COMMITTED TO THE WILL OF GOD

Jeremiah 42:3 “Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."

Francis Schaeffer was a relatively famous pastor and Christian author. When he was 19 years old he had a decision to make. He had to decide whether to stay home and become a mechanical engineer (which was something he was interested in) or go away to Bible College to become a pastor (which was a pull he felt in his heart). His father had demanded that he make a decision—the time was at hand. Francis told his father he needed a few more minutes to think and so he went off to the cellar to pray. Weeping, he asked God for help. Finally, in desperation he took out a coin and said “Heads, I’ll go” It was heads. Then he pleaded, “God, be patient with me. If it comes up tails this time, I’ll go.” It was tails. “Once more, God, Please let it be heads again.” It was heads. Back upstairs Francis went. “Dad, I’ve got to go.” Francis went on to become a pastor, philosopher, lecturer, and an author of 24 books.

Every day we make numerous decisions. What cereal to purchase, what to eat for supper, whether to rent an apartment or buy a home, where to go to college, what career path to take, what church to attend, who to date or marry, how to raise your children, how to invest your money. The choices go on and on.

Our lives can be changed by one decision. While flipping coins, which is akin to casting lots, and asking God for signs has been used by God at various times to communicate his will there are other ways to determining his will.

Here are a few things all Christians should be doing in order to stay in the will of God:

1. Pray

James recognized that is not always easy to know what to do, so as he explains in James 1:5, we are to ask God for the needed wisdom “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

2. Go to the Scripture

In Psalm 119:105 it says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”. The point: God’s Word has much to say on how we are to live our lives and what we are to do.

Too often we are guilty of not considering what the Bible says on an issue. In the Bible God has spelled out all we need to know. The Bible is full of God’s clear commands that offer us direction for most of life’s decisions. The more we know of God’s written Word, the more quickly we will know what God wants us to do.

3. Seek Godly Counsel

Psalm 1:1a it says “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” Often times we will go to people for counsel. Sometimes we seek them out because we want approval of plans we have already made. Sometimes we genuinely want their guidance.

When it comes to the matter of God’s will for our lives, our biggest issue is not the determining of it. Yes the determining of God’s will really challenges us as times, however I think biggest thing is actually doing it.

We have at our disposal the necessary tools to determine God’s will. Prayer, patience, the Word of the Lord, Godly counsel: What is often lacking is a commitment on our parts to doing the will of God. We need willing and surrendered spirits that say yes to God regardless of what’s in our heads to the contrary. Remember, it is in his will that we will find perfect contentment.

A TEST FOR A HARD HEART

Exodus 7:14 “Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.”

Pharaoh had refused to let the Israelites go, even though God showed himself clearly, so the plagues began. The water in the Nile turned to blood and the fish died. The people’s water supply was gone, their food supply was hurt, the place stunk; and what did Pharaoh do? His heart grew only more cold and hardened.

More than anything else, God is concerned with the condition of our heart. More than what we do, where we go, what we say. It is possible to do the right thing, be in the right place, and say the right things all the while having a heart that is indifferent to him. If you are facing difficulty in life; if you find yourself less and less moved by the things of God, it may be time to assess the state of your heart. Here are a few things to watch for when searching you heart.

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you blatantly disobey God. Pharaoh’s response to letting God’s people go was to make it worse on them. He did the opposite of what God said to do. Moses took this response to God and God told Moses that he would deal with Pharaoh. Moses was sent back to Pharaoh and this time he performed the miracle of the staff to a serpent, but Pharaoh ignored that also when the magicians were able to do the same thing. The more God punished, the harder Pharaoh’s heart became. Is it the same with you? The more God tries to correct you, the more stubborn you become?

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you become insincere. The second plague that God brought was the plague of the frogs. Aaron stretched forth his hand over the water of Egypt and frogs came up out of the waters and covered the land. This is especially significant because the frog was considered sacred in Egypt and could not be killed. The magicians were again summoned and asked to perform the same miraculous act, and they did; but this wasn’t helpful, because they needed less frogs not more. Pharaoh was only willing to change when there were no other options; but when the problem was gone he had no need to obey God.

