SERVING GOD
|
March 1 IRREVERENT BABBLEBut avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:16-19 The Lord knows those who are his. What a comforting scripture, in light of the many and silly controversies which swirl around us constantly! If we trace back to the root of some of these latest legends, we’ll probably find something which could be described as “irreverent babble.” Apparently, it’s not new. Irreverent babble occurs when we take our mind out of gear and let our mouth run free. We pretty much always wind up in a ditch, especially when we’re pontificating on the things of God without employing a proper respect for God. That’s where the “irreverence” comes in. The babble part is when we basically don’t know what we’re talking about, but we don’t let that stop us. Either way, the end is that ungodliness and more irreverent babble both spread like a bad disease, and God is far from honored. Advice? “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” God’s advice, not mine. It just makes sense to head away from iniquity instead of toward it, once our Savior has freed us from its grip. It doesn’t make sense to waste a lot of time trying to determine who is in and who is out of His kingdom, though. I love this little promise, which reminds us that it is not our assignment to try to figure out who is living in God’s grace and who is not: “The Lord knows those who are his.” This is a foundational truth! That tells me that God doesn’t need me to let Him know my opinion regarding who should be allowed into heaven, and He doesn’t need me “squealing” on a fellow servant, as if He were unaware of their sin—or mine. He already knows! And His Word reminds me to stay away from the conversations, attitudes, accusations and theories which would unnerve people whose faith might already be shaky. “The Lord knows those who are his.” I’m really glad it’s not my job to tell Him! (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 2 FAITH IS NOT OPTIONALNow faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Caan, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:1-6 The thing that seems to get God’s attention most quickly in one of His servants is faith. He wants His servants to believe Him! In this legendary chapter, God is just getting started in a roll call of faith heroes. He desires to be able to add our names to the growing list. Faith isn’t just commended; it is required, if we want to please God. A faithless servant is basically a worthless servant! Faith starts out as basic: I believe there is a God, and that He is good enough to reward those who believe in Him and seek Him. Faith acts in obedience upon the promise of God, without having to wait for the fulfillment before we make the first step. If we desire to draw closer to God, here’s the formula: “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” The first part has never been a problem for me; sometimes the second part has. It’s good to remember there’s a reward in this! Faith is living with the sure knowledge that the reward is there, when we haven’t actually seen it, yet. Faith is the way God wants His children to live. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 3 BELIEVING ENOUGH TO OBEY“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Hebrews 11:7 God’s servant Noah condemned the world by simply believing God, and acting accordingly. To God, that is righteousness! It’s the righteousness that comes by faith. (Is there another kind)? There are some similarities between Noah’s mission and ours. Noah’s first job was to pay attention to God, when literally no one else was; his second job was to believe the truth God was revealing to him. This belief was not some sort of intellectual assent, but a belief strong enough to motivate him to many years of action, based on absolutely nothing other than God’s instruction to him. We are called to pay attention to God, even though it seems few others are listening, or making much effort to please Him. Noah is the perfect example of the truism “If you were the only person on Earth, God would have done this for you.” The extremes to which God will go to save those who look to Him are beyond comprehension! We are called to believe God’s Word, with or without support of natural evidence. Noah didn’t have any, and didn’t wait for it, prior to applying himself to the task at hand. A flood which would cover the earth, when mankind had never witnessed rain? Fortunately for Noah (and his descendants), he took God at His word. The return of Jesus Christ? Here again, just try to “prove” the validity of that promise, to skeptics. If we wait for proof, it will be too late. So, like Noah, we toil, year after year, in the sure hope that the God we serve does not lie, and one day the reality of that promise will be self-evident to all the world. When it comes-and it will-God will consider those righteous who believed His Word, and acted accordingly. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 4 OUT OF NOTHINGBy faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. Hebrews 11:9-12 If one were to begin a new nation, wouldn’t it be prudent to at least start with people able to bear children?! Not God. He creates a universe using precisely nothing except His Word, and when it comes to bringing into that world a special people who will belong to Him and be His own, God begins by searching out an elderly, infertile couple, then letting them wait even longer before giving them the promised son. When Isaac arrives, everyone knows this is a miracle baby. The Jewish nation was a nation created by faith. It was fitting that this would be their foundation, since the rest of their story would also be one of faith. When the Messiah would come in fulfillment of the promises, how fitting that He would come through an absolutely miraculous and impossible virgin birth. Miracle babies were already part of their national heritage! When it comes to God’s promises, He’s not looking for help in fulfilling them; He’s looking for people who will take Him at His Word and believe Him. God delights in His children when they simply trust Him, especially when there is no way in the world that the promise could come true—without Him. