We as human beings are likely one of the most impatient creatures of all. As Americans in our culture we are continually being taught that we don’t need to wait. Everything is becoming faster and more instantaneous. Remember film cameras? It’s a lot of fun developing black and white film, watching and waiting as that image comes to life on paper. I remember several years ago, before I acquired my own digital camera, I was at a festival and taking pictures. There was a very cute little boy that had spiked-up hair and I asked to take his picture. After getting permission and clicking the shot, he immediately asked, “Can I see?” to which I had to explain that this was an “old fashioned” camera and I had to wait to develop my film.
As women, we find ourselves waiting lots, also. We ask and wait for a loving man to be our partner for life. We ask and wait for a baby… remember how long Sarah and Abraham waited? Then we do have children, we find ourselves waiting in the middle of the night for the fever to come down… waiting for that day when they are finally out of diapers… waiting for when they can finally do a few more things for themselves… and then waiting for them to get back home from their first driving experience alone… and when they grow up and move out… waiting for them to call or come by.
Christians will often find themselves having to wait. And it’s not always a pleasant experience. Waiting for God to direct you has got to be one of the hardest disciplines to master, and I’m not sure that any of us will ever master it. Today’s blog share comes from Lifeway.com and reminds just some of the benefits of waiting on God.
From the blog:
“Waiting is a common activity for those who passionately follow God. When we face unpleasant, fear-inducing circumstances, we must face them with faith in the God who’s watching over our lives.”
Read the full blog post on the 3 Benefits of God’s Waiting Room by Pete Wilson here: http://lfwy.co/2oD8iy5
James 2:1 MSG — My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-oriented faith.
There it was, sticking out like a sore thumb. The very words of the scripture were flashing like a neon sign. There will always be some scripture that stands alone in its direction and force for our lives. I think this could be one of those scriptures.
James doesn’t even beat around the bush. He does let you know that you’re a “dear” friend, but after that he gets straight to the point, “don’t let public opinion influence how you live out”…your faith.
Our “glorious Christ-centered faith is really all we have that makes us complete, whole, holy, steadfast, immovable, trustworthy, solid, and eternally safe in the end. Without our faith we shift with “public opinion”. Public opinion can change at the drop of a hat. It can alter views and beliefs of the absolute authority of the Word. Public opinion can shift values and morality based on the Word.
James wants us keep our faith Christ-centered not public opinion driven. Think of it like this; Christ was never moved by public opinion and neither should we. He was a friend to anyone and everyone who would receive Him, but He always sought to move them to a faith centered around Him. That should be our goal, to help change the opinion of culture about Christ and move them to a life centered around Him. Don’t let the shifting winds of public opinion move you. Develop a strong “glorious, Christ-centered faith” and stay with it. It will keep you and it save you!
We as men often let fear exist in our life. Whether it’s from a pressing decision that has to be made, or to someone’s opinion of us. We are big strong bull of the woods type who keep our fears locked away to never be confronted again.In 1 Kings there are quite a few mentions of a king who ruled with fear. He was a nasty king with a wicked wife. He ruled with fear, and caused fear in God’s people and prophets. He had a servant who ruled over all his possessions named Obadiah who he kept in line also with……..you guessed it, fear. Ahab was on a mission to find a land for his animals, and to find and kill the prophet Elijah.
Elijah showed up, and God showed up with him in a suddenly moment. At that moment Obadiah was overtaken by the fear of king Ahab. He said, “how can you send me back to tell the king you’re here, he’s going to kill me.”
That leads me to a few questions the Lord placed on me. What is the King in your own life that causes fear?
Is it a fear of what people will think if you step out and become one of those “Jesus followers”? Is it a fear of loosing an income because God’s calling you out to serve Him full-time? Is it trying to put together an event, and you don’t know where the funds will come from? Or maybe it’s a ministers fear that a new ministry locally is gonna be more impressive than his.
Whatever it is that’s causing you to fear a false king in your life, take a stand against it! God has gone before you to make you successful according to His standards. Don’t let an Ahab dictate your calling, or decision. God’s got this!
Guest Post by Richard Rogers. Richard writes daily posts via his Facebook page. Follow him on Facebook here.
One of the most famous of all figures of the Bible is David, the lowly shepherd boy who slew a Philistine giant and, favored by God, reined for 40 years as king of Israel. Wandering far from perfection, David was an adulterer, a murderer, and a man of war. Despite these human flaws, David had a unique relationship with God. In fact, David held a distinction shared by no other character in the Holy Scriptures. When God withdrew His divine favor from Israel’s first king Saul, we are told in 1 Samuel 13:14 of the Old Testament, “The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people.” That man who earned one of God’s highest commendations was David. Listen to what the Lord said in Acts 13:22 of the New Testament: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” Regarded as a man after His own heart, God gave His servant David perhaps the highest praise recorded in the Bible.
