Is God Real?

The simple answer to the question is 'Yes, God is real' but does this really satisfy the deeper question?

I think as we look at this question and ponder its siginficance in our own lives what we find is that what we are really asking is "Can I truly trust the fact that is real?" I think that most people would acknowledge that there is a god and that he is real. Where people begin to struggle is the more personal nature of that god. On the one hand people desire to have a god that is intimately involved in their lives (even if it is only for their benefit) yet when that happens they freak out and question anything  and everything that god is doing. I have seen this same pattern in both followers of Jesus and non-believers. Believers and non-believers tend to want the power and security of God but do not want the submission that is a natural result of being in the presence of God.

In the end when we ask whether or not God is real we are ultimately saying that I want God to be real and in control but I am not sure how to let that happen and I am afraid to let it happen. This fear can be powerful in both the believer and non-believer. It can easily keep us from experiencing the abundant joy that God has promised to those who will trust in Him. It will keep us from seeing the wonderful blessings that come from His abundance (John 1:16).

I hope that for each of us today that we will not allow our fears and insecurities to miss the incredible blessings that are all around us.

Doing

Many of you who read my ramblings are aware of the struggles that I have gone through at work. To those of you who don't know let me summarize by saying that it has been a tremendous back and forth battle. My last rotation was no different. It was difficult for me to be able to see the path and plan that I had to take. It was if I could literally not see, like my vision was literally being block. This began to change during my thrids night.

During my third night I could begin to see what I supposed to be doing and how to move people in to the right places to have a successful night. It wasn't 100% clear but my vision was returning. On my fourth night my vision was restored but what I saw made no sense to me. Normally, I find myself doing all kinds of feature moves and changes as well my normal follow-up. On this night it was clear to me that I wasn't to make any major feature moves (just one move in fact) rather I was suppossed to spend a significant amount of time getting one aisle worked so that one of my associates could finish it up. This made absolutely no sense to me yet I was at peace as I working. I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that this was my role for the night. I did other things as the night went along but I was at peace with it all. It was by no means a perfect night but it was a night of peace, something that hasnt happened in a long time at work.

It was a night that reminded me that following God's will/steps/path is what brings us peace. It may not always bring us what we want but what we receive will be satisfying.

God Hears Us?

Sometimes I think one of the most difficult aspects of he Christian walk is truly believing and resting in the fact that God hears us when we call/pray. We know in our head that He does and we have probably even experienced obvious answers to our prayers. Yet, many times there is this voice inside of us that finds it hard to trust that He is going to answer us this time. Or maybe it is more that we are concerned that what we are asking for is not in His will and therefore we will be disappointed in "lack of deliverance."

I think for me I long to hear an actual voice of reassurance. Many times I long to have someone come alongside of me and give me that hug that says this is going to be ok and it will be taken care of. In essence, there are times I just wish that I could actually be literally walking with Jesus.

I am not sure where you are in trusting that God hears us when we call but I hope that it is not an issue for you like it is for me. If it is an issue here are some verses that may help both us as we work through this with God.

Jeremiah 33:3
 "‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ 

Psalm 55:16-17
" As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice."

1 John 5:13-15
"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."

He is everywhere

One of the key points of Psalm 139 is that there is no place where God is not. There is no place where we can go to get away from God, this side of Hell that is. This fact is intended to be both a comfort and a point of fear and conviction. We were are in need of comfort it is a reminder that we are not alone. We are in the midst of great battles and struggles it tells us that He stands before us, beside us and behind us. We we need strength it tell us that we can have it in a moments notice and that He will carry us through it all.

On the other hand the fact that God is always with us should also provide us with conviction for the things we do wrong. It should be a reason we choose to not do things. The idea that God will see us doing it is a good enough reason for us not to do it.

I hope that today you allow the reality of God always being there to sink in. I pray that you will allow that truth to either comfort you or convict you or both.

Are You Ready?

How do you approach your day?

Do you simply look at your day as something to be survived? Is it something to be cherished? Is it something to be seized?

In all reality no matter how you approach your ready you must be ready. As followers of Jesus we must be ready to fight the fight that will be before us. I have come to realize that no matter how good a day may seem or maybe be going I have an enemy that sneeking around ready to pounce on me and my family in a moments notice. If we are not prepared for this kind of attack then the affects of such an attack will be magnified.

So the question before you today is are you ready for the attack that is sure to come?

The Law of Possession

For marriage to be successful two individuals must find a way to become one. For a couple to successfully navigate this process they must be willing to completely surrender what was theirs individually and surrender it to the common cause. This does not mean that we completely lose our individuality no more than the Holy Spirit is not distinct from God the Father. What it means is that we must be willing to give our lives over to the other person. We must be willing to share all of our lives with one another. When we do this we make ourselves vulnerable to the other person and in so doing we open up more opportunities to grow closer. Along with this we must be willing to accept that which our spouse shares with us. They are who God has made them to be. They are wired in a certain way for a reason. We may not always understand why but that should not stop us from accepting them.

Sharing all of your life is difficult at times. We have so many things and thoughts that enter in to us that prevent us from sharing. Many times we do not want to burden our spouse with the troubles we have. We may even see this as a means of protecting them. In the end though it is not God's design for us to be this way. It is arrogant and demeaning for us to think that our wife/husband is not strong enough to handle whatever it is that we need to share. When we withhold parts of our lives from our spouse then we short change them. We deprive them of the opportunity of helping us in our need. We deprive ourselves the opportunity to grow closer in our oneness with them.

If you are married then I would encourage you to share your day, your feelings and your life with your spouse today. I would also encourage you to be prepared to receive whatever your spouse may bring to you this day. Be ready to be accepting and loving no matter what they share with you.

Confidence

In Exodus 33:18-23 we see how despite the closeness Moses had with God that he wanted more. Moses comes across as a man who could not get enough of God. In the end though the sinful nature of man would not allow Moses to truly come before God. Moses was not allowed to come completely in to God's presence (think in terms of coming face to face with God) because had he done so he would have surely died. Thankfully, the same is not true for us today.

Ephesians 3:12 tell us that we can approach God with confidence, freedom and boldness. So how is this possible? How is ok for me to have that kind of access to God and Moses, God's chosen leader, to not have that kind of access? Jesus! Jesus' sacrifice and blood make it possible for to go before a holy God with confidence and freedom. Furthermore, I believe God wants us to live our lives with same kind of confidence and freedom. He wants us to live a life that fears no man no matter his position or status. He wants us to be able to live a life that screams of boldness and peace no matter what comes along before us.

I know I struggle with this a lot. There are people in my life that have authority over me that struggle to stand before with confidence and assurance. At the end of the day I must remember that there is nothing that can defeat me when God is for me. No matter how bad things may appear to me God has me and my family in the palm of His hand. He will take care of us. He will provide for us. We shall be more than conquerors through our Lord! May I be confident in these facts this week!