Teach Me Your Paths

Discerning the will of God has always been an area I can sinfully stress over. Through the years I have often worried about failing to make the right decisions, take the right fork in the road and follow God where He was leading. Would I be able to hear His voice? To sense His leading?

I have come to see that a possible reason for this continuing to be a battle is because I sometimes look to others to help me see God’s will in a matter instead of exercising faith and trust on my own. When I have to make a serious decision and I don’t know what to do, I want someone to tell me what to do. Anxiety can begin to rise up in me and that is always my first signal that I am not trusting God and am trying to be self-sufficient. This has always been a struggle for me and still is, but God in His kindness is helping me learn that I often make things WAY more complicated then they need to be. Like so many authors have said before, God is our Shepherd and is far more willing to show His sheep the path than the sheep are to follow. Knowing what I know of God and His character, I realize that it is ridiculous to think of God not faithfully leading us when we humbly go to Him.

I am reminded that discerning the will of God starts first and foremost with having a right relationship with God. Pursuing time with Him, praying and reading scripture. Every day of our lives we are called to do His will. I am to honor my parents…that’s God’s will. I am to be faithful at work…God’s will. Yes, things come along that we have to stop and consider what decision to make, but it’s in the ordinary duties that He is helping us learn to walk out His will effectively.

I think a lot of the time I am more aware of already knowing the answer to a decision then I readily admit. I go through the process of examining every detail and possible outcome and then fearfully worry about making the wrong decisions. That is a bold faced statement to God of my lack of trust in His sovereignty and faithfulness. This quote by Elisabeth Elliot helps me to see things more clearly.

“It's alluring to think of our own situation as very complex and ourselves as deep and complicated, so that we waste a good deal of time puzzling over "the will of God." Frequently our conscience has the answer.”

Even though I would like to imagine God audibly speaking to me as He did Moses and Abraham and Samuel…He most often speaks to us through conscience, His written word, through other people and through events.

“Events themselves, the seemingly insignificant happenings of every day, reveal the will of God. They are the will of God for us, for while we live, move, and have our being here on earth, in this place, this family, this house, this job, we live, move, and have our being in God. He "pulls strings through circumstances," as Jim Elliot said, even the bad circumstances (see Genesis 45:8, 50:20).”- Elliot

Elliot also poses three questions in helping to discern God’s will in a matter:
(1) Have I made up my mind to do what He says, no matter the cost?
(2) Am I faithfully reading His word and praying?
(3) Am I obedient in what I know today of His will?

"Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” – Psalm 25:4-5

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” – Psalm 37:23-24

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. – Psalm 143:8

Learning To Be Still...

Stillness by Elisabeth Elliot

"Stillness. Perfect stillness. It is a very great gift, not always available to those who would most appreciate it and would find joy in it, and often not appreciated by those who have it but are uncomfortable with it.

I think it is possible to learn stillness--but only if it is seriously sought. God tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10, NIV). "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength" (Isaiah 30:15, KJV).

The stillness in which we find God is not superficial, a mere absence of fidgeting or talking. It is a deliberate and quiet attentiveness--receptive, alert, ready. I think of what Jim Elliot wrote in his Journal: "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

This is not so difficult, perhaps, for a sports fan, eyes riveted on the game. For me, however, this quietness in the presence of God, this being "all there" for Him, though I treasure it and long for it, is not easy to maintain, even in the beautiful place where I live. I am easily distracted, more so, it seems, as soon as I try to focus on God Himself and nothing else. Why should this be?"

Elliot then quotes C.S. Lewis as saying a main reason for this being difficult is because of all the noise going on in the world. People are uncomfortable with silence. Lewis references noise as a grand dynamism, the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless and virile.

I know for myself I am often quick to move on when I’ve been in silence for too long and am not hearing anything. But part of being still is waiting. The psalms tell us to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him”. I have to remind myself that silence is a form of worship. Silence is a way to honor God. Even in heaven when the seventh seal was broken there was silence for a brief time. With such a world full of noise we have to be intentional about being still and getting comfortable with silence. It’s a perfect time to be still before him and trust Him to know the perplexities of our hearts that even we can’t put into words. As I was reading Elliot’s words above, I was reminded about the story of Samuel. It was in the stillness of the night that the Lord spoke to Samuel and then when he kept going to Eli thinking he had been the one calling him, Eli told him to go lie back down and wait for the Lord to speak to him. Then Samuel said to God, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Being still before the Lord is a constant area I am trying to grow in and with His help and by His grace it is possible. I know I’ve posted the lyrics to the following song before, but I often read these words to help inform my heart and it always gives me fresh excitement for being “still”.

