Following God

My soul follows close behind you, your right hand upholds me. -Psalm 63:8

In this simple yet powerful verse, David described the way he followed God’s lead and relied completely upon Him. The Bible often reports that David inquired of the Lord. He entrusted every area of his life to God. He looked to God for protection from his enemies, provision of all his needs, guidance when making decisions, and victory in battle. David followed God simply because he desired God. Another Psalmist felt the same way.

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. -Psalm 84:10

I can remember several instances when I had some tough times, and I did desire to seek God. It seemed like a miracle that God worked it out. It usually wasn’t some big miraculous thing. It was God’s simple way of working things out because He loves us, and we seek Him. What does following behind God entail for you? In what way has God upheld you?

Sometimes, God works things out and we don’t understand why He chose the way He did work it out. It’s not until farther along in our journey we see why or understand better. Here’s a prayer for today.

God, I admit that sometimes I’ve been a straggler, lagging far behind you. Thank you for waiting for me, drawing me to yourself, and upholding me with your right hand. Amen.

God's Not Deaf

A little boy was saying his bedtime prayers with his mother. He prayed, "Lord, bless Mommy and Daddy.” Then with a loud and emphatic shout he added, “AND GOD GIVE ME A NEW BICYCLE!!!" His mother trying to correct his outburst informed him, "God's not deaf, son." The little boy responded, "I know, Mom, but Grandma's in the next room, and she's hard of hearing!”

What do you think? Is God hard of hearing? Jesus puts prayer into perspective when He starts the Lord's Prayer with "Our Father which art in heaven" (Matthew 6:9). As a Christian, do not ever forget who you are talking to when you pray. God is not stingy or uncaring. God is our Father. A giving, loving, and guiding Heavenly Father who by His very nature enjoys providing for and generously supplying good gifts to His children. Take the words of Jesus to heart from Matthew 7:11 (ESV),

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

We also should not forget that there are things that can hinder our prayers and cause a disconnect in our communication with God. These include…

-Sin (Isaiah 59:1-2)
-Unresolved conflict (Matthew 5:23-24),
-A failure to talk to God (James 4:2)
-Selfishness (James 4:3)
-Marital problems (1 Peter 3:7)
-A lack of faith in God (James 1:5-8)

If your communication with God is not going so well, it is not because God’s ears stopped working. God’s not deaf. He can hear you and wants to hear from you. Carve out some special time to get with God. Get the aforementioned obstacles to prayer out of the way. Humble yourself and seek Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Cast your cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He is your Heavenly Father, and He will take care of you. If ever you find yourself at a loss of words and don’t know what to pray, you can always pray the Lord’s Prayer. There is great power in it.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
-Matthew 6:9-13, KJV

May the 4th Be with You: A New Hope

If you can read this, I assume you have seen the first Star Wars movie “A New Hope”. If you haven’t seen it, I assume you must have terrible friends and bad parents. I kid, but after seeing that movie many of us become insistent that others see it as well. No doubt the hope we have in Jesus is far superior in its goodness compared to Star Wars. Jesus ought to capture our heart and be shared with others. He is worthy of that. Therefore, with it being May 4th, I want to give four celebratory reasons that make me want to share my hope in Jesus with others.

1. Jesus Redeemed My Past

I was trapped in chains of addiction, but Jesus set me free! I am thankful I can empathize with others who may feel those chains and am happy to tell them of the hope and freedom in Jesus.

2. Jesus Changed Me

I am so thankful for how Jesus has changed my self-centeredness and gave me a care for others. I know if Jesus can change how I treat others, then He can help anyone change.

3. Jesus will Keep Changing Me

I know I still have many characteristics needing changed but I also know He will gracefully and patiently help me change those things. Jesus’ example reminds me I should extend the same grace and patience to others.

4. The Hope for a Future in Jesus

I see the chaos in our world and with my own life. However, I know that Jesus has a plan and a future available for me and the world; it’s a future full of eternal life and free of pain.

Now, I ask you take some time in prayerful reflection with Jesus. Find four reasons you celebrate the hope of Jesus that stir your heart to share that hope with others.  

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. -Romans 15:13

Fix Your Eyes Upon Him

Do you ever at times feel like your heart is the state of your bedroom at peak messiness? Like I’m talking about the kind of mess when you’re running late and picking out the outfit that you should have picked out the night before. Clothes and chaos everywhere kind of messy.

Sometimes I feel that type of overwhelming chaos in my heart. Maybe final exams are coming up for you, you’re not really sure what is next for yourself, your family is having a hard time getting along, or things have just felt a little bit weird lately. Whatever it might be for you, I pray that you cling to this verse today:

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. -Colossians 3:2

I love this verse because it helps us shift our perspective. When this is the posture of our hearts, focused on things above, we are able to rest in the promises He has given us and the life He has called us to live. On my mirror I have a sticky note that says,

For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.

It is just something that I read one time that really put it in perspective for me how often I look at myself and the problems that I face and how much more I should be looking at Christ. Take some time to practice this during this week, maybe by yourself, or in a small group. Talk about what it is that life is throwing at you and take time to shift your perspective from to the trial to the cross. Take time to rest in His promises for your life and truly believe the goodness and abundance that the Lord has for you. I think shifting our perspective is transformative.

We are most definitely going to continue to have messes in our lives, but what if they were an opportunity? An opportunity to die to ourselves daily and take hold of what Jesus has already conquered for us. We have a choice. We get to choose how we respond to the mess. Do we dwell in it? Or do we allow the peace of God to transform our hearts and the way we think? Do we give thanks to Him daily, because another day is another opportunity to praise him?

We are sons and daughters of the King. The King of heaven, the One who calls us by name. The One who paid the price for us. The One who has conquered death. The One who loves us. My prayer today is that you would take your eyes off the mess and choose to fix your eyes on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith. Let's turn our eyes to the one who knows us individually.