You might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you attempt to bargain with God. Pharaoh offers different bargains to God. The proposals that Pharaoh offered to God are the same that Satan offers to Christians today. First, Pharaoh says, “you can go but on my terms.” Sound familiar? “God, I’ll change, but I’ll do it my way”. Later, Pharaoh says, “you can go, but leave your possessions behind.” Does this ring a bell? “God, I’ll conform, but not with everything”

Finally, you might have a hard heart if when God tries to correct you, you refuse to commit. Even when pharaoh said “go”, he couldn’t stay committed to the idea. It is very challenging to have a hardened heart and go “all in” for Christ. Because there will be portions of your heart that are not made available to the work of his hand.

Always remember, any true and meaningful change in our life, must begin with a change of heart. You can temporarily change your behaviour, but if you want true progress in life and the abundance that God has promised you, you must allow his spirit to soften your heart. Watch the warning signs, be sensitive to his voice, and allow your heart to be moved by him.

WHEN FAITH FALTERS

I Samuel 27:1 “But David thought to himself, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand."

I think that there are at least 3 sources for spiritual doubt, one of which describes David at this point in his life but all of which can lead us to doubt God. (1) There is intellectual doubt. That is when Scripture is inconsistent with our human experience. We read in the Bible where the entire world was destroyed by a flood or where Jonah was swallowed by a great fish or where Goliath was said to be over 9’ tall and intellectually we have a real hard time accepting that. We think, "That must have been myth or legend and if the Bible is not true in those instances then...” (2) There is moral doubt. That happens when a person doesn’t like God’s commands and then rationalizes, "Well, I don’t think I believe in God, or the Bible, after-all." And that becomes a convenient way of relieving guilt or escaping accountability. (3) Is circumstantial doubt. This is the doubt that is produced when a person goes through a long period of problems or a time of extreme difficulty. The adversity begins to wear on us and we doubt that God is really in control.

That’s where David was. His doubt was a result of difficult circumstances. For 8 years he lived the life of a fugitive, constantly in danger. Imagine the pressure of escaping death day in and day out. Eventually, David began to feel sorry for himself. After all, he was innocent. He had spared Saul’s life, he deserved better. Where was God? Why didn’t He do something?

Often circumstances have to knock us to our knees before we will look up. David hit dead bottom, but when that happened, he looked up and saw God’s loving, forgiving face. And then he realized that God had never forsaken him, but he had forsaken God. So he got up and began his reconciliation with his people and with his Lord.

I think the thing that David lost in the wilderness, that which sent him into this spiritual spiral, was that he lost sight of his worth before God. He had lost his “spiritual esteem.” Not his self-esteem, his spiritual esteem. We can all fool ourselves for awhile that we have it all together…for a while. David had forgotten how important he was to God. God was not going to let him die. He was going to be the next king. God had not forsaken him. If you are longing for real fulfillment, if you have drifted away from God or if you see in your life, any of the characteristics of David’s downward spiritual spiral, remember that you have great worth in God’s sight.

Archie Moore, a heavy weight boxing champion, once got knocked down early in a fight. He got back up and won the match by knock-out. Afterwards a reporter asked him, “Archie, what were you thinking while you were on the canvas?” He said, “I thought, Hey, I’m the champ! I don’t belong here!” Don’t allow doubt to creep into your life and derail your purpose. Remember that God sees you as an over comer, even when you’ve been knocked down.

CERTAIN OF A REDEEMER

Job 19:25 “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”

When the Berlin wall came down and when communism fell one of the amazing things that happened was that people had access to the files that the secret police had kept on them. For many people it made uncomfortable reading. People whom they trusted had betrayed them – family members, husbands, wives, children etc. They thought they knew these people but they were wrong. It left them wondering: What can I know for certain? Truth is there is very little we can know for certain.

