God in the Shadows

I Samuel 9

God is always at work around us; even in the mundane, ordinary tasks. We never know where we are in this drama He is writing. Kish had lost his donkeys and sent his son Saul to look for them. Saul obeyed and his life was never the same. 

Saul did not know what he was walking into and neither do we.

Saul was looking for donkeys, but God was looking for a leader of Israel.

God was speaking and Saul did not know.

God was at work and Saul did not see it. 

We do not know what all God is up to as we move forward in obedience.  We do not know what will happen today or tomorrow.  There is never a good time to quit.  There is never a good time to lose heart.  Saul did not know that he and his family was "the focus of all Israel's hope." He had gone out looking for donkeys and found a whole lot more.  What might you find today or this week?

Enduring the predictable

Tolkien, in his epic story about Bilbo, talks about the challenge of sticking to the path no matter what. It is that "no matter what" that we get really nervous about.  He explains that along this path, we sometimes have to encounter the unpredictable and endure the predictable. 

In either case, we need much grace to endure.

In either case, we are tempted sometimes to quit.

In either case, we never know completely what God is up to or what will happen just around the bend. 

In Luke 1: 8-10, we are introduced to Zechariah, the priest, future father of John the Baptist. The Bible says, Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of The Lord and burn incense.  And when the time for the burning of the incense came, all the assembled worshippers were praying outside.  THEN.... an angel of The Lord....

There are several hints in this passage that Zechariah was simply sticking to the path, probably not expecting too much to happen. 

His division was on duty.

He was simply serving.

He was chosen by lot.

It was customary to do this.

When the time came....  Predictable!

Zechariah had come to work, and was going to do his duty and go home as usual.  But he did not know what God was about to do. 

We never know what God will do today or tomorrow.  There is never a good time to quit! 

We never know what all God is up to.

We never know what all God is saying or about to say.

We never know where we are in God's story.

We never know how significant our next step of obedience may be for the glory of God. 

God, give me grace to endure the predictable, knowing that I serve an unpredictable God. 

-Jess

Are you an adulterer?

Jesus rebuked the people of his day for being an adulterous generation.  He not only meant that they were immoral, but that they would not commit to anything.  An adulterous generation is led and controlled by emotions.  "I have the right to feel good, be comfortable, have my way." 

And when things get tough, this generation moves on to something easier or "more exciting."

Our generation is no different. We must deny ourselves, take up the cross of discipleship and do this daily… for a long time... for a life time.  This must be done in our marriages, families, workplace and especially in regard to finishing the Great Commission.   

Let us not be a generation of adulterers.

Encounter the unpredictable... endure the predictable

I was looking back through my journal for this year and ran across this entry from February 23rd.  It encouraged me and I pray it encourages you and puts more iron in our souls as we follow Him.

"Reading back through the highlights of Walking with Bilbo. It talks about simply sticking to the path.  Along this path we encounter the unpredictable and we endure the predictable; both take great courage and faith.  If we finish what God has called us to do, we must move forward trusting in times of obscurity and doing the mundane tasks over and over.  The doors will eventually open.  We are under the dragon spell when we are jealous or hurt for being overlooked.  

Sometimes there is no clear cut ending to various chapters of our story and we often wonder what God is up to.

Will He bring our adventure to a good end?

I must keep up my hobbitry of heart (this is what Tolkien wrote to his son who was fighting in WWII).  All stories feel like this when you are in them, but it is faith in God who finishes what he starts and brings our story to a happy ending.  This is not about us, but about His purposes.  So if you are feeling a little uneasy about the details of following Jesus, take heart.  That is how I feel at times; faint at heart, dis-heartened, but God will strengthen our hearts along the way.   

Let us stick to the path He has showed us: To lead young people to finish the Great Commission in this Generation!  He will help us encounter the unpredictable and endure the predictable.   

Do you have a thinking problem?

Our mind is a battlefield.  Many times we have a thinking problem: worry, inferiority, condemnation, thinking as the world thinks, having worldly goals and ambitions.  2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.

We must put a security guard at the door of our minds and check every thought coming in so that the thoughts can be conformed to the word of God and the will of God.  I must meditate on what the word says about myself, the world, God, and God's will.