When God puts a new heart and a new spirit within us, it naturally results in a lifestyle of worship. A lifestyle of worship sets the platform for a person to become the “Psalms 84 Christian” who brings about blessings to his communities. Having the right heart is the first pre-qualifying condition and living a lifestyle of worship is the second pre-qualifying condition for us to become agents for bringing God’s blessings to the communities around us.
Worship means that we acknowledge the worthiness of God – it means that we want to give God all the honor and glory that He deserves at all times and in all circumstances. The new heart and spirit that God puts in us will have a constant desire to worship God, regardless of whether we are going through the heights of victorious times or the depths of difficult and challenging moments. When we worship God constantly, it is the best defense we have against negative feelings and thoughts. When we worship God, we put into practice what Paul talks about in the book of Philippians about thinking positively all the time. This will in turn bring about a sense of assurance of God's peace into our hearts - an assurance that God will help us to be victorious in every situation that we encounter in our lives.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9, NIV)
Worship creates the atmosphere for us to operate in faith and bring about the victories of God in our lives. In 2 Chronicles 2:20, king Jehoshaphat was confronted with a huge army that was invading his country. The news brought about fear into his heart and he proclaimed a fast to seek the Lord. The Lord then spoke a revelation to Jehoshaphat and his people: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. When the people received the promise of God, the spiritual atmosphere changed and hearts were strengthened and encouraged to believe that God would bring about the victory. How did they operate in faith to receive the promise of God? It was through a time of praise and worship that they offered to God!
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." (2Chronicles 20:20-21, NIV)
The rest of the story was a great testimony as to how God helped the people to completely eliminate the giants that they were confronted with. God can help us to conquer any challenge that confronts us, but we need faith to believe in the promises of God, and worship creates the atmosphere for us to operate in faith.
What does a lifestyle of worship look like? 2 Chronicles 29 gives us a good idea of how we can come back to a lifestyle of worship. In this passage, we read of how King Hezekiah cleansed the temple and restored worship back to the temple of God. We can learn from here principles on how we can restore worship back to our lives.
1. Preparing our hearts to be ready for a lifestyle of worship
The first thing that Hezekiah did was to open the doors of the temple of the Lord and repair them.
In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. (2 Chronicles 29:3, NIV)
In the same way, we need to open up our hearts to the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to do a restoration work there. True worship can only flow out from a heart that has been restored by the Lord.
How do we go about allowing God to restore our hearts? The key is simple - we need to get rid of sin in our lives and renew our covenant with God. Hezekiah confessed 3 sins that the people had committed.
- They turned away from the presence of the Lord
- They shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamp
- They did not offer incense and burnt offerings
As the Holy Spirit brings about conviction in our hearts of the attitudes or acts in our lives that are not pleasing to God, we should repent immediately and ask God to remove them from our lives.
The Bible gives us a very practical advice in Ephesians 4:26-27.
In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27, NIV)
We should spend some quiet moments every night repenting of our sins before we go to bed. It is important that we spend some time allowing the Holy Spirit to convict us of the attitudes and acts that are not pleasing to God, so that we allow God to remove them before we go to sleep. In this way, we prevent Satan from establishing a stronghold over our lives through these negative attitudes and acts.
Besides repenting of our sins, we should also be constantly reminding ourselves of the covenant that we have made with God - the covenant that we want Him to lead and guide us in every aspect of our lives.
When our hearts are ready for a lifestyle of worship, our lifestyle of worship will be expressed in three ways.
2. Expressions of a lifestyle of worship
There are 3 natural expressions of a lifestyle of worship that flows naturally out of a heart that has been restored by the Lord. We see three ways in which Hezekiah and his people worshiped God - through their songs, through their sacrifices and through their service unto the Lord.
2.1 We worship God through our songs
Singing is a great way to express our worship to God. Music has the ability to stir up emotions within our souls. If we want our souls to be constantly filled with positive emotions and a passionate love for God, one great way is to find regular time to sing praises and worship to God.
In the fourth and fifth chapter of the book of Revelations, John was given a revelation of what worship looks like in heaven. Essentially everyone in heaven was constantly worshipping God through their songs, declaring the worthiness of God to receive all glory and honor and praise.
