Have you ever believed you heard from God and then you begin to wonder if it really was God speaking to you? It’s always a good idea to revere God enough that you make sure you’re hearing from Him and you get confirmation that it is Him speaking to you. As we look at Judges 6:17-32, Gideon starts out asking for a sign so he could be sure he was hearing from God. So he asked the Angel of the Lord to wait for him while he went to get an offering. When Gideon returned with the meat and some unleavened bread, the Angel of the Lord asked him to lay them on the rock and pour out the broth. When he did as asked, the Angel of the Lord touched the offering with His staff and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the bread. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished. This scared Gideon because he knew that those who looked upon the face of God would die, and he knew this was God. But the Lord gave Gideon his peace and told him he wouldn’t die. Gideon built an altar at that place and named it “The Lord is Peace”. Gideon knew God’s peace for a short time…until God asked him to do something for Him that was not so easy.
That same night, God asked Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and the Asherah pole that was next to it. Now Gideon had to face his fears. He knew this was God’s command to him, but what would his father think? And what would the townsmen do when they found their idol torn down? Gideon moved ahead and did what God asked him to do even though he was afraid, and that’s exactly what you and I have to do. We have to obey God no matter what. If we don’t obey God because of fear of what someone else will think, we are putting them in God’s place because we care more about what they think than what God thinks. Then that person has become an idol to us. So what idols do you have that you need to put in their proper place?
God had Gideon build an altar to Him and burn the sacrifice upon the wood from the Asherah pole. And God wants us to give our sacrifice to Him upon the altar we build for Him. What that means is that we put God first and sacrificing those things that keep us from putting Him first. What can you sacrifice, or give up, in order to give God first place in your life?
Morning came and the townsmen found that their idol had been demolished. They did some investigating and found that Gideon was to blame. So they went to his house ready to kill him for tearing down their idol. But Gideon’s father, Joash, took up for Gideon and told the men that if Baal was a real God, then he could contend with Gideon himself. And so they called Gideon “Jerub-Baal”, which means “Let Baal contend with him”. God doesn’t tell us how all of this played out with Gideon’s father, Joash. But I wonder if he told his father the whole story about the Angel of the Lord, because Joash took up for him when the townsmen came. I do know that when you have an experience with God, the people who know you see a change in you. Joash saw his young, fearful son do something that was brave for a change. It appears that he saw a change in Gideon and believed him. When God asks us to do something, He wants us to do it even if we have to do it afraid. You never know when someone may be watching you which will cause their faith to grow as they see you put God first and as they see your obedience even though you may be walking in fear. God wants you to have an awe and respect for Him so that you will overcome your fear, step out in faith and do what He is asking you to do even if you have to do it afraid, just like Gideon, our unlikely overcomer.
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
GIVE THANKS!
In just a few short days, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day. Some of us will get up before dawn to put the turkey in the oven and some of us will start baking pies and cakes as early as today or tomorrow as we look forward with growing anticipation to what the special day will bring. Thanksgiving is a day that we sit around a table that is loaded down with food. We’re excited because our family and friends will be here soon and yes, we are even looking forward to the afternoon when we can sit in front of the television, watch football and dose in and out of our naps. Later, when we wake up from our naps, the leftovers and pumpkin pie will be beckoning us. Oh how I love this time of the year! How about you?
Finally, when the big day comes and after everyone has arrived, the golden brown turkey will be pulled from the oven and it will take its place as the centerpiece of our tables. We will finally be able to sit down and celebrate! Many people will say a prayer, thanking God for what He has given them throughout the year. Not every household will say a prayer of thanksgiving but most will at least require everyone to name one thing that they are thankful for.
As many of you know, my husband and I were out of church for several years. During this time that we were living in the world, I remember telling my husband how blessed we have been and he stated that he had worked hard for everything that we have. That’s what many people reading this right now are thinking to themselves. “Everything I have, I have worked hard for.” John 1:1-3 tells us that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” According to this verse, the Bible is telling us that Jesus was with God in the beginning. That everything was created through Him and that without Him there would be nothing, not one thing, nada! In fact, you wouldn’t be here to even work hard and certainly nothing that you have worked so hard for would be here. My husband understands that now, do you? Nothing would be here if it weren’t for Jesus.
