Don't Draw Back!

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,

he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter

and his brother Andrew.

They were casting a net into the lake,

for they were fishermen.

'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 

'and I will make you fishers of men.'

At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers,

James son of Zebedee and his brother John.

They were in a boat with their father Zebedee,

preparing their nets.

Jesus called them,

and immediately they left the boat

and their father 

and followed him."

Matthew 4:18-22

"I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.  I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.  So make yourself an ark of cypress wood;" (Genesis 6:13-14a)

"Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)

"Flee for your lives!  Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain!  Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" (Genesis 19:17)

So now, go.  I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:10)

"Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." (Jonah 1:2)

"Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him" (Matthew 2:13)

"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."  (Acts 9:6)

God has placed a calling on each one of our lives.  Sometimes, it comes as a direct command.  Other times, it more of an impassioned plea or an inclination of my heart.  Whatever method God uses to enlighten me of His plan for my life, it's up to me whether or not I obey.

 In the above examples, some of those who were called did what God said to do, following His instructions without hesitation.  Others faltered, questioning their fitness for the job.  Still others outright disobeyed, doing what they wanted to which was the exact opposite of God's purpose.

God has placed something on my heart; it is a job He called only me to do.  I feel completely inadequate to accomplish that mission.  It seems way out of my league and there's no way I have time for it.  To be honest; it's completely ridiculous to think I could even do such a thing!  

But God has called me just the same.  And He says, "To obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Samuel 15:22) As I study the calling of Jesus' disciples, I can better understand what it looks like to obey.

No Need to Know

"Come on, ya' wanna go for a ride?"  

The moment the words were out of my house, my black-lab mix was jumping up and down with excitement.  When I open the door to my van, he leapt up onto the front seat without hesitation.  He took his position by my side and hunkered down for the adventure.

Coal used to come with me when I ran errands back in Washington State.  Temperatures were much cooler there so I could easily leave him in the vehicle while I ran in to pay a bill or grab some groceries.  

What I love about dogs is their enthusiasm for life and their eagerness to please their master.  His only desire was to be in my presence.  The moment I said the word, he was ready to go wherever I was going.  He didn't care how long we'd be gone, where we would go or if there'd be food and water along the way.  He just wanted to go along. 

I want to have this same attitude when it comes to my Master.  The moment He calls, I want to leap into position by His side.  Unfortunately, I'm all too many times caught up in thinking about the practicality, the feasibility or the details.  I want to know who, what, when, where and how long.  I don't want to take a step until I'm comfortable with all the particulars.

Faith, however, ". . . gives us assurance about things we cannot see." (Hebrews 11:1 NLT)  Faith is not so much about the "what" as it is about the "Who."  Or, as Oswald Chambers put it, "The reality of God's presence is not dependent on any place, but only dependent upon the determination to set the Lord always before us.  Our problems come when we refuse to bank on the reality of His presence."

When God told Abram to pick up everything and move to a new place, it took faith in a God who was real and a knowledge that God would be with him every step of the way.  

When God calls me, there is no need for me to know anything except that God is present.

No Pressing Issues

I am all about the list.  I have a plan for each day.  Sometimes it's a plan in my head, other times it's written down in my planner.  Either way, I live by the plan.

The thing is, God does not work according to my plan.  He operates completely within His own blueprint.  When Jesus called James and John, they were getting ready to go fishing with their father.  This was their livelihood; nothing else was more important.

Nothing, that is, until the Son of God showed up.  He had another plan for their lives, to fish for men instead of seafood.  They could have told Him to wait until they finished their job for the day, or at least until they got their father set up so he could finish the work himself.  Instead, these two men recognized the importance of putting God and His plan first.  They seemed to understand Deuteronomy 13:4 which said, "It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere.  Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him."

That means if He sends someone my way who needs encouragement but I'm too focused on the task at hand, I'll miss out.  When I'm running late but God shows me a hurting person who is hurting others, I can either choose to stick to my schedule or follow Him.  While I'm trying to figure out how I can finish all my jobs for the day, God may have a different idea that throws a wrench into my plans.  My schedule is not the plan, it is actually a distraction from God's plan.

