Prayers

below Ramsey Cascades

I ran into a situation that required a little coping;
I determined my approach and proceeded with it, hoping.
Hoping that I was right in what I attempted to do,
Hoping that I would have the patience needed to see it through.
Well, the situation was testy, and I experienced a little frustration,
but I started the very next day with even more determination.
Again, I felt defeated but couldn't see where I had gone wrong,
so the next morning my prayers included a request for God to make me strong.
I felt better for having asked the Lord to strengthen my endurance,
and I started that day with confidence and more calm assurance.
But once more as the day wore on, I felt my efforts were failing--
It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, aggravation was prevailing.
I sat back and looked things over and wondered why I'd had no success;
it seemed that all my efforts had just made a bigger mess.
So I asked the Lord what had happened and just what He expected me to do,
and then He answered my question and suddenly I knew!
I realized that I should have asked for His direction in the beginning,
instead of taking it upon myself and ending up chagrining.
I had never asked the Lord whether my approach was right--
I had simply asked for strength while I struggled with all my might.
Well, I prayed about the situation and put my worries on the shelf,
and soon I saw that the problem was taking care of itself!

Our Lord is always with us and sees the problems we encounter, and He is anxious for us to let Him guide us through each situation. Whether the problem is a situation at work or a personal decision that needs to be made, God has all the answers. Nothing is too small for God to handle! Often, the small decisions in life make a big difference, and our Lord wants us to make the right ones!

"And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat by bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Isaiah 58:11

From November 8, 1983

Boundaries

Turn the other cheek. (Matt. 5:39)
Keep no record of wrongs. (I Cor. 13:5)
Forgive seventy times seven. (Matt. 18:21-22)
If someone takes what's yours, don't ask for it back. (Luke 6:30)
Control your anger. (Eph. 4:26)
Love your enemies and pray for them. (Matt. 5:44)

I gotta admit, I used to think that the fruit of the Spirit described as self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) was all about the things I wasn't supposed to do in response to other people. And then I read the book called Boundaries, by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend, and realized that Jesus did not intend for us to be doormats. That certainly was not His example.

He overturned the tables in the temple. He rebuked. He cursed the fig tree. And even though He came to die for us, He didn't allow the mob to throw Him off the cliff before it was His time to die.

The fruit of the Spirit called self-control is not only about keeping yourself from climbing over other people's fences but also about keeping others on the other side of your fence when necessary as well. It takes wisdom and discernment to know when and how to do that, but to be a doormat is not only unhealthy, it does not honor God.

"... your tormentors, who have said to you, 'Lie down that we may walk over you.' You have even made your back like the ground. And like the street for those who walk over it. Awake, awake! Clothe yourself in your strength..." Isaiah 51:23 - 52:1

Man's Plans and God's Purposes

"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.... When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.... The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." Prov. 16:1-4, 7, & 9.

What do these verses tell us about mans plans and God's purposes? First, we see that they differ. Isaiah 55:8 & 9 says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than our ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." What might seem like an innocent, good idea to us can actually fall short of God's purpose. God also weighs our motives.

Verse 3 admonishes us to commit our works to the Lord so that our plans will be established. This assumes that we have considered our objectives and sought God's will concerning our goals and plans. It's difficult to hit a target we cannot see, but it's impossible to hit a target we do not have! In order to accomplish God's work, we must have goals, but they must be GOD's goals.

In Revelation, the letters to the churches commend them for their love, faith, perseverance, and reputation, but the Lord points out that they are not accomplishing His will. Are we going through the motions as we teach? worship? listen? serve? Do we have God-centered, measurable goals for our classes, groups, ministries, and lives?

What are we accomplishing? What is God accomplishing through us? What is God's purpose for me? for each of us?

Decisions

Decisions.
Big ones.
Small ones.
Might-change-it-all ones.
Decisions that take a little while.
Future.
Present.
Those that aren't so pleasant.
And those that bring about a smile.
Yes ones.
No ones.
Don't-really-know ones.
Decisions that are easy to make.
Think a lot.
Pray a lot.
What does the Bible say? A lot!
Decisions that are worth the time you take.

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." Joel 3:14

We each make decisions every day and usually don't think much about them. However, sometimes even the smallest of decisions can change a large part of our lives, and we need to be aware of possible consequences. Our Lord is always eager to guide us and wants us to call on Him when making any decision.

When major decisions arise in our lives we often worry and wonder ourselves into a tizzy. Sometimes the unknown can scare us badly and cause decision-making to be a traumatic process. As Christians, we have an advantage that we should utilize BEFORE the situation gets out of hand! If we're seeking advice, who can be a better adviser than the One who holds everyone's future? God loves us and wants our lives to be filled with joy.

"And the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Isaiah 58:11.

What Should We Be and Do?

"Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke?" Isaiah 58:6

This chapter in Isaiah has meant a lot to me for a long time. To me, the verses answer the question that every Christian might ask himself or herself today: Lord, what should I be and do?

The beginning of the chapter paints a picture of God's responding to His people who are confused about their condition. The messenger is told to "cry loudly" and "not hold back." It is a bold message, spoken passionately to people who are equally both sincere and fruitless. They seek God "day by day" and delight to know His ways. "They delight in the nearness of God." And yet they ask why they fast and God doesn't see, and they humble themselves and God doesn't notice. They ask what's wrong.

The Lord's response is extensive, and verse six, above, is a part of it.

I find myself asking what are the bonds, bands, yoke, and oppression of people around us today. Is it poverty? Some form of addiction? Is it depression? Guilt? Rejection? Illiteracy? Loneliness? What are we to loosen, free, and break?

The people God spoke to were faithful in going through the motions of worship, and they were sincere in their desire to please God, but these things had not led them into the ministry God desired for them. It is a common problem found throughout the family of God's people. James, too, tells us that "Faith, if it has no works, is dead." As we begin this new year, please join me in asking, "Lord, what would you have me be and do? He wants us to love Him, and THAT kind of love relationship leads to faith in action!

Peace or Stagnation?

How can we discern a peaceful life from a stagnant one?

Throughout the Bible, God tells us that true peace is a desirable state of heart and mind that can only be found in knowing Him. (Philippians 4:7, Romans 5:1,Ephesians 2: 14). The dictionary defines peace as "a state of tranquility or quiet.... freedom from disquieting or oppressive emotions," and John 14:27 tells us, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." Peace is a wonderful, healthy asset in life. It is always in company with other positive attributes also:

• Romans 8:6 "The mind of sinful men is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.
• Romans 14:17 "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."
• Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

Stagnation means being inactive or motionless. A stagnant body of water is quiet and tranquil, but its also without a current or flow; it is not troubled. It is without disruption. It is also without life.

Too often we mistake stagnation for peace. We are inclined to be satisfied with a life that is motionless, as long as it is quiet and tranquil. Instead we should have "peace like a river," a life that is in a constant state of forward motion. Flowing. Useful. Moving toward a greater source.

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:18.