Here I Come, Ready or Not

In the Old Testament, the kings of Judah alternated irregularly between good and

bad. King Hezekiah succeeded his father Ahaz who not only led the people astray

in idol worship, but also cut up the utensils of the house of the Lord and closed its

doors. Hezekiah turned to God, ordered the temple to be cleaned and restored,

and did away with idol worship. After the temple was readied, he was in a hurry

to keep the offerings and feasts of the Lord. He and the people brought many

offerings even before the priests had prepared themselves. Second Chronicles 29

relates, “But the priests were too few so that they were unable to skin all the

burnt offerings; therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work

was finished and the other priests had consecrated themselves. For the Levites

were more conscientious to consecrate themselves than the priests.” 29:34. This

was not precisely in accordance with the law of God.

In chapter 30 we see that the nation was not ready to celebrate the Passover at

the appointed time, because the priests had not purified themselves and the

people had not gathered at Jerusalem. Nevertheless, “the king and his princes and

all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second

month.” This was not in accordance with the law of God.

Hezekiah sent orders for everyone to come to Jerusalem for the Passover; many

scoffed at his messengers, but many came, not consecrated or purified. The

Levites slaughtered the lambs for crowds of people who came unprepared. This

was not in accordance with the law of God. “A multitude of the people… had not

purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written.”

God had set many very specific rules for offerings and celebrations, especially

Passover. At the command of the king, whose heart was right with God, the

priests and the people broke the rules en masse.

And what happened? “Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, ‘May the good Lord

pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers,

though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.’ So the Lord heard

Hezekiah and healed the people.” In their hurry to honor God as best they could,

they broke the rules right and left. And God honored their hearts. He was looking

for heart followers rather than rule followers.

Are you struggling with coming to God with some facet of your life, whether for

salvation or surrender or service? Or repentance or reform? Do you feel this is not

the right time? Hezekiah chose the “wrong” time to obey the Lord. And God

accepted his obedience.

You’re not in the right place? God accepts us where we are. You’re not ready, not

good enough, not purified? Come anyway. God’s people weren’t “ready” to honor

him properly, but He accepted their efforts. Any time and any situation is a good

time to turn to God, to believe Him, to make an effort to honor Him. Or, if nothing

else, to cry out to Him.

Lynda Shenefield

Acknowledging God's Gifts

 

I wrote this for “Cup of Grace” back in April 2016. I have been thinking about it lately, because that friend Janet, whom I reference in this story, is now married, and is expecting her third child (at the age of 42!) any day now. We never know what the future holds. At the same time, I have friends who were single when I wrote this who are still single today. God knows, and we still trust that His gifts are good.

A Story of Two Girls and Two Gifts

Two girls in their early teens sat one afternoon pondering the future. They decided to chart out their guesses as to where they and their friends would be in ten years. Of course, as most girls do, they imagined themselves married with maybe a child or two. Fast-forward ten years, both girls had by this point graduated from college, were established in the workforce, and were still single. The chart they had so carefully thought out, lying among other papers from the past, had not come true. Fast-forward ten more years, and now one of those girls was married and a stay-at-home mom, while the other was a single professional business woman. Life does not always go as we imagine. I know those girls well, because I am one of them.

As I talked to this sweet friend of mine on the phone yesterday, I was reminded of that chart we wrote so long ago. I’m not sure where it ended up; I did keep it for a while. I do know that my life is very different from Janet’s life. I am that stay-at-home mom, while she works in the business world, climbing the ladder in her job and traveling often overseas on business trips. So, what happened to those desires? Did I get the good gift, while she is left waiting for her turn?

Sometimes you hear a message preached that impacts you in such a way that you never forget it.  A sermon on 1 Corinthians 7 that I heard in my single years (while actually visiting my friend Janet) did that for me. In the midst of this chapter, in the context of singleness and marriage, Paul makes this statement, “But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.” Don’t miss that. Both singleness and marriage are gifts. Both are given by God.

Singleness is not often thought of as a gift, but the Bible teaches us otherwise. The apostle Paul valued his singleness so much, that he wished everyone were single! We know that God gives good gifts to his children (Matt. 7:11). If, therefore, He doesn’t grant marriage, at all or for a time, that is His good gift.  My dear friend Janet is not missing out on God’s blessing or gift; she has a gift, and currently that is singleness. If God grants marriage in the future, she will move from one gift into the next. Our singles in the church need to hear this. Too often we can make them feel as if they are missing out on what life has to offer, or worse, on God’s best. No, singleness does not seem like a gift for those who are longing to be married, but like so many other things in Scripture, we must align our thinking to God’s.  We can encourage singles by valuing them, including them, and not making marriage seem like the savior of life. Because it isn’t; only Christ is, and He is the One we do not want them to miss out on!

Verse 17 in I Corinthian 7 states, “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” What I heard from that pastor preaching on I Corinthians 7 that day that revolutionized my approach to my own singleness, was that “whatever gift God has (momentarily) given you (marriage or singleness), maximize it for His kingdom”. There are ways that singles can serve the body of Christ that those of us married cannot. (I Cor. 7: 32-33) My friend Janet counsels women, leads bible studies with younger girls, holds a focused time for prayer weekly at her house, sees her demanding job as an opportunity to speak to others about Christ, and has had some amazing opportunities to do so. I’m not saying that married women cannot do any of these things, but our time is much more limited as we are commanded to serve our husband and children well first. There are also places that singles walk with God in learning to trust Him solely, that married people often do not. More than those of us who are married, they understand that Christ really is all they have. My greatest spiritual growth was during a time of discouragement in my singleness when I fervently sought the Lord. He met me in sweet ways and led me to discover in His Word that my purpose, joy, identity, and contentment were all to be found in Him anyways, and not in a man, and that I wasn’t missing anything, because I had Him. Clinging to God through the challenges and disappointments that come with singleness and using one’s time and energy to serve others are two ways that singles can maximize their gift for the kingdom.

