May 9, 2014

"In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief." Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." I Samuel 1:10-17

Another godly woman we honor is Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel. Her name means "favored by God".

Initially that was not the case, however. She was the favored wife of Elkanah despite the fact she was barren. There was no greater shame for a married woman in that culture than being unable to bear children. It was a burden that nearly crushed her and certainly tested her faith.

One day during an annual feast she went to the tabernacle and was crying out to God with such earnestness that she was thought to be drunk by Eli, the priest. He began to chastise her for her totally inappropriate behavior. When she explained herself and her woeful situation, Eli blessed her and assured he that her prayer would be answered.

Indeed it was! She became pregnant and had a son she named "Samuel" - which meant "heard by God". Samuel went on to serve Eli and later became one of the great priests and prophets of Israel. He would be the one God used to choose David and later anoint him as king.

I want to focus on three things that are admirable about Hannah that modern women can emulate:

1) She called upon God in her time of trouble. She turned to prayer rather than despair.

2) She promised God to consecrate the son to God if God would honor her with a child. If God would deliver her from her shame she would dedicate the child to Him.

3) When God answered her prayer and gave her the long-desired child she kept her word. God delivered on His promise and so did she.

Modern mothers would benefit from being women of prayer like Hannah. Peter reminds you to "cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you." Turn to prayer and don't despair.

Recognize that your child (children) as gift(s) from God. Like Hannah, you are a mother by virtue of a sacred contract with God. He gives life and you are to nurture and shape it.

Dedicate your child(ren) to the Lord. Do it daily. Give back to Him what He has trusted to you.

Hannah is a model for modern motherhood. Read the story. Learn the lessons. Live it out!

May 8, 2014

"And they followed the lead of their own husbands. Sarah was like that. She obeyed Abraham. She called him her master. Do you want to be like her? Then do what is right. And don't give in to fear. " I Peter 3:5-6

How would you like to be remembered?

Four things are mentioned about Sarah and they are all good. I would be honored to have even one of them said about me. Let's review:

1) She obeyed Abraham

2) She honored him

3) She did what was right

4) She did not give into fear

Sarah, wife of Abraham and mother of the Jewish race, is memorialized in these two verses. Let's consider that as we continue our tribute to great women of the Bible.

Sarah was a half-sister to Abraham and ten years younger than him. She became his wife and then God called Abraham to begin a great adventure of faith that would eventually result in him becoming the father of a nation. Obviously, to accomplish that would require both of them. So the call of God came to them as a couple - a team. Abraham fulfilling the destiny that God called him to depended on her assistance. It wasn't just his calling it was their calling! For God's plan to be completed would require her to be in right relationship with God and to be right with Abraham. There is a lesson right there! You can't be at odds with your husband and be good with God.

This destiny to which God called them required them to live as nomads. They would be leaving the safety and security of their home and their families to wander in an unfamiliar land headed to an unknown destination. How many women would want that lifestyle?

Abraham and Sarah gave up everything they knew in order to gain possession of something that they had never seen and could only imagine. God had asked them to make significant sacrifices sight unseen. That meant both of them had to be in agreement together and with God.

Out of their sacrifice and out of their struggles came the nation that produced a Savior. If Abraham had not obeyed God and if Sarah had not yielded to Abraham, we might still be lost in our sins.

Abraham is the historical figure and the highly honored patriarch, but Sarah was the woman behind the man! From the womb of Sarah came a nation and a Savior and a spiritual kingdom that will never end!

Why?

Because she obeyed Abraham, she honored him, she did what was right and she did not give in to fear! Great women become great because they do great things.

What great thing will you do today?

May 7, 2014

"May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master." Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar." "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking."So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels." Genesis 24:14-20

The son of promise had finally been given to Abraham and Sarah. He was worth the wait! He brought them such great joy! Since they were already up in age when he was born they found it urgent to find a suitable wife for him before they died. So, Abraham dispatched one of his most trusted servants with instructions to return to his home region to search for the young woman.

Knowing how important this assignment was and not wanting to disappoint his master, this servant prayed as he traveled. When he came upon the well outside the village and he spied a beautiful young lady he agreed on a sign from the Lord. He would ask for water and if the young woman agreed to give him a drink and then offer water to his camels as well, that would be a sign.

So, it is worth noting what set Rebekah apart. It was her "and then some" attitude. Her willingness to make the extra effort paid big dividends. It always does!