I know that you have been blessed with the things that you have, but know and understand that the things you have are not important in the grand scheme of things. Thanksgiving is not important, your stuff is not important and even your family is not important! What is important is Jesus Christ! So, as you sit down to get ready to eat your big Thanksgiving meal, before you take your first bite, know and understand that it’s only because of Jesus Christ that we have anything that we call our own, even our very lives!
It’s not easy to remember that the things we have are given to us by our God that loves us so much. It’s not easy to remember on a day of celebration like Thanksgiving, that everything really is all about God and it is nothing about us. Yes, we should celebrate Thanksgiving because God has given us many wonderful gifts. He has given us the gift of family and friends to enjoy and celebrate with. He has given us the food we will prepare and enjoy. He has given us the television that we will be watching the big game on and He has even given us the comfy couch that we will be napping on. In fact, there is nothing that you have that was not given to you by God, not even this day!
On Thursday we will give thanks, not because of anything that we have done, but because of what Jesus Christ has done for us! He gave life to us and then He gave His life for us!
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.” Psalms 136:1 (NIV)
On behalf of Lisa, Vanessa and myself we hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with much love and lots of laughter. Let this be a time to set aside petty differences and focus on the many blessings that God has freely given you!
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
Finally, when the big day comes and after everyone has arrived, the golden brown turkey will be pulled from the oven and it will take its place as the centerpiece of our tables. We will finally be able to sit down and celebrate! Many people will say a prayer, thanking God for what He has given them throughout the year. Not every household will say a prayer of thanksgiving but most will at least require everyone to name one thing that they are thankful for.
As many of you know, my husband and I were out of church for several years. During this time that we were living in the world, I remember telling my husband how blessed we have been and he stated that he had worked hard for everything that we have. That’s what many people reading this right now are thinking to themselves. “Everything I have, I have worked hard for.” John 1:1-3 tells us that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” According to this verse, the Bible is telling us that Jesus was with God in the beginning. That everything was created through Him and that without Him there would be nothing, not one thing, nada! In fact, you wouldn’t be here to even work hard and certainly nothing that you have worked so hard for would be here. My husband understands that now, do you? Nothing would be here if it weren’t for Jesus.
I know that you have been blessed with the things that you have, but know and understand that the things you have are not important in the grand scheme of things. Thanksgiving is not important, your stuff is not important and even your family is not important! What is important is Jesus Christ! So, as you sit down to get ready to eat your big Thanksgiving meal, before you take your first bite, know and understand that it’s only because of Jesus Christ that we have anything that we call our own, even our very lives!
It’s not easy to remember that the things we have are given to us by our God that loves us so much. It’s not easy to remember on a day of celebration like Thanksgiving, that everything really is all about God and it is nothing about us. Yes, we should celebrate Thanksgiving because God has given us many wonderful gifts. He has given us the gift of family and friends to enjoy and celebrate with. He has given us the food we will prepare and enjoy. He has given us the television that we will be watching the big game on and He has even given us the comfy couch that we will be napping on. In fact, there is nothing that you have that was not given to you by God, not even this day!
On Thursday we will give thanks, not because of anything that we have done, but because of what Jesus Christ has done for us! He gave life to us and then He gave His life for us!
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.” Psalms 136:1 (NIV)
On behalf of Lisa, Vanessa and myself we hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with much love and lots of laughter. Let this be a time to set aside petty differences and focus on the many blessings that God has freely given you!
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
Thursday, November 18, 2010
An Unlikely Warrior – Part 2
As we continue on in the story of Gideon we’ll be looking at Judges 6:11-16. We find Gideon threshing wheat in the winepress in order to keep hidden from the enemy. While Gideon was threshing wheat, the angel of the Lord came and spoke to him saying, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12 NIV) The King James Version calls him a “mighty man of valor”. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think Gideon felt much like a mighty warrior as he hid from the enemy, threshing wheat. But God knew what he would become, and He knows what you will become too! God doesn’t look at all the things we wish we had never done, but He looks at what we will do for Him and He speaks those things over us and to us even before they ever happen. Has God given you a vision for the future? That’s how He sees you. He calls you His mighty warrior even before you’ve done anything mighty or before you’ve been any kind of warrior for Him. And ladies, don’t think that you can’t be a warrior for God. A person of “valor” is someone who is strong and who has influence. We can all be mighty warriors, or mighty men and women of valor when we are strong and have influence towards others for God. How has God called you to be a mighty man or woman of valor for Himself?
