure. When God is in charge, there is no thought of self, no concerns about being rejected or sneered at, nothing negative, just great love and care for others to the point that self is totally out of the picture.

I didn’t make this happen. Being aware of God at work, I often felt like a bystander or an audience. He made clear what it means to be totally consecrated to Him. I didn’t even get tired, at least not until hours after on the way home. This was an amazing event for our family, but also for me.

Today’s reading is a description of how God made consecration to Him a reality for the person who wrote it. The writer used words like more light, no provision for the flesh, giving up all of self, having her will slain, and resting nowhere but in God. I don’t know what happened that revealed this to her, but it is definitely a NT norm:

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:1–10)

Looking back at many learning experiences, it seems that once God does an amazing thing in my life, without me even asking or thinking about it, I’m never the same afterward. One time one of our children took off with a friend in the middle of the night. They soon decided that was foolish and came home, but before that, the parents of the other child were numb with fear. However, my husband and I were oddly calm. We knew it was God giving us peace that was beyond comprehension. It made no sense to be calm, but we were a stabilizer for those other two people and not surprised when the two children walked in the door. This experience of God taking over made a huge difference. Since we learned He could do it, we now seek it when life throws us a giant-sized curve.

In the same way, I’ve learned what the Spirit of God can do for me in being responsible for a big event, just as the author learned what consecration is like when God makes it happen. It is His gift to show us the glory of putting self to death and putting on the new self.

Yesterday, a few of us were asked to do something scary. Experiencing God’s grace in other scary things takes the fear away for saying yes to this request. I’m trusting God to give what is needed to do the task, and also trusting Him for the others who claimed they are too inadequate for the task. May they discover that God knows we are not adequate; no one can do it without Him and feeling helpless is far better than having fleshy confidence. As John 15 says, without Him we can do nothing.

PRAY: Jesus, without You, I am as limp and useless as a glove without a hand. You give what is needed when it is needed. Forgive me for the times I try to do things in my own strength. Help my friends realize their need for Your power and boldness, and to recognize the difference between that and mere human confidence. Thank You Jesus.

His ways are higher…

While many sermons and devotional readings make much of what God’s people are supposed to do, I find more helpful those that remind me of what God has done and promises to do. This is partly age — for at my stage of life I can no longer physically do actions that were easy when younger. But it is also the experience of trying to run my own life in many areas and realizing that it is the God-guided life that is fulfilling and leads to what is best.

That said, today’s devotional affirms it. I must believe that divine guidance is promised and my faith must confidently look for and expect it. If I seek it, I will be certain to receive it.

We visit Christian friends today that have many decisions ahead of them. Some tell us that many friends are telling them what they should do. While seeking counsel is usually good, it can be very confusing if the advice varies or contradicts other advice, so we are hoping that our conversation will be from the Lord. I’m thinking to ask, “What is God telling you to do?”

As His children, we know that our God has all knowledge and all wisdom, and that He will also guide us to whatever is best for us. We also know that what He tells us may seem confusing and even wrong to the short-sighted human eyes around us, and even to us. It takes faith to remember that God says:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8–9)

God alone knows the end of things from the beginning and can judge what the results of any course of action may be. His love can run counter to the loving wishes of even our dearest friends. In order to be a disciple and follower of Jesus, I, or any other believer, may be called to forsake even my own family to do what Jesus asks of me:

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)

God’s children who listen and obey Him need to know this. For some, it is leaving a former religion, and there are some who will try to destroy family members who become Christians. For some, the anger or rejection will not be that severe, but family may consider the convert dead and shun them. Others will become aloof, distant, or even mock believers from their family or who once were their friends.

Today’s devotional ends with, “Unless he is prepared for this and can trust the Lord through it all, he will scarcely know what to do.” I know a young mother who follows Jesus. She has a son who is only beginning life and just started school, but she has been teaching him the reality of adversity and how to deal with it. This boy is a cheerful child and easy to like, yet his mom knows the reality of persecution toward even children. How wise her plan to prepare him for it and teach him how to respond.

This afternoon, our friends need support in what God has told them, regardless of the critics that might advise them otherwise.

PRAY: Jesus, this afternoon is a challenge. We do not want to further confuse our friends but help them to hear Your voice (which we think they already have) but not to let the many other voices they are hearing interfere with doing what You say. It may not fit with the ‘common sense’ of their friends or family, or even themselves, but may we encourage them to listen to You and do what You say, knowing that your ways are higher than ours and are always for our good and for Your glory.

Later: We experienced a totally surprising answer to prayer that had us jumping for joy with our friends. Lord, You are utterly amazing.

A Perfect Parent

We went to a birthday party last night for a lady who turned 99 that day. She is small, reasonably sharp, and said she didn’t like being the center of attention, even though she smiled a lot and enjoyed the hugs and displays of affection from her son, his wife, two of their children plus their spouses and children. She laughed at their antics and loved the pictures sent from more family in far-away places. We laughed too. One grandson wrote in his card for her that she now was out of the double-digits. Another said she was now like Wayne Gretzky, a record-breaking hockey player whose jersey bore number 99.

