The Root and the Fruit - Matthew 12:33

'...A tree is known by its fruit.' Matthew 12:33

This touched my heart I hope it does yours....In a letter to George Whitefield, a leader of the Great Awakening, Benjamin Franklin wrote: 'I can only show my gratitude for those mercies from God, by a readiness to help His other children and my brethren. For I do not think that thanks and compliments, though repeated weekly, can discharge our real obligations to each other, and much less those to our Creator. You will see in this, my notion of good works, that I am far from expecting to merit Heaven by them. By Heaven we understand a state of happiness, infinite in degree and eternal in duration. I can do nothing to deserve such rewards... The faith you mention certainly has its use in the world. I do not desire to see it diminished, nor would I endeavour to lessen it in any man. But I wish it were more productive of good works than I have generally seen it; I mean real good works; works of kindness, charity, mercy and public spirit; not holiday-keeping, sermon-reading or hearing; performing church ceremonies, or making long prayers filled with flatteries and compliments...The worship of God is a duty; the hearing and reading of sermons may be useful; but if men rest in hearing and praying, as too many do, it is as if a tree should value itself for being watered and putting forth leaves, though it never produce any fruit.'

Pretty pointed isn't it. In aiming to declare that salvation is by grace and not works, never forget that saving faith always produces good works! Faith is the root of salvation. But deeds of generosity and kindness are the fruit of salvation - and 'a tree is known by its fruit.'

You are loved!

One of the things I've Learned is to Wait on God, because he Generally isn't Done With the Job When I think He is...

One of the things I've Learned is to Wait on God, because he Generally isn't Done With the Job When I think He is...

'...After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.' Hebrews 6:15 NIV

When you're praying for something, the last thing you want to hear God say is 'Wait!' But sometimes He does. And in order to walk with Him you must learn to be patient, because He works according to His schedule and not yours. I know that is hard sometimes to do; but all your praying and pleading won't accelerate the process, it'll just frustrate you.

God isn't here to indulge your every want and whim; learning to wait on God will be like going through spiritual rehab. When Abraham was 75, God promised to make him '...a father of many nations.' (Genesis 17:4 NKJV) But he had to wait over 24 years before he 'received what was promised'.

Waiting isn't simply something you do in order to get what you want; waiting produces patience, maturity, understanding and character. What God accomplishes in you while you're waiting is often more important than the thing you're waiting for. 'You need to persevere, so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.' (Hebrews 10:36 NIV)

Now, waiting isn't an excuse for dodging reality, shirking your responsibility, or not doing the right thing. For example, if you're up to your eyeballs in debt due to overspending, don't sit around waiting for God to send you a big check. Learn to discipline yourself and adopt sound financial principles like tithing, budgeting and doing without things until you can pay for them. Above all, waiting means making a decision to trust and obey God when things aren't going the way you planned. It's saying, 'Lord, I'm counting on You and I don't have a backup plan.'

You are Loved!

Lessons from the Prodigal Son (3) - Luke 15:17

'When he finally came to his senses...' Luke 15:17 NLT

Love this scripture..."He finally came to his senses" The Prodigal Son's journey to ruin didn't happen overnight. It was a slow, steady build-up, like cholesterol in your arteries. He took his father's blessings for granted and stopped being grateful. How many times do we do the same thing?

No wonder David wrote what he did, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities... heals all your diseases... redeems your life from destruction... crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies... who satisfies your mouth with good things...' (Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV) The Prodigal Son was from one of the best families in town, yet he ended up penniless, friendless, eating with pigs, trying to satisfy a legitimate hunger in an illegitimate way.

Why do we get involved in extramarital affairs, go on drinking and drug binges, or work ourselves to death and sacrifice our families in the process? Because inside each of us is an emptiness that nothing and no one but God can fill. Jesus said, 'When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself..."I will go home to my father and say, 'Father, I have sinned'"...' (Luke 15:17-18 NLT) If you let Him, God will stop you in the nick of time. He will remind you of who you are and where you belong. You will start seeing the mud you're wallowing in, the false friends, the empty achievements, the people around you who are no happier than you. If that's where you are right now, come home. Your Father is waiting to wipe your slate clean. He still loves you. Tell the devil, 'I've changed my mind. I'm going home.'

