Christ Redirects Us Through Life Changes

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." (Psalm 91:14-16)

Things in my life had been proceeding smoothly - busy and hectic, but smoothly nonetheless. It is usually during these times, that 1 Cor 10:12 typically comes into my mind - "Be careful if you think you stand, lest you fall."

Recently, my boss let me know of a situation with the Company which may or may not necessitate cuts, transfers or large wholesale changes during the next two years. Unlike most people who are suffering from "job insecurity" or unemployment, this situation is more of a slow moving event than and a quick cut. That is a blessing in itself because I have time to prepare.

However, I was running a bit on cruise control in my life and I was enjoying my job, the company culture and everything that went along with it. My wife is 6 months pregnant and we had recently purchased a home. A common scenario here in the USA. So, the first few days or so were filled with many moments of thought about the future.

The overriding theme of my thoughts was just a sense and a coming back to the fact that our lives are really set up by the Lord in ways that we do not and cannot imagine. It is our unfortunate tendency to think that we have a lot of control to plan our lives and we make those plans and expectations in our mind. We think, "First I'm going to do this, then this and then finally this will happen and I'll be happy."

This is not to say that goal setting is unworthy - it is obviously proven to be a key in progressing in any endeavor we do. However, my point is simply that we are not the ultimate arbiters of what will transpire in our lives.

Job loss, Sickness, Accidents, Theft - are just some of the things that can pop up in our lives which will send us spiraling away from the path that we have carefully chosen for ourselves.

The saving grace for those of us who call on Jesus is what He has promised to His followers and believers. We are not bereft of protection in the most dire of circumstances. If a large change in our life occurs, He can not only help us to overcome, but He will help us to use it to help others to move us to a more beneficial place.

We can call on Him in trouble and He will answer. He answers because we know each other and we have a deep abiding relationship that comes many conversations, trials and prayers. Too easily I forget all that He has already done for me in my life and I am glad that He still remembers all those moments and helps me to recall that He has never failed me, and that He never will.

Lord Jesus, you are the ultimate planner and user of my life. Please use me as You will and not as I will. You have never failed me before and never will fail me as You have promised this to those who love You. So, use this event to move my life in the direction that it needs to go. When we called You "Lord", we also gave over control of where and how we are serving. In Your blessed name we pray. AMEN.

Tithing - An Act of Faith

"He (Abraham) did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." (Romans 4:20-21)

Why do we waver in faith? Why do we fail to uphold all of our beliefs at all times no matter the circumstance?

As I was reading this passage today, I tried to measure myself up against Abraham - who wasn't necessarily without his faults. However, Abraham's faith to leave his home in pursuit of God serves as the ultimate testament of faith.

I believe the perceived security of the place that we are at this moment is a big reason why we don't follow God fully or completely. When we are told to do a certain action or to leave our current comfortable situation and go elsewhere, it is a difficult thing for us to do. Currently, I'm in arrears on my tithes and I can certainly think of so many ways I can apply the funds to projects or charges that are coming up for our family.

But is that really trust? Is it really trust to not do the things that God has given us to do in faith? Malachi 3:10 is a promise from God that we will be rewarded when we bring our tithes to the storehouse. It is a promise that if we trust Him, He will bring even more into our lives.

What can God do with a person that doesn't trust Him? If God were to ask us to do this or that thing, and we never do it because we don't want to leave our comfort zones...what would we accomplish for God? Nothing really.

It isn't about works, but it really is about faith. I'm not trying to justify myself through the tithe - but I'm evidencing the level of my faith.

Matthew 6:21 says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

If I can't give from my bank account in faith, then my heart is only for myself and not for God. I know it and feel the truth of that. And I don't want to be a man who is no longer able to follow God because I'm worried in the flesh about my security. Then I will not only be of no use to God, I would never be able to evidence my faith to my wife and children. And that would be the greatest tragedy of all. I would be failing in my primary dream to pass along my relationship with the Lord to my family.

The unique thing about my feeling today - and something that surprises me even at this moment - is that I don't feel any sense of guilt...and I think that is a very good thing. God doesn't lay guilt trips because He knows that following His ways is for my best interest...He doesn't need me to do anything, but He gives us the opportunity to partner with Him for the good of our souls. I know that in today's reading and meditation, I am really hearing from Him and it isn't from some misguided desire to prove something, or justify myself by works.

