Set a hundred-fifty feet apart in a straight line, there were three fifteen-foot-tall stone lighthouses at Nauset Beach on the north Atlantic coast, which became known as “The Three Sisters of Nauset.” Many shipwrecks occurred at this location, so the three towers were built to warn sailors of the hazard. In the storm it was difficult to see any single lighthouse. The three lighthouses set in a row gave opportunity to see one if not the others. In the same way God has gives us lighthouses to understand his will. When these three luminaries are aligned they appear to us as one distinct light for safe direction to navigate God's will for our lives.
Holy Spirit – When king Belteshazzar sought understanding of his dream, for he perceived it to be a message from God, he inquired of Daniel the prophet, for he recognized, “... that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you” (Daniel 5:14 NKJV). The Holy Spirit himself can bring messages to us by dreams, visions, prophetic words, divine leading and any other way He chooses to, for He is God. All of the Spirit’s communication with us gives us divine direction in accordance with the perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). As believers we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to give us the light of God’s will in a matter.
How does the Holy Spirit communicate with us personally? In the Spirit filled believer, the Holy Spirit has the ability to lead, guide and speak to us through our spirit's conscience, devotion and intuition. We are most familiar with His “still small” inner voice (I Kings 19:12). If you could describe it, it would sound like your spirit having an internal conversation with your soul. You are not talking to yourself. This is intercourse with the Holy Spirit. When we walk in obedience to this direction we are aligning ourselves with the will of God for our lives. If the Holy Spirit's voice was all we had and was properly discerned, it would be enough. But He gives us more light for our journey.
Word of God – “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). The revealed Word of God is found in the Holy Bible. With the Holy Spirit ministering through God’s Word to us and through us to others, we are able to obtain terrific insight. What oil is to a lamp, or a battery is to a flashlight, so the Holy Spirit is to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is the power source of the Scriptures. In the darkness of ignorance that we all have concerning God’s will, the believer can find God’s Word to be a lamp near his feet illuminating his next step, and a light shining down the path to his future as he walks in obedience to its direction. Those who do not have the light of God’s Word in their lives find themselves groping in the dark, trying to feel their own way through existance.
We take the Word of God as His law for us to follow. “For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23). The moral law of God is still valid for new covenant believers in that obedience to it is an expression of true love for God and love for each other (Luke 10:27). Again, each of God’s holy ordinances becomes a low beam to help our near sightedness with the immediate decisions we must make, and the whole of Scripture becomes a farsighted high beam to help us set our course for safely reaching God’s destiny for our lives. The Bible is not afraid to show us the results of the lives who followed God's Word by faith, and those who did not.
Godly Examples – Now, if the first lighthouse is the Holy Spirit, and the second lighthouse is the Word of God, then what is the third? I’ve heard it said that the final lighthouse is our feelings and the emotional response we give to the other two lights that help us know we are in God’s will. But the “If it feels good, do it” philosophy is nothing more than reconstituted romanticism. I’ve heard others suggest it is the circumstances and situations of life that lend us guidance. Accepting circumstances contrary to the Word of God is not God’s perfect will for His children. While it may be true that we feel good about the direction we are taking, and while life's circumstances may even be playing out toward a divine direction, these would tend to be very unstable indicators of God’s will. Our emotions may lie to us, and we may even encounter adverse circumstances while moving in obedience to God’s will. Although emotions and circumstances may confirm God’s direction, I would not put a great deal of stock in these as instruments of guidance.
Next to God’s Spirit and God’s Word, the most trustworthy light for our path are the lives of many godly men and women who have gone before us. In all of the Gospels, Jesus repeated this phrase, “Follow me” (John 1:43). Of all the examples of godly living, the primary example is the life of Christ. Jesus is God who wrapped Himself in the flesh of human life for a time to set for us the flawless example of living out God’s perfect will, “that we should follow in his steps” (I Peter 2:21). Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of what God can do with a man fully yielded to the Spirit. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Christ is the perfect example, but we also have many other godly examples in Scripture and history of men and women who sacrificed to serve for the sake of the call of God on their lives. “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). Paul boldly declared to other believers, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1). So add to your devotional reading the biographies of believers who remained faithful and true to God’s divine direction to the end. Personally, I prefer reading "dead authors", because they can’t backslide. “But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). These three lighthouses will show clearly the way God has for us to go, and help us to walk in the prophetic.