You are Loved!

Lessons from the Prodigal Son (2) - Luke 15:13

'...[He] wasted his substance...' Luke 15:13 KJV

Ever heard someone say I want it all? The Prodigal Son was no different when he approached his father and said, 'I want it all, now!' To know whether something is good for you or not, you need to understand where the desire for it came from.

For example: Loving parents don't give their children things because they cry for them; they reward them for acting responsibly. They know what's age-appropriate.

We all know good, well-intentioned people whose talents elevated them. Yet they crashed and burned because of some immature, undisciplined area in their life. Please listen to your heavenly Father and don't leave home until He says you're ready! The Prodigal 'wasted his substance with riotous living.'

Note the word 'substance'. Satan is after more than your material possessions: he's after your character, your self-esteem, your staying power, and your life's purpose. Like the Prodigal Son, you can reach a place where you lose your very desire for life itself. It's possible to bask in the accolades of others and think you're going places in life, yet be only a few steps from the pig sty. The Bible says, '...He...joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.' (Luke 15:15 KJV) Note the word 'joined'. To gauge where you are spiritually, look at who you're 'joined' to. The company you keep is like a compass that points you in the direction you're headed. And that compass doesn't lie. But there's hope. When the Prodigal Son returned home, his father was waiting for him with open arms. And your heavenly Father is waiting for you too, so come while you still can.

You are Loved!

Lessons from the Prodigal Son (1) - Luke 15:12 NLT

Lessons from the Prodigal Son (1)

'...I want my share...now.' Luke 15:12 NLT

If you have had kids or are having them, there always seems to be a prodigal in the mix; one who always steps over the line. As we look at the Prodigal son for the next day or two we see "The Prodigal Son" made two mistakes:

 

(1) he rejected his father's authority. The first step that gets you into trouble is the one that takes you away from God. Like the Prodigal Son, you leave home saying, 'Give me.' And if you're fortunate enough to survive your own best thinking, you come back home saying, 'Forgive me.' God loves you, never forget that. Everything you need, He has already provided! It's a promise and God never goes back on His word.

 

(2) he left his father's house. The devil will do whatever it takes to get you out from under God's influence and protection. He'll put a restless spirit in you so that nothing makes you happy. Two areas he will work the hardest to generate discontent in are: (a) your marriage. That's why you constantly need to work on it. The reason there are weeds in your garden instead of roses is because you don't spend enough time working there. Your marriage isn't just a covenant before God, it's a shelter for your passions and dysfunctions. Furthermore, that 'other person', who looks so attractive to you, has baggage, too. And when they move in, they'll bring it with them! (b) your church. Who feeds you spiritually? Who monitors your growth in God? Would you let your children stay home from school because they don't like the teacher or don't want to learn? Come on, be sensible! God says His Word is like '...a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.' (Jeremiah 23:29 NKJV) When the hammer of God's Word falls in church next Sunday morning - you need to be under it. You should say, 'I was glad when they said unto me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord."' (Psalm 122:1 NKJV)

 

You are Loved!

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others - 2 Corinthians 10:12

'They...compare themselves with themselves.' 2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV

One definition of success is: 'Gaining wealth and fame.' But how much wealth do you need to be successful? How much fame? Should you pick an arbitrary target? Should you compare yourself to others? What if you have decided to devote yourself to raising children of character, or serving your church and your community? Does that mean you are less successful?

 Success is doing the best you can, with what you have, wherever you are in life. The Bible warns, 'When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.'

When you play the comparison game you are like the two cows that saw the milk man go by with a sign, 'Pasteurised, homogenised, Vitamin A added.' One cow said to the other, 'Makes you feel sort of inadequate, doesn't it?'

