Tag Archives: obedience

Feb 11 – Stop Giving

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Exodus 36-38

I know of a fellowship of believers who took on an extensive building project. Lead by the Lord, they didn’t do a fund raiser. They didn’t take pledges. They didn’t hire a consultant. The pastor simply shared the plans with the congregation, and the money started rolling in.

People gave generously as their hearts were moved to give. In fact, the congregation was so generous with their gifts, that after a time with the building project’s expenses more than met, that pastor had to ask his church to stop giving.

True story.

Sometimes I think we strategize God right out of the picture. Sure the money is pledged and the buildings get built with the help of consultants and fund drives these days. But I’m not sure why we don’t trust God a bit more to move in the hearts of His people to fill a need instead.

The example I gave above can be found in the chapters we read today in Exodus. The children of Israel gave generously toward the building of the tabernacle. And God never once told anyone they had to. He simply laid the need on their hearts and they responded above and beyond.

And God is the same today as He was back then. Maybe its us who have changed.

 

 

Feb 10 – Let Me Do That

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Exodus 33-35

Did you think of your church fellowship when you read these chapters in Exodus today? God moved people to action. And they obeyed. Some gave of their material possessions. Some gave of their time as they used their talents for sewing, building, carving, designing…

The Tabernacle would be made by hundreds of people, working together, following God’s leading. This is what being a church is all about.

There is a dear woman in my church who loves to sew. God laid on her heart to start a sewing ministry, not knowing how many women would even be interested. But she was faithful. Once a month from five to twenty five women gather in the fellowship hall. Some bring sewing machines, some have scissors, some bring irons. They have made Salvation Dolls and sent them to a missionary who uses them to introduce children in Africa to their Savior. They made draw string bags to put in the boxes for Operation Christmas Child. They’ve made walker bags for a nursing home in our neighborhood. They’ve made neck pillows, bookmarks, snuggle pillows for a children’s hospital, blankets, and they’ve only been meeting for about a year.

My sister feels led to minister to elderly women in her church who live alone. (Happy Birthday, Peggy. I love you!) Through her church’s visitation ministry, she visits about five women every month, takes them to the grocery if they need, takes them to lunch or the doctor, prays with them, or just sits with them. She sends them cards, and calls them just to say hi.

There is a church where a few retired men got together and formed a committee that will pick up used appliances, clean and repair them, then give them to needy people in the community. They fix furniture for the same reason.

I’ve shared that my church provides a free meal every month for the community. There are several people in this tiny fellowship who organize, cook, serve, and clean up month after month for about 100 people who enjoy a hot meal with all the fixins.

Some people are called by God to teach Sunday School, work in the nursery, mow the church lawn, cook, clean, sing, work with Youth groups, give financially.

And when these people follow God’s lead, great things can happen for our churches in Jesus’ name.

Do you feel God’s call to some ministry in your church? Don’t depend on someone else to obey your call. Step right up and say, “Let me do that!”

Feb 7 – 10% Blessing

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Exodus 25-27

A while back I posted something concerning tithing. You know, the 10% of our earnings we’re supposed to give God. A blogger friend of mine , a man whose posts I might sometimes disagree with, but whose opinions I always respect, appreciate, and seek out, pointed out that the concept of tithing is not a New Testament Church thing. That church, he reminded me, gave everything they had, they took care of needs as needs arose without doing the math.

(nightlightblogdotcom.wordpress.com. I encourage you to check out his blog, especially today’s from Hebrews 10. It’s so good!)

Maybe that’s why Exodus 25:1-8 got my attention today. God told Moses to put together a tabernacle made of gold, silver, bronze, leather, oil, gemstones, and more. But God didn’t require anyone to give anything toward the construction. His instruction to Moses was to collect those things from “every man whose heart moves him.”

My church is starting a very needed building project, and we’ll need to raise some big bucks. How would God have me contribute? I want to be one whose heart has been moved, and I want to be obedient.

Let me ask you this: If church giving wasn’t tax deductible, would you still give what you give right now? Our government is talking a lot about a flat tax. Would your church survive?

Here’s what I hope. I hope our churches, my church’s building project, will all flourish because we Christians put down the calculator and give as God moves our hearts to give. Maybe He’s giving us 10% of His blessing because that’s what we’re giving Him.

