Wow! Amazing.

Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.[1]

All my life I've heard wonderful stories of people who have needs, call out to God, and He supplies in a very personal way. But I've grown up in a family and nation where, though I've never been in wealth, I've never really been in want either.

We've had terrific storms here in Michigan this winter. A couple of weeks ago, we had snow falling so fast, that four or five times of clearing the drive was barely enough. That's when it happened, but without my asking.

The first snow dumped on a Monday. Because of the storm, I worked from home, so had the leisure of clearing the first wave myself.

Then I did it.

THE NEED SUPPLIED
Some recent injuries to my back weakened it so that the shoveling threw it into spasms. For the rest of the day, I lay working on the couch and babying it. That's when I heard the first of three or four times my neighbours revved up their snow blower and cleared my other neighbour's drive and my own. I lay with a mixture of guilt and thankfulness. God had provided when I had no way to provide for myself nor had yet grasped how desperate my situation would be if this need was not met.

My back continued to cause me various levels of pain the next couple weeks. The last several of days, I've finally felt the muscles easing, though not fully surrendering.

YET AGAIN
Another six inches of snow fell and covered my drive last night. I had not seen my neighbors yet this morning, so I began praying about how to clear my drive without irritating my back.

Not long after, I heard a knock on the door. Two young teenage boys asked if they could shovel my drive. In the past, I've always said no. For one, because I actually enjoy the exercise, and, two, I don't usually carry cash.

This time, I was three dollars shy of the $15 they suggested, but they graciously accepted it and did an amazing job clearing my walk, my steps, and my driveway in a very short amount of time (and it was heavy snow). I took out some hot chocolate and some chocolate mint candies and told one of the boys that they were an answer to prayer.

They were. I feel overwhelmed at how God provided, not only the answer for clearing my drive, but had provided enough cash to pay them (I really rarely carry cash!). Before I asked, He was already providing. And, He provided for me. Not a generic need for this area, but a specific request for my home.

GOD PROVIDES SO WE CAN ENJOY HIM
It may not seem like much to you, but when you're feeling at your weakest, that's when you realise the what is always true, though we rarely live as if we believe it—We are 100% incapable of living on our own; we are 100% at the mercy of God's grace.

"The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the ocean." ~ Jonathan Edwards

If you bring in money and luxuries through your job, God provided. If you have enough or more than enough to eat, God provided. If you have warmth when it's cold and shelter from storms, God provided. If you have health to clear your own driveway, God provided.

If you think otherwise, God may bring you to a place where it is taken away, and you'll realise then, He's the only One on whom you can call.

I wish for all of us just enough times like these to begin habitually understanding, it's all about Him. He gets the praise for every comfort, supplied need, or enjoyment. And, He gets the cries for help when we feel unable to cope. It is all about Him. It's all enjoying our journey with Him. Enjoying Him.

 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. ~1 Peter 5:6-7

WOW! He cares for me, for you! He cares about every worry and anxiety of every individual. Isn't that amazing?

Do you have any stories of how God provided for you in a way that made you say, "Wow" and made you enjoy Him more? If so, please share them in the comments below. I'd love to hear.

My Wordless Prayer by Craig Courtney

This video shares the ache of my heart at many times in life (maybe a bit is always there—crying out). I believe this will speak for your heart at times too—when you need to pray, need to connect your heart with the Father, but the words just aren't there.

Praise be to God—He hears even our wordless prayers

Developing Prayer Power

Last weekend I had the chance to hear my father preach (something I always enjoy). He spoke on Romans 8:26-27—"Developing Prayer Power."

One of my earliest memories of my father was finding him on the coach reading his Bible or down on his knees praying. He chose an hour when the house was quiet, and he did it every day. I believe this left a deep impression on all my siblings as well as myself. His example spoke more to me about the importance of daily time with God than numerous sermons could have. So, when he admitted in his sermon that he doesn't fully understand prayer, one listens.

What can we know about prayer?

I. Understanding Our Need to Pray

A. Our Weakness (v. 26a): "the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness"

We are not only totally unable to do anything good in the flesh, but we also don't know how to ask for what is good. The Holy Spirit then helps us "in our weakness."

Divine participation: the Spirit brings us to salvation, guides us to all Truth, shows us our need to be dependent on Him, gives us hope in the midst of trials—not doing everything for us, but working in us so that we do what fulfills God's purpose.