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 5 CITIZEN OF HEAVEN, WITH AN EARTHLY ADDRESSThese all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:13-16 Delayed gratification is not exactly our national motto, in America. If we can’t have it now, then why couldn’t we have had it, yesterday! This corporate cultural impatience definitely doesn’t fall off when people go through church doors. Not only are we generally less than patient, but few of us seem to even seek after or desire what Galatians 5:21-22 lists as a fruit of the Spirit: Patience (“the fruit of the Spirit nobody wants”)! Why do so many who term themselves Christians have so little desire to be in heaven? I’ve heard it said that if we spent as much energy in praying sinners out of hell as we do in praying Christians out of heaven, we’d get somewhere! Our prayer times are often what one has termed “organ recitals”—“bless Aunt Maude’s kidneys, and Artie’s heart, and Fred’s lungs, and....” Like the patriarchs, we need to let go of this world, and get used to the idea that this is not to be our permanent address! This world is not our home! God’s people continue in this present world, but our primary interest is to be in the one to come. It makes me think of how urgently Abraham told his servant, when looking for a wife for Isaac, “Don’t take my son back there!” Abraham knew that if Isaac ever went back to the tribe, it would be that much harder for him to ever come back to the Promised Land. We’re to live as “strangers and exiles on the earth.” We shouldn’t get too comfortable with “how it is”! We’re looking forward to “how it’s going to be”! Do we really want what God has for us, or would we prefer to hang on to this fallen world? (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 6 TRADING TODAY FOR TOMORROWBy faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. Hebrews 11:23-28 Here’s a servant who is ready to trade this world’s stuff off for what he can gain from following God. The Passover was by faith; all they had to go on was God’s instruction. There was no evidence any of this would take place, until after the fact. Once again, the servant of faith is the one who simply believes God, and acts accordingly. Moses and the others were faith heroes who understood that in order to attain the promises of tomorrow, they would have to let go of today. The trade was made. There was a release of “what is,” in order to gain “what will be.” Meanwhile, they had no other proof of “what will be,” other than God’s word to them. They still made the trade. They exchanged safety and “reality” for a future based on promises, filled with temporary suffering. Jesus asks each of us to do the same. Are we willing to release “what is,” in order to pursue “what will be”? Are we willing to endure suffering for His name’s sake? Are we immature enough to demand that in order to follow Christ, we must experience nothing but pleasure both now and in eternity, or will we follow in the footsteps of the people of faith who were willing to forfeit today in order to gain God’s tomorrow? (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 7 LIVING ON PROMISESAnd what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Hebrews 11:32-40 God is looking for people who are willing to live on promises. The heroes of Hebrews 11 were people who at best had a down payment on what God had promised. All some of them had to go on was God’s word to them. They lived on promises. This is in direct contrast to the skeptic who has to have proof before step one is ever taken; God’s servants follow His leading when they have absolutely nothing except a word from Him. I’ve been a commercial fisherman, working night and day with a crew to catch and deliver hundreds of thousands of pounds of salmon to a buyer. A month into the season, with only a down payment and the verbal promise that we would eventually receive what was owed us for our catch, we continued to deliver to the buyer. We lived on promises. We were ultimately paid in full. This is the way God wants His people to live—working for Him, in the firm assurance that one day we’ll receive a reward. All we need is His promise, because His promise is the same thing as “reality.” The featured saints in Hebrews 11 knew this, and lived accordingly. God is still looking for people willing to live on promises. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 8 ANGELS PACKING LUNCHESAhab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and nights to Horeb, the mount of God. 1 Kings 19:1-8 So, what kind of cake was that?! I guess it must have been angel food cake. (Smile). It’s good to know that even super-servants like Elijah are sometimes intimidated and they sometimes have very low days. It’s even better to know that in times like this, rather than sending a rebuke, God sends an angel, and occasionally, even angel food cake! God wants us to have faith, but in the times when our faith is running low, He sends whatever we need to continue. There are times when what God wants of His servant is nothing more than to eat, drink and sleep! (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 9 BECAUSE HE BELIEVED GODAnd when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” I Kings 19:13-18 In just a few moments’ time, Elijah receives not only comfort and encouragement from God, but also the blueprint for the next several decades of Israelite history! God reveals to Elijah the replacements for two kings, the identity of Elijah’s own successor, and the assurance that the remnant situation is about 7,000 times better than he had thought. Just as Elijah was able to continue for 40 days in the strength of the food God had provided, so he was able to continue for the rest of his earthly days in the encouragement and strength