We’ve all heard the legendary story of that thick foggy night when the Chief Officer of a tramp steamer was peering over the side of the bridge. Suddenly, to his intense surprise, he saw a man leaning over a rail, only a few yards ahead of him and on a collision course. “You confounded fool!” the Chief Officer roared, “Where do you think your ship is going. Don’t you know I have the right of way? Move!” Out of the gloom came a sarcastic voice, “This ain’t no blinkin’ ship. This here’s the lighthouse. You move!” When we are properly aligned with the lighthouses of God’s will, we will avoid life's shipwrecks and be able to observe Him move on our behalf.
When God moves in our favor, one preacher explained, He will work in one of three ways. God may intervene swiftly and supernaturally on our behalf to change our circumstances for His glory. This may come as a miracle act or event. Secondly, God will often choose to interact to meet our needs, by saying “If you will do this, I will do that.” This looks very much like a partnership between us and God. Although God is God and can do as He will, at times He chooses to cooperate with us to see a thing through. Finally, God’s will may be to inner-act within us. In so doing, God’s kind intention is not to change the circumstances, though we may pray in that way. When God inner-acts, He doesn’t alter your circumstances, rather He intends to change you in the circumstances. Knowing what God is up to can help us deal rightly with our times. Here God doesn’t calm the outward storm. He calms you in the storm. He’s changing your character. Apply yourself to seek to know God's will for your life today!
Showing posts with label God's will. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's will. Show all posts
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Conquering the Pressures of Business
As Published in The Answer Magazine, January 2010
by Ken Walker
THE ED HAN STORY
Stockton, California USA
I hadn’t even had a chance to organize the day’s list of sales calls when my boss called me into his office. I went to see him with a smile on my face. In just two weeks, I would take over part of his operation and become a first-time business owner.
“Uh, oh,” I thought when I saw his serious look. “I wonder what’s wrong?”
“Ed, I’ve been talking to my accountant and attorney,” he said. “They’ve advised me not to sell the publication, but instead to walk away from it. I can’t sell the book to you.”
My heart sank. My wife, Lorri, and I were on the verge of buying one of his three telephone directories. We planned to take out a loan to cover the costs we couldn’t fund from cash flow. More significantly, we had mentally stepped into ownership.
Seeing the alarm on my face, he held up his hand.
“You’re the only one who knows,” he said. “After the distribution of my last book, I’m going to send out thank-you letters to our clients. All you have to do is send a follow-up letter explaining you are the new phone book in town. Just pick up where I left off.”
It took a minute for what he said to sink in. He wasn’t selling us the directory. He was giving it to us!
When I walked through the door 18 months earlier to take my first-ever sales job, I never dreamed that I would one day own a piece of the company.
My entry into business came at a point of crisis. My last job no longer paid enough for us to survive. When a friend told me about an opportunity in sales, I grabbed it.
I quickly discovered there’s a reason fewer than 25 percent of those who go into sales make it a career.
Though I started out on the phone because it was less confrontational, my boss told me, “What you need to do is take these business leads and get out face to face with people. You’re much better in person.”
Overcoming fear of rejection wasn’t any easier in person. I might encounter eight “no’s” before finding a “yes.” Still, as I persevered I learned that once I overcame my fear I had the ability to talk to people, make presentations and close the deal.
After a while, I talked to Lorri about buying one of the directories. I had some background in graphic design and was confident I could handle ad layouts. What I didn’t realize was the all-consuming nature of a small business. I used to think living on 100 percent commissions was tough. Being responsible for everything that goes on is pressure to the max.
We started out with just the two of us. Though Lorri had worked in retailing and previously owned two small businesses, publishing a directory was a new way of life.
Ironically, sales became the easiest part of the process. The four months of production called for 12-to-16-hour workdays, followed by back-breaking distribution of up to 40,000 phone books. We enlisted various community groups and all our children for the latter, paying the kids a nickel for each directory they delivered.
