by Amy Spear | Jul 20, 2017
“God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7)
Oh good! I find so much comfort in knowing that God can see the real me. He doesn’t judge me on the time I yelled at the fast food worker or talked bad about my friend or cut someone off in traffic or got onto my kids out of anger.
We all make mistakes right? Who wants to be judged on our mess ups? God still loves me and judges the real me.
But wait…
If that’s true, how good is the real me? Am I really better on the inside than on the outside? If someone, other than Jesus, saw my heart, would they still want to be around me?
I can make my outside demeanor pretty appealing. I can put on trendy clothes, smile and talk with the best of them, act like I have it all together. But hiding the real me, my heart, now that’s a different story!
How many times have I put on a pretty face and acted like everything was ok, yet on the inside, my heart was aching so hard I thought it might burst? I didn’t want anyone to know the “real” me because if they did, they would run out the back door so fast it would pop off its hinges! Thank God He is the only one who can look inside my heart!
In 1 Samuel, God is picking a new king to rule over the Israelites. Samuel, the high priest, is chosen to appoint this king, but God has to remind him that the new king is not going to be who Samuel might think.
You see, Samuel was looking on the outside, choosing men who “looked” the part. God, however, could care less what they looked like! God wanted someone who would be faithful and true to Him. “God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
The precious thing about God looking inside our hearts, is we can trust Him. We can trust Him because He loves us! It is a love that doesn’t dismiss, or ridicule, or neglect or forsake. God’s love is foreign and obscure because our love is jaded, colored by our own selfish heart. Even the one person who loves us the most, has loved us with a selfish love at one point. Only God Himself can love at all times in the purest of ways!
That is someone I can trust with my heart!
Yes, He sees the worst of me, and yes, He sees the best of me, but to Him it doesn’t matter. He just loves! He loves me despite myself!
And He loves you despite yourself too!
Let’s try to stop the charade and cry out to Him with our “real” heart. Tell Him how you truly feel and what you are struggling with. Let your guard down. He will protect you, not judge you or berate you. When we are brave enough to lay our heart at His feet, He bends low to cradle us in His arms and protect us with all the He is!
Now that is a worthy pursuit!
by Ginger Gann | Jul 19, 2017
Where do you want to eat?
Oh, I don’t care … Where do you want to eat?
Oh it doesn’t matter to me -just pick a place.
OK…how about Joe’s Crab Shack?
Oh no not there, I can’t eat seafood!
OK well then where…?
Oh just pick somewhere, it really doesn’t matter to me, I’m easy.
OK… how about Cool Greens?
Oh no, I’m not one for salad, or sandwiches, but I’ll pretty much eat anything else – just pick a place.
Ugggggh!
Does this scenario have your name written all over it? Obviously, having trouble picking a restaurant after church on Sunday, may not alter your life (unless you’re with your spouse) however, there are certainly decisions we make daily that can. Let’s face it some choices are just plain hard.
I would guess you’ve made a decision or two which didn’t work out the way you intended. You may have even made a decision, or two, which absolutely altered your entire life (for the good and bad).
Think about the toughest decision you’ve ever faced? How did you decide what to choose?
I mean think about it…which methodology should you rely on when choosing:
- the love of your life
- to reach out to the hurting
- to BE a Parent (not to just ‘have’ a kid)
- to hop on a particular career path
- to sign on the dotted line
- to tell the truth
- to live this kind of lifestyle
- to care even when it hurts
- to let your guard down
- to move the family
- to forgive
- to believe in this God, or believe in nothing at all
Some folks rely on just following their gut (feelings). Some rely on the opinion of friends. I’ve heard stories about people using Ouija boards, Tarot cards, and astrology charts. There have been a couple of instances where a decision is made by flipping a coin. No matter which system of choice you choose, choice happens, even when you choose not to choose anything at all. So on one of those days ahead when you must choose –which method of choice will you rely on to settle the decisions that settle your life?
“On one of those days… Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated Apostles” (Luke 6:12-13).
This scripture is just one example of the many decisions Jesus of Nazareth faced daily, which not only altered his life here on Earth, but choices which changed your life and mine for eternity. The decision regarding who he will entrust the gospel, and the entire future of the Christian church, doesn’t get much bigger. Yet, in all of these life altering moments he knows exactly who to turn to for good guidance. He finds a secluded place and he prays for direction from the one and only omniscient God!
Got a big decision to make today (don’t we all)? What will you do?
