Stick to the plan (Part 2)

"My God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46

Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, yet He didn't stop him. He could have summoned twelve legions of angels to help him, yet He didn't call on them. Under the weight of our sins He cried from the cross, "My God, why have you forsaken me?" That's because He understood it was all part of God's plan for HIm. His words, "God, where are you?" teach us that:
(a) You can be in God's plan, yet at times feel overwhelmed and alone. (b) When God doesn't answer, you must stand on the Word He has given you. (c) The pain of this season will eventually give way to the joy God has awaiting you on the other side of it. So stick to the plan; that's what disciples do.
The word "disciple" means to be disciplined. It means sticking to the plan when you're under attack. It teaches you how to function when you don't feel like it. The enemy will come against the plan of God in your life, because that plan is like a hedge of protection around you. As long as you stay in God's plan, nothing that the enemy does can destroy you. So, when you feel like you've reached the end of your rope and you can't go another step, do what Jesus did-pray, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Lk 23:46). Give it to God! Look up and say, "Lord, I'm trusting You to do what I cannot do. Bring me through this. Here it is; I'm turning it over to You. My life, my future, and my all are in Your hands!"

Stick to the plan (Part 1)

"I know the plans I have for you." Jeremiah 29:11

Today God is saying to you, "While in process, stick to the plan!" Nothing takes God by surprise. He's a master planner. Joseph discovered that when your family turns against you, your friends let you down and you finish up in trouble, God still has a plan. Looking back Joseph could say, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Ge 50:20). When your situation seems too hard to handle and downright impossible to explain, remind yourself that God said, "I know the plans I have for you."
Some of us are not sure God has made up His mind about us, so we keep trying to earn His favor. Give it up! Receive the truth God, for Christ's sake, has decided to bless you. And when God decides, temporary situations or the actions of others don't change His decision. There's nothing the enemy devises against you that God hasn't already made "a way for escape" for. Paul writes, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Co 10:13). Observe: (1) In times of testing you discover how faithful God is. (2) He knows what you can handle. (3) He will "make a way" so you can exit this season stronger, and ready for what He has next. So stick to the plan. The fact that you have a problem is a sign that you have a promise. It's only a matter of time before God reveals the solution.

Your heavenly home

"I am going...to prepare a place for you." John 14:2

All that stuff you see in the movies, like fog banks and disembodied spirits floating around in some nether world to the eerie sounds of Celtic music-forget it. Heaven will be:
(1) A home built just for you. Are you worried about where you go when you die, or where your loved ones have gone? Don't be! Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (Jn 14: 1-3).
(2) A city you'll love! "I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem" (Rev 21:2). It's an exact square of 1400 miles. It stretches from the Carolinas to California and from Canada to Mexico. It's 40 times the size of England, 10 times the size of France, and larger than India. And that's just the ground floor; it's as tall as it is wide; 600,000 stories, more than enough space for billions of people to come and go. And come and go they will. The gates never close. Why shut them? The ememies of God will be banished, leaving only a perfect place of perfected people.
(3) With Christ, the One you love most! Paul, who had the privilege of visiting heaven, wrote, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" (Php 1:23). So don't get too comfortable here on earth!

The sovereignty of God (Part 1)

"From Him...are all things." Romans 11:36

Acknowledging God's sovereign control in all things doesn't make us helpless pawns, or free us from responsibility. No:
(1) It takes away our anxiety. When you rest in the loving character of God you can say, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (Ps 23:6). That's a "surely" you can't get form your banker, your broker, your insurance man, or anybody else.
(2) If frees us from explanation. We're liberated from the tyranny of having to have all the answers. We can say, "I don't know, but I trust the One who does." The danger of knowing a little theology is that we start thinking we can fathom the unfathomable. Even the great Apostle threw up his hands and said, "How unsearchable are HIs judgments and HIs ways part finding out" (Ro 11:33). Face it, we can't explain why God closes some doors and opens others, how He can take evil and use it for good. But He does, and He usually doesn't explain it to us.
(3) It keeps us from pride. Paul writes, "From him and through him and to him are all things." If you want to make God's sovereignty temporal or limited, then you have to get rid of the "all things," in this Scrpiture, just as you must do in Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him". If God says, "all things," He means it! It comes down to a simple choice: either we trust God, or we play God. And it's an easy chocie to make!

