Finding God's Will

“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”             —Genesis 12:1

The joke is told about a person, who made a New Year’s resolution to read the Bible and discover God’s will. Not knowing how to begin, he opened the Bible at random and read the verse, “And Judas hung himself” (Matthew 27:5). Shocked but fairly sure this was not God’s will for him; he opened the Bible again and landed on the phrase, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). Discouraged, he opened the Bible one final time and came to the verse, “What you must do, do quickly” (John 13:27).

Although I have heard testimonies of God miraculously speaking a perfect word to folks who have used this “open and land” method of reading the Bible, I don’t recommend it for finding God’s will for your life. The Bible is full of instructions and insights, but many do not apply to you and the situation you are facing.

How does one find God’s will for their life? Once, when I was leading a lock-in at a local YMCA, I asked folks how they have found God’s will. One lady quickly responded, “Trial and error.” Unfortunately, this is probably true for many of us. The trial and error method works if we stick with it, but there has to be a better and less painful way.

Henry and Richard Blackaby believe we often get the incorrect answers in our search for God’s will because we ask the wrong questions. Instead of asking, “What is God’s will for my life?” Blackaby suggests we ask, “What is God’s will and how can I adjust my life to Him?” (Experiencing God, 32) Notice how this question focuses on God and His will rather than me and my life.

We often read the Bible like a roadmap, and in many ways, the Bible is a roadmap for our lives. But Jesus criticized the Scribes and Pharisees because they believed by diligently studying the Scriptures they might possess eternal life. Jesus pointed out that the Scriptures testify about Him (John 5:39).

Jesus called each of the disciples to follow Him. He did not give them an atlas or treasure map. When Jesus called the disciples, he said, “Come follow me” (Matthew 4:19, 9:9). To Nathanael, Jesus said, “Come and see” (John 1:46). God’s will is not found so much in a roadmap as in a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.

Abraham, one of the great men in the Bible, was given an awesome challenge in order to follow God’s will. “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). What kind of directions is, “Leave country, people, and home and go where I ‘will’ show you?” It doesn’t say, “Go where I ‘have’ told you, but go where I ‘will’ show you.” The details of the plan were in a relationship with God rather than in a printed document.

God’s will can only be found in a faith relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If you are seeking God’s will for your life, the Bible and prayer are definitely the places to begin, but as God speaks to you through the Holy Spirit, expect to be challenged to take some steps of faith. Jesus loves you and desires to show you God’s will as you come to know Him in a personal way. Listen for Jesus’ voice calling you to “Come and see.”

When God is Silent

“Clouds and thick darkness surround him.”    —Psalm 97:2a

I found myself backed up in the express checkout lane at the grocery store. The person at the head of the line had two or three orders in her cart with each pushing the 20-item limit. On top of that, she was clipping coupons. It’s funny (or maybe sad) that my righteous indignation kicks in strongest when I am the one being inconvenienced. I moved to a different line so I wouldn’t stand there fuming and thinking badly about the person in front.

In my new line, a lady bought a bottle of vitamin D tablets. The cashier asked, “Don’t you drink enough milk?" "It's not that, you don't get enough sunlight around here in the wintertime,” she responded, “and it really gets me down."  We all experience some level of cabin fever in winter, but those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) really suffer from the lack of sunlight and longer nights.

Spiritually, we all go through dark times. The scriptures frequently equate God’s presence with darkness and clouds. I contemplated what Psalm 97 means when it says, “Clouds and darkness surround him.” I believe there is awesomeness to God’s presence, and at times, God’s ways are hidden in mystery.

Jesus revealed God as a loving Father who seeks to be reconciled with us. Jesus called His disciples friends because He told them everything, but at times, Jesus’ ways, also seemed shrouded in darkness. Remember when Mary and Martha waited four days in vain for Jesus to come and heal their brother, Lazarus? At another time, Jesus slept in the back of the boat while the disciples feverishly tried to keep the boat afloat amid a violent storm. Once, Jesus sent the disciples across the lake alone at night while He went to the mountain to pray.  A storm arose and they nearly sank in Jesus’ absence.

