HittingTheMark

In The Game, pt. 1

Mark A. — Wed, 26 May 2010 06:31:33 +0000

“You’re either in the game, on the bench, or in the stands.”

Interesting word picture I thought.

I was attending Advanced Leadership Training and the speaker was giving us information to help us see how serious we were about doing what it takes to be a leader. She went on to describe several scenarios stating “if you do this you’re in the game, if you do this you’re on the bench, if you do this you’re in the stands.”

Her point was if you’re in the game you’re consistently, actively involved. If you’re on the bench you’re ready to get involved and occasionally do so but not consistently. If you’re in the stands you’re letting others do the work and you’re just observing.

As I thought about her analogy I realized how fitting that was to areas of my spiritual life and came up with a few scenarios of my own.

Prayer – Colossians 1:9, 10 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

If I’m in the game I pray regularly and my prayers are most always for others. If I’m on the bench I pray some but my prayers are for God to do something good for myself or my family. If I’m in the stands I rarely pray and when I do it’s often rote or only when I want something.

Quiet Time – II Timothy 2:15 “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

If I’m in the game I read and study God’s Word regularly, gleaning from it gems of truth, encouragement and exhortation for my daily life. If I’m on the bench I have a Quiet Time occasionally but often out of a sense of duty or a desire to get help with a problem. If I’m in the stands I hardly ever have Quiet Time but I could probably find my Bible if I really had to.

Witnessing – Ephesians 6:19 “and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.”

If I’m in the game I am actively seeking to create opportunities to share the gospel with those I come in contact with throughout my day. If I’m on the bench I might be willing to share if the right situation came up where they asked me specifically to tell them about the Lord. If I’m in the stands I’ve decided I don’t want to be pushy so I’ll just live my testimony and not really say anything.

Ministry – I Corinthians 12:4-7, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

If I’m in the game I am eagerly involved in regularly ministering to others even if it’s uncomfortable or I know it’s not my area of strength. If I’m on the bench I do what I can when I can especially when it’s convenient. If I’m in the stands I figure someone else can do it better than me so I let them.

(continued in part 2)

In The Game, pt. 2

Mark A. — Wed, 26 May 2010 06:27:56 +0000

Spiritual Growth – Ephesians 4:22-24, “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

If I’m in the game I am consciously working on developing my spiritual life through studying the Word, reading spiritually challenging books, listening to messages other than Sunday services and involved in accountability/discipleship with another person or small group. If I’m on the bench I attend church fairly regularly, read Christian books occasionally and attend a small group when it’s convenient. If I’m in the stands I tell myself I don’t have to be a fanatic about my Christian life so I attend church sporadically, have never read a Christian book all the way through and plan to start attending a small group next year.

Possessions/Finances – II Corinthians 9:7, 8, “Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”

If I’m in the game all I have belongs to the Lord and I’m willing to use it, share it and give it to whomever and for whatever He directs. If I’m on the bench I will give the Lord what I think is His portion (usually less than 5%) and use and spend the rest as I see fit. If I’m in the stands I promise to do more with what the Lord has given me and actually start giving financially to His work as soon as I have a little bit more.

Heart – Psalm 42:1, 2 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?”

If I’m in the game I desire to get closer to the Lord because I want to know Him better. If I’m on the bench I desire to get closer to the Lord because I think then He will bless me more and give me more of what I ask for. If I’m in the stands I’m fine with my relationship with Him and don’t feel a need to truly know Him any better than I already do.

Relationships – Philippians 2:3, 4 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

If I’m in the game I am consistently looking for ways to improve how I relate to others, thinking of their needs, interests and desires and striving to find ways to adjust my life to accommodate them. If I’m on the bench I will change those things that cause big problems with others but the “smaller” things I give my self a pass on. If I’m in the stands I figure any problems I might have with others is really their problem and it’s something they need to deal with.

Am I in the game, on the bench or in the stands in my life with the Lord? For me these thoughts have been extremely challenging as I have paused and reflected on them!

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

Easy Discipleship?

Mark A. — Fri, 07 May 2010 07:27:44 +0000

I was channel surfing the other day and came across a program talking about how McDonalds is expanding their restaurants in China.

