“God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” Job 33:14 (NCV)
God is speaking to you, but are you listening for his voice? Today’s verse says God sometimes speaks one way, sometimes another. The question to ask is, “How do I tune in so that I can hear him?” Here are four of the channels that God uses: 1. God speaks to us through the Bible. It’s your guidebook for life. It shows you the right step to take. That is why you need to read God’s Word every day. If you’re not having a daily quiet time and reading the Bible, God is getting a busy signal when he wants to speak to you. You need to keep a constant connection because God’s will is found in God’s Word. 2. God speaks to us through teachers. There’s no way I or any other teacher could figure out exactly what to say to meet every need of those we’re teaching. But God knows. So before every service I pray, “God, you know the people and the needs out there. Give me the right things to say.” Somehow, in the way only he can, God uses my teaching and the teaching of other pastors to meet the needs of the people who are listening. 3. God speaks to us through impressions. There are two extremes to this. One extreme is the rationalist who believes no impression can be from God; it all has to be logical. The other extreme is the mystical belief that every impression is from God. You need to get in the middle and realize that every impression has to match God’s Word. 4. God speaks to us through our circumstances. If we’re going to live a life of significance, God will make constant course corrections, and one of the things he uses to do that is the circumstances of our lives. When you start listening to God through circumstances, impressions, teachers, or the Bible, he may lead you in ways that you don’t understand. Hang in there! Following God is not always easy, but it will reap more blessing in your life than you can imagine.
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“God . . . invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:9 (TLB) God’s not playing games with you. He wants you to understand his will, purpose, and plan for your life. You may say, “I want God to guide me, but I still get confused. I don’t know what to do.” Often the problem is we’re looking for the wrong thing. You need to know what you’re looking for before you can find it. So, what is God’s will? 1. God’s will is not a feeling. You may be looking for a feeling or a supernatural sign. You want God to pull your heartstrings so you’ll know exactly what to do. The problem is that feelings are unreliable; they will often guide you the wrong way. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful” (NIV). Even your heart plays tricks on you. Even the devil can create a feeling. Don’t wait for a feeling when you’re trying to figure out God’s plan for your life. 2. God’s will is not a formula. In our culture, we want everything to be easy. We want things to follow a simple formula so it will instantly change our lives. We want a step-by-step guide. But there’s a problem with this approach: There’s no room for mistakes. God’s will is not a closed system. It is dynamic! It is not always an issue of choosing A or B. In fact, many times you can choose from A to Z, and any of them will be okay. It’s your choice. Why would God give you a brain and not expect you to use it? He lets you make choices, and he gives you second chances. So, if God’s will is not a feeling or a formula, then what is it? 3. God’s will is a relationship. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God . . . invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord” (TLB). There is very little in the Bible about the technique of knowing God’s will. But there are thousands of verses that talk about developing a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? Because God’s will is a relationship. The better you get to know him, the less confusion you’re going to have about what his will is. When you get to know God, everything else becomes secondary. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5 (CSB)
If you start thinking about all the problems you’ve ever had, then you’ll realize that they all have one thing in common: you. When you reach that point, the best choice is to humble yourself and confess your inadequacy. This is what King Jehoshaphat did when three powerful armies were coming to wage war against him. He said, “We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do” (2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT). When he confessed, he was able to worship instead of worry. Confessing your inadequacy can be hard. Humbling yourself is rarely easy or fun. God wants you to humble yourself because the Bible says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5 CSB). Pride repels God’s grace, but humility attracts it. God wants to pour his grace into your life, but he won’t do it as long as pride is in the way. So you have to humble yourself and confess your inadequacy. Here’s the great thing about confessing your inadequacy: You’re just telling God what he already knows! When you tell him, “I can’t handle this,” that is no surprise to God. In fact, Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV). But Philippians 4:13 tells the rest of the story: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV). Christ is powerful; you are powerless. There is no middle ground. But like the verse says, when we rely on him, Christ will give us strength. So, when you find yourself facing the impossible, you have to confess your inadequacy. He won’t force himself into your situation. But he is ready and waiting to respond to your confession. “He never grows tired or weary . . . He strengthens those who are weak and tired . . . those who trust in the LORD for help will find their strength renewed.”