What do you do when God is silent? Clouds, darkness, and silence move us beyond a faith dependent upon external things to a deeper faith in the Lord alone. Oswald Chambers describes clouds as “the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God” (My Utmost, July 29). Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God teaches us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith.

In silence, we unlearn the weak faith taught by worldly Christianity. Worldly faith depends upon the acclaim of others, the abundance of money and things, and the blessings of sunshine and rainbows.  The Lord wants to bring us to the place where our faith rests in God alone. When Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, a thick cloud encompassed them, and “They were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? “If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is ‘no one any more, but only Jesus …’” (My Utmost, July 29).

As you wait out the long nights of winter or journey through spiritual darkness and silence, trust God’s presence even though you cannot see or feel it. Mary and Martha both greeted Jesus, “If you had been here” (John 11:21, 32). Jesus responded by saying, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus was present in absence and went on to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is the same today as He was then. You can lean on the Lord, even when things are dark, even when God seems silent. 

The Time to Act is Now

“Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus … will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”    —Acts 1:11

How quickly things can change. The Monday before Thanksgiving, my dear wife fell off a two-foot stepladder, dislocated, and broke her ankle. A special thanks to our surgeon, Dr. Katz, for taking such good and quick care of my Honey. “What?” “No weight-bearing for eight weeks.”

My wife who loves every holiday but especially Christmas was put on the sidelines for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. One moment everything is fine, and the next, life goes into a holding pattern. By no fault of our own, our lives are, at times, legitimately put on hold. An illness, a layoff, a breakup, or any number of human crises may put us on the sidelines.

Sometimes however, we take ourselves out of the game of life. Our fears, laziness, or hesitations keep us from taking the step of faith that will lead us to the next level on our journey of faith. The Lord tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you … to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). God’s plans for us almost always involve an action step on our behalf. God provides, but we must decide. Our choice to participate in God’s plan for our lives always involves a decision of our will and the action of our hands and feet. We decide with our will to say, “Yes!” to God’s way. Then in obedience, we follow through with the required action step of faith.

A new year has come. What are you waiting for? Jesus (Emmanuel—God with us) has come. Why wait? He ascended to the Father, possesses all power, and promises to be with us to the end of the age. Why not go forward with Him? The Holy Spirit (God within us) has come and empowers us so we can do all things through Him who strengthens us. Why not accept the promise of the Father and move in the strength He provides?

The message from the angel to the disciples at Jesus’ ascension is a good word for us today. Jesus had just given His final commands to His disciples and ascended to His Father in heaven. The disciples simply stood there dumbfounded staring up to heaven. Two angels chided them, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?” We might ask ourselves, “What are we waiting for? Why are we standing or sitting around?” Start that new job, begin that new ministry, find your way back to church, make that apology, or invite that neighbor to your house or church. The time to act is now.

The year 2013 will never come around again. This New Year might offer that perfect opportunity for you. You will never know unless you give it a try. If we sincerely call upon the Lord for help and direction, God will answer. James reminds us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt” (James 1:5-6). Many of you have asked and received an answer. Now is the time for you to act. Get up and do it. It’s a New Year, and the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ, goes with you.

Silent Night, Holy Night

Here is my servant … I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.    —Isaiah 42:1-2

If you attended a Christmas Eve candlelight service you may have sung the beautiful carol, Silent Night, as you lit your candle. The words were originally written in German by Joseph Mohr, a young priest, and the melody was composed by Franz Gruber for guitar accompaniment. It was first sung at the 1818 Christmas Eve service at the St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria. The English lyrics begin, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.”

The touching quietness of the carol makes me think about the awesome and terrible silence of God on that first Christmas night. Mary and Joseph were turned away from the inn to deliver God’s Son in a stable and lay Him in a manger. We find no mention of God’s anger with lightning strikes or peals of thunder. The Gospel of Luke alone records this short phrase, “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (2:7).

We hear nothing of Mary’s pregnancy except her brief visit to Elizabeth. No details are given of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The only break in this silence on the first Christmas is made by an angel chorus singing God’s praises to lonely shepherds in the wilderness far from the ears of the sleeping townspeople. Is it any wonder that they were afraid? When God speaks out of the silence, His voice can seem deafening.