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." (Revelation 4:9-11, NIV)
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:8-10, NIV)
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:11-12, NIV)
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:13-14, NIV)
2.2 We worship God through our sacrifices
God is not asking us to sacrifice animals to him today as in the times of the Old Testament. God is looking for living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, in other words, lives that are fully surrendered to God and willing to be used by God. We worship God when we offer up our time, treasures and talents for Him to use according to His purpose for our lives.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)
Practically this means that in every aspect of our lives, and in every decision that we make, we are not motivated by selfish desires. Instead, we are always motivated by what can bring glory and honor to God's name, and what can maximize the advancement of God's kingdom.
As we offer ourselves fully to be used by God, He will renew our minds and enable us to walk in his perfect will for our lives. There is no better place to be in than to be walking in the perfect will of God for our lives!
2.3 We worship God through our serving
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45, NIV)
We are called to follow the example of Jesus Christ. When we have a heart of wanting to serve others around us, it pleases God.
Jesus once told a parable to teach us that we serve Him when we serve the people around us who are in need.
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:40, NIV)
In John 21:15-17, three times Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" And each time when Peter affirmed that he loved Jesus, Jesus commanded him to feed His sheep, who represent the people out there in the communities who need Jesus in their lives. In other words, Jesus is asking Peter to demonstrate his love by serving the people out there who are in need.
The Bible is very clear that if the love of God is burning strongly in our hearts, we will feel a sense of compassion for the people around us who are in need, and we will have a desire to serve them with the love of Jesus that is in us.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (1 John 3:16-17, NIV)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Our heart motives – “break my heart for what breaks yours”
In recent times, I finally understood it is all about the heart. When God wants to use a person, He looks at the heart.
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
The heart is the source of life. The quality of our heart determines the quality of the life that we will live.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23, NIV)
If we want to become the “Psalms 84” Christian who brings about blessings to the communities and turn barren deserts into refreshing springs filled with autumn rain, we first need to deal with the issues of our hearts. Only a heart that is fully surrendered to God can be used as a conduit of God’s blessings and transformations to flow into the people and communities around us.
I have been touched very much by this stanza in a contemporary worship song:
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity
A selfish heart cannot be used by God effectively. A heart filled with pride cannot be used by God either. As we read through stories of great heroes in the Bible, we see that it all starts with God dealing with their hearts to remove all forms of self-centeredness so that they could learn to live fully for the glory of God. As their hearts are made right, they become God’s agents to bring about blessings and transformations in their families, in their workplaces and in their communities.
It is possible to achieve some measure of success with a selfish heart that is not fully surrendered to God. In fact it is also possible for a self-centered heart to follow the principles found in God’s word and achieve success through hard work. However, such success does not bring pleasure to God, and does not produce the “fruit that will last”. If we want to see God-centered success, it is critical to deal with the issues of our hearts so that our hearts become fully yielded to God.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26, NIV)
The wonderful promise of God is that not only does He require our hearts to be right before him; He is also the only one who can transform our hearts to be right before him. There are 3 key characteristics of a heart that is right before God, a heart that can truly “attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.”
1. A contrite heart that has truly repented before God
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3)
Only true repentance can bring us the right heart that will propel us forward to live out the promises of God in our lives. An example is found in the life of the prophet Isaiah.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:1-8, NIV)
The prophet Isaiah was used greatly by God to bring about blessings and revelations to the nation of Israel. It all started with a personal encounter with God and a response of repentance which brought forth a new heart within him.
Isaiah was going through a difficult time in his life. The king had just passed away, and Isaiah was probably going through a time of sadness, disappointment and uncertainty, not really knowing what to do next. It was at this point in his life that he had a life-changing encounter with God. It was here that God gave Isaiah a vision in which Isaiah saw two things:
• He saw the greatness of God that inspired wholehearted worship from the seraphs
• He saw the greatness of God’s plan for humanity
When we truly get to see the immense splendour and holiness of God, and His perfect plan for humanity as demonstrated through the revelation of the cross, it will lead us into true repentance that will generate a new heart within us. This is completely an act of God’s grace, because we can never through our own effort fully comprehend the nature of God or understand the revelation of the cross – where Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice by paying the price for our sins once and for all, and making us right before God so that we can once again come into the holy presence of God and experience a victorious life transformation.
True repentance produces a deep contriteness within our spirit and will lead us to confess our sins before God. We will see the utter depravity and helplessness that we are in, and the good news is this – as we genuinely repent before God with a contrite heart, God forgives us completely because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the cross. He will also give us a new heart and a right spirit within us, which will result in a deep gratitude for the immense grace of God in our lives and a deep desire to be used by God.