Isaiah 40:28-31 (GNT) The worst times of life exhaust and drain you. When the roof of your life is falling in, you might look up in despair and say, “What now? What next? I can’t handle one more thing.” In 2 Corinthians 1:8, Paul tells of having similar thoughts. He says, “We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it” (TLB). It sounds like Paul was about ready to give up. But see what happens next: “We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for he can even raise the dead. And he did help us and saved us from a terrible death; yes, and we expect him to do it again and again” (2 Corinthians 1:9-10 TLB). Paul knew that, since God can raise the dead, he certainly could help him. And that’s true for you, too. That same power that raised Jesus is available to you. Jesus’ resurrection means no situation is hopeless and no problem is too difficult. If God can raise a dead man, he can resurrect your health or a dead marriage. He can infuse new life into your career. How can you receive that kind of power? You receive it when God fills your life with the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7 GNT). When God’s Spirit fills your life, you have true self-control for the first time in your life. You no longer are bashed back and forth by circumstances. With Christ as your Master, you can master your situation. You’re no longer relying on your own power to hold all the strings of your life together. You’re depending on God’s power. “He never grows tired or weary . . . He strengthens those who are weak and tired . . . those who trust in the LORD for help will find their strength renewed” (Isaiah 40:28-31 GNT). God is faithful. No matter what you’re facing, he will carry you through it. “The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope.”
(Psalm 34:18 GNT) Life is filled with unexpected circumstances. Some of these knock you flat on your back. They make it feel like the roof of your life has caved in. What do you do when your world collapses? When the dreaded phone call comes? When the divorce papers arrive? When the bankruptcy is filed? The first question most people ask is, “Who cares?” After Jesus was killed, his disciples met together but locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders who had sent Jesus to the cross. The disciples felt like they were alone, and because of that, they were afraid and expected the worst. But then something happened that changed everything: “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20 NIV). The difference was immediate. The presence of Christ turned their panic into a party, their fear into good cheer. During every moment of your life, from the very best to the very worst, God is with you. He cares for you. You will never walk through something hard alone. In fact, God is never closer than when you are in pain. He tells you, “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2 TLB). Are you hurting today? Are you asking, “Who cares about me?” Are you afraid that no one does? You can rest more easily today knowing that God cares. He has never left you. He is with you now. He has been with you all along. You are not alone. Believe that today, and experience the peace that Christ brings. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)
Think about your typical week. How many times do you get caught up in feeling pressured by other people—by their lifestyles, their needs, the things they’re doing, or what they expect of you? If you’re feeling pressured, then there is great news for you: God can set you free from those expectations. It’s normal to feel pressure to live up to other people’s expectations. Have you ever asked yourself, “What will other people think if I follow this path?” Of course you have. We all have. But it’s no way to live. Living to meet other people’s expectations is a sure way to get yourself tied up in a knot. You can’t please everyone. You can’t win every popularity poll. Jesus came to set us free from other people’s expectations. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (NLT). Take a close look at that verse. First, it says that you are God’s masterpiece. He made you unique. No one else in the world is like you. And God doesn’t want you to try to be like someone else. The second part of the verse says that God makes you new in Jesus so you can do what he’s planned for you to do. Living for Christ simplifies your life. When you’re living as God’s masterpiece, you only need to do what he wants. You can let go of all the expectations from other people. Living to please God might seem really difficult, but it’s not as hard as you think. When God makes you new in Christ, he changes your desires. Things that used to tempt you start to lose their appeal. Jesus sets you free to be yourself. Now you can say, “My one goal is to serve the Lord.” And if you’re doing that, you’ll be a better parent, a better marriage partner, a better friend, and a better colleague. If you’re pleasing God, you’re always doing the right thing—and that makes life so much simpler. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV)
