Category: Purpose

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Does God control your everyday walk?

Life can come at you in waves. When that happens, does God control your everyday walk?

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

“In order to realize the worth of the anchor, we need to feel the stress of the storm.” Corrie ten Boom

The Conundrum

Do you ever have one of those days when life comes at you? It doesn’t always have to be dramatic, just tenacious, like dripping water eroding sandstone. It wears you down. You can’t find a quiet moment to catch your breath and focus. At times like this, God gets lost in the fog of life. He’s still there; you just can’t see Him. You can’t feel His presence.

I’ve had a couple of those days lately. A friend in Honduras was robbed at gunpoint, and they actually shot a hole in her windshield. Another friend in Kyrgyzstan with a Russian passport meets the criteria for mobilization. A very close friend is losing his business. People are sick. War rages. Inflation soars. My heart is burdened by a broken and dysfunctional world.

Matthew 18:7, “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”

And yet I know God is in control. How do I get my head above water long enough to not just catch my breath but stabilize my emotions? How do I get the ground to stop moving long enough to stand?

Biblical Desperation is an Artifact of True Faith.

This is where God’s invisible hand of mercy gently cups us amid our turmoil. He holds us secure so that we don’t fall. He is patient and caring through our struggles. No matter how far we turn from Him, He does not let us get out of sight.

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

I am convinced that Christ was not here to experience our struggles but to show us how to overcome them.  It wasn’t as if He didn’t know what His creation was going through. He didn’t need to understand us better. Because He knew, He came down to save us. Part of that was to walk among us to demonstrate that we can survive and prosper in a broken world.

James 1:12, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

The hard part about confronting a trying day is that the solution is counter-intuitive. When we want to press in to solve issues and move agendas forward, that is the exact moment we need to pause. Take a deep breath of God’s goodness, and remember who is in control.  Don’t lose sight of the fact that you were never in control. The things you are trying to rein in were never under your control. Let God control your everyday walk. Let Him take the stress out of decision making.

James 1:3-5, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for the asking.”

Middle of the Storm

In the middle of a storm, it is hard to visualize the blue sky above the clouds. But it’s there. It always was and always will be, no matter what the weather on the ground looks like. When bad days come, focus on what is above the clouds. Does God control your everyday walk? Focus on the one source of peace and assurance.

Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

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Who is “You”?

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible because it gives me hope. I think of it often whenever things are not going well. I quote it often to friends who are struggling. You see it on coffee mugs, posters, and t-shirts. But am I using it out of context? Sometimes we get so used to thinking one way that it never dawns on us that our thinking may be skewed.

Does the Bible say God has a plan for you as an individual or for His people? Does God’s plan for His people include a plan for each individual? Is each of us gifted in a certain way to help achieve His plan for all of His people? If God has a plan for everyone, then it would seem that everyone has to either opt in or out of that plan.

CONTEXT

What is the context of this passage? God was talking to the nation of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah. During a time when the Israelites were living in captivity in Babylon. They were slaves. That’s the critical thing to note; this passage addresses slaves living in enemy territory. Jeremiah had just dropped the bomb on the Israelites that their liberation would be 70 years off. I would guess that most Israelites were depressed by this news. Most of them would be dead before liberation. Jeremiah then encourages them with this passage.

It is addressed to a group of people, not individuals. It promises that God is still in control even when things are bleak. It’s a promise that even though things might not make sense to them now, God’s plan is still good.

Psalm 33:11, “The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”

I believe that God has a plan and purpose not only for the human race but for my individual life. –  Anne Graham Lotz

APPLICATION

So, am I wrong in using this verse to provide hope for myself? Yes and No. This verse does not assure me of future prosperity and a life without strife. It does remind me that I am part of something bigger—God has designated me as part of His plan for His people. We have to take any passage in the Bible and wrap it with the totality of God’s teaching. God’s plan is still good, and I am part of His plan.

