Don’t Shoot the Messenger

On April 30, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Judges 6: 7                   NIV

When the Israelites cried out to the Lord because of Midian, he sent them a prophet.

There are times when we fail to see that the Old Testament stories and experiences hold real life lessons for us. We live in very different times. Most of us have no worries about the Midianites and therefore, have not been crying out to the Lord about them. Perhaps, though, there is something you have been crying out to the Lord about. Maybe there are some people who are a thorn in your flesh. You may have a health or financial need which needs attention. Thankfully, we have learned to pray. For the most part we have even learned to ask others to pray with us. We certainly get the impression from this scripture that the Israelites were praying to God in unison. The good news is, God answered them. He responded.

When the Jews were looking toward heaven for the Messiah, many missed his arrival on earth because they had preconceived ideas of what form their deliverance would take. We, like the Israelites facing Midian, want God to swoop in and in an instant, resolve our problem. Sometimes, though, in fact often, instead of showing His power in a miraculous solution, God sends a prophet. That is not to say that God does not still perform miracles today. He does, but sometimes the answer is not to give us a fish but rather to teach us to fish so we do not end up in the same predicament again.

You may be praying about your health, finances, work, your family or any of a number of things. God will answer you. In fact, He probably already has. The key is in recognizing the answer. God’s answer may have been to send you a prophet.

I have been trying to lose weight for many years. I read the books, did the programs. I exercised. One year I rode my bike 30 miles every morning while being sober about my diet. I didn’t lose much weight even though I rode harder and faster every week. I wished God would just touch me and fix my broken metabolism and balance my hormones, but He didn’t. He sent me a prophet, or two or three. Bit by bit the Father has led me into life solutions. He transformed my life and my weight by leading me into behavioral solutions that I could implement myself. He led me to join the YMCA and He has continued to lead me to diet prophets. I am continually learning more about how and what to eat.

Had he touched me and fixed my problems with a miracle, I would have eventually gotten myself back to the same condition because of the choices I was making. So, sometimes when you pray for something, God sends you a prophet who leads you into the promised land instead of God taking that land for you. Look around you. The Lord may have already sent your answer. He may have sent a person, or maybe a book. Our Lord will never leave us, never abandon us to our problems but He will often send the solution in a form we were not expecting. Don’t be like Israel who killed the prophets. Just because you don’t like what they have to say does not mean they aren’t the life saver you prayed for. Your answer has probably been paraded past you several times. Take some time to relax in the Lord’s presence and become sensitive to His leading. Listen to His voice. Receive His counsel. When you prayed, He may have sent a prophet.

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Daydreaming

On April 27, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 27: 4

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.

Many years ago, I heard Joyce Meyer say this was her favorite scripture. I was surprised by that statement. Of all the great verses in the Bible, verses filled with promise and victory, why was she so fond of this one? Years later, I get it.

It will not surprise you that this is a psalm of David. David had a different relationship with the Trinity than others we find in the Old Testament, especially. He had a New Testament relationship with Father, Son and Spirit. He seems to be one of the few that had any knowledge, especially a working knowledge, of the Holy Spirit at all. His relationship goes further, though. He trusted God. He had a love relationship with Him.

Here we experience David saying that nothing is better and that he seeks nothing greater than staring at the beauty of the Lord. The longing of David’s heart was simply to hang out with God. What do you suppose David would meditate on? Perhaps his thoughts turned around the beauty, majesty and splendor of the Lord such that he just wanted to sit in the temple and meditate on the Lord’s glory all day.

This is the one thing he asked of the Lord. We all have that one thing which is not a numerical value as much as it is a priority number. What is the most precious thing to you? What is it that you want from God above all things? Is it to stare at His beauty? Probably not. Most of us think differently than David. Most who read this are westerners in thought and philosophy. We have to produce something daily. We can’t just sit around and gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. We say, “Lord, what do you want to DO today?” That is, if we bother to ask at all because we are in a hurry. We are busy, but as I have said before, “Busy is a four-letter word.”

Maybe you can take a few minutes to meditate on God’s gloriousness and grandeur. Maybe you just want to meditate on David’s words to see if you can make any sense of them. It’s kinda deep but I would say this is THE one thing. This is the thing that Jesus would not take away from Mary when Martha wanted her to help with the chores. Being in the presence of the Lord may be the one thing you have been searching for too.

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Tree Climbers

On April 26, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 19: 7

When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

This is an interesting story about a tax collector named Zacchaeus. Not only was he a tax collector but he was a chief tax collector. Tax collectors were the most despised and reprehensible reprobates of the time. Jesus couldn’t have found a more despicable person. However, when Jesus looked up in a tree and saw Zacchaeus there, he immediately called to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Clearly the crowd was incensed that Jesus would soil himself with the company of a sinner.