So, to Janet and to all my friends who are single: You are loved by our Heavenly Father. He is not holding out on you. He knows what He’s doing and He has good plans for your life. This season is part of His good plan. It is His gift. We pray with you, if it is your desire, that God would allow marriage in your future, but in the meantime maximize your singleness for His kingdom.  Walk with God, trust Him, and cling to Him. Find where He has gifted you and pour it out in service.  Don’t waste your singleness. Maximize it.

And to myself and my married friends: Encourage singles with these truths. Know that you are not on a ‘deeper plane’ because you are married. Don’t make singles feel like they are missing out or ask when they are finally going to meet someone, as if that is what they’re lacking to ‘truly’ live. Learn from them. Love them. Invite them into your homes, your committees, your ministries. And maximize your marriage for the kingdom, as they maximize their singleness. (And that may be a topic for another day.)

-- Amy O’Rear

 

Don't Be Selfish

 

I remember when I was a young adult thinking about who I wanted to be. I was developing an image of myself I wanted to project to others. I wanted to “find myself” - to figure out my likes, dislikes, and personality traits and then express those in various ways. There is nothing inherently wrong with doing this until a person tries to grab the wheel and reject what God has created him or her to be or tries to bring more glory to themselves than to God. I have noticed a temptation to do this on social media. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms are opportunities to brag and cast one’s image like never before. I know some people who even brag about acts of service. There are ways to talk about serving the Lord that brings Him glory or requests prayer and support, but sometimes you can tell it is for their own glory. Maybe they need accolades or attention? And yes, they get it. 

Social media outlets are successful, because we all have a desire to be known and to be known in a particular way. This becomes a problem when these images created in our own minds control us in unholy ways. When we begin to put our hobbies, style, way of life ahead of what God has called us to do – loving and serving others – it can become idolatry. Our relationship with God and people begins to take last place while we become consumed with becoming our own gods. 

What would you say is your greatest sin? Can I share mine? It is selfishness. I want what I want when I want it. And it is not pleasant doing something I do not want to do, especially if there is no reward in it for me. I have actually asked God to help me get out of acts of service I did not want to do. Yes, even worthwhile tasks! Sometimes my attitude stinks! I have served begrudgingly at times. These works become the clanging cymbal mentioned in I Corinthians 13, because I lack love while doing them. Serving God and others might get in the way of me being able to put forth my preferred image. I might not have the time or money to participate in a favorite activity if I put others first. 

In her book, “Fasting and Feasting, 40 Devotions to Satisfy the Hungry Heart” Erin Davis says this: “The Christian life is and always will be a life of self-sacrifice. Fasting is like free-weights exercise that builds our muscles of self-denial. We resist our natural craving for food; we temporarily reject the pull of full bellies; we lay down self and pick up suffering. Every time we do reps, we see again that self -denial in the name of Jesus always comes with blessings.” 

Here is an exercise for overcoming selfishness. I need this. How about you? 

joyce hague

A Meditation

 

For my devotions, after reading THE ONE YEAR BIBLE in 2022, I have resumed my meditations on the book of Psalms. As David Prairie once said, “Psalms is a guidebook of praise.”  Today I read the first three verses of Psalm 40 (probably familiar to you) and recorded some of my thoughts:

 Verse 1a - “I waited patiently for the Lord...” WOW! My take would be - “I waited for the Lord.” I like to think that I am waiting on the Lord when the choices I need to make are not clear or when circumstances are difficult and answers are desired. But I like to know as soon as possible what is going on. I like to planJ.

Verse 1b - BUT...two wonderful verbs are in this part of the Psalm. Because “I waited patiently,” the Psalmist says that God “inclined unto me and heard my cry.” He leaned toward me; He heard/listened to me when I was crying for help.

 If I stop at verse one, I can say He heard me, but did He help? That is what I need.

Verse 2 - OH, YES! He brought me out of

(1) a horrible pit. My Bible has an explanation that the pit is “a pit of noise.” Think about that. Could the pit be a place of confusion, fear, insecurity about different voices all giving instruction to me? A pit of noise!

(2) the miry clay...that would be a place of great instability for achieving any success because one’s only concern would be survival and rescue.

 Then the positive:

(3) He set my feet on a Rock - JESUS CHRIST... (I Corinthians 10:4). What a change from “miry clay!”

(4) He “established my goings or my steps.” He not only set my feet upon a Rock (Jesus), but made them firm. I am no longer in a pit of confusion or in a miry clay of uncertainty. I cannot go anywhere when I am in a pit or in miry clay. He is my firm foundation so I can stand! Now I can go forward in life.

 Verse 3 - (5) He put a new song - not a dirge - but a song of praise. It is a NEW song for me to sing because my God has raised me up to a new life. It is a song of PRAISE TO OUR GOD! And guess what happens?? “Many will see it and fear and trust in the Lord.”

 So why do we need to “wait patiently” for the Lord to hear our prayers and to act? We have no idea the people we will influence for the Lord just by their watching our waiting on Him with patience and a song of praise for our Rock, the Lord Jesus.

 --Maylou Holladay