One of the things they learned is that they need to open 2 or 3 restaurants at a time in an area for them to be effective. They found opening just one doesn’t seem to have the impact or draw that opening multiples does for some reason.

The other thing they talked about was introducing drive-thrus to China. Evidently this is a new and novel concept there. They showed videos of people driving in the wrong way, stopping at the first window to pay and not knowing they should drive to the second window to pick up their food.

The biggest thing they noticed however is how many people purchase their food in the drive-thru then park and go inside to eat it.

Here in America we know all about drive-thrus. From restaurants to coffee shops to pharmacies and more, having a drive-thru is becoming an essential part of many businesses.

We are all about ease, convenience and comfort.

Of course there is nothing wrong with drive-thrus or other things that make life easier and more convenient, but I have noticed that this “make it simple, quick and easy” mentality often pervades my spiritual life as well.

The idea of being a disciple and helping others be disciples of the Lord is talked about often in Christian circles. As you know the word disciple means one who patterns their life after another, following their teachings, lifestyle and often mannerisms and obeys their directions and commands.

As Christians we are called to be disciples of Christ. To follow Him, become more and more like Him, let His Spirit mold us into His image, be obedient to Him.

As I thought about this this week I reflected on how our idea of becoming a disciple (make it simple, quick and easy) differs so dramatically from what the Lord said.

A story in the life of Jesus comes to mind. One day a rich young man who was one of the Jewish rulers came to Jesus and asked what he could do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replied that he should keep the commandments to not murder, steal or commit adultery and to honor his parents. The young man responded that he had obeyed these things since his youth.

We pick up the story in Luke 18:22, “And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, ‘One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when he had heard these things, he became very sad; for he was extremely rich.”

Obviously Jesus is not saying we can earn our way into heaven selling our things and giving the money away. The point is that discipleship is very costly. It must be the primary thing in our lives. Nothing is to be more important and anything that stands in the way must be removed.

That discipleship is to be this significant in our lives is stated throughout the New Testament. A passage that highlights this is Luke 14:26-30 where Jesus states:

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying,’ This man began to build and was not able to finish.

“So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

Discipleship is costly. It’s not simple, quick or easy. We are told to count the cost. The reward for discipleship is as they say “out of this world” but it takes a lot of work and effort.

As I think about this the question comes to mind, which kind of discipleship do I have?

Is it the simple, quick and easy kind that balks at hardships, sidesteps challenges and gripes when I’m asked to give up or do without something?

Or is it the kind that Jesus talked about, discipleship that is willing to go the extra mile and not complain, striving to only and always do what is best for the Lord and the advancement of His kingdom, name and reputation, discipleship that hears what He says to do and obeys without question or debate?

There are some in our country that espouse Easy Discipleship and making a lot of money doing it. I think studying the lives of God’s prophets and what they had to endure, reading the life of Job or even looking at God’s great “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 shows clearly discipleship is anything but simple, quick and easy.

And if we were able to ask the prophets or Job or the men and women listed in Hebrews 11 is all they went through as God’s disciple was worth it undoubtedly they would give a resounding “Yes!”

Am I looking for easy discipleship or am I willing to accept all that discipleship truly means, to become like my Master, following His example, accepting what tells me, willing to follow wherever He leads?

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

GPS

Mark A. — Sun, 02 May 2010 05:31:05 +0000

“Turn left in 600 feet on 52nd street,” the calm voice said from the GPS in my phone.

I was in downtown San Francisco trying to get back to a town up north where I was staying. The people with me were from the area but weren’t exactly sure how to get from downtown to the highway heading north.

“In 1,000 feet turn right on Lake Street.” It was very reassuring to have the GPS and gave me confidence I would make it out of the city and not just drive in circles all night.

The free GPS is one of the many features I love about my Motorola Droid cell phone. Before I got it I knew I would like GPS and thought I would use it some but now having it for several months I rely on it all the time.

Last week I was heading to a meeting in Portland and wasn’t sure whether the best route was to stay on I-5 or take I-205. I glanced at a map and then input the address in my GPS. While I was driving I noticed the GPS was taking me up I-5.

