He, Will Do Marvels..... Streams in the Desert

He, Will Do Marvels 

Streams in the Desert

He answered her not a word (Matthew 15:23).

He will be silent in his love (Zephaniah 3:17).

It may be a child of God is reading these words who has had some great crushing sorrow, some bitter disappointment, some heart-breaking blow from a totally unexpected quarter. You are longing for your Master's voice bidding you "Be of good cheer," but only silence and a sense of mystery and misery meet you --"He answered her not a word."

God's tender heart must often ache listening to all the sad, complaining cries which arise from our weak, impatient hearts, because we do not see that for our own sakes He answers not at all or otherwise than seems best to our tear-blinded, short-sighted eyes. The silences of Jesus are as eloquent as His speech and may be a sign, not of His disapproval, but of His approval and of a deep purpose of blessing for you.

"Why art thou cast down, O… soul?" Thou shalt yet praise Him, yes, even for His silence. Listen to an old and beautiful story of how one Christian dreamed that she saw three others at prayer. As they knelt the Master drew near to them.

As He approached the first of the three, He bent over her in tenderness and grace, with smiles full of radiant love and spoke to her in accents of purest, sweetest music. Leaving her, He came to the next, but only placed His hand upon her bowed bead, and gave her one look of loving approval. The third woman He passed almost abruptly without stopping for a word or glance.

The woman in her dream said to herself, "How greatly He must love the first one, to the second He gave His approval, but none of the special demonstrations of love He gave the first; and the third must have grieved Him deeply, for He gave her no word at all and not even a passing look.

"I wonder what she has done, and why He made so much difference between them?" As she tried to account for the action of her Lord, He Himself stood by her and said: "O woman! how wrongly hast thou interpreted Me. The first kneeling woman needs all the weight of My tenderness and care to keep her feet in My narrow way. She needs My love, thought and help every moment of the day. Without it she would fail and fall.

"The second has stronger faith and deeper love, and I can trust her to trust Me however things may go and whatever people do. The third, whom I seemed not to notice, and even to neglect, has faith and love of the finest quality, and her I am training by quick and drastic processes for the highest and holiest service.

"She knows Me so intimately, and trusts Me so utterly, that she is independent of words or looks or any outward intimation of My approval. She is not dismayed nor discouraged by any circumstances through which I arrange that she shall pass; she trusts Me when sense and reason and every finer instinct of the natural heart would rebel;--because she knows that I am working in her for eternity, and that what I do, though she knows not the explanation now, she will understand hereafter.

"I am silent in My love because I love beyond the power of words to express, or of human hearts to understand, and also for your sakes that you may learn to love and trust Me in Spirit-taught, spontaneous response to My love, without the spur of anything outward to call it forth."

He "will do marvels" if you will learn the mystery of His silence, and praise Him, for every time He withdraws His gifts that you may better know and love the Giver.
--Selected

Lord, I Love You, but... ..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Lord, I Love You, but...

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 6:10-12

Most of us are quick to declare our love for God, but at times our reluctance to serve Him tells a different story. Honestly consider whether you have ever found yourself saying or thinking, I love you, Lord, but don't call me to do that! Or perhaps you served Him, but with a flawed attitude: If no one else will do it, then I guess I will. What causes us to be reluctant servants?

Busyness: Sometimes our schedules are so full that there's no space to follow the Lord when we hear Him calling us to minister in a certain area. We all need "margins" in our lives if we want to abide in God's will.

Inadequacy: Perhaps you feel unqualified to serve, and you're thinking, Surely there's someone more gifted who could do that job. But that's just an excuse; the Lord promises to equip those He calls (2 Cor. 3:4-6).

Selfishness: Sacrificial service is never convenient. It may require that we change our plans, give up our comforts, or even make financial sacrifices.

Lack of love: This is the hardest for us to admit—that we just don't care enough. Our reluctance to serve others reveals a lack of devotion to the Lord. Those who love Christ with all their heart will joyfully serve Him by ministering to those in their families, workplaces, communities, and churches.