Job was a man who had everything and lost it all. He had family and friends, health and wealth, position and purpose. But in a few short weeks it was all taken away. His health failed, his wealth disappeared, his family turned their backs and his friends did nothing but criticize him. Job was a man who lost everything. Now in and of itself that is neither unusual nor remarkable. But Job is remarkable in that he wants the answer to the question - Why? He wanted to understand what was going on. He was not satisfied to just shrug his shoulders and retreat into a cocoon. Job wanted to know that his life meant something. His friends put before him all sorts of arguments but none of these answer his questions. Job wanted to know, hard as it is to know anything, that his life could be anchored.

When he speaks these words he is sitting on top of the town dump scraping the sores on his body with a piece of broken pottery. The only thing that had been said to him was some pious prattle that he must have sinned against God and if he would only straighten up then all this would turn out right. There was no evidence in his circumstances or what he had heard which gave him grounds to state that he would be redeemed from this bondage. And yet he states: ‘I know my Redeemer lives.’

Job believes he is close to death. It is a pretty fair conclusion for him to come to – it is the wrong conclusion at this time though. However, Job knew that one day he must die. Job knows that the words he is about to utter may not be heard, heeded or understood by those gathered around him at that moment but he desires for them to be recorded – not for posterity but that future generations would benefit from the truth contained therein. He desires that somehow what he is about to say will not die with him but live on because the truth to which they witness, namely that his redeemer lives, is of eternity – eternal truth, value and consequence for those who hear them. So what Job is about to speak is of such importance to him that he wants it recorded. It is basically his last will and testament. The whole dialogue to this point has been Job seeking to defend and justify himself before his friends and their accusations. He now speaks with a secure knowledge and experience which comes from only through faith.

We like Job know that one day we will die. We like Job know that our bodies will see decay. But here is the real question: Do we like Job know that our Redeemer lives and that one day we shall see him with our own eyes? Job could only speak with the eye of faith. We can speak as people with a fuller revelation – Christ has come and God has revealed to us in His Word that he is the Redeemer – the Savior. Job in the midst of all his despair had this eternal hope – do you? Job said his very heart yearned within him in the knowledge of his redeemer – does yours?

ONLY ONE PLACE TO TURN

Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Some may depend on their bank accounts, their jobs, their families, their relationships. But our God is a far better refuge than any of those. It is not that relationship we’ve invested so much time in that is our refuge and strength. It is not a job or a house that is our ever present help in time of trouble. It is not the economy that gives us our strength. It is not the age, appearance, condition or health of our bodies which provides us help. It is God who provides us with a place to run, a place to hide.

There are times when everything in the world gets turned upside down. There are times the earth is moved. Sometimes the waters roar and the mountains shake. It seems as everything is against us and out to destroy us. No one is exempt from these realities. Whether it is a national tragedy that involves millions or a lone person sobbing in a hospital waiting room after learning their loved one has died in the night, tragedy in life is a reality.

We cannot control the things that happen to us, but we can control how we respond to those things. The truth is that God often uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It was the broken Jesus who gave us life. And it is broken families, cities, and nations who will rally and become stronger. Just like a broken bone is stronger after it heals. God promises, as we heard in our reading, that He will make all things work out for the good of those who love Him. Don’t forget that when you find yourself in the midst of a calamity. Be sure that you are one of those who have put their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. That relationship is our sure foundation when the earth is shaken.

At times our foundations are shaken. It seems like everything is coming apart beneath us. But those who put their faith in God will not be swallowed up by such events. We have a firm foundation in God. When the waters roar and the mountains shake, we can stand firm. As Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Faith rests on a firmer basis, and is not to be moved by swelling seas. Evil may ferment, wrath may boil, and pride may foam, but the brave heart of holy confidence trembles not.” Even when everything seems to be against us, Christians can remain at peace. This doesn’t mean we will never go through storms for we do. It means Christ is with us in the storm and he brings peace in the midst of that storm.

It is easy to let our calamities overwhelm us until we lose sight of God. Get still long enough to remember who God is and what He is doing. We need to wait and behold the works of God. Remember what He has done and what He surely will do. Get still long enough to see things from God’s perspective. Only God knows how your situation will end. We don’t know where this calamity or others will lead us. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. But we do know who our God is. When calamities come, remember that God is with us.