As I came to the 205 exit I thought about the map I looked at and it seemed the 205 route was more direct so I took the exit. What interested me was how I found myself expecting the voice to inform me I made a wrong turn. It simply accepted my decision with asking what I was doing or deriding me for not following its directions or telling me I was off course or challenging my decision to go a different way.

Of course, you say, it’s just a machine, it wouldn’t do those things. That’s true, but what struck me is how I need to be more like my GPS in my communication with others.

Sure if someone is about do something horrible wrong or life threatening I need to speak up, but what I thought about is how often when someone makes a decision or goes in a way I didn’t think was right I correct them, challenge them or make them explain all the reasoning. Especially in little things.

A pastor friend of mine said when he does pre-marital counseling he tells the couple if what your spouse says is at least 80% accurate you don’t need to correct them. I think that’s great advice.

That made me begin to think about how I need to do a better job when I talk to people, to speak words that are GPS – Gracious, Positive and Supportive.

The Bible has a lot to say about our words and how we communicate with others.

Colossians 4:6 tells us, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.”

In Ephesians 4:29 we read, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

The psalmist encourages us by saying, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

Proverbs 12:18 addresses this by saying, “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

How important it is for me to watch my words as I speak to others. I can communicate the same thing in a Gracious, Positive and Supportive way as I could using negative and attacking words.

As this thought has been bouncing around my mind the prayer of Psalm 141:3 came to mind, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”

What a great reminder and challenge, to make sure I use my GPS – Gracious, Positive, Supportive words – when I talk with others.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.

Mark

Waiting

Mark A. — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:57:56 +0000

“If you would just die my life would be so much better!”

Those weren’t his exact words but asking for his inheritance while his father was still living had the same impact.

Deep grief and sorrow filled the father as he calculated his son’s portion and gave it to him.

With his new windfall the young man headed off to a distant country to make his way in the world and enjoy the fruit of his father’s labor. Having more money than sense he squandered it all in a short time on fast living and even faster women.

Waking up from his drunken stupor he realized he was penniless and, to make matters worse, the economy was in the midst of a huge recession.

Not able to find desirable work he took whatever came along. To his utter dismay the only job available was feeding pigs, the most despised animal he could imagine.

There he was, covered with pig poop, starving and laying in the mud wishing he could eat the slop the pigs ate. He finally came to his senses and remembered his father’s servants had clean clothes and plenty of food.

Through shear determination he compelled his famished body to traverse the countless grueling miles to return home.

We pick up the story at this point:

“…But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him. . . the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry.’” (Luke 15:20-23)

As I read this parable again recently something stood out to me that I had never thought of from this passage.

At first glance it would seem all is great. The young man is back, his father is elated and they are preparing the celebration of all celebrations. More food than he could imagine, feasting beyond his wildest dreams. What could be better?

Then I paused and realized, to kill the fattened calf, cook it and prepare all the other food would take time, a lot of time.

Yet here stands the emaciated young prodigal.

What struck me is, according to the story (I know I’m taking liberty with the text since the passage doesn’t give us all the details) he waited until all was prepared before gorging himself.

If he was going to enjoy a feast, the flavor and magnitude of which would be fit for a king, he had to be willing to wait.

What I thought is if that had been me I probably would have opted to eat whatever was at hand – week old bread, yesterday’s porridge, scraps from lunch – anything, just so I could fill my stomach.

I realized how often that principle is true in my spiritual life.

God promises He will provide in ways and to a degree I can’t imagine.

In Ephesians 3:20 Paul wrote, “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”

And in I Corinthians 2:9 he tells us, “but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.’”

This is not to say if I wait long enough I will become rich and have all my worldly fantasies fulfilled.

What it is saying is if I do what He’s called me to do and wait on Him the outcome is going to be more than I could have ever imagined. Often the outcome is in a different form or fashion and arrives at a different place than I expected but is still above and beyond what I envisioned.

While thinking about this the past couple days I reflected on the fact that every time I impatiently moved ahead or chose the short term solution the end result was not at all what I wanted but when I waiting on the Lord His outcome always wowed me beyond belief.