Everyone who is alive will be hurt, many times over. Sometimes you will be hurt intentionally. Other times someone will accidentally hurt you. The way you respond to hurt will determine how it affects you. If you forgive, you can move on and find happiness. If you become bitter, you can let one hurt wreck your entire lifetime. You will find that bitterness is a boomerang. It always comes back and hurts you more than anyone else. Paul, one of the early Christians, talks about how destructive bitterness is. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, he says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV). What is the antidote to the poison of bitterness? Forgiveness. Paul tells you to follow the example of God, who forgives you in Christ. Is there anyone you may be bitter against? An old boyfriend or girlfriend? An employer? A former spouse? A parent or child? A teacher, neighbor, or friend? Let Jesus flush that bitterness out of your system. Choose to forgive that person, like God forgives you. Let God set you free from bitterness and make room for kindness and compassion in your heart. When Jesus was teaching his followers how to pray, he told them to say this: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12 NIV). In essence that’s saying, “Lord, forgive me as much as I forgive everybody else.” That is a tough standard! But if you follow it, and forgive people in the same way you want to be forgiven, it will help keep bitterness away. You may have been hurt deeply. You may think it’s impossible for you to forgive—and it may be impossible for you to forgive on your own. That’s why you need Jesus Christ. Only the power of God can replace hate with love and set you free from the bitterness that can grow from deep hurts. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
(John 8:32 NIV) In John 14:6, Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, and the life. Several chapters earlier, in John 8:32, he says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (NIV). You know what guilt feels like. Guilt robs you of happiness. It causes depression. It can make you physically sick. When David, a great king of Israel, had sinned, he felt the weight of guilt. He said to God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12 KJV). God has an answer to guilt: confession. The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we tell Him our sins, He is faithful and we can depend on Him to forgive us of our sins. He will make our lives clean from all sin” (NLV). You might have spent years working through a problem that really has a very simple solution: You just need a clear conscience. Jesus offers you that. He offers instantaneous forgiveness! God tells us, “I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs” (Jeremiah 31:34 GNT). Satan wants to keep you weighted down under the burden of guilt. He wants to keep you bound up so you can’t live in God’s freedom. But that’s not how God works. Here’s how God works: You ask for forgiveness. Then God forgives you. But then, he goes a step further and no longer remembers your wrongs. It’s like God takes your sins and puts them in the deepest part of the ocean—and then he puts up a “no fishing” sign. God won’t pull up your sins again, and he doesn’t want you to, either. He wants you to be free. Are you feeling the burden of guilt today? Remember that Jesus has come to set you free. When you confess your sins, he will forgive you and set you free from your guilt. Then, you can live in the true freedom of knowing your past is forgiven and you are no longer bound by it. “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2 ESV)
Most of us really know little about love and how often we're an unloving person. The fact is, we all need work in this area. We all have a lot of growing to do as we mature in God’s love. So how do you build a life of real deep love? That’s a profound question, and you will spend the rest of your life trying to do it. But here are some steps to get you out of the starting block—five things you can do this week that will help you get on the road to becoming a truly great person of love. 1. Learn how mature love acts and responds. Personal change always begins with a change in perspective. You need to get God’s perspective on what love is really like, because the world knows nothing about real, deep love. You do that by getting into God’s Word. 2. Start your day with a daily reminder to love. The first 10 minutes of the day set your entire mood for the rest of the day. Resolve to get up in the morning and say, “God, help me to remember that the most important thing is loving you and loving other people. If I don’t get anything else done today besides love you and the people that you put around me more, this has not been a wasted day.” 3. Memorize what God says about love. God’s Word is filled with truths and principles on how to become a loving person. The problem is, when you’re in a situation where you’re tempted to be unloving, your Bible is usually at home on a shelf. That’s why you need to memorize Scripture—so that God can bring verses to mind when you need them the most. 4. Practice acting in unselfish, loving ways. Love is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more it develops. If you want to become a truly loving person, you have to intentionally do some things that seem awkward at first. But the more you practice, the more it becomes second nature, and you become a genuinely loving person. 5. Get support from other loving people. If you’re just sitting in your room and reading a book, you’re not going to get very far in learning how to love. You only learn it in connection to others, in the context of community. That’s one of the reasons why a small group is so important! It puts you in situations where you can grow as you see godly love modeled for you and as you practice serving others in unselfish, loving ways. You never learn to love by just sitting back and listening. You learn it in relationship to other people. “If I give away all that I have, and I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."