B. Our Prayerlessness (v. 26b): "we do not know what to pray for"

Cross-reference this passage with Matthew 7:7-11 where Jesus tells His disciples what our intercession should look like:

     1) Ask and keep on asking—Simplicity. Our prayers do not need to be flowery or complex, but rather should be simple, asking our Father in heaven for what we need and desire.

     2) Seek and keep on seeking—Intensity. Our prayers shouldn't be trite or out of habit/tradition, but should be honest, heart-felt, intense.

     3) Knock and keep on knocking—Persistency. If God says "wait," He has a purpose. Keep seeking His will until He tells you "yes" or "no."

C. Our Groaning (vv. 22, 23, 26c) "creation groans, we grown, the Spirit groans"

The Greek word here for "groan" is to "utter a deep sound expressing grief, disapproval, etc."

Can you relate? Have you felt the groan in your heart when you've seen pictures of disasters, heard of the horrors of injustice, witnessed the twisting of truth, felt the pain of loss? We all have.

We know creation groans too. We've all seen the oil-covered birds and sea creatures in the Gulf. We've known of species that have gone extinct. We've known the waste and destruction of once beautiful land. It groans.

In this passage we also hear that the Spirit groans. His groans, however, change circumstances and hearts. Although we do not know what to ask for, the Spirit asks for what is good and harmonious with the will of God.

All that is good and bad in life are different colours on God's canvas. We do not see the whole design now, but one day we will see these colours formed the perfect picture under the control of the Artist's hand.

II. Understanding God's Resources in Prayer (v. 27)

A. Knowing the Mind of God: "He who searches the hearts knows"

The Holy Spirit knows our heart and our motives, and He also knows the mind of God. We must cooperate with the Divine. We need too accept what we don't understand. However God answers our prayer or works in our life, He is fulfilling a good purpose.

B. Yielding to the Will of God: "the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God"

The Spirit helps us to pray; our part is to yield to Him for what we don't understand.

C. Fulfilling the Purpose of God: "intercedes with groans that words cannot express"

God knows what is best and has promised the best for those who love Him.

Conclusion: To be effective in our Christian lives, we need to develop a growing prayer life. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6-7 that through prayer we can replace anxiety with peace. We must begin by praying and intensify our prayer life; interceding for others and not just ourselves.
 
Prayer is a journey that takes us throughout life and ends when we speak face-to-face with Yahweh.

James—The Big Picture

James is one of my favourite books of the New Testament. I have been working for some time to memorize all five chapters. One thing that helps is to understand how each section flows logically into the next.

Have you noticed how easy it is to isolate a verse? It's like handling a piece of a puzzle. Oh, I know. We go back to check context with the chapter and surrounding passages, but to get the BIG picture...

Well, for myself, I wanted to look at the big picture of the book of James. I thought I'd share it with you in case it is helpful.

James, though a brother of Jesus, sees himself only as a servant of God and Jesus. He writes to Christian Jews scattered and persecuted in various nations.

James begins and ends his letter by encouraging the believers to persevere in spite of the suffering, because it is the means to maturity and completeness in their faith. The good that is promised is worth the struggle and the waiting. (James 1:2-4, 12; 5:7-11)

When believers find they lack wisdom (are incomplete), James admonishes them to ask God. Since wisdom is God's will for His children, doubting He will give it is a sign that a man is "double minded" in his walk.

Temptation is not from God. Good gifts are from God. If we are led astray by "gifts" of temptation, we are deceived and will miss God's perfect gifts. God "does not change like shifting shadows."

We need to repent of the sins of tongue and life that we've committed. The cure to avoid future temptation is to study and apply God's Word. Our relationship with God will be evident by our care of the helpless and our purity from worldliness.

Wealth is often in the hand of the oppressor (James 2 & 5). Yet even in the hand of a believer, it should never lead to special treatment by other believers. The rich should be humbled knowing their riches will not last and are not what is ultimately important (2:1-5; 1:9-11).

All people should be loved as we love ourselves. No favouritism allowed. Showing favouritism is breaking a the law of God. Breaking one law makes us guilty of breaking the law of God. Instead, we should show mercy to all, and God will judge us mercifully.

Is it possible to be saved by faith and not show it in how we live? NO! Faith that is not accompanied by action is dead...not really faith at all. Even the demons believe in God.

