God’s Plan

Yesterday, we saw how Elijah the prophet was ready to give up and had asked God to take him. But that was not the end of Elijah. Our God of immense patience heard Elijah’s cry, but he was not done with him. God had more for Elijah to do and was about to send him on his way.

We may be like Elijah at times. We may be ready to give up. Yet, God often has something else in mind. There are other works he wants us to carry out. It boils down to whether we are willing to continue in God’s will or we decide to give up despite God having something for us to do.

Though God did not show himself to Elijah in this instance he spoke to Elijah. But notice what happened before God gave Elijah instructions on what he was to do. There was a strong wind, an earthquake, and fire. In today’s language, we might say a might storm occurred. Though these may have been physical events for Elijah, we can treat them metaphorically for us.

We face storms in our lives. Some are stronger than others. They come in various forms. There are broken relationships, lost jobs, financial struggles, health issues, and you name your storm. God did not speak in the storm, though he provided Elijah safety and shelter to weather the storm. God spoke in the silence that followed the storm. This is true in many of our own situations.

God did not abandon Elijah, nor will he abandon us, even if we don’t hear or see him in the midst of the storm. However, it is after the storm that we often hear from God. There is a lesson to be learned from our experience in the storm and God’s direction for us to follow. It is often the storm that prepares us for God’s use. The remaining question is, will we or will we not choose to obey God?

I pray we all trust that God is with us in our storms. I pray we listen for God’s direction following the storm. I pray each one of us chooses to obey God and proceed down the path he shows us. Trust God in your storm. Listen for God’s direction. Obey God. Follow his path for you.

1 Kings 19:11-12 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire, and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

Ready to Give Up

Have you ever been ready to give? Have you been so low you just wanted it all to end? Have you tossed your hands in the air and declared it all over? Did your declaration end it? Or did it continue? Were you plans for ending everything changed inexplicably?

There are times when we want to give up. We are down in the dumps with nothing going our way. We’re ready to throw in the towel. We simply want the whole thing to go away. Yet, it doesn’t. Then, suddenly, something changes, and everything is much better.

Elijah had that kind of experience. Yes, that Elijah. A great prophet of God. He had a time so tough that he ran away, hid in an out of the way place, and asked God to simply take his life. He had been threatened to be cut into pieces. In fact, King Ahab had stated he would hunt Elijah down and he would not live another day. Elijah, like most of us, did not want to face that kind of pain.

As Elijah lay down under a tree, he asked God to take his life. He knew it would not be as painful as King Ahab had planned for him. He knew God could simply cause him to stop breathing. He was ready to give up being a prophet of God. He was ready to stop doing what God had called him to do. Yet, God was not done with him. We will see what God has in store for Elijah tomorrow.

I pray we all look to God when we face tough times. I pray we ask God to help us through those situations. I pray each one of us trust that God has our good in mind as he walks with us through tough times. Look to God. Ask God for help. Trust God in all situations.

1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.”

Everyday Father

What does it mean to be a good father? Is it more difficult in today’s culture than it was decades ago? Who do we model being a good father after? Do we use our own earthly father as a role model? How can we use God as our model for being a good father?

Being a good father is challenging and a work in progress. Some of us may have had bad father influences growing up. Others may have had good father influences. Yet, each of us must make our own choice regarding the type of father we will be.

I had a good Dad, even if not a man who followed Jesus. He worked hard to provide for my two sisters and I. He wasn’t always at our events due to working, but he made the ones he could. We weren’t abused. Yet, he had his faults. I saw those as I grew up and committed to myself not to repeat those.

Jesse was a property owner. He owned a flock of sheep and a home. His sons helped tend the sheep, including the youngest, David. He was also considered a righteous man. How do we know? He was invited by the prophet Samuel, at God’s direction, to participate in a sacrifice and the following celebratory meal.

Was Jesse perfect? No. We know that no man is perfect. Yet, Jesse had done the best he knew how to provide for his family and worship God. For those of us today who want to be good fathers, all we can do is the same. We are to love our wives and families, and be the example of worshiping God for them.

I pray we all choose to worship God. I pray we seek good examples to emulate in our lives. I pray each one of us love our families, teach them about Jesus, and provide a good example of worshiping God. Worship God. Follow good examples. Love your family. Teach them about Jesus.

1 Samuel 16:3 “Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do, and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.”

Freely Given

Do you like to give things away? Or do you prefer to sell what you no longer use to make a buck? What about advice? Are you willing to give wise counsel to others? Even to the co-worker you don’t like? Do you enjoy instructing others so they can be more productive?

Giving things away can be difficult for us. Especially, if it is material possessions. We are sure they are worth something, and we want to be paid for them. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with selling possessions. However, it is the motive that can make it wrong.

Giving away wise counsel and instruction can also be difficult for us. Especially, if there is a co-worker we do not like who needs it. Or if we think our advice will help them move up the ladder faster than us. We fail to remember that it is not about us. There is something far bigger at stake. It may be our wise counsel that allows the larger organization to be successful.

