PRAYER AND THE WILL OF GOD - Acts 13:1-4

Without a youth director at church this year, I found myself volunteering to teach the junior high Sunday school class.  It has been a joy for me to work with these very insightful young people, so much so that I can’t wait for Sunday to roll around!

We began studying the book of Acts together in September and yesterday landed on chapter 13:1-4, which reads:

“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’  So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

We discussed what it might have been that these men were praying and fasting about when the Holy Spirit spoke.  One of the seventh grade girls suggested, with great discernment, I think, that since the Greeks were also responding to the gospel (Acts 11:20-21), perhaps they were praying for God’s guidance as to how to reach them and where to go next.  Considering how the Spirit spoke, I think she just might have been right!

Certainly the Lord had already made Saul’s (whose name would soon be changed to Paul) mission clear back in Acts 9 when He said of him:

“This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles, and their kings,

and before the people of Israel.”

Now the Spirit gave specific commissioning instructions for Barnabas and Saul and sent them on their way to fulfill Saul’s God-given mission to reach the Gentiles with the gospel.

How exciting it must have been for those men to pray for wisdom and direction and then have the Spirit lead in such a clear way.  We read that they were sent out, went to this place and that, preaching and teaching about Jesus as they went.  

Their port of call was the island of Cyrus in the Mediterranean and when they arrived, “they traveled through the whole island”.  

Imagine the unknowns they faced.  Mingling mostly with Gentiles, whom Jews had avoided for centuries.   What would that be like?  How to present the gospel in a way that would reach them?  Would their message be well received?  Would the people they met reject the gospel – and them?  

What confidence it must have given them to know that the Spirit had set them apart exactly FOR this and He was doing the leading and the filling for the power to speak!  What confidence must it have given them, when opposition did arise, to know that they were exactly where the Holy Spirit led them?  Opposition or not, they were in the center of God’s will - where He led, doing what He led them to do.

In addition to working with junior high this year, I also have the privilege of working with the senior high in youth group.  They’re still young.  Even so, they have some important decisions to make as those senior high years come to a close.   

I wonder – are they considering what the Lord might have in mind for their life’s work?   Are they seeking God in prayer to know His will for them – for the college to go to, the work He is uniquely preparing and equipping them to do – that suits their God given personality, and gifts, and life experiences?  

When we ask, as Barnabas and Saul, and the leaders of the church in Antioch did, the Lord answers with the leading of His Holy Spirit in a way we can KNOW, just as they did.  He “speaks” through His Word, through open and closed doors, through others who know us well, through the confirming “voice” of His Spirit.

This morning I met my sweet young friend, Alyssa, who expressed to me last summer that she had a longing in her heart to do a foreign mission assignment.  The longing was so strong that she began to do some research, God opened doors, and the Spirit provided an opportunity to serve as a nursing assistant in Kenya for two months this summer. 

She faces her own unknowns.  A culture very different from ours.  Living arrangements devoid of the usual creature comforts – like washing machines and irons.  Going out not knowing what her living arrangements will look like or what exactly her work will be, or where exactly in Kenya she'll be living.  Desiring to show the love of God, but not being sure what that will look like until she gets there.  Will there be language and/or cultural barriers to get over before that's possible?

Where is her confidence in the face of these unknowns?  In the One who calls her, who equips her, who will never leave or forsake her, who knows the unknowns and they are NOT unknown to Him, who even prepared her for this very thing, and who will use the experience to shape the rest of her life. 

I can’t wait to share the experience with her of seeing the Lord provide as each unknown becomes a known.  I think living life back here in NJ after two months in Africa just might create a life long longing for the excitement of living in dependence on the Lord!  

Whether you are a junior or senior high student, a young adult like Alyssa, or even an older adult like me – it’s never too soon, or too late – to pray for the Lord’s direction for your life and mission.  If we really want to know God’s will, because we really want to DO God’s will, then He will lead us, as He led Barnabas and Saul, and as He has led Alyssa.

If you’ve never prayed for the Lord to lead you into His will for your life and choices – why not start now and see where He takes you.  I guarantee you, there IS no greater adventure!

A friend posted this comment on Facebook today.  The Lord gave it to her and it fit so well with this blog that I asked if I could include it.  So here it is!

"Prayer is the link from what is intended to be played out as the will of God and SEEING His will in real time."                                          Thanks for sharing that Jeannine!