Lord Jesus, I'm really blessed by our time today. I needed a reminder about the meaning of the tithe and meaning of faith. I know that to trust in my bank account or my paycheck is a giant folly, but when we live in the flesh everyday, we can fear the future and not entrust ourselves fully to You. The tithe is really the ultimate symbol of our faith in You. You don't need our funds, but You want our hearts to be free from the slavery to money and things. In return, we can be responsible with any further blessings we may be given. I want to be more and more like You, not more and more like the world. Thank You for spending time with me today to remind me of that. In Your loving and holy name, AMEN.

God Is Our Ultimate Daily Provider

"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not." (Ex 16:4)

"Let every man gather it according to each one's need" (Ex 16:16)

There is mindset of trust that the Lord wanted to develop in the Israelites. One of the primary ways in which we trust, in which all beings on the earth trust in God is in daily provision. The people had slavemasters in Egypt and they had gotten used to relying upon their slavemasters for their provision and they complained to Moses that they should have just been left in Egypt where they had tons of food to eat (they had quickly idealized their past enslavers).

The Lord did provide for the people supernaturally, but He also wanted to develop a new paradigm. Not to rely upon a hand-out from other people, but to instead trust solely on the Lord to survive. Part of this commandment was to take what was needed instead of trying to hoard everything that was out there -- knowing that God will provide.

When the people defied the commandment of God, the extra food they gathered did not last the next day.

Two things strike me in these verses:

1) Obedience is key. There is a specific way that God wants us to do things. It can vary from task to task, but only where it doesn't conflict with His overall commandments to do good and not evil (as defined in the Bible). He will sometimes give us a task that should be completed in a certain way.

During the time of Joseph in Egypt, food was gathered and stored during a time of plenty in order to survive an impending drought. However, for the Israelites in the desert, they were to only gather on a daily basis as God would bring more manna the next day.

2) Excessive riches aren't to be a primary goal for us. God is our security, not money or possessions. We wonder why God doesn't pour riches upon his people - it's because it is a false security that will not bring discipline or a closer relationship with the Lord. In fact, in most cases during times of plenty, we will choose to rely upon the money more than we rely on the Lord, which effectively negates the ways that He can use us. We will be more afraid of losing our incomes and posssessions than following the Lord.

Taking it a step further looking at our attitudes in society - we need to be gathers and workers. Everyday we should be doing the work that God has placed before us to provide for our families. However, there is a moral component to not hoarding and not being greedy. Those who are ultra talented can find ways to take more goods or funds from society in legal, but not necessarily ethical ways. Such activities can cause an imbalance in the system which can ultimately destroy the smooth operation of the whole (see tech bubble, real estate bubble, bank crisis). Being ethical on a moral level is imperative in a free society because it ensures that there is both liberty for individual pursuit as well as room for everyone to gather what they need (but they should not be given hand-outs). The penalty for unethical greed will be, ultimately, eternity in hell.

On a personal level, God has seen fit to gift my family with provision. We are not rich by any US standards, but we have enough to live comfortably while watching our budget. We have dreams of having more children and buying a house with a yard. Modest dreams, but expensive and costly just the same.

The Lord has given us a peace in our hearts that we will indeed realize these dreams one day, but we cannot rush the Lord's timing or the way in which He would like to develop us before granting that vision. The realization of the vision is hardly the end all and be all of our lives. There is no point at which we have "made it". The finish line is not what we have, but rather it is the journey - can we live each moment, each day in submission, service and worship of who He is and what He has called us to be? That is the real quest, the real question.

Getting the things like a house and home are only steps in the path the Lord has laid before us. My real yearning, the real thing I want to accomplish to be like Paul when he was faced with his impending execution for being a Christian and preaching the gospel:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Tim 4:7-8)

Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me today that You are my ultimate provider. Not employment or a company -- those are simply vehicles. Each day, let us praise You for Your provision and rest when we are struggling to pay the bills. When times are tough, we are given the chance to build our character and our faith. Thank You Lord for all that You are doing in our lives everyday. We don't deserve the blessings, consideration and love You have showered on us. Truly it is blessing. In Jesus' name, AMEN.