There are many reasons that the Lord considered David to be (quoting now) “a man after My own heart.” The character assets that prompted God to say that about David, according to an online source, can be discerned by reading the Book of Psalms, known as the national hymnal of Israel. More than half of the 150 Psalms were written by David. First and foremost, King David trusted God with absolute faith. “For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved,” said the faithful David in Psalm 21:7. Before taking down the 9’6” Philistine champion Goliath with a single stone from his sling, David exuberantly declared his faith the Lord, saying: “He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37) Not only was David a man of faith, He was obedient to God. Reflecting his attitude of obedience, David said in Psalm 119:34: “Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.”
David committed some horrible sins, to be sure, but His heart was repentant. In Psalm 25:11, for example, he sought forgiveness, asking: “For Your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.” The qualities of faith, obedience, and repentance all combined to endear David to the Lord Almighty as a man after God’s own heart. David’s life was also a picture of other godly attributes. King David was loving, humble, reverent, and respectful, devoted. He constantly gave praise and thanks to God for strength, guidance, and deliverance from his enemies. These are all admirable qualities that we should seek to cultivate in our lives. As Christians, we have been given the indwelling power of God’s Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and shape us into vessels of love and service. David was no less human than any of us, yet in his innermost being He was recognized by God as “a man after His own heart.” Let’s make that our aspiration as well, and seek, as David did to: “Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;” (Psalm 29:2)
The JOURNEY- WHAT a GOD! 1 Peter 1:3 MSG “What a God we have!”
Some scriptures are hard to add to because they’re so deep and so profound that they speak loud and clear all by themselves. Peter, you know the Peter who messed up on many occasions, writes this powerful simple statement. “What a God we have!” He’s more than good and greater than we deserve. He’s our forgiver and our healer. He’s the restorer and the rebuilder of our lives. He’s loving beyond measure and worth more than any treasure. He’s not of this world and that makes Him out of this world. He’s kindhearted and gentle spirited. He’s long suffering and ever forgiving. He can be a warrior one minute and a lamb the next. He fights over you, for you and with you. He will never give up on you because He died for you. He will go to the ends of the earth to find you and never leave you or forsake you. YES! What a God we have! You really need to thank Him, bless Him and praise Him; not only for what He has done but what is doing and will do. Let everyone you know “What a God we have!”
Guest Post by Richard Rogers. Richard writes daily posts via his Facebook page. Follow him on Facebook here.
As Christians, we should be the most joyful people on the planet! All too often, however, and I admit my own guilt, we allow the world to take away or suppress our joy. Joy is one of the so-called “fruit of the Spirit,” the nine attributes of a Christian life listed in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians. One Internet source defines “joy” as a state of mind and orientation of the heart characterized by contentment, confidence, and hope. I believe that joy should be distinguished from happiness. Unlike happiness which is tied to the ebb and flow of our circumstances, joy is a deep abiding state of the heart that persists whether we are going through times in our lives that are tough or terrific. As believers who have accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts by faith and received God’s forgiveness of our sins, we have every reason to be joyful based on the truth of God’s Word. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice,” said Paul in Philippians 4:4. Yes, fellow Christians, we should bask in the joy of our salvation and our hope in Christ.
As children who have been reconciled to God the Father, by the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross, our hearts should be overflowing with joy because we are eternally secure in Christ. The Lord has credited our faith in His beloved Son as righteousness and sealed our salvation by the indwelling of our repentant hearts by the Holy Spirit. Our names have been indelibly written in the Lambs Book of Life and we have been given the most awesome gift imaginable, eternal life in the peace and presence of Almighty God. All the more reason to be joyful, we become equals with Jesus as children of God. Listen: “… and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” (Romans 8:17) We should joyfully praise and thank God continually that, as His adopted children, we can claim that and hundreds of other awesome promises God has made to followers of Jesus throughout the Bible.
Our joy as Christians, however, need not be limited solely to the great hope that we have of everlasting life. Believers have been promised a life here on earth that is rich and abundant as God works to bring benefits and a pattern of good to those who love Him and seek to express it through acts of kindness and service to others. And even though we have to endure the trials of life just like non-believers (maybe even more so in today’s ungodly world), we know that God is faithful to His promises and is there to strengthen and see us through the hardships that are inevitable in this life. Let’s guard against Satan’s attempts to rob us as our joy and, thus, hinder our efforts to witness to others of the love and saving-grace of Christ Jesus. If our joy seems to be on the wane, we need to ask God to forgive any sin or remove any obstacles to the joyful life that Christ gave His life for us to have. Let’s echo David’s request of God when he prayed with a repentant heart: “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” (Psalm 51:12) Living a Christ-centered life is all about being joyful, here and hereafter!