2. A compassionate heart that sees people in the same way as how God sees them
Without compassion we can never be effective for Jesus. The new heart that God puts in us when we are born again is a heart of compassion. To have compassion means to see people with the same passion that God has for them. God is passionate to see every single person live out his full potential in life. This is why God grieves tremendously when he sees someone living below his full potential in life or when he sees someone in poor health or when he sees someone living under the burdens of oppression, discouragement or fear. He grieves greatly when He sees the souls that are heading towards a Godless eternity in hell.
God wants everyone to be restored to the abundant life that He has prepared for all of us – a life that is restored into fellowship with God and blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10, NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3, NIV)
The Bible is full of examples of people who brought great blessings to their communities because they had compassion for the people in their communities.
a) Nehemiah cried for Jerusalem and prayed to God for the exiled people of Jerusalem
They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:3-4)
b) Daniel had compassion for the people of Jerusalem and prayed and fasted to plead for God’s mercy to them
In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. (Daniel 9:1-3, NIV)
O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. (Daniel 9:16, NIV)
c) Jesus had great compassion and cried out for the people of Jerusalem
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mark 6:34, NIV)
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it. (Luke 11:41, NIV)
If we want to bring about blessings to our communities, we need to have compassion for the people in our communities. We need to pray out earnestly, “Lord Jesus, break my heart for the things that break yours! Help me to see the people in the same way that you see them!”
3. A committed heart that loves and follows after Jesus passionately
Commitment is both a conscious decision as well as the result of a passionate love. When we have genuinely received Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Savior, God gives us a committed heart that loves and follows after Jesus passionately. Commitment is easy when we are deeply in love.
When we start to find that our Christian life is dry and commitment becomes a tiring chore, it is likely to be a sign that we have fallen away from our first love.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Revelations 2:4-5, NIV)
If we have fallen away from our first love for Jesus Christ, we need to repent and come back to that relationship of love once again. It is only when we are fully embracing this love that we have with Jesus Christ that we can have the passion to become a blessing to the communities around us.
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
The heart is the source of life. The quality of our heart determines the quality of the life that we will live.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23, NIV)
If we want to become the “Psalms 84” Christian who brings about blessings to the communities and turn barren deserts into refreshing springs filled with autumn rain, we first need to deal with the issues of our hearts. Only a heart that is fully surrendered to God can be used as a conduit of God’s blessings and transformations to flow into the people and communities around us.
I have been touched very much by this stanza in a contemporary worship song:
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity
A selfish heart cannot be used by God effectively. A heart filled with pride cannot be used by God either. As we read through stories of great heroes in the Bible, we see that it all starts with God dealing with their hearts to remove all forms of self-centeredness so that they could learn to live fully for the glory of God. As their hearts are made right, they become God’s agents to bring about blessings and transformations in their families, in their workplaces and in their communities.
It is possible to achieve some measure of success with a selfish heart that is not fully surrendered to God. In fact it is also possible for a self-centered heart to follow the principles found in God’s word and achieve success through hard work. However, such success does not bring pleasure to God, and does not produce the “fruit that will last”. If we want to see God-centered success, it is critical to deal with the issues of our hearts so that our hearts become fully yielded to God.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26, NIV)
The wonderful promise of God is that not only does He require our hearts to be right before him; He is also the only one who can transform our hearts to be right before him. There are 3 key characteristics of a heart that is right before God, a heart that can truly “attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.”
1. A contrite heart that has truly repented before God
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3)
Only true repentance can bring us the right heart that will propel us forward to live out the promises of God in our lives. An example is found in the life of the prophet Isaiah.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:1-8, NIV)
The prophet Isaiah was used greatly by God to bring about blessings and revelations to the nation of Israel. It all started with a personal encounter with God and a response of repentance which brought forth a new heart within him.
