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I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB)
What is it that keeps the Olympic athletes training day in and day out for months and years? What power drives the author to spend hours a day writing on that novel? What driving force pushes the cancer patient to live through the pain or the accident victim to beat all the odds in order to walk again? What motivates the fire fighter to enter a burning building to rescue a little girl’s kitten, risking his own life in the process?
Every day we hear stories about heroes performing extraordinary feats to win honors, save lives or keep their own. One factor in all of these stories is the vision these people have that says “life is worth it!” They are able to look through the gloom and doom, evaluate the possibilities and reach down inside themselves and conjure up a plan that enables them to reach their goal.
Not everyone wins the dream of course. Many gallant men and women lose athletic contests, never get that book published or lose the battle to illness or tragedy. Even so, they believed in themselves enough to try and that in and of itself are worth merit.
As Christ followers we can know what that inner drive is. It’s spelled J-E-S-U-S! It is because of Him we have our essence. It’s believing that scripture says about who we are in Him and realizing in a practical, experiential way that God loves us and that we are His own very special creation. He has given us the gifts, the power and the wisdom to accomplish all that He has in store for us.
In Psalm 27, David writes about the utter despair that he would have had if it weren’t for his faith in almighty God. It was David’s focus on the finish line that kept him sane in the dark mountain fields at night. It was his focus on what God could do that enabled him to pick up those five stones, patiently wait for the throne, and defeat all of Israel’s enemies. It was his belief in the promise of the Messiah that allowed him to be at peace with himself even after he sinned greatly against God, his family and his nation.
Each of us can do exactly as David did. We focus on that God can do through us, as His special creations. We can trust Him to deliver us and empower us to work through the pain and frustrations of live. We can look back at what God provided us through Jesus (forgiveness and His Holy Spirit to guide and motivate) and forward to real life with Him now and forevermore.
Never give up on God. Never give up on yourself. He can work in your life to help you change your world!
PRAYER: Father God, as I think of the many ways people have beat the odds and accomplished great things I’m in awe of your power. I confess to you that sometimes I really don’t believe you have great things in store for me. I get so encumbered with my present and my past that I forget to see your future. Help me to use the power you’ve given me through your Holy Spirit to be the person you want me to be and to change my world for you. Amen
At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” Ruth 2:10
Stereotypically speaking, we guys are supposed to run frantically at the mere mention of a love story. But the story of Ruth and Naomi has always been one of my favorite Bible stories. Imagine for a moment what it must have been like for Naomi. Like any mom, she watched her boys grow with hopes of having grandchildren running around the hut someday, hearing the little pitter-patter of feet on the clay floor, etc. etc.
Naomi and her husband moved with their two sons to a far off land due to famine. Naomi’s husband died and left her alone, as a widow. Hard as that must have been for her, she still had hope since her sons had married two wonderful women that Naomi loved dearly. Someday she would be cared for by her sons and she, in turn, could be the grandma she always hoped to be. Then tragedy struck. Both sons died. Naomi was left alone in a foreign land with no family and no hope. Her only recourse was to return to her homeland and hope to find family, and perhaps a life.
One of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, insisted that she go with Naomi. She would rather die with Ruth than to stay in her homeland. That’s loyalty. That’s love! The story gets better when Ruth goes out into the fields and begins to pick up grain after the harvesters came through. She’s noticed by the owner of the field who happens to be related to Naomi. Ruth and found favor in the eyes of Boaz. They fell in love and got married. Naomi finally got her grandson and little could she know that her great-great grandson would be King of Israel. His name? David!
That’s how God works sometimes. He seems to wait until the last possible moment to ‘rescue’ us from bad situations. Naomi could have given up. Ruth could have stayed home and remarried someone from her homeland. Both of these women stepped into the unknown, gave up what little they had and trusted God for the rest. In the midst of their darkest hour God not only provided their immediate needs, He used this situation for good years down the road! We can never know how our decisions for God today will impact our tomorrows.
Don’t let the enemy discourage you. God can use you where ever you are and in whatever circumstance you are in for His glory. Boaz looked on Ruth with favor for no apparent reason and changed Naomi’s and her future. In the same way, God looks on each of His children with favor and wants to change your world. He is preparing you today for whatever you will need to face tomorrow.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, the story of Ruth is one more reminder to me that you are an Awesome God of love and provision. Forgive me for the times I fail to remember how much you love me. Help me to live with the realization that my decisions for today will have an eternal impact on those who go behind me. Help me to trust you completely as I make choices that will draw others into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:8
Imagine what it would be like to live in a society where you felt you were the only one living for God. All around you people looked at you as though your religion was outdated, irrelevant and harsh. Some may even accuse you of being intolerant.
You try your best to live for God and take a stand for Him, but people scoff and laugh. Marriage and family are no longer important. In fact the very definition of marriage is under scrutiny. The idea of absolute Truth is a thing of the past. ‘Right’ is what you make it.
If you can imagine that kind of world then you will have a pretty good idea of what Noah went through during his days on earth. Things got so bad that God Himself looked down from heaven and regretted that he even made man.
In the midst of the chaos, God saw one bright light, a man named Noah. The Bible refers to Noah as a righteous man and as one that found favor with God. That doesn’t mean that Noah was perfect. He had issues like any other man. What it did mean is that in the midst of the chaos of his day, Noah followed after God as best he could and God looked upon him with favor (the early Hebrew word means Grace).
God had a special task for Noah to accomplish on earth. It was a task that would take 120 years to complete and would result in every animal on earth being rescued from a great and mighty flood. Imagine what it must have been like for Noah to build on this great boat under the watchful eyes of his neighbors who, most likely, thought Noah had gone completely off his rocker.