Where were the birth announcements? There was no news media, but the announcement of Christ’s birth was sent across the universe. A star silently shone its light telling the entire creation of Jesus’ birth, but only those who were ready and able to see and hear understood. Probably two years later, Wiseman came from the east bringing gifts and homage.

The busyness and loudness of our Christmas celebrations seem out of place in light of our Savior’s quiet entrance. Even Jesus’ childhood and upbringing remains a mystery. God says through Isaiah, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.” Isaiah goes on to describe Jesus, “He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets” (42:1-2).

As your busyness halts and the noise ceases this Christmas season, rather than becoming sad and depressed, pause and reflect on the loveliness, peace, and silence of our Savior’s birth. Many Americans try to cover their loneliness with activities and their sadness with noise but with no success. Without Jesus Christ, there is no Christmas. Without Jesus, there is no joy, no contentment, and no peace on earth.

The birth announcements came, but only to those who had time and interest to listen. Let us be those folks this year. Let us pause and listen. Let us quiet ourselves to hear from God. Let us be the ones who hear a fresh word that transforms our communities and points others to Jesus. A flourish of activities and noise won’t bring God’s transforming Holy Spirit, but openness to God’s Kingdom, a listening soul, and a heart hungry for God’s ways will hear from heaven in our days. When was the last time you truly experienced a “Silent and holy night?”

Source of Joy

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  —Luke 2:10-11

I feel very blessed to live in America and to be able to celebrate patriotic and religious holidays. Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving Day give every American an opportunity to reflect upon their spiritual heritage and give thanks and praise to Our God and Heavenly Father. But, patriotic holidays with a religious twist often confuse many nominal believers about what it truly means to be a Christian.

Watching the many Thanksgiving specials, I found each one focused on giving thanks. Even the national news anchors urged everyone to give thanks. What was missing was to whom one gives thanks. Do we thank our pillow for the good nights rest? Do we thank the bank teller that we have enough money in our account? Do we thank the pediatrician for having a family? As Christians, we know exactly whom to thank, our God and Father of the Lord Jesus.

I see the same kinds of thing happening at Christmas. At staff meeting the other day, trying to encourage our staff and give them some Christmas cheer, I happily showed off my Panera Bread coffee cup that read, “Brimming with Joy.” Matt, our Director of Worship, then showed me his McDonald’s cup. It read, “Unwrap a Little Joy.” These secular companies cannot give true joy because they do not promote the source of joy. Brimming with joy encourages me to get my Christmas joy in a cup of coffee or in a stylish soup or sandwich. We cannot unwrap Christmas joy by sipping a McDonald’s coffee or opening a bag containing a Big-Mac and fries.

The Christian’s source of joy is a Person, the Person of Jesus Christ. The Christian message of Christmas is that God has come to us in the flesh. The angels told the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people” (Luke 1:10). The next verse gives the source of that joy, “A savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” The all of the “will be for all people” includes you, me, our friends, and enemies. Christmas joy is given by God through His Son, Jesus Christ, to all who will receive.

I still remember the first time I heard that heaven, eternal life, and acceptance by God were free. As a red-blooded, church-going American, I was quite certain that could not be true. I actually began reading the Bible to check for myself. Sure enough, Romans 6:23, “The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” How did I miss this truth for so many years? I was an American Christian who celebrated patriotic and Christian holidays like everyone else but never knew the Savior who is the source and reason for our celebration.

We can watch touching Christmas specials and listen to all the Jingle Bells Rocks without finding true joy. The Christmas specials usually offer the joy of families coming together, special romances working out, or Santa Clause successfully fulfilling his duties in opposition to those who have no Christmas cheer. True Christmas joy comes from Jesus. You can receive it as you receive Him. Jesus is the only true source of joy.

Joy Today, Hope Tomorrow

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”   —Psalm 30:5b

The Christmas shopping buzz has begun with fervor. Many search for that perfect gift for the person who already has everything. For my grandchildren, I am personally looking for that unique gift that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg but will also not end up broken in the yard or discarded in the land fill before the winter is over. We all joke about how the children will spend weeks playing with the boxes while they throw away the expensive toy or gadget that came in the box.

