What's Behind Door Number Three?

“Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord.  1 Samuel 14:6 (NLT)

Last night we were having a discussion about God opening doors for us to walk through. Sometimes, it is clear that a door has opened in answer to prayer. It is totally obvious so you walk through it.

Sometimes however, it is not so clear. Maybe the door opened only a crack. Or maybe when the door opened, it didn't look like what you prayed for so you don't know if God opened it or not. What do you do then?

When Jonathan was walking to the Philistine camp, it feels like he was going up to the door and jiggling the handle. There was definitely a door there but he wasn't sure if God was behind it so he said "Perhaps the Lord will help us." and he came up with a test.

The test was that if they said If you come up here we'll kill you, the door was closed. If they said Come up and fight, the door was open. In my mind that is a crazy test but then again, God's plans are always crazy.

Jonathan jiggled the handle, got the answer and went through the door. That day in battle he killed 20 Philistines. But what happened next was amazing. The army began to panic. They turned on each other and started fighting. Eventually, the Israelites won the battle.

Jonathan jiggled the handle of the door he was facing and it opened. He didn't really know what it was going to look like but he stepped in anyway. God didn't expect him to take care of the entire army. He expected him to take a step of faith and God would do the real work.

Isn't it the same with us? Often we stare at a door thinking we have to do everything on the other side but that is not what God wants. He wants us to trust him, step out in faith and leave the fighting to him. Perhaps if we do this, the Lord will help us like he did Jonathan.

Recalculating

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

“In one thousand feet, turn right and your destination will be on the left.” Have you ever missed that turn? Maybe you missed an exit or you have been driving the wrong way for ten whole minutes. Oops. It happens, and God gets it. Maybe you were driving too fast, or you thought were taking a shortcut.

God’s plans are similar to a GPS guiding us to our destination. We punch in the address—happiness, fulfillment, and peace. He knows the best route and gets us started. Sometimes in life, we miss a turn, just like we miss an opportunity from God. Other times, we are in the fast lane towards a different destination, such as, instant gratification. Occasionally, we ignore the GPS and use our own judgement to create a new route.

Even though we can’t see what God has planned, he is right. We don’t know that He is rerouting us to avoid life traffic, like a career not suited for us. We don’t know that he is taking us away from a car wreck, like people with bad intentions. It might even seem like God is steering us in the opposite way! How frustrating!

Here’s the thing. Just like a GPS computer, God collects more data than we can. Be assured, God wants you to reach your destination, and will never stop working. He sees the big picture when we can’t. You can ignore your GPS, but it will keep rerouting you. Even when we ignore God, he keeps redirecting us.

Proverbs 3:5,6- Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

If you trust your God GPS, you will always be led down the right path—no matter how many wrong turns you take.

A Powerful Force

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.   Ephesians 1:19-20 (NLT)

Did you ever read something in the Bible and get stuck on a verse?  I am stuck on this verse. I read it and a ton of questions started popping into my head. So here goes.

Do you think we understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us?  And those words  for us, does that mean that God will work his power on our behalf?  And how incredible is that power, the power that raised Christ from the dead? If we stop and think for a minute about the power to overcome death - the power that was behind that one amazing moment, it should blow our minds. Do we believe that he will show up and work miracles with that same magnitude? 

In addition to God working on the outside, there is a power that works on the inside. Here in Ephesians 3:17-19:

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

The first power here is comprehension. So does understanding how much God loves us give us the fullness of life and power that comes from God?  I think so. Mostly because I've watched people change when they understand this. What they care about changes. Who they are changes. Their goals and actions change and that is powerful.

In Ephesians 3:20 it says God's mighty power is at work within in us to accomplish infinitely more than we can ask or think. I don't know about you but I can think about a lot and my dreams are huge. But the Bible tells us God's power in us can do infinitely more than that.

I guess that brings me to my next questions. Do I believe it? Do I trust that God's power is real and that he is using it for us? When things are tough and I know in my heart it's not going to work out, do I put my faith in that power that I really don't understand? And most importantly, do I comprehend, do I fully get how much I am loved?  Do you?

What Is A High Priest Anyway?

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)

Question for you. When you have a problem, specifically when you have done something you that you are not sure about, do you go to a friend who has experienced it before or to a friend who would not have a frame of reference?  Most of us would go to a friend who understands, someone who can sympathize.

Jesus is that person.  When he was here, he was put to the test. His tests were far more grueling than ours. Why? Because when we are tested, at some point we will fall. We can only take so much before we crumble.  But, if we didn't crumble, wouldn't Satan just keep coming at us applying pressure?  Jesus never crumbled. He never sinned. And although Satan kept coming at him with everything he had, Jesus was victorious. 

He knows what we go through. He's been there. He understands what it's like. He walked this path. He can sympathize with our journey. And there, is the good news. When you need someone to stand before God for you, Jesus is the perfect choice. This is why we can come boldly to God. Not because there is anything in us to be bold about. We can come boldly  because of what Jesus did. The life he lived, the sacrifices he made, his obedience (and his alone) allow us to be fearless.