Isaiah was going through a difficult time in his life. The king had just passed away, and Isaiah was probably going through a time of sadness, disappointment and uncertainty, not really knowing what to do next. It was at this point in his life that he had a life-changing encounter with God. It was here that God gave Isaiah a vision in which Isaiah saw two things:
• He saw the greatness of God that inspired wholehearted worship from the seraphs
• He saw the greatness of God’s plan for humanity
When we truly get to see the immense splendour and holiness of God, and His perfect plan for humanity as demonstrated through the revelation of the cross, it will lead us into true repentance that will generate a new heart within us. This is completely an act of God’s grace, because we can never through our own effort fully comprehend the nature of God or understand the revelation of the cross – where Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice by paying the price for our sins once and for all, and making us right before God so that we can once again come into the holy presence of God and experience a victorious life transformation.
True repentance produces a deep contriteness within our spirit and will lead us to confess our sins before God. We will see the utter depravity and helplessness that we are in, and the good news is this – as we genuinely repent before God with a contrite heart, God forgives us completely because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the cross. He will also give us a new heart and a right spirit within us, which will result in a deep gratitude for the immense grace of God in our lives and a deep desire to be used by God.
2. A compassionate heart that sees people in the same way as how God sees them
Without compassion we can never be effective for Jesus. The new heart that God puts in us when we are born again is a heart of compassion. To have compassion means to see people with the same passion that God has for them. God is passionate to see every single person live out his full potential in life. This is why God grieves tremendously when he sees someone living below his full potential in life or when he sees someone in poor health or when he sees someone living under the burdens of oppression, discouragement or fear. He grieves greatly when He sees the souls that are heading towards a Godless eternity in hell.
God wants everyone to be restored to the abundant life that He has prepared for all of us – a life that is restored into fellowship with God and blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10, NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3, NIV)
The Bible is full of examples of people who brought great blessings to their communities because they had compassion for the people in their communities.
a) Nehemiah cried for Jerusalem and prayed to God for the exiled people of Jerusalem
They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:3-4)
b) Daniel had compassion for the people of Jerusalem and prayed and fasted to plead for God’s mercy to them
In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. (Daniel 9:1-3, NIV)
O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. (Daniel 9:16, NIV)
c) Jesus had great compassion and cried out for the people of Jerusalem
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mark 6:34, NIV)
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it. (Luke 11:41, NIV)
If we want to bring about blessings to our communities, we need to have compassion for the people in our communities. We need to pray out earnestly, “Lord Jesus, break my heart for the things that break yours! Help me to see the people in the same way that you see them!”
3. A committed heart that loves and follows after Jesus passionately
Commitment is both a conscious decision as well as the result of a passionate love. When we have genuinely received Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Savior, God gives us a committed heart that loves and follows after Jesus passionately. Commitment is easy when we are deeply in love.
When we start to find that our Christian life is dry and commitment becomes a tiring chore, it is likely to be a sign that we have fallen away from our first love.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Revelations 2:4-5, NIV)
If we have fallen away from our first love for Jesus Christ, we need to repent and come back to that relationship of love once again. It is only when we are fully embracing this love that we have with Jesus Christ that we can have the passion to become a blessing to the communities around us.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Blessed to be a blessing
Psalms 84 – We can be a blessing to the communities around us
It is believed that King David wrote this Psalm while he was in exile from Jerusalem, during the time of his son Absalom’s rebellion against him. This is a song which Jewish pilgrims sing as they make their way to the temple at Jerusalem to worship God.
The 5th to 7th verses paint a beautiful picture of how Christians are called to be a blessing to the people and communities around us.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. (Psalms 84:5-7, NIV)
What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. (Psalms 84:5-7, New Living Translation)
The Vally of Baca forms a picture of a dry, barren and desolate place. The word “Baca” means “weeping”. It is not known where is the physical location of the Valley of Baca, but it is probably a barren and arduous terrain that people making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem had to pass through. It reminds us of the difficult circumstances and environment that we all go through from time to time in our lives.
Negative feelings are often abundant when we walk through the cold and dreary valleys in life. Such circumstances are often accompanied by feelings of loneliness, fear, discouragement, defeat, pessimism, hopelessness and many other negative feelings. The Valley of Baca is a symbolic image of the dry, dreary and stress-filled circumstances that are common today. We encounter them in the workplace, in the family and sometimes even within the church.
Yet the Psalmist paints the wonderful picture of how a Christian who is committed to God finds increasing strength in Him, and brings about transformation to the “valley of weeping” that he passes through. A dry and barren desert is transformed into a place of springs and pools that are filled abundantly with the autumn rains. This happens as the Christian whose strength is in God passes through the valley. He brings about times of refreshing to the valleys that he passes through, and he grows from strength to strength even as he makes his way through the challenges that he faces in the valleys.
