The Source of Frustration

After this presentation to Israel's leaders, Moses and Aaron went and
spoke to Pharaoh. They told him,"[t]his is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: Let my people go so they may hold a festival in my honor in the
wilderness." "Is that so?" retorted Pharaoh. "And, who is the Lord?
Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know the Lord, and I
will not let Israel go." (Exodus 5:1-2 NLT).

The Israelites had been slaves to the Egyptians, but now was the time that God would show His glory and in that--bring the Israelites into the land that He had promised their forefathers. But, immediately, Pharaoh would flex his perceived muscle by punishing the Israelites for what Moses and Aaron had asked. Previously, Pharaoh had provided straw to the Israelites, which they added to the items used to make bricks. Making bricks was a major task Pharaoh had assigned to them. Now, they had to find their own straw and continue to make the same number of bricks each day.
This was a curve ball the Israelites did not expect. Like their
days were not already hard enough--now, they were made to do the same workload
plus more. If they did not meet their daily quota, they were subject
to beatings. Soon, even Moses became upset with God. Then Moses
went back to the Lord and protested. "Why have you brought all this
trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I
came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your
people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!" (Exodus 5: 22-23
NLT).

Things were not happening as Moses expected. He expected
faster results and fewer problems. I think I can relate to
that. When things do not go as we expect, how quick do we get
frustrated! The major source of frustration is unmet expectations.

In the life of the Israelites and in ours today, God uses challenges
(aka unmet expectations) to develop our patience, character, and faith. In
these situations, I encourage you to:

(1) Trust God to do what is best for you;
(2) Look for ways to honor God in the present situation;
(3) Remember that God will not leave you or forsake you; and
(4) That God has a plan for you.

Doing this, I feel we will see God in our challenges. With
that, He offers us a peace, His peace in those challenges. Enjoy
Him! He loves you and is drawing you closer to Him.

Beauty of Being in His Presence

Honor the Lord for the glory of His name. Worship the Lord in the
splendor of His holiness. (Psalm 29:2 NLT).

This morning, like many Friday mornings, I was driving my daughter to school. On our way, a song came on the radio that simply grabbed more than my attention. I felt like it gripped something deep inside of me. While I had heard this particular song before, I had never really listened to the words. This time, tears were rolling down my face and I was ushered into an amazing moment of pure and simple worship--right there in my car.

Isn't it amazing that God gives us these opportunities to just lay aside ourselves and enter into moments like this one. Times where we are just taken back by being in His presence. In these times, we give Him all the credit--and we give Him all the honor. He gives us peace, joy, and the promise of His presence.

God does not limit worship to specific times in specific places done in a specific way. Our life, as believers, can be a time of worship. It can be in a group or all alone. It can be somber or it can be animated. All He asks is for us to focus on Him and to believe in the truth of who He is in us and who we are in Him. Then, allow Him to do the rest.

I encourage you to open your mind to His amazing love for you through your worship.

Stay Strong,

Dave

Time Well Spent

Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should. (Psalm 90:12 TLB).

I was visiting with a friend recently. We were talking about how quick time flys. To us, it seemed like just yesterday that our kids were babies. We could remember our wedding day like it was just recent. I am sure you would agree--life is clicking by very, very quickly.

God told us that it would be this way--didn't He? I believe His purpose in telling us to "number our days" is to impress on us to do the things that last. So, what lasts? I think it is those things that show love to God and to those around us. Jesus stated, "[l]ove your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: '[l]ove your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV).

I challenge you to think a bit about your day. Are you just doing things or are you doing those things that truly shows your love to God and to others in your circle? I know there are "things that just have to be done" in your day. But, where is your heart? Is it focused upon His glory or upon your own self (ish) interests? Even the most mundane of daily tasks that you do through His strength shows your love for Him and others.

Appreciate each moment of your day. Allow Him to truly live His abundant life through yours. Enjoy loving Him and those He has in your life.

I wish each of you a joyous and peaceful New Year.

Stay Strong,

Dave

Energized by His Plan

This time of year can tend to add pressure to your schedule. Christmas events such as your kids' Christmas programs or "Holiday" parties are good examples. Add to these, the urgency to finish your shopping, wrap the gifts, bake your family's favorites treats, prepare and send the Christmas cards, and you name what else--and your schedule seems to be a bit fuller this year than what you remember in the past. Please, do not get me wrong--these are all wonderful things per se. But, are they taking your focus off of the true meaning of this time of celebration.

For me and my family, the true meaning is Christ's birth. Don't get me wrong--we do all sorts of the items noted above. But, my hope and my prayer is that we consciously are focused on not the stuff, but the person at the heart of all that we do.

At times, God, in His amazing, loving way, re-focuses your attention upon what He wants. Yesterday, my schedule was full. And, I had full intentions of trying to add just a bit more as my day went along. Needless to say, I added a bit of self-imposed pressure to "get things done." But, God had other plans. A large weather system of freezing fog and snow has come through our beautiful area. So, guess what I got done? Not much, and that is ok. I got home on-time to have a wonderful dinner with my family and to enjoy a wonderful night with them. Isn't it amazing how peaceful a change in plans can be!

So, this time of year take some time to just step back and enjoy the plan that God has for you! Be open to His leading, enjoy just being in His presence--allow Him to energize you by His plan. He loves you--just rest in Him.