REFLECTIONS ON GROWING OLDER

I’ve often said that if I believed in reincarnation (which I don't), I’d want to come back as an Italian.  I know lots of Italians and they really know how to turn a fabulous dinner into a social occasion.  They love food – and what’s not to love about Italian food – but they never hurry the eating of it.  When it comes to food, my motto has always been, “Eat to live”, while theirs’ clearly is “Live to eat”!  I envy their ability to take a wonderful meal and make it an occasion to laugh and talk and enjoy one another.


But now that I’m in my 60’s, I just might prefer to come back as an Asian, and it has nothing to do with food.  Asians have a whole different attitude toward the elderly from us Americans.  When I visit the local nail salon run by Asians, they treat me like I’m a fragile, but revered, visiting dignitary.  They take my purse, hold my arm, and lead me cautiously to the nail dryer. 

Recently I've noticed the same kind of royalty treatment when my daughter and I visit our favorite Indian restaurant.


Then there were those young Asian girls a few years ago when I was working in a retail clothing store, who told me I was beautiful and they hoped their moms aged as well.  Only my dad ever said I was beautiful.  It did wonders for my ego and made me long to be Asian once again!


So why am I wasting “paper” on this topic, you might ask, since this particular blog doesn't have the same spiritual value as my other blogs?  Well, I’ve begun to notice lately, especially when I’m out with my 30 year old daughter Becky (who does happen to be blond, blue eyed, and easy on the eyes – and THAT may have something to do with it) that I seem to have become invisible to most people under 50.  She’s the one the waiters and salespeople address first, me second, if I’m addressed at all.


I wasn’t having an easy time aging anyway so being invisible isn’t playing well with me.


My mother in law, who turned 90 in November, relates her frustrations with invisibility every time she visits.  She is not a wall flower by any means, but she complains often that few younger people even notice her or engage her in conversation anymore.


My own mom, who never graduated from high school, but managed to rise to the rank of vice president of a savings and loan, and who had the BEST sense of humor, was just "the patient" in room 210 after a stroke made understanding her difficult.  It broke my heart that people continued to care for her body when inside her mind there was still a funny, intelligent person waiting for someone to listen and try and understand. She was still saying really funny stuff right up until the day before she died.


In recent years I’ve met a 90 something lady who fought in a revolution in Cuba, another with a doctorate in chemistry, and a third who was an English lit professor in a college.  Before I knew them they all fell into the category of “grandma types", but there were really interesting women inside those aging bodies just waiting for someone to draw them out.


So, if I can't be Asian, at least I can continue to fight invisibility, for myself and all those other wonderful "mature" women who have so much to offer if we'd only notice.  I'm going to seize what life the Lord has yet in store for me and LIVE it to the fullest!   

 So the next time you see a gray haired lady climbing walls at the rock climbing center, or helping to lay sidewalk in the Bahamas, or riding the highest roller coaster in the amusement park, don’t walk on by, and don’t tell her she’s too old to be doing that stuff – just wave and say hi, it just might be me!  

THE WORD THAT BRINGS LIFE

I had a friend who recommended a book to me some years ago called, “The Glorious Pursuit”.  She recommended it with the statement: “It was life changing”.  That intrigued me, so I picked the book up and read it myself.  And she was right.  It was life changing.

What was the last book you read that changed your life or thinking in a memorable way?

Would you say the book was trustworthy?  True?  How about righteous?  Tested?  

Did it BRING you LIFE?

All of those words - trustworthy, true, righteous, tested, life giving - were used by the writer of Psalm 119, verse 137-144 to describe God's Word.

Before we look at those verses, let me give you a little background on Psalm 119.

Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm, and, with 176 verses, the longest chapter in the entire Bible as well.  It may have been written by Ezra after the temple was built.  

Psalm 119 has 22 carefully constructed sections, each corresponding to a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet and each verse beginning with the letter of its section.

I read verses 137-144 one day after a long period of busyness when it was difficult to spend time reading the Bible.  What a blessing it was to meditate on their truth.

·        Verse 137 reads:  Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right.

o   God Himself is righteous, which means that He is morally perfect.  He is perfectly good, just, merciful, gracious, compassionate, discerning, knowledgeable – and on and on.  

o   So it stands to reason that the laws of the Lord would also reflect the perfection of His character.

o   There would be no error in them – they are RIGHT.

o   God's law is not based on our feelings, or on what society believes about them at a certain period of history – the Word of God is, and always will be – RIGHT – because God is right.

How do we know whether what Oprah, or Fox News, or Kim Kardashian, or Dr. Spock, or our friends, or even our pastor says is right?  

We compare it with what GOD says in His Word.  Oprah, Fox News, Kim Kardashian, Dr. Spock, our friends, and even our pastor could be wrong – but God never is!

