Tag Archives: surrendering to God

Living in Poverty

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Ruth 2:1-7

What does it say that Ruth was so willing to go to work upon arriving in Bethlehem? She was an undocumented immigrant, penniless, homeless except for any property still in Naomi’s family name. But it doesn’t seem like she waited to see if the neighbors would provide, or if there was government assistance. She knew that if she was going to eat, she would have to go to work.

We could make this about financial poverty, food stamps and free healthcare. But I think there might be a more important lesson here.

Too many Christians are living in systemic spiritual poverty. They are taught to pray like their parents prayed, “Bless me, God. Heal me. Provide for my needs, God,” and expect spiritual hand-outs. But are they willing to do the work?

Do they spend quality time in God’s Word? Do they pray for more than themselves? Do they give, go, grow, obey. Are they the hands and feet of Jesus? Do they surrender their wills and have the mind of Christ?

James tells us that we might have faith, but if we don’t do something about it, our faith is worthless. I think that’s what spiritual poverty looks like.

The thing about living in financial poverty is it can become the norm after a generation or two. It can become a mind-set and an expectation.

The same is true for spiritual poverty. I guess what I see here in the book of Ruth is, God has a better plan. It’s a plan to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (from Jeremiah 19:11)

Are you living in spiritual poverty? Do you feel God isn’t hearing your prayers, not meeting your needs? Then, like Ruth, get to work. The blessings are just around the corner.

Purge

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Deuteronomy 16-20

I walk into my closet and know I need to purge. I know it feels good once it’s done. I just hate the thought of “doing.” I can come up with so many reason to keep those blouses I haven’t worn in three years. I mean, I just might start that diet and lose those twenty pounds so those blouses fit again.

I might.

God told the Israelites to purge the evil from among them. It wasn’t a suggestion. But Scripture tells us they didn’t always do that. They came up with many reasons to hold on to things that should have been eliminated. The outcome was always disastrous.

I think we can apply this same principle to the Church in 2024. So much of the evil God pointed out to the Jews has found a home in our churches. And we’ve come up with many reason to keep the evil there. Call it tolerance. Call it love. Call it preference. Call it being relative to societal changes. Sin has found a home where it should not be.

I think I can apply this same principle to myself. I have to ask myself if the sins God addressed to the Jews have found a home in me? Or have I done the work? Have I purged sin in my actions, my thoughts, my words? When I recognize that sin hiding behind a good deed or time in God’s Word, do I immediately throw it under the blood of Jesus, or do I tell myself I’ll get to that later?

Purging is hard. It takes work. It has to be intentional. The thing is NOT purging the evil in us has disastrous results.

You know that, if you have purged, surrendered to God, confessed and repented of sin, there is joy that comes from being clean. You know it’s worth the “doing.”

Purging my closet can wait. Purging my heart cannot. And purging the Church might be something we can work on together.

(Daniel 1-3) Do You Believe In God?

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King Nebuchadnezzar believed that the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was God above all gods. How else could it be explained that the three men were thrown into a blazing fire which killed some soldiers, that four men were seen taking a walk inside the fiery furnace, and that the three came out of the fire unharmed? They didn’t even smell like smoke!

Nebuchadnezzar shouted praises to God, and made it a law that no one could say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Saying anything offensive against God resulted in a death sentence, according to the King’s new law.

I think Nebuchadnezzar really believed. But Scripture tells us even demons believe. And believing God is who He IS, has demons shaking in their boots! (James 2:19)

Acknowledging God is God, believing Jesus God’s Son died on a cross and rose again, just isn’t enough. What you do with that knowledge has everything to do with salvation, with eternity. Without surrendering to God, your knowledge of Him has no more to do with the forgiveness of your sins than believing the earth is round, or that Thursday follows Wednesday.

King Nebuchadnezzar makes me sad. But my heart breaks at the thought that some of my family and friends are satisfied with the fact they believe in God. It’s not enough.

Hear Jesus’ own words:

Except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Do you believe in God? I hope so. Now, what are you going to do about that?

January 25; Broken and Healed

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Genesis 31-32

Jacob reminds me of a new Christian. He wanted to obey God and did on occasion. But there was enough of the old Jacob still in him that sometimes he made rash decisions, and really bad choices.

Like running away from Laban. Hadn’t God told him to go, that He would be with him? Yet Jacob packed up and snuck out like a thief in the night.

God told Jacob He would be with him, yet without consulting God Jacob sent one peace offering to Esau, then another, and another. He divided his entourage and figured Esau would only be able to destroy half of them that way.

Did you forget, Jacob? God said He’d be with you. Esau has no power over God. Dividing your stuff might make you feel in control, or self-sufficient, or that somehow you are giving God a hand. But you are wasting your time.

So here is Jacob, torn between trusting and obeying God, and the need to do things his own way (like he’d always done). It’s hard for most of us to let go of the wheel.

Jacob laid down to get some sleep, but ended up wrestling all night. A man – was it an incarnation of Jesus or an angel? – attacked Jacob and physically wrestled with him for hours. Tossing, lunging, pinning, grasping, knocking each other down, and rolling around in the dirt all night!

The result? Jacob got a name change. He had seen God and didn’t die. Warren Wiersbe says, “Jacob was broken to be healed, and weakened to be strengthened.” (With The Word, p. 38; Oliver-Nelson Books, Nashville, TN, 1991) Jacob got up from that wrestling match bruised, limping, and strengthened to meet his brother.

I said Jacob reminds me of a new Christian. But he reminds me of me sometimes, too, and I’ve been following Jesus for decades. Sometimes I have my own wrestling matches with God late at night, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling when I should be sleeping, thoughts and doubts and struggles lunging at me, pinning me down, grasping at my heart. I feel like I’ve been rolling around in the dirt trying to get the best of my struggle.

And I am reminded it’s at those times God is breaking me in order to heal me. He is revealing my weakness so He can be my strength.

Oh that I would learn to throw in the towel, to quit fighting a losing battle, and let God have His way in every detail of my life. I wouldn’t feel so beaten up in the morning. I might actually get some peaceful sleep.

And I would be ready to face the challenges of the day, knowing God’s a lot stronger than me or my problems.