Now Gideon questioned that if the Lord was with them, then why was all of this bad stuff happening to them? And he wondered why God had abandoned them and given them over to the enemy? Are you in the midst of trials, feeling like God has abandoned you and allowed the enemy to rush into your life? The Lord answered Gideon in an interesting way. He didn’t say, “I’ve been with you all along”, though He had. He didn’t say, “I’m going to fix that for you right now”, though sometimes He does. He told Gideon to go himself and save the Israelites out of the enemy’s hand. Have you ever found yourself complaining to God about something and He turns right around and tells you to stop complaining and do something about it? That’s what He did with Gideon. And then Gideon came back with excuses. “Oh, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am too young to do what you are asking.” Maybe your excuses are different, but they are excuses none the less. “I’m too young”, “I’m too old”, “I don’t know enough”, “I’m not experienced enough”, “No one will listen to me”, or fill in the blank with your own excuse. But God answered Gideon’s fears and said, “I will be with you”. (Jdg 6:16) You’re right. On your own, you can’t do what God is calling you to do. But with God, you can do anything He calls you to do. If you haven’t figured this out yet, God likes to use those who are weak because it shows His strength and gives Him more glory. We can do things we’ve never imagined because we do them in God’s strength. In 1 Cor 1:27 we see that “…God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” He does this so we can’t boast before Him, and it gives Him the greatest glory.
Remember, God is with you. Rely on Him for your strength. You may feel like an unlikely warrior for God, but that is why God can and will use you! You can do everything through Him who gives you strength! (Phil 4:13)
*All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless specified otherwise.
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
Now Gideon questioned that if the Lord was with them, then why was all of this bad stuff happening to them? And he wondered why God had abandoned them and given them over to the enemy? Are you in the midst of trials, feeling like God has abandoned you and allowed the enemy to rush into your life? The Lord answered Gideon in an interesting way. He didn’t say, “I’ve been with you all along”, though He had. He didn’t say, “I’m going to fix that for you right now”, though sometimes He does. He told Gideon to go himself and save the Israelites out of the enemy’s hand. Have you ever found yourself complaining to God about something and He turns right around and tells you to stop complaining and do something about it? That’s what He did with Gideon. And then Gideon came back with excuses. “Oh, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am too young to do what you are asking.” Maybe your excuses are different, but they are excuses none the less. “I’m too young”, “I’m too old”, “I don’t know enough”, “I’m not experienced enough”, “No one will listen to me”, or fill in the blank with your own excuse. But God answered Gideon’s fears and said, “I will be with you”. (Jdg 6:16) You’re right. On your own, you can’t do what God is calling you to do. But with God, you can do anything He calls you to do. If you haven’t figured this out yet, God likes to use those who are weak because it shows His strength and gives Him more glory. We can do things we’ve never imagined because we do them in God’s strength. In 1 Cor 1:27 we see that “…God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” He does this so we can’t boast before Him, and it gives Him the greatest glory.
Remember, God is with you. Rely on Him for your strength. You may feel like an unlikely warrior for God, but that is why God can and will use you! You can do everything through Him who gives you strength! (Phil 4:13)
*All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless specified otherwise.
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
Monday, November 15, 2010
OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL!