Have you ever wondered what matters to God? The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:6: “If you are a follower of Christ Jesus . . . all that matters is your faith that makes you love others” (CEV). God says what matters in life is not your accomplishments or your achievements or your fame or your wealth. The only thing that matters is having a faith that causes you to love other people. If you miss that, you have missed the most important thing in life. We’re going to look at the most famous chapter in the Bible on love, 1 Corinthians 13. When speakers want to get your attention and want you to remember something, they use repetition. They say something over and over. In the first few verses of this passage, Paul says the same thing five different ways: The most important thing in life is love. Here are some reasons why. 1. If you don’t live a life of love, then nothing you say will matter. “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1 NLT). We’re really impressed by great speakers. We love eloquence and charisma. But God says, “I don’t care how good of a communicator you are. Are you living a life of love?” If you’re not, then nothing you say will matter. Words without love are just noise. 2. If you don’t live a life of love, nothing you know will matter. “I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand all the secret things of God and have all knowledge . . . But even with all these things, if I do not have love, then I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 NCV). We live in a world where knowledge is exploding. We are smarter than we’ve ever been. But we still have the same problems: crime, abuse, prejudice, violence. Why? Because the world doesn’t need more knowledge. It needs more love. You may be a genius. But God says if you don’t have love in your life, all that you know is worthless. 3. If you don’t live a life of love, nothing you believe will matter. The Bible says, “Even if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, I would still be worth nothing at all without love” (1 Corinthians 13:2 TLB). There’s a myth that being a follower of Christ is just a matter of believing certain truths. Nothing can be further from the truth! Following Christ is about living a life of love. It takes more than belief to please God. 4. If you don’t live a life of love, nothing you give will matter. The next verse says, “If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3 NLT). Love isn’t always the motivation for giving. Some people give just to get back or out of guilt or for control or prestige. You can give for a lot of wrong motives, but the Bible says if you’re not doing it out of love, none of your giving counts. 5. Finally, if you don’t live a life of love, nothing you accomplish will matter. You can rack up an incredible list of personal achievements. You can get your picture on the cover of Fortune magazine. You can win the Nobel Peace Prize. You can have enormous accomplishments, be entrepreneur of the year, build a billion-dollar company, have incredibly great successes in your field of endeavor. But the Bible says it isn’t worth much if you don’t love. The Bible says--God says—relationships are more important than accomplishments. Life is about relationships, not accomplishments. It’s as simple as this: You can have the eloquence of an orator, the knowledge of a genius, the faith of a miracle worker, the generosity of a philanthropist, or the achievements of a superstar, but if you don’t have love in your heart, it is worth zero. It doesn’t count. The only thing that matters to God is this: Do you love him, and do you love other people? One day you’re going to die, and you’re going to stand before God. When he evaluates your life, he’s not going to look at your bank account or your list of accomplishments or your grades. He won’t care about all your sports trophies. He’s not going to look at your endorsements or your resume. God is going to evaluate your life on one basis: your relationships. He’s going to ask, “How much did you love me and other people?” That’s called the Great Commandment. Did you love God with all your heart, and did you love your neighbor as yourself? That’s why Paul teaches us that what matters most is our faith being expressed through love |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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