Thank Goodness God Is Sovereign, Not Sentimental!

Came across this today. I'm not even going to expound on it's content...it speaks so truthfully and directly. I couldn't agree more with these words!

“I want to celebrate unanswered prayer.

I want to … thank God for all the prayers

I have prayed sinfully motivated,

that the Saviour hasn’t answered.

I want to thank God that he is sovereign, not sentimental.

I want to thank God for all the times when …

I have approached the Saviour

demanding that he do for me whatever I ask, …

that the Saviour’s response was not simply,

“You don’t know what you are asking”,

but that he withheld an answer to that prayer.

I am grateful to God for unanswered prayers.

Here’s a question, though: how do you respond to unanswered prayer?

I believe how we respond to unanswered prayer

normally reveals our motive

and ultimately reveals the purpose of our prayers.

If I encounter someone who is bitterly declaring,

“I have prayed … and the Lord hasn’t provided”,

that is usually the voice of someone who wants to use God …

rather than serve him for his glory.

I find unanswered prayer purifies my motive,

and often alters the very content of my prayer as well. - c.j. mahaney

“My disappointment and doubt when my prayers are unanswered show what’s in my heart. I think that God should see things my way. I think that he exists to make my path smooth. But where in the Bible am I given such a small view of God — a God whose thoughts are, well, my thoughts (Isa 55:8-9)? Where am I promised that every stone and bump in the road will be leveled before my feet?

In his mercy, God doesn’t say “yes” to my petulant, childish demands. Like a loving parent, he says “no”. When I respond with whining self-pity, like a spoiled child declaring, “It’s not fair!”, my wise Father doesn’t give in. He gives me what is truly good — what makes me more like Jesus, what furthers his kingdom, and what brings glory to his Son — rather than what looks and feels good to me at the time.

God sees things from a very different perspective to me.He sees things from the perspective of inconceivable wisdom,infinite goodness and immeasurable love.He sees things from the perspective of his glory…

Praise God for the blessing of unanswered prayer." - jean williams

How Should I Walk?

Trying to discern God's will has always been something I have struggled with. I over analyze, over spiritualize and am just plain scared to make decisions for fear of making a wrong one. But over the past several months God has been graciously helping me learn to think a little differently. Through words of wisdom from people in my life, books and the scriptures, my theology concerning God's will has been shifting. That's not to say I still don't have a difficult time sorting through decisions, but it's getting easier. I've been learning that when I am devoted to glorifying God in all I do, reading the scriptures and in healthy fellowship with other believer's, making wise decisions comes more easily. Yes, sometimes it's good not to rush into a decision and instead take sometime to think and pray about it, but I realize that I have made cowardice and procrastination into a spiritual matter. I need to love God, trust Him and make decisions in faith, knowing that our caring and sovereign God will redirect my steps if need be. I would recommend the book by Kevin DeYoung called "Just Do Something". It's a wonderful resource on this subject and challenged my thinking considerably. - The following from John Newton speaks perfectly about the importance of being lead by God and His word. Advice and reason can go a long way in making a choice, but ultimately, we are to be governed by God's word. He knows we need help and He is ready and willing to lead us...the leading just might look different than we think.

"No person can adjust and draw the line exactly for another. There are so many particulars in every situation, of which a stranger cannot be a competent judge, and the best human advice is mixed with such defects—that it is not right to expect others to be absolutely guided by our rules; nor is it safe for us implicitly to adopt the decisions or practices of others.

But the Scripture undoubtedly furnishes sufficient and infallible rules for every person, for whatever the circumstances; and the throne of grace is appointed for us to wait upon the Lord for the best exposition of His precepts. Thus David often prays to be led in the right way, "Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by Your truth and teach me." Psalm 25:4-5

By frequent prayer, and close acquaintance with the Scripture, and a habitual attention to the frame of our hearts, there is a certain delicacy of spiritual taste and discernment to be acquired, which renders a proper judgment concerning the nature and limits of questionable things. Love to Christ is the clearest and most persuasive factor; and when our love to Jesus is in lively exercise, and the rule of his Word is in our eye—we seldom make great mistakes!" j.n.

NEXT

- Christ's Preeminence

- Christ's Incarnation

- Christ's Life

- Christ's Death
- Christ's Resurrection
- Christ's Return

The above list are the title's of the message's that will be preached at the upcoming Next Conference (formerly known as New Attitude). I can't believe how excited I am about the fact that I will be hearing all of those teachings! To learn more of God, to have my heart and mind informed by His word, to be with thousands of other believers worshipping the Savior...besides spending eternity with the Lord, it can't get much better than that! I know God is moving on my heart to feel this way and I am praying that I, as well as, the others going will meet God again in a fresh way and remember that our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Only one more week!

Falling Dice

Worry hinders us from being as effective as we could be. We get caught up in Christ's business and end up neglecting our own. It's comforting to know however, that we have a God who sympathizing with our weaknesses. Who takes the time to draw us near to Him and remind us of His steadfast love. The following passage from Spurgeon was perfect to remind me of God's constant care.

"We may throw the dice—but the Lord determines how they fall." Proverbs 16:33
If the fall of the dice is under the Lord's control—then whose is the arrangement of our whole life? If the simple casting of the dice is guided by Him—how much more the events of our entire life—especially when we are told by our blessed Savior, "The very hairs of your head are all numbered! Not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father!" It would bring a holy calm over your mind, dear friend, if you were always to remember this. It would so relieve your mind from worry—that you would be the better able to walk in patience, calmness, and cheerfulness, as a Christian should. When a man is anxious—he cannot pray with faith, or serve his Master. When you worry and fret about your lot and circumstances, you are meddling with Christ's business, and neglecting your own! You have been attempting "providing" work—and forgetting that it is yours to "obey". Be wise and attend to the obeying—and let Christ manage the providing."- charles hadden spurgeon

More Than Watchmen For The Morning

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."-Hebrews 11:1-3

I have been reading through Hebrews in my devotions and was extorted afresh from chapter 11 concerning "faith". The writer is reminding the readers about the past examples of demonstrated faith. He speaks of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab...and mentions so many moments of the believer's faith in the faithfulness of their God.

"And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect."

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What the Christians of old walked through was not easy, but they trusted that God had a plan and so they had faith. My trials and difficulties are so insignificant in comparison, but I am called to have faith as well. Like the apostle said, faith "conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight." Who wouldn't want that kind of faith?! Well, we can have it. God desires us to have it and we need to have it. What a comfort to know our lives are in the hands of a faithful God.

Out of the depths, O Lord, I cry to You

When I am tempted to despair

Though I might fail to trust Your promises

You never fail to hear my prayer

And if You judged my sin

I’d never stand again

But I see mercy in Your hands

So more than watchmen for the morning

I will wait for You, my God

When my fears come with no warning

In Your Word I’ll put my trust

When the harvest time is over and I still see no fruit

I will wait, I will wait for You

The secret mysteries belong to You

We only know what You reveal

And all my questions that are unresolved

Don’t change the wisdom of Your will

In every trial and loss

My hope is in the cross

Where Your compassions never fail