PRICE CHECK

1 Chronicles 21:24 “But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing."

During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn’t disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ask the women of Prussia to bring their jewelry of gold and silver to be melted down for their country. For each ornament received, he determined to exchange a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of his gratitude. Each decoration would be inscribed, “I gave gold for iron, 1813.” The response was overwhelming. Even more important, these women prized their gifts from the king more highly than their former jewelry. The reason, of course, is clear. The decorations were proof that they had sacrificed for their king. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear jewelry, and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see.

Our scripture provides a similar situation in the life of King David. The nation of Israel was facing the judgment of God due to the actions of David and the king intended to find a place to build an altar in order to sacrifice to God and petition for his mercy upon the people. Upon finding the desired location, he offered to purchase the place, but was offered it for free along with the oxen and wheat for sacrifice. David replied, “No. I will not sacrifice to God, that which costs me nothing.”

David understood the great difference between a gift and a sacrifice. It is often easy to give to God from any abundance we may have. Think about it. If we have a gathering and serve food, don’t you normally look to send the leftovers home with friends? Sure you do. The thought is, “Take it. We’ll just throw it out.” You don’t normally, however, open your refrigerator and start passing out fresh groceries to your guests on the way out. Because, those are things that you have purchased in order to feed your family for the coming days.

It was the same in the days of Cain and Abel. It is the same today. In Genesis, God honored Abel because he gave his best product. Cain was dishonored because he only offered that which he did not want. Today, God does not want our leftovers. What we give is a direct reflection of the condition of our heart. Since God does not need our substance, He is not interested in the amount or the condition of what we bring to Him. Our gift should reflect a sacrifice on our part.

Ask yourself, “Do the things that I offer God truly cost me something or am I just giving the things that I really don’t want or need? Hold on to the principle of that which costs me something will always mean more to me than that which I got for free. God is looking at our hearts today. He is not looking at the gift. He is looking at the spirit of the giver.

BIGGER THAN US

I Chronicles 17:16 “Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: Who am I, LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?”

Our text is nestled in the middle of dialog between the King and the Prophet and between a worshipper and his God. As David walks throughout his palace, he thinks, “How did this all come to be about me? I live in a palace while the presence of the God of Israel dwells in a pasture.” My, how far David had come. It was a long way back to his early teens tending sheep in Jesse’s fields. The head and armor of the giant had been collecting dust for decades in Israel’s treasury. Long past were the days when David was captain over the 400 distressed, indebted and discontented at Adulliam. Faded were the memories of hatred toward him by a jealous king.

To the onlooker David had arrived. He had climbed the ladder one difficult rung at a time and now, he was on top. But King David had a deeply ingrained truth burned into the fabric of his being. He said in 2 Samuel “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust.”

His life success was due to a connection – a personal, intimate connection with God. I believe it was that connection with God that caused David to desire to honor God in a greater way than he ever had. To, in a way, put God on display. When you and I really get connected to the Kingdom of God and the cause of Christ, we’ll have a similar experience as David.

Living for Christ becomes so little about me, about my desires, about my liberties, about my spiritual “position”, and more about His position in me: King of my heart, Lord of my life, owner of my stuff, purpose of my ministry, reason for my existence.

David realized that his success wasn’t about his kingdom but about God’s. Not about what he had, but about what God had given him to use for the furtherance of God’s purpose. So David wanted to build a temple that would house the Ark of the Covenant, the presence of God. But, God said “No”. That was a privilege that was being reserved for Solomon. You see, David loved God and God was building a legacy for David.

Still, David had to wonder why God would not allow him to build this temple. But David’s sincere desire to honor God was really what God wanted. Sometimes, we may find ourselves wanting to do the right thing. We may find ourselves so hungry to do something specific for God. Maybe, you want to lead worship. Perhaps, you want to teach. Maybe, your hope is to be a pastor. No matter what your dreams may be, the important thing is that your heart is passionate for God. If so, there will always be a way to honor Him. It may not be exactly the way you thought it would be…but God’s perfect plan is for you and me to be connected to the Kingdom and therefore, connected to Christ.

Remember, God has brought us so far. He has so many great things for us. They are bigger than our hopes and dreams. They are bigger than our faults and failures. They are bigger than us.