When God calls me I must set aside all other matters and show that nothing is more important than Him.

No Interview

Common sense dictates that when I need to make a decision, I make a list of pros and cons.  Then I analyze these lists and determine which side has the most entries and the most compelling case.  After that, I make a choice based on my findings.

The problem with this process is that it leaves God out of the equation.  Moses made the mistake of basing his ability to accomplish the calling God placed upon him squarely upon his own shoulders.  When God said he was to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let his people go, Moses questioned his own qualifications and wondered whether someone else might be better suited.  

God's response was, "Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute?  Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the LORD?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (Exodus 4:11-12)  Since God made me, He can enable me to do whatever it is He has called me to do.

When God calls, it is tempting for me to ask a million questions.  "What will I be doing; exactly?  What is expected of me?  How will I be trained?  Am I capable of doing this mission?  What if I fail?"  Every question I ask, however, is a strike at God's sovereignty and power.  If He called me, He will work through me to complete the mission.

The Apostle Paul suffered from some kind of affliction.  Three times he asked God to take it away but God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)  There is nothing God can't do through me, not because I'm so great: I'm not!  There is nothing God can't do through me because He is so great!

When God calls me I must trust Him enough to know that when I am weak, then I am strong in Christ's power.

When I put my faith in God, I will know that God is with me, that there is nothing more important than Him and that His power is made perfect in my weakness.  Then, when He calls, I will be able to drop my desire to know the details, forget all the pressing issues that distract and fail to see the need to question His wisdom in choosing me.  

When He calls, I can then say with confidence, "The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back."  (Isaiah 50:5)

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep my eyes on Him as He calls me to shed His light in a dark world.

When do I depend upon my own wherewithal instead of realizing it all depends on God?

How do I show a lack of faith in Him when I hesitate to obey Him on the spot?

Satan's Schemes

"And a voice from heaven said,'

This is my Son, whom I love;

with him I am well please.'

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit

into the desert to be tempted by the devil."

Matthew 3:17 & 4:1

One of the most wondrous experiences those who followed Jesus encountered was in witnessing His baptism.  I'm not sure if everyone present was able to see heaven open up and God's Spirit come down as a dove would fly, landing upon Jesus like a butterfly lighting upon a flower.  If they could, I'm sure it was awe-inspiring, to say the least.  

It seems that after such an astounding display of God's power and an affirming statement of His love for His Son that God would plan a party, a spectacular miracle or some other event fit for the Son of God.  Instead, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness on a solitary trek so Satan could mess with Him!  

Satan is described as being, "the god of this world," the "father of lies,"  and is able to take on many deceptive forms.  As much as it seems Satan controls things, he doesn't.  He only is able to do what God allows, and Jesus has authority over Satan.  

As a follower of Christ, I am not immune to Satan's schemes.  I belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ so I am  considered to be an enemy of darkness, and therefore a target.  As one who is directly in Satan's cross-hairs, I can expect to be attacked and tempted on a regular basis.  But I am not left without defense.  My weapon against him is as powerful as the one Jesus Himself used: the sword of the Spirit.

Physical Needs

No food for 40 days.  I would be a bit grumpy, not to mention weak and weary after that long without sustenance.  This is exactly where Jesus found Himself when Satan launched his first attack.  Naturally, in His weakened state, his defenses would be down and His body would be craving any kind of nourishment.  

I am not beyond this type of harassment and it works best when I'm physically weak.  It could be that I'm tired from lack of sleep or over work.  Maybe I'm recovering from an illness or under another kind of stress.  Many times I don't eat the way I should and I'm either hungry or my blood  sugar levels are wreaking havoc.  Whatever the cause, the effect is physical weakness.  

When Satan tempts me to question whether God will provide, heal, sustain, protect or take care of me, my come back can be as simple as, "My God is all I need!"  Jesus quoted a scripture that came out of a reminder to the people of Israel.  He told them to,  "Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.  He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."  (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

It's easy for me to listen to the rumbling of my stomach or focus on the parching of my throat above all other things.  But God is to be my all in all and is to be the One who completes me.  Everything else is just a distraction.  

