Resolutions Not Wishes

"Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.

Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air"

(I Corinthians 9:26)

I go to the gym to give my body a workout...not to seek wisdom. Yet to my surprise the other day, I got some sound wisdom from a poster meant to get people to sign up for a personal trainer. The poster read:

A goal without a plan is just a wish.  The Lord used that poster to bring conviction and remind me about some goals He had put on my heart. Because of the poster, my time of mindless sweating turned into a time of prayer, soul searching and resolve.

I wonder how many thousands of well-intentioned resolutions will be made by people this next week. I also wonder how many people will actually follow through on the resolutions they make. I heard that most resolutions last less than two weeks. If we were to apply the logic of the poster from the gym to these annual resolutions, they shouldn't be called "New Years Resolutions", but "New Years Wishes"....a goal without a plan is just a wish!

I hope you have made some spiritual goals for this next year, and if you did, make sure you also set up a plan as to how you might achieve that goal.

The apostle Paul knew that following after the Lord in this world is not an easy task. He uses the analogy of being in a race or in a fight. Paul wasn't just running around with no direction, he had a clear course and purpose, and he wasn't shadow boxing wasting energy striking at the air, he had Godly aim that he might land blows on the enemy's chin.

I pray we can all seek the Lord for some realistic goals for this new year. As you seek the Lord for His goals in your life, He will give you wisdom to set a plan, and the strength and discipline needed to follow through. Happy New Year!

Make Haste!

 

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger."

(Luke 2:16)

When our children were young, I don't recall a single Christmas where I had to wake them up. I never had to set an alarm clock in their rooms to awaken them, they got up fine all on their own, and usually too early. Because they weren't allowed to open presents without mom and dad, they made haste and were very zealous to awaken us too.

When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, the angel never commanded the shepherds to go and find the Baby, it was pretty much assumed that they would just go. The angel told them "you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." They were given no command, no directions, no explanation as to what to do when they found the Babe, just "you will find."

I love these wonderful shepherds because of how they responded to the angel's good news. As soon as the heavenly choir had finished their chorus of praise, like children who don't need to be awakened on Christmas morning, they made haste and found Jesus. They didn't hesitate or discuss or debate, they just went. Think of how busy their minds had to have been with fear, awe, wonder, and questions, yet they made haste. The word "found" gives the idea of giving diligent search, so they weren't casual in their pursuit of Jesus, they knew they were on an important mission.

We ought not have to be commanded to find Jesus this Christmas. No alarm clock is needed nor angel to announce. He is the gift, He is the joy, He is the song we sing, make haste you will find Him, and you will have a very Merry Christmas indeed!

Peter Moments

 

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke him saying,

"far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to you!"

Matthew 16:22

Peter is one of the men of the Bible that so many of us can relate to.  There are times when he shows great wisdom and courage, and other times where he fumbles and falls on his face.  He gets things so right and then turns around and gets it so wrong.  We look at ourselves and say 'that's so me'!

The above verse is one of the times that Peter stumbled and bumbled and fell on his face.  I cringe as I read that Peter actually rebuked Jesus and then in the midst of the rebuke calls him Lord. The wonder of our Lord is that as many times as Peter failed, Jesus restored and continued to use him.

We live under such amazing grace.  The Lord knows our frailty and faults and bears with us. He never wrote Peter off or fired him, but kept drawing him back and giving him more chances and more grace. 

We all have our 'Peter' moments that require the Lord's rebuke and correction.  You will no doubt get discouraged, but don't remain there.  Jesus extends to you the same grace he did Peter.  Let His grace humble and mature us into men and women of great use for His kingdom.

Let's See

 

Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, 'Come let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few'"

I Samuel 14:6.

I just love Jonathan's "let's see" attitude. He knows that God is on the side of Israel, he has faith that God will be mighty on behalf of Israel no matter how few in number they may be. And though it was only Jonathan and his armor bearer, he was bold enough in trusting the Lord that his heart said, "let's see" what God might do!

I have a friend who has the same heart as Jonathan. He just steps out to see what God might accomplish. While doing missionary work in Nairobi, Kenya, he would listen to the Christian radio station. He felt the Bible teaching on the station needed some help so in faith he brought his collection of teachings from Pastor Chuck Smith to the station. The station manager put the teachings on the air and there was a great response. Because of the great response, the station called my friend and asked him if might go live on air after Pastor Chuck's teaching to answer Bible questions. Little did he know that taking one small step of faith would lead to him being the Bible answer man of Nairobi! He had not planned on getting his own radio show, he just had a heart that said "let's see" what God might do.

This same friend is now in Samoa trusting the Lord in the same way. His latest step of faith is trying to reach students by opening a shave ice shop across the street from a local college. His simple attitude of faith is always an encouragement and challenge to me.

We serve a big God who desires to accomplish much through His people. I believe God would desire to stir in all of us the heart of Jonathan. May we all lift up our eyes and see people and circumstances around us and say "lets see" what God might do!