How Big Is Your God?

It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. Hebrews 11:17-19 (NLT)

What do you think went through Abraham’s mind when God directed him to sacrifice Isaac? God said, “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” (Genesis 22)

This wasn’t the same “Go” command that God gave him when he told him to “Go to a place I will show you.” This command was completely different. In this command, God seemed to be back stepping on everything that had happened to this point.

He had called Abraham to be the Father of a Nation and that Nation would come about through his son Isaac. How can he be the father of a Nation if Isaac was gone? How could his descendants be as numerous as the stars if there were no descendants?

God had worked miracles in the birth of Isaac. Abraham and Sarah were very old when Isaac was conceived. The fact that they conceived at all was a miracle. Why would God do that if he was going to take Isaac from him?

Abraham could have reasoned his way out of this situation. But he didn’t. He didn’t try to fit God into his scenario. Instead, he looked at his scenario in light of who God was.

The Bible says that Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God could raise him from the dead. He didn’t look at his chaotic circumstances and make a decision. He looked at God and made a decision. He knew who God was and what he was capable of. He trusted that above all else.

Let me ask you. Are you more likely to try to fit God into what is happening in your life or are you more likely to plan your life based on what you believe about God?

Speak Lord!

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

There is a song I used to sing a lot called Order My Steps. It was recorded by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Here are the words of the chorus:

Order my steps in Your Word, Dear Lord
Lead me, guide me every day
Send Your anointing, Father, I pray
Order my steps in Your Word, YES
Order my steps in Your Word

These words took on more meaning as I began to seek God through His Word. It continually amazes me how he uses the Bible to guide my life. He uses it to speak into my chaos. So many times I’ve been pleading with him, asking for an answer or some indication that He is hearing me and I get the answer from the Bible.

And honestly, I don’t spend every moment pouring over the Bible. Wish I had time for that! But God delivers where we are. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night with a lot on my mind. I prayed and prayed. I was asking him for specific guidance. I told him I wanted to hear from Him. I didn’t want to make decisions based on my thoughts but on his thoughts.

When I got up this morning, I went to spend time with him. I started reading and felt impressed to turn to a book I am working through. I don’t always read the same thing every day. I jump all around during my quiet time. I turned to the book and my Kindle popped up and said “You are supposed to be on this page.” I clicked OK and it turned to the section only to discover I had already read it. But there was the Bible text I needed for today. I had already read that verse and honestly, skimmed over it. But today, it was exactly what I needed. It was such a strong answer to the prayer I had prayed the night before, I was in awe.

God has done this so many times. Answered by directing me, through impressions to turn to something I was not planning on reading, by a line that stands out when I read my Bible, through a thought that sticks in my head that makes me search. He will do the same for you. He speaks to us loud and clear. The Bible is alive.

If My People

Paraphrase of 2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people
Who are my people? Anyone who looks to me for life.
Who are called by my Name
God-followers, Christ-followers, seekers
Shall humble themselves
Let go of themselves, surrender, put down their agendas and their pride
And pray
Talk to me. Let’s have a conversation. Share your heart and let me share mine
Seek My face
Crave time with me - not as an optional thing but a necessary thing; to fill a passion that comes from within.
Turn from their wicked ways
Put down the things that motivate you. Loosen your grip on what you think makes you happy. Look in a
different direction. Look to me.
Then, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.
I, God, will hear you. I will respond to you. I will do what my heart always wants to do. I will forgive you and
heal you. I will show up in your life. You will experience healing in more ways than you can imagine. Come,
let’s walk this life together. Won’t you come?

Pointing In The Right Direction

Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people. Deuteronomy 9:6 (ESV)

You must recognize that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land because you are good, for you are not—you are a stubborn people. (NLT)

Recently, I was talking to a group of people and started telling a God story. A God story is a story where you get to see God move in your life or in someone else’s life. It’s where it was totally obvious it was him and no one else. I love God stories!

As I started to tell the story, I left out a part that pointed to God and his greatness. When I inadvertently did that, the story became more about how God did this for me. Which ever so slightly shifts the glory from who he is to who I am. Luckily, a friend in the group reminded me and I adjusted.

Now, I didn’t purposefully leave that part out. I always want to give God the glory. But, we are human and I wonder if sometimes we speak too quickly before we think of the ramifications of our words. Who are they pointing to? Who gets the credit? Who gets God’s glory?

I felt convicted after this and I’ve been talking to God about it. I don’t ever want to put myself on a pedestal. I want so much to always point to him. A few days later, I was driving and listening to my Bible app in my car and I heard today’s verse. God was very clearly telling the Israelites that their gift of the Promised Land was not because they were good, but because God was good.

We can definitely apply this to our lives. God still does work miracles. He still shows up. As I ponder this, I want to make sure that in everything I do, in all my words and actions, I am pointing to him. Because I am not good. He is.

A Minute In It - Who Is God?

A minute in God’s Word will change your life. Take a moment to read the texts below and then answer the questions at the bottom of the post.

1-2 I love you, God—
    you make me strong.
God is bedrock under my feet,
    the castle in which I live,
    my rescuing knight.
My God—the high crag
    where I run for dear life,
    hiding behind the boulders,
    safe in the granite hideout.

3 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
    and find myself safe and saved.

4-5 The hangman’s noose was tight at my throat;
    devil waters rushed over me.
Hell’s ropes cinched me tight;
    death traps barred every exit.

6 A hostile world! I call to God,
    I cry to God to help me.
From his palace he hears my call;
    my cry brings me right into his presence—
    a private audience!