Having experienced this throughout my life I now wonder why I ever act impatiently rather than waiting on Him. I wish I had an answer.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

Death of a Vision

Mark A. — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:46:34 +0000

Several years ago there was a conference called Basic Youth Conflicts taught by Bill Gothard. Much of the teaching was anything but basic, it was actually quite in-depth, and not just for youth, Christians of all ages benefited from it. It was a great week of learning and challenge.

One of the principles he taught was what he called “The Death of a Vision.” Although this idea isn’t universally true in every situation it does fit a lot of things we face in our lives.

The premise behind “The Death of a Vision” is that when we have an idea, plan, dream, or goal of something we want to do or we believe God desires us to do often that “vision” is brought to a point in our life where there is no possible way of it ever being accomplished. It is dead with no conceivable way of it being resurrected.

Sometimes God leaves our vision dead and never revives it. This lets us know it was not His will but just our thinking.

Often, however, after our “vision” is dead, God brings it back to life in a way or direction that only He can. Sometimes He renews and fulfills our exact vision and sometimes He brings to life something similar but different.

There are several examples of this in Scripture. Abraham’s vision for a son was dead as far as he could see since he was about 100 and his wife 90. The Children of Israel’s vision of going back to their home land having been in bondage for 400 years with no apparent way to get free. Saul and the army’s vision of defeating the Philistines was crushed as they stood shaking in their armor before the giant Goliath knowing no one could defeat him.

We can look throughout the Bible (c.f. Hebrews 11) and see how often people had an idea, plan, dream, or goal that was dead to them only to have God step in and not only bring it back to life but also fulfill it in a way beyond what they originally imagined.

Ephesians 3:20 comes to mind at this point, “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”

There are several reasons God uses “The Death of a Vision” in our lives. First, and most obvious, He wants us look to Him. When the vision dies we have no one else to turn to but Him. He also allows our vision to die to test our faith to see if we really trust Him like we say we do. Also He wants to show Himself strong to us, to let us experience His provision and power. And possibly it is to remove from us the goal, plan and hopes that weren’t truly from Him.

The question is, when I face a “Death of a Vision” experience, do I work to figure out ways to keep it on life-support, trying to not let it go even though I know it is past resuscitation? Or do I trust God and acknowledge only He can bring it back to life if He desires.

Do I argue with God, like a child having a fit over not getting what he wants, or do I willingly release it to His sovereign and perfect hands?

I don’t know about you but there are times in my life I can just let the thing go, but often I wrestle with God like Jacob did in Genesis 32.

The Death of a Vision. We all face it. The question is how?

As I’ve gone through another of these Death of a Vision experiences recently I was brought back to the reality that the Christian life is a life of faith. And faith means I trust the Lord especially at times when I can’t understand what He is doing or see where He is leading.

For me I’ve used the scene in the Indiana Jones movie, “The Holy Grail” where he is standing on one side of a ravine and has to get to the other side. It appears to him there is nothing to walk on. But as he steps off, apparently to fall to his death, the camera pans back to show there is a rock archway bridging the gap between the two sides. Because it blended in to the surroundings it appeared to not be there and he had to step out by faith before he discovered it.

Although I can’t see at all where this will take me or how it will end even remotely close to where I believed God wanted me I am choosing to move forward by faith that this truly is God’s direction and He does have something “exceedingly, abundantly beyond what I could ask or think” waiting for me.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

ME

Mark A. — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:21:43 +0000

We are immersed in a society brainwashing us with the idea that I am the most important person and what happens to me is my main concern.

It’s easy to disagree with that mindset when it’s stated that directly but our culture isn’t so blatant as it seeks to infuse our thinking with a “me first” attitude.

Instead we get subtle statements like;

“Have it your way.”

“You deserve a break today.”

“It’s all about you.”

Although these statements and other like them seem innocuous they clearly represent the pervasiveness of this way of thinking.

This self-serving, self-focused, self-centered approach to life has also infected the way I think in my spiritual life. Unintentionally and without notice my approach to God has been drawn into thinking that God’s reason for saving me was all about my spiritual growth and development instead of realizing it is all about Him.

Oswald Chambers puts it this way, “It is a travesty to say that Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to redeem the whole world, and place it unimpaired and rehabilitated before the throne of God. The fact that Redemption can be experienced by us is an illustration of the power of the reality of Redemption, but that is not the end of Redemption.