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We are each gifted with specific attributes that God will use to forward His Kingdom here on earth. Although this gifting may not seem equal from a human point of view, it is in God’s eyes because we are created perfectly for the mission he has for us. If we are gifted to leadership and business, it is because business people need to hear the Gospel. If we are gifted as craftsmen or teachers, they also need to hear the good news. Whatever country we were raised in, whatever economic circumstances we find ourselves in, and whatever vocation we gravitate toward was specified by God to expand His kingdom.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Does that mean that we should accept our circumstances? That depends on what the Holy Spirit is telling you. Part of the training I am involved with centers around this concept; Are you called to do this? Has God put it on your heart to pursue this life change? Are you doing it because you want it, or is this part of God’s gifting for you?

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Throughout our lives, God moves us through seasons. He is constantly teaching and directing us. Your purpose never changes, but your plan may. You might need experience in another skill or another country before you are ready to progress. What you perceive as your destination may only be the next mile marker.

Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Along the way, wherever you find yourself, you are where God wants you to be. He wants you to experience the joy of working with Him for His people at every point in your life.  God will not set you aside. Even in quiet times, there will be opportunities to work with God.  

Proverbs 16:3-4, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”

God has plans to give you hope and a future; you are the one who has to opt in or out.

Philippians 1:6, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.”

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Truth

2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. “

“What a heartbreak it would be to live an “almost” Christian life, then “almost” get into heaven.”

Remember in Middle School when we were given word problems in math? Kind of like this: With two sheep flying, one yellow and the other headed right, how much does a pound of asphalt cost, given that a cow is ten years old? There was always extraneous information in the word problem that had nothing to do with the solution; it just confused the issue. Part of solving the problem was figuring out what was relevant and what wasn’t. Life is a lot like that.  Our world problems have information that doesn’t apply to the solution. How do we sort out what is essential?

1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) states that approximately 2.2 million books are published annually worldwide. That number is split relatively evenly between fiction and non-fiction. That is a tremendous amount of new information. It does not come close to the Social Media information published every year. We are drowning in information and starving for truth.

What are the barriers to understanding the truth of God’s word? Even with the best intentions, where do we falter? What is this implication when we consider our impact on God’s Kingdom?

Matthew 7:21-23. “’ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Wow, that is a heavy price. Bending the Gospel so that we feel better about our choices could have an enormous downside.

Isaiah 29:13, “And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but artificial rules learned by rote.”

Bible study is not an intellectual exercise.

Knowing the truth of God’s word takes work. It is not about memorizing Bible verses without knowing their context and meaning. It is not about reading the Bible without knowing its historical and literary context. Knowing who wrote the verse, to whom it is written, when it was written, and what came before and after it helps frame its meaning.

“Anything worth having is worth working for.” ― Brian Rathbone, Call of the Herald.

The second most common mistake in understanding God’s word is not doing your research. It is important to study with others to hear more than one point of view, but don’t leave it at that. Consult commentaries from biblical scholars. You notice I used the plural. There were over 20,000 religious books printed last year in the United States alone; think of how many were written in the rest of the world. That is a lot of educated opinions; not everyone can be right. Ferret out the commonalities and differences. Use Critical thinking to understand why.

Matthew 24:24, “For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

It is also important to think through the application of knowledge. How does ancient text apply to your worldview? How do you connect the dots? Finding application requires taking your current study and wrapping around it the entirety of the Bible. Once you know what the author was trying to tell the people he was writing to, why did God include this text? How does it fit into the overall narrative God is weaving throughout the Bible?

What you do not do is look for confirmation of a position (Confirmation Bias). You should not use the Bible as a Christian encyclopedia for whatever shiny object has gotten your attention. It is tempting to read the Bible selectively, trying to prove an idea we already believe to be true. If we come to the Scriptures with a predetermined point of view, we can force God’s word to appear to say whatever we want.

Proverbs 11:9, “With his mouth, the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge, the righteous are delivered.”