Watch your tongue. Nothing destroys or leads someone astray easier than the wagging tongue. It is inconceivable that a mouth that truly praises God can also slander other humans who God made.

Envy and selfish ambition are of the devil, signs of disorder, and seeds for evil practice. God's wisdom will show by a life that's "pure, peaceloving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

When we pursue selfish ends, God will not answer our prayer. Fights and quarrels amongst God's family are signs of selfish ambition. We need to repent and seek God. If we resist the devil, he will flee from us as we submit and humble ourselves before God. If we continue to slander and judge each other, we should fear God's judgment.

If God tells us to give or to do something, we should not put it off. Don't say that after you accomplish X,Y, & Z, you'll have what you need to obey God. Putting off what He asks of us is sin.

God's judgment will come on oppressors. Be sure to be waiting for God and not oppressing your brothers and sisters in the faith. Instead, pray for yourself, praise God, and pray for others.

Rather than condemning brothers and sisters for their weaknesses, we should confide in one another about our struggles (be a "safe place" for other believers to be honest about theirs), so that we can pray for one another. If we do this, we will be healed from sin's strongholds. What could be greater than rescuing a fellow Christian from the deadly spiral of sin!

In summary, watch your tongue and watch your life; don't trust in riches (your own or somebody else's); do not slander or condemn a believer in your thoughts or conversation, but show mercy as you desire God to be merciful to you; depend on God for all you need and let His life flow through you producing godly works.

And finally, never give up living the truth! Christ is coming soon!

Can My Faith Survive In the Twenty-First Century?

Our world gets noisier all the time. Have you noticed? So many messages: billboards, text, instant, skype, mobile phones, e-mail, Facebook, radio, TV, You Tube, Twitter, Ipods.... It's endless. Even if you just scan and don't take the time to study, your brain picks up a plethora of messages and many get filed away.

Most messages we'd classify as neutral. Yet even the neutral ones have a reason behind them, an angle on life that may or may not match up with your own. Once received, one must analyse the material: Is it true? Is it a lie? If one doesn't, the default is that whatever comes in becomes part of the filter for seeing life.

For example, morality. Is it only natural for a guy and girl to have sex? In fact, if you're listen to most messages, it is unnatural if a couple were not to have sex. If you hear it enough times, doesn't God's verses on waiting and keeping the marriage bed pure seem idealistic? Why wait?

At seven years of age, I watched my older siblings reading the Bible. That year a desire awoke in me to follow in their steps. Many years I struggled at being consistent. One of my best friends in high school was probably my greatest help. We not only kept each other accountable, but we'd wrote notes of encouragement for the other to find in the morning, we'd pray together for our favourite musicians wherever they'd be performing, and, on vacation, we'd wander of to a quiet spot and start the day in private devotions.

These times of constant practice have become a part of me. Routine is now calculated around the time needed to spend in God's Word. Are they always deep spiritual times? Sadly, no. Often I have read just to read and my prayers may sound more like wish-lists. I try not to let this be the case, but I come regardless of how mechanical it feels. Even those times, dry though I may be, have helped to build a solid wall of truth in my heart and mind.

I know they have, because of some questions on good and evil that have come to my mind. Questions that you'd know the answer to in Sunday School, but in the private of your heart you hear a voice that sounds so convincing. Then, suddenly, it's as if the light of God's Word shines on the question and you see it as the Old Serpent of Genesis. No direct verse may come to mind, but you know the truth, because it is daily filling you, renewing your mind.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

Do we think that Satan sleeps? That he takes days off? Why then do we think that we can skip what God describes as the armour that protects us (Ephesians 6)?

I'm thankful that circumstances worked to make daily Bible reading and prayer part of my life. I don't take credit for that. But I am convinced that unless you spend time daily with God, your faith will die or become so sick, it will not function.

No, I do not believe in losing your salvation. I do believe that if you truly want to follow God, you have to make a disciplined effort to pursue Him ("You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart" Jeremiah 29:12). If you do not seek Him daily, the messages all around you will crowd out His Word until your heart is cold and unbelieving.

We are in a constant spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). If we do not pick up the sword of the Spirit, the shield of faith, the breast plate of righteousness (practicing giving, fasting, compassion, encouragement, worshipping in church), and the helmet of salvation daily, we will be exposed and hit by the flaming arrows of our enemy. He has no love for us. He does not have mercy on us when we are unprepared to fight. He'd gladly kill us in our sleep. To have us live without an active faith is his best weapon to hurt the heart of God.