Jesus taught about the importance of the second mile but this is centuries before that. She had a desire for excellence. She possessed a servant's heart. That is a winning attitude.

God graced womanhood with a desire to serve. And woman have blessed their families with their hard work and labors of love. They have endeared themselves not only by their beauty and their charms, but by their helpful service.

However, the attitude that Rebekah displayed is a model for everyone regardless of gender. The "and then some" attitude will commend you wherever you are and whatever you desire to do, Not only will it help you stand out from the crowd, but more importantly it will honor God!

Heading into this Mother's Day week-end it is a great time to stop and examine your attitude. Do you possess this servant's heart? Are you willing to make that extra effort to lighten someone's load? Will be mindful of the "and then some" you can do. What is the additional thing you can do at work? What is the one more thing you can do for your neighbor? What is the extra act of kindness you can do for your church? What second-mile deed can you do for an adversary? And, most importantly for this week-end, what extra effort can you make to honor your mother this week-end?

God calls you to serve! And then some!

May 6, 2014

"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Proverbs 31:26-31

This week I  will be honoring some women of the Bible leading up to Mother's Day. There are many incredible women whom God has used over the years to impact lives and shape cultures. 

How I thank God for the contribution of these godly females!

But this morning I want to take the privilege of honoring a contemporary woman of God. Today would have been the 92nd birthday of Barbara's mother, Agnes Cummiskey. She has been in Heaven for almost eight years now and we miss her. Certainly, you can't wish anyone back from Heaven. Would you leave Heaven to come back to this messed up planet? I don't think so!

Agnes perfectly typified the Proverbs 31 woman. She was beautiful, she was gracious, she was strong and determined, a devoted wife for 50 years, a model mother, a faithful church member, a talented contributor in the work force, and a perfect mother-in-law.

For the sixteen years that Barbara was ill, her mother was her source of strength and stability during many painful and discouraging days. She was a rock despite the pain of watching her daughter waste away before her eyes. Her faith never wavered. There is always a strong bond between mother and daughter, but their relationship was exceptionally strong because of what they suffered together.

Barbara and I had the privilege of caring for her the last two years of her life so we got to witness the dignity with which she faced the loss of her physical strength due to spinal stenosis. She worried about becoming a burden to us, which would never happen. Whatever adjustments were required in our lifestyle we gladly made. We saw it as a rare opportunity to repay her kindness and patience during Barbara's suffering.

We got to be at her bedside when she slipped into eternity. Just as she lived with grace, so she died. Our loss was Heaven's gain. She is now a treasure laid up in Heaven.

As many of you know, Mother's Day is a bittersweet holiday for those whose mothers are no longer among us. It will be tough for Barbara, just as today is. When someone lives so well and loves so deeply they leave a crater the size of the Grand Canyon in your heart. Time eases it but nothing erases it. We'll do Mother's Day without her, but we won't like it.

Today, on the anniversary of her birthday, we honor Agnes Cummiskey, a Proverbs 31 woman! She made God look good! She made faith look desirable. The world is a better place because she was here and Heaven is richer because she is there.

So, there is one less Proverbs 31 woman on this planet. Who step up to fill that gap? Will it be you? Will it be now? What will that require of you today?

May 5, 2014

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:" Psalm 37:3-5

The more I study this Psalm the more insight I gain into the relationship between desire and temptation. And make no mistake, there is a strong relationship! Temptation happens at the intersection of your desire and your will. If you have no desire for something then you can't be tempted by it. It really is that simple. For the most part, people end up doing what they most desire to do.

So, that is why desire matters and that's why if you have any hopes of defeating temptation you must be in touch with and in charge of your desires.

But this morning, the issue I want to address is this, what should you desire? The answer is simple - you should desire what God desires. Or even better than that, you should desire God! God should be your chief desire! The fact is, unless God is your chief desire - HE IS NOT YOUR GOD!

So what is it that God desires and what do we need to desire in order for Him to be our God? 

The Psalmist mentions three things. I will be highlighting those over the next three posts.

But for now I want to focus like a laser on your chief desire. What is it? Is there something you desire more than you desire God? Do you love God because He is your chief desire or do you love Him hoping that He get you what you desire? Are you serving Him or are you trying to get Him to serve you? Only you - (and Him) - know the true answer to that. And ultimately you will answer to Him for that.

We are tempted because we are sinners and we sin because we're tempted. In other words, when our desires are wrong and when our desires are not lined up with God we will be tempted more! Temptation is a test that reveals what we love most". What you desire will be exposed by how you are tempted and where you yield to temptation.