God will help you to be all that you can be, but He will never help you to be someone else. When you focus your attention on who you aren't, by comparing yourself with someone else, you lose sight of who you need to become. Ever heard of the twenty/forty/sixty rule? When you're twenty, you worry about what everybody's thinking about you. When you're forty, you realize it doesn't really matter what they think about you. When you're sixty, it dawns on you most of them weren't thinking about you at all! Paul's life changed dramatically with one question: 'Lord, what do You want me to do?' (Acts 9:6 NKJV) Only when you ask that question, will you discover who you and what God's called you to be.

You are loved!

Are These words in Your Vocabulary? Decision, Discipline and Determination - James 4:17 NLT

'It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.' James 4:17 NLT

I love this from Brian Tracy: 'There are so many good things you can do, that your ability to decide may be the critical determinant of what you accomplish. If you're like most people, you're overwhelmed with too much to do and too little time. Mark Twain once joked that if first thing every morning you eat a frog, you'll go through the rest of the day knowing that's the worst that can happen! Your 'frog' is the most important task...the one you're likely to procrastinate on...the one that can have the greatest positive impact...Treat it as a personal challenge...resist the temptation to start with the easier task. If you 'eat' it first, it'll give you energy and momentum for the rest. Success is determined by the habits you develop. Setting priorities, overcoming procrastination and getting on with the most important task is a mental and physical skill, learnable through practice and repetition until it becomes a permanent part of your behavior. Once it becomes a habit, it's automatic and easy to do. When you complete a task of any size or importance, you get a surge of energy. It triggers the release of endorphins that give you a natural high. The rush that follows makes you feel more positive, personable, creative and confident.'

What you put off until tomorrow, you'll put off again tomorrow. Plus, it's 'sin to know what you ought to do and...not do it.' Success requires decision, discipline and detemination. Make the decision, discipline yourself until it becomes automatic and stay determined until it becomes part of who you are.

You are Loved!

What Are You Hearing? - 1 Kings 18:1

'...The word of the Lord came to Elijah...saying... I will send rain on the earth.' 1 Kings 18:1

Listening is one of the hardest things to develop in ministry. If you are asking God to use you, then learn to listen to people and hear from God. Look at Elijah; three years earlier, God told Elijah to announce the coming of a severe drought. As a result, it was all people talked about. Then God told him to announce that rain was coming and they were to prepare for it.

Understand this: unless you learn to attune your spiritual ear to what God is saying, you won't be ready for what life throws at you. God can tell you when to save and when to sow, when to buy and when to sell, when to come to the table and when to walk away. 'Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it."' (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV)

But Satan can also speak to you and tell you things like, 'You're going bankrupt. You're going to die. You'll never succeed. Nobody loves you.' You'll never hear that from God! In spite of what you're hearing around you or within you, you must believe in God's faithfulness and trust Him to fight for you. Trusting God and believing is one of the biggest things you can learn. So learn it!

Knowing He would soon be crucified, Jesus prayed, '"Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from Heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered...' (John 12:28-29 NKJV) Isn't it amazing? Some can hear the voice of God, while others standing right beside them hear only noise. What Jesus heard that day galvanised His faith and gave Him the strength to march victoriously to the cross. So who are you listening to? What are you hearing?

You are Loved!

Serving Requires Faithfulness - John 5:30

'...I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father.' John 5:30 NKJV

In His dealings with people, the Bible says of Christ: 'Having loved His own...He loved them unto the end.' (John 13:1 KJV) And when it came to His dealings with God, He could say, 'I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.' (John 5:30 NKJV)

Can God count on you? Can others? I know those are big questions to ask, but they are questions we must ask ourselves. When you make a commitment, do you keep it? Do you quit on a whim, or break your word because you get a better offer? Next Sunday starts a 13 week summer series on "Ridiculous Commitments." I'm going to show you how Elisha made and kept his commitment to God; and how God used him to do many things in His name. Remember Ananias in (Acts 9:10) the word says "In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered.'  God knew where to find Ananias. Does He know where to find you?

