Arguments with God

“Here is what I learned about arguments with God: If you win the argument you actually lose, and if you lose the argument you actually win.”- Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson continues Chapter 5 of The Circle Maker by conceding that circling the promises of God often seems risky.  However, he adds, circling the promises of God isn’t nearly as risky as not circling God’s promises.  We forfeit the miracles God wants to perform when we don’t circle His promises.

When we live in obedience to God, we place ourselves in position to receive God’s blessing.  This happened to the Israelites when they were parked in the Desert of Paran, a region fifty miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea and fifty miles southwest of the Dead Sea.  Quail usually live by the water and don’t fly long distances.  But a supernatural wind blew them into the Israelites’ camp.

Quail covered an area ten times the size of Washington, DC, and were piled three feet deep!  All this happened because Moses took the risk and circled God’s promise.  Mark explains that when you circle God’s promise, you never know how He will provide:

“Your job is not to crunch numbers and make sure the will of God adds up.  After all, the will of God is not a zero-sum game.  When God enters the equation, His output always exceeds your input.  Your only job is to draw circles in the sand.  And if you do the geometry, God will multiply the miracles in your life.”

Today’s question: Describe a specific situation involving your arguments with God.  What was the outcome?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Lessons about unanswered prayers”

 

Arguments with God

Voices, choices, and consequences

“Life comes with voices.  Voices lead to choices.  Choices lead to consequences.”- Max Lucado

“Obedience is the key to all doors.”- C. S. Lewis (Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C. S. Lewis)

Max Lucado begins Chapter 11 (“Voices, Choices, and Consequences”) of Glory Days by discussing the Israelites’ pilgrimage to the Valley of Shechem following Joshua’s decisive victory at Ai.  Once they reached the valley, Joshua set about the task of building an altar to the Lord.

Unlike the custom of ancient Near Eastern kings to commemorate their military achievements by writing about their conquests on huge stones covered with plaster, Joshua celebrated God’s law.  The key to the Israelites’ successful military campaign wasn’t the strength of their army but their resolve to keep God’s commandments.

Pastor Lucado reminds us that this assembly in the Valley of Shechem took place in the midst of an invasion, smack-dab in the middle of enemy territory.  Max comments that they pressed the Pause button on their physical battle in order to fight a spiritual one:

“Heeding God’s Word is more critical than fighting God’s war.  Indeed, heeding God’s Word is fighting God’s war.  Conquest happens as covenant is honored.”

The voices of life await us.  While we can’t eliminate their presence, we can prepare for their invitation.  We have been bought with a price and are indwelled by the Holy Spirit.  Resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7).  Max concludes:

“Choose obedience.  And as you do, you can expect . . . the blessing of God’s favor.  This is no guarantee of an easy life.  It is the assurance of God’s help.”

Today’s question (from the study guide): What voices do you listen to most often?  Are you drawn to the loudest voices?  Or the most persistent?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The throne of grace”

 

 

 

Voices, choices, and consequences

Your point of disqualification

In Chapter 7 of The End of Me, Kyle Idleman concludes his discussion of five reasons we feel disqualified to be chosen, with a specific emphasis on your point of disqualification.

3. “They won’t forget.”  Pastor Idleman encourages us not to worry about how others see us.  Even if we don’t know where we stand with others, we have to move forward.  Others don’t determine our future.  God does.

Kyle stresses that God asks “for faith and obedience.  His plan and his will are all that matter, because the lesson he’s teaching almost always flips our assumptions on their head.”

4. “I dishonored my good name.”  The author states that God often renamed people for this very reason.  And whatever burden you’re carrying, God has a message for you.  When you come to the end of yourself, God can use you in the very best way.  One of God’s favorite strategies is to use the very issue you feel is holding you back.  Kyle notes: “Your disqualifier becomes God’s qualifier.”

5.  “I’m not ready.”  Even if you’ve heard the previous excuses and acknowledge God’s track record of redemption, there’s one last excuse to play- “I’m not ready.”  Kyle encourages you to jump before you’re ready to leap.  He describes what God will do:

“In what seems like the smallest of moments, in brief encounters with other people, he’ll take you and speak a life-changing word through you.  When God chooses you, he equips you.  Every time.”

Today’s question: Which of Kyle’s five reasons resonates most with you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Weak to be strong”

Your point of disqualification

Self-fulfilling prophecies

Mark Batterson ends Chapter 11 of The Grave Robber with a section on self-fulfilling prophecies.  He notes that it is no insignificant detail that the man by the Bethesda pool is called invalid.  The man is synonymous with his sickness.  Pastor Batterson states there is a lesson to be learned: don’t let what’s wrong with you define you.

Mark states that our culture has the tendency to reduce people to labels.  That tendency is unhealthy, unholy, and dehumanizing.  We cannot allow anyone to label us except the One who made us.  For example, the impetuous Peter was given a new label by Jesus- “The Rock.”  Jesus redefined Peter’s identity, and ultimately he lived up to it.