Adam sinned at the moment God ceased to be his chief desire. Jesus resisted sin because God was His chief desire! 

How about you?

May 4, 2014

"I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," Ephesians 3:13-20

It is hard to find a richer portion of Scripture in all the Bible than these verses we are examining today. The Great Apostle talks about the relationship between God's love and your life, God's strength and your suffering, and your prayers and His power.

My biggest struggle is knowing where to begin.

Let me approach it from these three perspectives: the reason for prayer, the resource of prayer, and the reassurance from prayer.

First, Paul touches on the reason for prayer - suffering. 

Paul was concerned that the Ephesian Christians would be worn down by their concern for him and the suffering he was experiencing. It is hard to watch people we care about suffer and not be able to do anything about it. In those days, Christians everywhere were either suffering or living under the threat of suffering. So, it was not that they didn't have their own problems. But he was their spiritual father and mentor and he was stuck in a filthy Roman prison shackled to Roman guards.

Suffering wears you out. Prayer strengthens you. So a primary reason for prayer is to find strength in suffering through prayer.

Second, Paul reminds us that prayer is a resource.

 It is a resource because it connects us with our Source and our source is God! It is a resource because it is a relationship with the God of the universe. The relationship is love! God's love IS our resource! It strengthens us. It sustains us because it is a wide, deep, high, and long love! His love enstablishes us on a firm foundation. When we receive the love of God we receive His strength to endure suffering.

Third, Paul boldly proclaims his belief that prayer reassures us God is always doing more than we know in ways that we can't imagine. 

We can believe in God's love and we can receive it, but even then we cannot conceive all that He is doing while you praying. So, here is the reassurance - if you are praying He is working! And if He is working He is doing "exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or think!"

Life is hard. Suffering is overwhelming. Life and suffering get bigger than we are. But when they seem bigger than us - pray! Because prayer assures us that God is bigger than life and he is doing bigger things than we can know, prayer strengthens us!

Are you facing big struggles? Do you need a big God?

I have some big news for you! If suffering is your reason to prayer, prayer is a resource that connects you in relationship to a God Who makes "all things work together for good"!

If you are praying - He is working!

May 3, 2014

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:" Psalm 37:3-5

Temptation happens at the point of your desire. That is abundantly clear in the temptation of Adam and Eve as it is in the temptation of Jesus. Adam and Eve were controlled by their desire and sinned against God. Jesus controlled His desire and remained sinless. So, it seems that you are confronted with an option, "either you control your desires or your desires will control you". Therein lies the battle of temptation. Will you be controlled by your emotions or will you exercise your will to control your emotions?

There are some who believe you cannot control your desires and that you are a slave to them. No thanks to Adam and Eve, it is difficult to gain control over your desires. Once they exercised their will against God it perverted their desires. That is the nature we inherit from them.

So, how do you get control of your desires? How do we keep your desires from controlling you? The Psalmist, who is very open about his struggles to gain control over his desires, shares some insight into how he does it.

"Trust in the Lord". The word for "trust" means to "lean on" or to "rely on" or to "put confidence in" God. The word picture portrayed is the idea of putting your total trust into God. It is like when you sit in a chair. You put your total weight into that chair and completely trust it. When you put the key in your car you totally trust it to start. When you lie down on your bed you totally trust it to support you. You must "trust, rely, lean on" God to help you control your desires. By the power of your will you choose to aim your emotions at God.

"do good". When you place your trust completely on the Lord He will guide you and strengthen you to "do good". Notice it does not say that you should desire to do good, it simply says to "do good". People who are controlled by their emotions and desires will only "do good" when they feel like it. But people who control their desires do good whether they feel like it or not!

Jesus probably didn't feel like dying on the cross. But he "did the good" that His Father desired of Him. Jesus probably felt like turning thos stones into bread - partly because He was very hungry and partly because he wanted to show the devil that He really could after the devil challenged His "godhood". How do you feel when someone challenges your manhood? You want to show them, don't you? Imagine being God and having some inferior being challenge your "godhood".

So, here it is. Another day, another battle with temptation. Temptation will be there to meet you at your point of desire and you will either control your desire or be controled by it. You can trust your own strength to take charge over your emotions or you can rely on God and trust Him to help you do good.

The first "good" thing you can do today is to put Him in charge of your emotions AND your will!