'...for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world...' John 18:37 NIV
Jesus knew exactly why He lived: 'For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.' That's what He thought about, prayed about, planned for, worked towards, sacrificed for, died and rose again for, and finally accomplished. By fulfilling His destiny He changed the world for ever. So, do you know your destiny? What are you doing to achieve it? 'We are...created...to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.' (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) Does that sound like a life of aimless wandering with no known destination? The Bible says, 'A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.' (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV) Plan well, but always stay open to God's direction. '...All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.' (Psalm 139:16 NIV) God's plan for your life was set before you were a twinkle in your parents' eyes! If you fail to follow His path you'll miss His best for your life. The Bible is full of examples of people who crashed and burned at some point. King Saul is a great example. Recalling it, David his successor prayed first, 'I desire to do Your will...' (Psalm 40:8 NIV) Your desires are the driving force in life, so make sure they're in harmony with God. Secondly he prayed, 'Teach me to do Your will...' (Psalm 143:10 NIV) When it comes to doing God's will, the Psalmist acknowledged he needed God's help. You do too.
'Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with [God]...' Genesis 35:14 NKJV
When you recall God's faithfulness to you it causes hope to rise in your soul. It enables you to face the future with confidence and say, '...He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who...keep His commands.' (Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV) Looking back and remembering is a Scriptural principle that works. 'Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with [God]'; 'Joshua set up twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan...' (Joshua 4:9 NIV); 'Samuel took a stone...set it up...and called [it]...Ebenezer, saying, '..."Thus far the Lord has helped us."' (1 Samuel 7:12 NKJV) The Bible says, 'No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God...will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but...will also provide the way out...' (1 Corinthians 10:13 NRS) Going back through Scripture and remembering the ups and downs of God's people and how He consistently came through for them, lends fresh perspective to your own situation and enables you to see a bigger picture. In Psalm 22:2 NCV David starts out saying, 'God...I call to you...but you do not answer.' But as soon as he starts remembering God's faithfulness he does a 180-degree turn around and says, 'Our ancestors trusted you...and you saved them. They called to you for help and...were not disappointed.' (Psalm 22:4-5 NCV) When you're in a spiritual free fall, stop dwelling on yourself and your disappointment and begin to focus on God. '...Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave...' (1 Kings 8:56 NIV) He's still the same; He hasn't changed.
'As soon as they began singing...' 2 Chronicles 20:22 CEV
Here's a simple but effective formula for handling a spiritual slump. Praise your way out! David starts Psalm 22 by asking, 'God, why have You forsaken me?' and goes on, '...You...dwell...[where]...praises...[are offered].' (Psalm 22:3 AMP) You won't always feel like praising God-that's why it's called '...the sacrifice of praise...' (Hebrews 13:15 NKJV) But when you're in a slump you need the discipline of praise more than ever. It brings a sense of God's power and presence like nothing else does. That's why the Psalmist wrote, 'I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.' (Psalm 34:1 NKJV) By praising God in advance for the victory, you open a channel for Him to intervene in your circumstances, hope rises in your soul, and it's impossible to stay down and defeated. And praise fits every personality, so you've no excuse! You can clap and shout (Psalm 47:1), use music and dance (Psalm 150:4), sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19), make a joyful noise (Psalm 98:4), lift your hands (Psalm 134:2), be still and silent before God (Psalm 4:4), you can kneel (Psalm 95:6) and you can even be loud! (Psalm 33:3) Your praises thwart the enemy's best-laid plan! When the Israelites were outnumbered, they prayed and God told them the battle was His and that He would do the fighting. Judah (which means 'praise') went out ahead of the army, and 'As soon as they began singing, the Lord confused the enemy...and...they turned against each other'. The minute you start praising God He releases His power to start working on your behalf.