Merry Christmas.

Dave

How Much is Enough

"For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith--and this
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can
boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

Recently, I was reading the label on a container of orange juice. On it, the bottler noted that one 8 ounce glass contained enough Vitamin C to meet the "recommended daily allowance" of this particular vitamin. (I felt like I was catching a cold, so I felt I should drink some orange juice.) So, I thought, "[w]ow, that is easy, just one glass at breakfast and that is all I need all day."

As Christians, sometimes, we wish the things we perceive we "have to do" were that easy. Questions such as:

• How long should I read my bible each day?


• How often should I go to church?


• How many people should I witness to each week?

The list could go on and on. Don't get me wrong--these are good things. But, Christ's death on the cross freed us from the bondage of "have to's" and "shoulds". Our relationship with Him is not contingent upon what we do; instead, it is His gift to us called grace.

To me, that is freeing. It frees me to spend time in His word, to go to His church, and to witness to His people--not because I have to, but because I want to. There is a huge difference. Think about it--wouldn't you rather spend time with somebody because that person wants to spend time with you, not because they have to. God is no different. He wants our hearts engaged with His. But, He does not force it. It is an act of our free will through faith in Him.

So, what "should" you do? Let your loving God guide you throughout your day and allow your love for Him to place in your heart and mind a desire to walk with Him. I think you will be truly amazed at what that may look like. Enjoy your time with Him.

Father, I do desire to not focus on what I perceive are the "have
to's" and "shoulds" of having a moment by moment relationship with you.
Instead, Father, please put in me a desire to spend time with you
throughout my day because I want to. I want to know you
more. I want just spend time worshipping you, not just on
Sunday, but throughout each day. Father, thank you for living your life
through mine. Amen!

Stay Strong.

Dave

God's Timing

"God has given them a desire to know the future. He does
everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing." (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NCV).

Solomon, the author God inspired to write the book of Ecclesiastes, notes that God has an absolute plan and a purpose for all He does. Though we do not always understand (or agree), God's plans are always "just right and on time."

When those plans suit us, we have no problem declaring God's love and His absolute sovereignty. But, how about those times when His plans are painful or not so timely? Maybe it is an "unplanned" sickness or a job loss or a _______ (you fill in the blank). How quick do we start to question God's plan?

As a believer, our life is not always easy. Even with God as our very life, our experience in this world is, at times, painful and frustrating. Think about Joseph. Not the Joseph in the New Testament, but Joseph the son of Jacob in the Old Testament, beginning in Genesis 37.

Throughout Joseph's life, he maintained a deep understanding that, regardless of the circumstances, God is good and does good. God's plans are perfect and his timing is impeccable. All things happened at just the right moment.

At just the right moment, his brother's despised him.

At just the right moment, they threw him in a pit.

At just the right moment, a caravan came by.

At just the right moment, Joseph was sold into slavery.

At just the right moment, Potiphar's wife came to him.

At just the right moment, she accused him of inappropriate sexual advances.

At just the right moment, he was thrown into prison.

At just the right moment, he was given watch over the other prisoners.

At just the right moment, Joseph was brought in front of Pharaoh.

At just the right moment, he was put in charge of whole land of Egypt.

At just the right moment, his brothers came to him to buy grain.

At just the right moment, Joseph was united with his family.

Satan would like nothing more than for us to start to question God's timing. He tries to deceive us into thinking that God has forgotten about us. But we can take comfort in the fact that we never leave His presence. The circumstances around us may be painful, but we can also know that God is working all things for our good. (Romans 8:28).

Trusting God gives us peace. It certainly gave Joseph peace. He maintained his focus and trust on the One who is completely trustworthy, regardless of the challenges he faced. Everything God does or allows to happen is "just right and on time."

Stay Strong.

Praising God Even in the "Bad" Times

At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ to God the Father. (Ephesians 5:20 AMP).

"Life is not always that good." These were words angrily spoken to me by a former neighbor. We were deep in a discussion on the challenges that we all sometimes face. I had tried to encourage him that the frustrations that he currently faced were not insurmountable. But, I think I frustrated him with my "glass half full" perspective on life. After this discussion, I believe we simply accepted each other for who God has created each of us to be.

When times are challenging, when life is not going that well, do you still believe that God is praiseworthy? Your answer to that question will speak a great deal as to your level of trust in Him. God promises us that we will experience trials and tough times in our life. And, in the midst of these times, God further promises us that He will never leave us. When we are walking through the valley, and we feel deserted and alone--the truth of the matter is--our feelings are lying to us--we are not alone.

Isn't that a comfort knowing that He is always with us! On top of this, He always has our good in mind. (Romans 8:28). I believe His peace comes from knowing that I am never alone and that He always has my good in mind--even in those situations that I perceive as bad. This peace gives me boldness to know that whatever comes my way today--the good, the bad, or the unbelievably bad--I can handle it. Because it is not me handling it--it's US--Jesus and me. That peace allows me to be thankful in all situations.

Let me close with this question--are you seeing the good that God intends in those situations that you perceive as bad? Seeing the good in all situations gives us a thankful heart ready to praise Him always.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I hope that you will see the good that God intends in your life.

I wish each of you a blessed time for giving thanks.

Stay Strong.