“If God were human, how sick to the heart and weary He would be of the constant requests we make for our salvation, for our sanctification. We tax His energies from morning till night for things for ourselves – some thing for me to be delivered from! When we touch the bedrock of the reality of the Gospel of God, we shall never bother God any further with little personal plaints.”

What he’s saying is Christians too often fall into the trap of thinking the reason God saved us is so we could have peace or joy or receive a blessing or to make us holy.

The truth is the reason He saved me is so I can get to know and have a personal relationship with Him. The peace, joy, blessings and holiness are by-products of that relationship not the purpose of it.

In First John 5:20 the beloved Apostle tells us, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

John reminds us the primary reason Christ came was to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins thereby providing a way for us to have a personal, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.

This week I’ve thought a lot about this idea and Chamber’s statement and realized how much of my relationship with the Lord and communication with Him focuses on my growth, my development, my preference and my desires and how little I simply concentrate on getting to know and growing closer to Him.

What a mockery that is of the real reason Jesus saved me and how much I need to work on totally revamping my approach to God to the proper way of thinking.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

Now!

Mark A. — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:11:05 +0000

“The Girl Scout cookie drive, one of the world’s greatest sales campaigns [grossing well over $700 million], resumes Jan. 31 with a sweet new twist,” writes Peter Rowe of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“In previous years, Scouts took orders, but the baked and frosted goods weren’t delivered until up to a month later. This year, the Scouts will take your order, reach into a well-stocked backpack or wagon and – bam! – instantly hand over your Do-Si-Dos. . . Like a rotary-dial telephone in our iPhone world [the order forms] will be old-fashioned exceptions to an up-to-date rule.”

“Cookies Now” as they call it is designed to provide instant gratification to both the Scouts selling the delectable treats as well as the eager cookie aficionado.

“‘The new system reflects modern life’s faster pace,’ said Danielle Savage, director of sales and retail operations for the local council. ‘The girl gets instant gratification with her success, and customers don’t have to wait for weeks to have their cookies.’”

Although receiving your pack of cookies immediately upon paying for it is great marketing (my favorite is the Thin Mints) it’s interesting how even this nearly 100 year old tradition was affected by our “get it now” society.

Wanting to quickly receive what I desire is not necessarily bad in and of itself but it’s an attitude I must guard against dominating and controlling my thinking and expectations especially in the area of my spiritual life.

This past week I was reading in First Peter when I came across a verse that really spotlighted this in my mind.

In his epistle Peter is writing to Christians who have been scattered throughout the known world as a result of persecution in Rome. Many had had family members or friends killed for their faith and all were living under the cloud of martyrdom.

Peter writes them to encourage them to stay strong in the Faith. In chapter 2 verse 12 he wrote something I find interesting. “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” NIV

What grabbed my attention is that Peter doesn’t try to bolster their faith by telling them to keep standing strong and hanging on because God will soon avenge the lives of their loved ones and the loss of their property.

What he said was that they were to keep doing good works even if it cost them their lives or made them live without many of their worldly possessions and comforts because those who were persecuting would eventually glorify God “on the day He visits” i.e. at the end of time, just before the judgment.

“Stick with it,” Peter said, “and don’t expect God’s vengeance on retribution to come in your lifetime.”

Talk about delayed gratification!

What a challenge that is to me. How often I expect God to answer my questions or heal my illness or resolve the turmoil in my life in a few days or a week at the most.

I pray and ask (demand?) Him to work and when it takes longer than I think it should I grumble and get frustrated and upset with Him.

Doesn’t He know this needs to be done now? Isn’t He aware of what this is doing to me to have to wait and wonder if He will come through? Can’t He see how important it is this gets resolved quickly?

What arrogant, selfish, short-sighted thinking that is! And yet I find myself regularly falling back into that way of relating to Him.

Another side to this is feeling since I’ve been obedient to Him, have “stuck with the stuff” in areas I wanted to quit, have stayed on the straight and narrow that that somehow obligates God to do what I want Him to do.

God is God. He does what He wants when He wants how He wants. I must be faithful and obedient whether He chooses to reward me soon or wait until eternity.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

Be Still

Mark A. — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:18:56 +0000

It was a bloody, gory mess.