·        V. 138  “The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are FULLY TRUSTWORTHY.”            

o Not only are God’s statutes RIGHT, they are also firm, secure, stable, and steady

o   They are not just SOMEWHAT trustworthy, they are FULLY trustworthy

Have you ever bought a product, got it home, and then discovered it didn’t live up to the advertisements or to your expectations?  That it wasn’t FULLY trustworthy?  

• My daughter spent over $100 on a pillow for my husband that was guaranteed to stop his snoring.  Well, guess what?  It didn’t live up to it's expectations!

Have you, or anyone you know, ever bought into some worldy message or set of values that eventually proved to be anything BUT firm, secure, stable and steady?  Kind of “here today, gone tomorrow”?  

• How about the woman who buys into the cultural importance of looking well put together on the outside – perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect figure – but who, when you get to know her, turns out to be mean spirited, or selfish, or greedy on the inside?   That outside “package” is, in reality - insecure, unstable and unsteady – anything but firm.

God’s Word isn’t like that.  His Word can be trusted to FULLY live up to our expectations.

·        Verse 140  “Your promises have been THOROUGLY TESTED, and your servant loves them.”

o   God's Word has been refined as metal is refined.  It has been tried and proven.

Have you ever watched the TV show run by the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchens?

When they prepare a recipe, they might try baking it in pans made of different materials like clear glass, or dark glass, or metal. They experiment with the temperatures at which they bake things, or they substitute one ingredient, or a less expensive ingredient, for another.  They do all of these things to see how differences like pan materials, and temperature, and ingredients affect the cooking time, or quality of the product.

The products and recipes can bear the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval because they’ve been THOROUGHLY TESTED before they’re recommended for our use.  

That’s the way God’s Promises are.  His promises are tested the way precious metals are tested.  Heated in the refinery of time, and difficult circumstances – until – even if the final outcome wasn’t SEEN by the person doing the testing – God’s promises were nevertheless proved TRUE.

God’s promises carry their own SEAL OF APPROVAL by every person who, in faith, clung to them down through the ages.

God’s promises were thoroughly tested:

• By the likes of Abraham who waited more than 25 years for his promised son and, although he was "as good as dead", lived to see God's fulfillment in the birth of his son Isaac.

•  By Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land God promised to Israel, even though it took 40 years of wandering first.  

•  By Joseph, who clung to God’s Promise that the people of Israel would eventually inherit the land God promised – but who never saw the promise fulfilled.  Though he died in Egypt, he gave instructions that his bones be preserved and buried in the Promised Land.  It took 400 years for Israel to finally get there – but Joseph believed they would because the Lord had promised!

•  Then there were those like Simeon in the New Testament, who had been given a promise that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah – and he did!

And then there is YOU – and ME!

Which of God’s promises have YOU been thoroughly testing in YOUR life?  How have they been proven true?

What promise of God’s are you clinging to NOW although you haven’t yet seen its fulfillment?

·        Verse 142  “Your righteousness is EVERLASTING, and your law is TRUE.”

o   God’s moral perfection is everlasting – it has no vanishing point.  It goes on for always, perpetually; from the beginning of the world, to the world without end.

o   God's Word is true:  it is established, faithful, right, sure – it’s like a solid rock upon which we can stand

What situations in life make us feel as if we’re standing in sinking sand? 

·        How about ones that last a long time and we can’t get out?

o   Like caring for someone who is chronically ill?  Or struggling with an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or smoking?  Or living in an unhappy marriage?

·        What about situations that seem hopeless?  We’re waiting for a change – in a person, or situation – and it never happens.

o    Like living with someone else who is struggling with an addiction?  Or wanting an adult child or a spouse to turn to the Lord?

What aspect of God’s character and His Word can take sinking sand and make it  like solid rock under our feet?  

• I'm grateful that God is long suffering toward us.  Although it may seem as if He's slow about keeping His promises, He says He's not.  Why? Because He's not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance.  That feels like solid rock to me when I'm concerned about the salvation of my loved ones.
•  
• When I've reached the end of my physical or emotional stamina, I'm grateful for God's strength.  It may be too much for me to handle, but the Lord says, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength".

·        Verse 143  “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight."

o   Trouble is defined here as distress caused by an enemy or adversary.

•  What kind of troubles might we face that are caused by adversaries?

• How about gossip by someone you shared with who promised not to tell?  Untrue accusations leveled at us by co-workers?  People who build themselves up by cutting us down?

o   Distress is defined as confinement or disability, a narrow place.

