God is Bigger Than That

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. –Matthew 5:5

I’ve realized that sometimes I pack God into a box, a little box that fits with my way of thinking and understanding.  The problem is God is bigger than that box and He’s bigger than the box you put Him in as well.  It’s a tiring pattern—trying to understand God and then continuously not understanding why things happen the way they do.  I say, “Wait God, this isn’t what the instructions on my box said.”  I read a blog about a man who walked away from the faith because of a bad church planting project…  We are such selfish creatures.  We expect our faith to be a “get out of jail free card” or “insurance against the world’s problems.”  We have a bad day and suddenly it’s God’s fault for not fixing whatever the issue was.  I’m throwing away my box because God is bigger than that—much bigger!  Although there are a lot of things I don’t understand about God, here are a few things I do:

God is more intelligent than I am

God is more loving than I am

God is more compassionate than I am

God is more caring than I am

God is more just than I am

God is more merciful than I am

God is more righteous than I am

God is bigger than I am

Digging Trenches (Finding Hope In Depression)

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”
-Psalm 29:11

Two weeks ago I started a new part time seasonal job with a termite and pest control company.  The bug season hit early this year and they needed extra help because of the amount of business that was coming in.  After the first day on the job I realized I was basically hired to be a trench digger.  To treat a house for termites a trench is dug around the perimeter, we fill the trench with a chemical and then fill the trench back up with dirt.   Now this is some hard work and the weather we’ve been having in GA does not make it any easier.  Before I get off track, my point of writing this is not to complain to you about how physically exhausting my job is, my point is to relate what the Lord taught me through the process.

First day on the job about 2 hours in the first scripture comes to mind:

 “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.”
-Genesis 3:19

The Holy Spirit couldn’t help but rub this one in as I sat there drenched in sweat…  I got a chuckle out of this and it gave me some joy to keep diggin.  Soon after the next scripture popped in my head:

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
-1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Ok, I can be thankful here” I said.  I really was thankful that the Lord had provided a new employment opportunity for me.  This job works perfect with my schedule and brings in some much needed extra money with just recently moving to GA a few months ago.   So I kept digging with a thankful attitude praising God for the work He had provided.

Day two on the job comes and we are on our second termite job of the day.  This is by far the hottest it’s been yet and the hardest house to trench.  I’m underneath a crawl space surrounded by cob webs and dust trying to trench around the foundation pillars.  On top of that the ground at this house is not soft at all.  The third scripture pops in my head:

“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”
-Colossians 3:23

“Really Lord?  I’m digging trenches.  I’m supposed to have the attitude that I’m doing this for You?”  “Yes” He replies and so, I keep digging.

Now I thought about writing this post over a week ago and just leaving it at that, but I sensed—though these verses do give a good message together—that the Lord had not finished speaking.  So I waited…

I waited a week and in that next week rather than hearing the Lord I stopped hearing Him.  Rather than feeling His presence I started feeling alone.  Rather than hearing His voice I started hearing a different voice—the voice of one who says, “You are all alone.”  “You do not know what you’re doing.”  “You are lost and there is no hope because God does not exist.”  Oh my heart sank.  What was happening to me?  I was past this I thought.  How did I ever get so uncontrollably tossed back in to the pit?  The voice told me “You have dug your own trench and now you will lie in it in misery alone.”

I was around other believers but never asked for help.  That’s the scary thing about depression is that the loneliness makes you think that there is no help.  It makes you think that it’s your fault you are depressed and that no one can help.

Lies, lies, LIES!

I mustered up the last ounce of spiritual strength I had and cried out:

“AWAY FROM ME SATAN!  Come Lord and rescue me from the pit!  Help me Father please!”

I got enough strength to pull out my phone and pulled up my Bible app.  I was led to Psalm 29 which I read and the last passage was so simple but really stood out to me:

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”

Reading this scripture I cried out, “Lord I am not feeling your peace right now.  Please hear me and bless me with this peace your word promises!”