The key piece to our success was our relationship with Christ. There were times when our faith in God was the only thing that kept us going. Each day we prayed and asked Him for favor with whomever we met. Daily, we had to trust God to carry us through obstacles.
God responded to our prayer. Each year we saw 10 to 20 percent growth. Over a five-year period, our revenue doubled. God gave us innovative ideas. We became the first directory in our area to run full-color advertising. We were also the first to include a Spanish-language yellow pages insert. Some of the changes we pioneered showed up later in the phone company’s directory.
We also decided to do some “moral editing.” We omitted listings for adult bookstores, psychics, and other such services. On one occasion I was in the shop, laying out some headings. I sensed the Holy Spirit leading me to call a toll-free number that supposedly provided weather reports. When I did, it turned out to be for a phone sex operation. Needless to say, we didn’t publish that number thanks to that word of caution from the Lord.
After the first year, we realized this publication also gave us an opportunity to tell others about Christ. Using a guide from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we included a page that told people about the steps to peace with God.
Though we met success, at the end of five years our family was burned out by the time demands. Lorri looked for a buyer and found one. That company paid us a 150 percent premium on our annual sales, far more than our original offer for the directory.
Once the deal closed, I went into a new career in insurance and financial services. Ironically, this job includes plenty of sales calls, but I no longer fear them.
As a nine-year-old boy, I said “Yes” to Jesus. What I didn’t realize then was that receiving Jesus as my Savior and Lord would prepare and strengthen me for crisis to come, including my parents’ divorce the following year. As that young boy, I turned to the Lord Jesus in my time of need, and He sustained me.
During my pre-teen years, doubts and fears would plague me at times, but I stayed true to the Lord because I knew, by His track record in my life, He would always care for me. By the time I entered high school, I was a confident, committed Christian.
My grandparents lived lives of consistent service to God. They lived out, in a very real way, the relationship they each had with God. I could not have asked for better examples to guide me.
So yes, a young boy’s faith in Jesus can grow and sustain him into and through his manhood as he discovers God’s plan and purpose for his life.
As a man in business, I’ve learned that Jesus, the son of a carpenter, knows the pressures and pitfalls of the marketplace. Through BMF, I’ve met many other businessmen who are looking for guidance or solutions to workplace problems. My lifelong journey with Jesus has shown me that when we ask, He gives wisdom, guidance, and creative ideas that can get us around obstacles, bring solutions to problems, sustain us through economic downturns, and reset our direction when we’ve made costly mistakes.
In the economic downturn of 2008-09, many have struggled with slow or inconsistent levels of business. The bottom line is that more sales and/or improved profits won’t buy you happiness.
No matter what business you’re in, following Christ is the best call you can make.
(An insurance and financial services professional with a national company [www.allstateagencies.com/EdHan], Ed Han is also President of the Stockton BMF Chapter [www.bmfusa.com]. Also an author, his first book is titled "Identifying God" [www.edhan-idgod.vpweb.com]. He and his wife, Lorri, have eight children and two grandchildren. They attend Lakeview Assembly of God church [www.lakeviewassembly.com].)
by Ken Walker
THE ED HAN STORY
Stockton, California USA
I hadn’t even had a chance to organize the day’s list of sales calls when my boss called me into his office. I went to see him with a smile on my face. In just two weeks, I would take over part of his operation and become a first-time business owner.
“Uh, oh,” I thought when I saw his serious look. “I wonder what’s wrong?”
“Ed, I’ve been talking to my accountant and attorney,” he said. “They’ve advised me not to sell the publication, but instead to walk away from it. I can’t sell the book to you.”
My heart sank. My wife, Lorri, and I were on the verge of buying one of his three telephone directories. We planned to take out a loan to cover the costs we couldn’t fund from cash flow. More significantly, we had mentally stepped into ownership.
Seeing the alarm on my face, he held up his hand.
“You’re the only one who knows,” he said. “After the distribution of my last book, I’m going to send out thank-you letters to our clients. All you have to do is send a follow-up letter explaining you are the new phone book in town. Just pick up where I left off.”