of a few sentences whispered to him by God on a mountaintop. This seems to have been the end of Elijah’s fear and self-pity and discouragement! Why? Because he believed God. Had he not believed what God told him, Elijah would have received no comfort at all from the experience, since none of the things God told him could be proven at the time. It was his faith that what God was saying to him was true which energized him for the rest of his life. What comfort and encouragement is available to every one of us through nothing more than believing God’s Word to us? (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 10 WHEN THE BAD REPORT IMPLIES A BAD GODBut Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt? And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Numbers 13:30-33, 14:1-4 I can’t help but sigh every time I read this sad passage. I identify with Caleb, who sees the promise but can’t get the others to believe it, and I also identify with the ten spies who think they are just being “realistic,” when in fact what they are doing is making the God of miracles appear to be a liar. That’s what happens every time we trust our own perceptions (or statistics) more than we trust in His promises or His goodness. With the bad report, the 10 spies were in effect saying, “God lied to us. We can’t do this, this was a bad plan from the beginning, we should find a leader we can trust and go back to Egypt.” Slavery in Egypt was preferable to trying to follow this dismal plan of God’s! In a round-about way, what they were saying was that God is bad, He can’t be trusted. God was not pleased. The ten “realistic” spies were all soon dead, and their dire predictions came true—on their loved ones who should have spent their lives in the Promised Land instead of wandering in the desert. Had they only trusted God enough to believe His promises, an entire generation could have enjoyed their fulfillment. Their loss should be our lesson. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 11 FAITH THAT WILL FACE THE WINDIf any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5) I have very often used James 1:5 as a promise, and been rewarded with exactly the direction I needed. There have been times, however, when I neglected the subsequent verses. The result was confusion. It’s what happens when, instead of seeking God’s wisdom and direction, we seek His “advice.” If we are not committed to following whatever path He shows us in answer to our prayers, we shouldn’t expect clear direction, and shouldn’t ask in the first place. God doesn’t do “second opinions.” The point is, if we’re going to believe God, we need to believe Him! It doesn’t work to ask Him for information which we’re only planning to throw in the hopper with everything else, so we can then arrive at our own “wise” decision. He has promised to give us wisdom if we ask for it, but we have to believe Him when He gives it to us. Seeking wisdom from God means that we accept whatever it is that He gives us, in faith that it’s the right way to go. No second guessing! The comparison to wind and waves is the perfect picture of the double-minded individual whose path is directed by whoever last spoke to him. God offers His children stability—the utter confidence that He is directing our path, just as He promised. We can afford to believe Him. If we have carefully prayed through a decision, asking for His wisdom and believing we have received it, we can apply it without hesitation and without doubt. That’s a faith which will withstand the wind, and a servant who can be guided. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 12 GIDEON, GOD, AND 300 WATER-LAPPERSAnd the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. Judges 7:4-8 I can only hear the military advisors and well-meaning supporters of Gideon, as a respectable army of 32,000 Israelites is pared down to 300 water-lappers: “God wouldn’t want us to do something that doesn’t even make sense!” “What would it hurt to at least keep them around, just in case?” “This can’t be God—this is stupid!” “Why can’t God’s army be more like a business?” Then there are the discarded volunteers, themselves: “Why did you send me home?” “You drink like a human.” None of this makes sense at all from the mortal perspective, and the courage Gideon demonstrates from start to finish is breathtaking. He is operating solely on the basis of God’s instructions. Gideon so firmly believes it is God’s messenger who has spoken to him that he is willing to disconnect from all rational plans to exclusively follow God’s directions. There is no hedging of his bets, even though everything is at stake. This is a plan which is pure faith from start to finish. God makes sure it works perfectly. Gideon’s courage sprang from his intense belief that he was only following God’s orders. God only needed one person with that combination of faith and obedience to change an entire nation. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 13 ONE MAN’S NIGHTMARE IS ANOTHER MAN’S FAITHThat same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp... When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.” As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.” Judges 7:9-11,13-15 The famous fleece test which Gideon originated and God answered had given Gideon sufficient faith to follow God’s instructions precisely; God now graciously offers Gideon even more assurance that His plan will work. It’s interesting that in this case, God doesn’t just command Gideon to “be not afraid,” but instead invites him to go down into the camp “if you are afraid,” knowing that what Gideon hears will encourage him. What a compassionate God. I like the way God speaks in the past tense about future events: “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand.” I like the way Gideon echoes Him, in faith, when addressing his men: “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.” When we’ve heard from the Lord, when we recall the bowl of water wrung from the fleece, when God’s enemies are telling each other nightmares of their impending doom, it’s not as hard as we might think to round up our 300 water-lappers, pass out torches and empty pitchers, and go engage an immense army in the dark. This is already a done deal. God said. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 14 FROM FEAR TO FAITHThen the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled... Judges 7:20-22 God knows how to start a human stampede! What must it be like to be fast asleep, only to have 300 trumpets blasted at you simultaneously in surround-sound! How about waking in a camp surrounded by blazing torches while 300 men scream “a sword for the LORD and for Gideon” as your disoriented neighbors come at you in the dark, swinging their swords! No wonder they didn’t stop running until they got back to Midian! When it’s all over, the Israelites come to Gideon and ask him to rule over them. He graciously declines: “I will not rule over you and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” (Judges 8:23) Gideon’s faith and obedience are used of God to usher in four decades of rest for Israel. This all began with an obscure, fearful man, hiding from his enemies, of no account in his own estimation when God sent His angel to commission him. Gideon’s statements changed from his original response to the angel, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel?..” (Judges 6:15) to the confident address given to his troops “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand” (Judges 7:15), and the only thing that transpired between those two pronouncements is that Gideon has repeatedly been reassured by God (fleeces, signs, dreams) and he has come to believe God. The enemy intimidating the Israelites in Judges 7:15 is precisely the same one sprawled across the valley in Judges 6:15. What has changed in the course of one chapter is that God’s servant has been transformed from fear to faith. It’s a transformation God is always willing to perform, and always ready to reward! (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 15 BELIEVE IN HIM WHOM HE HAS SENTThen they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:28-29 So often, our question is, “What do you want me to do, God, in order to please you?” “What is your will for me?” “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus’ stunning answer is easily missed: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” Yes, there are specific missions on which God sends us. There is a Great Commission which applies to every disciple. There is a Great Commandment that focuses our attention on love, first for God, then for one another. But preceding all of it is the most basic thing in Christianity—“that you believe in him whom he has sent.” It either all starts with believing in Jesus, or it doesn’t start! Nothing we can do will please the Father if we refuse to believe in the Son. Doing “the work of God” begins with believing His testimony concerning Jesus. It doesn’t stop there, but without a sincere belief in Christ, there is no beginning. Faith in Christ can’t be skipped, nor can it be replaced by lots of good deeds. God is able to do anything He wants, so it’s not like He needs human flesh in order to get something done. Our “help” is never critical to God’s being able to accomplish a task; though He often grants us the favor of getting to participate in meaningful ways, it’s to our benefit rather than His necessity. What does He want us to do?! He wants us to believe. That’s the work which pleases Him most—that we would exercise our faith, and simply believe that what He is saying is true, trust in the One He has sent, and live accordingly. Plenty of tasks will accompany that belief, but until we realize that the first thing God requires of His followers is that they believe in Him whom He has sent, we’re missing everything else. The first job of a servant is to just pay attention, to be listening for the Master’s voice. The second job of a servant is to believe that voice when we hear it, and to totally trust in the One sent from above. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 16 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Matthew 21:28-31 Jesus’ parable was aimed at the religious hierarchy who had first refused to believe John the Baptist and now were refusing to believe Him, but the story also applies to each of us. It's the action that counts, rather than the intention or the promise of action. Our first child was compliant in disposition, but it didn’t stop her from being disobedient at times. The times were rare when she would openly defy us, but a pattern emerged of “agreeable disobedience,” as requests she found not to her liking would simply be ignored or purposely forgotten. As parents, we had to learn that disobedience without an argument was nevertheless still disobedience, and needed to be corrected, just as defiant disobedience did. I’ve not been one to shake my fist at God. I’m trying to think of a time when I told God “No!” and openly defied Him. (There have probably been times, but I’ve managed to forget them). On the other hand, there have been many, many times when I have known God’s will and not gotten around to doing it, when I’ve purposely forgotten about what it was He had commissioned me to do. I’ve stretched my imagination to come up with excuses to justify my disobedience. I’ve allowed any and every distraction to take me “off task.” Worse yet, many of these transgressions have been on the heels of a promise of obedience from me! “Yes, Lord!” I’ve said, then stayed put, hoping He would forget He’d called me (He never does). Obedience keys on our actions, not our promises or intentions. The first job of a servant is to pay attention, so we know what the Master is saying to us. The second job is to believe the Master. The third job of a servant is to obey, regardless—regardless of the cost, regardless of the excuses, regardless...! If the end result of the Master’s instructions to us is not obedience, we need another name for ourselves, because “servant” doesn’t fit. A servant obeys. