1. God’s timing is always right.
We are often impatient and wonder why God is not acting. Saul knew that he should wait but he grew impatient when Samuel did not come so he took matters into his own hands. I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." I Samuel 13:12. Because he decided not to wait for the Lord’s direction he suffered severe consequences. Samuel’s words were like a dagger in his heart. "You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 1 Samuel 13:13
Many of God’s servants have learned the lesson that Elijah had to learn at Kerith and at Zarephath. Joseph was left in an Egyptian prison; Daniel spent the night in a lions’ den; Paul spent time in Arabia. These men learned the lesson and passed the test but Saul failed the test when he took matters into his own hands.
Elijah was instructed by the Lord to go to Zarephath of Sidon and it was there that the Lord had commanded a widow to feed him. How the Lord commanded the widow we do not know but I am sure that as the famine that was affecting the region had affected her country as well that she had cried out to God for mercy upon her and her son. Was she a believer? The evidence from the text seems to tell us that she knew of the God of Israel and she knew that the famine was the result of Israel’s sin against Him.
Elijah was instructed to go to Sidon which was the homeland of Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel had searched the entire region for Elijah but they never suspected that God would hide him in her own land. He was commanded to go to Zarephath which means refining. God had a further work to do in Elijah’s life before he was ready to confront the king. We are not told what the lesson was that Elijah was to learn but I am sure that the Lord was teaching him the truth of Habakkuk 2:4, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Continued tomorrow LW
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
No One Knows the Trouble You’ve Brought Part 1
Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" 1 Kings 17:17 – 18
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:71
Elijah had watched the stream dry up and it wasn’t until there was no more water that the Lord gave him instruction. I am sure that most of us would have been busy making plans for our survival once the brook had dried up but we are not told anything about what Elijah was thinking. We are only told that once the brook was dry then the word of the Lord came to him. When all hope of surviving in his own strength was gone then the Lord gave him further instruction. We are not told how the Lord spoke to him but only that once the brook had dried up then the Word of the Lord came to him.
We have heard many times that we are to seek God’s call upon our lives. Though this may be true it is interesting to notice that more often the Scriptures tell us that the Word of the Lord came to different individuals. The Word of the Lord came to Nathan when David was preparing to build a temple to the Lord. The Word of the Lord came to the prophets such as Zechariah and gave them the message they were to preach. The Word of the Lord came to Paul when he was planning to go to Bithynia. As these were seeking to know what God desired them to do the Word of the Lord came to them.
Continued tomorrow LW
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:71
Elijah had watched the stream dry up and it wasn’t until there was no more water that the Lord gave him instruction. I am sure that most of us would have been busy making plans for our survival once the brook had dried up but we are not told anything about what Elijah was thinking. We are only told that once the brook was dry then the word of the Lord came to him. When all hope of surviving in his own strength was gone then the Lord gave him further instruction. We are not told how the Lord spoke to him but only that once the brook had dried up then the Word of the Lord came to him.
We have heard many times that we are to seek God’s call upon our lives. Though this may be true it is interesting to notice that more often the Scriptures tell us that the Word of the Lord came to different individuals. The Word of the Lord came to Nathan when David was preparing to build a temple to the Lord. The Word of the Lord came to the prophets such as Zechariah and gave them the message they were to preach. The Word of the Lord came to Paul when he was planning to go to Bithynia. As these were seeking to know what God desired them to do the Word of the Lord came to them.
Continued tomorrow LW
Sunday, July 5, 2009
DIY Religion
This morning Pastor Gord preached on Judges 17 and 18. At the end of his sermon he showed a clip from Paris Reidhead's sermon called Ten Shekels and a Shirt. It is a great sermon but it is extremely convicting. Why do we serve God? Is it for something that we would get out of it or is it for the glory of God?
When we pray for people, whether for healing, family situations, safety, financial, or whatever are we concerned with man's (or woman's) happiness or with God's glory? I think too often our prayers are much like serving God for ten shekels and a shirt.
One weakness of our worship this morning was the singing of the song Above All. I love most of the song but it falls apart in the chorus. I am sure He didn't think of me above all when He was on the cross. I know that there are some churches that will not use th at song because of the chorus.
When we pray for people, whether for healing, family situations, safety, financial, or whatever are we concerned with man's (or woman's) happiness or with God's glory? I think too often our prayers are much like serving God for ten shekels and a shirt.
One weakness of our worship this morning was the singing of the song Above All. I love most of the song but it falls apart in the chorus. I am sure He didn't think of me above all when He was on the cross. I know that there are some churches that will not use th at song because of the chorus.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Thanks but to whom?
Suppose you look at scenes like those above and feel an overwhelming sense of awe and wish to give thanks for the beauty around you but because you are an atheist you have no one to thank. You cannot thank chance because that sounds too much like thanking a creator. What does an atheist do?
Richard Dawkins has decided to have a summer camp for young atheists. I wonder what their camp songs will sound like? Kids naturally want to believe in God so Dawkins thinks he has to "program" them differently. Albert Mohler says that he has "jumped the shark" on this one.
