Choices

Romans 7:18  I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

Do you ever sit in the same spot when you frequent a place, the dinner table, a pew, a seat at a meeting, a table at Starbucks.  And when that seat is not available you feel a little awkward sitting somewhere else and when you sit there it doesn’t quite feel right. 

This week I read from 1 Samuel 15:22 where Saul had been directed by God to destroy the Amalekite people (guerrilla terrorists who continued to attack and raid Israelite camps) their animals and all their belongings.  Instead of destroying everything, Saul decided to keep the king, Agag and the best of the cattle to sacrifice to the Lord.  He made a choice that cost him his kingdom, he lost his role as king.  He chose to not fully obey the Lord, he got caught up in his own flesh and chose to bring a little glory to himself instead of fully obeying God’s orders.  

In reading this I thought about those times when I made a choice that was maybe not quite fully obeying God, but then I justified it with “good”; I’m sure God would be pleased with this decision; it’s close enough to what He wants me to do.  And I try to “outthink” God; I think this is what He actually had in mind, I’m sure He will be pleased with this outcome.  God wants our full attention, obedience and recognition.

His good and perfect will is our dwelling place, the place that brings peace, joy and reliance in Him that surpasses all understanding.  It is a place that is never awkward, it is kind of like my favorite table at Starbucks, I feel right at home.  When I’m in God’s will I always feel right at home.i

Worth Pursuing

Leviticus 20:8  I am the Lord who makes you holy

I love my Starbucks morning when I go, abandon the busyness of life and relax in the arms of my Savior.  It is the best two hours of my week when I can read His word, be still and listen.  This week I read about Sanctification: to make holy, to reverence as holy, to give authority to.  Sanctification is a word I cannot wrap my mind around.  Whenever I come across it, I have to look up the meaning to fully understand the verse I’m reading.

Thessalonians 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Those are powerful words with more meaning then I can comprehend.  It encompasses so much of our lives and is used in the bible in many ways.

 

A friend told me that she once said, I hope there is diet coke in heaven because I can’t live without it.  Upon saying it out loud, she couldn’t believe that diet coke was that important in her life!  She doesn’t drink it much anymore knowing that if diet coke is as important to her as God, it’s not worth pursuing.  What have you “sanctified” in your life that is not worth pursuing?  What is just as important to you than your love in Jesus Christ that needs to be removed in order to keep God your number one pursuant? 

Take a Risk

Romans 12:11b . . . keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Sometimes at Starbucks they will ask if you want to try a new item on the menu.  Hmm should you take a risk and see if it is worth it, or order what you know you like. 

Our weekly small group bible study welcomed a new woman to our group.  She was searching out this religion called Christianity which she knew little about.  After about a month of attending, we were studying Acts and decided to do something about verse 45 in chapter 2 . . . “to give to anyone who had need”.  One of the guys knew this woman who needed some help.  While she was in the hospital for her mental health, we came to her home, among other things we installed trim around all the walls, cleaned, painted, mowed her lawn and with the help of others furnished it.  One of the first ones to show up was her, she commented quite frequently that day how she couldn’t believe we were doing this.  “I’ve never done anything like this before”, “people say they are going to do things like this, but they don’t.”  

As you go about life, sometimes when you least expect it, a new item confronts you, something that may knock your socks off.  I saw much “spiritual fervor serving the Lord” that day.  It made more of an impact on this new woman in our group than anyone knew.  I know it made an impact on me, when you serve the Lord with spiritual fervor, its life changing.  She took a risk, she tried something new, maybe you should too.

Grumbling

1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling

Each week I go to the same Starbucks store, it’s been over a year now that I come in the same time, same day every week.  Although I am a “regular”, the assistant manager has never responded to my how are you besides can I take your order and thank you.  This week was different; she actually asked how my weekend was and told me about hers.  This may not seem different to the average person going into the average Starbucks establishment, but this assistant manager usually is grumbling about something and therefore the other employees grumble too.  Managing people is not easy, but grumbling only gives the workplace a not so pleasant place to be. 

When Moses dealt with grumbling Israelites in the desert, he asked God, What do I do with these people? (Exodus 17) God responded beautifully, of course.  He instructed Moses to go ahead of the people with some elders, strike a rock and water would come out.  He also said, I will stand there before you.  I believe God will stand there before us whenever we call out to Him, when we have grumbling people around us or when we are grumbling ourselves.  God is a provider who stands there before us anytime and anywhere.