Wonder what it would be like if we really did give Him everything.

Feb 2 – Tweaking the Truth

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Exodus 10-12

Have you ever tried to bargain with God? How did that work out for you? Did you ever keep your end of the bargain? Or was God the only one held to that standard?

As I read about the last of the plagues today, it occurred to me that Pharaoh is an example of what happens when we try to negotiate with God. Moses told Pharaoh God wanted all Jews and their livestock to leave Egypt. Pharaoh, after being warned about the locusts that would destroy his crops, said ‘Sure. Go. But only the men.’ Moses didn’t take him up on that. It wasn’t what God required.

Then, after the locusts came like Moses said they would, and after complete darkness fell on Egypt for three days, Pharaoh relented. ‘Ok. Everybody can go. But leave the animals.’  Again, that wasn’t what Moses needed to hear.

The thing is, God gave a directive: ALL Israelites and ALL livestock are to leave.

Pharaoh was ready to obey – kind of. He just wanted to obey on his own terms.

It struck me when Pharaoh said to Moses, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once…that He would remove this death from me” (10:16-17)

Each time Pharaoh heard God’s command, then tried to tweak it, his heart grew harder and harder. Somehow he thought if he gave in a little, God would be ok with that. Then he must have thought if he let God forgive him a little bit, he’d escape the bad things that were happening.

Friend, I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it says God wants us to kind of obey Him. I don’t see anywhere where it says if we give Him a portion of our hearts, He will bless us. Let’s face it. God is Who He says He is. And if He says something, we can’t tweak it to fit our own desires.

Be holy as I am holy.

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one goes to the Father except through Me.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.

You can try to tweak it, but that doesn’t change the Truth. So don’t even try. God demands complete obedience, complete surrender. Anything else is disobedience. Period.

Father, I pray for those reading this blog today. May we be students of Your Word so we know exactly what it is You are demanding of us. Convict us when we are tempted to obey You with anything less than everything. May we confess, repent, and be the people You demand. And may you find us willing to serve You with our whole hearts. 

 

Jan 31 – Oh, Moses

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Exodus 4-6

Moses. Moses. Moses. (I am shaking my head) You really didn’t want to be Israel’s leader, did you?

Six times in the chapters we read today, Moses tried to talk God out of sending him. He said things like, ‘They won’t believe me.’ ‘I am slow of speech.’ ‘Please send someone else.’ ‘Why did you ever send me?’ ‘If the Jews won’t listen to me, what makes You think Pharaoh will?’ ‘Pharaoh won’t pay attention to me because of the way I talk.’

Sometimes Moses protested right after God promised to do great things through him. And sometimes God was a little angry at this reluctant leader.

Moses seems to be inhibited by his speech. Did he stutter? Did he have a deformity? If it was holding Moses back, why didn’t God just heal him? God does all things well. And in this case, Moses didn’t need to be healed.

Reading about Moses reminds me God can use the least of us to accomplish great things. We don’t have to be the best looking, most talented, most charismatic people in the church. What we need is to trust God, to obey Him even if our knees are shaking.

The Charlton Heston version of Moses shows a strong, confident, fierce leader who led the Israelites out of Egypt. But I’m not so sure Moses was really that person. From what I read today, Moses might have been a bit more of a wimp than that.

God delights in revealing Himself through those of us who depend solely upon Him. Nobody was going to look at Moses and say, “He was born to be a great leader.” But they will look at Moses and say, “Wow. Moses has a great God.”

I want them to say that about me, too.

Jan 29 – Why Jacob?

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Genesis 48-50

Did you read about Jacob’s funeral today? Jacob, the father of Pharaoh’s trusted servant Joseph, received quite a burial. Even the Egyptians wept for him for seventy days. I can only imagine the funeral procession, with Jacob’s large family, plus all Pharaoh’s servants, all the elders, all Joseph’s household, Pharaoh’s chariots and horsemen who traveled to Canaan for the graveside service. This was a man who was given the ultimate honor.

But why? What was Jacob to Pharaoh except the father of Joseph?

Then it hit me. As a Christian, people look at me as the child of my Heavenly Father. Do they honor God because of how I live my life? They should.