The more I get alone, The more I see I need to get alone more, Cause just when I think that I'm alone, Your Spirit calls out to me, And even silence has a song, Cause that's when you come, Sing over me

Still, let me be still, Let me be OK, With the quiet in my heart, Still, I want to be still, I'm so quick to move, Instead of listening to you, Shut my mouth, Crush my pride, Give me the tears, Of a broken life, Still

Oh this world, it falls around me, And flutters all it's beauty in my eyes, But let me choose the solitude, Simplicity has always simply changed my life, Cause even stillness makes me move, Cause that's when my heart, Learns to dance with you

Still, let me be still, Let me be OK, With the quiet in my heart, Still, I want to be still, I'm so quick to move, Instead of listening to you, I'm your child, Tame my heart, Obedience To me impart, Still

Hold me, Cleanse me, Change me, Oh God, Change me while I am, Still, let me be still, And know that you are God, And you are always enough, Still, I want to be still, To take all that I am, And simply lift it up

Life Is Hard For Most People

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2We should train ourselves to such regard, to such respect for others, that we shall never hurt the heart of one of God's creatures, even by a disdainful look!Our love ought also to be patient. Our neighbor may have his faults—but we are taught to bear with one another's infirmities. If we knew the story of men's lives, the hidden loads and burdens which they are often carrying, the unhealed sore in their heart—we would have most gentle patience with them. Life is hard for most people; certainly hard enough withoutour adding to its burdens by our censoriousness, our unkindness, our jeering and contempt.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

J.R. Miller

A Letter Of No Regrets...

I think every person on this planet has at some point or another struggled with regrets. Some struggle more than others. I confess that regret is something I often battle. So, when I read Elisabeth Elliot’s devotional yesterday, I was freshly convicted and encouraged. She features a letter from her grandfather to her grandmother who was struggling with regret over an incident that had occurred several years prior. I was reminded that when we let regret take over our thoughts and emotions we will not be able to be affective in the now. “None of us could be alive to the pressing needs of today if we should carry along with us the dark heaviness of any past, whether real or imagined.” I’m not saying we should never be grieved over our failures and sin, but after we have “briefly” grieved, move on. Regret is a burden God has never asked us to carry. We are to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. The other thing I loved about Elliot’s excerpt was how her grandfather was encouraging and speaking truth to his wife. He then references how he sometimes battles regret and depression and how his wife is always reminding him to “look up”. They are going back and forth in uplifting each other. Ephesians 4:9-10 speaks of the advantages of having someone to be there for you, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” This provokes me to want to be a greater source of encouragement to others with whatever they may be struggling with. There is nothing sweeter than when someone comes alongside us to gently speak truth to our hearts and lift us up. - Regrets are things of the past and God calls us to live in the present. No matter what we have regrets over, we can be confident that God is sovereignly working it all out for our good and His glory. With God as our Shepherd, nothing ever enters our life that He has not allowed. I am praying to honor God with regret free days and a hope filled heart.

"Regrets" by Elisabeth Elliot
When my father was twelve years old he lost his left eye through disobedience. He had been forbidden to have firecrackers, but he sneaked out early in the morning of July 4, 1910, and, with the help of a neighboring farmer, set off some dynamite caps. A piece of copper penetrated his eye. Four years later my grandfather wrote this letter to my grand-mother:
Dearest:
I am not one bit surprised that after all our experiences of the past four years you should suffer from sad memories, but I really do not believe for a moment that you should feel you have any occasion to let remorse bite into your life on account of Philip's accident. Surely we cannot guard against all the contingencies of this complex life, and no one who has poured out life as you have for each one of your children should let such regrets take hold.
None of us could be alive to the pressing needs of today if we should carry along with us the dark heaviness of any past, whether real or imagined. I know, dearest, that your Lord cannot wish anything of that sort for you, and I believe your steady, shining, and triumphant faith will lead you out through Him, into the richest experiences you have ever had. I believe that firmly.
I have had to turn to Him in helplessness today to overcome depression because of my failures. My Sunday School fiasco at Swarthmore bears down pretty hard. But that is not right. I must look ahead, and up, as you often tell me, and I will. I know how sickening remorse is, if anyone knows; yet I also know, as you do, the lift and relief of turning the whole matter over to Him. We must have more prayers and more study together, dearest. I haven't followed the impulses I have so often had in this.

Lovingly, your own Phil.

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13, 14

Seeing Things As They Should Be...

As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. - Luke 18:35-43

Yesterday I received an email with a story that in essence spoke about sacrifice, gratefulness and complaining. It also, spoke about the truth of our human nature to forget where we have come from and what we’ve been saved from. How often have I been struggling with a sin in my life, been delivered from it and then had judgmental thoughts about someone else who is struggling with a sin? How many times have I had little, been given much and demanded more? How many times have I forgotten about the wrath and judgment I’ve been saved from and walk through my day in pride and self-righteousness? How many times has a friend or family member laid down their life for me and I only return the same kindness when it’s convenient? Here is part of the story from the email I received…

“There was once a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.'”

