You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘God’s promises’ tag.
The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. Luke 15:16
When you are at your lowest, even the most repulsive things look good. A Jewish boy would never think of being in the presence of a pig. They were repulsive in the Jewish religion and one would be defiled being in the presence of one.
Jesus tells the story of a good Jewish family. The dad had worked hard to build a good lifestyle for his family.
We aren’t told about the spiritual upbringing of the family, but it’s safe to assume that like any Jewish boys, his two sons went to synagogue school every week and learned the importance of following the law.
But families back then, like some families now, weren’t always as squeaky clean as we’d like to think they are. What we see on the outside isn’t necessarily what is going on behind closed doors, or in the hearts of those within the household.
The older son was hardworking, responsible and outwardly loyal to his dad. The younger son had an edge to him no doubt. He may have been a bit rebellious and fed up with the rules and regulations of home life. Why else would he decide to pack his bags, take his inheritance and head off to a life of fun?
The younger son learned the hard way that some friendships last as long as the money holds out. His money was spent. His pseudo friends were gone. But his pride was still intact.
So in an effort to get back on his feet he looked for a job. There was no way, that he would return home and admit he was wrong.
The only job available was at a hog farm where he learned how to feed and care for pigs. I wonder how long it took him to reach bottom? Hog farmers will tell you that hog manure is perhaps the worst smelling manure of all the farm animals and the younger son was living in it!
One day, he was so hungry the hog feed started to look pretty good to him. Did he take just a little taste to solve his curiosity or was the mere thought of it coupled with the stench of his job and the memories of mom’s home cooking what brought him to the end?
When we reach the bottom even though most repulsive things seem good.
You know the rest of the story. The forming and practicing of the speech. The walking home rehearsing it in his mind. Each step closer to home one of excitement and fear (will he take me back?)
He never had a chance to finish his speech. His dad cut him off. There was a celebration to plan, a feast to prepare, guests to invite.
Some think it was the hog food that pushed the boy home, I think it was the prayers of a loving father that pulled the boy home.
Wherever you are, whatever struggles you are enduring, whatever failures you are working through, your father is praying for you to come home.
When we are at our lowest, He is at His strongest to woo us back home into His arms.
The son thought it was hunger that drew his thoughts towards home but I’m guessing it was the moving of God as a result of the prayers of his father.
The same is true for you, you know. Whatever struggle you may be working through is the result of someone who is praying for you and the desire of your father for you to come home.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts“ Isaiah 55:8-9
We live in age where knowledge is increasing at an amazing rate. According to one study, the rate of ‘knowledge volume’ increases every 12 hours, compared to doubling every 25 years in 1945! That boggles my mind!
One of my favorite movies is Apollo 13. It’s amazing to realize that crisis happened before computers as we know them. My cell phone has more power than anything they had back then, yet they put men on the moon!
While the increase of knowledge on the human realm is amazing, what’s more amazing is that no matter how much knowledge we gain on the human level, nothing compares to the knowledge God has.
When Job was questioning why God had allowed his trials, God responded with several questions for Job to answer. Job was speechless as he thought of the immensity of God’s knowledge and power. People have been trying to figure God out since we left the Garden of Eden and with all the knowledge we’ve gained since then, we are no closer to understanding the immensity of our God.
Psalms 135:6 reminds us that “The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.”
We can question, but we may never understand. God will do as he pleases. His actions may never be understood. But his plan is always for our good. Rather than trying to understand God, work to know Him better. Rather than question what you are going through, seek to see what you can learn.
His methods may not be pleasant, but the results will eventually work out for your good.
But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 1 Peter 3:16
We live in a world of fear. Fear shows itself in a variety of ways. Hate, hopelessness, Anger, frustration, despair,, revenge and confusion are just a few ways we deal with our fear.
Most times, if not always, fear happens because the things being done to us, or the things happening around us are out of our control. Our reaction to fear is often an attempt to regain control.
When you believe in a Sovereign God, and live in that truth you are, in a very real sense, giving up that control because you realize your God is in ultimate control. Because of faith you can relinquish control to a loving, sovereign God.