It took a minute for what he said to sink in. He wasn’t selling us the directory. He was giving it to us!
When I walked through the door 18 months earlier to take my first-ever sales job, I never dreamed that I would one day own a piece of the company.
My entry into business came at a point of crisis. My last job no longer paid enough for us to survive. When a friend told me about an opportunity in sales, I grabbed it.
I quickly discovered there’s a reason fewer than 25 percent of those who go into sales make it a career.
Though I started out on the phone because it was less confrontational, my boss told me, “What you need to do is take these business leads and get out face to face with people. You’re much better in person.”
Overcoming fear of rejection wasn’t any easier in person. I might encounter eight “no’s” before finding a “yes.” Still, as I persevered I learned that once I overcame my fear I had the ability to talk to people, make presentations and close the deal.
After a while, I talked to Lorri about buying one of the directories. I had some background in graphic design and was confident I could handle ad layouts. What I didn’t realize was the all-consuming nature of a small business. I used to think living on 100 percent commissions was tough. Being responsible for everything that goes on is pressure to the max.
We started out with just the two of us. Though Lorri had worked in retailing and previously owned two small businesses, publishing a directory was a new way of life.
Ironically, sales became the easiest part of the process. The four months of production called for 12-to-16-hour workdays, followed by back-breaking distribution of up to 40,000 phone books. We enlisted various community groups and all our children for the latter, paying the kids a nickel for each directory they delivered.
The key piece to our success was our relationship with Christ. There were times when our faith in God was the only thing that kept us going. Each day we prayed and asked Him for favor with whomever we met. Daily, we had to trust God to carry us through obstacles.
God responded to our prayer. Each year we saw 10 to 20 percent growth. Over a five-year period, our revenue doubled. God gave us innovative ideas. We became the first directory in our area to run full-color advertising. We were also the first to include a Spanish-language yellow pages insert. Some of the changes we pioneered showed up later in the phone company’s directory.
We also decided to do some “moral editing.” We omitted listings for adult bookstores, psychics, and other such services. On one occasion I was in the shop, laying out some headings. I sensed the Holy Spirit leading me to call a toll-free number that supposedly provided weather reports. When I did, it turned out to be for a phone sex operation. Needless to say, we didn’t publish that number thanks to that word of caution from the Lord.
After the first year, we realized this publication also gave us an opportunity to tell others about Christ. Using a guide from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we included a page that told people about the steps to peace with God.
Though we met success, at the end of five years our family was burned out by the time demands. Lorri looked for a buyer and found one. That company paid us a 150 percent premium on our annual sales, far more than our original offer for the directory.
Once the deal closed, I went into a new career in insurance and financial services. Ironically, this job includes plenty of sales calls, but I no longer fear them.
As a nine-year-old boy, I said “Yes” to Jesus. What I didn’t realize then was that receiving Jesus as my Savior and Lord would prepare and strengthen me for crisis to come, including my parents’ divorce the following year. As that young boy, I turned to the Lord Jesus in my time of need, and He sustained me.
During my pre-teen years, doubts and fears would plague me at times, but I stayed true to the Lord because I knew, by His track record in my life, He would always care for me. By the time I entered high school, I was a confident, committed Christian.
My grandparents lived lives of consistent service to God. They lived out, in a very real way, the relationship they each had with God. I could not have asked for better examples to guide me.
So yes, a young boy’s faith in Jesus can grow and sustain him into and through his manhood as he discovers God’s plan and purpose for his life.
As a man in business, I’ve learned that Jesus, the son of a carpenter, knows the pressures and pitfalls of the marketplace. Through BMF, I’ve met many other businessmen who are looking for guidance or solutions to workplace problems. My lifelong journey with Jesus has shown me that when we ask, He gives wisdom, guidance, and creative ideas that can get us around obstacles, bring solutions to problems, sustain us through economic downturns, and reset our direction when we’ve made costly mistakes.
In the economic downturn of 2008-09, many have struggled with slow or inconsistent levels of business. The bottom line is that more sales and/or improved profits won’t buy you happiness.
No matter what business you’re in, following Christ is the best call you can make.