This story reminded me of the great potential there is for me to take advantage of the people God has placed in my life, but more importantly of the potential to take advantage of Christ’s sacrifice for me. You see, the boy in the story gave his girlfriend his eyes because he loved her above all else. There was no sacrifice too great. But as soon as she had been set free from her blindness, she went her own way, forgetting about where she had come from and who had truly loved her. Christ loved us so much that he gave his very life. How many times have I chosen my own path and desires and forgotten about the one who died for me? When I consider His sacrifice, I should love Him all the more. This should also produce a heart of gratefulness, not complaint. A heart of humility, not pride. God has called us to praise and thankfulness, which honors Him, not complaining which is self-centered. He has not called us to die for the sins of all the people we know, but to die to our flesh. He has called us to cherish, love and serve those he has placed in our life and to love the lost souls of this world with the gospel. I know I can’t do any of these things on my own, but I have hope and faith that I can grow in these practices with God’s help and strength. “Lord, teach me how to truly love You and others in a way that glorifies You. Help me to see who I can sacrifice for today. Give me a heart of gratefulness for You and others. Keep complaining far from my lips and may I overflow with praise and thankfulness. Help me to not be blind to the things that really matter and to see things the way You see them. Amen”

Second part of the email…with a few edits.
Ways To Help Battle Complaining:

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who has lost theirs or is crying out to God for a companion.

Today before you complain about America, elections and government - Think of someone in another country who has none of the freedoms we have and who are persecuted, tortured and killed for being a Christian.

Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

When you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and Christ died in your place.

Secure In The Unchanging

With so much going on with our country right now, it could be easy to become anxious about the future. Things are in a constant state of change and not always for the better. As Christians, the truth that God never changes should comfort us and secure our hearts. Though to us things may seem uncertain, they never are to God. Nothing ever happens that catches Him off guard. He has sovereignly ruled over this earth since the beginning of time and He will continue to do so until He calls us home. So today, lets put our trust in God and not man and lets praise God for being our constant anchor that never changes.

“It is just as well for us that in all the variableness of life there is One whom change cannot affect, One whose heart can never alter, and on whose brow inconsistency can make no furrows…The delight that the sailor feels when, having been tossed about on the waves, he steps again upon the solid shore is the satisfaction of a Christian when, in all the changes of this distressing life, he rests the foot of his faith upon this truth —‘I THE LORD DO NOT CHANGE.’”

“The stability that the anchor gives the ship when it has at last obtained a solid hold is like that which the Christian’s hope provides him when it fixes itself upon this glorious truth. With God ‘there is no variation or shadow due to change.’ Whatever his attributes were in the past, they are now; His power, His wisdom, His justice, His truth are unchanged. He has forever been the refuge of His people, their stronghold in the day of trouble, and He is still their sure Helper. He is unchanged in His love.”
~ Charles Spurgeon ~

“He is unchangeable… what He desires, that He does.For He will complete what He appoints for me.”job 23.13-14

Stringing Our Days Together

"Time is limited, so I better wake up every morning fresh and know that I have just one chance to live this particular day right, and to string my days together into a life of action and purpose." Lance Armstrong (1971 – )Cyclist, seven-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor

I have heard it said, that when we set the Lord before us, we can’t help but to live life without being shaken. Though it may offend my finite mind, the goal and purpose of my life is not to be comfortable and have everything turn out just the way I want, but instead it is to be godly, fulfill the calling and pursuits God has called me to and to make an impact our dying world. Though the pursuits of Lance Armstrong are probably not the same things we are called to, he has an insightful perspective on life. Having cancer taught him that life is short and every moment important. One wouldn’t think someone would need to be told that they need to “live” their life, but I know I need to be reminded of that. Yes, I’m still breathing so technically I’m living, but am I “living”? Am I living my days to the fullest? Am I doing all I know I can and should do? I know for myself, I can become comfortable with life. I get use to routines and schedules. Even to the point where I can have sinful reactions when plans or desires are delayed or undone. But when I was recently reading through Esther, God reminded me that His plans and purposes are far greater then my own. She was taken out of her normal life to be considered by the king as a new queen. As if being taken away from all she knew wasn’t enough, she had to wait an entire year before she was even presented to the king. Once chosen queen, she was soon presented with another “hard thing” to do. She was being asked to risk her life in order to obey God and save her people. She was being called to action…called to a purpose. Read Mordecai’s words to her as she was trying to decide what to do.

“Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Mordecai knew that God wasn’t just limited to using Esther to save his people, but God was calling her to do that very thing. What is God calling me to in my life? God hasn’t made mistakes in where He has each of us right now. He has a purpose and a calling on every single one of our lives…will we rise to the occasion? Esther did and God used her to save an entire people. So, I am praying for God’s help to actually “live” my life and live it with action and purpose.

Psalm 138:8 "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands."

John 12: 25-28 “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Acts 11:23 “When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.”