From the Word:
Click and read Psalm 139
Key Verse:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. -Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)
While running errands the other day, I turned on the radio and heard a brief section of a sermon by Chip Ingram. He asked the audience to consider what items they thought God would put on their "growth list" for the upcoming year. That's all I caught before I drove up to the Dutch Brother's window and had to turn off the radio to order my very much needed Sugar Free Soy Almond Joy. : ) I tucked that thought in the back of my mind and resolved to think about it later.
A few days later during my prayer time I remembered his question and asked, "What would you put on my list, Lord?" I opened up my laptop and started typing a list of the things I thought would be there, fully expecting a long to-do list for improving my inadequacies. I started to type things like:
- Less procrastination
- Be more of an evangelist
- Work harder and quit being lazy
- Lose weight
But as I was making the list, the "to-do" things started getting pushed to the bottom of the list as He started sharing with me His growth agenda for me. My growth list was a long list of "to-do," but His growth agenda prioritized attitudes and heart condition over action. I was surprised and humbled.
His list included:
- Assurance of His love for me
- Replacing lies with truth
- Increased faith especially when I doubt my salvation
- Desiring His approval over the approval of the World
- Freedom from the hold the enemy has over me in the areas of shame, fear, and anxiety.
My list ended up so different than I expected it to be. I was once again reminded of God's grace and love for me. I saw again His desire for me to be free from lies and to trust fully in Him. He didn't dismiss the areas of holy living that I thought He would want me to be concerned about, but losing weight is far less important to Him than the fact that I allow shame over my weight to interfere with my relationship with Him, and procrastination is less important to Him than the level of my faith. And over all else, He wanted me to be absolutely assured of His love for me. My performance was less of a priority than the condition of my heart.
Personal Application:
I'll ask you the same question:
"What items would God put on your growth list for 2009?"
Spend time in prayer this week seeking that answer. Are there areas of your heart that Jesus longs to get to? Are there places He wants to heal? Have you believed lies that need to be replaced with truth? Use today's key verse as your prayer this week and allow Him to shine His light on your heart.
Don't allow fear to keep you from asking Him. You will probably be surprised by His unexpected agenda for your life. If there are areas of sin He points out to you, confess them quickly and receive His forgiveness. Often the individual sin actions in our lives stem from deeper sin issues in our hearts. Allow Him to dig out the root of what is causing the behaviors so you will not be hindered in your spiritual growth.
Father,
Thank you for your goodness toward me. Thank you for caring about my spiritual health and heart condition. Show me the areas of my life and heart that you want access to. Help me to submit to you and your priorities for my spiritual growth. Give me the ability to hear from you and to know where You want to work in my life.
In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen
More of God's Word:
1. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9 (NIV)
2. But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. -1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
From the Word:
Click and read John 10:1-21
Key Verse:
The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. John 10:4 (The Message)
On January 4, 2007, our family officially began the process to adopt a child from Liberia, West Africa. I had been praying for a long time prior to that decision and had faithful friends praying along with me. I watched as God miraculously worked out the details and prepared our hearts for this big leap of faith. Confirmation arrived in amazing ways, convincing me this was His will for our family. I couldn't wait to send in our application and get the process going, fully expecting to have our adoption complete before the following Christmas.
Two years later, the adoption is nowhere near complete. In fact we have met obstacle after obstacle and closed door after closed door, to the point we've had to make the very difficult decision to stop the process all together. I'm still in shock that this is the way it is ending. How could this be the answer? Wasn't this God's will?
Going through this shook my faith. Did I really hear His voice, or did I make it all up? Maybe I can't hear God's voice after all. I was so sure of God's prompting to adopt, but obviously I was wrong. Or was I?
After a lot of soul searching, I am convinced it was God's will for us to go through this adoption journey. Our role was obedience. His job was to determine the outcome. These past two years were not wasted. The destination was different than I expected, but the journey was in His purpose for our lives. And I can rest knowing that I did hear my Shepherd's voice and followed where He led. That's all He asks.
Personal Application:
Can you point to decisions you've made that you thought were God's will for your life, but the outcome of those decisions seem to say otherwise? Is it possible that it was still God's will for you even if the destination was different than you expected? How has He used those circumstances in your life? Talk to Him about the disappointment or disillusionment you feel and ask Him to show you where to go from here.
Or are you currently at a place where He is asking you to obey? If you recognize the Shepherd's voice, take the leap of faith and follow His lead. How things turn out is up to Him. Your job is obedience. Re-read last week's post on decision making. After you've gone through those steps of seeking the Lord for direction, trust Him when He does lead.
Make this verse your prayer today:
God,
Teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me-
My whole life one long, obedient response.
