I love the microwave. It is great at cooking preprocessed food and re-heating food. It is great at getting meals together quickly, but it is not good at cooking a Thanksgiving meal. The microwave, as great as it is, has made us impatient. We are a very impatient society - not just with food, but also with most things. We, including myself, want it all and want it now. We don’t want to go through the process of waiting. On the flip side - look at an Oak tree - it takes years and years to grow to maturity and lasts through generations. The same is true in our lives.
Let's look at the growth process of Moses' life:
For the first 40 years of his life growing up in Egypt, Moses had the best food, housing, education and training that there was, but he was not where God wanted him to be. The second 40 years of his life was spent in the desert with a bunch of sheep and cattle and that is where he experienced God. At 80 years old, God called Moses to lead his people. 80 YEARS OLD- that is double my age. 80 years of processing, 80 years of growing, 80 years of God working in his life. No microwave growth there.
Even at 80, Moses still didn’t feel ready to do what God called him to do. He questioned that, and instead asked God for his brother to help him (which later became a burden to him).
Here is the take away from this: Philippians 1:6 “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ - developing and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.”
Even at 80 years old God was not done with Moses’ life. 40 more years leading a country with no land, to the place promised to them by God. In our own life, God will always be working on us. He never stops working on us.
We all have something to offer, something to do, no matter how old or young we are. The main thing is being patient, allowing God to work on, work in, and work through your life. We don’t want a microwave faith but an oak tree faith that will last for generations.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
How did Moses do it?
Moses has been on my mind lately, mainly because of his leadership and relationship with God. I could not imagine leading ONE MILLION (close fist, extend pinkie, palm out and bring pinkie to lip) people for 40 years through the desert. These people saw many signs and wonders from God. They experienced daily miracles of being fed without labor, and yet they complained constantly!
How did Moses do it? How did he maintain his close relationship with God, “as a friend of God”? (Exodus 33:11 And the Lord spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend.)
To me, this is the key to how Moses was able to lead. He spoke to God as a friend. What an amazing picture! I have two people in my life that I talk to all the time, several times a day. There is not a day that goes by without me talking to them: my wife, Courtney, and my best friend, Steve. They speak in my life; they say encouraging things to me, they also correct me, and let me know when I have been wrong in my thinking.
There are several things I want to point out about this relationship Moses had with God and it may take me several blog posts:
God uses other people to speak in your life. Moses constantly had people complain to him. Early on, Moses was the only judge Israel had. So day after day, people would bring him their problems for him to figure out. Could you imagine how this would weigh on you as ONE MILLION (close fist, extend pinkie, palm out and bring pinkie to lip) people bring their complaints to you day in and day out? Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, said that it was going to kill Moses, and that he couldn't do it alone. (Exodus 18). So Jethro laid out a plan for Moses.
Moses listened to his father-in-law, and allowed him to speak in his life. But here are some key points we all need to remember:
1) The friends who speak in your life are looking out for you, 2) make sure what your friends say line up with what God is telling you.
Jethro said, “Hey Jack, I mean Moses, here is what you need to do - because if you don’t, you are going to kill yourself. “If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.””
Be careful of the people you let speak in your life, because they don’t always have the best intentions for you. Many times they can distract you from God.
More to come!
How did Moses do it? How did he maintain his close relationship with God, “as a friend of God”? (Exodus 33:11 And the Lord spoke with Moses face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend.)
To me, this is the key to how Moses was able to lead. He spoke to God as a friend. What an amazing picture! I have two people in my life that I talk to all the time, several times a day. There is not a day that goes by without me talking to them: my wife, Courtney, and my best friend, Steve. They speak in my life; they say encouraging things to me, they also correct me, and let me know when I have been wrong in my thinking.
There are several things I want to point out about this relationship Moses had with God and it may take me several blog posts:
God uses other people to speak in your life. Moses constantly had people complain to him. Early on, Moses was the only judge Israel had. So day after day, people would bring him their problems for him to figure out. Could you imagine how this would weigh on you as ONE MILLION (close fist, extend pinkie, palm out and bring pinkie to lip) people bring their complaints to you day in and day out? Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, said that it was going to kill Moses, and that he couldn't do it alone. (Exodus 18). So Jethro laid out a plan for Moses.
Moses listened to his father-in-law, and allowed him to speak in his life. But here are some key points we all need to remember:
1) The friends who speak in your life are looking out for you, 2) make sure what your friends say line up with what God is telling you.