God asked Noah to do something that had never been done before. He asked him to stand strong against adversity, trust Him for the strength to accomplish the task, and follow the directions that He’d given Noah. If Noah would follow the path God had for him, he would meet with success and the world would be saved.
We know how the story of Noah turned out. He listened to God. He followed God’s directions. He showed great courage in trying something completely new, and the world was saved!
God isn’t likely to call any of us to change our careers and become boat builders any time soon. Our Father is looking for followers who are willing to stand strong in the face of adversity and work to change their part of the world. It appears from scripture that not only did Noah find favor in God’s eyes; he found favor in the eyes of men as well. Noah lived a life contrary to those around him. Even so, He was accepted in spite of his different beliefs.
Live your life in such a way that others will see you are different. Stand strong on the moral commands that God has given us. At the same time live in such a way that you are accepted. Paul says to live grace-fully, to live at peace with all men (even those who are wrong!) as much as it depends on you.
PRAYER: Father God, sometimes I feel like Noah. Everything around me seems to be falling apart. People seem to have forgotten you. I pray that you will help me be like Noah. Help me to follow your commands in the face of adversity and be willing to step out and try new things because of your power working through me. I want to change my world! Amen.
After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ Acts 13:22
Remember during recess when it was time to choose teams? Two captains were chosen to determine the self-esteem of everyone for the entire day, or life! We’d look around us and measure each other up. “I’m better than her.” “He’ll be chosen first.” “I hope I’m chosen!” Woe to the last two people in line. While both would be chosen, it was obvious they were the ‘worst players on each team.’
While age matures us somewhat, the process of determining ones worth has really remained the same. Back then, teams were chosen according to their performance. There were some mighty ‘nice people’ that were chosen last because it wasn’t about being nice; it was about performance and outward looks.
The Israelites chose their first king because he was good looking, strong, and powerful man. He stood head and shoulders about all the rest. Years later God sent a message to Saul. “But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:14). Saul’s kingdom came to an end because of his disobedience and David was chosen as his successor.
Saul lost his Kingdom because of his sin and David was chosen because, as God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ What an ultimate irony. David? A man after God’s heart? The same David that was dishonest, an adulterer, a murderer and a really poor parent? How could this be?
Both David and Saul were like any of us. They were rebellious, sinful, selfish men. What set them apart from each other was the one thing we can’t see: the heart. When Saul was confronted concerning his sin he made excuses, blamed others and refused to admit he was wrong. Time and time again, God would reveal David’s sin to him and David would respond by saying, “I am guilty as charged O Lord. Please forgive me.” Was that the end of his sinful life? NO! But God can use a life stained by sin when that life is washed in the blood of Jesus and our heart attitude is to serve Christ.
God knew David would fail but He chose him anyway because of his desire, not his performance. People, even Christians, will still choose you by your past performance, but God chooses you because of your heart. Follow Him. Ask Him to help you leave the sin that encumbers you. Like David, it’s not about our past and inability to follow Jesus. It’s about our willingness to ask forgiveness for our mistakes and strive to live life the way God intends.
PRAYER: Father God. Like David my life is strewn with rebellion, stubbornness and just plain stupid choices. Thank You for looking at my heart and not my actions. Today, I confess to you my inability to live for you. Please forgive me of my sin and help me to live for you. I want to be a person after your own heart. Amen.
David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. 1 Samuel 18:14 (NLT)
A mark of Godly wisdom is how we conduct ourselves during adversity. True followers of Christ will conduct themselves wisely during the most trying situations. David shows this kind of wisdom early in his life. David was taken from the quiet obscure life of a shepherd boy and thrust into the role of military hero and heir to the throne of Israel.
This should have been a dream come true soon became more like a nightmare. After he killed Goliath he was invited into the palace to live with King Saul. David bonded immediately with Saul’s son, Jonathan, and all the officers and staff of the palace. Socially, David was apparently easy and fun to be around.
But David was more than just a nice guy. He was a driven leader. Every assignment Saul gave to David turned into success. As a result, Saul gave him more and more responsibility. He was never disappointed with the outcome.
So if David was so successful in everything Saul gave him to do, what could possibly go wrong, right? Wrong. David’s following grew so quickly that soon all of Jerusalem was singing the praises of David. He was fast becoming more popular that the insecure King Saul. As a result Saul began a campaign to wipe David out. That’s when David’s true colors came to the surface.
Although Saul tried to kill him on numerous occasions, David remained loyal to Saul. There is no indication in scripture that David did anything to provoke the King’s anger or speak evil against him. David patiently waited until God’s timing brought him to the throne. Even though he had several opportunities to kill Saul and take the Kingdom by force, David would not sin by taking things into his own hands.
When we encounter adversity it is important to keep the end result in view. David was told that he would someday ascend the throne. He saw no need to hurry that situation along because he was content with who he was. Rather, David focused on the task at hand and worked hard to be excellent at whatever he was doing. He realized the fact that no job is too small, nothing is beneath him. As a result, in everything he did he worked to be excellent. Others took note of that and admired him for it.
Remember that God has placed us where we are at this time for a specific purpose. As Christ followers, strive to for excellence now so that you will be ready for greater work in the future. Expect adversity as you excel in your work. The adversity that David faced in the 20 years he waited to ascend the throne prepared him for greater challenges ahead. Build relationships along the way. David had many friends in the midst of Saul’s attacks. One of his closest friends was Saul’s very own son! God didn’t wait until David was ‘great’ to use him. He used him mightily throughout his life because with all David’s faults, he trusted God.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. Thank you for the story of David and his patience during adversity. Help me to see every activity of this day as an opportunity to show Godly excellence. Forgive me for my impatience in waiting for you to remove the obstacles that keep me from moving forward. Help me to be content where I am while I strive to grow stronger. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 