Below is a very pointed devtional that came through my inbox just last week, and I want to share it with you... these past few weeks have been a time for me to really buckle down and figure out whether I really trust God or whether it is only mere lip-service. As I am dreaming of changing lives through the ministry of En Gedi, I must first submit myself to my Creator's authority that I might be edued with power.
Come journey with me:
“This is the one about whom it is written: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you”. Matthew 11:10
"Jesus spent thirty years in private preparation for three years of public service. He knew the necessary need to wait on His Heavenly Father for the power of His blessing, before He embarked on His eternal mission. What passionate desire has the Lord laid on your heart that awaits your thorough preparation? Like Elijah, you first prepare an altar of sacrifice by faith, and wait on God to send forth His fire from heaven to ignite your work.
Similarly to Jesus, you probably depend on others as part of your preparation process. The creditability of John the Baptist paved the way for the 'Lamb of God'. In the same way, the good reputation of trusted friends can accelerate your success. This is why it is wise to wait on the endorsement of other trusted leaders. Pay the price of being mentored, before you run ahead to your next assignment. New leaders need the old leaders’ approval.
Pain is another product of preparation. Until your perspective has been seasoned by adversity, your confidence has not been tempered away from arrogance and toward humility. God doesn’t waste pain, as it produces the character required to represent Christ. It’s in our hurt that we cry out in humble dependence, confession and repentance. We learn the good and bad about ourselves in pain’s process. Pain produces patience.
Are you expecting to receive the fruit of preparation without paying the price to prepare? Ministers who prepare are endowed with power from on high. Preparation precedes anointing. Parents who prepare learn from experienced parents. Preparation precedes obedient children. Students who prepare privately are recognized publically. Preparation precedes education. Leaders who prepare their minds and hearts feel God’s favor.
What is your next step in the process of preparation? Is it to silently serve the poor, or to boldly challenge the rich? Is it to earnestly work with your hands, so you can better relate with your head? Do not dismiss thorough preparation in place of zealous shortcuts. Stay the course in Christ’s school of learning submission, as His power rests on the prepared.
'Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.' Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, 'The LORD -He is God! The LORD -He is God!' (1 Kings 18:37-39).
What patient preparation do I need to complete? Am I serving others in my power or in God’s power?"
-Boyd Bailey, Wisdom Hunter's Devotional
Monday, October 17, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Running Aground
“Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” Acts 27:26 (NIV)
"Have you ever been going along, intent in your calling, certain of your direction, sure of God’s goodness, only to have something happen that throws you completely off course?
When my husband and I resolved to become financially sound, we were dismayed to quickly have an appliance break, shelling out the entire emergency fund we’d built up to repair it. Instead of moving forward we were going backwards.
We had two choices to make at that moment: thank God that we had the money to cover the repair or doubt God’s sovereignty in allowing the appliance to break.
In the book of Acts, chapter twenty-seven, Paul tells the people he is traveling with that God has called them to their mission. Not only that, he is certain the Holy Spirit is on their side. And yet, for reasons he doesn’t go into, we read in our key verse that he also tells them they must run aground, which means they’d be delayed on some island before their purpose would be accomplished.
This delay, it turns out, is part of the plan. This setback is actually sovereign. But of course at that moment they can’t see that. All they can see is a looming shipwreck, a deserted island.
Perhaps you are on your own deserted island—a personal exile that has been painful and prolonged. You wonder if God sees where you are, if He cares. You remember the time you were moving along, the wind in your sails, full speed ahead. And you miss that time. You wish God would rescue you from the island, put you back on course. Perhaps you’re beginning to doubt God really does have a plan for you.
I don’t know what your deserted island looks like. It might be the desolation of a marriage, the barren land of motherhood, the wasteland of a career. It might be the emptiness of simply not knowing what your purpose—your passion—really is, even as you watch other women seem to steam forward.
When I start to feel this way, I think about this verse. I remember that even Paul ran aground, even Paul faced setbacks. But I also remember that the island wasn’t the end of the story. Rescue was coming. Running aground doesn’t mean you’ve run outside of God’s will. It might just mean you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Use this time to increase your trust in God and to see Him work on your behalf, even when the palm trees obscure your view.
Dear Lord, I admit I’ve been feeling lost and forgotten on this island. I haven’t realized that this setback might just be what You allowed. Help me to find You, even in this. Help me to press into You and to trust Your goodness and love. I can’t wait to see what waits for me on the other side of this island. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."
-MaryBeth Whalen, Proverbs 31 Ministries
"Have you ever been going along, intent in your calling, certain of your direction, sure of God’s goodness, only to have something happen that throws you completely off course?
When my husband and I resolved to become financially sound, we were dismayed to quickly have an appliance break, shelling out the entire emergency fund we’d built up to repair it. Instead of moving forward we were going backwards.
We had two choices to make at that moment: thank God that we had the money to cover the repair or doubt God’s sovereignty in allowing the appliance to break.
In the book of Acts, chapter twenty-seven, Paul tells the people he is traveling with that God has called them to their mission. Not only that, he is certain the Holy Spirit is on their side. And yet, for reasons he doesn’t go into, we read in our key verse that he also tells them they must run aground, which means they’d be delayed on some island before their purpose would be accomplished.
This delay, it turns out, is part of the plan. This setback is actually sovereign. But of course at that moment they can’t see that. All they can see is a looming shipwreck, a deserted island.
Perhaps you are on your own deserted island—a personal exile that has been painful and prolonged. You wonder if God sees where you are, if He cares. You remember the time you were moving along, the wind in your sails, full speed ahead. And you miss that time. You wish God would rescue you from the island, put you back on course. Perhaps you’re beginning to doubt God really does have a plan for you.
I don’t know what your deserted island looks like. It might be the desolation of a marriage, the barren land of motherhood, the wasteland of a career. It might be the emptiness of simply not knowing what your purpose—your passion—really is, even as you watch other women seem to steam forward.
When I start to feel this way, I think about this verse. I remember that even Paul ran aground, even Paul faced setbacks. But I also remember that the island wasn’t the end of the story. Rescue was coming. Running aground doesn’t mean you’ve run outside of God’s will. It might just mean you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Use this time to increase your trust in God and to see Him work on your behalf, even when the palm trees obscure your view.
Dear Lord, I admit I’ve been feeling lost and forgotten on this island. I haven’t realized that this setback might just be what You allowed. Help me to find You, even in this. Help me to press into You and to trust Your goodness and love. I can’t wait to see what waits for me on the other side of this island. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."
-MaryBeth Whalen, Proverbs 31 Ministries
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