Jethro said, “Hey Jack, I mean Moses, here is what you need to do - because if you don’t, you are going to kill yourself. “If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.””
Be careful of the people you let speak in your life, because they don’t always have the best intentions for you. Many times they can distract you from God.
More to come!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Udder Disaster
In this week’s Bible story, the Israelites grow impatient
waiting for Moses to finish meeting with God (Exodus 32:1-35). They ask Aaron to build an idol for them to
follow instead of God. When Moses returns to see them gathered around a golden
calf, the Israelites immediately regret their impatience.
Our Bottom Line is:
when you think you can’t wait, don’t forget what’s true. God had put Moses
in charge of the Israelites and led them out of slavery. But in a moment of
impatience, they forgot everything they’d experienced. From them, we can learn
to be patient and trust the people in charge.
The monthly memory
verse is, “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose
hope. Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14, NIrV When we start to
lose hope, remembering the truth of what God has done will help us wait well.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Play it Cool. Trust it is worth the Wait!
From the very beginning, God has shown patience with people. All the way back in the garden, when Adam and Eve first chose their own way instead of God’s, God started His plan to give all of us a chance to come back to Him. And time and again, God is patient with us when we make daily choices that separate us from Him. He waits for us to turn back to Him.
As a fruit of the Spirit, patience is a foundational way that we reflect God’s character. When we show patience, we are less likely to hurt our relationships with others. We are more likely to trust that God has something better for us in the future.
Patience is waiting until later for what you want now. Waiting isn’t always easy. When having patience seems too difficult, the Lord will give us strength to wait. At its core, patience is fueled by faith. We trust that what we’re waiting for is best for us.
But patience is more than just waiting. It’s also about our attitude while we wait. A patient person can wait with joy even when the situation might be stressful or anxious. A patient person avoids searching or settling for a quick fix.
The monthly memory verse is: “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose hope. Wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14, NIrV Sometimes it feels too hard to be strong while we wait, but our trust in God gives us the strength to wait well.
In yesterday's Bible story, Esau comes in from hunting and is very hungry (Genesis 25:24-34). Because he can’t wait, Esau ends up trading his entire inheritance for a full stomach. Our Bottom Line is: When you think you can’t wait, think twice. Don’t give up what’s best for something immediate.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Happy Together
In this week’s biblical principle, we learn that friends
worship God together (Hebrews 10:25;
Colossians 3:16). The early
believers would meet in each other’s homes to worship God. They would sing
praise songs, learn of Jesus’ teachings, and look for ways to help each other.
This habit of the early church was the foundation of Small
Groups today. When we meet with our Small Groups, we worship God with our
friends. Our Bottom Line is: friends
worship with one another. So it is important for us to gather with our
Small Groups on a regular basis.
The monthly memory
verse is: “A friend loves at all times. He is there to help when
trouble comes.” (Proverbs 17:17 NIrV) We can worship
God with our friends at all times, not just at church. Maybe you and your
friends can help someone in your neighborhood or start a band that honors God
with your songs. Worshiping God is always a great thing to do with your
friends.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Happy Together
In this week’s biblical principle, Paul teaches the
Galatians to serve each other (Galatians
5:13b). He instructs the believers to use their new God-given freedom to
care for the poor, widows, orphans, and others in need.
Our Bottom Line is: friends serve one another. When we get to spend time with our
friends, we can serve them by thinking about what they would like to do, eating
snacks they would like to eat, and looking for ways to help them.
The monthly memory
verse is: “A friend loves at all times. He is there to help when
trouble comes.” (Proverbs 17:17, NIrV) The reason we
look for ways to serve our friends is because we love them. Jesus showed us
that loving our friends means serving them any time we get the chance. And many
times, we can add new friends by serving people we might not consider to be our
best friends.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Tips for Helping Kids Survive Tragedy
When tragedy strikes, children
respond in a variety of different ways. If your child has experienced
any sort of loss, it’s important to help that child through the grieving
process. True, there’s a big difference between being jilted by a
boyfriend or girlfriend and sorting out feelings after a school shooting
or a terrorist attack. But the process itself remains fairly
consistent.
1. Allow your children to acknowledge the crisis.
This may not take very long – or it may go on for weeks, depending on
the event. But the first step in helping a child work through the
grieving process is to encourage them to admit there’s a reason for
grieving. This may be a bit unsettling to some kids. They like a sense
of consistency and order in their lives. Help them to take ownership of
the change.