Love this story of a Pastor preaching one Sunday when an elderly woman fainted and struck her head on the end of the pew. They called for an ambulance and, as they put her on the stretcher, she regained consciousness and motioned for her daughter to come near. Everyone thought she was summoning her strength to convey what would be her final words. Her daughter leaned over until her ear was at her mouth. 'My offering is in my purse,' she whispered. God's work shouldn't go lacking because you've gone on vacation and taken your tithes and offerings with you. 'Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.' (Proverbs 3:9 NLT) Your faithfulness shouldn't be contingent upon economic conditions, but upon your commitment to Christ. Remember the US Marine Corps motto, 'Semper Fidelis', the Latin for 'Always Faithful'.

You are Loved!

Serving Requires Obedience - Psalm 40:8

 

'I desire to do Your will, my God.' Psalm 40:8 NIV

We live in a time when everyone is upset over giving up their 'rights' and 'privileges' to serve others. The question I would ask you is, consider what Christ gave up to serve you. '...He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death...' (Philippians 2:8 NKJV) When you're tempted to remind others of the sacrifices you've made, hear Christ's Words: '...When you have done all things which you are commanded, say, We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' (Luke 17:10 NKJV)

Have you ever observed a dog that graduated from obedience school? It's a source of pleasure to its master because it has learned to respond to a word, sometimes even a look. God says, 'I will guide you with My eye.' (Psalm 32:8 NKJV) God wants to bring you to the place where you don't have to be begged, badgered or browbeaten to serve. One look from Him and you do it without question. As a servant you can't change your master's orders! What an amazing place to be in your faith.

Think about it, It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities of not doing it. God doesn't want foot-dragging compliance, He wants willing obedience. And when He gets it, He blesses it. 'If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.' (Isaiah 1:19 NIV) God's best is reserved for those who say yes. You ask, 'How will I know when I arrive at that place?' Because you'll be able to say, 'I desire to do Your will, O my God.'

You are Loved!

Serving Requires Humility - (Philippians 2:5-9 NLT)

Serving Requires Humility

'Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.' Philippians 2:5 NIV

Paul writes: 'You must have the same attitude that...Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges...took the...position of a slave...humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on the cross. Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honour and gave Him the name above all other names...' (Philippians 2:5-9 NLT)

A celebrity generally expects others to serve them, but being a Christ follower means we are called to serve others. There's a big difference, isn't there? Christ modeled servanthood before His disciples. On the social totem pole, the lowest servant in the house washed feet. Try to picture God washing the feet of common fishermen, then saying, 'As I have served you, now go and serve one another.' Download that picture the next time you view somebody as a burden, or beneath you or an obstacle to your success. You'll never serve as Christ served if your focus is on building your own image. 'Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God ...began to wash the disciples' feet.' (John 13:3-5 NKJV) Jesus had settled three big issues: (1) He knew Who sent Him. (2) He knew Who sustained Him. (3) He knew Who was going to reward Him. Therefore He was liberated from the fear of people, the fear of failure and the fear of rejection. Think about this: 'Service can never become slavery to one who loves.'

You are Loved!

Ridiculous Commitment - 2 Kings 13:10-21

Ridiculous Commitment

We close this set as Elisha’s life comes to an end in 2 Kings 13:10-21. Next week @CFW we will start a new summer series called "Ridiculous Commitment." It will based off my blog's 13 series set on Elisha. As we look at the end of Elisha life, he saved his most bizarre and ridiculous miracle for last. After Elisha is dead and buried, Moabite raiders attack Israel while some Israelites are burying a man. The attack must have surprised them so they quickly reacted and threw the man they were burying into Elisha’s tomb. When the dead man came into contact with Elisha’s bones, it brought him back to life. What's amazing is that even in death, God continued to use Elisha as a conduit to help those in need and do amazing things in the lives of others. Elisha was a prophet whose faith, obedience, compassion, and courage were ridiculous. Whether was it was making the ax head float, burning his plow in obedience to Elijah’s call, or bringing a dead man back to life after he had died himself, Elisha is without question one of the most memorable people in the Bible. I know what your thinking, I'm not in the bible and I can never be like Elisha? You are right, you are not Elisha, you are you. God can use you just like He used Elisha.