- Psalm 119:33-34 (The Message)
More of God’s Word:
1. Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. -Hebrews 13:5
2. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. -Romans 8:28
3. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11
4. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6
5. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
- Psalm 143:8
From the Word:
Click and read Psalm 32
Key Verse:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. - Psalm 32:8 (NIV)
Do you have a list of New Year's resolutions made yet? How many have you broken already? : )
There is something about the New Year that ignites in me a desire for change. I organize closets, begin weight-loss programs, and start projects. It is in January I often make steps toward major life changes.
This January isn't any different. I have some plans for new projects, some weight to lose, and also some big decisions to make. Driving home from our Christmas vacation, I spent a lot of time daydreaming and planning.
So now the question is, "Do my plans, schemes, and dreams fit into God's plans and purpose for me?" How do I figure out what plans and ideas are God ideas and which ones may seem like good ideas but are outside of his will for me?
Last April, I attended our church's annual Leadership Conference and went to one of the breakout sessions taught by Pastor Rick Verdeyen from Calvary Chapel Corvallis. The title of the session was "Good Idea or God Idea? How Do You Know the Difference?" I really enjoyed the session and walked away with some practical information to apply to my own decision making.
As a pastor, Rick said he is constantly presented with new and good ideas people feel passionately about. "Pastor, we need to start a prison ministry." or "Pastor, we need to be more involved in missions and this is a great new program I just heard about." Although all of those are good ideas, one church cannot do it all, and he needed to learn how to discern the difference between a good idea and an idea God was really leading them into.
He came up with this five step process to "Get a HANDle on Decision Making." Using his hands to count them out, he goes through this process for figuring out God's will:
1. Ask yourself, "Have I been in the Word?":
Before someone can discern if a decision is a good idea or a God idea, they need to be studying the Bible. God has given us the Bible as a standard for direction and truth, so He will not give us direction to do something that is contrary to His Word. Plus, there are so many great examples to learn from and mistakes that people made in the Bible that we can apply to our own situations and avoid.
2. Have I prayed about it? And have I been persistent in praying about it?:
The Greek verb ask in Matthew 7:7 should really read keep asking. (Keep Asking) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you - Matthew 7:7 It is about persistent prayer. Not because God wants us to grovel, but because His ways are different than ours and this may be an issue of timing. I may not be asking for the right thing yet. He may have something much bigger and better than I can imagine.
3. Do I have peace about the decision I'm about to make?:
When we are headed in the right direction in God's will, there is peace as confirmation. Colossians 3:15 says, "Let the peace of God rule in your heart." The Greek verb rule is the same word for umpire. Let His peace rule your situation and decision making.
4. I need to seek out wise counsel before I make this decision: This is not about asking everyone you know for their opinion. This will just lead to confusion because even if they are great, wise, people, we all have differing opinions. Instead, you need to seek out those people you know who will go through this process along side of you before they have an opinion.
Choose wise counselors, ask them to search God's Word for you and to sincerely and persistently pray for you and then see how they feel led in this situation and take into consideration their advice. Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
5. Then I need to WAIT:
Don't rush the decision. Wait until you are sure that you've gotten your answer from God. Don't get ahead of Him. Wait for His lead. This is the hardest part for me! I just want a decision made! I HATE waiting!
During the session, Pastor Rick shared a story of a lady in his church who trained horses. After a sermon on Psalm 32, she gave him her interpretation of this portion of the Psalm:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
which have no understanding,
which must be harnessed with bit and bridle. (NKJV)
She said she has some horses who know her so well all she has to do is look in a direction and they will follow the lead of her glance. That's how God wants us to follow Him. Know Him so well we don't have to be dragged around by bit and bridle in order to go where He wants to lead us.
That is where I want to be in my own decision making and planning for the new year. Instead of being in a hurry to start new projects and make quick decisions, I want to slow down, to spend time getting to know Him more, and to be persistent in praying about the areas of my life where I need more direction. I want to get to the place where He glances in a direction, and I joyfully walk in the way He would have me go.
Personal Application:
Do you have any decisions to make as you begin this new year? What about resolutions you've made or dreams you are dreaming about the future? Take some time to dedicate those things to the Lord. Ask Him if He shares those dreams with you and if your plans are in line with His will.
Are there people you can trust to be wise counselors? Talk to them about the decision you are facing or the dreams you are dreaming and ask them to be in prayer for you. Choose people who will seek the Lord on your behalf. Pray that God will lead you to people who can be godly and wise advisers in your life.
Lord,
I thank you for this New Year and for all that is ahead in it. I know that each day has already been ordained by you. You already know what lies ahead for me. I lift to you my dreams and plans for this year. Show me which of these you share with me and which of them you do not desire for me. Please bring me to people who can be godly and wise advisers in my life. Direct me this year and show me how to stay in the center of your will.
In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen
Happy New Year!
Hi Everyone,
Settling into the new year has been a little crazy for my family. : )
My next devotional will be posted Monday, January 12th.
See You Then!
