Promised Land Living

June 7, 2019

Obeying Whatever God Tells You to Do

Continued from here.

The final piece you need to know is that if you want to know God’s will, you must actually DO IT. God isn’t going to keep “speaking” to you unless you do what He tells you to do. As an example, let’s say my response to God’s invitation to lead a Bible study at a Christian transitional home was no. I am likely to find that God stops “speaking” to me until I obey.

Years ago, I told God that I was going to do X and wanted Him to bless this path. I felt conviction that this wasn’t His will, but I didn’t care and did it, anyhow. For one miserable year, I received no guidance from God. He did not begin “speaking” to me again until I obeyed Him by repenting of my rebellion and changing direction.

A primary purpose of God communicating with you is so you will know what His will is and do it. Per Priscilla Shirer in her book, Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God is Speaking, God wants to speak to you: Why would He die for you but then refuse to talk to you? However, if you aren’t going to do it, then what’s the point of Him “speaking” to you? So don’t bother asking Him what His will is unless you intend to actually do what He tells you to do.

If you will pay attention to “coincidences” that are collectively an invitation to join God where He is already at work, pray for wisdom and discernment, and confirm that what you are hearing is consistent with God’s Word and character, then you can step forth boldly, confident that you are indeed walking in God’s will. And then when obstacles arise, you can continue to move forward boldly, knowing that the enemy is going to try to stop your progress. Don’t let the enemy shake your confidence. He might make the path very rocky, but your God is in control, and His purposes will be accomplished. Walk boldly and courageously, mighty warrior. May you one day find yourself walking into the Hall of Faith!

[Graphic: Cover of Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God is Speaking. Courtesy Amazon.]

 

June 6, 2019

God’s Will is Bigger Than Your Role in It

Continued from here.

In his book, Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Henry Blackaby made an interesting distinction that I had never before considered. He said that asking what God’s will is for your life is the wrong question. Instead, you need to ask what God’s will is and then join Him where He is already working. Blackaby says that God is always at work in the world around us. When we seek to do His will, He will open our eyes to an area where He is working. That is our invitation to join Him in His work.

For example, God’s will was not for Moses to lead His people out of slavery in that it wasn’t about Moses. Instead, God’s will was to free His people from slavery. God was already at work, and He invited Moses to join Him in this work. God had prepared Moses for the task, but if Moses had declined to join God where He was already working, then we would be reading about someone else instead of Moses.

The same dynamic holds true in the example I shared in my last blog entry about leading a Bible study at a Christian transitional home. God was already working at that home, and He opened my eyes to see His activity. That opening of my eyes was my invitation to join Him in that work. If I had declined, He would have invited someone else, and I would have missed out on an opportunity for which God had prepared me. Make no mistake – God’s activity does not hinge upon our participation. That being said, he chooses to partner with us in that activity, working through us to accomplish His will.

Thus, another way to know whether you are doing God’s will is simply to recognize that you have been invited to join Him where He is already working. This can unfold as a series of “coincidences,” as happened with me as God invited me to join Him in his work with the women at the Christian transitional home. When you feel a pull toward doing something that is consistent with His Word and that topic keeps arising – such as through words during your devotional time, a sermon, or something a Christian friend says, take notice! When God opens your eyes to where He is at work, that’s often an invitation to partner with Him.

To be continued…

[Graphic: Cover of Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Revised and Expanded. Courtesy Amazon.]

 

June 5, 2019

God’s Will Comes with Confirmation

roger_thatContinued from here.

You have searched the Scriptures and feel confident that what you are feeling led to do is consistent with God’s Word and character. However, you still aren’t sure that God is specifically calling you to do it. Now what?

I pray for God to give me some sort of sign that I am to take action, which is consistent with God’s Word. I also tell God that I will do exactly as He is leading me to do: I’m simply asking for confirmation so I don’t embark upon a journey that falls outside of His will. The signs I have received have not been as dramatic as the confirmation that Gideon experienced, but I have seen God give some really obvious signs to other people. The signs of confirmation I receive are typically more subtle, but I have learned to recognize them.