“The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.” Deut 1:29-33. In this first chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses is telling the Israelites “Look people, you witnessed with your own eyes how God went ahead of you searching out places for you to camp. He carried you like a father carries his child He went before you fighting your battles for you and He didn’t leave you in the desert to wander around alone. God was and is always with you! Even though you knew better, you still did what you wanted to do. “So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the LORD's command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country” Duet 1:43 And guess what? Because you rebelled when the Lord told you not to go fight the Amorites, they gave you a sound whipping and like a spoiled child, you ran back to the Lord saying “Ok, ok! This time, we promise, we will do it your way. “You came back and wept before the LORD, but he paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you.” Deut 1:45
Does this sound like us today? Maybe instead of the word Israelites, we can just add our individual names? Sure sometimes we catch ourselves moaning and groaning and saying “Woe is me! I’ve got it so bad!” Do we really have it so bad? Look at your life and see where it was really, really bad. I’m not trying to make your problems sound trivial, but I want you to take a moment and reflect back over your life. Granted, many people have had a hard life and I respect that, but I want you to look back and see the many times that God went ahead of you and cleared a path for you. I want you to take a moment and reflect on those times and really think about them....Did you see God in the situation? Have you ever said to yourself “Now that is a God thing!”
If we never take the time to look back, to reflect and to remember all of the times when God has gone before us and watched out for us, then we are in danger of becoming like the Israelites -- forgetting what God has done for us and especially forgetting the God things that we have seen with our own eyes! We think we can do it on our own and then when it goes wrong, we blame God for the situation that we are in or we decide that maybe God really was leading us in the best direction all along and we should have been obedient and followed His will from the beginning.
Since I have been back in church, I have seen God working in my life in so many ways. In the beginning God let me see Him in very small things, but over the years I have seen Him working in my life in very big ways. God gives us the little things to see Him in because He knows that we can handle it. Then as we grow in our faith the things He shows to us becomes bigger and bigger. I have written down all of the God things in my life and I encourage all of you to do that. I know that I will never forget the times that God has shown Himself to me, but it does help me to go back and read about all of those times and each time I read them, my faith grows stronger! By reading about all the God things that I have seen, it helps me to realize that God is bigger than any obstacle that I have to overcome.
I encourage you to take the time to reflect upon the many times that you have seen a God thing in your life (big or little) and write it down. Then when you start feeling sorry for yourself or you start thinking that you can do it alone or you start thinking that God has removed Himself from you, just read (in your own handwriting) the many, many times that God has made His presence known to you! Open your eyes and your heart and see how faithful our God truly is.
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
Does this sound like us today? Maybe instead of the word Israelites, we can just add our individual names? Sure sometimes we catch ourselves moaning and groaning and saying “Woe is me! I’ve got it so bad!” Do we really have it so bad? Look at your life and see where it was really, really bad. I’m not trying to make your problems sound trivial, but I want you to take a moment and reflect back over your life. Granted, many people have had a hard life and I respect that, but I want you to look back and see the many times that God went ahead of you and cleared a path for you. I want you to take a moment and reflect on those times and really think about them....Did you see God in the situation? Have you ever said to yourself “Now that is a God thing!”
If we never take the time to look back, to reflect and to remember all of the times when God has gone before us and watched out for us, then we are in danger of becoming like the Israelites -- forgetting what God has done for us and especially forgetting the God things that we have seen with our own eyes! We think we can do it on our own and then when it goes wrong, we blame God for the situation that we are in or we decide that maybe God really was leading us in the best direction all along and we should have been obedient and followed His will from the beginning.
Since I have been back in church, I have seen God working in my life in so many ways. In the beginning God let me see Him in very small things, but over the years I have seen Him working in my life in very big ways. God gives us the little things to see Him in because He knows that we can handle it. Then as we grow in our faith the things He shows to us becomes bigger and bigger. I have written down all of the God things in my life and I encourage all of you to do that. I know that I will never forget the times that God has shown Himself to me, but it does help me to go back and read about all of those times and each time I read them, my faith grows stronger! By reading about all the God things that I have seen, it helps me to realize that God is bigger than any obstacle that I have to overcome.
I encourage you to take the time to reflect upon the many times that you have seen a God thing in your life (big or little) and write it down. Then when you start feeling sorry for yourself or you start thinking that you can do it alone or you start thinking that God has removed Himself from you, just read (in your own handwriting) the many, many times that God has made His presence known to you! Open your eyes and your heart and see how faithful our God truly is.