Meeting "the man"

"Come, see a man." John 4:29

When the woman at the well met Jesus, unlike all the other men she'd met, He addressed her real need. "He said, 'Go, get your husband'...I don't have a husband,' the woman replied. Jesus said...'you have had five husbands, and you aren't...married to the man you're living with"' (Jn 4:16-18). Because we're weak, we keep getting into situations that leave us wounded. And those wounds can't be healed by going from relationship to relationship. After meeting Jesus this woman ran to tell everybody, "Come...meet a man who told me everything!" Her answer wasn't another man; she'd already tired that! Her answer was meeting the man, and asking Him to fill the void in her life.
The Bible refers to this as putting "on the new self, which is being renewed in...the image of its Creator" (Col 3:10). If you're sick of the way you're living and want to change, remember, the woman at the well couldn't "put off the old man" till she met the new One. When you're attached to certain habits and relationships, it's hard to break free in your own strength. You'll only be able to disengage when you acknowledge Jesus as Lord of your life. Only by embracing the new, will you find strength to say goodbye to the old. So what does all this mean for you? It means coming to Christ as you are, asking Him to save you, and entering into a relationship with Him. James says, "Surrender to God...Resist the devil, and he will run from you" (Jas 4:7). When you do that, God will give you the strength to forsake those old patterns and begin a new life!

Are you preparing yourself?

"And their net brake." Luke 5:6

It's wise to have "safety nets" such as savings, insurance and investments. Rainy days come unexpectedly. But-what are you doing to prepare for success? God says He can "Open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings so great, you won't have enough room to take them in" (Mal 3:10). If God pours out His blessings on you, will you be ready to handle them? Are you preparing yourself for greater things, or just settling for the status quo?
After fishing all night without success, Jesus told Peter, "Launch out into the dep, and let down your nets" (Lk 5:4). Explaining that the fish weren't bitting, Peter says, "Nevertheless at they word I will let down the net" (Lk 5:5). Observe; Jesus said, "Let down your nets" (plural). Peter responded, "I will let down the net" (singular). Clearly, Jesus was thinking bigger than Peter! That night they caught so many fish, "their net brake." Next we read, "They beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees" (Lk 5:7-8). Peter needed more than one net and one boat to handle what God had in mind. Getting the idea?
If you're praying for greater success, are you taking steps to prepare yourself for it? Are you furthering your education? Are you sharpening your skills and developing new ways of doing things? Are you open to wkring with others? Are you willing to fall at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging Him as the source of all blessing, and sovereign Lord of your life?

Lessons from the ten lepers

"Thy faith hath mad thee whole." Luke 17:19

Luke writes, "there met him ten...lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said...God shew yourselves unto the priests. And...as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them...turned back, and...glorified God...Jesus...said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?...And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: they faith hath made thee whole" (Lk 17:12-19). Observe three things in this story:
(1) When people reject you, you start thinking God does too. Because of their problem, these mean were rejected by society. So when they met Christ they expected more of the same. But no, the Bible says, "When you draw close to God He will draw close to you" (see Jas 4:8). So come, bring your problem to Him. He's the great problem-solver! (2) Sometimes you have to "walk it out." We read, "As they went, they were cleansed." Sometimes change take place quickly, but mose time it happens slowly, step-by-step. You don't know exactly which step will bring victory, so you need to keep walking in faith. Before a leper was welcomed back into society the priest had to pronounce him "clean." How wonderful; Jesus saw the change in these men before it ever took place. That's because He has the power to make it happen. So keep walking! (3) Gratitude and praise are so important to God. This story reminds us how quickly we forget God's goodness, how much our praises mean to Him, and that only one in ten of us will pass the gratitude test. But that one becomes "whole."