(An insurance and financial services professional with a national company [www.allstateagencies.com/EdHan], Ed Han is also President of the Stockton BMF Chapter [www.bmfusa.com]. Also an author, his first book is titled "Identifying God" [www.edhan-idgod.vpweb.com]. He and his wife, Lorri, have eight children and two grandchildren. They attend Lakeview Assembly of God church [www.lakeviewassembly.com].)
Monday, August 3, 2009
Prepare to Lose
Do you ever find yourself fighting for something? Be careful. In your struggle you may be fighting with God. If you ever find yourself wrestling with God, prepare to lose! For in absolute surrender you will win!
Jacob was a fighter. Jacob was a loser. His name means to usurp by treachery or force. He tried to live up to the reputation of his name, but never seemed to get ahead. Just about everything he touched turned to dust in his hand. He was a wrestler, a scrapper, a grappler. But he always seemed to be wrestling with the wrong opponent. Remember “we wrestle not against flesh and blood.” At birth he grappled with his twin brother to be first born, and he lost. He wrestled and wrangled to secure the birth right and the blessing of his father by deceptive means. He thought he had won, but in truth he had lost precious relationships with his family as he fled from the wrath of his brother. Jacob met his match when he approached his uncle for the love of his life. This time he tried to do the right thing, but in his best effort was deceived, manipulated and controlled. And yet the greatest failure of his life was soon to come!
It was at the point where in order to return to his homeland he would have to make peace with his brother. Peace would come at the price of sacrificing everything. At the ford of Jabbok he left his wife and children on the other side, and proceeded alone. Jabbok means to be emptied by utter failure or loss. At this stage in his life he would have to risk everything to achieve restoration. Jacob was devastated. It seemed as if he was always striving for something, but could never quite pin it down – until that night, when he was all alone, he wrestled a Man.
Scripture is not clear whether Jacob was asleep or awake; in consciousness or in the spirit. The word “wrestle” implies to grapple and get dusty. This was the fight of his life. Bigger than the Thrilla’ in Manila - this was the all or nothing round! But this was a fight he could not win! At the point that he felt the victory slipping away, Jacob grabbed hold of the Man for dear life! The Man dislocated his hip, but Jacob would not let go without a blessing.
“What is your name?” the Man asked (Genesis 32:27). “Usurper’” Jacob said. “(Not anymore. From now on you will be called Israel) for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). Israel means GOD PREVAILS! A name change like this always implies a changed life. Jacob lost. God won! God would continue to win in Jacob’s life as he submitted himself to God's lordship.
Jacob called that place Peniel which means face to face with God. No longer was Jacob striving against God, but rather was redirected toward God. Although his hip was forever disjointed, his life was reset in right alignment with the will of God.
Stop fighting with everyone and everything in life. You are not wresting with stuff. You are wrestling with God. When you finally realize that you are grappling with God, GIVE UP! – and let Him realign your dislocated life.
Jacob was a fighter. Jacob was a loser. His name means to usurp by treachery or force. He tried to live up to the reputation of his name, but never seemed to get ahead. Just about everything he touched turned to dust in his hand. He was a wrestler, a scrapper, a grappler. But he always seemed to be wrestling with the wrong opponent. Remember “we wrestle not against flesh and blood.” At birth he grappled with his twin brother to be first born, and he lost. He wrestled and wrangled to secure the birth right and the blessing of his father by deceptive means. He thought he had won, but in truth he had lost precious relationships with his family as he fled from the wrath of his brother. Jacob met his match when he approached his uncle for the love of his life. This time he tried to do the right thing, but in his best effort was deceived, manipulated and controlled. And yet the greatest failure of his life was soon to come!
It was at the point where in order to return to his homeland he would have to make peace with his brother. Peace would come at the price of sacrificing everything. At the ford of Jabbok he left his wife and children on the other side, and proceeded alone. Jabbok means to be emptied by utter failure or loss. At this stage in his life he would have to risk everything to achieve restoration. Jacob was devastated. It seemed as if he was always striving for something, but could never quite pin it down – until that night, when he was all alone, he wrestled a Man.