Here’s a specific example: God led me to step down from leading a Bible study through my church that I started six years ago. I’ve missed leading a Bible study and felt a strong desire to lead another one, but I knew I needed to wait for God to show me when and where. I got a phone call from a woman who lives in a Christian transitional home, asking me to come to the thrift store that supports the ministry. While I was there, another woman from the transitional home asked to talk with me, and I felt strong compassion for her. Then, the conflict I had for attending a fundraiser for the transitional home was unexpectedly canceled. At the fundraiser, someone just happened to mention that the ministry had lost a teacher and that they needed a Bible study leader on Tuesday mornings. I had no question that God’s will was for me to fill that empty slot.

I have found that God’s will often makes no logical sense. I work on Tuesdays, so I had to shift my work hours around to free up my schedule. While I did have a strong desire to lead another Bible study, sometimes God’s will has me suddenly feeling a nudge to do something that I, quite frankly, would not typically want to do. A prime example is my sudden desire to work for a prison ministry when I had been resistant to prison ministry for most of my life. When I suddenly feel drawn to doing something that aligns with God’s Word and is something that I would not typically want to do, I know that’s God’s will.

To be continued…

[Graphic: Cartoon of Grace flying in a fighter plane under the words, “Roger that.” Courtesy Bitmoji.]

 

June 4, 2019

God’s Will is Always Consistent with His Word

yes_sirContinued from here.

If what you believe God is leading you to do is inconsistent with Scripture, you are being deceived. God will never lead you to do something that expressly contradicts His Word. For example, it is never God’s will for you violate one of the Ten Commandments, such as to steal, commit adultery, or disrespect your parents. Jesus said that it violates God’s will even to do these things in our hearts, so, as an example, it’s never God’s will to lust after someone you aren’t married to.

So, let’s say you are a married woman who meets a Christian man with whom you feel a strong connection. It is not God’s will for you to pursue a friendship with this man. What might start out as an innocent friendship can rapidly transform into adultery, even if nothing physical ever takes place between them. While there is no Bible verse stating, “Thou shalt not be friends with a man with whom you are not married,” we can look at what the Bible does say and apply the principles to specific situations. The same holds true for the many issues we deal with today that are not specifically addressed in the Bible but are nevertheless covered by general biblical principles.

Not only is God’s will always consistent with His Word, but it’s also always consistent with His character, which is expressly explained in the Bible. For example, God has a heart the vulnerable in society, so standing up for those who are being exploited is always going to be within His will. Extending grace to those who don’t deserve it is also always going to be within His will. Being kind to others is always going to be in His will. Here’s a good rule of thumb for the bigger picture of behavior that is always squarely within the will of God:

And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’” ~ Zech. 7:8-10

We should pray for wisdom and discernment to know when God is calling us to administer justice versus mercy as there’s a time for both. Only God knows the heart and whether justice or mercy is appropriate in a particular situation.

To be continued…

[Graphic: Cartoon of Grace dressed as a soldier, standing in a tank, saluting, and saying, “Yes, sir!” Courtesy Bitmoji.]

 

June 3, 2019

How Do I Know Whether This is God’s Will?

questionThe same question has popped up in several places in my life recently: “How do I know that what I am doing is God’s will?” Interestingly, while I’ve heard this question from people before embarking upon a new leg of their journey, I’m actually hearing it more frequently from people who have already committed to a course of action. They felt confident that God was directing them to do X when they started out. However, the road has been difficult, and the end has remained out of sight far longer than they ever imagined, causing them to question whether they are, in fact, walking in God’s will. After all, if they are walking in God’s will, why are they encountering so many obstacles?

Before launching into some ways for helping you verify whether you are correctly discerning God’s will, let me assure you that it is normal to encounter obstacles as you follow God’s will. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that if my journey were to be completely smooth, that would cause me to question whether I am actually walking in God’s will. Whatever God has called me to do is furthering His Kingdom purposes, which Satan wants to thwart. Thus, I expect opposition whenever I am following God’s will.

Think about the obstacles that people in the Bible experienced as they were clearly walking in God’s will:

We don’t question whether any of these people were doing God’s will, and yet their situations got worse instead of better for a season. We cannot look to our circumstances for reassurance while we are in the middle of doing God’s will: we must remember as our circumstances get harder that opposition is to be expected. Ultimately, Pharaoh did let the Israelites slaves go, the Hebrew boys survived the furnace and did not even smell like smoke, Nehemiah did complete the wall around Jerusalem, and Jesus conquered death and hell!

Now that we know what not to look for as confirmation that we are doing God’s will, let’s discuss where we can find the reassurance we are looking for.

To be continued…

[Graphic: Cartoon of Grace under a large question mark. Courtesy Bitmoji.]