• What kind of distresses feel like a confinement in a narrow place? 
•  How about spending time with small children at home?
•  Or confinement due to your illness or the illness of someone you love?
• Or a bad job you can't leave because of an unstable economy?
•  Surprisingly, it’s at THOSE times, the psalmist says, that God’s commands are his delight.

 We KNOW God’s Word can be a delight when all is right with the world, but how can  it be a delight DURING times of trouble and distress?  At those times, God's Word:

• Is an anchor for the soul that can keep us from drifting into unbelief, or resentment, or depression, or revenge.
• Can remind us of WHO is in control!
• Can renew our minds with the truth – this WILL pass, God sees and knows, God can use these things for good.
• Can direct us to a path to take.

 So when have you delighted in God’s Word DURING a time of trouble and distress? 

  

Verse 144  “Your statutes are FOREVER right.   Give me UNDERSTANDING, that I may LIVE.”

•  What statutes did you grow up with that just about everyone used to believe were right, but most have now abandoned them?
•  
• God's Word isn't right just for the 1950s, or just for today.  God's Word is FOREVER right.

How does that encourage you?
 

The psalmist also asks for understanding so that he might LIVE: 

The Hebrew meaning for the word understanding has many facets.  It means

·        discernment, instruction, knowledge, and to deal wisely.

Do you need discernment for making decisions?  God’s Word has it.

Do you need instruction – for raising your children, for relating to your husband, for resolving conflict with another believer – God’s Word has it.

Do you need knowledge – about who God is, about who you are, about the signs of the Lord’s return, about how to live while you’re waiting – God’s Word has it.

Do you need to know how to deal wisely – with a team mate in ministry, with the parents of your children’s friends, with your own parents now that YOU are married  and a parent as well; with a co-worker who’s difficult to get along with – God’s Word can help you deal wisely in those situations.

The psalmist asks for understanding so that he might LIVE.  

You and I may have read some very good books and we may even have felt that they in some way changed our lives.  But only God's Word can actually BRING life!  And bring it on multiple levels!

• In Hebrew the word LIVE has a many faceted meaning as well.  It can mean: to bring life, preserve life, nourish, restore, and revive.

God’s Word BRINGS US LIFE.  How?  By imparting faith

•  Romans 10:17 “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ”

o   It’s through God’s Word that we learn how to find eternal life in Jesus in the first place – by grace through faith in His substitutionary death and resurrection.

 God’s Word PRESERVES OUR LIVES?  How?  

•  Psalm 119:11  “Your Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

o   God’s Word hidden in our hearts helps us to recognize the sin that would interfere with our relationship with Him and forsake it.  It keeps us connected to Jesus, the VINE, and preserves His life flowing through us.

God’s Word NOURISHS our lives.  How?

• I Peter 2:2 “Like newborn babies, crave the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow up in your salvation.”

o   We wouldn’t think of depriving our babies of the milk they need to grow physically.

o   God’s Word is food for the soul – it nourishes us – so that we can grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. 

o   Without it, we spiritually STARVE!

God’s Word RESTORES us.  How?

• I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

o   God’s Word gives us assurance of forgiveness when we’ve gotten off track in our relationship with God – and restores our purity.

God’s Word RENEWS us.  How?

• Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

o   When we find ourselves thinking less like God, and more like the world around us – reading and meditating on God’s Words gets our minds back on a biblical track.

God’s Word is the only BOOK that can actually BRING LIFE.

Do you need to know how to have the kind of relationship with Jesus that IMPARTS eternal life?  God’s Word tells you how.

Do you need to be preserved from sin so you won’t be tripped up?  God’s Word can help you with that.

Do you need spiritual nourishment?  God’s Word can satisfy you as with the richest of food – and without calories!  Who wouldn’t want THAT kind of nourishment!?

Do you need to be restored in your relationship with God?  God’s Word can help with that too.

Has the world so squeezed you into its mold that you need some serious mind renewal?  God’s Word is the antidote!

Summer is coming – and with it the leisure time to read. 

If you can only read ONE book this summer – let me suggest that the Bible be the one you read!   

If you like history, the Bible has history!

If you like romance, the Bible has romance!

If you like poetry, the Bible has poetry!

If you like historic battles, the Bible has historic battles!

If you like a good mystery, futuristic imagery, prophecies fulfilled, kings and kingdoms - then the Bible is your book!

I guarantee it will change your life because it’s the only book that can actually BRING LIFE!

How about you and I make a commitment that we open NO other book on a given day until we've spent time in God's Book?