Scripture is not clear whether Jacob was asleep or awake; in consciousness or in the spirit. The word “wrestle” implies to grapple and get dusty. This was the fight of his life. Bigger than the Thrilla’ in Manila - this was the all or nothing round! But this was a fight he could not win! At the point that he felt the victory slipping away, Jacob grabbed hold of the Man for dear life! The Man dislocated his hip, but Jacob would not let go without a blessing.
“What is your name?” the Man asked (Genesis 32:27). “Usurper’” Jacob said. “(Not anymore. From now on you will be called Israel) for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). Israel means GOD PREVAILS! A name change like this always implies a changed life. Jacob lost. God won! God would continue to win in Jacob’s life as he submitted himself to God's lordship.
Jacob called that place Peniel which means face to face with God. No longer was Jacob striving against God, but rather was redirected toward God. Although his hip was forever disjointed, his life was reset in right alignment with the will of God.
Stop fighting with everyone and everything in life. You are not wresting with stuff. You are wrestling with God. When you finally realize that you are grappling with God, GIVE UP! – and let Him realign your dislocated life.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Life Isn’t A Disneyland
“We’re going to Disneyland!” was my announcement to my six and eight year old girls, to which they replied with shrieks and squeals. Their life-long dreams where soon to be fulfilled.
The trip would be long and arduous, but certainly worth the effort to be able to play in Mickey and Minnie’s backyard. I even think that waiting in the ticket line for my eager Mouseketeers seemed longer to them than the entire drive down to Southern California, but we had finally arrived.
As we entered the park, I could hardly wait to show them all of the spots I remembered as a child. We enjoyed the train ride, the stroll down Main Street, a little shopping along the way and even a tour through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Then I popped the question, “How do you like Disneyland?”
To my utter surprise my eight-year-old daughter turned to me with a look of disappointment as she answered, “Well, it isn’t really what I expected.”
“Tell me what you mean,” I said.
“I thought,” she explained, “Disneyland would be like a big playground, and we would get to play all day with Mickey and Minnie.”
Life, I have come to discover, isn’t always what we expect, and the things that happen in life don’t always turn out like one of those Disney cartoons with a happy ending.
Many of us spend our whole lives planning and preparing for the good things that lay ahead. As a child looks forward to Disneyland, a teen looks forward to driving and the freedoms of adulthood. A young adult looks forward to a career that will afford them financial freedom in years to come. And a middle aged person looks toward the restful and relaxing years of retirement.
Nobody plans in their idealistic life to go bankrupt, get a divorce, lose a child to death or be diagnosed with cancer. Most people don’t plan for tragedy, but sadly trials, failure and hardships could strike any one of us irrespective of who we are, or what we have been like. Jesus reminded us,
“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)
As long as we live in this fallen world, in this mortal body of flesh, we are not immune to the affects and influences of our environment. Unfortunately, some never recover such difficulties, while others seem to just break even. But there are those who become victorious overcomers no matter what! In all of life’s trials I have found a biblical principle to be true. This was my grandmother’s life verse.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
What the Apostle Paul expressed was that those who put their trust in God have a definite advantage in life. Not that they are excluded from the struggles of life, or that they are somehow unaffected by them. But rather that those who love God and walk out their lives in faith aliening themselves with His will, find that the end result of any of their adversities is only good always. Taking all of the good and all of the bad things in life, God promises “ALL THING WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD.” Not necessarily what you think is good at the time, but what Creator God deems as His overall good in accordance with His divine purposes.
This may seem to be too good to be true, but many will testify that having the love and care of God in your corner can turn many of your trials into gold. It is not too late to see God work your hardships for good, if you will put your trust in Him today.
The trip would be long and arduous, but certainly worth the effort to be able to play in Mickey and Minnie’s backyard. I even think that waiting in the ticket line for my eager Mouseketeers seemed longer to them than the entire drive down to Southern California, but we had finally arrived.
As we entered the park, I could hardly wait to show them all of the spots I remembered as a child. We enjoyed the train ride, the stroll down Main Street, a little shopping along the way and even a tour through Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Then I popped the question, “How do you like Disneyland?”