Without this knowledge, it is easy to be misled concerning God’s word. Some will try to convince you that God echoes their point of view when the quoted text may not have anything to do with the topic.  It often happens that church leaders and churchgoers mislead Christians to advance their personal agenda. Truth is your shield.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So, it is no surprise that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

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Turning Kingdom Intent to Kingdom Impact

1 Corinthians 4:1, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

With all the talk of fishing in the New Testament, you would think this quote came from the Bible. But it doesn’t; it is a Chinese proverb, among many other contested theories. The critical idea we should take from this is how we help others. We are commanded to be good stewards of all God has entrusted us. We are also commended for helping others when we have the means to do so.

1 Peter 4:10, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

We have this challenge of using what God has given us to support our families while simultaneously being obedient to God’s call. There is a visual worldly Impact of material poverty, but there is also the hidden darkness of spiritual poverty. Alleviating spiritual poverty is restoring people to express their humanity fully. It is about helping them become the person that God created. In some cases, this is helping them to fulfill their calling of glorifying God by working and supporting their families and themselves with the fruit of that work. At other times it is lifting them out of their spiritual quagmire to recognize that they were created in the image of God.

Luke 16:10, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

Both situations require effort. Both situations require resources. The most important aspect is knowing where you fit in God’s plan for another. It is understanding the balancing act of helping to alleviate suffering while not getting in the way of God’s intended purpose.

The poor feel powerlessness and an inability to make themselves heard.  – Voices of the Poor

The spiritual poor live without hope and under the yoke of silence. Because they see the world as a finite entity run by rules that favor others, they feel it is impossible to achieve true peace. This, in turn, silences their cries for help. They don’t know if God will hear them or even care about them.

Where does fishing come into play? The easiest way to solve a problem is to paint over the cracks. Most spiritual poverty is met with platitudes and shallow intentions. We give people fish to get them through the crisis they are experiencing. It alleviates their immediate pain, which makes us feel good. Sifting everything down to a project is easier than getting involved in people’s messy lives.

In the book “When Helping Hurts,” giving someone a fish falls into the category of Relief. Relief is about stopping the bleeding. It’s a bandage. It is temporary. Sometimes this is needed. But stopping at Relief eventually leaves the person right back where they started. The bandage has to be replaced, or it becomes reinfected. The next step, Rehabilitation, is about teaching someone to fish. It is about making them strong enough to survive without you.

1 Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.”

When we stop Relief, we have exercised Kingdom Intent with minimal Kingdom Impact. We’ve demonstrated compassion without expanding the Kingdom.

Telling someone that you will pray for them is giving them a fish. Teaching them to pray with you helps them learn how to fish for themselves. Demonstrating to them the power of pouring out your heart to God shows them the real possibilities of salvation. The same is true with telling them about your church instead of picking them up and taking them to church. Quoting verses from the Bible, verses teaching them to study the Bible with you. Giving a fish is always easier than teaching to fish. But giving someone a fish is short-term. Once the immediate pain is resolved, attention goes elsewhere until they are in pain again.

Titus 2:7, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity.”

Once the bleeding stop, Rehabilitation starts. Rehabilitation is about restoration. Rehabilitation is about giving people the tools to solve their problems. It is teaching them to fish for themselves. Alleviating spiritual poverty is about creating an environment where people can experience God’s love for themselves. This takes effort. You have to see the person, not just the immediate problem. You have to want them to have the same Godly experience that you have experienced. You must be willing to invest in them for the long term.

Most of us are good at Kingdom Intent. We want to help others, but the worldly issues of family and jobs limit our impact. We are willing to contribute to the cost of a bandage, but we don’t want to invest the effort of continued healthcare.

Kingdom impact moves someone from a limited worldview to an eternal spiritual view.  Long after you have gone, God will still be working in their lives.

  Matthew 6:19-21

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

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What Are You Doing?

Haggi 1:5-7, “Here is what the Lord who rules over all says:” Think carefully about what you are doing. You have planted much but have harvested little. You eat but are never filled. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but they are not warm. Those who earn wages end up with holes in their money bags.”

We live busy lives. There is always something that needs our attention. In this technological age, it is almost impossible to slip your electronic leash. People can get to you anywhere, anytime, if you let them. Few of us have the self-control to limit the demands on our time. We are constantly afraid that we will miss something. Something will happen, and we will be the last to know.

