Are you willing?

Whom does the Lord call?  What is he looking for?

To me, one of the most encouraging things about how God calls people, is the fact that he does not use the same criteria the world does.  In fact, he appears to delight in using the most unlikely people to do his will here on earth. 

To begin our journey, let's take a look at the life of David.

Setting the stage, Saul was basically a disobedient king, doing things more his way than God's way.  And God rejected him.  The Lord then sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse, telling him that one of his sons would be the one who would be anointed the next king. 

Jesse's older sons, good-looking and tall, were shown to Samuel, and Samuel himself was impressed by their stature, 

"But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Sam 16:7 (NIV)

I love that.  God doesn't look at our appearance, he does not view things the way the world does.  He looks at our heart. 

It pleased him to take David, the youngest, from tending sheep to be used, not only then, but also today as we read his songs whenever we read the book of Psalms.

David was chosen because God saw something in him that his family couldn't see.  

What do you see when you look in the mirror?  What do you see when you look at what you have to bring to God?  We cannot control our past poor choices and where they have led us.  Nor can we bring to God our list of accomplishments as proof that he can use us. 

First we simply must have a willing heart.  That is where the journey of the chosen begins.  We must be willing to be used by God as he sees fit, to accomplish not our own will, but his.  We must say, "yes" to God.

If you have that desire, you can be used by God and you will find your destiny in him.

Paul tells us, "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him." 1 Cor 1:26-29 (NIV)

Today, take some time to examine that simple question, "Am I willing?"  The journey will require much of us, as we will see in the lives of those who came before us.  This will be a life about God, not about us.  There are many who have walked away or fallen away on this narrow path. 

But to find our destiny we must follow God, and it starts with the answer to that one question.

Are you willing?

Your destiny

Do you have a destiny?

A popular theme in books and movies, from King Arthur and Cinderella all the way to Harry Potter and beyond, is one of destiny.  Someone is born in humble circumstances yet is destined for greatness.

These stories stir something inside us don't they?  We go about our ordinary tasks from day to day, then we read a novel or watch a movie and we are transported into an adventure.  If we are honest,  something deep inside us wishes their  story was our story. 

Maybe it is?

Maybe deeper than the sword in the stone and the glass slippers, lies a truth waiting to be heard.  Perhaps we were born for a very special reason, to accomplish something only we are called to do?

Paul writes in Ephesians, 

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love  he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—  to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Eph 1:3-6

And also

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10

What does the life of a chosen one look like?  How do we find these good works we are predestined to do?  Can this destiny be hidden?  Does our story have a villain?  Who are our companions along the way?  What do the highs and lows look like? 

For the next few weeks I'm going to explore this theme in the Bible.  Let's journey together into the lives of those who came before us and see how God calls them, how he prepares them, and ultimately how he uses them to do these good works he speaks of. 

Let's see how men and women of God found their destiny and perhaps we can identify how God is working in our own lives to show us our own.

Super moon

Last night there was a "super moon" lunar  eclipse.

According to the news:

The United States and much of the world will see skies graced by a bright, big moon that will be encapsulated in a total lunar eclipse late Sunday evening into early Monday, according to NASA.

The super moon, which comes around once every year, will appear 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter that evening before it is engulfed by an eclipse for more than an hour.

Another super moon eclipse will not occur again until 2033.

It was an amazing and rare sight.

Or so I hear.

Unfortunately, where I live, clouds covered the sky and hid the moon from my view.   This morning people were posting photos and videos of it on Facebook, but when I looked into the sky last night, I saw only darkness. 

Life can feel like that.  Others are experiencing the brilliance of the Lord, testifying about answered prayer, and praising God.  Yet when we cry out to him, he appears silent and we cannot see him.

The clouds covered my view of that spectacular moon, does that mean it wasn't there?

My trials can cover the beauty and majesty of the Lord, does that mean he is not worthy of my praise?

Why is it that we need to go through times like these?