It's much easier to hear those loudly babbling in our ears or before our eyes than it is to pursue the True and Living God. But is it worth it? Gain the whole world and yet forfeit our soul?

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul talks about those who waste their life and then face God. Verses 14-15: "If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames."

Life is so short and eternity so long, let us do now what we will wish for all eternity we had the chance to do again.

Carping or Communing

I've been reading this week in the book of Numbers. Certain passages from chapters 11 and 12, especially, strike me each time I read them.

For any who may be unfamiliar with the history of Israel this far--briefly: the family of Jacob (aka Israel) moved to Egypt to survive a famine. God provided for them there through His surprise use of Joseph (a son of Jacob).

Four hundred years later, the Egyptians forced the Israelites into slavery. Yahweh, used Moses and Aaron, to come to their rescue. Through a miraculous escape, involving plagues and walking through the Red Sea on dry land, Yahweh led the people around the desert, sending food from heaven, of a kind not directly equivalent to earthly food. The people have grown tired of the food. Thus begins chapter 11.

What amazes me in these chapters, as elsewhere, is how Yahweh is always looking deeper. At first, on the page, it may appear that His anger is aroused at their discontent. However, it seems so clear as one reads on that the people grumbled, but Moses prayed. Yahweh answered Moses prayers, but He was angry with the grumbling of the people at His servant and, ultimately, at their God.

If God was impatient, surely such a complaint as this from Moses would have stirred His anger: "Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms as a nurse carries an infant...?" Instead of anger, Yahweh shows Moses who of the people can help him. He lightens Moses burden. Even when Moses confessed unbelief, God only replied, "Is Yahweh's arm too short?" He answered by showing His power to provide meat for millions of people.

Then, in chapter 12, Aaron and Miriam began to think in human terms toward Moses. Instead of seeing him only as an instrument of God, faithfully carrying out Yahweh's commands, they envied his position and the power of his word amongst the people. God heard this too. Again, this was not directed by them to God, but in grumbling against His servant. Because of how humble Moses was, I love how God stands up for him, how He reminds them that Moses is not just a man in a position but in a position created by God.

How easy it is to grumble! It is easy to criticize those in authority, particularly, spiritual authority. We take the leisure of observation to analyse how one is weak or not satisfying our personal requirements. I wonder how many thoughts and conversations we will find replayed to us before the throne of Yahweh when He defends the position of those He has placed where they are.

Instead of grumbling in private (where God hears anyway), how much greater the results could be, in our lives as well as in our churches and nations, if we brought all concerns and complaints to Yahweh now, expecting answers.

"I desire then that in every place men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling" (1 Timothy 2:8).

His arm is still never too short to bring about the impossible.

If God Says No

I've been contemplating lately about longings. Bear with me.

Longings are not only universal, but relatively constant. Even in a state of contentment, we get hungry...

My questions have come from analysis of the past and present, and questions of the future.

Recently, I acquired a copy of two letters from a member of The White Rose (an anti-Nazi, German university resistance group) and her fiance. The letters have never been published in English. Many of The White Rose members were killed with personal and national dreams unfulfilled and never knew that their movement was later used by the Allies.

I've mentioned before, Dietrich Bonhoeffer died two days before the Allies freed Germany. Corrie ten Boom, lost her family in a concentration camp and, after all she'd been through, would daydream of taking a walk with a man she'd dated before the Holocaust.

Two of my friends have lost spouses this year: one in an accident, the other from an aneurysm. Both have confidence they will see their loved one in heaven, but never again on earth.

These examples are mainly relational, but Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith chapter, lists many heroes, who died with a variety of hopes unfulfilled. Yet, they had confidence in God, who keeps His promises.

So, as I bring my request before God, I'm reminded that He may say "no." If He does, I am left with the question of how I will respond. Will I accept His answer or will I pout (and when the longing is great, it's hard to accept that it may be satisfied another way than how I hope)? Will I seek Him only for what I want or will I seek Him for Himself?

It's not as easy as it sounds, is it? Like in every area of life, I've found it is a process of surrender, which may have to be learned again.

What about you? How are you learning the difference between seeking God versus seeking His benefits?