I’M CARRYING YOUR BABY
She was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18
Two people who are deeply in love dream about the day when they will create life together. As a woman thinks of carrying her husband’s child, she is deeply moved. When a baby finally grows inside her, she will touch and bless her swollen abdomen with whispers of affection. Continue reading “I’m Carrying Your Baby”
At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules. Psalm 119:62
Around many dinner tables this week, a suggestion will be made. “Let’s each share something we’re thankful for before we offer the blessing.” Well known clichés will abound. “God was good this year because….” Stories of health and provision will be told and God will be hailed as ‘good’ because of them. But what of those who find themselves in God’s waiting room? Their lives are still hard. They are still ill. Their hearts are still broken.
These are hard times. Suffering marks the church across the world. Warm beds and full bellies are out of reach for so many, even here in the U.S., as our economy has plummeted and the value of the dollar is the lowest it has ever been. Can God’s children still cry out that He is good? Or, are we stuck when asked to give a glowing testimony about His character? May it not be.
This list can fill pages. If I change my perspective from external circumstances to my internal world, thanksgiving for who God is and what He gives me is not limited, even in suffering. Trials and suffering do not eradicate God’s goodness. Even on the way to Calvary, Jesus would have whispered prayers of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Suffering is a part of this life. For the child of God, so is God’s goodness and redemption of our pain. For that, my heart bursts forth with praise.
If I look in the right places, my heart is full of your testimonies. Amen
WHAT GOD DOES WHILE I WAIT
When Jacob learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you look at one another?” And he said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain for sale in Egypt. Go down and buy grain for us there, that we may live and not die.” Genesis 42:1-2
While I’m praying for many years about something that breaks my heart in two, it can appear as if I have a Father who withholds intervention for no good reason. He could act today, couldn’t He? Doesn’t love come running? If a parent can do something to alleviate a child’s suffering, won’t he? This is the human side of praying. God’s side is much more expansive, however.
So much happened behind the scenes while Joseph waited in slavery. His tearful cries for deliverance weren’t deaf to his God. Though Joseph didn’t see immediate results outside of the daily grace God provided, there was so much happening behind the scenes.
Could Joseph have guessed that God was this active? No. No more than I can while I sit in my waiting room. But God was moving history around with His index finger and all to bring about the salvation of His people. Can I not trust Him with my life? Can I dare to believe that His love for me, and His church, is that great? Waiting always has purpose.
As I review the activity of an active, powerful, all-wise and loving God on behalf of Joseph, may I see my own story with the eyes of faith.
Write the stories of spiritual brothers like Joseph on my heart. I need to review and review how Your unfailing love works. Amen
When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” Genesis 41:55
Who better to turn to than a Pharaoh for help? People in high positions should have had all the answers and the keys to all the storehouses. Yet, Pharaoh was in over his head. He was not God’s child and his stone gods weren’t talking.
Seemingly overnight, Joseph was brought out of obscurity to a place of prominence. He couldn’t have guessed that he would sleep in a palace instead of a prison floor, or that his administrative and prophetic gifts would be implemented for the salvation of his people. Yet, when God decided it was time for his advancement, nothing and no one could stop it. Who did the famished people turn to? To the one whose name they didn’t even know the day before.
How many righteous are sitting in low places today? They are gifted, overlooked, even ridiculed. They have turned down opportunities for advancement because the pathway to the top meant compromise. The sacrifice, made out of love for God, has cost them dearly. There will come a time that others will turn to them for life-saving advice. Their quiet lives of steadfast faithfulness to God will speak volumes when those they formerly trusted shrivel in the flames of adversity. It is only suffering that exposes the difference between the two. It is only suffering that reveals the golden qualities of the ones they once despised.
I must not weary of the quiet and steady journey of the true disciple. Drawing near to God is never the popular agenda. I will stand out like a sore thumb and bear the insults of those who have much more interesting lives. Yet, when famine affects the landscape of those around me, it might just be the hour for which God has prepared me. I may not sleep in a palace but I will be sought after for the treasures I’ve cultivated in secret with my God.
John the Baptist, a peculiar recluse, lived three decades for a future, though short, time of influence. Most of his life was preparation for the short burst of glory when he was privileged to prepare others for the arrival of Jesus. Such is the way of discipleship. You and I must never assume that obscurity will be our ‘normal’. Ever ready, we are looking for the time when the seeds God has sown into our hearts in private will be poured out in others time of need.