The familiar phrase “Here today, gone tomorrow” reflects our culture’s acceptance of throw away household items, relationships, and our very lives. Many no longer attempt to repair mixers, TVs, lawnmowers, or marriages. We discard them and head off to WalMart or shop online for the next bargain. I can still remember the day when things were built to last.

The truth of human frailty underlies the idiom “Here today, gone tomorrow.”  “Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow” (Psalm 144:4). Human lives are very fragile and vulnerable. Our lives may be moving along nicely, and everything changes with the slip of a foot, a call from the doctor, or a text message from a significant other.

“Joy today, hope tomorrow” better describes the Christian’s life. Joy is a present reality looking forward to a future hope. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5b). We may live in difficult times. Earthly possessions and relationships may become broken and discarded, but Jesus Christ remains the same. How quickly we forget that God created human beings for eternity.

Christians are interesting creatures. I say creature because Christians are a whole new life form. 2 Corinthians 5 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God” (5:17-18a). We live with the same weaknesses and shortcomings as others but possess an abiding joy that sets us apart. Yes, we face all the same challenges but “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

As you do your Christmas shopping, remember there is only one perfect gift. Jesus Christ is God’s perfect gift to all people. He came to earth, lived a sinless life, died in our place, and rose again from the grave to offer us eternal life. Eternal life begins when we acknowledge and receive God’s gift and continues forever. Be thankful we are not throw-away items to God. God loves us and plans to enjoy loving us for all eternity.  The greatest gift you will ever receive has already been purchased and offered to you on Christmas.  May God fill you with joy and hope this season. Happy shopping. 

A "Free" Offering

“Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing.”   —Psalm 107:22

What would you say if we took up a sacrificial offering that was truly “free,” an offering that cost no money and didn’t break the wallet? Usually, when we speak of an offering, even a free-will offering, we are thinking of giving money. King David, in the later years of his life against God’s will, took a census of Israel against. God punished Israel with a terrible plague. When acquiring the threshing floor to offer a sacrifice to stop the plague, David refused to give a sacrifice to the Lord that cost him nothing (2 Samuel 24:23). Offerings usually cost.

The sacrificial thank offering mentioned in Psalm 107:22 costs no money. The Bible does prescribe a peace offering of thanksgiving that involves giving animal, flour, and oil offerings that would cost money (Leviticus 7:15), but I believe the sacrifices of thanksgiving above refer to verbal praises and thanks to God. Notice verse 22 exhorts us, “Tell of His works with joyful singing.”

Over the past few months, I have been completely immersed in stewardship issues. Our Church began designing and planning a stewardship campaign, entitled, “Rise Up!” back in the summer. In October, I preached stewardship messages challenging each of us to make our three-year commitment on November 4. Now, I am encouraging everyone to give a First Fruit offering, a down payment, on their pledge. As the pledges and moneys come in, it’s time to turn the focus away from money and to praising God with a sacrifice of thanksgiving for all He has done.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving and spend some quality time with family and friends, hopefully, we will take advantage of the opportunity to give a “money-free” offering of praise and thanksgiving to God. A thank offering to God may cost you time, a bit of your pride, some vulnerability, a measure of courage to speak out, but no money.

An offering of thanksgiving requires us to use words, to speak or sing. Have you ever asked a child, “What are the magic words?” Of course most children reply, “Please and thank you.” Often when giving a gift to my grandchildren, I pause for a verbal response from them, and if I don’t receive one, I add, “And what do you say?” They usually respond, “Thank you.”

Many Christians find it difficult to talk to their unchurched family members about God. Thanksgiving is an excellent time to introduce spiritual conversations into family activities. It’s natural, it’s almost patriotic, and it’s a holiday. The scripture tells us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). I believe Thanksgiving is one of those times to give such an answer.

God is good all the time. God has blessed each of us in numerous ways this past year. Let us pause and recognize how God’s hand has moved. Then let’s offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. Let us offer a free offering to God. Just maybe God will turn a national holiday into a family holy-day. Happy Thanksgiving.