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
Thursday, November 11, 2010
An Unlikely Warrior - Part 1
I love the stories of the Old Testament! Some people think they don’t apply to them because they happened so long ago. But God has treasures for us throughout every page of His book and they are just as relevant today as they were back then. Last week when I read about Gideon in the book of Judges, Chapter 6, I saw so many truths that I couldn’t wait to blog about it for the next couple of weeks as well!
Let me set the scene for you from Judges 6:1-10…. The Israelites had been disobedient to God and He had given them into the hands of the Midianites for seven year. The Israelites lived by escaping into mountain clefts, caves and strongholds because the Midianites were so oppressive. The Israelites tried to plant their crops but the Midianites with their sheep and cattle, and other enemies from the east, would come in like a swarm of locusts and ravage the land. The Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. So God sent them a prophet to remind them that God had brought them out of Egypt and out of slavery and He could do the same for them. God had told them not to fear and worship the gods of the people in whose land they lived, but they didn’t listen to Him.
So, you’re probably thinking… “What does the war with Midian and the Israelites have to do with me in this day and time? We don’t have wars like that here.” That may be true, but we, as Christians, have an enemy who can be very oppressive. He may even come in and ravage your home and send you into strongholds that you were not meant to live in. We can look at the spiritual parallels between now and then. So, the question is, are you being disobedient to God? Have you given Satan a foothold because of that disobedience? Has Satan run you into a stronghold of addiction, lust, pride, unforgiveness, etc.? The list can go on and on… God gave the Israelites to the enemy for a time because they were disobedient to Him. God disciplines those He loves. And He knows just what it will take to get us to cry out to Him, just like the Israelites cried out to God. God sent a prophet to tell the Israelites to remember Him and how He acted on their behalf in the past. Has God sent someone to you who is reminding you of how God has worked in your life? Or maybe you have a journal from your past that you can read for encouragement. It helps us to remember what God has done in our lives and in the lives of others so that we can have hope for what He’s going to do in our current circumstances.
When the Israelites cried out to God, He reminded them that He had told them not to fear and worship the gods of their enemies, but they did it anyway. Are there some gods of this world that you worship because you fear them? What about the fear of not having enough money, so you stay in a job that God has told you to leave? Or are you worshipping your job by spending too much time there and not enough time with your family? Are you afraid of what other people might think of you, so you worship their opinion? Are you worshipping the god of the economy because you’re afraid it will tank and along with it all of your wealth? Are you worshipping the god of pleasure, afraid that you will miss out on comforts you believe should be yours? Only God is worthy of our worship and our fear, or awe of Him. These other things are fleeting, and don’t matter in the end. God answered the cry of the Israelites and He raised up an unlikely warrior in Gideon. I suspect He can and is already in the process of raising up an unlikely warrior in you… Put away the gods of this world and turn to the only God who can truly change your life. He’s the only God who is worthy of our fear and our worship. Join me next week as we continue our journey into the life of Gideon, an unlikely warrior.
@Copyright 2010 LVM Ministries, Inc.
Let me set the scene for you from Judges 6:1-10…. The Israelites had been disobedient to God and He had given them into the hands of the Midianites for seven year. The Israelites lived by escaping into mountain clefts, caves and strongholds because the Midianites were so oppressive. The Israelites tried to plant their crops but the Midianites with their sheep and cattle, and other enemies from the east, would come in like a swarm of locusts and ravage the land. The Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. So God sent them a prophet to remind them that God had brought them out of Egypt and out of slavery and He could do the same for them. God had told them not to fear and worship the gods of the people in whose land they lived, but they didn’t listen to Him.