I never fit in the mainstream. You made me unique and I know that my time with You will bring a beautiful harvest. Amen
CAN I REALLY FORGET HARDSHIP?
Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 41:51-52
If you are someone who has spent major chunks of your life in hardship, then you know how long life feels. Pain has become your ‘normal’ and the thought of living life any other way is inconceivable. Not only that, but the possibility that you would ever forget your affliction seems unlikely. Hardship has been your constant companion.
I suspect that the word for ‘forget’ is the same word that is used when God puts my sins behind his back and ‘forgets’ them. He puts them out of sight and they are no longer held up in front of my face as a reminder of what I’ve done. Memories of my sin take a back seat to the joy of walking in forgiveness.
In light of that ~ To forget former hardship is to have painful memories eclipsed by something infinitely more powerful ~ the kindness and redemption of God. It is impossible to feel the wonder of such exhilaration and, simultaneously, feel the depth of my former despair. God’s redemption is that powerful. But while I wait, all I know is the all-consuming agony of distress.
I’ve seen the fruits of powerful prayer. Some were answered overnight and others within a few months time. Many of them, in fact. But others accompanied me in God’s waiting room for a decade or two. The pain of waiting made God appear uncaring and I feared that life would never be any different. I had to fight for my faith and sound theology had to war against the reality of my emotions. But when the tide turned, when God came sweeping in with the redemption I sought, it exceeded all that I had asked for. My prayers were of one dimension; his answers were as deep as the ocean. Even now, I cannot plumb the depths of all that He has done – and will do – as a result of persevering prayer.
If you fear that the joy of answered prayer would pale in comparison to the ways affliction has ravaged your soul, expand your hope in God. If God could cause Joseph to ‘forget’ betrayal of his brothers, being sold into slavery, being unjustly accused and imprisoned for a decade, could He not surprise me with unspeakable joy?
For all the pain that still consumes me, I know that coming redemption will eclipse it all. Your love is that powerful. Amen
HE LETS ME SEE SO I CAN ACT!
Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. Genesis 41:34-35
Joseph didn’t just interpret Pharaoh’s two dreams. Because Joseph possessed an administrative gift, he offered a plan to counteract the dismal prediction of famine. Joseph was a seer but also one whom God chose to implement a righteous plan.
God never gives divine insight just for mere intrigue. He discloses His thoughts to someone who is then responsible to find out why they were given such information. Are they to pray? Are they to step forward with information? Are they to expose? Are they to encourage? Seeing is proactive.
The gift of divine sight is built on the culmination of thousands of life experiences. Spiritual understanding is not something bred overnight. God shapes His servant through years of practice runs. The gift is sharpened through suffering. If you are a prophet, one who can prayerfully discern the mind and heart of God about a person or situation, that gift has been personally expensive. But know this too ~ the gift of divine eyesight is usually paired with another strong gift.
What has God been showing you about a person or a situation? Perhaps that revelation has been painful, arrested you in place, and you feel helpless. Assess your giftings and ask God to show you how you are to channel what He has revealed. God, in your story, has prepared you for such a time as this.
I have been tormented by what I see. Give me Your action plan. Amen
A RELATIONSHIP IN TROUBLE
They have forsaken Yahweh, spurned the Holy One of Israel, and turned themselves back into foreigners. Isaiah 1:4
A big blowup in a relationship is not usually what kills it. People argue. Some fight passionately. But if both are committed to the each other and also committed to truth, there is understanding and restoration. What is deadly to any relationship, however, is a gradual deadening of the heart. A slow death is much more difficult to turn around.
You’ve heard the phrase, “I feel like I don’t know you anymore.” A ‘foreigner’ is a good description. It is saying, ‘You are acting so strangely that I don’t even recognize you. You may as well have come from a foreign land.’
Amazing that what can be intimate can grow so deeply estranged. Continue reading “A Relationship In Trouble”
AM I REALLY HEARING GOD’S VOICE?
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. Genesis 41:25
God gave Pharaoh two dreams that meant the same thing. Why did He do that? I suspect so that Pharaoh wouldn’t miss the message.