Doesn't it seem strange that to be an atheist you have to refer to what you don't believe in rather than what you do believe in? Even the flat earth people have it better than that.
Just thinking and I am thankful to my Creator.
By the way, I took those pictures in 1972 when my wife and I honeymooned in BC.
Friday, July 3, 2009
I Am Only Answering Your Prayer Conclusion
3. The answer to our prayer may bring hardship upon us.
However, I am sure that he had doubts about his own future. What was he going to do when there was no more water? How could he exist without the stream? He knew that God had directed the ravens to bring him food but how could the ravens bring him water to drink? I am sure he asked the Lord what was going on. Had the Lord abandoned him and left him to die? It was then that the Lord reminded him, “I am only answering your prayer. You prayed that it would not rain and it hasn’t rained. That is why the brook is drying up.” Elijah was reminded that praying can be dangerous. When God answers our prayers it does not necessarily mean comfort and ease for us but rather it often means hardship and difficulty. God is not interested in our comfort as much as our holiness. Before Elijah prayed that it would not rain the people had been living in comfort but they had drifted far away from their God. If God had been interested in their comfort he would have left them in the state that they were in rather than shut up the heavens.
Elijah needed to be reminded why he had been sent to Kerith. It was not for his own protection that he was removed from the mainstream of life but as a judgment upon the nation of Israel. God withdrew his servants which was a greater judgment than the withholding of rain. Without His servants there would come a greater famine than the lack of food. Amos tells us, "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD , "when I will send a famine through the land-not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. Amos 8:11 – 12 (NIV).
How often that happens to us? We pray for healing and we become more ill. Is God playing a sick joke on us? It is then that God reminds us that before physical healing there should be spiritual healing. He may have allowed the illness into our lives to get our attention. James tells us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 (NIV)
Finally the day came when he walked down to the steam and there was no more water. It was then that the word of the Lord came to him. Notice that the Word of the Lord came to him. Often we try to discover the will of God for our lives. We need to know that while we are in the Word, fasting and praying that the Word of the Lord will come to us. God leads us step by step. We have to be obedient to the revelation He has given us before He will give us a new revelation. Now it was time for Elijah to move on. How the Word of the Lord came to him we do not know but however it was Elijah knew that it was the Word of the Lord. Maybe the Lord spoke to him in a dream or a vision or maybe it was just the still small voice of the Spirit speaking to his spirit. However it was, Elijah knew that God had directed him.
How often we are interested in our comfort while God is interested in our holiness. The Lord allows hardships and difficulties into our lives so we can become holy. We often pray for comfort and He desires to make us holy. Often in our prayers we give lip service to holiness only to find that God answers that prayer by making us uncomfortable.
Many people have testified to their spiritual growth in terms such as these: It was the year that I was diagnosed with cancer that God became real in my life. Some one else may say, it was the time when my father passed away that I began to seek God. Another person may add, it was the year that my business failed that I learned to walk by faith. In each of these cases the person may add something like this: “It was not my desire to get cancer or that anyone would suffer as I suffered but I thank God for that suffering because then God became real to me.” We need to remember that God is more interested in our holiness than in our comfort and if we are serious about being holy then we may see God working in ways that we would never expect. Remember the words of the Lord to Habakkuk, “For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV).
However, I am sure that he had doubts about his own future. What was he going to do when there was no more water? How could he exist without the stream? He knew that God had directed the ravens to bring him food but how could the ravens bring him water to drink? I am sure he asked the Lord what was going on. Had the Lord abandoned him and left him to die? It was then that the Lord reminded him, “I am only answering your prayer. You prayed that it would not rain and it hasn’t rained. That is why the brook is drying up.” Elijah was reminded that praying can be dangerous. When God answers our prayers it does not necessarily mean comfort and ease for us but rather it often means hardship and difficulty. God is not interested in our comfort as much as our holiness. Before Elijah prayed that it would not rain the people had been living in comfort but they had drifted far away from their God. If God had been interested in their comfort he would have left them in the state that they were in rather than shut up the heavens.
Elijah needed to be reminded why he had been sent to Kerith. It was not for his own protection that he was removed from the mainstream of life but as a judgment upon the nation of Israel. God withdrew his servants which was a greater judgment than the withholding of rain. Without His servants there would come a greater famine than the lack of food. Amos tells us, "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD , "when I will send a famine through the land-not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. Amos 8:11 – 12 (NIV).
How often that happens to us? We pray for healing and we become more ill. Is God playing a sick joke on us? It is then that God reminds us that before physical healing there should be spiritual healing. He may have allowed the illness into our lives to get our attention. James tells us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 (NIV)
Finally the day came when he walked down to the steam and there was no more water. It was then that the word of the Lord came to him. Notice that the Word of the Lord came to him. Often we try to discover the will of God for our lives. We need to know that while we are in the Word, fasting and praying that the Word of the Lord will come to us. God leads us step by step. We have to be obedient to the revelation He has given us before He will give us a new revelation. Now it was time for Elijah to move on. How the Word of the Lord came to him we do not know but however it was Elijah knew that it was the Word of the Lord. Maybe the Lord spoke to him in a dream or a vision or maybe it was just the still small voice of the Spirit speaking to his spirit. However it was, Elijah knew that God had directed him.