We also enjoyed seeing the effect of good mothering. The son serves God with all his heart, as do his daughters and their spouses. Those grandchildren, ages 5 to 15 sat at their own table, well-behaved and obviously enjoying one another and obviously loving their parents, grandparents, and their great grandmother who is nearly 100.

Today’s devotional likens the love of God to the love of a good mother. Like a trusting child runs to her for everything from comfort for a bruise to advice about what to do next, the children of God can run to our Heavenly Father and find that He is enough to deal with all our fears and troubles.

I’m feeling the weight of that today. After church, there is an important planning meeting for a non-profit organization that I serve on their board. My concern is a loss of focus that others don't seem to realize. Will I share it and be ignored? Yet I feel compelled to say something. This is scary and I just want to stay home. I keep telling myself that God will be with me and that God is enough, but past experience with this board and their focus keeps nagging the opposite.

Two verses come to mind about the role of mothers and that connect to this meeting and my attitude toward being there. One of these says:

For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

A good mother could be like the three generations of mothers that we were with last night. The were all happy together, no squabbles and well-behaved. The birthday girl chuckled and said, “We must have done something right.’

It was easy to see that the will of God had been involved in the raising of those families. It speaks to me that this is a key ingredient in all of life, even when involved in things like a secular board meeting that never mentions God. Regardless of how they think, I am still responsible as God’s child to do His will.

The other verse is even more specific. It says:

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

A nursing mother remembers that her children need tender care. A wise Christian remembers that those without Christ are unable to discern the will of God and without the power of the Holy Spirit they (and also those who know Christ) are unable to do the will of God. That means treating them with gentle respect, not like stubborn and willfully contrary people, but as what the Bible says they are.

This is helpful, but challenging. It is almost automatic to respond to views that are contrary to the Word of God as being deliberate and self-centered — probably because that describes me when I am contrary to God’s will, but stubborn disobedience is not the same as spiritual blindness. My attitudes need the Spirit’s rebuke, but blindness needs His enlightenment… and that I cannot do.


PRAY: Jesus, I know that You are able to do all things. Today is a test and I feel I’ve flunked before it even begins because I don’t want to go to this meeting. Keep my mind on You and Your gentle way with those who do not know You. May I be totally aware of Your presence with me today, and always thinking that You are enough for all the challenges before me.
Later: God surprises me again. All of the other board members put forth ideas that matched mine. This was not expected by me and joyfully received by the everyone else. Again, God is enough! He also forgives my skepticism!
 

A God of Surprises

 

Being yielded to God means letting Him decide what happens rather than me trying to manipulate life so it goes the way I want it to go. This requires trust. It requires believing and knowing that God knows best and wants the best for me. It also requires realizing that the trials of life are used by Him to transform my attitude into a deeper faith that knows His ways are good, even when they hurt.

Yesterday a refugee family walked into our church and into our lives. I’ve many family members that do not know Jesus and the events of yesterday were a surprise; God gave me a new family. Those people are from a different culture and their skin is not the same color as mine, yet the five of them instantly became a new brother and sister, a new son and daughters. The comradery and love along with transparent communication filled me with such joy that I can hardly write about it without joy running out of my eyes. For me, this was a mighty work of a loving God, totally unexpected and without equal.

Today’s devotional begins with, “Praise consists of reciting God’s attributes and mighty works.” I read these verses and they express what my overflowing heart recites:

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! (Psalm 34:1–3)

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. (Hebrews 13:15)

Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. (Psalm 104:1–2)

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! (Psalm 107:21–22)

Of course, God deserves praise. This is not a mere recital, or writing PTL on the end of an email. It is proclaiming God’s attributes and His works from a heart of love, a heart filled with reverence and awe for Him and what He is doing on my behalf and on the behalf of His people.

Sometimes this praise is a sacrifice. Does it mean that this replacement family will be the only family fellowship we have, that our blood relatives will never belong to our eternal family in the same way? Does it mean that the acceptance of them into my life means I will never be able to accept the others in the same way? I dare not think that, yet if it is so, that is a sacrifice. Otherwise, this is a foretaste of what is to come with those I pray for, and years of sacrificing time and energy in prayer will seem less like a wasted effort and more like offerings of praise.

Even so, my desire for God’s work in my literal family was given hope this week as well. One close relative is in a religious group of false teachers. I’ve prayed and prayed and now he calls often to talk about spiritual matters. I see changes in his words and am amazed how he listens to what I share about my faith and about the wonder of who God is and what He is doing. The NT says,

We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:6)

Does his listening to me mean he is on his way to meeting Jesus? or already has? He still ‘worships’ with his group but something is happening. Can it be that he will also become part of God’s eternal family? I am filled with hope and excited that God is so wonderfully able to surprise even my skepticism.

PRAY: Jesus, for this, and for a new family, I am excited and grateful for Your grace and mercy. No one deserves or earns such thoughtful blessings, such amazing surprises, such personal love and care. Yes, You are lofty and almighty, majestic and holy, but You are also personal and tender. How can I not praise You? Even the trials of this week turned into a show of Your glorious goodness as You enabled me to stay calm and trust You. I am so blessed because You are a complete wonder!

PONDER: Use Psalm 103 as a prayer of praise to God.