He Works All Things!

Romans 8:18-30
James Lindsey Smith’s ordeal was “a thrilling narrative of escape.” Under cover of darkness, he and two other men sailed a small boat from Virginia to Maryland. There the men were separated, and Smith managed to avoid detection as he walked alone through Delaware to Pennsylvania. Along the way a woman fed him. In Philadelphia, a man secretly sheltered him and arranged to get him to New York. There he met others who helped him travel to Norwich, Connecticut, where he settled, married, and became a preacher.
The year was 1838 and Smith was a black slave. Like thousands of others, his journey on the “Underground Railroad” was conducted by nameless individuals who assisted and protected him. With their help, Smith eventually made it to freedom. In a similar way, believers are on a journey from bondage to glorious freedom (v. 21). Along the way, we’re helped in our weakness by the Spirit, who intercedes for us and leads us according to God’s will.
But before glory, there’s much suffering. On the one hand, our present suffering doesn’t compare to this future glory (v. 18). In fact, this glory will be so great that the entire creation groans eagerly for it! Because we have the Spirit, we too groan, because deep down we know that this present life isn’t all there is. We long for our resurrection bodies, which will be free from corruption and decay.
On the other hand, however, God knows that our present suffering could overwhelm us, so He assures us of two things. First, we’re not alone. The Spirit helps us in our weakness and translates our groaning into inexpressible words before the Father. Second, God assures us that He’s working redemptively in every circumstance we encounter (v. 28). This doesn’t mean that things will turn out how we expect, or that we’ll have comfort and ease. Rather, it means that God uses every situation to make us more like Jesus Christ. What an amazing assurance, even in our darkest trials!

Moving Mountains

We Christians have the capacity to believe God for far more than we are willing to ask Him to do. Instead of demonstrating a solid conviction of His faithfulness, we often act out of weak, halfhearted belief.

The Lord is waiting for us to come to Him in complete trust.

The people who are living the richest spiritual lives are those who expect the Lord to do great things- they exercise the gift of faith.

Exercising faith can't be passive. Notice how action words follow every mention of faith in Hebrews 11 (prepared, obeyed, and lived). Instead of folding our hands and waiting for God to do something, we need to get busy. Our first reponibility is to go before the Lord with our petition, often more than once. Then, we must consciously decide to trust Him for an answer and wait with the assurance that He will always follow through with His promises.

We have the potential for Him to work powerfully in and through us. Of course, He doesn't ask us to tackle more than we can handle.

Start today by giving Him the small anxieties that plague you. Or ask God for one change you want Him to make in your life.

Praying Specifically

Look around any day, and you'll see people who need to make changes in their lives. Maybe you have a brother who doesn't know Christ or a believing friend who struggles with lust or can't keep from gossiping. The most powerful way to effect change in another person's life- or our own- is by praying. God, through the apostle Paul, has given us a prayer pattern that is Christ-centered and specific.

Too often, we are lazy in prayer. We say, "Lord bless so-and-so" without giving a single thought to what form the blessing should take. God does not work in generalities; He makes deliberste movements in every person's life. And He is pleased when we use His Word when talking with Him. Paul's prayer from Colossians 1 includes God's greatest desires for His children. He delights in responding to requests that someone be filled with the knowledge of His will and a desire to please Him!

Results may not be instantaneous. We could wait months or years before we see a loved one turn to Christ or witness a beleiver bearing fruit. But remember that The Lord is working all things, even if we don't see it. Our responsibility is to keep praying in a Christ-centered and specific manner.

Get Out Of The Way

Have you ever noticed how we spend so much time trying to "get" what God wants us to receive?

We always want our miracle, but we don't get out of the way.

I recently read in 1 Samuel 13 where the prophet Samuel told King Saul to wait for him to return to offer a burnt offering to the Lord before going into battle against the Philistines. Saul waited the alloted 7 days, and when Samuel didn't show on schedule, Saul got nervous and took it upon himself to make supplication to the Lord himself. Because of his lack of faith, God's blessing was taken from him.
In another case, Abraham and Sarah were promised a child in their old age. They waited and waited, and finally, Sarah decided that she had the solution. Abraham should lay with her maidservant. As we all know, that was not God's plan.

At least in my life, I have found that every time I try to take care of it for Him, it only breeds frustration. It's only when I say, "That's it, I'm finished. I can't do it anymore", that He can do His best work in my life.

That's a key word there. BEST.

Saul still defeated the Philistines that day
Sarah ended up having the promised child, but there was and is a rift to this day between the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael.

God will still work through us, around us, and in spite of us, but to receive His best, we need to get out of the way.

Ever Feel Resentment?

Resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other person will get sick.

Resentment is an unmet expectation.
Resentment: Indignation or ill will felt as a result of a real or imagined grievance.

Do you have any resentment?

Think about the people you resent. You know them when you see them. What do you do? Increasing irritability and difficulty letting go of resentment can be signs of depression.

I am in a decent place right now, but it doesn’t take long to begin to feel resentful toward a person, especially if I don’t deal with my sense of frustration or hurt immediately.

I don’t like resentment because I am the one who gets sick—not the person I am resenting.

I’d like to say that I attempt to address my issues with another person upfront and as soon as possible- but I don’t. I’d feel so much better. Sometimes it is only after the fact and I notice my feelings. Right then, I should make myself go to the person and let them know what I'm feeling. My wife is really good at that (one of the many reasons I love her). You'd think that it should be easier with family members or close friends, but, at least for me, it isn't. I think I'm afraid of hurting a relationship, where in reality, I'm probably not giving the other person enough credit to accept my perceptions maturely. I need to dwell on that a bit. Anyway, I’m sure I would find that I am much less sarcastic. I need to remember that I’m doing it for myself. I’d probably sleep better as a result. And I bet I’d find I spend considerably less time working through forgiveness or attempting to forget.

Even with the simple things.

Poison is substance that causes injury, illness, or death. Resentment poisons me.