Modern life isn’t about a few deep, meaningful relationships; it’s about exposure and personal branding.  Being liked or friended by many strangers is more satisfying than intimacy with a few. It’s all about activity. It’s about perception. It’s about image. You have to find a way to break out of that mold.

Romans 6:16, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient servants, you are a servant to the one you obey, either of sin resulting to death, or service resulting in righteousness.”

Who or what are you a servant of? Who or what rules your life? Is it the demands of your job? Is it the demands of your family or friends? Do you have a political or social cause that occupies your attention? When your attention is required, do you speed up or slow down? Do you give it the attention it needs or quickly move on to the next? Are most of the things that take your time inconveniences or opportunities?

This is the challenge of the modern world. We are overwhelmed with information and distractions. It is easy to lose our purpose. We forget that we were created for God’s pleasure. We were not created to build a faster doohickey or bigger thingmabob. We were not gifted to serve worldly endeavors but to use worldly endeavors to serve God.

Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

If you struggle with peace in your life, it is most likely the byproduct of your focus. If you fragment your effort between too many conflicting interests, the result is dissatisfaction with all of them. You achieve much but are not satisfied. You are serving the wrong master.

Luke 9:25, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

Remember that your purpose is to please God when life seems to come at you in waves. Try to frame your current situation within the confines of how it will affect your relationship with Him. Remember that He wants nothing but good for you. The good He wants for you is not material in nature but spiritual.

Matthew 6:25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

The good life is not the image presented by Wall Street. It’s not titles, cars, big houses, and the trappings of success. Knowing you have found your place in the universe brings peace, tranquility, and a sense of purpose. It is the comfort of knowing God loves you unconditionally and will not allow anything to happen to you that He has not already prepared you for.

Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

Work hard. Do well. Chase your passion. But remember whom you serve and why. Only there will you find the contentment you are looking for.

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Finding the Heart of Christ

The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy. – Dwight L. Moody

A hard concession to make to myself, as a man, is that love galvanizes me. Men are supposed to be aloof. My father, a great man, instilled in me the identity of a warrior. Not the brawling, fisticuff type of ruffian. But a man with a plan and the tenacity to see it through. That tenacity tended to create silos of emotion. It was a learned skill of compartmentalizing distractions. It was a way to cut through the clutter with a laser focus on achieving a goal. It was about making hard decisions. Winning was extending my ability and expectation. It conjures an image of always moving toward the fight, the fight being an obstacle or challenge, an obstruction. You run toward things, not away from things.

Somewhere my heart changed. I started to see the beauty in all of God’s creations. The outdoors morphed from a place to grow physically stronger to a place to experience creation. It was awe-inspiring, and at times emotionally overwhelming, to see what God had done. It started with the beauty of nature and slowly took over my being. We each became beautifully crafted images of God’s love.

Colossians 3:14 “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Love binds everything, all our virtues, passion, and effort, into an unstoppable force for God’s kingdom. If what we are searching for is not rooted in love, then we need to hit the pause button. Paul wrote this eloquent passage to the Corinthians concerning the power of love.

1 Corinthians 13

“1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others; it is not self-seeking; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

You can’t fake it. People will see right through you if you try. You cannot seem all loving and caring one moment and distant and cold the next. Your purpose cannot be an activity that helps others. It has to be life-changing for both of you. “But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” The echo that remains is love. The feeling of having loved and being loved is the most potent drug I know.

They say your eyes are the window of your soul. The other day I was listening to a speaker at a conference. The first part of the presentation was more about what and why. The second part was about how to apply the learning. There was an astounding transformation between the first and second parts. Her entire body language changed; her tone became softer. She became more relaxed and focused on the audience. Her body tilted toward them as she spoke of life-changing answered prayer. She connected with the people in the room. She had compassion for those who had not experienced what God can honestly do through prayer. It wasn’t just a passion for the topic but a love for the audience. She wanted good things for each of them.

1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.”

When you make this connection, you will know God’s passion and purpose for you in life. Then, when you drive toward using your God-given resources to help people experience the love and joy of knowing Christ, you know you are on the right road. It is not enough that you can be successful in your chosen field; you have to want to be transformational. That is the purpose.