So, you’re probably thinking… “What does the war with Midian and the Israelites have to do with me in this day and time? We don’t have wars like that here.” That may be true, but we, as Christians, have an enemy who can be very oppressive. He may even come in and ravage your home and send you into strongholds that you were not meant to live in. We can look at the spiritual parallels between now and then. So, the question is, are you being disobedient to God? Have you given Satan a foothold because of that disobedience? Has Satan run you into a stronghold of addiction, lust, pride, unforgiveness, etc.? The list can go on and on… God gave the Israelites to the enemy for a time because they were disobedient to Him. God disciplines those He loves. And He knows just what it will take to get us to cry out to Him, just like the Israelites cried out to God. God sent a prophet to tell the Israelites to remember Him and how He acted on their behalf in the past. Has God sent someone to you who is reminding you of how God has worked in your life? Or maybe you have a journal from your past that you can read for encouragement. It helps us to remember what God has done in our lives and in the lives of others so that we can have hope for what He’s going to do in our current circumstances.
When the Israelites cried out to God, He reminded them that He had told them not to fear and worship the gods of their enemies, but they did it anyway. Are there some gods of this world that you worship because you fear them? What about the fear of not having enough money, so you stay in a job that God has told you to leave? Or are you worshipping your job by spending too much time there and not enough time with your family? Are you afraid of what other people might think of you, so you worship their opinion? Are you worshipping the god of the economy because you’re afraid it will tank and along with it all of your wealth? Are you worshipping the god of pleasure, afraid that you will miss out on comforts you believe should be yours? Only God is worthy of our worship and our fear, or awe of Him. These other things are fleeting, and don’t matter in the end. God answered the cry of the Israelites and He raised up an unlikely warrior in Gideon. I suspect He can and is already in the process of raising up an unlikely warrior in you… Put away the gods of this world and turn to the only God who can truly change your life. He’s the only God who is worthy of our fear and our worship. Join me next week as we continue our journey into the life of Gideon, an unlikely warrior.
@Copyright 2010 LVM Ministries, Inc.
Monday, November 8, 2010
IN A HUNDRED YEARS!
For years this has been my motto....in a hundred years, what will it matter? In a hundred years, who is going to care? Mostly, I thought this whenever I really didn’t want to do something or whenever I was concerned about what someone might think about me. For some reason, the Lord keeps directing me to the book of Ecclesiastes. Most scholars believe that this book was written by King Solomon. If you remember, King Solomon was the wisest person to ever live. God gave him wisdom (beyond measure) and a peaceful reign to pursue that wisdom. In this book, King Solomon is reflecting back over his life and all of his accomplishments and he concludes that everything man does is useless. He concludes that we chase after this and chase after that, but when we die, all of our toiling is for naught. Now, how depressing can that be?
King Solomon ends the book with the conclusion that man is nothing and everything we do is for nothing. “Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” Eccl 5:15 (NIV) King Solomon realizes and so should we that the only treasures that matter is those that we lay up in heaven and those eternal treasures that we leave behind while we are here on earth. The eternal treasures would be spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being obedient and following what God is telling you to do. If you are a Christian, God has a job for you to do and it’s not to sit in the pew Sunday, listen to the preacher, go out for lunch and then take a nap. The job that God has for you to do has eternal consequences!
“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:11-12 (NIV). When we are obedient and work for the Lord we will find peace. Words that we speak for the Lord from scripture will never return to Him empty and our toiling for Him will never be in vain. King Solomon, the wisest person that ever lived, is telling us that when we work for ourselves and think of ourselves only that work is and always will be in vain.
“There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.” Eccl 1:11 (NIV). Take a closer look at your life today, this moment in time....what are you toiling for? Are you toiling for yourself? Or, are you toiling for the Lord? Are you toiling for something that will not be remembered in a hundred years or for something that will reap eternal benefits? So many people today are very concerned what people think about them, but isn’t it better to be concerned with what God thinks? “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matt 10:28 (NIV).
This life is hard enough, we all have to toil but we need to keep it in perspective. When you were saved, you became an ambassador for Christ; you were given a new job to work at. That is the only job that will leave behind your hundred year legacy and that is the only job that will have everlasting consequences.
