Obedience When God Doesn't Make Sense

I got to spend some time in prayer with a friend this morning. What an incredible blessing. I absolutely love spending time in prayer without distractions. To be completely honest, I was quite exhausted and mostly asleep (like 5:20 am), but it was a great blessing anyways. I read Hosea 1 this evening and it really wants to make me read more, but I decided to take it one chapter at a time for more of his perspective on this whole thing. Take a look at this command from God in verses 2 and 3.

When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD." So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

Up to this point, it doesn't tell us whether or not God had revealed His plans to Hosea. Regardless of if God had revealed His plans to Hosea... I can't even imagine going out and finding a harlot to be my wife... someone walking completely contrary to His ways. This really makes me think. How much do I trust God? If He told me to do something completely radical for His sake, would I be willing to give up my plans and do it? It is a tough question. In my head, I say, Yes! Absolutely!... but when the rubber meets the road, it's not so easy. Rather than jumping into the next few chapters, I am going to try to allow God to work in my heart in the area of complete obedience... regardless of if it fits my plans.

He Does Work

I was reading Zephaniah 1 this evening and had been thinking about how He works in not only my life, but the lives of those around me. I have such a tendency to take the credit that He deserves. When I start to do this, I slowly drift into a very dangerous situation... in my heart, He is not longer the provider of every good and perfect thing... He is no longer the One I am serving... He is no longer the One who gave me the ability to live, move, and breathe... He no longer is the Living God. I lower Him down to someone invisible... that does nothing... that ignores my sin... etc. While I don't sit there and say these things to myself, I find it easy become complacent if I am not continually pursuing full obedience. I loved the reminder in Zephaniah 1:12.

It will come about at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are stagnant in spirit, who say in their hearts, "The LORD will not do good or evil!"

He does see my sin... He will punish it... He does good... and He does harm too! A quick side note, don't be confused by the word evil here. God does not and cannot sin... this is referring to the pouring out of His judgment. He is the Living God!

Today & Isaiah 30

I read Isaiah 30 this morning because I had been thinking of verse 21 the last couple of days.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

In this time of my life, I really don't sense a whole lot of direction as far as work goes. God's Word is full of instructions... and far beyond what I can live up to, but I have a desire for His specific leading. If we look at this passage more in context... verses 1 and 2 summarize it pretty well.

"Woe to the obstinate children," declares the LORD, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge.

I was thinking about how often in my life I am seeking His guidance and when He wants me to be patient and wait on Him, I seek my own way. I don't want to go my own way. I am at a point in life where my decisions really have a huge impact on the rest of my life. While decisions are always important... from birth really... this is a pivotal time of my life. Seeking His will in work, education, relationships, ministry, etc. There are a lot of things to consider right now. I don't want to be a young man carrying out my own plans which are not His. I want to be following exactly His plans. I want to hear that voice behind me every step of the way. He is so faithful... I just need to listen.

Back from Germany!

I started writing blog posts probably about five times, but never finished any of them. Anyway, I am back from Germany. It was extremely challenging both physically and spiritually, but God was more than enough. Thank you for your prayers! I can't tell you how many ways God protected me. We ended up winning four games and losing two. God definitely blessed.

I am in the process of preparing to be a counselor at Awana camp. I have a wonderful co-counselor and am really looking forward to how the Lord will use the week in my heart as well as all the kids in my cabin. I am just starting to go through Romans and the epistles in preparation for camp. Tonight, I read the first four chapters of Romans... what a blessing! There is a whole lot in there, but verses 19-21 in chapter 4 really caught my attention.

Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

I think this is one of the best definitions of faith in the Bible... "being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform." There are so many times that I doubt God... not because I don't think He can do it, but because I don't think He will. I try to take things into my own hands (much like Abraham did with Hagar), and things end up a mess. I need to have a heart that is "fully assured" that what He says He will do... He will do! I know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, so I guess that just means that I need to be spending more time in the Word.

Here we go!

