THE WILL OF GOD!

 

Sunday, January 21, 2024

 

THE WILL OF GOD!

 

Ex 33:12-14

12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

 

I know of no more troubling topic than the will of God! We want to know details so that we might more fully obey the Lord, or so we claim. Incomplete instructions freeze us in our tracks. Just what is the will of God anyway?

 

IT IS A ROAD MAP

 

Isa 30:21

21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

 

Ah! Perhaps the will of God is some heavenly GPS device complete with a voice that calls out each turn. But we all know that this device is only needed when we travel in unfamiliar territory. Most of us never venture very far enough in our walk of faith to need it! Abraham had no road map. He was a wanderer but everywhere he went was, or became, the way of God for his life.

 

Gen 12:1

12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

 

 

IT IS A RELATIONSHIP

 

Moses said: “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving, and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] and that I may find favor in Your sight. And [Lord, do] consider that this nation is Your people.”  Ex 33:13 (AMPLIFIED BIBLE)

 

Dr. Adrian Rodgers once said: “The will of God is not a road map. It is a relationship! You just simply set yourself apart to do the will of God.” It is not so important to know the “way” as it is to know the “way maker.”

 

IT REQUIRES A WISE DAILY WALK

 

Eph 5:15-17

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, [walk carefully, live purposefully] not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, [don’t let opportunities slip away] because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

 

Dear Lord, I want to know your will today so that I may do it. I do not want to be foolishly out of place or to waste time or energy on activities that are not vital. I know you do not want me to be confused. I know you will guide me step by step. I am so impatient. I know you will reveal your will as I need to know it. Thank you for your guidance today. AMEN

 

THREE WATCHERS

 

Saturday, January 20, 2024

 

THREE WATCHERS

 

2 Chron 16:9a

9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

 

Phil 1:3-8

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

 

Heb 1:13-14

13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

 

          Three watchers are thinking of you at this very moment. Our three scriptures tell us who they are.

 

          The first, and most faithful watcher is God. His eye is on the sparrow and on you. Nothing escapes his gaze. He never loses sight of you, and he knows your circumstances. The sinner finds this uncomfortable, but the believer finds great comfort in knowing this.

 

          The second set of watchers are our friends. You may feel alone and possibly friendless from time to time, but you are wrong. Miles cannot separate true friends. Paul told the Philippians that they were always in his heart. He had invested much in them. They had shared in both joy and sorrow, peace, and difficulty. They were family. You have friends that are thinking about you if not now then often. If you have any true friends at all this is true. Cling to this in the lonely hours.

 

          The third set of watchers are invisible but there. Hebrews tells us that they are assigned to those who are the heirs of salvation. So secret is their mission that many do not think they exist. Their sightings are rare, even in the Bible, but they are all around and very busy.

 

          Adam Clarke says, “All the angels, even those of the highest order, are employed by their Creator to serve those who believe in Christ Jesus. What these services are, and how performed, it would be impossible to state.”

 

Dear Lord, I am reminded today that I am greatly beloved by my Creator and that I have more friends than I suspect and that angels serve me for good though invisible to me. Why, I wonder, am I so beloved and cared for? Thank you, Jesus. AMEN

 

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE CONFUSED!

 

Friday, January 19, 2024

 

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE CONFUSED!

 

1 Cor 14:33

33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

 

Acts 9:22

22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

 

Two words beg for deeper exploration this morning. The first is the word confusion which we find in our first verse. It is the Greek word akatastasia and is pronounced (ak-at-as-tah-see'-ah). When pronounced it sounds like the noise of a machine gun and it means instability or disorder. The verse goes on to say that God does not “author” instability and disorder.

 

The other word is confounded in the book of Acts which means “to throw into disorder or to perplex the mind.” Paul, in preaching that Jesus was indeed the Christ, threw the Jewish system into disorder. He challenged long held prejudices and perplexed their minds. They sought to kill him.

 

What do we, as believers, do when we are thrown into disorder and perplexed? If confusion is a state of disorder and if we want “peace” instead, what should we do?

 

STOP! Back away for a moment. If what you are doing is confusing and confounding you, perhaps it shouldn’t be done. Maybe there is a better way.

 

ASSESS! Evaluate and analyze the situation. Is there something you are overlooking? Have you tried everything?

 

REST! I know this can be a frustrating suggestion when there is so much confusion and so much to do but it was the suggestion of Jesus to His disciples when things became chaotic.

 

Mark 6:31

31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

 

PRAY! Hey now, there is an idea! Why not ask God what to do?

 

Ps 120:1

In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.

 

Dear Lord, in the confusion of this day help me to trust in Thee. AMEN