For hours the prophets danced around shouting, crying out to their god until they were almost hoarse and still – nothing. Why wouldn’t he respond? Why was he silent? Didn’t he know his reputation was on the line? Didn’t he care?

Then just to add insult to injury Elijah started mocking them.

“You’ll have to shout louder. Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”

To entice Baal to finally respond they began cutting themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. They raved all day but still there was no sound, no reply and no response.

Finally, late in the afternoon, Elijah gathered the people around his altar and arranged the wood and sacrifice on it. He then had it doused with water. Not just once but three times.

We join the story there.

“And the water flowed around the altar, and he also filled the trench with water. Then it came about at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that Thou, O Lord, art God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again.’

“Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” I Kings 18:35-38

Every time I read this passage it resonates with something deep inside me.

Several years ago I had the privilege of standing in Israel on that mountain at the spot where this took place. I can picture it in my mind’s eye as if it were yesterday. It was thrilling to be there all those years later. I can’t even imagine what it was like to watch the flame, to feel the heat and see the whole altar consumed. Unbelievable!

Immediately after God’s brilliant fireworks display Elijah killed the 850 false prophets so they would stop leading the people astray. Queen Jezebel, who didn’t believe in God, put a hit out on Elijah ordering him to be killed within the next 24 hours.

Chapter 19 verses 1 through 4 fills in the details.

“Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.’

“And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree…”

After resting and eating food and water provided by an angel, Elijah goes further into the desert. God meets him there and tells him, “‘Go forth, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.”

“And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle wind.” (19:11, 12)

God wanted Elijah to talk with Him, to commune with Him, to be strengthened by Him. And to do this you would think He would have a great and powerful encounter like a gale force wind or colossal earthquake or massive fire. But He didn’t. He came in the gentle blowing of the wind, a quiet breeze.

Although I know this story by heart and have reflected on it many times, it came to mind again the other day as if I were reading it for the first time.

Thinking about the new year and reflecting on the months just past, it struck me how often I want God to connect with me in the flurry and whirlwind of my life, how I want Him to stay up with me as I race down the fast lane of my day.

I know God is with me even when I am at a frenzied pitch, but as we start this year I was reminded that to commune with Him, to receive the wisdom and strength I desire, I have to slow down and take time to listen to Him in times of quiet.

Psalm 46:10 tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God…”

The hectic pace doesn’t overwhelm God it just stops me from being able to hear Him, connect with Him and grow to know Him.

As I am planning my days this new year I am reminded I must schedule quiet times with Him. God won’t force Himself on me or shout over the tornado I let my life get in. He will just patiently wait for me to slow myself down and connect with Him in that still, small voice.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark

The Good Hand of My God

Mark A. — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:56:52 +0000

Standing on the threshold of 2010 I have been reflecting on what took place the past 12 months and my mind went back to something I we looked at over two years ago while studying the book of Nehemiah.

In the beginning of the book Nehemiah asks God for provision and protection as he desired to return to Jerusalem to rebuild its wall. Later Nehemiah presented his requests to the king. He then writes, “And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.” (2:8)

That statement “the good hand of my God was upon me” bounced around my head all week.

Thinking back on the year I realized once again how often I only said God’s good hand was upon me when good things happened. Like I got a good deal on something I wanted or I was protected from harm in a certain situations or I experienced peace through a trial I faced or my week of sales went great.

At the end of the day when things went well I said, “The good hand of my God was upon me.”

But what about those days when life fell apart, when everything that could go wrong did go wrong, when the pain was almost unbearable, when there were no sales for the week?

The thought kept coming back to me of how rarely I said “the good hand of my God is upon me” at those times.

After contemplating this two conclusions came to mind.

First, it reminded me of how little I know and understand God if I think His good hand is upon me only when things happen that I like.

The other was that as I move into this fresh new year I have to make sure I constantly remind myself that God’s hand is always on me and it’s always there for my ultimate good and that good is to help me grow and to know and understand Him better.

The often quoted passage in Romans 8 reminds us, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” (verses 28, 29a)

As we move through this upcoming year may God give us the understanding and confidence that His good hand is on all the time no matter what circumstances we face.

That’s what’s been on my heart this week.
Mark