I didn’t feel better.  The voice came in again saying “these are lies, there is no peace” but I held on to the scripture and kept going back to it.  That evening I did find some strength.  It was not total healing strength but it was strength to talk.  I told my wife how I had been feeling.  Now my wife is no scholar with a doctorate of theology, she is a woman of simple faith which I admire so much.  I’m always caught up in my intellectual thoughts as if I’m actually going to come up with any answers to life’s big questions in my own finite brain.  She doesn’t over analyze things.  She believes because Jesus has touched her heart and that is it.  She told me the simple words, “We live by faith.”   Simple words, but powerful words! 

 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
-Romans 1:17

I was not completely out of the pit yet but I was feeling much better.  Just being open and honest with my feelings took a huge burden off my chest.  I wasn’t alone anymore.  And so I went to bed still confused but starting to look on the bright side of things.

The next morning (yesterday) I felt so much better—almost normal.  I then had strength to reach out for prayer and help from another woman of faith in my life—my mother.  Now my mom is what you might call a “prayer warrior.”  She would never boast in herself but I will boast about my mom.  She is a woman of God!  If there is anyone I know that is close to God’s heart it is my mother.  I am very grateful for her and she prayed for me on the phone with the Spirit of God providing the exact words I needed to hear.  I was encouraged again! Faith was rising and the peace that surpasses understanding was settling back in to my heart.  I wept and prayed and felt Psalm 29:11 coming to life. 

To top it off I go in to church this morning and our Pastor informs us we are going to do things a little different.  He tells us the Lord has put it on his heart to do a different service and that the family of our church needed to be strengthened in the Lord.  “Yes!” I thought, “God is so faithful!” The service was amazing.  Instead of two services we did one long continuous service intermixing prayer, scripture, people sharing testimony, teaching, and worship.  The presence of God was among us!  He strengthened His people today!  He blessed His people with peace!  Amen and thank you Lord Jesus for you are so good to us!  I love you Lord, I love you Veronica, I love you Mom, I love you Pastor Josh and Calvary Chapel Northwest.

The moral of the story: ask for help!  When you’re feeling down go to God’s word and ask for help from other believers.  Through the power of God light will always prevail over darkness!  To whomever the Lord is speaking to now know that Christ is with you and He loves you.  The Lord will give strength to His people.  The Lord will bless His people with peace!  Hallelujah!

Looking Unto Jesus

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. –Hebrews 12:1-2

Wow, sometimes the Holy Spirit can really get on these “themes” in my life. I’ll be going through a season or phase in life and everywhere I go a certain scripture or lesson will be outlined to me. The past couple weeks it has been this seemingly simple message: Look to Jesus! For the last couple weeks everywhere I go whether in my thoughts, surfing the web, reading a devotional, at school and even in dreams this verse has been highlighted to me and more specifically the “looking unto Jesus” part.

Have you noticed how a lot of times when the Lord speaks to us He speaks in simple phrases of a few words, but these simple little phrases resonate deeply into our soul and mind bringing transformation, inspiration and revelation? This directly relates to how Jesus taught in parables while here on earth. The stories to a skeptic are nothing but silly stories but to one with “ears to hear” they come to life and bring darkness to light. It’s interesting how we humans will spend hours typing out our thoughts and write entire books to try and get a meaningful message across, but the Lord will just say a few words and they will reach the depths of our soul breathing life into us. The word of the Lord is powerful! Praise God and thank you Lord for your Word!

About two months ago I was praying before going to bed. About half way through praying I switched from praying in an outward audible voice to praying in my head. I then—for whatever reason—blurted out the question “can you hear my thoughts?” to God. Immediately a voice replied and said, “Yes, I hear you.” I was so shocked at first. I had never heard the audible voice of God and honestly was not really ever expecting to. My first thought was “whoa if God’s talking audibly to me now He must have something really important to say” so I replied “speak Lord for your servant hears” quoting 1 Sam 3:9 when Samuel heard the voice of God in bed. There I was waiting for a response. I was sitting there all excited waiting for God to tell me something deep and amazing but He said nothing else. I later realized that what He needed to say had already been said. God said, “I hear you.” Those three simple words have transformed my prayer life and boosted my faith dramatically. They have resonated in my mind and soul since that day. The simple words “I hear you.” I feel that someone reading this needs to hear those words tonight. Know this truth: Jesus hears you! He hears every prayer that you say to Him. He hears every worry and care in your heart. He hears you and He loves you beyond your understanding. Pray boldly and keep seeking first the Kingdom running the race with endurance. When you start feeling weak, look to Jesus!