Dear Father,
Thank you Lord for this life that you have given to me. Lord, I know that I have not lived it very wisely and especially not as an ambassador for You! Father, I am praying to You on behalf of all who read this, that You will keep each of us focused on the job that You have for us to do and not what we think that we have to do. Lord, it doesn’t matter how rich or poor or well-known that we are....in a hundred years it won’t matter.....in a hundred years we will all be forgotten by humankind! Lord, I pray that each person reading this realizes that it is all about You and Your precious Son Jesus....the only work that matters, is the work that we do for You while You graciously grant us life to do it with. I pray this in the name of Jesus....AMEN
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
King Solomon ends the book with the conclusion that man is nothing and everything we do is for nothing. “Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” Eccl 5:15 (NIV) King Solomon realizes and so should we that the only treasures that matter is those that we lay up in heaven and those eternal treasures that we leave behind while we are here on earth. The eternal treasures would be spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being obedient and following what God is telling you to do. If you are a Christian, God has a job for you to do and it’s not to sit in the pew Sunday, listen to the preacher, go out for lunch and then take a nap. The job that God has for you to do has eternal consequences!
“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:11-12 (NIV). When we are obedient and work for the Lord we will find peace. Words that we speak for the Lord from scripture will never return to Him empty and our toiling for Him will never be in vain. King Solomon, the wisest person that ever lived, is telling us that when we work for ourselves and think of ourselves only that work is and always will be in vain.
“There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.” Eccl 1:11 (NIV). Take a closer look at your life today, this moment in time....what are you toiling for? Are you toiling for yourself? Or, are you toiling for the Lord? Are you toiling for something that will not be remembered in a hundred years or for something that will reap eternal benefits? So many people today are very concerned what people think about them, but isn’t it better to be concerned with what God thinks? “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matt 10:28 (NIV).
This life is hard enough, we all have to toil but we need to keep it in perspective. When you were saved, you became an ambassador for Christ; you were given a new job to work at. That is the only job that will leave behind your hundred year legacy and that is the only job that will have everlasting consequences.
Dear Father,
Thank you Lord for this life that you have given to me. Lord, I know that I have not lived it very wisely and especially not as an ambassador for You! Father, I am praying to You on behalf of all who read this, that You will keep each of us focused on the job that You have for us to do and not what we think that we have to do. Lord, it doesn’t matter how rich or poor or well-known that we are....in a hundred years it won’t matter.....in a hundred years we will all be forgotten by humankind! Lord, I pray that each person reading this realizes that it is all about You and Your precious Son Jesus....the only work that matters, is the work that we do for You while You graciously grant us life to do it with. I pray this in the name of Jesus....AMEN
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Second Guessing God
I’ve noticed at least three chances to second guess God this week. God gives us great opportunities to show our faith by giving us a specific task, and instead of running with the eyes of faith to do that task, we start having doubts! I believe God is teaching us a mighty lesson…
We have an enemy who wants us to doubt what God is doing through us.
When God tells us to do something or to say something, He has a reason for it. God will give you something to say that is just the right word at just the right time for just the right person. So what I’ve noticed is that we know we’ve heard from God and we’re ready to be obedient, but while we’re waiting to move on what God would have us do, Satan comes in and puts seeds of doubt in our minds. Lord, we need discernment! When you see that happening, that’s when you need to take those thoughts into captivity. (2 Cor 10:5) That means you cast that thought out and lock it away. Any time it tries to come back into your mind, you make sure to cast it away again, so you won’t ever act on it. When you know you’ve heard from God, tell Satan to take a hike when he comes at you with doubts! He’s not going to get you to turn from what God told you to do because you know how he operates. And even though you may not fully understand why God is asking you to do what He’s asking you to do, you trust Him because His ways are higher than your ways, and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts. (Is 55:8-9) God is sovereign, or in control, and He knows the big picture.
Gideon, from the book of Judges, reminds me of a second-guesser. In Judges 6:12, when God called Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites, God called him a “mighty warrior”. God called him this before he ever did anything mighty. God knew who Gideon would become. Gideon tried using the excuse that he was in the weakest clan, and he himself was the weakest in his father’s house, but God told him again that he was to go save Israel. Now Gideon knew that this was God talking to him because in Judges 6:22 we read, “When Gideon realized it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, ’Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!’” (It was known that if you looked upon the face of God, you would die.) God also told him that He would be with Gideon, so Gideon was obedient at first, and with ten men, he tore down his father’s altar to Baal, and the wooden image beside it. He did this in the dark cover of night, but he did it none the less! It’s after this initial step of obedience that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he gathered men to fight with him against the Midianites.