May I suggest you wisely follow the example of the only person to ever get it all right, all the time?
Start with “Choosing” a quiet place, then prayerfully seek advice from the Creator of the Universe.
We certainly won’t get it right all the time, but seeking advice from the Lord, through prayer, is never the wrong decision.
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5 HCSB)
Choose Godly wisdom today.
Then, this Sunday when the topic of food comes up, and another argument breaks out over paper, rock, and scissors – just stop … take it to your Heavenly Father, after all, Scripture says (unlike some people) He doesn’t criticize.
Bon Appétit
by Wade Crews | Jul 11, 2017
In the Old Testament, David’s music minister (or worship leader) was a guy named Asaph. Asaph was also was the band drummer. He was kind of like Bart from the Christian band “Mercy Me,” – wrote songs, sang, played percussion etc.
One day, after a struggle bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem (long story for another time), David directed Asaph to give thanks to the Lord. The first few lines found in 1 Chronicles go like this: “Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His holy name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done” (1 Chron. 16:8-12).
Our oldest son is a senior in college and will graduate in one more semester. He has a job this summer. It is more than flipping burgers, and he hopes it leads to some permanent employment next year. We spoke on the phone recently, and he told me about an assignment that, in some ways, was over his head and very challenging. He didn’t know if he would even be able to grasp a lot of it conceptually before the summer was over.
I tried my best to encourage him, to be up to the task and used my best Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh quote: “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” I also reminded him that he and God were an unbeatable combination – because God can’t be defeated.
After we hung up I went into “dad-prayer mode.” “OK God, I can’t help him. I can’t do it for him. I can’t even work it out so he gets a second chance. You have to be God here. Prove to him You are by his side. Show him how mighty You are. Pour into him and give him the ability he didn’t even know he had. Take away any defeatist attitude. Give him confidence. Open his eyes to the solution.”
We talked on the phone a week later. There was an excitement and a buzz in his voice. Not only had he realized the solution and completed the assignment in less than a week, he had also devised a way for everyone to get access to the data at the computer on their desk. The division chief was so pleased he gave him full access to all the systems the full-time employees have.
My wife and I were so proud of him and just talked and giggled about his success. I am ashamed to say that it didn’t hit me until I was driving to work the next morning that God had answered my prayer and done MORE than I had asked of Him. I thanked Him and praised Him on my way to work this morning. So just like the 1 Chronicles’ song of thanksgiving, I am making known His deeds among the people…. I am singing the song of praise. God is a good, good God! He answers prayer. He deserves and gets all the glory.
It is worth repeating…..Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His holy name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done.
by Wade Crews | Jul 3, 2017
In my last blog, I asked “How is your walk?” Do we walk around unashamed of who we are in Christ and knowing God goes before us?
As we face the big overwhelming challenges of life, we know we need God and turn to Him quickly. When the phone rings and it is bad news, when the doctor walks in with the test results, when arrangements need to be made at the funeral home, we turn to God and beg for His help.
How about in the smallest of things? I know I must confess I often hold up my hand and tell God “I got this.” No need to bring out the big guns, this is easily handled… or so we think. The problem with that thinking is we don’t worship a “break glass in case of emergency” God. If He is our “all in all” then He should be in all, and we should be all in.
Our Old Testament friends knew they couldn’t overcome the mighty walled city of Jericho without God’s mighty hand, so they turned to Him and obeyed every word in His commands. However, they made the same mistake many of us do when facing much smaller challenges. They chose to move without God. “We got this! Look how Jericho worked out. We just have to show up.” The actual text reads like this:
“Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few.” So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water” (Josh. 7:2-5).
Ai (some pronounce it “aye;” I say “A. I.” like artificial intelligence) was a very small city, especially compared to Jericho. It might have had one stop light…maybe. It was so small it only had two letters in its name. Not only did they say “We got this, no problem,” look at what they didn’t do. No prayer, no Ark of the Covenant, no God-honoring plan, nothing was done in a consecrated, sanctified way. They tried to attack Ai like any other army would. How did that work out for them? They weren’t different. They didn’t go as God’s people.
If God is to be called on for our big things, shouldn’t He be called on for our small things? If we pray and make sure it is in His will before we buy that car or house, why don’t we do the same thing before we buy the shirt or shoes? We are called to be different, to approach all the things of life with a Godly perspective and a scriptural worldview. The world should have a different perspective of us. They should see that God permeates every aspect of our lives, no matter how big or small.