2. Shelter your kids from graphic video and pictures. In our "24/7 live" news coverage from around the world, be aware that the graphic, often disturbing video and pictures - don't have to be part of conveying the "news" of what's happening to your children. My advice is that when tragic events occur – especially in the immediate aftermath – keep the television news programs off when your kids are around.
3. Give them the opportunity to respond to how they feel about the change. Kids are very creative in finding ways to express pain and grief. Encourage the use of the arts and music in particular. A poem about the event or how they feel about the aftermath can let the healing begin to flow in the life of a young person who can’t really put into words what’s happening in the hearts at that moment.
4. Reassure your kids - as best you can. Since we don't have control over natural disasters, or senseless acts of terror and violence, as parents, we shouldn't promise a child that we will protect them from any harm that such an event may bring. Our job here is to reassure them as best we can. If kids are worried about being caught up in a tragic event, we can tell them how unlikely it is to happen. And, of course, we can tell them, "Mom and Dad will do everything we can to always make sure you are safe from harm."
5. Don’t underestimate your kids’ spiritual depth. If you’ve ever wondered about what your children think about God or faith in Christ, you’ll probably find out in the wake of a crisis or trauma. Be prepared for questions about life and beyond you may never have heard from your child before. Kids really do want to talk about theological issues. Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring those questions to the forefront. Be ready—and don’t be surprised!
6. Do get the help they need. If you don’t have the answers to their questions, find someone who does. Be the grown-up and get the information. Put your pride on the shelf if you must. Your own self-esteem won’t be worth too much if it costs you credibility with your own child.
7. Give your kids something tangible to hold on to. My good friends John and Becky Hart serve a church in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. Their church is literally within eyeshot of what used to be the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City. They saw and heard the 9/11 attacks from their neighborhood, and lost a couple of church members in the attacks. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Becky noticed the comfort her own daughter found in a small anchor she had given her. It served as a symbol that her faith in Jesus Christ was her anchor in the midst of the storm that resulted because of the terrorist actions. Crosses, doves, anchors and eagles all serve to remind us that we have a Friend like no other who will never leave us in times of trouble.
Remember the hope that lies in each one of us who believe in Jesus Christ and trust in His Name. Your kids will feel better about surviving a crisis when they see the confidence of God in you!
2. Shelter your kids from graphic video and pictures. In our "24/7 live" news coverage from around the world, be aware that the graphic, often disturbing video and pictures - don't have to be part of conveying the "news" of what's happening to your children. My advice is that when tragic events occur – especially in the immediate aftermath – keep the television news programs off when your kids are around.
3. Give them the opportunity to respond to how they feel about the change. Kids are very creative in finding ways to express pain and grief. Encourage the use of the arts and music in particular. A poem about the event or how they feel about the aftermath can let the healing begin to flow in the life of a young person who can’t really put into words what’s happening in the hearts at that moment.
4. Reassure your kids - as best you can. Since we don't have control over natural disasters, or senseless acts of terror and violence, as parents, we shouldn't promise a child that we will protect them from any harm that such an event may bring. Our job here is to reassure them as best we can. If kids are worried about being caught up in a tragic event, we can tell them how unlikely it is to happen. And, of course, we can tell them, "Mom and Dad will do everything we can to always make sure you are safe from harm."
5. Don’t underestimate your kids’ spiritual depth. If you’ve ever wondered about what your children think about God or faith in Christ, you’ll probably find out in the wake of a crisis or trauma. Be prepared for questions about life and beyond you may never have heard from your child before. Kids really do want to talk about theological issues. Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring those questions to the forefront. Be ready—and don’t be surprised!
6. Do get the help they need. If you don’t have the answers to their questions, find someone who does. Be the grown-up and get the information. Put your pride on the shelf if you must. Your own self-esteem won’t be worth too much if it costs you credibility with your own child.
7. Give your kids something tangible to hold on to. My good friends John and Becky Hart serve a church in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. Their church is literally within eyeshot of what used to be the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City. They saw and heard the 9/11 attacks from their neighborhood, and lost a couple of church members in the attacks. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Becky noticed the comfort her own daughter found in a small anchor she had given her. It served as a symbol that her faith in Jesus Christ was her anchor in the midst of the storm that resulted because of the terrorist actions. Crosses, doves, anchors and eagles all serve to remind us that we have a Friend like no other who will never leave us in times of trouble.
Remember the hope that lies in each one of us who believe in Jesus Christ and trust in His Name. Your kids will feel better about surviving a crisis when they see the confidence of God in you!
- Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
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