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 17 GOD HAS THE BLUEPRINTSNow the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel.... When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. As for the donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjamite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.” 1 Samuel 9:15-16a,17-24 There are still a chapter’s worth of signs to follow, all confirming what God’s servants understand: God knows everything! With His foreknowledge, God at times gives His servants intimate details of future events completely beyond their control, in order that people might have faith in Him. Acting on these instructions from God is not presumption—it is nothing more than obedience, if we know God has spoken to us and revealed His plan to us. It isn’t difficult at all for God to show one of His servants what will happen, to the extent they are able to relate details of things which have not yet happened and over which they have no control—at God’s direction. It is very important that prophecy be initiated by God, not the prophet. If we know it is God who spoke to us, we can go ahead and plan the banquet for the new king God will send us, tomorrow. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 18 LISTENING, BELIEVING, OBEDIENCE“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23 Poor Samuel. First he has to “king” Saul; now his job is to “un-king” him! It’s not always fun to be a prophet. Disobedience is what brought down Israel’s first king and made him unuseable. Saul’s great potential is totally wasted as he stubbornly persists in doing things his own way without regard for God’s commands. He lives by excuses and rationalizations; the monuments he builds are to himself, never to the God who made him king. When confronted by Samuel regarding his disobedience, Saul’s response is once again to justify himself and pass blame. God’s orders had been very specific; Saul had obeyed where convenient, and disobeyed where it fit his purposes, or where obedience required backbone. He now attempts to twist disobedience into a form of worship! What was to have been destroyed will supposedly be presented to the LORD as sacrifice. The response he gets from God’s servant is timely for every generation: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” Listening comes first for a servant, believing comes next, and there’s no substitute for obedience—none. Either we are an obedient servant who can be trusted with God’s instructions, or we are disobedient. Partial disobedience does not become obedience by re-labeling it sacrifice. God always looks at the heart first—and if the heart is not totally committed to Him and to obeying Him, offerings don’t change a thing. Human frailties and failure aren’t what disqualify servants; rebellion is—the stubborn refusal to obey, acknowledge guilt, accept correction. There is no substitute for genuine obedience. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 19 THE CORNERSTONE OF OBEDIENCE“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” Hmmm. Good question. Very good question. Maybe we ought to drop the “Lord” thing until we’re ready to obey! “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them”... This verse pretty much prescribes the formula we’ve been working on for the past few weeks: (1) Everyone who comes to me (First job of a servant—Pay attention) (2) and hears my words (Second job of a servant—Believe the Master) (3) and does them (Third job of a servant—Obey, regardless) We live in a world in which foundations matter, because the storms are inevitable. Jesus illustrates that the only house which will withstand the flood is a house built on a secure foundation. “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them” represents a spiritual foundation, with obedience being the necessary cornerstone. It comes back to the “Lord, Lord” question. If we are not willing to pay attention, believe the Master, then obey what we hear from Him, there is no reason to call Jesus “Lord.” On the other hand, if we have built on a foundation of belief and obedience, we have something so solid that no storm will be able to shake us. We can’t stop at just hearing God’s Word, or even with saying we believe it. Acting on what we have heard—obedience, is the difference between an unshakeable life based on Christ, and just another sad disaster story, filled with waste and regret. Without the foundation of obedience, it doesn’t really matter what we build on top—eventually, it will topple. We must build on Christ. They don’t call Him the “Cornerstone” for nothing. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 20 FAITH WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELSAfter this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Luke 10:1-9 These people were not just sent out with a vague commission—it was very specific. They didn’t have to figure out a plan; Jesus gave them one. He expected them to follow His instructions. This was not freelance discipleship, it was obedience. Jesus purposely disarms His disciples of all the things on which they tend to rely—money, friends, back-up plans, etc.—in order to send them out on a faith field trip which will prove the Father’s faithfulness to them in a way they’ve never before experienced. It’s one thing to sit on a hillside listening to Jesus talk about God providing in the Sermon on the Mount; it’s quite another thing to arrive in a village as a complete stranger, with no money or food or spare clothes, no connections, no place to stay, and your job is to heal the sick there! The result is anything but disappointment, though! For dozens of disciples, this was the time when their existing faith grew by leaps and bounds, and their theoretical faith became real faith. They no longer just “wanted to believe” God would come through for them; now they knew He could and would. They now understood that when God is teaching us to live by faith, we don’t need training wheels. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 21 SMILING JESUSThe seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Luke 10:17-24 There aren’t a lot of times in scripture when we know Jesus is smiling, but here’s one. Why is this such a special occasion? Because His followers are getting it! They’ve just come back from a faith field trip, so fired up they can’t wait to go, again. The fulfillment of prophecies hundreds of years old are taking place, and His mission is being successfully accomplished. The plan is coming together. The enemy is being driven back, by raw tax collectors and fishermen! This is one of the times when Jesus feels that it’s worth it. If we want to make the Master smile, all we have to do is live by faith. If we pay attention, trust Him at His word, and are willing to obey, regardless, if we’re willing to charge into enemy territory armed only with our faith in Him, with no back-up plan, we’re on our way to a joyous experience and a Savior who rejoices with us. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 22 DEEP-WATER DISCIPLESAnd when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4 Jesus’ instruction to Simon reminds me of something I’ve learned about myself: I swim better in deep water. Here’s what I mean by that: Being a true conservative, my tendency is to not go out any deeper than I absolutely have to. And since I’m in the shallows, why not just stand up and quit swimming whenever I get a little tired? I swim better in deep water. Once I know I can’t touch bottom, I quit thinking about it and focus on swimming, since there are no other options. I’ll probably never be a very good swimmer, but I swim better in deep water, because in shallow, safe water, I hardly swim at all; I just stand around in the pool. Here’s the spiritual application: When I’m in deep water, I pay attention to God; when it’s shallow, or I’m close to shore, it’s harder to focus on Him, because all I have to do is stand up, or head for “safety.” What is “deep water”? For one thing, it’s when we don’t get to know what the plan is. We plead with God to show us what’s ahead, and He replies, “What would you do, if I told you what was next? You would immediately begin to make your own plans, and you’d not be focusing on me at all—you’d be focusing on your plan. So, for the time being, you don’t get a plan—all you get is Me. I AM the ‘plan.’ “If you keep your focus on Me, and pay attention, and obey, you’ll get to wherever you need to be, in plenty of time. But if you insist on making your own plans and going your own way, it doesn’t matter what the plan might be, you won’t be following Me, because you’re not watching Me. “It’s not ‘watch me so you can get “the plan;” watching me is the plan! “Do you want my plan? Here it is. Watch me!” (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 23 DEEP-WATER DISCIPLES, II... “Follow me.” Luke 5:27 How many times has “Follow me” been the only plan offered by God to would-be disciples? God has often been skimpy on the details, when it comes to what’s next for His servants. It often just comes down to “Watch me! Follow me!” A great example is when over a million Israelites traversed the wilderness, guided only by the cloud God provided. I’m sure most of them would have preferred a plan, a schedule or almost anything to a cloud, but God was training a nation to pay attention to Him. When they paid attention, they also obeyed. He didn’t need a million entrepreneurs, making up their own plans and rules as they went along. He didn’t need a million shallow-water, play-it-safe disciples, who would never venture beyond their comfort zone. What God was looking for was a nation of people who would pay attention to Him, listen to Him and obey, regardless. God needed people willing to take their little kids out into the middle of a river, while He held the water back. He needed people who had the faith and the self-discipline to march around a city for a week without saying a word—not because this made sense but because “God said”—then shout and watch the walls fall down on the seventh day. God was looking for deep-water disciples, people willing to launch out into the deep, having neither their own plan nor a back-up plan, people who fully expected God to come through. God has always been looking for deep-water disciples, those willing to get out of the shallows in obedience to His command. There are plenty of wading pool Christians, ready to serve Jesus so long as they can touch bottom, so long as it’s not too scary, too hot, too cold, too poor, too far from home... Then there are the deep-water variety. They remind me of a quote I love: “A ship is safe in a harbor, but that is not what ships are for.” Neither are disciples made for the shallows. We are called by Christ to follow Him into the deep, knowing He can and will guide us, provide for us, and protect us. We need not fear, but we must follow. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 24 THE REWARDING LIFE OF A FAITHFUL, WISE MANAGERAnd the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." Luke 12:42-48 Do we think that somehow God is not going to remember what it is that He entrusted to us? Is He not going to notice if we did absolutely nothing with it?! This parable is a sobering reminder of how deadly serious the Master is about the responsibilities He has entrusted to us. For one thing, the responsibility is real—it’s for real people with genuine needs. This is not some game without serious consequences; when a manager is unfaithful, some of God’s children actually do go hungry or suffer abuse. This, in turn, activates the wrath of the Master! Since God is taking all of this seriously, and the results are real, perhaps we had better take it seriously as well, and keep to the tasks at hand. It pleases me to see the word “manager” in a good light: “Who then is the faithful and wise manager,...” In recent years, few have aspired to be a “manager,” when the focus is on the importance and the glories of “leadership,” but here the Master is not asking for someone to come up with a big vision of their own, but instead to conscientiously and faithfully fulfill His own. There’s something very beautiful about a servant who can be entrusted with the well-being of many people, whose Master may return to find him on task, his charges well cared-for. No wonder there’s a reward for faithful and wise managers. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 25 OBEDIENCE IS THE NATURAL RESULTThis is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin... My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 1:5-7, 2:1-6 While obedience has and always will be God’s standard for His children, there is forgiveness and grace available for each of us when we fail to meet that standard. We are able to access His “propitiation”— the atoning sacrifice Jesus made for us which regains for us God’s favor—by merely “walking in the light.” What does it mean to “walk in the light”? It is complete honesty and transparency before God. No hiding. No pretending. Instead of lingering in the shadows, hoping our sins will go unnoticed, we walk out into His light, allowing all our failures to be exposed, forgiven and healed. It is at this point of openness that we find what it is to be in fellowship with Him. Every spiritual issue in our lives is dealt with in the light of His love, and we are clean. There is nothing left to hide. We can relax in God’s presence! In the process, we also can relax with one another. Walking in the light gives us fellowship with both God and man. Could spiritual peace be this simple? No longer do we think of obedience to God’s commands as the way to gain God’s favor. Instead, obedience is simply the natural result of walking each day in fellowship with Him. Sin? Mistake? If we’re walking in the light with our Lord, everything that might harm our relationship with the Lord is dealt with as we go along, and we remain in perfect fellowship with Him. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 26 I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GODFor it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” Hebrews 10:4-7 The theme Jesus recites from Psalm 40 is the theme of His earthly ministry. “‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” Jesus repeatedly made it clear that His purpose for being on earth was to do the will of His Father, and nothing else. The fulfillment of the scriptures—all the prophecies and promises regarding the Messiah—was an established part of His mission before ever He was born, and He knew it. Much of Jesus’ life was scripted, recorded by various prophets hundreds of years prior to His arrival. He not only followed the script meticulously, careful to fulfill every prophecy; He rejoiced in following the path already established for Him. He exulted in performing the will of His Father. There was no rebellion, no competing agenda. His only ambition was to accomplish the task set before Him by the Father. What would happen in my life if my sole ambition was to do the will of God, and every other desire fell away? Many times I have said that was the case, but the reality finds all kinds of competing desires and ambitions. I need to remind myself on a regular basis that the reason I have been given this body and this life is to do the will of my Father in heaven. That is my purpose in life. The more I focus on that purpose, the more I become like Jesus. What brings pleasure to God is a heart devoted to Him, fixated on Him, living in obedience to His direction and seeking only His approval. “I have come to do your will, O God.” There is a freedom in that kind of surrender. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 27 BLIND FAITHBy faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 One of the things God appreciated about Abraham was his willingness to exercise blind faith. It’s one thing to obey when we have the details, understand the situation and can readily see the outcome; it’s another to simply obey, when there are no reference points and we are completely unaware of the master plan. Some servants get to know where they’re going; others are called upon to pack and leave, without so much as a forwarding address. A servant especially useful to God is one who doesn’t require an explanation for everything. A simple order is all it takes to get him moving. I want to be that kind of servant. When Abraham left Haran, he didn’t even know his destination, much less the blessings which would accompany obedience. The first step in becoming a legendary “man of faith” was just to obey God, in blind faith and trust. God would use this first bold act of obedience to begin to build within Abraham a faith that would astound the world—and set the stage for an even greater faith and obedience which would save it. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 28 ECHOES OF OBEDIENCEBy faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. Hebrews 11:17-19 The echoes of Abraham’s obedience still reverberate throughout history. This is the kind of faith and unwavering obedience that get God’s attention. Not only is it faith; it’s faith that doesn’t make any sense! Why would God want Abraham to be willing to sacrifice the promised child? Because God was going to allow that same thing to happen to His own Son, in order to save the world—but Abraham didn’t know that. All Abraham knew was God’s voice, and blind obedience. Abraham’s incredible faith is rewarded incredibly. God had been looking for someone to whom He could make the promises which would ultimately result in the salvation of the world. In Abraham, He found His man. Here was someone who loved Him and trusted Him enough to obey, regardless. This was the sort of man out of whom God could raise up a holy people. And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you , and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Gen 22:15-18) God always honors those who obey Him, and great obedience always brings great honor. If I desire great honor from God, it’s simple how that may be obtained: Obedience to His voice, regardless. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 29 TURNING TERROR TO TRIUMPHThe LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” Joshua 7:10-13 The sin of one man (Achan) has resulted in a humiliating defeat for the Israelites, and terror has settled down on the camp. Joshua, confused, resorts to whining at God. God reprimands Joshua, and gives specific instructions which must be carried out, in order that the situation may be rectified. Joshua’s role is not to come up with a solution for Israel’s dilemma; all he has to do is obey. The whole nation’s fate is wrapped up in the question of whether or not their leader will fully obey God. Joshua’s complete compliance with God’s commands results in a miraculous turn-around, and Israel is once again victorious, once sin has been dealt with. The problem for the servant is that sometimes God’s commands are the furthest thing from our own desires. A true servant is willing to do the dirty work and keep focused on the mission, even when he dislikes the mission. Obedience is not just for when it coincides with our wishes! A servant doesn’t just do the things he feels like doing, or the things he completely understands. A servant obeys God, regardless. That’s the only solution, when it comes to turning terror to triumph. Sin begets fear; obedience begets the calm assurance of victory. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 30 UNEVEN PLAYING FIELDAnd behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 1 Kings 13:1-2 1 Kings 13 relates the unusual story of a prophet sent by God to King Jeroboam, in order to pronounce judgment against an idolatrous altar the king had made purely for his own political protection. God’s message is so specific that He names the person who will unknowingly fulfill it, hundreds of years later (2 Kings 23:15-20 gives the exact fulfillment)! Along with this one-sentence message to deliver, the prophet has also received a strict command from God not to eat bread or drink water in Israel, nor to return back the way he had come. After he delivers the prophecy, escapes with his life through a miraculous sign, and successfully declines the king’s invitation to eat and drink, the man of God is on his way home, still true to his mission. This is where it gets really weird. An old prophet tracks him down, lies to him about having an angel of God tell him something different and convinces him to come home and eat with him, then gets a real message from God about the prophet getting killed because he disobeyed! Sure enough. A lion gets him on the way home. The prophet who lied him to death in the first place is the one who goes and buries him in his own tomb, and wants to be buried next to him! It’s an uneven playing field. Servants of God are held to God’s standards, regardless of what anybody else is doing or saying. We can get tricked into disobeying and still get punished?! Yes. Ask Eve. The point is obedience, regardless. If there is anything the enemy of our souls knows will convince us to disobey God’s direct orders, he will be sure to provide it. Satan has never played fair, nor have those under his control. It’s up to us to get our signals from God, believe what He says and not secondguess Him, and obey, regardless. (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) March 31 UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD, IIAnd he said to him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him. So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water. 1 Kings 13:18-19 What’s so bad about getting a drink of water, especially when a nice guy is saying, “God said it was O.K.”? Because it directly contradicted what the prophet knew God had already said, and what the prophet had already testified to the king that God had said. Just a little disobedience cost the prophet in 1 Kings 13 his life. In the Garden of Eden, Eve was quite familiar with God’s command, until the serpent’s theology lesson convinced her that disobedience couldn’t possibly be that big of a deal. It was. Moses didn’t think a technicality in how he would perform a miracle would cost him the Promised Land, but it did. Little acts of disobedience turn out to be disproportionately expensive. Lessons? Remember that God doesn’t change His mind, so don’t believe everything that someone says was told them by an angel! If it contradicts God’s Word, His nature, or makes Him out to be fickle, it’s a lie. Although the message was strange, and dangerous to deliver, the man of God had all the power and protection he needed, until he was tricked into disobeying God’s direct commandment. Stay in His will! There is always a lion (Satan) waiting for those who walk in disobedience to God, even if they were tricked into it! The power belongs to the Master, not the servant. The veracity of the message is due to God’s faithfulness, not the messenger’s. The prophecy ultimately came true because God said, not because the prophet behaved flawlessly. There is no power given to God’s servants apart from the power and protection that accompany obedience. Even a little disobedience leaves us wide open to the lions. Even if we were tricked. It’s an uneven playing field, but complete obedience puts us on the side where we can’t lose! (From Serving God, by Dave Ness) Serving God is a year-long devotional book written by Dave Ness. The theme is "What does the Bible say about serving God? To receive a copy of Serving God, contact Dave Ness at connect@PrayingForAmerica.org or through the mail at P.O. Box 1747, Longview, WA 98632 (Suggested donation $17). All scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version of the Bible (ESV). |
|||
 |
|
|
|
| Home Page | SC Newsletter |
About Servant Connection |
Servant Prayer Journal |