This is a wonderful promise of how God can use us to become a blessing to the communities around us. It is a stirring image of how a Christian does not shrink away from adversity or difficult challenges, but instead courageously goes out there into the challenging environment, and become the change agent of God to bring refreshing, hope and blessings to the people in their families, workplaces and social communities who are facing difficult pressures of life out there.
We are called to be a blessing to the communities around us. In the early days God called Abraham to become a blessing to the communities around him, and this calling and promise is still relevant to us today.
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:2-3, NIV)
How can we become the Christian who is described in Psalms 84 as the man whose strength is found in God, and who brings about transformation and blessings to the communities and circumstances around him? Psalm 84 shows us 3 characteristics of a man who will walk through the “valleys of weeping” and transform them into “refreshing places of springs and pools”.
1. Intensity in seeking God’s presence (verses 1 to 5, verse 8)
The first characteristic is a deep longing and hunger to come into the presence of God. In the first four verses, the Psalmist talks about how wonderful it is to be in the presence of God. In the second verse, he describes an intense desire to encounter the presence of God.
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (Psalms 84:2, NIV)
There are many passages in the Bible which talk about the need for us to have a deep hunger to encounter the presence of God. Below are some sample verses:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29, NIV)
Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7, Amplified Bible)
We cannot expect to successfully touch the people and communities around us until we have first encountered the touch of God. We receive strength for ministry and for overcoming challenges when we encounter the presence of God. Encountering the presence of God is something we should seek every moment of the day, and not just during cell meetings or Sunday worship services.
I like a book called “The Practice of the Presence of God”, written by a 16th century monk called Brother Lawrence. The following is an abstract from the book:
Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a poor criminal at the feet of his judge. At other times I beheld Him in my heart as my Father, as my God. I worshipped Him the oftenest I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him. I made this my business not only at the appointed times of prayer but all the time; every hour, every minute, even in the height of my work. I drove from my mind everything that interrupted my thoughts of God.
I found no small pain in this exercise. Yet I continued it notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred. I tried not to trouble or disquiet myself when my mind wandered. Such has been my common practice ever since I entered religious life. Though I have done it very imperfectly, I have found great advantages by it. These, I well know, are due to the mercy and goodness of God, because we can do nothing without Him; and I still less than any.
When we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence, and set Him always before us, this hinders our offending Him and doing anything that may displease Him. It also begets in us a holy freedom, and, if I may so speak, a familiarity with God, where, when we ask, He supplies the grace we need. Over time, by often repeating these acts, they become habitual, and the presence of God becomes quite natural to us.
I was very much inspired by Brother Lawrence’s attitude of a hunger for God and consciously connecting with God every moment of his life, and not just during the formal prayer and worship services. I believe we can experience the power and presence of God as much during our boardroom meetings as during the times at Sunday service or cell meetings, as long as we maintain the right heart attitude of hungering after the presence of God.
I am reminded of an excellent habit that I saw in my first boss many years ago. On the morning of each litigation trial, he would come to the office very early and spend time in solitude and prayer. He gave me a very wise piece of advice – “Without God, we cannot expect to have success”. This is exactly what Jesus said in John 15:5!
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NIV)
2. Integrity in following God’s precepts (verses 9 to 11)
The second characteristic is having integrity in following God’s precepts. Integrity of character is essential for God’s anointing and favor to be upon us and for credibility to be established with other people.
The 9th to 11th verses show us that the Lord withholds no good things from those whose walk is blameless. Some of these “good things” include:
· The anointing of God
· The protection of God
· Favor and honor in all that we do
Look upon our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalms 84:9-11, NIV)
The Bible is full of examples of men who walked right in the ways of God, found favor with God, and enjoyed success in their lives and became a blessing to others. Some examples include:
Noah
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:8-9)
Joseph
The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. (Genesis 39:3-6)
Practically, the formation of integrity of character usually involves 3 steps:
· Decision to walk in the ways of God
· Discipline of God that brings us back to the right path when we stray away
· Dependancy on God’s grace and power
It all begins with a personal decision to want to be wholehearted in obeying and living out the precepts of God’s word. Commitment is a choice we make.
