Tag Archives: God

God’s Plan for You

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Finding God’s perfect will for our lives is not an exact science.  Many people seem to constantly spin their wheels seeking “His Will”, all the while pursuing what amounts to a search for the Holy Grail or the Lost Ark of the Covenant.  In the meantime they are accomplishing very little, as anyone observing them can often see much more clearly than they can.  I know, because I’ve searched for this pot of gold myself, but never quite made it to the end of the rainbow. 

The message the Lord has for Jeremiah seems instructive:

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” 
                                                     – Jeremiah 1:5 (NKJV)

God had made His plans for Jeremiah well in advance.  One day, however, He decided to reveal to him that special calling, that role this young priest was to play in the unfolding intentions of the Almighty.  There is no indication that Jeremiah was really seeking this.  In fact, He argues the point a little, implying that God’s ideas were all wrong. 

Here’s where we find a great lesson – visible in Scripture and frequently reinforced by our own experience:

We don’t discover the “Will of God” by directly pursuing it. 
He reveals it to us through daily submission to Him. 

Some days that will seems pretty ordinary: You get up, get to work, and dutifully fulfill your duties.  This is God’s will and you can rest in peaceful contentment with it.  At other times it’s more dramatic: The whole course of your life can be altered through a career change, relocation, a death, a birth or a marriage.  But each of those big things normally happen step-by-step, or through something you never, ever had the opportunity to control. 

A balanced, daily combination of the Bible, prayer, examining your own desires or circumstances, and a bit of godly counsel will usually do the job.  If your heart’s desire is truly to become and remain submitted to God’s desires, God’s will cannot remain elusive for very long.

Solomon and Effort

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King Solomon was very clearly a man who knew how to get things done.  It all started with the temple in Jerusalem.  His father David gathered most of the materials, but it was Solomon who oversaw the actual construction.  Then there was his own palace, along with more work in and around the city, the building of a powerful military, and his vast commercial enterprise empowered by a fleet of ships.  People came from all over just to hear his wisdom or receive his counsel.  He might easily have made a fortune as a consultant – well, if he weren’t already a king.  A man like Solomon should even have some solid advice for us to help in our endeavors – and he does.  We find it in Psalm 127:1-2:

Unless the Lord builds the house,
   They labor in vain who build it;
   Unless the Lord guards the city,
   The watchman stays awake in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early,
    To sit up late,
    To eat the bread of sorrows;
    For so He gives His beloved sleep.
                         – Psalms 127:1-2 (NKJV)

Solomon is not advocating laziness, merely pointing us to the reality that anything we mere mortals do is subject to futility – if the Lord isn’t in it.  Take some time this day to ask God’s blessing upon your work.  We need His Holy Spirit’s empowering in all our efforts. We need His mercy, His grace and His guidance.  With His hand upon you, you will never “labor in vain.”

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)

Toward a More Thankful 2008

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Generally speaking, the human race contains too many griping, ungrateful goons. I deeply regret being one of them.  We fail to appreciate the hard work or hardships of others while often feeling unappreciated. Sometimes the best we can do is realize we’re not thankful and tactfully hold back our whining, but thankless sentiments rarely disappear due to mere lack of expression. Another step is still needed, namely, the positive, intentional cultivation of a thankful heart.

The Scriptures say that we should:

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

Moreover, we are reminded to:

“[Give] thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)

Now that’s a pretty far cry from where I am when I first get up each morning. Nonetheless, some deliberate effort on my part, in time, might pay off. Here’s to an intentionally more thankful 2008.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” – Psalms 103:1- 2 (NKJV)

 

Eternal Life: What’s That?

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I love it when the Bible defines its terms. It helps clear the air or lift the fog and increase our biblical literacy. So much of the Bible’s vocabulary can seem like jargon. It’s like trying to enter a conversation about art, cars, computers, music or any sport when you’re sort of a newbie. The Scriptures throw things at us that we have either never heard of before, or can easily misunderstand for lack of a biblical definition.

The phrase eternal life is one such expression. Everlasting life is another way to say it. At first glance it seems obvious; it must be life that lasts forever – plain and simple. Now that’s correct as far as it goes, but it’s incomplete. There’s more to it than that and Jesus adds to our understanding in one of His prayers. In the Gospel of John He is speaking to His Father and, in passing, says the following:

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. – John 17:3 (NKJV)

So this “life” is more than existence that goes on and on without stopping. It is life that is bound up in the relationship that we have with the Father and the Son – so much so that Jesus matter-of-factly says that it is that relationship. That is one compelling reason to deepen our connection with God. The very connection itself is eternal life. And that is a relationship that we will have all eternity to explore.

Bible Trivia: This is the only recorded spot in the Bible where our Lord refers to Himself as “Jesus Christ”.