The same is true of sharing our faith and understanding about God. We are to share to expand God’s kingdom. It is not about us but God. Plus, we must remember that God has shared with us for this very purpose. Jesus tells His disciples that the Holy Spirit will share with them what He wants them to know. He freely gave to them and freely gives to us a deeper understanding of God, if we are open to hear it.

Jesus freely gave His life for us. He continues to freely give us the knowledge and understanding we need to increase our faith. In both cases, we must be willing to accept it. In the latter case, we are to share what God has blessed us with, whether material possessions or knowledge of God’s kingdom. God has blessed us so we can bless others.

I pray we all know that Jesus freely gives to us. I pray we are willing to accept His gifts. I pray each one of us will share the good news of Jesus and the knowledge of the kingdom of God. Jesus freely gave to you. Accept His wonderful gifts. Share your blessings with others.

John 16:14-15 “He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Quietly Listen

Do you ever feel lost? Do you feel like you are groping along in the dark? Do you feel left out, as the only one who does not know? Do you have questions that you never seem to get answers for? Would you like to know what the future holds for you? What if you could have it?

There are times in our lives when we feel lost. We feel as though we are in a fog or sludge or maybe even being kept in the dark. We feel like an outsider, like others know something we don’t. We search for answers and don’t find them. We can’t forecast tomorrow, let alone next week.

But what if we could get the answers we seek and be confident in our future. No, we may not know who we will marry or how many kids we will have or what job we will be working in ten years. What we can know is that we have a God who cares for us. We can know he will always be with us—through the hard times and the good times, until we are no longer on this earth.

How do we get this knowledge? By listening to the Holy Spirit. That may sound simple, and yet it is not. We must train ourselves to listen to him. We must learn to ask the question and be silent. We must discipline ourselves to turn off the television, the computer, and put down our smart phones. It requires us to spend quiet time with God to hear the Holy Spirit speak to us.

How do I know? I have been there, done that. I have experienced it work over and over. Spending quiet time does not mean sitting in a dark corner. It can be the time you spend mowing your yard. It can be your exercise time. It can be your drive work, if you turn off the radio. It can also be sitting quietly on your couch or in a chair with no distractions. It is in this quiet time that your answers will come through the Holy Spirit.

I pray we all seek answers to our questions. I pray we strive to hear the Holy Spirit speak to us. I pray each one of us will spend quiet time asking our questions and listening for the Holy Spirit to answer us. Ask your questions. Be quiet and listen. Trust God to send the answers through the Holy Spirit.

John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Afflictions Mold Us

How do you react when you are faced with some type of trouble? What is your reaction to a medical issue? How do you feel when someone shuns you? Do you get depressed when facing financial difficulties? Have you ever thought your troubles are molding you?

Any type of trouble we face causes a reaction of some sort. We might call those troubles afflictions. They can cause us to be angry, depressed, frustrated, hurt, stressed, and even wonder why we exist at all, depending on the trouble we are facing.

But those afflictions may be molding us, refining us into the person God wants us to be. Now, make no mistake, God does not send the troubles our way, but he does use them to make us a better person, if we are willing. Those afflictions will produce in us an endurance. Not the endurance of a long-distance runner, but an endurance that allows us to remain standing throughout the situation.

Endurance builds and strengthens our character. Some of the strongest characters ever built lived through the great depression. That strong character then gives us hope. We discover that with God we can withstand anything. We carry that hope into every situation. The stronger our character, the deeper our hope. And that hope is the belief and trust in God’s promises. Through all of it, we witness the love God has for us as he provides for our needs.

I pray we all view our afflictions differently. I pray we endure our hardships and our character is strengthened. I pray each one of us have a deep hope in God and always trust in his promises. Endure your hardships. Allow God to build your character. Put your hope in God. Trust God’s promises.

Romans 5:3-5 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Hope In Glory

Faith. Justification. Peace. Grace. Hope. Glory. Don’t those sound like wonderful things? Wouldn’t you like to have all of them? Do you know that you can? Wonder how they are accessible to you? The first step is asking God to give them to.

We may think our faith is ours, but we would only be partially correct. True, we must believe. Yes, we decide to trust God. But it is God who adds to our faith, strengthening it and us along with it. For God strengthens us as we call out to him (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

As we put our faith in Jesus, we are justified. That justification guarantees us eternal life with God. Not only should that justification bring us peace, but we have peace as we live in Jesus Christ. Why do we have it? The grace of God. It is as we stand in God’s amazing grace that we acquire our faith, that it is strengthened by him, that we are justified, and we have peace. 