As we go through the classroom of life, God will use the circumstances that we go through to shape our character. Sometimes we may even stray away a little due to the pressures we face, but God, out of His immense love for us, will discipline us and bring us back to the right path again.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4, NIV)
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-11, NIV)
When we decide that we want to be wholehearted in following God’s commandments, there will definitely be obstacles facing us. This is how Paul describes it in 2 Timothy 3:12-13 –
Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They're as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse. (2 Tim 3:12-13, The Message)
I like what a pastor once said: “Character is formed in the valleys.” The adversities we encounter in life are the classroom lessons God has prepared in advance for our character development.
As we go through these adversities of life, we also need to make a conscious decision to depend on the grace and power of God to supply us with the strength to pass the test with flying colors.
Integrity of character begins with a decision to want to follow God’s precepts wholeheartedly. It is continually moulded as we continue to maintain the spiritual disciplines of a humble and contrite heart that repents before God daily, of willingness to accept discipline and correction, and of accountability to a fellow Christian.
As a quick practical checklist, I think the acronym FAST provides a quick check for us in relation to our level of integrity in following God’s precepts:
· Faithfulness – are we faithful and taking responsibility for the small little tasks assigned to us, whether at work, in the family or in church?
· Availability – are we making ourselves available to spend quality time with our family, our covenanted brothers and sisters in Christs and with people out there who need to know God?
· Submissiveness – are we humble in our spirit and willing to accept guidance, and at time correction and discipline from leaders God has placed in our lives?
· Teachability – do we have a hunger to learn and to receive new insights on how we can improve as a person and as a leader?
3. Immovability in trusting God’s promises (verse 12)
O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. (Psalms 84:12)
King David was facing all kinds of persecution; in particular he was running away from the persecution of someone he loved – his son Absalom. Yet he continued to put his faith in God, that God would deliver him from his circumstances.
This is a crucial principle. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6)
The Bible teaches us that faithfully putting into practice the principles we discover in God’s word is key to having stability in our Christian lives. When we faithfully live out the word of God in our lives, we will be able to stand firm in our faith even when the storms and difficult times come into our lives.
I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. (Luke 6:47-49, NIV)
However, I have also learnt that God does not only want us to have stable Christian lives, but he also wants us to have radically victorious lives. This comes about as we operate in faith even as we faithfully live out the word of God in our lives. Faith is born as we confess the word of God and come into complete agreement with the promises of God rather than the circumstances we see around us. There is so much the Bible teaches us about how faith operates. For now, we will look at just one verse to see how faith operates: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) Here we see at least 2 principles of how faith operates:
3.1 We need to dream into reality the possibilities contained in the promises of God
“being sure of what we hope for”
Our hopes are our dreams. We need to have big dreams, because we serve a big God of possibilities! God has given us the power of imagination, and as we come kneeling humbly before the cross to surrender our lives to fully to God, the Holy Spirit will stir within us the power of imagination to dream out the possibilities that can be achieved in partnership with God. Dreams are the beginnings of great visions and conquests.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:20, The Message)
We are allowed to have wild dreams that defy natural logic, because nothing is impossible with God.
3.2 We need to be determined that the promises of God will come to pass no matter how impossible it may seem
“certain of what we do not see”
Dreaming is not enough. We need to be determined to see the dream through. There will be obstacles in the way, and often we will face discouragement and persecutions as well. However, we need to persevere with a spirit of determination that nothing will stop us until God accomplishes what He has promised to us according to His word.
I am excited by what God can do through the lives of Christians who are committed to finishing the race. I am excited about what God is going to do through my life. I know that He will bless us so that we can become a blessing to our communities!
It is believed that King David wrote this Psalm while he was in exile from Jerusalem, during the time of his son Absalom’s rebellion against him. This is a song which Jewish pilgrims sing as they make their way to the temple at Jerusalem to worship God.
The 5th to 7th verses paint a beautiful picture of how Christians are called to be a blessing to the people and communities around us.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. (Psalms 84:5-7, NIV)
What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem. (Psalms 84:5-7, New Living Translation)
The Vally of Baca forms a picture of a dry, barren and desolate place. The word “Baca” means “weeping”. It is not known where is the physical location of the Valley of Baca, but it is probably a barren and arduous terrain that people making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem had to pass through. It reminds us of the difficult circumstances and environment that we all go through from time to time in our lives.