Are you quick to follow the Lord's leading when a need arises, or are you a reluctant servant who's preoccupied with your own plans and desires? Any service we offer in Jesus' name will not be in vain. You'll experience the joy of giving and the assurance that the Lord won't forget your sacrifice.

The Good Reason for Good Works..... KAREN EHMAN

 The Good Reason for Good Works

KAREN EHMAN

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Lately I’ve had fun observing a chain of kind deeds on our little town’s Facebook page.

It all started when someone hopped on the page to post a thank-you to the person who paid for her coffee that morning at the local fast-food drive-thru. She said she decided to continue the chain of thoughtfulness by paying for the person’s meal behind her. Many residents hopped on to say how considerate these actions were and that they too were challenged to do something similar.

The simple gesture of a gifted latte sparked a flurry of good deeds. In the weeks following, people took to the comments thread to thank those who’d helped them in various ways.

An elderly woman expressed her gratitude for having her heavy groceries carried to her car on a rainy afternoon.

A young mom thanked a stranger for helping her fold her stroller at the park when she had her hands full with a crying baby and a wriggling toddler.

Still another man expressed his astonishment when he discovered his breakfast had been paid for at our local diner by a complete stranger.

When I think about doing good works such as these, I have to stop and wonder — what is the point in all of it? Our key verse today states, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

This verse doesn’t assert that we should strive to bless others with good works so we will be well thought of. It doesn’t even imply that we do kind deeds so that others will be cheered up. And it certainly doesn’t urge us to do our fair share of good in order to earn our way to heaven.

Many belief systems are based on a “good works” mentality — if we do enough kind deeds, God will let us into heaven. Christianity is just the opposite. It says we will never be good enough. In fact, we deserve to spend eternity separated from God forever. However, Jesus — who is God’s perfect Son — laid down His life for us, taking our punishment instead. By doing this, He purchased our way to heaven. (John 14:6; Romans 6:23)

No, we are not saved by our good works. But we are saved in order to do good works, works that God planned long ago for us to have on our to-do lists each day.

In the original Greek, the word good in Ephesians 2:10 is agathos. It means “intrinsically kind;” true goodness that originates from God and is empowered by Him. We don’t perform these works in our own strength. We do them through the Lord’s strength instead.

And, as a beautiful bonus, our kindness to others, which flows from God Himself, can be a conduit to show them God’s kindness, which may in turn spark a desire in them to follow Him too. Elsewhere in Scripture, we discover that God’s kindness is intended to lead humans to repentance. (Romans 2:4)

This term for kindness is an adjective in the Greek — chréstos. It is a combination of two concepts — kind and useful. There isn’t an English word that, when used by itself, conveys the dual meaning here. Chréstos means both earthly thoughtful and eternally useful. It serves a purpose. This divine benevolence is beneficial because it leads others to repentance.

It is God’s kindness — not His condemnation — that wins others to Himself. And our kindness when doing good deeds can help to win others over as well.

Today, let’s be open to how God can prompt our kindness and do some of the good works He has already prepared for us to do. Just remember that good works aren’t our ticket to heaven … they are our marching orders here on earth.

Father, may my kindness to others originate from You and be empowered by Your Holy Spirit. Help my behavior to display the gospel, pointing others to eternal salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, …” (ESV)

4 Questions to Ask When Listening for God's Voice..... By Cara Joyner

 4 Questions to Ask When Listening for God's Voice

By Cara Joyner

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD.’” –  Jeremiah 29:12-13.

One of the joys we experience in childhood, although we don’t see as a gift at the time, is that decisions are made for us. We love independence, but most of us can at least appreciate the idea of a person telling us which way to turn when the lines get blurry and a world that once seemed very black and white takes on a surprising shade of grey.

During the years I worked in student ministries, one of the most common questions I heard asked was, “I wish I knew what God wanted me to do…how do I hear from Him?” It’s amazing to be reminded that, at the core, middle and high school students are wrestling with the same thoughts as their parents and grandparents.