1 Corinthians 2:9 “However, as it is written: What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived — the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

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A Memorable Heart

Proverbs 27:2, “Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”

“A memorable heart is the easiest way to immortality.” ― Suzy Kassem

Nothing brings me to my knees faster than attending a memorial service for someone who has lived a life worth living. Several years ago, the son of a friend of mine died unexpectantly at the age of 21. Ryan FitzGerald was a good kid and well-liked. When I went to his memorial service, I expected a big turnout. What I got stunned me. Not only was the auditorium full to overflowing, but young person after young person went up on stage to talk about what Ryan had done for them; everything from facing down bullies to comforting loss. Some of these young people talked about things that had happened many years ago. Some even said that Ryan probably wouldn’t remember coming to their aid. They talked about wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs; Ryan was the sheepdog. He protected the sheep from the wolves.

1 Timothy 6:18, “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.”

Yesterday I attended another such memorial. I mentioned Robert before; it was his. Not only was the church full of people showing their respect, but they also told the story of his life. His was a life worthy of praise. I struggled throughout that service to imagine mine. Was I a sheepdog? Have I lived a life worthy of Christ’s sacrifice?

Psalms 127:1, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watches but in vain.”

What will others say about you? In both of the examples I mentioned above, it was not just that they were good people. Evil can look appealing if it gives away enough stuff. Good people are better than not-so-good people, but ultimately, they don’t stand out. Their motives still linger like a shadow over their actions. Great people, the type of people that leave a positive impact on generations, are Godly people. They have a way of being good that reflects humility and compassion. Godly people understand where grace comes from. They act as they do, not to please others but to serve their creator in a manner worthy of His sacrifice.

Ephesians 4:1-5, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Interestingly, you can’t be the type of person that wants a great memorial service and have it too. You have to be the type of person who doesn’t care, who doesn’t want the attention, and who only wants to live to please Christ. The main ingredient is always to look outward. Always concern yourself with the welfare of others. When you give yourself completely to servitude for Christ, amazing things start to happen in your life. Both Robert and Ryan would be a little embarrassed by what was said about them. The embarrassment would come because it was not their intent to get recognition. Their intent was to serve.

Matthew 6:1,” Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

“Feeling good about yourself is not the same thing as doing good.” ― Theodore Dalrymple.

Nothing I say here is new. It is not surprising that the people we esteem the most are not just charitable people; they are not just good people; they have a little something special that makes them stand out.  There is an assured humility that allows them to bend down to serve while still holding their heads high. They are confident that Christ is in their corner, He will not allow them to be laid low, and He will glorify their efforts. They do not need the accolades of men to motivate them.

Hebrews 13:16, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

Yet, we struggle to emulate these people. We struggle to believe that our God truly cares for us. Our worldview dictates that we can only do so much and no more. We cannot risk our future or the future of our family beyond a certain point. Serving is not only conditional but relative.

Ryan and Robert innately knew how to serve God unconditionally. For many of the rest of us, it is not that easy. I do ask that you try to ratchet up your efforts so that, over time, you will be embarrassed by the good things people say about you.

Matthew 25:23, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”

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Experiencing Answered Prayer

Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

I love it when God validates prayer. First, let me say that this week has been a real downer for me. You don’t want to read the posts I created. They are all dark and gloomy. Bad things were happening all around me. They are not the type of things I want the world to read. So, I was stuck without something I thought God would want me to put out there. The answer is always prayer. I prayed for His word to flow through me. I got a twofer; Two-for-one. God answered my immediate prayer by reminding me of another prayer a year ago, almost to this very day.

John 5:14, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

On August 24, 2021, I published a post entitled My Last Day in Toknok. It was a lament concerning three fabulous women I had met in Toknok, Kyrgyzstan. We had met for dinner in a small restaurant next to what I could only call the most Chucky-like amusement park I had ever seen. This place was scary during the daylight; at night, it took on a new level of spookiness. The conversations were about the challenges of being a single, young, college-educated Christian woman in a predominantly Muslim country. Finding a husband and a career seemed almost insurmountable; it was a fundamental math problem.