Negative feelings are often abundant when we walk through the cold and dreary valleys in life. Such circumstances are often accompanied by feelings of loneliness, fear, discouragement, defeat, pessimism, hopelessness and many other negative feelings. The Valley of Baca is a symbolic image of the dry, dreary and stress-filled circumstances that are common today. We encounter them in the workplace, in the family and sometimes even within the church.
Yet the Psalmist paints the wonderful picture of how a Christian who is committed to God finds increasing strength in Him, and brings about transformation to the “valley of weeping” that he passes through. A dry and barren desert is transformed into a place of springs and pools that are filled abundantly with the autumn rains. This happens as the Christian whose strength is in God passes through the valley. He brings about times of refreshing to the valleys that he passes through, and he grows from strength to strength even as he makes his way through the challenges that he faces in the valleys.
This is a wonderful promise of how God can use us to become a blessing to the communities around us. It is a stirring image of how a Christian does not shrink away from adversity or difficult challenges, but instead courageously goes out there into the challenging environment, and become the change agent of God to bring refreshing, hope and blessings to the people in their families, workplaces and social communities who are facing difficult pressures of life out there.
We are called to be a blessing to the communities around us. In the early days God called Abraham to become a blessing to the communities around him, and this calling and promise is still relevant to us today.
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:2-3, NIV)
How can we become the Christian who is described in Psalms 84 as the man whose strength is found in God, and who brings about transformation and blessings to the communities and circumstances around him? Psalm 84 shows us 3 characteristics of a man who will walk through the “valleys of weeping” and transform them into “refreshing places of springs and pools”.
1. Intensity in seeking God’s presence (verses 1 to 5, verse 8)
The first characteristic is a deep longing and hunger to come into the presence of God. In the first four verses, the Psalmist talks about how wonderful it is to be in the presence of God. In the second verse, he describes an intense desire to encounter the presence of God.
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (Psalms 84:2, NIV)
There are many passages in the Bible which talk about the need for us to have a deep hunger to encounter the presence of God. Below are some sample verses:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29, NIV)
Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7, Amplified Bible)
We cannot expect to successfully touch the people and communities around us until we have first encountered the touch of God. We receive strength for ministry and for overcoming challenges when we encounter the presence of God. Encountering the presence of God is something we should seek every moment of the day, and not just during cell meetings or Sunday worship services.
I like a book called “The Practice of the Presence of God”, written by a 16th century monk called Brother Lawrence. The following is an abstract from the book:
Sometimes I considered myself before Him as a poor criminal at the feet of his judge. At other times I beheld Him in my heart as my Father, as my God. I worshipped Him the oftenest I could, keeping my mind in His holy presence and recalling it as often as I found it wandered from Him. I made this my business not only at the appointed times of prayer but all the time; every hour, every minute, even in the height of my work. I drove from my mind everything that interrupted my thoughts of God.
I found no small pain in this exercise. Yet I continued it notwithstanding all the difficulties that occurred. I tried not to trouble or disquiet myself when my mind wandered. Such has been my common practice ever since I entered religious life. Though I have done it very imperfectly, I have found great advantages by it. These, I well know, are due to the mercy and goodness of God, because we can do nothing without Him; and I still less than any.
When we are faithful to keep ourselves in His holy presence, and set Him always before us, this hinders our offending Him and doing anything that may displease Him. It also begets in us a holy freedom, and, if I may so speak, a familiarity with God, where, when we ask, He supplies the grace we need. Over time, by often repeating these acts, they become habitual, and the presence of God becomes quite natural to us.
I was very much inspired by Brother Lawrence’s attitude of a hunger for God and consciously connecting with God every moment of his life, and not just during the formal prayer and worship services. I believe we can experience the power and presence of God as much during our boardroom meetings as during the times at Sunday service or cell meetings, as long as we maintain the right heart attitude of hungering after the presence of God.
I am reminded of an excellent habit that I saw in my first boss many years ago. On the morning of each litigation trial, he would come to the office very early and spend time in solitude and prayer. He gave me a very wise piece of advice – “Without God, we cannot expect to have success”. This is exactly what Jesus said in John 15:5!
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NIV)
2. Integrity in following God’s precepts (verses 9 to 11)
The second characteristic is having integrity in following God’s precepts. Integrity of character is essential for God’s anointing and favor to be upon us and for credibility to be established with other people.