And because he did, because he understands, because he gets it, he is our forever champion.

You Take The Best

Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.” Genesis 13:8-9 (NLT)

Abram and Lot lived together. The Bible tells us that they both were very wealthy. Things were getting a little crowded and their herdsmen were fighting. It was time to live separately. Abram said to Lot "You go first." Not, "You move out first" but "You choose first".  He said, "Lot, assess everything and make a choice." I'll take seconds.

Now, Abram was older (not to mention richer) so by all standards, he should have chosen first. But, he didn't. He turned the decision over to Lot. Lot looked around and chose the best land.

Makes you wonder about Abram. What was it in him that motivated that decision? Typically, we tend to think about pecking order as far as status and decisions go. Who has the higher position, who has the most money, who has the most clout are things we assess. But as I look at Abram and his walk with God, I think his decision was based on that relationship. You see, Abram knew it didn't matter where he lived or what he had. He knew that God was the provider. He had watched God take care of him even when he got himself into a pickle.

Abram was content with what he had and who had him. True to form, God honored Abram's decision to put others first and to trust him. After Lot moved, God showed up and said to Abram, "Look around. As far as you can see, it's yours. And not only that, I will give you more descendants than you can imagine. Go ahead, walk around, enjoy. It's all yours."

The decision to not fight for what is ours, to release our hold on "things", is not easy to do. It goes against our human nature. But God calls us to a higher nature. He calls us to a Christlike nature. That calling asks us to trust in what he has and will provide for us. It calls us to be content where he has us. When we live in that place, the place of contentment and trust, there is a peace in your soul...a peace that is beyond understanding. And that peace is way better than any "thing" you have.

A Minute In It - I Want To Love Like That

A minute in Gods' word will change your life.  Read through the Bible text and answer the questions at the bottom of the post.

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

(v4) Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (MSG)

Paul says that we can do amazing things but if we don't love, it's worth nothing. Do you agree?
How in your life could you love others better?
Fill your name in the blanks below.  Are the statements true about you? If not, how can Jesus help you?

_________ never gives up.
_________ cares more for others than for self.
_________ doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
_________ doesn’t strut,
_________ Doesn’t have a swelled head,
_________ Doesn’t force itself on others,
_________ Isn’t always “me first,”
_________ Doesn’t fly off the handle,
_________ Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
_________ Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
_________ Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
_________ Puts up with anything,
_________ Trusts God always,
_________ Always looks for the best,
_________ Never looks back,
_________ keeps going to the end.
 

The Choice Is Yours

You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master. Genesis 4:7 (NLT)

In this story, Cain and Abel brought God an offering.  It seems that when they did, Cain brought an offering that was not acceptable to God. God rejected it and Cain became angry. God tries to reason with him and says "Cain, why are you angry? If you do what I ask, I will accept what you offer."

Did Cain think that what he wanted was going to be more pleasing to God than what God wanted? How often do we do this? How often do we say "Lord, here is my plan. Please bless it." And as we walk the path and we start to see that maybe it won't work out, we still think we can make it work.

At this point, we are at a crossroads. I picture it as a crossroad with a sign in the middle.  One side of the sign points in one direction with the word "Me" on it and the other sign points in the opposite direction and says "God." I imagine on the "Me" path there is a salivating figure crouching behind a boulder waiting to pounce. It is eager saying "Feed me, feed me" over and over again. Sadly, we all too often take this path.

The other direction, the path leads to God's plan. If you choose this path, there are still challenges but here God is in control and because of that you are able to master the desire to satisfy yourself.

Cain chose to feed the "Me" path and was overcome by his choice. It controlled him and he was ruined. As I read this story I have to ask God, "Is there something I am doing that is sending me down the "Me" path instead of the "God" path?"

How about you? 

Worn Out For His Glory

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.  Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

As I began to clean my house, I started noticing how worn things were looking. With the mop, I swept passed the white chair we have that was speckled with dark spots. Those would never come out. I noted the same old rugs in the hall by the front door that have been there for ten years. And the hardwood floors were marked with scratches and worn spots.

There was a part of me that wanted to shout "Enough!"  I need new stuff!

As I continued to move through the house, I started reflecting on how it got this way. The dark speckles on the white chair were from a party we had where a little girl spilled a glass of grape-colored juice. I remember the horrified look on her face and everyone rushing to her, hugging her and telling her not to worry....it's just a chair.

The scratches and worn spots on the hardwood floors?  Well, some of the scratches were from a hospital bed that sat in our living room to care for an elderly parent. And the worn spots were from lots of traffic with people and pets. They were from years of family gatherings, church meetings, Bible Studies and parties. People have laughed, cried and prayed on those floors. And those old rugs.....oh the stories they could tell. Many feet have come and gone on them. 

And life has continued on. Even though I want to fix some of this stuff (and one day I will), life has brought us challenges that make us delay updates.  But even in it's well-used state, God is still using all of these things for his glory. And really, that's OK with me.