So, the answer to Satan when he tempts me with questioning whether or not God will take care of my physical needs is that, "All I need is Christ."  Listen to Erin Hill sing, "All I Have is Christ" and meditate on your real needs and how He completely fulfills them. 

Satan tricks me into thinking my physical requirements are most important, but God reminds me that if I focus on His Kingdom, He'll take care of my spiritual, emotional and physical needs.

Security

Maybe I'm a fool to think that God will really protect me.  After all, I'm pretty messed up and I've done some stupid things in my life.  He's probably given up on me; why else would I be in such a predicament?

When I'm feeling vulnerable, it's easy for me to think this way.  Satan loves to place a seed of doubt in my mind and watch me water it so it sprouts into suspicion and then grows into full-grown disbelief.  

In the desert region near Mt. Horeb, the Israelites questioned God's own Word.  They doubted that God really brought them out of slavery in Egypt for good, but instead thought He might have meant for them to die in the desert of thirst.  They no longer trusted God as their security but almost looked upon Him as their enemy.  They stopped believing that He would take care of them. 

Despite their disbelief, God provided water from a rock, but He reminded them later to never test Him.  Testing implies a lack of faith, a disbelief that God is who He says He is.  Faith is about belief based on God's character.

When it seems everything is going wrong and all hope is lost, God is still at the helm of the ship of my life.  Just because things look bad doesn't mean He has left me.  I can trust in Him to keep His promise to never leave me nor forsake me.  I can trust in Him to do as He said when He proclaimed He would love me with an everlasting love.  I can take Him at His Word when He said I am forgiven and I belong to Him.

Remembering who God is and all that He has done will help me to resist the temptation of doubt.

Satan tempts me to think I'm a sheep without a shepherd, but God reminds me that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who has laid down His life for me.

Power

The money runs out but the bill collectors continue to call.  The medicine is gone but the child still suffers.  Help is needed but there's no one to turn to.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  

Most people aren't power-hungry.  Most of us just want to live a decent life.  But under the right circumstances, anyone can reach the point where they'll try anything to get out of the mess they've found themselves.

Sometimes when I'm desperate, I place my faith in a human to do what only God can do.  It could be that God is working through that person, but in my vulnerability, I forget who's really in control.

How easy it is to give my devotion to a certain person who helped me get out of a tight spot.  It may be a pastor, a friend or even a celebrity.  Before I know it, I've transferred the awe I held for God and God alone, and placed it upon a mere human.  Because of the amazing things they've done to help me, I've given them more credit than they deserve: I've placed them on the pedestal that belongs to God.

Other times I get tired of waiting for God to act, and I take matters into my own hands.  I try to manipulate circumstances to get the outcome I desire.  I try to create my own solution.  Sarai found out the hard way that this doesn't work.  She got tired of waiting for God to give her the child promised to she and her husband Abram.  So, she got off her duff and took some action.  She gave her maidservant to Abraham and soon, a child was born.  But this baby became the father of a nation that would always be opposed to God's chosen people.  Making my own solutions never turns out well when I take God out of the equation.

God has a plan for my life and it's a good plan that won't harm me.  But many times I find myself at the end of my rope and I wonder what possible good can come out of all the bad.  These are the times its imperative for me to remember that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it.  If it's in His plan for me to have the money, the medicine or the help, He will provide it in His time.  

Satan tempts me to misplace God's power or to turn to other sources for help, but God reminds me that hoping in the LORD will renew my strength so I can soar!

As a follower of Jesus, I'm not immune to Satan's schemes.  But as His disciple, I do have weapons and armor.  When I'm weak Satan may tempt me to fear, but I can trust God to provide my needs.  When I'm feeling vulnerable and Satan plants a seed of doubt, remembering that my Shepherd guards over me will keep the seed from sprouting.  When I'm feeling desperate and Satan tempts me with power to quickly solve my problems, I can keep in mind that strength comes to those who wait on the LORD.  

Satan's schemes may seem powerful, but they pale in comparison to what my Father has in His arsenal.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will remember God's domain over my life.

How do I turn to other solutions when times get hard instead of trusting in God and God alone?

When do I forget how God provides when I'm feeling weak?