Another thing happens when you live in the shadow of a sovereign God, your hope and faith is seen by those around you, and quite frankly it’s a little hard for them to figure out!
Peter writes to a people in perilous times. In his day, there was open season on Christ-followers. Yet he encourages them to live in faith and hope, and when others question us about our hope we are called on to answer in a respectful, gentle way. No judgment. No hellfire and brimstone. No verbal abuse. Peter was a firey guy. Yet he calls us to gentleness, as does Paul and Jesus.
Our hope will speak more loudly when we live lives in gentleness and respect. Remember, it’s God’s Spirit that wins people to Jesus, not clever arguments, judgmental attitudes or anger.
Author Jerry Bridges states, “Both gentleness and meekness are born of power, not weakness. There is a pseudo-gentleness that is effeminate, and there is a pseudo-meekness that is cowardly. But a Christian is to be gentle and meek because those are Godlike virtues… We should never be afraid, therefore, that the gentleness of the Spirit means weakness of character. It takes strength, God’s strength, to be truly gentle.”
Ask Holy Spirit to guide you into gentleness.
No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalms 147:11
God loves when we can’t.
A young man came home from school one day full of anger, defeat and rejection. When his dad asked him what was wrong he shared, in tears, that he was about to be cut from his high school basketball team. He would be evaluated the next day and the coaches would decide.
His dad, a former coach himself, took him outside and played basketball with him for a couple hours. They talked. They laughed and in between times the father shared pointers on basketball…and life.
Later, as the son headed off to bed, the father put his arm around him and told him, “Son, tomorrow is a big day for you, but not the biggest challenge you’ll face in life. Know this, I don’t love you because of your basketball skills. I don’t love you because of your grades. I don’t love you because of your popularity. I love you because you are my child and nothing will ever change that.”
The next day, the son returned home in a good mood.
The father looked at him and said, “You must have made the team?”
“No,” the son replied, “But I know now that my value isn’t caught up in who I am, but in whose I am.”
And so it is in life. Don’t allow the expectations and circumstances that surround you to define you. Your worth isn’t in what you do, or your accomplishments or your status. God takes value in you because you are first and foremost of all made in his image. His love never fails.
Fearing the Lord isn’t being afraid of his judgment, fearing the Lord is being in awe of his love and grace.
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8
One night I got a phone call from my father. He told me that my brother had been killed in a tragic accident. I was 600 miles from home. That call came over 40 years ago and I still remember the feeling today as though it were yesterday. He’d died too soon in my book. While I know I’ll see him again someday in heaven, it still hurts that I never got to say goodbye.
The more I travel this journey called life, the more I’m made aware of its uncertainty. My story is repeated thousands, perhaps millions of times throughout the day. Pain and discouragement can come from a variety of situations. Spouses served divorce papers. Doctors delivering bad news. Dad’s not returning home from work. Life is fragile.
The loss of a loved one through death is painful to be sure, perhaps the most painful thing many of us will go through. But sometimes I think the loss of someone emotionally is even more painful. We all know (and may have experienced) the pain of people we thought loved us suddenly leaving us.
Relationship is replaced by rejection. Support is replaced by criticism. Trust is replaced with finding out you’ve been attacked behind your back and thrown under the next bus.
Some friends of mine were foster parents for years to many children of various ages. Some stayed a day or two. Others stayed for a couple months. They ended up adopting one girl at the age of seven. They loved her as their own. Yet ten years later she robbed them and ran away, never to be heard from again.
For ten years they gave her their heart. The stealing of personal possessions hurt to be sure, but the pain of stealing their heart was far more painful.
Deuteronomy 31:8 gives us an amazing and comforting promise. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Here is reality. People will leave you one way or the other. Relationships will be broken. Deception will happen. Abandonment will attack your soul.
We have a Heavenly Father who promises to always love us. We have a Savior who calls us ‘friend’. We have access to the Spirit of God who promises to lead, guide and comfort us. Don’t allow the temporary attacks of fickle relationships detract from the everlasting love God has for you!
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 