I would like to suggest four questions we should consider when seeking the voice of God:

1. Am I willing to hear what He might say?

Do you believe His voice will flow out of His great love for you, even if it’s not the message you wanted to hear? If we aren’t willing to receive what He says, we really cannot proceed.

If that scares you, remember that a God who loves us enough to sacrifice His son, who promises to never leave us, and who is gentle enough to wipe away our tears ( Revelation 21:4). His will is good. Are you willing to hear more?

2. What does scripture say?

The Bible is God-breathed, so it is here where we begin.

We might not be able to flip to the concordance and search “how to know if I should stay in this dating relationship…” or “how to respond when my co-worker says something cruel…”, however, if we develop a habit of abiding in the Word of God, we will know His heart. And when we know his Heart, we will recognize His voice.

In the quest for God’s voice, let the first stop be scripture. The more familiar we are with the heart of God, the more familiar we will be with His voice.

3. What do the people who love you say?

During one particular coffee date I had with a student, we discussed an unhealthy dating relationship she was involved in. I asked her what her family, close friends, and spiritual mentors had to say. The people closest to her, who loved her and wanted the best for her, all warned that staying in the relationship was dangerous and they advised her to end it. We had talked about the reasons behind their concerns for quite a while when she looked at me through teary eyes and said, “I know what they want me to do…I just wish I knew what God wanted me to do.”

The people who love you…the people you trust and respect…what do they say? Have you asked them? Obviously, everyone should not be within your circle for wise counsel. Ask people who have made decisions that you respect, and who love you enough to want what is best for you. Allow their voices to enter the conversation and examine how their input is compatible with scripture and what you know to be true about the heart of God. The Lord frequently uses the voices of others to echo what He is speaking to our hearts.

4. What does the “still, small voice” say?

You know that whisper? That sense of what God is calling us to? In his book, Hearing God, Dallas Willard refers to this as the “still, small voice”. For a deeper discussion about what it means to have a “conversational relationship” with God, as Willard describes it, jump into this thought-provoking piece of writing. I cannot do justice to the understanding he brings to the subject.

I will say this though – it’s hard to imagine hearing the “still, small voice” of God if we don’t make listening a priority. Our lives produce a shocking amount of noise. Our days seem to fill themselves with appointments and activities before we even have a chance to say otherwise. Repeatedly in scripture, Jesus left the noise. He got up earlier than everyone else, went away from the chaos, and was alone with His Father. He prayed and they talked, a habit which scripture tells us He did often.

Are you positioning yourself to hear the still, small voice of a great God who wants so badly to talk with you?

These are our beacons. If we are seeking direction, these questions may or may not lead us to a specific answer, but hopefully they will help us discern God’s voice in the midst of so many others.

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself..... by Kelly Givens

 Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

by Kelly Givens

“And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, “'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " - Matthew 22:35-39

I live in an apartment complex, and new tenants have recently moved into the rental directly below me. I haven’t met them yet, but I do know one thing about them: they have an incredibly close relationship with their bass speakers. If you’ve ever had neighbors with a big sound system, you’ll know why I’m frustrated. While other sound waves bounce off or are absorbed by the objects around them, bass sound travels right through. So while I can’t hear the words of the song my neighbors are blasting, I can feel the floor vibrating to the irregular heart-beat like bumps of the bass. It’s the kind of sound that even earplugs can’t always drown out--which is especially annoying at 1 o’clock in the morning.

Situations like these tempt me to toss aside every sermon I’ve heard on patience, gentleness and self-control and start banging on the floor with a broom handle.  But this is completely antithetical to what Christ demands.  Jesus’ message to “love your neighbor as yourself” is a verse that often gets thrown out there without a lot of thought. However, I’m starting to realize there are major implications of truly loving someone the way I love myself.

How do I love myself? Well, for starters, I’m always thinking about myself. I think about what I’m going to eat for breakfast, what I need to do at work, what I need to pick up from the store on the way home. I also love myself by making my needs top-priority. How I schedule my day revolves around the things I want or need to accomplish. Basically, my thoughts and my day are centered on me.

