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.

Show Me How

But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” Then the Lord became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well."  Exodus 4:13-14 (NLT)

God called Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. WOW! Can you imagine how overwhelming that thought might be?  I think anytime God calls us to do anything, it would make us draw back and think about it. His plans are, well, God-sized which is magnificently bigger than ours.

Moses was overwhelmed. It seemed impossible. So he asked for an out. "I can't", he said.  God said, "You can, I will be with you." "I don't have the right skills," Moses said.  God said, "I will give you the skills you need." "Please, send someone else anyway." God said, "Alright, I'll let Aaron help you."

Moses didn't see, maybe couldn't see, what God saw. God saw in Moses a history and experience that would help him. God saw in Moses leadership qualities.  And finally, there was the relationship between them which counts for more than all of the above.  Aaron didn't have those same qualities.  As a matter of fact, under Aaron's leadership Israel built the golden calf to worship at the base of Mt Sinai. 

God grew Moses to be the leader he needed to be. He walked him every step of the way. The man who said "I can't" ended up being one of the pivotal people in our history.

Is God calling you to something? It may not be as high profile as Moses' task. It may be something that seems rather small but to you it is overwhelming. Keep talking to him. Maybe instead of saying "God, I can't" we can say "God, show me how."

A Word To The Wise

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  James 1:5-6 (NLT)

There was something wrong with the calculations I did for a project at work.  I could feel it. Something wasn't sitting right.  It kept nagging at me but I didn't know where to look.  Finally, I prayed about it and through a set of circumstances that unfolded (that's another Thought), I felt like I should look into this one area.

So, I put it off. You'd think that I would have immediately gone to that spot, to the very place that was revealed to me and fix the problem, right? But I didn't.  You know why? Because I would have had to admit that I made the mistake and well, that was embarrassing.

I was trying to put my faith in my abilities and not rely on God's wisdom. After a few days, I took a deep breath and faced it. I had a missing value in a spreadsheet that was throwing things off. After I figured that out, I took out all the spreadsheets and redid all the calculations to see where we stood. And then, I shared my findings with the team.

I've heard today's text over and over again. If you need wisdom ask God but it wasn't until very recently that I noticed the next verse. But when you ask him, be sure your faith is in God alone. I was asking for wisdom but I was trying to put my faith in my capabilities instead of in where God was directing me.

What if I'd buried my head in the sand and not looked?  What if I never got the courage to face my mistake? Lesson Learned?  Ask for wisdom because you'll get the answer. When you get the answer, dive into it and put your faith where it needs to be.  In God alone..

A Minute In It - How Long Will I Trust You Lord?

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

Exodus 14:5-25 (NLT)
5 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. 6 So Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and called up his troops. 7 He took with him 600 of Egypt’s best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with its commander. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, so he chased after the people of Israel, who had left with fists raised in defiance. 9 The Egyptians chased after them with all the forces in Pharaoh’s army—all his horses and chariots, his charioteers, and his troops. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon.

10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”
13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! 16 Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. 18 When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”

19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.
21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side.

Imagine what it would be like. Thousands of people trying to move quickly to a safe place but there is no safe place in sight.

What would you be feeling?
What would be your first inclinations?
If your leader were telling you to just stay calm (v14), what would be your response?
When you saw the mighty waters of the Red Sea part, what would be your first reaction?
What would be your next reaction?
If you saw God work on your behalf in this mighty way, would you ever have trouble trusting him again?

Are You Talking Too Much?

And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. Revelation 12:11 (NLT)

The "him" that was defeated in this text is Satan. WOOOHOOO! He is defeated for all times by the blood of the Lamb! But notice what else is used to defeat him?  Our testimonies.  What is a testimony? A testimony is another word for our story.

Each of us has a story. Each of us has events in our lives that are unique to only us and that no one else can tell.  What's really amazing is that God uses these all the time! He wants you to share who you are with other people so they can see him shine through.

Have you made a mistake where you've had to live through the consequences?  That's your story. Have you seen God show up in those failures and consequences?  That's your story. Have you listened to his voice even when it didn't seem sane and watched him do only what God can do and work it all out?  That's your story! What I find so mind blowing is that God uses our upside-down, messy stories for his glory.

How do you share your story? 

1. Pray.
2. Keep your ears and eyes open. If you pray and ask God to send someone for you to share with, he will. 
3. If you sense that you are to share, pray again. Ask God what he wants you to share.  Sometimes, you aren't supposed to share anything but only listen and let them know you understand.
4. Ask questions. Until you understand where the person is coming from, you don't have a clue what to share. Listen. No agenda. And then pray some more. God has a reason for this encounter. Let him lead.

One final thought. Remember, your only job is to pray, listen and share IF God says. The outcome of that encounter is in the Holy Spirit's hands, not yours. Get out of the way. Let God be God.