How often we are interested in our comfort while God is interested in our holiness. The Lord allows hardships and difficulties into our lives so we can become holy. We often pray for comfort and He desires to make us holy. Often in our prayers we give lip service to holiness only to find that God answers that prayer by making us uncomfortable.
Many people have testified to their spiritual growth in terms such as these: It was the year that I was diagnosed with cancer that God became real in my life. Some one else may say, it was the time when my father passed away that I began to seek God. Another person may add, it was the year that my business failed that I learned to walk by faith. In each of these cases the person may add something like this: “It was not my desire to get cancer or that anyone would suffer as I suffered but I thank God for that suffering because then God became real to me.” We need to remember that God is more interested in our holiness than in our comfort and if we are serious about being holy then we may see God working in ways that we would never expect. Remember the words of the Lord to Habakkuk, “For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV).
Thursday, July 2, 2009
I Am Only Answering Your Prayer Part 3
2. Prayer is for God’s glory and not our comfort.
As Elijah was hiding by the stream he spent a great deal of time in prayer for his nation. He did not pray that the drought would end but rather he prayed that the drought would turn the hearts of the King and the leaders back to the Word of God and repent. He knew that if the leaders and the people would repent then the drought would end. He was reminded of the words of the Lord to King Solomon at the dedication of the temple, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV).
Each day he probably wondered if this was the day that King Ahab had repented. Would this be the day that God would bring healing to the land? He knew that before the rains would come to heal the land the people had to turn their hearts back to God. Elijah knew that the idolatry in the hearts of the people was much more serious than the drought. How many people have said, “If God really was a God of love then wouldn’t He remove this trial or sickness?” or “Wouldn’t He have prevented my loved one from being hurt in that accident?” Maybe it is because God is a God of love that he doesn’t remove the thorn in our flesh. God desires us to have a relationship with Him more than He desires our comfort.
Concluded tomorrow LW
As Elijah was hiding by the stream he spent a great deal of time in prayer for his nation. He did not pray that the drought would end but rather he prayed that the drought would turn the hearts of the King and the leaders back to the Word of God and repent. He knew that if the leaders and the people would repent then the drought would end. He was reminded of the words of the Lord to King Solomon at the dedication of the temple, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV).
Each day he probably wondered if this was the day that King Ahab had repented. Would this be the day that God would bring healing to the land? He knew that before the rains would come to heal the land the people had to turn their hearts back to God. Elijah knew that the idolatry in the hearts of the people was much more serious than the drought. How many people have said, “If God really was a God of love then wouldn’t He remove this trial or sickness?” or “Wouldn’t He have prevented my loved one from being hurt in that accident?” Maybe it is because God is a God of love that he doesn’t remove the thorn in our flesh. God desires us to have a relationship with Him more than He desires our comfort.
Concluded tomorrow LW
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
I am only answering your prayer Part 2
This is a continuation of yesterday's post.
1. God’s ways are not our ways.
How many of God’s active servants have been laid aside by illness or other problems and they have questioned the wisdom of God. They have felt that God made a mistake by stopping a successful public ministry and left them on a bed of illness. One well known speaker and writer from a few years ago was laid aside with a heart attack. He started to complain to God saying that God had made a mistake. After all he was busy for the Lord writing and speaking. The Lord then spoke to him and reminded him that he was so busy in his work that he had neglected his time with the Lord. The Lord loved him more than his work and wanted him to spend time with the Lord. In order to do that the Lord had to stop him and lay him aside for a time. Elijah needed to spend time with his God.
But God’s wisdom is not man’s wisdom. God has often laid aside His servants so that they can spend time with Him. There is often a greater ministry than they have been doing and that is the ministry of prayer. One of the sins of a successful ministry that God’s servants must guard against is the sin of prayerlessness
Continued tomorrow LW.
1. God’s ways are not our ways.
How many of God’s active servants have been laid aside by illness or other problems and they have questioned the wisdom of God. They have felt that God made a mistake by stopping a successful public ministry and left them on a bed of illness. One well known speaker and writer from a few years ago was laid aside with a heart attack. He started to complain to God saying that God had made a mistake. After all he was busy for the Lord writing and speaking. The Lord then spoke to him and reminded him that he was so busy in his work that he had neglected his time with the Lord. The Lord loved him more than his work and wanted him to spend time with the Lord. In order to do that the Lord had to stop him and lay him aside for a time. Elijah needed to spend time with his God.
But God’s wisdom is not man’s wisdom. God has often laid aside His servants so that they can spend time with Him. There is often a greater ministry than they have been doing and that is the ministry of prayer. One of the sins of a successful ministry that God’s servants must guard against is the sin of prayerlessness
Continued tomorrow LW.
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