Resist

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.

But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram,

“The Lord has kept me from having children.

Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Abram agreed to what Sarai said.”

Genesis 16:1-2

Resist!

Resist the urge to handle things on your own.

Much can be said about Sarai’s comment:

“The Lord has kept me from having children...” but the point I want to make is that we are all tempted to take matters into our own hands.

We try to justify in a hundred different ways.

We even blame God as Sarai did.

But it never ends well when our preemptive moves bypass the timetable God has set.

So again I say resist.

Don’t act on those urges.

Maybe I sound like a parent giving their young teenager THAT talk.

But the results of retreating, no matter the reason, can be far more devastating than we might imagine.

Second chances?

Sure, God gives second chances.

But like Abraham, we still may have an Ishmael to deal with.

You know that old expression – resistance is futile?

In this case it is not futile, it is essential.

It’s worth saying a third time!

Resist the urge to take matters into your own hands!

Father Knows Best

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:14

Hurry up and wait.

Who likes to wait?

Most of us hate it.

It might be the checkout line at the grocery store or a waiting room for a doctor’s appointment; doesn’t matter – we quickly grow impatient.

When my wife knows she has to wait, she brings along a book.

Maybe you wait by studying, praying or worrying.

I suppose there are as many different ways to pass the time as there are people needing to wait!

But here is something to remember – many Christians fail to receive the fulfillment of an expectation because they will not wait for Gods’ appointed time.

We step in ahead of God, tired of waiting, and take matters into our own hands.

Biggest problem with that, where do I begin?

Like the title of the old TV series form the fifties – Father knows best!

Your heavenly Father does indeed know best concerning your life.

Yes, better than even you.

So next time you find yourself waiting on God, don’t try to solve things on your own.

Trust God and His timetable.

Synchronize Your Watches

“There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens...”

Ecclesiastes 3:1

God has times and seasons for our lives.

We have times and seasons for our lives.

Sometimes we forget to synchronize our watches (so to speak) with God.

We show up expecting something from Him only to be disappointed.

It’s not likely we misunderstand His promise it’s more likely we misunderstand His timing.

God made a promise to Abraham.

But if you know the story it took a while for that promise to be fulfilled.

Not because God forgot, but because Abraham and Sarah’s expectation didn’t match Gods’ perfect timing.

God sent His Son Jesus at the exact moment in history that He had purposed.

I think we sometimes picture God throwing a dart at a calendar as if He arbitrarily chose a year for the most momentous event in human history.

Or maybe not – maybe we hold those thoughts for our own life.

“Surely God has forgotten His promise to me”, we think.  

But be assured, He has not forgotten.

His seeming delay is instead His perfect timing.

It’s time (forgive the pun) to synchronize your watch with God!

The Necessary No’s!

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

Titus 2:11-12

No!

It is a word we don’t like.

We especially don’t like hearing “No!” when we are determined to only hear “Yes!”

But notice, if you will, who is to say “No” in the scripture above.

The grace of God teaches us to say no!

It teaches us to say no to ungodliness, no to worldly passions, no to self-centered selfishness.

Jesus spoke of it when He said:

 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Luke 9:23

Do you have trouble saying no?

I sometimes do?

But the grace of God is always there to teach us so that even when it is difficult we know it is necessary.

Don’t turn away from the necessary no’s in your life.

They can help you grow in grace.

Time Well Spent

Teach us to number our days,

    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Do you use your time wisely?

The clock really is a great equalizer.

No matter your fortune or fame you get the same 24/7 as everyone else.

There are unlimited ways to spend that time.

Not all of those ways are evil, not all of those ways are good.

How you withdraw from that daily account of 1,440 minutes is up to you.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to take stock of how your time is spent.

When you take out work, sleep, and other necessary things what do you do with the time that is left?

The Psalmist made his request to God that he might use it wisely and so gain that heart of wisdom.

I have met some wise men and woman.

They have learned this truth.

I have met some foolish people too.

An extra few minutes here or there is like the proverbial dollar that burns a hole in their pocket.

It is spent on frivolous and sometimes even foolish endeavors.

Take the time to evaluate your time.

It is time well spent!

No Resolutions Here

It is so easy to fall into the trap of setting New Year resolutions.

Why do I call them a trap?

Because when we inevitably fail to keep them, the guilt sets in.

Our self-talk becomes lethal, denigrating our will power and perseverance.

Instead of New Year’s resolutions how about this:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Are there changes needed in your life?

There sure are in mine.

So why not lift those requests to God.

Let God become your ally in strengthening you and changing you.

It is His desire that we all be changed to conform to the image of His Son.

I am so grateful that it goes beyond a resolution to a heavenly alliance through prayer.

After all, with God all things are possible!

Happy New Year

May His Goodness Be Showered on You in Abundance in 2019

Happy New Year from

Choose the River