Psalm 66:19, “But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.”

Here is the last paragraph of that post:

“The sadness is that when I come back, and I will, there can only be one sad ending or another. These young women will have chased God’s vision for their lives, and I may never see them again. Or they will not, and I will see a shell of the person they could have been. My selfish prayer is that God’s plan for them will be revealed in a way that brings us both joy.”

“My selfish prayer is that God’s plan for them will be revealed in a way that brings us both joy.” That was my prayer, selfish and self-centered. I wanted them to experience all the joy God had in store for them and simultaneously make me happy. At the time, it seemed improbable at best, impossible at its worst.

Luke 11:10, “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”

Well, let’s see what God has to say about that. First, on June 3, 2022, I wrote a post entitled An Incredible Answer to Prayer. Maftuna, the first of the three young ladies, married a great Christian man named Ravil. Their wedding video is a joy to watch. But God is not done. Today I received word that Nadya, the second of the three, is now engaged to Timothy, a pastor’s son. The three of us met a few months ago in the same restaurant where Nadya announced her dating Timothy but also voiced her concern. A concern that all of us at the table immediately dismissed as over-thinking.

Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you, and tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

That brings us to Nelly, the third and youngest of the three women. Best I know at this moment, Nelly is not engaged. But she has moved from Toknok to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. In Bishkek, she is involved in a Christian outreach organization and is pursuing an opportunity to open/operate a Christian coffee house. God is not done with her yet, but He is establishing a path.

John 16:24, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

The last answered prayer? You are reading it. God warmed my heart by letting me know that He is still at work when all seems bleak and dismal. We may not see what He is doing, but we can be assured He is doing it.

Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”

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Sic Parvis Magna

1 Peter 3:3-4, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornments, such as elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

Sic Parvis Magna is the motto of Sir Francis Drake. Sir Francis Drake was knighted by the Queen and given a ring inscribed with this motto. It translates to Greatness from Small Beginnings. It means that anyone can become great no matter where they started. It gives a sense of hope to those who dare to believe it.

Why should you dare to believe such an outrageous statement? What is there about you that greatness would rest its head on your lap? Maybe it is the belief that greatness is relative. The truly great, the big, do the world-renowned acts of courage and bravery. The common great, those who are small, are appreciated for their small contribution to the welfare of humanity. They are the invisible great, the meat and potatoes of greatness.

Isaiah 54:4, “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. “

God implanted in each one of us at creation the seeds of greatness. Not the invisible great, but the greatness that reverberates through time. It is immortal greatness that bridges generations and millenniums. There will be people from times you will never see that will give thanks for your act of courage. 

1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

How many times have we told ourselves, or someone else, if we hadn’t been in a particular place at a specific time, doing whatever, we never would have had that chance encounter? Ester spent her whole life wondering why the things that happened to her kept happening. Then one day, she knew. Joseph spent time in prison, wrongly accused, before he saved all of Israel.  Greatness lurks in the shadows until its time.

I know a man named Robert, a good man, a Godly man. He has had a dramatic impact on my life without him ever noticing it. We were in each other’s company many times but seldom talked. I watched him. I watched his grace, compassion, and almost innate ability to bring peace to every situation. He was unselfish to a fault. Greatness was so part of who he was that he never noticed. Today, as I write this, his family is by his side as he says his last goodbyes. It is way too early in his life. I don’t always understand the fairness of it. God is God, and I am not. But I see the waves starting to crescendo. The ripples of his life growing to be tsunamis for generations. That, folks, is the greatness of God exemplified through man.

Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Why do we close our eyes when we pray, when we cry, when we kiss, when we dream? Because the most beautiful things in life are not seen but felt by our hearts.  – anonymous

Never discount who you are in Christ. Never minimize your potential or your value. Never question your relevance. Pursue Him, pursue His plan for you, and you will prosper according to His will. Your greatness will ripple through eternity. Lives you may never see or know will be changed. Greatness is no more than compassion, love, kindness, and obedience to the will of God. Greatness is not a trumpet’s sound but a child’s whisper. It is the moment when you give of yourself in a way you thought impossible. It is when sacrifice is seen as gain.