To my utter surprise my eight-year-old daughter turned to me with a look of disappointment as she answered, “Well, it isn’t really what I expected.”
“Tell me what you mean,” I said.
“I thought,” she explained, “Disneyland would be like a big playground, and we would get to play all day with Mickey and Minnie.”
Life, I have come to discover, isn’t always what we expect, and the things that happen in life don’t always turn out like one of those Disney cartoons with a happy ending.
Many of us spend our whole lives planning and preparing for the good things that lay ahead. As a child looks forward to Disneyland, a teen looks forward to driving and the freedoms of adulthood. A young adult looks forward to a career that will afford them financial freedom in years to come. And a middle aged person looks toward the restful and relaxing years of retirement.
Nobody plans in their idealistic life to go bankrupt, get a divorce, lose a child to death or be diagnosed with cancer. Most people don’t plan for tragedy, but sadly trials, failure and hardships could strike any one of us irrespective of who we are, or what we have been like. Jesus reminded us,
“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)
As long as we live in this fallen world, in this mortal body of flesh, we are not immune to the affects and influences of our environment. Unfortunately, some never recover such difficulties, while others seem to just break even. But there are those who become victorious overcomers no matter what! In all of life’s trials I have found a biblical principle to be true. This was my grandmother’s life verse.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
What the Apostle Paul expressed was that those who put their trust in God have a definite advantage in life. Not that they are excluded from the struggles of life, or that they are somehow unaffected by them. But rather that those who love God and walk out their lives in faith aliening themselves with His will, find that the end result of any of their adversities is only good always. Taking all of the good and all of the bad things in life, God promises “ALL THING WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD.” Not necessarily what you think is good at the time, but what Creator God deems as His overall good in accordance with His divine purposes.
This may seem to be too good to be true, but many will testify that having the love and care of God in your corner can turn many of your trials into gold. It is not too late to see God work your hardships for good, if you will put your trust in Him today.
Monday, May 4, 2009
House of Prayer
"I am setting My house in order.
You set your house in order.
My house is a house of prayer.
I want your house to be a house of prayer."
I received this word from the Lord in a still small voice, while worshipping at church Sunday morning. Now, I always want to weigh carefully such words to be certain they are truly biblical, and not my own random thoughts. This word has a real Bible basis!
Isa 56:7 "Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people."
Mar 11:17 "And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves."
Personally, I pray alot. I have journaled for years, and I strive to "pray without ceasing" (I Thes. 5:17), that is to live in a state of devoting my thought life to the Lord in prayerful conversation. But I have to honestly admit, I can see where issues have come up, and I have been more inclined to act on my own understanding, rather than seek spiritual guidance. "Everything by prayer" (Phil. 4:6) was the Apostle Paul's instruction. Everything means EVERYTHING! There is nothing in the Christian life too trivial to pray about.
I learned a long time ago, about the sin of prayerlessness, and sinning in my prayer. Let me explain. James said “Ye have not, because ye ask not” (Jam. 4:2). I understood that when I fail to pray about a matter, in my prayerlessness, I am saying to God with my silence, “I don’t need Your help. I can handle this situation myself.” I don’t ever want to send this message to God. I want to trust and believe Him for everything. I need God’s intervention even if I don’t think I need help. John Wesley said, “God does nothing, except in response to answering prayer.” We all know God can intervene, but I believe he chooses not to until we invite him into our circumstances.
The other issue James addresses is regarding sin in our prayers. How can you sin when you are praying? “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss” (Jam. 4:3). This has to do with asking out of selfish motives. We must hold the will of God before us at all times. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (Joh. 14:13). Our proper motivation in whatever we ask is to glorify God – nothing more or less. The word “amiss” reminds me of the original meaning of the word “sin”, which is to miss the mark. What is the mark? The bull’s eye is God’s will. If we will pray in accordance with the Word and the Spirit, in the love of Christ, to Glorify God, how could we miss?
Today begins a week of prayer in our fellowship (http://www.lakeviewassembly.com/), and the National Day of Prayer (http://www.ndptf.org/) on Thursday. Let us attend the House of Prayer in intercession, and let us make each of our homes places where prayer is the standard of life and living!
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