The enemy loves to take our eyes off of Jesus. The enemy loves to shift our focus to ourselves. Out of the right motives of wanting to please God the enemy will take your eyes off of Jesus and have you focusing on your own performance in life. The enemy will make you focus on all your works and deeds making you think you have to live up to some certain standard to be acceptable to Christ. This is all lies! Jesus accepts you just as you are. If you are struggling with a certain sin then take your eyes off of the focus of beating that sin and simply look to Jesus! This is where the battle is won my friends. Sin will be overcome when we look to our Lord and find strength in His loving eyes gazing right back at us. Sin is only overcome when you throw that sin upon the cross and accept that there’s no way you’re going to do this alone. That’s when Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” (Matt 11:29)

Lord give us strength in this race of life. Give us endurance Father that we may continuously set our eyes upon Jesus even in the midst of trial and persecution. May your word be a light unto our path in Jesus name.

-I Want To Believe In God [dot com]

Moving Forward

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. –Philippians 3:8

The past is gone forever and does not matter anymore. What matters is the future of your life! Your future holds purpose, hope and meaning.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. The blood of Jesus covers all your sins. Yes, ALL your sins! Everything you feel guilty for… you are no longer guilty. Embrace the complexity of your mind with a renewed spirit. Submit yourself to allow a transformation to take place. Turn your eyes to Jesus!

It is the Spirit of God you sense…

Embrace it! Live it! Love it! Emanuel—God is with us!

(Psalm 139:14, Romans 12:2, Matthew 1:23)

-I Want To Believe In God [dot com]

“Where are you Lord?”

And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. –Deuteronomy 8:2-3

Have you been going through a time of struggle and hardship in your walk with God?  Has your faith been tested leaving you in trial and temptation so that you cry out, “Where are you Lord? I need you!”  If so, this is probably exactly where God wants you.  

Immediately after Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit drove Him into the wilderness where He was tempted for forty days.  What’s significant about this is that Jesus had to go through this process before He could start His ministry.  This was not an easy time for Him.  He was tempted, hungry, humbled, and completely dependent on the word of God to overcome Satan.

Matthew 4:3-4 says:

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

He quoted the words that Moses had said about God teaching the Israelites while in the wilderness to be dependent on Him.

If you are in a time of wilderness in your walk with God then rejoice in your trial because God is teaching you something.  He is preparing you so that you might be useful for a greater purpose.   So embrace this trial and run the race with endurance, looking unto Jesus!  Give God all the glory through this process because it’s not about you. Perhaps that’s what God is teaching you.  John the Baptist said it best, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Be Transformed!

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” –Romans 12:2

There are two parts to man—the spirit and the natural.  The natural part of man is what the Bible often refers to as our “flesh.” I realize my flesh will never be satisfied.  Man was created to walk in the Spirit but our flesh calls us to darkness and wishes for us to remain there.  Lust by nature and definition cannot be satisfied.  Our carnal lusts will continually want more.  It is only through Christ that we can walk in the Spirit and seek the will of God in our lives. 

The Chuck Smith commentary on this verse states: “Many people seek to relate man to animals, because they want to live like them. Animals don’t possess a spirit and live solely on a body-conscious level.  So, the man who wants to feel free of any responsibility to God disclaims his spiritual capacities and proclaims himself a highly evolved animal. He’s constantly searching for the missing link between himself and the ape.  Natural man does have a missing link, but it’s not between man and the animal kingdom, but between man and God.  Man, once created in the image of God, has fallen from the spirit-controlled being he once was to the flesh-controlled creature he has become.”

Once we have tasted the goodness of the Lord our spirit is never content unless we are walking in the will of God.  If we are Christians but led by our flesh, then we are not walking in the will of God and this will only bring confusion, bondage, strain, depression and discontent.  That is not the joy the Bible talks about.  Jesus offers a way out and a way to freedom—it’s called being a disciple.  The way to freedom is to simply follow Jesus, so what do we have to do to be a disciple of Jesus?

Jesus said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Be strong today and be encouraged because Christ is with you!  When your flesh calls you to darkness rely on the power of Christ and His word to lead you from temptation.  

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” -1 Corinthians 10:13 

 Glory to God and Christ our Savior!