2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”

Greatness from Small Beginnings. Eternity with Christ for someone else that was started in your life. And that new life spread to another, who passed it on to another, and it kept growing.

2 Corinthians 10:12, “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”

When you think that you don’t matter or that your life is an endless challenge of meaningless tasks, remember, there is someone special that God has put in your path. You are eternity to them. Seeing our greatness is not looking inward but looking outward. Someone took a chance to be great for us. Now it is our turn.

Hebrews 10:35–36, “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”

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Lift Your Arms

What does it take to lift your arms in praise? I was listening to the Vince Gills song “When Amy Prays.” Like most things I run across, I had to understand the genesis. I needed to know what brought him to write it. It is an incredible picture of faith. I found the interview with Amy Grant, where she discussed the song’s origin and her relationship with Vince. She had this mesmerizing way of concatenating several seemingly unrelated stories into a great answer. By the way, it is the second interview on the v-blog.

What she talked about was; what does it take to get you to raise your arms in awe and wonder at the glory of God? This was an ongoing theme in their marriage. Amy Grant stood in absolute awe of God’s love, compassion, and power, whereas Vince was more restrained.

Deuteronomy 32:40, “Indeed, I lift up My hand to heaven, and say, as I live forever.”

It got me thinking about my own life. One of the reasons I love the outdoors is that I can’t get over the intricate and complex nature of God’s design. The level of detail and beauty seen in almost everything natural is fantastic. From the grandest to the insignificant, every detail was crafted with elegance. Expand that concept to the vastness of the universe; no words can give it justice.

Hebrews 11:3, “By faith, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”

What does it take for you to raise your hands in glory to God? How big does a miracle have to be before you recognize it for what it is?  Do you see God in the family pet comforting your child? Do you see God’s face in a kind gesture from a stranger?

Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

I was in Honduras this last week working on a B.A.M. project, and I lost my passport. Weird story of impatience and ignorance; basically, I threw my passport in the trash along with a used coffee cup. The story is a little longer and more complicated, involving interaction with security that didn’t speak English, hence why I had my passport out in the first place. I didn’t realize it until I got to my room. The real problem was that I was leaving back to the states in the morning. I resigned that God would solve the problem by helping me find my passport or use my additional time in Honduras for his glory. For the record, my request was to find the passport. I had no idea what I had done with it.

So, a gringo in the middle of the night is wandering around Honduras, back-tracing his steps, looking under every bush and rock for a little dark navy-blue booklet. Nothing, nada, zippo, no passport. Then I remember throwing away my old coffee cup in a random garbage container. It was both an act of desperation and the only option left. I went dumpster diving. I found it. Did I raise my arms in admiration and glory of what God can do; absolutely.

Psalm 141:2, “May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.”

The passport issue wasn’t a big deal. Worst case, it was an inconvenience. Of course, the worst case became a little scarier once I decided to look for it. Did I see God’s hand in it? Do I believe that God is in on the grand and the insignificant? What does it take for me to raise my arms? Do I find awe in the God of the universe when the only universe I am dealing with is me?

Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Screwtape constantly tells Wormwood how to get his patient to rationalize blessings as natural outcomes. If you haven’t read “Screwtape Letters,” read it, if you have, reread it.  It is as contemporary today as it was when it was written. Screwtape wants Christians to find a plausible explanation for every blessing. He doesn’t want to see any arms raised. He doesn’t do this by denying the event but by acknowledging the event as nothing more than the natural and obvious outcome of previous decisions.

It is easy to fall into the worldly trap of rationalizing that which we do not fully understand. We look for easy answers. We try to find an explanation in the common. Maybe, we should expand our thinking and start raising our arms to heaven worshiping the God that makes all things happen. Nothing is too small for him. Nothing is too big for Him, but we know that, its the small part we don’t always get.

Look for a reason to lift your arms in celebration because of the goodness of God.

Ezekiel 17:24, “All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it.”

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