I leave in a few hours for the airport. It is kind of hard to believe that I am actually going! I greatly covet your prayers as I set out to enter the mostly unknown. I have such peace knowing that He is in complete control. At the same time, I have very little peace knowing that my heart is prone to wander. I need to be completely dependent on Him more than ever before. I am thrilled to go out to Germany... there will be many opportunities both for good and evil. My heart must be completely focused on Him throughout this trip. I was playing piano a few minutes ago... "People Need the Lord". I was thinking about the lyrics... "We are called to take His light, to a world where wrong seems right. What could be too great a cost, for sharing life with one that's lost?" It is absolutely true, the world is full of people and things that make wrong seem right. It is our job to share His light in a loving, but unrestrained way. We can't put a cost on eternally significant things like sharing the message of the gospel. Please continue to pray for me... for the hearts of the guys... for the hearts of the coaches. I am thrilled, but I need His help.

Going to Germany!

God has blessed me with a rather unique and unexpected opportunity. As of Friday evening, I was invited to play on the USA National Team Handball team in Germany from May 31st - June 8th. They needed a decision by Saturday and so after talking with my parents about it, we decided that I should go. I have to pay a very small amount, the rest is sponsored. This is a huge blessing! Anyway, I have a number of prayer requests that go along with this opportunity. Please pray...

1) That I would play my hardest as unto the Lord rather than for men (any athlete out there knows that there is a huge temptation to do things to please the coach and other players).

2) That they would see my effort as something that comes from Him and not from me (thinking specifically of Daniel and his friends in the Old Testament standing out among all the wise men).

3) That He would be glorified in both my words and my actions (I am prone to take glory that isn't mine... and I need His help).

4) That God would open doors of opportunity to talk with these teammates and coaches about Christ (I see this as a mission trip of a different type).

5) That the way I live would cause a bunch of guys, far away from home and accountability, to reconsider the actions which would be normal, for godless guys, in such circumstances (these guys need to see that there is more to live for than the pleasures of the moment).

I do not know if there are any other Christians on the team. I am praying that there are, but I have no idea as of this point. I realize that I am not at all beyond falling. Living for Him is a moment by moment decision. I covet your prayers a great deal as I go out to represent Team USA, but most of all, Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

I have chosen 1 Corinthians 15:10 as my key verse for this trip because it truly is only by God's grace that I live, breathe and have the opportunity to go on this trip. While Paul's words about laboring more than everyone else is concerning the gospel, I intend to work harder than everyone else out there in the practices and games for His glory.

Our God is a Consuming Fire!

It has been a long time since I've posted on here, and I really regret that as I am forgetting much of what I am learning since I am not writing it down as much. I have been very busy, but not too busy to write this stuff down... just haven't done it. Anyway, the message this Sunday was from Exodus 19 and Hebrews 12 mostly. I had a chance to teach the high school Awana kids Revelation 21 and 22 last night because the speaker didn't show up. I think I learned the new best definition of full dependence on Him--trying to teach Revelation with little to no preparation. ;) I think God blessed... I actually talked too long which surprised me. Anyway, we sang "Open the Eyes of My Heart", and I was thinking about that song in light of the things in Exodus 19 and Hebrews 12. Take a look at verses 18-21.

For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned." And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling."

This is referring back to Exodus 19 where boundaries were set around Mt. Sinai because God's presence was going to come down in a cloud. God's holiness is a serious matter when it mixes with our complete unholiness. I was thinking that if we truly saw Him like "Open the Eyes of My Heart" asks for... we would die instantly. The end of Hebrews 12 says that our God is a consuming fire! This is generally not the picture of God that we get in our normal Sunday school lesson. We tend to get the, "God is love." a whole lot more than the "God is a consuming fire." I think it is important that we reverence God for who He is. If you look at scripture... He doesn't mess around... opening the earth and swallowing up a bunch of people... plagues of Egypt... loss of David's son... people struck dead for being dishonest... and don't forget the final judgement in Revelation. While He is abundant in grace, He is a consuming fire! We would be foolish to take Him lightly. It is such a privilege to be able to come into His presence... with all God's righteousness condemning our unrighteousness... but us being credited with all of Christ's righteousness because of the price He paid. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Let's not make light of the gift He has given us.