7-15 Earth wobbles and lurches;
    huge mountains shake like leaves,
Quake like aspen leaves
    because of his rage.
His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke;
    his mouth spits fire.
Tongues of fire dart in and out;
    he lowers the sky.
He steps down;
    under his feet an abyss opens up.
He’s riding a winged creature,
    swift on wind-wings.
Now he’s wrapped himself
    in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.
But his cloud-brightness bursts through,
    spraying hailstones and fireballs.
Then God thundered out of heaven;
    the High God gave a great shout,
    spraying hailstones and fireballs.
God shoots his arrows—pandemonium!
    He hurls his lightnings—a rout!
The secret sources of ocean are exposed,
    the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered
The moment you roar in protest,
    let loose your hurricane anger.

16-19 But me he caught—reached all the way
    from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
    the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
    but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
    I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

20-24 God made my life complete
    when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
    he gave me a fresh start.
Now I’m alert to God’s ways;
    I don’t take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
    I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
    and I’m watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
    when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

25-27 The good people taste your goodness,
The whole people taste your health,
The true people taste your truth,
The bad ones can’t figure you out.
You take the side of the down-and-out,
But the stuck-up you take down a peg.

28-29 Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life;
    I’m blazing with glory, God’s glory!
I smash the bands of marauders,
    I vault the highest fences.

30 What a God! His road
    stretches straight and smooth.
Every God-direction is road-tested.
    Everyone who runs toward him
Makes it.

31-36 Is there any god like God?
    Are we not at bedrock?
Is not this the God who armed me,
    then aimed me in the right direction?
Now I run like a deer;
    I’m king of the mountain.
He shows me how to fight;
    I can bend a bronze bow!
You protect me with salvation-armor;
    you hold me up with a firm hand,
    caress me with your gentle ways.
You cleared the ground under me
    so my footing was firm.
Psalm 18:1-36 (MSG)

How does David describe God?
What are the character traits that stand out to you?
Do you see God this way?
What character traits would you use to describe God?
Are they similar to David’s?
Why or why not?

Obeying In My Corner

I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)

Have you ever read Isaiah 6? Isaiah comes face to face with God’s glory. He’s caught up in the praise and worship and responds by surrendering to God when God says “Who will go?” Have you ever done this? Been so moved by the awesomeness of God, so infected with his love that you tell him you’ll go anywhere or do anything. Send me! Send me! I’ve asked God to send me. I am sure you have too!

BUT

When God asks us to go talk to our neighbor, we offer excuses. “God, I don’t know them. I’m not good with strangers. I don’t want to intrude.”

When God tells us to go visit someone in the hospital, we say things like “God, I’m not good with sick people. They might not want visitors. They might want privacy.”

When God says go spend time with your friend today, we think of all the things we have scheduled and how long it will take us and we opt not to be sent.

If we won’t follow his leading in our community, how do we expect to be willing to “be sent” on bigger missions? If we won’t walk next door, how will we move to another state or another job?

I really, really want God to send me. I want to be on mission for him. But I am coming to realize that first I need to surrender to what he has for me to do today. When he says go, I need to go. No excuses.

My mission needs to start in my own little corner of the world. It needs to start by obeying God wherever and however he sends me. Each and every day.

How Salty Are You?

You are the salt of the earth.  Matthew 5:13 (NLT)

Let’s talk about salt.

I have a pot of food cooking on the stove and decide it needs salt. There are a couple of scenarios that can play out.

If I take a box of salt and pour it out on the plate next to the pot, will the food on the stove taste any better. Definitely not. Salt only works if it is mixed into the food.

If I instead decide to pour the entire box into the food, will it taste better? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, it would be revolting.

And if the salt is really stale and has no flavor, will it help? Nope. It would be the same as adding nothing.

What if we acted like just the right amount of fresh salt in our world? Not too little, not too much, adding value. We can be too little when we isolate ourselves from others instead of mixing in. We can move ahead of the Holy Spirit and try to change things that are not ours to change. We can be too overpowering. We can become stale when we stop seeking God every day and renew our idea of who He is.

Salt is used to enhance what’s already there, to bind together and preserve. What if we as Christians, using the guidance of the Holy Spirit, shared just enough of our saltiness with the world? We could enhance the flavors of relationships, bind together hearts and preserve the love that Jesus shared with all humanity.

What if?

Seeking Through Surrender

O my son, give me your heart.
    May your eyes take delight in following my ways. Proverbs 23:26 (NLT)

Today my church kicks of a 40-Day Fast. We are seeking to hear what God has to say about the direction he is giving us. We can fast in a variety of ways. In short, you can do a food fast which is fasting from all food or a specific food or a soul fast. A soul fast is giving up something in your life that may be a distraction from hearing God’s voice (i.e. social media, games on devices, etc.) The purpose of a fast is not just to give something up but to add more of God in.

I decided to give up TV. Now, my schedule is such that I don’t get to watch TV every day. I don’t think I am addicted to it. But, I felt God saying this is what I have to fast from. I have to be honest. I was struggling with this. I couldn’t figure out why I was reluctant. I spend a lot of time with God; doing God-type things. I don’t spend a ton of time watching TV. What’s the deal?

I started praying about this yesterday, as I lamented not watching TV for 40 days. I came to the place where I realized that TV is my “comfort food” for my brain. It’s where I go to forget. It’s where I go to totally turn off and ignore everything around me. I decided that this was probably why I was struggling.

This morning, every place I turned in my worship was about surrender. It dawned on me that maybe God asked me to do this particular thing because it was the one thing I didn’t want to surrender.

I can eliminate any food from my diet. Been there done that.. There are a lot of mind over matter things I can accomplish. For some reason, this is different. And honestly, I don’t know why. But God does. And because he is asking, I am going to do it. I am going to surrender this.

I know in the process I will learn something about myself that i did not know. But more importantly, I am going to learn something about God that I did not know.

What is it in your life that God might ask you to surrender? Are you willing to do that so you can see him more clearly?