So when Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, that’s a tall order. He’s saying we need to think about others as much as we think about ourselves. He means we should remember the needs of others like we remember our own. He means seeking the happiness, goodness, peace, security of others as much as we seek those things in our own lives.

How can we do this- especially to those who annoy us, hurt us, or perhaps even persecute us? When I think about loving my neighbors as sacrificially, as a priority number one, it seems impossible. I can’t even say I do this fully for the people I love most. But then I remember the first part of Jesus’ command- ‘Love God with all your heart, soul and mind.” There’s my answer. When I focus all my love toward God, he takes my selfish heart and transforms it into a heart capable of loving others. I no longer need others to validate me, be kind or loving toward me in order to love them back. Christ’s love is enough. He fills me up so I can pour out selfless love to others, even others with loud bass speakers.

This selfless love isn’t something I’m good at- it’s not even something I can say I regularly attempt. I’m more selfish than I realize. But God has been using my noisy neighbors to convict my selfish heart, to show me how much better I can be at putting the happiness and peace of others above my own. I know it’s not going to be easy to start loving people as much as I love myself, but I know the first step: loving God above everything else.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you loving others as you love yourself? Without loving God first and fully, this is impossible to do. If there is someone in your life you’re struggling to love, ask God to help you persevere in loving them - and in loving Him better, too.

Further reading
Matthew 5:43-48
Leviticus 19:18
 Romans 13:9-10

A Prayer for Each New Morning..... By Tiffany Thibault

 A Prayer for Each New Morning

By Tiffany Thibault

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. - Psalm 143:8

There are some mornings, such as today, when I wake while it is still dark outside. I grab a cup of coffee and sit in a chair before an eastern facing window. Far up in the vast black sky I can see the planet Venus and several other surrounding constellations. I am in awe once again of how the intricacies of creation. I marvel at the placement of each planet and star in the galaxy. I am humbled when I remember what it says in Psalm 147:4 about the stars: He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

As I watch the sun slowly rise over the mountain and the stars begin to fade away from the light, I pray for this new day. I pray for the opportunities that will cross my path today. I pray for each family member that I will be doing life with today. I pray for those in my family who live far away. I pray for our country and our leaders. I pray for those I know who are hurting.

As I sit there in the early morning quiet, I am reminded of several truths. There has never been a morning, whether I see it or not, that the stars haven’t always seemed to fade away. There has never been a morning that the sun has not risen in the eastern sky. Since the God of creation has never failed the earth in this, then I don’t have to wonder or worry if tomorrow morning the sun will once again rise. It will, because God determined it to do so.

Each new day is an opportunity for our faith to grow. If you woke up today, then it is because this very day God has a plan, a purpose for you being alive! He loves you with an unfailing love, every single day.

Even though life sometimes has a way of overwhelming us with its difficulties and each new day can seem so hard, look up to the heavens and be reminded that God is always at work in every part of your life. He can be trusted with your life, your dreams and your heart. If you look to Him for guidance for each new day, relationship and situation, He will help you.

Just because it may be a cloudy or a stormy day and I cannot see the stars in the night sky or the sun rising above the mountain ridge, it does not mean that they aren’t there. The sun and stars continue because God determined it to be so.

Just because life is hard today and tomorrow and even the day after that, it does not mean that God is not at work in your life, or that He has even stopped loving you. He says this to you: “For I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

You can be confident in His unfailing, never-ending love for you. Just look up to the sky and be reminded. Those stars and planets, and that sunrise or sunset are continual reminders that His love for you is unfailing. He has determined the planet's path and they will not crash. He can show you the way to go each and every day of your life. He can most certainly be trusted with your life. His love for you is unfailing.

Dear Lord,

Each and every morning as I begin to wake, I pray that the first thought of each new day would be of You and of your unfailing love for me. I pray that You would give me wisdom for every single situation I will be facing today. Show me what I should do and where I should go. I trust my life to you.

Amen.