Then Gideon started second-guessing God. He needed some reassurance. The first time he asked God to wet a fleece with dew and make the ground dry if God was truly going to save Israel by Gideon’s own hand. When Gideon saw that the fleece was wet and the ground was dry the next morning, he asked God again to show him the opposite and make the fleece dry and the ground wet. When he awoke the next day, he saw that God had done what he asked. Gideon had second-guessed God not once, but twice! God was gracious enough to continue to use Gideon for His purposes, and He is gracious to use us when we second-guess Him as well. But the idea here is that we want to stop when we see that we are starting to doubt and second-guess God. Don’t put out the fleece, but instead, when you know that God has spoken to you, trust Him. Gideon knew God had spoken to him, and God will make it clear to you as well. Remember, He will never contradict His word. God has given you the faith to put out all the fiery darts of the enemy when the enemy starts spreading those seeds of doubt. (Eph 6:16) You don’t have to second-guess God, but instead you can choose to move forward in the power and in the Spirit of God as His "mighty warrior" no matter what God asks of you!
*All Scripture reference from the New International Version
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
We have an enemy who wants us to doubt what God is doing through us.
When God tells us to do something or to say something, He has a reason for it. God will give you something to say that is just the right word at just the right time for just the right person. So what I’ve noticed is that we know we’ve heard from God and we’re ready to be obedient, but while we’re waiting to move on what God would have us do, Satan comes in and puts seeds of doubt in our minds. Lord, we need discernment! When you see that happening, that’s when you need to take those thoughts into captivity. (2 Cor 10:5) That means you cast that thought out and lock it away. Any time it tries to come back into your mind, you make sure to cast it away again, so you won’t ever act on it. When you know you’ve heard from God, tell Satan to take a hike when he comes at you with doubts! He’s not going to get you to turn from what God told you to do because you know how he operates. And even though you may not fully understand why God is asking you to do what He’s asking you to do, you trust Him because His ways are higher than your ways, and His thoughts are higher than your thoughts. (Is 55:8-9) God is sovereign, or in control, and He knows the big picture.
Gideon, from the book of Judges, reminds me of a second-guesser. In Judges 6:12, when God called Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites, God called him a “mighty warrior”. God called him this before he ever did anything mighty. God knew who Gideon would become. Gideon tried using the excuse that he was in the weakest clan, and he himself was the weakest in his father’s house, but God told him again that he was to go save Israel. Now Gideon knew that this was God talking to him because in Judges 6:22 we read, “When Gideon realized it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, ’Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!’” (It was known that if you looked upon the face of God, you would die.) God also told him that He would be with Gideon, so Gideon was obedient at first, and with ten men, he tore down his father’s altar to Baal, and the wooden image beside it. He did this in the dark cover of night, but he did it none the less! It’s after this initial step of obedience that the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he gathered men to fight with him against the Midianites.
Then Gideon started second-guessing God. He needed some reassurance. The first time he asked God to wet a fleece with dew and make the ground dry if God was truly going to save Israel by Gideon’s own hand. When Gideon saw that the fleece was wet and the ground was dry the next morning, he asked God again to show him the opposite and make the fleece dry and the ground wet. When he awoke the next day, he saw that God had done what he asked. Gideon had second-guessed God not once, but twice! God was gracious enough to continue to use Gideon for His purposes, and He is gracious to use us when we second-guess Him as well. But the idea here is that we want to stop when we see that we are starting to doubt and second-guess God. Don’t put out the fleece, but instead, when you know that God has spoken to you, trust Him. Gideon knew God had spoken to him, and God will make it clear to you as well. Remember, He will never contradict His word. God has given you the faith to put out all the fiery darts of the enemy when the enemy starts spreading those seeds of doubt. (Eph 6:16) You don’t have to second-guess God, but instead you can choose to move forward in the power and in the Spirit of God as His "mighty warrior" no matter what God asks of you!
*All Scripture reference from the New International Version
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
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