We, however, have the advantage of several thousand years of perspective. We know that Jesus was more likely to be found with sinners than with the righteous church people of the day. In fact, the people Jesus showed great disdain for were the Pharisees. That is all fine and well and we can look at this objectively now. The one thing we do not seem to do, though, is to overlay this story, and others, onto modern times. So, I ask you, who are the Pharisees today? Who fills the role in modern society that the tax collectors Zacchaeus and Matthew did in Jesus’ time? When we go through this exercise more light shines on Jesus and this story. We begin to see the fullness of Jesus’ testimony through Samaritans and sinners. It also has a tendency to make us a little uncomfortable for fear that we can all too easily slip into the reviled role of the Pharisees.

This is the one case where you almost want to identify with the sinner. I think I would rather you call me a sinner than Jesus call me a Pharisee. The Pharisees were hypocrites and knew nothing about the love of God. You cannot know God if you don’t know love. The Pharisees were righteous in their own eyes but saw sin in others but in truth their garments were stained with sin. Zacchaeus hosted Jesus for dinner. The Pharisees didn’t. What does that teach us? If you want Jesus to sup with you, take off your Pharisaical robes and get real. Better to be a tree climber than a self-righteous Pharisee. Deal with your own sin and righteousness and don’t worry yourself about Zacchaeus and his problems. Leave that to Jesus. He is able.

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Ears that Hear

On April 25, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 85: 8           NIV

I will listen to what God the LORD says.

Okay, fine, I will listen to what God says. What do you think of this statement? Is this something which you might write or say? Why? Why do you want to hear what the Lord says? What is your expectation? Why do you think the psalmist made this statement? The second part of the verse reads, “he promises peace to his people, his saints.” I like how the NASB phrases this part of the verse, “For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones.”

The writers of this psalm demonstrate confidence that they will hear God. I wonder how they receive the word from the Lord. Was it just a matter of being quiet and calm as we learn from Psalm 46: 10 or is there more going on here? Do they inquire of the Lord? What do you do when you want to hear from the Lord?

One method we all can use to hear the Lord is simply to read the Bible. Just by reading today’s verse you see for yourself that it is possible to hear what God says. That can be a mighty big revelation when it goes off in you? God’s voice can be heard in the pages of the Bible and this is a primary way you can hear God speak directly to you. You will see verses come alive right before your eyes.

Another way to hear God speak is through two-way journaling. This can be a valuable tool. I used it today so that I could sort out what was in my own head and what was actually from the Father.
You can also hear the Father speak to your own heart and mind. Sometimes I notice Him because I am involved in something different than what comes into my mind. If I am thinking about X and a thought comes in about Y, it is often because the Father is speaking to me.

He wants to speak to us all. In fact, He is speaking to us. The key is in the hearing. Many times the obstacles are too much noise or too constant a noise in our environment. In other words, we can go days and weeks with little quiet. At one time I had some kind of content playing all of the time. I would listen to preachers on TV while getting dressed in the morning. I listened to yet another in the car. I had constant stimulation at work, and then back into the car for praise music or a teaching CD. You get the point. Even though this was all good content, there was no space for Father to speak, no time when I could hear Him above the fray.

The best tool of all to hear the Father, if you really want to, is to just get still and quiet and ask Him. Talk with Him and let Him reply. You don’t need to talk much. He can carry a conversation. Frankly, He already knows what you are thinking so just give yourself the opportunity to hear Him and you will.

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Speak Wisely

On April 24, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 13: 2 – 3               NIV

From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things, but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence. Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

This is right in the middle of many of the things I am thinking about and meditating on right now. If you are a journaler, this verse might make for an interesting question to take to the Father and, I would love to hear what He says to you if you journal it.

As a whole, I think we have failed to grasp how powerful, significant and effective our words are. Preachers have been telling us for years that there is power in our words, for good or for ill. For that matter, I remember PMA speakers and authors telling us forty years ago that our mouths would direct our success.

Our health is in our words, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverb 18: 21). Our financial well-being is in our words, and lest I recite every area impacted by the words we speak, shall we just accept that every facet of life reflects the words we have spoken?

I have written on this topic many times and yet I have not fully grasped this principle myself. Upon the occasion of a previous Word of the Day on this subject, one of my friends commented that we need to hear this every week if not every day. It is that important and that easily lost.

It is our words which bind and loose the powers of heaven. Angels will either be loosed into your life or bound by what you say. In like manner, you can give Satan’s imps permission to tamper with your life by those words. The spirit realm responds to what you say. You have authority over your life but how are you using it? Adam and Eve had authority too.

Your body is listening to what you say too. So is your mind. If you say you are old, infirm, or that your body is going to fall apart at some specified age, then you are right. If, however, you say that you intend to be as strong as Moses, Joshua and Caleb until you move to heaven, then that is the truth you will live. If you are speaking nourishing words to your mind, your mind will respond. If you continually spew language of senior moments and confusion, then you are going to talk yourself right into senility.