I'll end with the words of Peter.  If you are struggling, take a moment to pray and ask the Lord to allow this truth to sink deep with in you.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,  who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

 "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 

 "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)

What do you do when you have no ideas?

I have been away from home, for almost a week for work.  My flight leaves early in the AM, and my brain is completely fried.

So rather than trying to put together some of my jumbled thoughts, I will share with you one of my favorite Psalms, one that has always been a source of encouragement to me.  The Bible is always a good source of wisdom.

Psalm 91 (NIV)

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you

    from the fowler's snare

    and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

    nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

    ten thousand at your right hand,

    but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes

    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, "The Lord is my refuge,"

    and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you,

    no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,

    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;

    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;

    I will be with him in trouble,

    I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him

    and show him my salvation."

A new song to the Lord

Psalm 98:1 says, "Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds!" (NLT)

 

The weekend is almost here, what should our new song be?

Can you see any wonderful deeds the Lord has done this week?

So many times it's easy to miss them.  One bad thing can happen that causes us not to see the good things around us.  Good things that he caused to occur.  For example we can go through a tragedy and be so focused on the loss, we don't see the love of friends and family surrounding us.  This is something the Lord has given us.

But David knew ups and downs, highs and lows.  Yet he encourages us here in one line, to remember that God does wonderful things, and it is right to sing a new song to him.

 

Some may not have a "wonderful" singing voice, but that doesn't matter.  I'm not even sure it matters to sing.  I think sometimes it is just important to take a moment and vocalize our thanks to the Lord for all he has done.

So let's take a moment, invite the Lord to open our eyes that we may see the wonderful things he has done this past week. 

Remember that first experience

The first time I flew in an airplane I just had to have the window seat. 

I remember as that plane took off, my eyes were glued to the window.  I watched as the scenery rushed by and then, finally we were hoisted into the air!  Everything became smaller until we were high above the clouds.  I was amazed to be that high! I was in the sky, seeing clouds as I had never seen them before.  It was beautiful.

30 years later, after countless flights,  I took the aisle seat.  It's more comfortable,  I can stretch my legs out if needed and I don't have to fight my way across anyone to get to the bathroom.  Hey, when you're fifty you think about these things!

I was almost at our destination before realizing I barely gave the window a second glance.

The beauty of the sky and scenery did not change.  What changed  was me.  I had grown so accustomed to the beauty and the experience of flying that I had grown cold to it.

Reading Revelation today,

"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.  You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.  Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. " Rev 2:2-5 (NIV)

This is a warning to us all.  We can become so occupied with doing things for God, that we forget to simply love God.

Like my experience of flying, we can forget to simply take a moment, look out that window and see the beauty all around us.

Keith Green had a song that says it best, take a moment today and make this a prayer.

Oh Lord You're beautiful

Your face is all I seek

And when Your eyes are on this child

Your grace abounds to me

Oh Lord please light the fire

That once burned bright and clear

Replace the lamp of my first love

That burns with Holy fear

Belief or Faith

I recently flew on an airplane.  I climbed on board with several other passengers and found my seat.

I only half listened to the pilot (whose face I do not remember seeing) announce some details of the flight.  Then I never gave him a second thought as we went barreling down the runway into the sky.

As I sat there I thought.  What is the difference between belief and faith?   I heard it explained this way once, belief is when you say "that chair will hold me" and faith is when you sit down on it.

I not only believed in a man whose name I did not know, but I put my life into his hands when I got on that plane.  I trusted a man blindly.

Do we do that with the Lord?  The Lord who doesn't always show us what he is doing and why?  Yet his  name is Faithful and True (Rev 19:11).  Can we put our lives into his hands as easily as I put my life into the hands of an unknown man?

Can we agree with Solomon who said,

"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."  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Let's make this our prayer today, 

I trust in you Lord with all my heart

    and lean not on my own understanding;

in all my ways I submit to you,

    and you will make my paths straight!