Has God been trying to speak to you about something? You’re stuck in inertia because you fear you’re reading into things. Perhaps it was a dream and it was so allegorical that you lack the confidence to act upon it. Perhaps it was a word in prayer but you wonder now it if was just your own inner voice. Maybe it was a set of ‘coincidences’ that seemed too incredible not to be divine. All of these scenarios lead us to ask, “Did I really hear God’s voice?” Until we know for sure, we dare not embrace the message as truth and we certainly dare not endeavor on something risky.
What I’ve come to realize is that God is for me, not against me. He wants me to get it even more than I do. If I suspect He is speaking to me (and in a way that is outside my box), I ask Him for confirmation. I confess again that I am small and blind, unable to perceive spiritual things well. I ask Him to have mercy on my spiritual condition. I ask Him to treat me as He treated Moses. He made it His will so plain ~ When the cloud moves, move. When the cloud stops, stop.
I must say that I experience a Father who confirms and confirms. More than just twice; sometimes three and four times. And each in a different way. Just as God gave Pharaoh two dreams, each dream different but bearing the same message, how much more will God lead a child whose heart is bent to covet His voice and respond with obedience!
I pray for each one this morning who is discounting what You’ve spoken to them. They are afraid. Repeat Your message, Lord, and confirm it in a way that is unmistakable to their tentative faith. Amen
HOW TO HANDLE A COMPLIMENT
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” Genesis 41:15-16
False modesty plagues the church. So does insecurity. These appear God-honoring when, in fact, they rob God of opportunities to showcase His glory.
When Pharaoh told Joseph that he had heard of his ability to interpret dreams, Joseph didn’t say that he wasn’t worthy of such attention. He stepped up to the plate and put God at the center of his answer. He made it clear that it would be God, working through him, to interpret the dreams.
One of the biggest pitfalls of any platform person is succumbing to pride. Standing ovations, fan letters, and whispers of your name as you pass a group, all swell your sense of worth. I am sure that God gives major thorns in the flesh to visible leaders to counteract this. He makes sure that ministries are not ruined by inflated egos.
Compliments are very hard to know how to handle.
“You’re such a great teacher.”
“You are one gifted manager.”
“No one can organize an event quite like you!”
To simply say, ‘thank you’ can appear to mean, “I agree with you. I am this great.” Shouldn’t any child of God shun any kind of praise? But here’s another question, shouldn’t any child of God realize that what people often praise are the anointed giftings that are straight from God’s own hand? If I keep telling people that their observations about me are inflated or untrue, I’m missing the opportunity to tell them how great God is. When I say, “It’s not me, it’s God,” that’s not true either. I am part of the equation. I have embraced the gift, developed it by His grace, and dedicated it to the glory of God. It is God – in and through me.
So what is a good alternative? Let’s say that you teach a small group. It is being blessed and people are growing. One night after the meeting ends, someone comes to you and says, “You are such an anointed facilitator. I’ve never understood this much about Jesus before.” You answer by saying this. “I’m so encouraged to hear this. Thank you for telling me. Please pray for me that I would always depend on Jesus in my teaching. He is so gracious to give me this opportunity.”
No matter where we excel, people should know that ‘we know’ the gift came from God. The grace to do it well is because of His faithfulness.
One final thing. You and I should know and acknowledge where we are gifted. If we fail to know, how can we be effective? Is it possible to name 3 things you can do well and still be humble when giving God the glory for it? Absolutely.
I am confident today because of Your anointing. I’ve lived without it and there was no spiritual power. You are at the center of all I am and I am nothing without you. Amen
WHAT WORKS ITSELF OUT
“Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” Romans 3:13
Paul spends much of Romans describing how men turn away from God, how they reject God’s presence in the revelation of nature. He’s plentiful with his own descriptive language but in this particular scripture, he uses this opportunity to reach back into the Psalms to quote three difference passages. He does not explain what causes men to go astray, he uses Old Testament quotes to paint a picture of how men act when they go astray.
Any man or woman who rejects God creates an inward reality that eventually works its way out. Heart breeds behavior. Thoughts breed speech. If anyone spurns Christ, how will anything they do or say resemble the Christ they have spurned? How will an unbeliever talk like Christ, bless others as Christ would bless them? It won’t happen. Continue reading “What Works Itself Out”
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