Fortunately God is the God of redemption and second chances. Josh. 8:1 says, “Now the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.’” Ai saw that God was with Joshua and the Israelites, even though they were not a big deal in the minds of most people.
The question we must face is do others see God in the small things of our lives as well as our major challenges, or do we try to tell God “I’ll call you when I need you?” The difference could mean missing out on the daily victories God has prepared for you. We serve a God Who is big enough to help you with even the smallest detail of your life. Why don’t you let Him?
by Caleb Moore | Jun 20, 2017
According to Scripture, mankind began his journey in paradise. He gave humanity the best possible starting position possible. And as we all know, we were unable to sustain the sacred role given to us.
Although our sin interfered, God did not give up on His mission. He told Abraham that He would take him out of his land and move him to a better area. There he would be able to grow his family in peace and bless the nations. God put Abraham in Canaan. In a way, he was like a new Adam in a new garden, albeit a less perfect version.
Abraham was in the right place, but he still failed when it came to obeying without exception. The biblical narrative shows us once again the faithfulness of God when He does not let our actions get in the way of His perfect will.
He chose another man named Moses. Moses led the people of God back to Canaan, their version of paradise, and we are told it was flowing with milk and honey. They can’t even stay obedient long enough to make it to their destination, but eventually their children find themselves back in Canaan. God continues to put people in the right location, but they fail to be the right kind of people.
God’s chosen people fell into the same trap that we all do. We often think that if God would just position us with the right job, the right spouse or the right amount of money, we could do all that we are supposed to do. But the pattern of Scripture reminds us that even if we are in the right spot it doesn’t matter unless we are the right kind of people.
I know that I will never fully be the right person in the right place until Jesus returns, and the new heaven and the new earth are revealed. Some day, we will find ourselves back in the garden, walking with God and eating from the tree of life. Until then, the longing I feel inside of my heart for a better situation needs to be grounded in Scripture.
My situation will never make it easier for me to obey God. My problems are not due to my location or my vocation. My problems stem from something internal rather than external. Jesus has removed part of that barrier and will return to claim his final victory.
God is at work preparing us to be the right people and one day will put us in the right place. He has fixed our position before Him and will return to fix our location on earth.
Until then, know that what your heart is longing for is Eden. That longing will never be fulfilled by a bank account or a new location; it can only be fulfilled when we find ourselves back where we are meant to be.
Some day we will walk with God on the new earth and eat from the tree of life. Until then, God calls us to be obedient and live as though we already have one foot in the garden, making the most of his name and blessing the nations around us.
by Amy Spear | Jun 14, 2017
I noticed something recently in a passage of Scripture that I had never noticed before. I even taught a year on this passage at our conferences (I love how deep God’s Word is!). But as I read it, another mystery was revealed to me.
2 Kings 4:1-7:
“The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, ‘Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.’
“Elisha replied to her, ‘How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?’
“’Your servant has nothing there at all,’ she said, ‘except a small jar of olive oil.’
“Elisha said, ‘Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.’
“She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, ‘Bring me another one.’
“But he replied, ‘There is not a jar left.’ Then the oil stopped flowing.
“She went and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.’”
The very end of the story shows the widow went back to Elisha. “She went and told the man of God….”
Her miracle was already performed; her answer sat glistening in glass jars before her. The man she owed money to could come at any moment and take her boys away, so of course the first thing she would want to do is sell the oil for money. Her boys were everything to her!
The situation was under control now. She held the key to all her problems.
Not rushing, not just doing the inevitable next step, she went back to Elisha to ask for instructions on what to do now – not because she was aloof of what she possessed, but out of faith, respect, honor and submission. She still wanted his guidance on what to do next.
I think she knew that missing just one step in life could take you off course from the will of God, and that wasn’t a luxury she had. So, to follow every single step with the utmost detail, she ran back to the one who knew and would guide her.
That got me thinking…
Do I do that? Do I follow the steps laid out before me, and then rush back to God for the next one? Or do I follow a step and then continue on a path I just assume is the right one, the inevitable next step? Do I take the lead when the situation is “under control” again?
If we are not seeking out God’s guidance and instructions for every detail of every step, we are bound to get things wrong. It takes humility and submission to realize how helpless we are without Him.
What situation do you need to go back to the miracle worker and ask Him to show you what’s next? Give Him control again and see how He will take what little you give Him and multiply it beyond measure!