It’s time to get ridiculous like Elisha and stop holding back. It’s time to start taking risks and making decisions that the world might not understand. Elisha is a perfect example of what life can look like when you let go and decide to live with ridiculous faith. When you do let go and give it all to God, He can do amazing things in your life you never thought possible. It’s all up to you. What steps do you need to take to have the type of ridiculous faith that Elisha had?
You are Loved!

2 Kings 13:10-21 "In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them. As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. "My father! My father!" he cried. "The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" Elisha said, "Get a bow and some arrows," and he did so. "Take the bow in your hands," he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands. "Open the east window," he said, and he opened it. "Shoot!" Elisha said, and he shot. "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!" Elisha declared. "You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek." Then he said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times." Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence. Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadad his son succeeded him as king. Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three times Jehoash defeated him, and so he recovered the Israelite towns."

Ridiculous Commitment - 2 Kings 8:1-6

Ridiculous Commitment

2 Kings 8:1-6 is a story of ridiculous coincidence. In this passage we see the return of the Shunammite woman whose son was raised from the dead by Elisha in 2 Kings 4. The woman decides to return to Israel as a result of a famine. When she returns to see the king she walks in at the very moment that Elisha’s assistant Gehazi was telling the king how her son was from the dead. That moment of ridiculous coincidence led the king to give the woman her land back. To God there is no such thing as coincidence. God always works things out for our good.

Think about those moments in your life you thought were coincidence. Chances are that you can look back and see God at work and that what you thought was a coincidence was really a divine appointment God scheduled for you. I have had this happen over and over again in my life. I've learned to see God in every situation, and then thank Him for the outcome. More importantly, you should keep yourself available for those divine appointments because God will schedule them again. Be bold in your faith and instead of waiting for God to bring those “coincidences” into your life, be proactive and ask God to bring these moments into your life more frequently. Remember, there is no such thing as a coincidence when you fully make yourself open to being used by God. Describe a time when you experienced a coincidence. How did you see God at work in this situation?

You are Loved!
2 Kings 8:1 "Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years." The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land. The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, "Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done." Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."

Ridiculous Commitment - 2 Kings 6:24 - 7:20

Ridiculous Commitment

Beginning in 2 Kings 6:24 and continuing through chapter 7, we revisit a common theme in the life of Elisha of God using Elisha to help meet the needs of His people. In this passage the Israelites are suffering from starvation as their capital is under siege by the Arameans. This is a terrible time and out of the blue Elisha prophesies that God will provide so much food that it will be almost worthless because of its abundance. Now many didn't believe or want to believe Elisha. The city was near death and yet the Israelites find the Aramean army has disappeared and have ridiculously left all of their food and supplies behind. Once again, God meets the needs of the Israelites just as Elisha said would happen. God is there for His people and He is there for you.

Think about the times when you were in need. Think about the ways He has constantly shown up in your life to help meet your needs like He did with the Israelites. Philippians 4:19 tells us that "God will meet all of your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus." That promise was true thousands of years ago for the Israelites and remains true today for you. God won’t leave you and He will help you meet your needs no matter how big or small they are. In what ways have you seen God continually meet your needs throughout your life? Think about it and you'll be amazed at your God!

You are loved!

Ridiculous Commitment - 2 Kings 6:8-23

Ridiculous Commitment

 

2 Kings 6:16-17 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

 

In 2 Kings 6:8-23, the Aramean king attempts to capture Elisha because he is the one responsible for Israel’s victories over Aram. Each time the king tries to attack Israel, Elisha supernaturally warns the king of Israel and foils his plans. When Elisha’s assistant hears of the Aramean king’s attempt to capture Elisha, he grows afraid until Elisha asks God to open his assistant’s eyes so he can see the armies of Heaven that are on their side. Seeing how close and mighty God’s power is gives Elisha’s assistant the confidence he needs to go forward.