Wherever you are right now is the result of the words you spoke, or even the good words you didn’t speak, in the past. The good news is that you can change course right now. You can reprogram your body and your mind in the next few moments. What would you like your body to believe? What do you say about your mind? It is your choice. Choose and speak wisely.

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Pride, Advice and Wisdom

On April 23, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 13: 10               NIV

Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Among the unpopular topics of the day, this must be one. We have become a proud, arrogant people who value our own opinions above all others and rarely will lower ourselves to receive advice from anyone, even God. We don’t inquire of the Lord because we are smart enough ourselves. Hasn’t God given us wisdom? He has given us brains for a reason, right?

I have observed us become smarter than our doctors, smarter than our lawyers and smarter than our pastors. While no one is perfect and no one except the Spirit has all the answers, surely some people know better than we on some subjects. We have become so prideful that we do not wish to hear advice or even teaching. Learning should be a lifelong process. I heard it said one time that as soon as you stop learning, you die. The point is not that you die physically but rather the person within you begins to decay. How shall we continue to learn when we are unwilling to bow to the expertise of another? Even though the Bible is packed with the wisdom of God, Christians don’t value it very highly. We certainly are not clawing for wisdom. We worship the Bible itself but not the content.

We don’t want to be told what to do, we don’t want to be under the authority of another. To listen to the counsel of another is to raise them above us, and that we will not have. I think, “God, save me from myself,” but perhaps what I should pray is, “Father, save me from my pride.” How do we change this tendency in ourselves, much less in our culture? If we do not humbly seek our God, then how will we be able to receive the wisdom He gives others for us? We talk often about our cultural woes and bemoan how our nations are becoming less godly, but I think people have other things in mind when they decry the current state of the culture. This issue, though, is more dangerous to the fabric of our culture than some of the things people would cite. We need to understand which issues are merely symptoms and which are causes. Pride would seem to be a root cause. In fact, I believe it is embodied in the Ten Commandments in which God told us to have no gods, no idols before Him. Our arrogance lifts us up above God which is the original sin. Satan thought he was as smart as God and his insolence shook heaven. God cast him and all of his cronies out because of his insolence. Then man was silly enough to listen to the devil and elevate himself to godlike status. That is what caused man to eat of the forbidden tree.

Pride certainly does breed quarrels. It won’t allow us to listen to anyone’s thoughts so each person vies for the floor which causes friction. Wisdom awaits those who enable themselves to receive instruction. The question, though, is how to we train our egos to allow advice? What is needful? Perhaps we should throw ourselves at the feet of Christ and ask his advice?

Wisdom is for those who take advice. Therefore, seek wisdom. Inquire of God but also allow yourself to be led by those who have gone before you. If you don’t have anyone who knows more than you, you need some new friends. There is guidance available for those who will humble themselves. I pray that we all can learn this valuable life lesson.  Please think about, or even meditate on, today’s verse and email us with your thoughts.  What can we do to right this ship?  Thank you.

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How Long?

On April 20, 2018   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Joshua 18: 3

So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?

God had already given the land to the Israelites. They had only to take possession of it. What held them up? Why did they delay?

The question applies to us as well. What land has the Father already given you that you are not taking possession of? I imagine that we delay for the same reasons as the Israelites. Perhaps fear constrains us. Could it be that we are not certain of God’s word or confident in His support? How are we to know that He is with us? Sure, the Bible tells us time and again that He is with us even until the end of the age and that He will never forsake us but those are words. It is when we have the experience that God’s Word is truth rather than simply a belief that His Word is reliable, that we find the courage to forge ahead into the land.

The land God has given us all is strength, courage, stamina, health, financial well-being, friends, family, redemption, spiritual gifts, faith and more. Anything promised in the Bible is yours. Beyond these things, though, there is something which God has or is speaking specifically to you, a land He wishes to lead you into. Perhaps there is a job opportunity or a position in your church that He has opened for you. In all promotion, there is a tremendous risk. Sometimes you are so aware of the risk that you fail to grasp the opportunity.

Wherever God is leading you, no matter how risky or frightening, that is the land of opportunity. Did you know that two and a half of the Israelite tribes stayed on the eastern side of the Jordan? They never crossed over into the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey. That is so amazing. It staggers the mind. Don’t let this be you. Take the land. Whatever God has promised, wherever He is leading, that is the land of promise and just as He did Israel, He has empowered you to walk the land victoriously.

Too many of us are living below God’s intention for us. We are not walking in His will which is life in the blessing. I declare that you are not of the tribe of Reuben, Gad or the half tribe of Manasseh. You are the tribe of Judah with Jesus. He has already won all the territory God promised. Now, go in and stake claim to your inheritance. Do not leave it to the locusts and wild animals. It is bought and paid for. Go in! Take what belongs to you. Seek God’s will and go boldly where the Spirit leads.

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