My mom, especially when the cancer slowed her down, was so appreciative if one of us girls would visit someone who was ill, did something for someone in need, because she felt that, by extension, she was a part of that act of kindness. I loved being Moms’ arms and legs when she couldn’t get out and do those things herself.

Even today, twenty years after her death, I love it when someone says my Mom would be proud of me, or when I think something I do reflects positively on her.

How much more so my Heavenly parent?

Dear Father, I want to be the kind of daughter who reflects positively on You. I want people to honor You because of what I do, what I say, how I treat people. Make me ever aware that my life, by extension, represents You to people who still need to know of Your saving grace. 

Jan 19 – What About Isaac?

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Genesis 22-24

We are well aware of Abraham’s faith that allowed him to stand over his son Isaac, knife raised, ready to sacrifice his son on an altar, because God told him to. But what of Isaac’s faith? The Bible doesn’t say anything about that.

It’s kind of a picture of Christ, isn’t it? The father’s son, who carried the wood for the sacrifice, like Jesus carried the wooden cross.

I wonder if Isaac went willingly. That must not really matter because the Bible isn’t clear concerning it. But Abraham had said something to Isaac I choose to believe the boy believed:

The Lord will provide a lamb.

And I believe Isaac’s own faith allowed him to crawl up on that altar in obedience.

Makes me wonder how far my faith would take me. Am I really ready to lay it all on the altar? My health? My family? My finances? My future? What about my pride, my thought-life, my self?

God, give me faith like Isaac’s.

Jan 18 -For Ten Righteous

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Genesis 19-21

The Old Testament draws vivid pictures, examples of God’s power, love, holiness, and more. Here in the chapters we read today we can see exactly what God’s attitude is toward sin. It’s the account of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The cities were completely destroyed. Every sinful person young and old faced God’s fiery judgement.

But they didn’t have to. God had promised Abraham if He could find just ten people who obeyed Him, the entire population would be spared. Ten.

This should be a wake-up call for us Christians. What if God said the same about our families? Our churches? Our nation? Would He be able to count you as one of the righteous?

May it be so in me. In you.

Jan 17 -Knowing God’s Will

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I wonder what life would be like today if Abraham hadn’t tried to lend God a hand? Abraham and Sarah, well past child-bearing years, decided on their own to have Hagar give Abraham a son. After all, God promised Abraham he’d be a father. God hadn’t said anything about Sarah.

Enter Ishmael, the father of Muslims.

Someone has said it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. That may be so, but “sorry” doesn’t change the outcome. And consequences can be far reaching.

If you think God is telling you to do something, you had better be praying and reading His Word where you will find direction. God won’t tell you to do something that contradicts what He inspired men to write there.

Whatever you do, don’t go on how you are feeling, or what you think makes sense. Don’t make Abraham’s mistake and go on your own. Ask someone to pray with you.

God is able to do what He says. Let Him open doors or close them. But don’t take that step of faith without knowing His heart through prayer and reading the Bible.

And if you feel a tug at your heart, pay attention. It just might be God holding you back until He is ready. Our Father wants you to know His will. Let Him show you.

Jan 16 – All That Glitters Is Not Gold

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Genesis 12-15

When Abram and Lot decided to part ways, Lot chose the valley of the Jordan. As an owner of livestock, Lot knew the river would supply all the water he needed. The land was lush and green, and Lot liked what he saw. Looking toward the west he saw only desert. Lot chose the river and left the desert for Abram.

But with the beautiful land surrounding the Jordan came a hidden danger found in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah located there. Lot will find out that what looked good on the surface would destroy him and his family.

That’s an important lesson for all of us. Whether we are talking about an upscale neighborhood in your city, the flashy lifestyle of someone you envy, or the religious theology that promises material wealth or health if you believe what they say, remember “all that glitters is not gold.”

Many people have sought after what they consider to be the prize only to end up with a counterfeit, or with devastating consequences like Lot will realize.

Where are you heading today? What is your choice? On one hand you might have pleasures for the day. On the other hand you will receive an eternity of blessing. One might look pretty fun, the other is a war zone. One is fools’ gold. The other is the real thing.

I John 1:17 says:

“The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

Think about it.