 

May 31, 2019

Awakening to Your Sin Leads to Appreciation of Grace

Continued from here.

Church – It’s time to stop minimizing the enormity of our sin and sinful nature. Jesus did not come to make bad people good: he came to make dead people live. If you have ever committed a sin, no matter how “small,” you have committed spiritual mutiny that has separated you from God. The only way back to God is to receive God’s grace that was provided through the humiliating and painful death of his Son, Jesus. If you have committed any sin, you are responsible for Jesus having to die on the cross. Your only way back to God is grace.

Listen to Tauren Wells’ song Known, paying particular attention to these lyrics from the chorus:

And it’s not one or the other. It’s hard truth and ridiculous grace to be known – fully known – and loved by You.”

 

God fully knows us, so he has seen the despicable things we have done, not only in our lives but in our hearts. And yet He extends us grace. If you have hated someone in your heart, you have committed murder. If you have lusted in your heart, you have committed adultery. You are guilty, just as I am.

But here’s the good part: God has extended you grace to forgive you – to wash you clean – from ALL of it! He loves you exactly as you are, right there in you brokenness. He provided you with a way to stand before Him guilty and yet be reconciled with Him because He paid the price Himself through Jesus. God fully knows all of the despicable things you have thought and done, and yet he showers you with “ridiculous” grace – grace that fully covers and washes away your guilt. Once you really get this, you’ll find yourself extending grace to others. A gift this lavish must be paid forward!

[Graphic: Link to YouTube video of Tauren Well’s Known.]

 

May 30, 2019

God’s Grace for Spiritual Mutiny

no_big_dealContinued from here.

Considering Jesus paid a heavy price to bring us God’s grace, one would expect all Christians to receive it and then pay it forward. And yet many clearly do not because if they actually appreciated the enormity of the grace that God has extended them, then they would treat other people with grace in appreciation for what they have themselves been given. Jesus addressed this dynamic when he anointed a sinful woman:

‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’

Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’

‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said” (Luke 7:41-43).

Note that the two people who owed money to the moneylender in Jesus’ story both received the same percentage of grace: 100%. However, the one who owed more appreciated the grace more. Put another way, the one who recognized the enormity of his debt was more appreciative.

People like to categorize sin: murder = REALLY BAD SIN whereas fudging on your taxes or telling a white lie = LITTLE SIN. But let’s think about what got mankind into the predicament of being separated from God in the first place: eating a piece of fruit. I think all of us would categorize eating a piece of fruit was a LITTLE SIN, but look at what happened! It was spiritual mutiny!

Folks, there are no “little sins.” Every single one of us has committed spiritual mutiny. It might look small like eating a piece of fruit, or it might look huge, resulting in a life prison sentence. However, in either case, our spiritual mutiny separated us from God, and Jesus had to die on the cross to provide a way back into relationship with God. Whether the “worst” sin you ever committed was eating a piece of fruit or mass murder, you are responsible for every wound inflicted upon Jesus’ flesh. Once you really grasp your culpability in crucifying Jesus, your eyes will be opened to the enormity of the grace that God has given you.

To be continued…

[Graphic: Cartoon of Grace lighting up a cigar with a $100 bill and saying, “No big deal.” Courtesy Bitmoji.]

May 29, 2019

Grace is a Gift We Pay Forward

giftsContinued from here.

In my last blog entry, I shared a story about how I extended grace to a woman who works for a Christian organization who made a mistake. The reason I extended grace was not because she deserved it – she didn’t. And I didn’t do it because her mistake wasn’t costly – it caused inconvenience for the people in my organization. I extended her grace because of the grace that God has extended to me.

In contrast, I had a situation where a Christian woman did not extend grace to me when, due to a miscommunication, she believed she had been wronged. Even though I don’t think I did anything wrong in this particular situation, I nevertheless apologized to her, but even my apology did not placate her. I spent the next few weeks praying blessings over her to help me avoid sowing seeds of bitterness over this unpleasant experience. As I chose to forgive this woman for the way she treated me as well as others, God enlightened me to a truth I otherwise would have missed: This woman likely did not extend me grace because she, herself, has received little grace.

Of course, as a Christian, she has, in fact, been extended an enormous amount of grace through Jesus’ sacrifice for her, as is true for all of us. However, Jesus extending us grace is only half of the equation: we must also receive the grace that he extends to us. Until we do, we will continue to live as if grace has been withheld, even though that really isn’t the case. How heartbreaking it must be for God to have extended grace at such a high cost but have children who never receive that grace!

