I was reading this morning from 2 Chronicles 10 and 11. There was an interesting phrase from the Lord that stood out in my mind and heart for many reasons that experience has born out. In chapter 11 and verse 2 we read, "this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God: 'Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon kind of Judah and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, "this is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing."'"
I know it looks like a lot of quotation marks, but notice the phrase, "this is my doing." The context of these two chapters is the death of Solomon, the beginning reign of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, and the defect of Israel from the rule of Rehoboam under the leadership of Jeroboam. Rehoboam was gathering all the fighting men of Judah and Benjamin to force a stop to this mass exodus. But God sent word that this exodus was of His doing and that they were not to fight against their brothers. They were to go home and go about their business. So they did just that.
Been there, done that, have the T-shirt. Well, minus the T-shirt. But I have been there. I have a feeling many of you have at some time or another in your life. There was something you wanted terribly to happen or remain, but it seemed to fall apart. The more you tried to make it work out, the more messy it became. Then the Lord spoke to your heart that what took place was of His doing. It was hard information to accept graciously. Oh, it was easy to accept if we wanted to use that information as justification for the situation falling apart. But the reality is that such news ought to break our hearts. We wish such a drastic step from the Lord's intervention would never have had to happen.
In the biblical account of Judah and Israel, neither kept their singular focus on God and both eventually felt the hand of discipline from the Lord.
But, we do not have to go there. We have the opportunity in our particular situations to honor God and stick very close to Him. As far as it depends upon us, we need to live peaceably with all men. We need to honor God and run hard after Him in His vision and Kingdom plan for us. It is a difficult task to accept a division as the hand of God graciously. But you can do it with the grace of God strong in your life. Honor Him today with your life in your situation.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Getting Started
Here I sit in Illinois. There is question that comes to mind often after serving in the ministry as a pastor for staff position for nearly 30 years. What in the world am I doing here? God has taken us on an amazing adventure. We have wrestled long and hard with direction in what we sense God doing in our life. Psalm 32:8-9 in the NIV reads as follows. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you."
Where do I start? Should I begin with verse nine that tells us not to be like the horse or the mule? They are strong willed and stubborn creatures that only submit as that piece of metal is pulled against the tender portion of their mouth. I know they can be trained to turn as the reign lays against the side of their neck so that they do not have to feel the pain of the bit. But the point of the verse deals with control verses willing service. God does not want to have to control me to get me to do what He desires in His Kingdom. God operates according to verse 8.
In verse 8 God instructs, teaches, counsels and watches over us. Actually, He instructs us in the way we should go. Make it personal for yourself. God says He instructs you in the way you should go. The particular word chosen by God here means to grant discernment to the individual in the way he should go. We all know that there are many opportunities in front of us. What we need is the ability to discern which one God wants me to accept. God tells each of us He will grant that discernment so that we will know how to distinguish between the good, better and best opportunities presented to us.
Then God says He will teach us in the way we should go. Again we need to make it very personal. God will teach me in the way I should go. The word God chose here means to throw the spear in a specific and straight direction. That is, God will give us the direction as well as the discernment as to the way we should go. What a wonderful gift of grace from God that He does not leave us to figure out on our own the direction we are to take in life. When we come to Him, He will grant us discernment and point out the direction we are to go.
Then we are told He will counsel us. One thing I know about counseling is that most individuals who come for the counseling know their answer. They usually simply need to talk it through with someone who will guide them, who will discuss the options with them. That is what God is going to do for each of us. He waits for each of us to come before Him in prayer and discuss our options with Him. He will listen better than the best counselor you could ever think of going to see. He is the wonderful counselor.
Then, last, but certainly not least, God will watch over you in the journey you are to take. He watches the horizon for all the pot holes that lie ahead. He is aware of every obstacle that lies in the path. He sees the twists and turns before you get to them. He is decidedly involved in every step you and I are to take along the journey He has chosen for us.
Yes, it is a journey He has chosen. Psalm 25:12 reads, "Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him."
So, when I ask the question, "What in the world am I doing here?", the answer must always be that God has led me here. At least that needs to be the answer if I fear the Lord and only want to be in the center of His will for my life.
Maybe I still do not know all the whys of where I am. But I do know that God looks for someone to stand in the gap on behalf of the people. All too often He has found none. While I wait for the answers to the whys of my location, I want to be "putty" filling the gap where I find myself on the journey. How about you?
Where do I start? Should I begin with verse nine that tells us not to be like the horse or the mule? They are strong willed and stubborn creatures that only submit as that piece of metal is pulled against the tender portion of their mouth. I know they can be trained to turn as the reign lays against the side of their neck so that they do not have to feel the pain of the bit. But the point of the verse deals with control verses willing service. God does not want to have to control me to get me to do what He desires in His Kingdom. God operates according to verse 8.
In verse 8 God instructs, teaches, counsels and watches over us. Actually, He instructs us in the way we should go. Make it personal for yourself. God says He instructs you in the way you should go. The particular word chosen by God here means to grant discernment to the individual in the way he should go. We all know that there are many opportunities in front of us. What we need is the ability to discern which one God wants me to accept. God tells each of us He will grant that discernment so that we will know how to distinguish between the good, better and best opportunities presented to us.
Then God says He will teach us in the way we should go. Again we need to make it very personal. God will teach me in the way I should go. The word God chose here means to throw the spear in a specific and straight direction. That is, God will give us the direction as well as the discernment as to the way we should go. What a wonderful gift of grace from God that He does not leave us to figure out on our own the direction we are to take in life. When we come to Him, He will grant us discernment and point out the direction we are to go.
Then we are told He will counsel us. One thing I know about counseling is that most individuals who come for the counseling know their answer. They usually simply need to talk it through with someone who will guide them, who will discuss the options with them. That is what God is going to do for each of us. He waits for each of us to come before Him in prayer and discuss our options with Him. He will listen better than the best counselor you could ever think of going to see. He is the wonderful counselor.
Then, last, but certainly not least, God will watch over you in the journey you are to take. He watches the horizon for all the pot holes that lie ahead. He is aware of every obstacle that lies in the path. He sees the twists and turns before you get to them. He is decidedly involved in every step you and I are to take along the journey He has chosen for us.
Yes, it is a journey He has chosen. Psalm 25:12 reads, "Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him."
So, when I ask the question, "What in the world am I doing here?", the answer must always be that God has led me here. At least that needs to be the answer if I fear the Lord and only want to be in the center of His will for my life.
Maybe I still do not know all the whys of where I am. But I do know that God looks for someone to stand in the gap on behalf of the people. All too often He has found none. While I wait for the answers to the whys of my location, I want to be "putty" filling the gap where I find myself on the journey. How about you?
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