There are times in our lives when we are much like Elisha’s assistant; our eyes have been blinded to something we need to see and the fact we can’t see it adds to our despair. Perhaps your eyes have been blinded to the fact that you have an addiction or a relationship that is falling apart. Perhaps you have been blinded to the fact that you are not living fully devoted to God and follow Him only when convenient or when you are at church. Maybe you’ve been blinded to the fact that you are not the person God called you to be and instead have become content in your own complacency. No matter what you have been blinded to, God can open your eyes to help you see the truth. All you have to do is ask Him and open yourself up to allow Him to open your eyes. What do you think your eyes might be blinded to that you need to see? What steps will you take to open your eyes?

You are Loved!

Ridiculous Commitment - 2 Kings 6:1-7

2 Kings 6:1-7  "The company of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet." And he said, "Go." Then one of them said, "Won't you please come with your servants?" "I will," Elisha replied. And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh no, my lord!" he cried out. "It was borrowed!" The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. "Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it."

I love Elisha's life. It was full of strange and ridiculous moments. Isn't that what life is sometimes with God. One of the strangest comes in 2 Kings 6:1-7. In this passage we find a group of prophets cutting down trees with axes that will be used to build new homes. One of prophets loses his ax head into the water and he becomes upset because it was borrowed. Elisha responds by taking a stick and throwing it into the place in the water where the ax head fell. The ax head immediately floats back to the surface. When you first read this story, it may seem like there is no purpose to it, but there is much to learn from this story. God cares about what you’ve lost. Satan wants you to believe that somehow God has forgotten you or doesn't care. But No concern is too small to our God, even a lost ax head.

What have you lost today? Have you lost a blessing, a relationship, peace, financial strength, your reputation, or something else? Trusting God is a hard road sometimes when the road is rough. The good news is that God cares so much about whatever you’ve lost that He can help you recover what you’ve lost. God can help you find what you lost by beginning to look at where it fell. Go back to where you got off track and allow God to help put you back on track. You may need to stop something and start doing something different. Your ax head isn’t gone; it’s just where you left it. God can defy gravity to give it back to you. What have you lost that you need God to help you reclaim? How will you go about doing it? By Trusting Him Today!

You are Loved!

Ridiculous Commitment - 2 Kings 6:1-7

Ridiculous Commitment

 

 

2 Kings 6:1-7  "The company of the prophets said to Elisha, "Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet." And he said, "Go." Then one of them said, "Won't you please come with your servants?" "I will," Elisha replied. And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. "Oh no, my lord!" he cried out. "It was borrowed!" The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. "Lift it out," he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it."

In 2 Kings chapter 5 we read about a foreign military captain named Naaman who suffers from leprosy. He hears from a slave girl that Elisha might be able to heal him so he leaves for Israel with an entourage bringing gifts to the king. When Naaman finally encounters Elisha, he expects Elisha to simply wave his hands to take away the leprosy. Instead, Elisha asks him to do something that seems ridiculous to Naaman, which is to go and dunk himself seven times in the Jordan. Now you have to understand the customs of the times to understand why Naaman got mad. He was important and to just dunk himself in the Jordan, the Jordon was like washing himself in the Yakima river to many of you. Naaman at first refuses to do what Elisha asks but finally does so after the urging his men. When he does what Elisha asked, Naaman is finally healed. Naaman’s reaction is a very common one.

At some point in your life you’ve probably felt led to do something by God that seemed a little crazy or ridiculous at that very moment. Perhaps you asked God to do something in your life like Naaman, but His initial response was not what you expected and you were not willing to humble yourself enough to submit to God’s methods. Been there done that and learned something very valuable.When we ask God to do something in our lives we should never do it with an attitude or an expectation of exactly how and when He should do it. We are not greater than God and we must place our full faith in Him that He will do it at the right time and in the right way. We are not in charge. God is the one in charge and as Isaiah 55:8 tells us, God’s ways are not our ways. What steps can you take to fully humble yourself before God and realize that His ways are not your ways?

You are Loved!