The 9th to 11th verses show us that the Lord withholds no good things from those whose walk is blameless. Some of these “good things” include:
· The anointing of God
· The protection of God
· Favor and honor in all that we do
Look upon our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalms 84:9-11, NIV)
The Bible is full of examples of men who walked right in the ways of God, found favor with God, and enjoyed success in their lives and became a blessing to others. Some examples include:
Noah
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:8-9)
Joseph
The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. (Genesis 39:3-6)
Practically, the formation of integrity of character usually involves 3 steps:
· Decision to walk in the ways of God
· Discipline of God that brings us back to the right path when we stray away
· Dependancy on God’s grace and power
It all begins with a personal decision to want to be wholehearted in obeying and living out the precepts of God’s word. Commitment is a choice we make.
As we go through the classroom of life, God will use the circumstances that we go through to shape our character. Sometimes we may even stray away a little due to the pressures we face, but God, out of His immense love for us, will discipline us and bring us back to the right path again.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4, NIV)
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-11, NIV)
When we decide that we want to be wholehearted in following God’s commandments, there will definitely be obstacles facing us. This is how Paul describes it in 2 Timothy 3:12-13 –
Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They're as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse. (2 Tim 3:12-13, The Message)
I like what a pastor once said: “Character is formed in the valleys.” The adversities we encounter in life are the classroom lessons God has prepared in advance for our character development.
As we go through these adversities of life, we also need to make a conscious decision to depend on the grace and power of God to supply us with the strength to pass the test with flying colors.
Integrity of character begins with a decision to want to follow God’s precepts wholeheartedly. It is continually moulded as we continue to maintain the spiritual disciplines of a humble and contrite heart that repents before God daily, of willingness to accept discipline and correction, and of accountability to a fellow Christian.
As a quick practical checklist, I think the acronym FAST provides a quick check for us in relation to our level of integrity in following God’s precepts:
· Faithfulness – are we faithful and taking responsibility for the small little tasks assigned to us, whether at work, in the family or in church?
· Availability – are we making ourselves available to spend quality time with our family, our covenanted brothers and sisters in Christs and with people out there who need to know God?
· Submissiveness – are we humble in our spirit and willing to accept guidance, and at time correction and discipline from leaders God has placed in our lives?
· Teachability – do we have a hunger to learn and to receive new insights on how we can improve as a person and as a leader?
3. Immovability in trusting God’s promises (verse 12)
O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. (Psalms 84:12)
King David was facing all kinds of persecution; in particular he was running away from the persecution of someone he loved – his son Absalom. Yet he continued to put his faith in God, that God would deliver him from his circumstances.
This is a crucial principle. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6)
The Bible teaches us that faithfully putting into practice the principles we discover in God’s word is key to having stability in our Christian lives. When we faithfully live out the word of God in our lives, we will be able to stand firm in our faith even when the storms and difficult times come into our lives.
I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete. (Luke 6:47-49, NIV)
However, I have also learnt that God does not only want us to have stable Christian lives, but he also wants us to have radically victorious lives. This comes about as we operate in faith even as we faithfully live out the word of God in our lives. Faith is born as we confess the word of God and come into complete agreement with the promises of God rather than the circumstances we see around us. There is so much the Bible teaches us about how faith operates. For now, we will look at just one verse to see how faith operates: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) Here we see at least 2 principles of how faith operates:
3.1 We need to dream into reality the possibilities contained in the promises of God
“being sure of what we hope for”
Our hopes are our dreams. We need to have big dreams, because we serve a big God of possibilities! God has given us the power of imagination, and as we come kneeling humbly before the cross to surrender our lives to fully to God, the Holy Spirit will stir within us the power of imagination to dream out the possibilities that can be achieved in partnership with God. Dreams are the beginnings of great visions and conquests.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:20, The Message)
We are allowed to have wild dreams that defy natural logic, because nothing is impossible with God.
3.2 We need to be determined that the promises of God will come to pass no matter how impossible it may seem
“certain of what we do not see”
Dreaming is not enough. We need to be determined to see the dream through. There will be obstacles in the way, and often we will face discouragement and persecutions as well. However, we need to persevere with a spirit of determination that nothing will stop us until God accomplishes what He has promised to us according to His word.
I am excited by what God can do through the lives of Christians who are committed to finishing the race. I am excited about what God is going to do through my life. I know that He will bless us so that we can become a blessing to our communities!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)