Safe in God's arms

"Underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronmy 33:27

During World War II, when Jill Briscoe was six, her family was evacuated to the English Lake Distrist. Recalling a particularly scary night, she writes, "A storm had broken over our heads. Rain, like giant tears, slashed against the window and thunder grumbled. I didn't like storms, and I was old enough to understand that an even bigger storm was raging, a war involving the entire world. But it seemed far away. The fire was warm and my father was relaxed in his big chair. Suddenly, aware that I needed reassurance, he put down his paper and smiled, "Come here, little his shoulder and feeilng the beat of his heart.
"Looking back, I realize how my Heavenly Father shelters me from the storms of life. When sorrow swamped me at my mother's funeral, I sought reassurance in my Father's presence. When the winds of worry whipped away my confidence as I faced gangs of young people in street evangelism, I glanced up to see my Father's face. When floods of fear rose as I waited in hospital for the results of frightening tests, I sensed my Heavenly Father say, "Come here, little girl." I climbed into His arms, leaned against His shoulder and murmured, "Ah, this is a grand place to be." The bible says, "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." If life's storms are overwhelming you, climb up into your Heavenly Father's arms, feel the beat of His heart, and rest assured He's bigger than the storm you're facing.

Today, say "yes" to joy!

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Lenny was desperate to lose weight, so his doctor told him, "Eat normally for two days, then skip a day. Repeat this pattern for six weeks and you'll lose 10 pounds. Amazingly, after two weeks he dropped 20! "How'd you do it?" the doctor asked. "Honestly, Doc, I thought I'd die!" replied. "Were you that hungry?" the doctor asked. "No!" Lenny exclained, "But that third day of skipping and jumping all day nearly wrecked me!" Life doesn't have to be so hard! We make it that way by saying no to joy because we don't think we deserve it. Feeling deprived and "virtuous" doesn't make points with God, nor does acting like a martyr hoping somebody will rescue you.
A little boy asked his mom if he could sleep over at his friend's house. "Why?" she asked. "Just for fun," he replied. "But you slept over last night," she said. "Who says you can't have fun two nights in a row?" he reasoned. Beware of imposing so many rules and regulations on yourself that you're like the Pharisees who became slaves to the very laws they created. How long has it been since you said yes to a little lighthearted fun? Paul says, "Be full of joy now!" What are you waiting for? If you pride yourself on always being structured, steadfast and serious, it's time to balance the scales and start building some spontaneity into your life. The Bible says, "Let those...who love Your name be joyful...and be in high spirits" (Ps 5:11); "Be happy...rejoice and be glad-hearted continually" (1Th 5:16). Today, say "yes" to joy!

Choices

"Choose for yourselves." Joshua 24:15

Our lives are like icebergs. Only 15 percent is visible; that's reputation. The rest, our character, is below the surface, hidden. Character is what we think but never share. It's what we do when no one's watching. It's how we react to everyday aggravations. It's how we handle failure-and success. The thing that has made us what we are is our choices. At the end of a successful career, Joshua challenges the people of Israel: "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." So the choice is yours!
French writer Francois de la Rochefoucauld asserted, "Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we think up to hide them." Ever notice that people with the weakest character tend to place blame on their circumstances? They talk a lot about poor upbringing, financial difficulties, the unkindness of others, or other circumstances that have made them vicitims. Your circumstances may be beyond your control, but your character is not. You can no more blame your character on your circumstances, than you can blame the mirror for your looks. Developing character is always your choice. Every time you make a character-based decision, you take another step forward in your spiritual growth.
Take a moment and jot down times when you have faced temptation and adversity. Next to each, note your choice: escape, excuses, capitulation, avoidance, perserance, or victory. What problem areas do you see? How will you learn to do better? If many of the things you list are due to circumstances beyond your control, then choose to take greater control of your life.

Healing wounded relationships (Part 5)

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted." Isaiah 61:1

When you violate your partner's trust, you send your "relationship account" into deficit! Intimacy is replaced by painful emotional and physical distance. As the offender, you feel that, in spite of your apology and repentance, your wounded partner is still exacting their pound of flesh and making you pay. But they are not! They are simply out of surplus emotional resources. Their tank is empty. It's taking all they have just to "keep it together." Expecting them to be their old self is like asking a legless man to hurry up and walk! It's not going to happen.
What can you do to help? The same thing you do when you have a deficit in your bank account. (1) Stop making withdrawals! Don't ask or expect from your partner all they normally do for you. Don't wait to be served. Pick up your dirty dishes. Iron your clothes. Surrender your sense of entitlement. Practice the Christ-like art of denying yourself. For now, lean on God and your Christian friends and family to help meet your temporarily unmet needs. (2) Start making deposits! Make them small and often. "If you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you...pressed down, shaken together...running over" (Lk 6:38). Consistent deposits can eventually cancel the deficit, moving the relationship into surplus! Quietly find ways to make salve. These are the things that invite your partner to feel like it's safe to push "defrost," start taking small risks, reconnect, and test the waters again!