'...to will and to act according to His good purpose.' Philippians 2:13 NIV
God is committed to His plan for your life, not yours! You can't say, 'Lord, here's my plan; bless it.' He may, but He may not. '...He...created us...so we can do the good things He planned for us...' (Ephesians 2:10 NLT) You can't say, 'In this category I'm doing things my way, but in that category I'm being led by God.' No, every step you take must be synchronized by the beat of the Holy Spirit. Nothing should be more important to you than keeping pace with Him. Paul writes, 'For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His...purpose.' (Philippians 2:13 NIV) God works through you as you open your spirit, engage your mind, and use your talents to do what He's already put into your heart. The moment you say yes, He gives you the power to perform His will. Notice, He doesn't reveal His will, then call you. No, He calls you, and as you step out and obey Him He reveals His will to you step by step. Each day God is molding you into a greater likeness of His Son. That's His objective. You're not out for a stroll, you're going somewhere! Over and over again you'll be put into situations that mature you to the point where you have the same attitude, the same perspective, the same responses, and the same discernment as Jesus. Once you understand that, walking with God will take on a whole new meaning. You'll realize that His custom plan for your life is the only plan that will ever satisfy you.
'...restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness...' Galatians 6:1 NAS
What is the 'spirit' in which we are to restore someone? The spirit of gentleness. 'If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.' More than likely, the person is already hurting and as fragile as glass; condemnation will only worsen their plight. Understanding and acceptance-not agreement-are what's needed here. The spirit of humility. 'Each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.' We're all cut from the same bolt of cloth; we're all capable of blowing it. Remember, Peter said to the Lord that others may deny Him but he never would. (Matthew 26:33) And he meant it; he didn't believe it could happen to him! We must be careful about our own lives, examining ourselves, knowing that we too are vulnerable to all types of temptation and sin. Finally, the spirit of love and empathy. Paul writes, 'Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.' (Galatians 6:2 NAS) In this passage the word 'burden' means 'a heavy load'. It means being willing to walk with them, weep with them and work with them until they've been restored. If the hurting cannot find grace, love and healing in the family of God, where can they go to find it? Dr Charles Stanley writes, 'It should be clear from the Scriptures that we have a responsibility to restore a fallen brother or sister. It should also be clear that this sensitive, delicate issue must be handled with great care, lest we greatly damage our witness to an unbelieving world.'
'...if anyone is caught in any trespass...' Galatians 6:1 NAS
Paul writes, 'If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.' Note the word 'caught'. Most of us who stumble thought at one time, 'That will never happen to me.' But it did. In a moment of weakness we yielded to evil. When this happens to someone in God's family we have a responsibility to restore them, regardless of the nature of the sin. In this Scripture this word 'restore' has medical overtones. It pictures a doctor resetting a broken limb. To restore someone scripturally, we must help them in several ways. First, we must help them to acknowledge their failure. After his affair with Bathsheba, David prayed, '...[I have] sinned and done what is evil in Your sight...' (Psalm 51:4 NIV) Secondly, we should help them to accept responsibility for their sin. Even though someone else may have been a contributing factor, we are still accountable to God. Thirdly, we must help them to repent. Repentance involves deep remorse, turning away from our sin, and moving in a new direction. Then, we must help them to make restitution. For example, someone who has done wrong needs to make amends when possible. We can help them to grow stronger through it. Through failure, God teaches us lessons that keep us from wandering into similar situations in the future. We can help them to respond to God's correction with gratitude. Granted, this is not easy, but when a person comprehends God's purpose in such discipline-that we might '...share in His holiness' (Hebrews 12:10 NIV)-they begin to thank their heavenly Father for His loving correction. Indeed, it protects them from any root of bitterness springing up in the aftermath of sin.
'...the mother of Jesus said..."They have no wine."' John 2:3 NKJV
In Biblical times offering wine to your guests at a wedding was an expected courtesy. It was also a sign of respect, so running out of it would have been considered a social disaster. But observe how Mary handled it. Instead of looking for someone to blame, or making excuses, she took her problem to Jesus. That's always your best move. 'O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.' Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water and give some to the headwaiter. When he tasted it, the Bible says, '...the water had become wine...' (John 2:9 NCV) But notice, it happened after they had obeyed Jesus, not before. At a particularly contentious church board meeting when one member suggested they pray about the problem, another responded, 'Has it come to that?' There are basically two reasons we make prayer our last resort instead of our first: we like to think we're able to solve our own problems or we feel insignificant and think, 'It's okay for Mary to ask Jesus; she's His mother, but He's got bigger problems to solve than mine.' No, your problems are important to God-all of them! He delights in you (Psalm 18:19). He rejoices over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride (Isaiah 62:5). You're never too big or too small to ask your heavenly Father for help. Just take your cue from Mary: identify the problem, bring it to Jesus, do what He tells you, and watch Him work it out.