The hope we have is not wishful thinking but a belief that God will deliver on his promises. Our hope is that Jesus came to be our Savior, and we are granted eternal life. It is a hope that brings us great joy and confidence, knowing this world cannot take it away from us. And our hope is knowing we will share in the glory of God. Yes, we will share in the same glory as God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I pray we all ask God to strengthen our faith. I pray we thank Jesus for our justification and peace. I pray each one of us are thankful for God’s grace, boast in our hope, and know we will share the glory of God. Strengthen your faith. Thank God for his grace. Hope in the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

Ask for Wisdom

Do you think there have always been wise people? How many do you believe are wise today? Do you count yourself among them? Have you considered what it takes to be wise? How long do you think wisdom has been around? How is it acquired? Is it passed down from one generation to another?

Yesterday, we discussed wisdom being personified in Proverbs. Today, we continue that motif. The writer of proverbs steps into the shoes of wisdom and states wisdom existed before the creation of the earth. That wisdom was created by God, just as he created us.

Why should we doubt that? For true wisdom comes from God. Wouldn’t God create wisdom before creating human beings? After all, if wisdom comes from God and God desires us to have wisdom, he would have had to create wisdom before creating humans. In many ways, wisdom is God’s personification, just as Jesus is God in the flesh.

So, how do we acquire wisdom? James tells us in James 5:5 that we should ask God for is and he will give it to you generously. Is it really that simple? Yes and no. The no part of that is that we also must believe and have faith. The deeper our faith, the better we can ask with our whole heart and in accordance with God’s will. Having a deep faith, it becomes simple to ask God for wisdom and trust that he will provide it.

I pray we all know that wisdom comes from God. I pray we have a deep faith in God. I pray each one of us will ask God to grant us wisdom and trust that he will give it to us generously. Wisdom comes from God. Deepen your faith. Ask God for wisdom. Trust it will give it to you.

Proverbs 8:22-23

“The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, 

the first of his acts of long ago. 

Ages ago I was set up, 

at the first, before the beginning of the earth.”

Wisdom Cries Out

Do you like to watch people? Have you ever sat on a bench in a mall and simply observe them? Have you seen the silly things they do? Have you been frustrated by the thoughtless things people say? Have you wondered why they speak at all? Are you one of them?

It can be quite entertaining to sit and observe people. They will do some of the strangest things. Each person has their own little quirks. But if we eaves drop on conversations, people will say some of the most mindless things as well. Some are silly while some are ignorant.

Ignorance and thoughtlessness seem to be more common today than ever before. It may be merely a perception. Yet, many people don’t take the time to learn. They don’t research a topic, dig into the who, what, when, where, how, and why of it. Therefore, they end up speaking about something with very little knowledge of it, or ignorance.

The ignorance feeds into the thoughtlessness with which they speak. The thoughtlessness comes from the combination of ignorance, laziness, and a desire to fit in with the crowd. Rather than simply being quiet, people will repeat what they heard someone else say, rather than doing some critical thinking before deciding to speak.

In Proverbs, wisdom is personified. It is a voice crying out to the human race, desiring us to seek it. Wisdom shouts out to us, calling for our attention. Yet, far too often, we ignore it and continue in our ignorance. Imagine how we could reduce disputes, improve society, and become more faithful by pursuing wisdom.

I pray we all cease to speak in ignorance. I pray we decide not to merely repeat what we have heard. I pray each one of us seek wisdom and think critically before we decide to speak. Seek wisdom. Think critically. Ask God for wisdom. Know that God will grant wisdom.

Proverbs 8:1-4

Does not wisdom call 

and understanding raise her voice? 

On the heights, beside the way, 

at the crossroads she takes her stand; 

beside the gates in front of the town, 

at the entrance of the portals she cries out: 

“To you, O people, I call, 

and my cry is to all who live.”

Celebrate Pentecost

How often do you have family gatherings? Do you have family reunions? Do you have smaller and larger family get togethers? What determines when you come together and who is part of it? Are the gatherings special? Do you cherish them, more so as you get older?

Family gatherings can be great. They provide us an opportunity to catch up with family members we haven’t seen in a while. They can include a lot of fun. We gather for birthday parties, Christmas, Easter, and other special days. We may attend a family reunion.

The disciples gathered as a group on Pentecost. Pentecost is the Jewish holiday that is celebrated fifty days after the Passover. What happened at their gathering was completely unexpected. Though Jesus had told them to wait, and He would send the Holy Spirit. The disciples had no idea when nor how that would be manifested.

As they were gathered, the Holy Spirit came upon them. It was indicated by what looked like tongues of fire above their heads and the sound of a loud, rushing wind. The disciples then began to speak in languages they did not know so that everyone who heard them speaking of Jesus could understand them.

We gather on Pentecost Sunday to remember the gift of the Holy Spirit. Though some may not celebrate it, it is also the considered the birthday of the church. For it is on that day that the disciples began to preach the gospel about Jesus without Him being with them. We continue to meet and celebrate Pentecost because Jesus fulfilled His promise.

I pray we all enjoy family gatherings. I pray we realize it is the gift of the Holy Spirit that brings us all together. I pray each one of us celebrates Pentecost and the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. Enjoy coming together. Be thankful for the Holy Spirit. Celebrate Pentecost. Give thanks for Jesus’ promises.

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.