Our word are powerful, for better or for worse.  They double as self-fulfilling prophecies.  Fear validates negative prophecies, while positive prophecies are validated by faith.  Mark doubles back to the question of this miracle: Do you want to get well?  He concludes:

“If you don’t, keep doing what you’re doing.  If you do, take a step of faith.  Then another.  And another.  And if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’ll eventually get to where God wants you to go.  Most miracles are the by-product of ‘a long obedience in the same direction (Eugene Peterson).’ ”

Today’s question: What self-fulfilling prophecies have defined you following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Second-order change”

Self-fulfilling prophecies

The best is yet to come

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived- the things God has prepared for those who love him- these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. . . . we have received the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”- 2 Corinthians 2:9-10, 12

As Charles Stanley concludes Chapter 7 of Waiting on God, he states that if we truly cherish our heart’s desire- respecting and honoring the Father- we will exhibit patience, faith, and obedience as we wait for the Lord to act.  We never should give up, especially when we’re on the brink of blessing from God and His answer is closer than ever.  We’ve invested a great deal of time, energy, prayer, and confidence in God.  We must not abandon our hope.

Dr. Stanley began Waiting on God with a list of “nevers.”  He prays that the principle and biblical truths he presented in this book will strengthen us in our time of delay:

“You can and should endure expectantly with the joy of knowing God will never let you down.  You can and should keep hoping even when the nevers of life bombard you, realizing that the Lord is the One you really hope for, and He perfectly cares for all that concerns you.”

We can know with certainty that the best is yet to come . . . always!

Today’s question: What sections of Dr. Stanley’s book have had the greatest impact on you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Prerequisite for a miracle”

Coming Monday: the Annotated Bibliography of Waiting on God

 

 

 

The best is yet to come

Faith, patience, and obedience

“It is resting in the Lord, in His will, His promise, His faithfulness, and His love, that makes patience easy.”- Andrew Murray

Charles Stanley concludes Chapter 5 of Waiting on God with a reminder that it is crucial we test our motives when it comes to God’s promises and while we wait for Him to answer our prayers.  The Father will not compete with any longing that replaces Him.

When we wait of God, He always will show us His grace, goodness, love, and mercy, as Dr. Stanley explains:

” . .  . delight yourself in the Lord, make His the priority of your life, wait for Him, cling to His promises, and trust Him to give you the desires of your heart. . . . He wants to fulfill them in a manner that reveals the awesome way He loves and provides for you.”

As we wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises, Dr. Stanley notes we have three responsibilities.  We must exhibit faith, patience, and obedience.

1.  Faith.  Dr. Stanley defines faith as “the confident conviction God will do as He’s promised.”  Our faith and trust in God will grow when we believe even though every earthly indication is fighting against that faith.

2. Patience.  One of the New Testament Greek words for patience is hupomone, meaning “steadfastness, constancy, and perseverance.”  It is the picture of a Christian who remains on the course Christ has set, despite all obstacles and trials.

3.  Obedience.  Whether we understand God’s direction to us or not, we must allow Him to guide us to our destination step-by-step.

Today’s question: What Bible verses have strengthened and sustained your faith, patience, and obedience?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Courage and determination”

 

Faith, patience, and obedience

Walking in obedience

Today Charles Stanley concludes his presentation of seven questions designed to give us the criteria for confidently taking hold of a promise from God.

3.  Does the fulfillment of this promise glorify Him?  God’s fulfilled promises are part of our testimony.  In this way God makes Himself known to those around us.  Our request must benefit others, honor God and fit His character, and encourage others to seek Him.

4.  Is this promise consistent with His will for your life?  If we’re walking in the center of God’s path for us, generally His assurances will support what He is calling us to accomplish.  God’s purposes for us will take precedence over our expectations of His timing and methods.  When we obey God, He assumes full responsibility for our needs.

5.  Are you walking in obedience to Him?  Willfully choosing to go outside God’s will and meet our needs on our own means we intentionally deny His power and wisdom to help us.  God won’t contribute to our disobedience.  Dr. Stanley states:

“God’s promises are meant to bolster our trust in Him, not undermine it.  He will not sanction disobedience.”

6.  Is the fulfillment of this promise in your life encouraging to others?  We’ve been able to persevere because we see how God worked through the lives of the biblical saints.  We need to be that encouragement to others.

7.  Does the Holy Spirit witness with your spirit that God is pleased?  When the Holy Spirit confirms for us that this promise is for us deep within our soul, we’ll sense profound confidence and calm in our heart.  Although we’ll still face doubts and fears, the Father will restore tranquility to our heart by reminding us of His faithfulness.

Today’s question: Which of Dr. Stanley’s seven questions resonate most with you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Faith, patience, and obedience”

Walking in obedience