Giving a gift does not guarantee that the gift will be received. God offers the free gift of grace to all, but we must choose to believe Him and receive the gift before it will do us any good. How heartbreaking that so many people never do receive His gift of grace, even many who represent themselves as being Christians! And until we receive God’s generous gift of grace ourselves, we are unable to pay it forward.

To be continued…

[Graphic: Cartoon of Grace holding a large stack of presents. Courtesy Bitmoji.]

 

May 28, 2019

Grace Cannot Be Earned

paydayContinued from here.

In my last blog entry, I shared the story of my failure to read a 250-page book at age 8 in the allotted time. I was not met with grace in that situation, but I shared what the outcome might have been if that’s how my story had ended. I wouldn’t have deserved a positive outcome. After all, I didn’t complete the assignment within the time I had been allotted. If I had, then no grace would have been needed. I knew I had failed, and there was nothing I could do about it as the clock kept moving toward the deadline I could no longer meet. And yet what a huge difference it would have made in my life had I received grace instead of punishment … not because I deserved it but because it’s what I needed.

I still need grace – lots and lots of grace – but we live in a world that frequently fails to extend grace. Sadly, I even see this in Christian circles: someone makes a mistake and apologizes, but the other Christian fails to extend grace. I recently had the experience of a Christian making a mistake, and I reacted by extending grace. Her over-the-top level of gratitude communicated volumes: she was not used to receiving grace when making a mistake in her line of work, even though she works for a Christian organization and knew that I was representing one as well. How sad for grace being extended from one Christian to another to be viewed as an anomaly!

To be clear, this woman did not deserve grace. Her mistake caused an inconvenience to the people in my Christian organization, and we had to make adjustments to compensate for her mistake. I didn’t extend her grace because she deserved it. I did it because God has extended grace to me. This woman did not intend to make the mistake and was clearly upset with herself for doing so. She took responsibility and apologized for her mistake. However, none of this “earned” her grace. Grace is always a gift that is extended to someone who doesn’t deserve it.

To be continued…

[Graphic: Cartoon of Grace being showered with money under the words, “Pay Day.” Courtesy Bitmoji.]

 

May 27, 2019

The Beauty of Grace

beautifulI’ve been thinking a lot about grace lately … probably because I’m in such need of it! Grace is one of those words that I have only recently grown to understand the meaning of. I grew up hearing the song Amazing Grace, but I didn’t really get it.

I think my problem is, at least in part, that I was shown so little grace throughout much of my life. Always fearing making any sort of mistake, I tried so hard to be “perfect,” which, of course, is not possible in this mortal body. As an abused child, my abusers would often set me up to “fail” and then abuse me as purported “discipline,” so I learned at a young age that it wasn’t OK to make mistakes.

One particular experience has stuck with me all these years. When I was in third grade (only 8 years old!), I begged the teacher to let me read a real novel for a book report. Sure enough, reading a book with over 200 pages at age 8 in the short period of time allotted proved to be too much for my little brain. By the night before the book report was due, I still had 50 more pages left to read, and my little brain couldn’t handle it. Instead of receiving grace, I received punishment and shame, with my abusers using my “failure” to complete my assignment as an excuse to inflict more abuse, telling me it was all my fault.

To this day, playing “beat the clock against” a deadline triggers my post-traumatic stress because of that experience, so I always work ahead and strive to complete tasks early. I know I cannot stay focused once the post-traumatic stress kicks in. What I learned from that experience is that it doesn’t matter whether I have completed five times as much work as everyone else. If I do not complete the task given me perfectly, I’m going to suffer.

I have prayed over what grace might have looked like in this situation. What if my parents had said, “I’m so proud of you for reading 200 page at age eight. Let’s cuddle together, and I’ll read you the rest of the book?” What if the focus was not on what I didn’t do (finish reading 50 more pages) and instead celebrated what I had done (reading far more than is typically expected of an eight-year-old child)? Yes, I missed the deadline. No, I didn’t do the assignment perfectly. But what if I was given the message that I was loved whether or not I completed the assignment perfectly? That’s grace.

To be continued…

[Graphic: Cartoon of Grace smiling under the word, “Beautiful.” Courtesy Bitmoji.]