Healing wounded relationships (Part 4)

"I will heal my people and let them enjoy...peace and security." Jeremiah 33:6

the "surgery" stage of confession and apology can happen quickly. The more complex "recovery" stage of forgiveness, healing and restoration takes time. Remember the last time you took your car to the mechanic? You brought it in for one problem and he found others you weren't aware of that needed attention. In the same way, the healing process brings into focus issues related to the original one: communication, finances, time, parenting and intimacy issues. If you want a healthy relationship there are no shortcuts; you have to deal with them. If you try to cheat the process, your unfinished business will keep undermining your hopes for a while and happy relationship. So if you haven't already guessed it, restoration work isn't for the cowardly or lazy. But the rewards are well worth it, so roll up your sleeves!
Reinforce each other's efforts. God said, "render...honous to whom honour is due" (Ro 13:7) because it's a principle that works. We routinely thank the waiter, the taxi driver and the checkout clerk. It's an ingrained, invaluable courtesy-and one we'd do well to take home. People working on relationships need the healing power that comes from regular doses of courtesy. You'd be amazed at the restorative mileage you get from simply expressing your appreciation. The "principle of reinforcement" says you get more of what you acknowledge, so remember to thank your partner for even the smallest effort to improve things. Not only will you be honoring them, you'll be inviting more of the same, and making interest-bearing deposits in your relationship account.

Healing wounded relationships (Part 3)

"I will restore." Jeremiah 30:17

There are no painless, foolproof guarantees; healing a relationship involves shared effort and risk. I have to trust that ultimately you'll forgive me and put the offense behind you, and you have to believe that I'm sincere about changing. Healing wounded relationships is a two-person job. Your job is to work at trusting me again, and mine is to provide you with evidence that I'm trustworthy. When we do that we invite one another's co-operation, encourage each other and shorten the distance that separates us. Making a relationship work means deciding you have real and positive options, and both committing to them.
If your betrayl caused the wounds, you can make your own job easier by becoming more accountable. By voluntarily keeping your partner in the loop about your schedule, without their having to quiz you, you graduate from being the bad guy to becoming a full-fledged team member, pursuing a mutual game plan so you can both win. By agreeing to self-police you also remove the resentment one partner feels when the other one monitors them. In other words, it relieves them of the dirty work of micromanaging you, and spares you the humiliation of feeling like you're always under the microscope.
On the other hand, if you are the wounded party you can make your mate's job easier by letting them know you value the relationship enough to make it work by keeping up your end. Tell them you appreciate their efforts. When healing a relationship becomes the main focus of both partners, and you include God, who said, "I will restore," it will happen!

Healing wounded relationships (Part 2)

"I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you." 2 Kings 20:5

Just sitting waiting for healing to happen doesn't help; it only lengthens the process. Working to become a positive influence is what moves things forward. If you want to help:
Listen. When your loved one needs to talk, listen without trying to defind, explain, rationalize or excuse your behavior. Don't try to correct their "misperceptions" or lessen their pain by minimizing it. Validate. Don't tell somebody, "You shouldn't feel that way." When people talk about their pain, often they're doing the work necessary to help them heal. By letting them know their feelings are legitimate rather than making them feel weak or silly, you enable them to work through the negative emotions. Apologize. Yes, again! Whoever said, "love means never having to say you're sorry," didn't know much about human relationships. Every genuine apology promotes healing. A heartfelt "I'm so sorry" is medicine to a wounded soul. So apply it till it's no longer needed-and your loved one will let you know when that is. Repair. Offer to help repair the hurt you've caused. "I know I've wounded you, and I relaly want to know what I can do to help heal the damage." Genuinely spoken, those words realign and make you part of the solution, not just the cause of the problem.
God said, "I have heard your prayers and seen your tears; I will heal you," and the sooner you become actively engaged in promotion the healing process, the sooner you'll get out of the penalty box and back on the field.