

Seeking A Miracle

By Julie Tillman

Smashwords Edition.

Copyright 2010 Julie Tillman. The author retains sole copyright to her contributions to this book.

Contact the author: julie.tillman@yahoo.com

Thank you for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New International Version NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked "NLT" are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked "AMP" are taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1: May God Bless You With a Crisis

2: Standing Still

3: Claim Your Inheritance

4: Build a Bigger Tent

5: That Something You Really, Really Want

6: The Answer of God

7: A Letter From God

#  Chapter 1: May God Bless You with a Crisis

Are you facing a challenge in your life that makes you want to run away? Has God allowed you to be pinned in a corner to wait for his deliverance?

I've personally always enjoyed believing that God wants me to be comfortable—not pinned in a corner on the verge of panic. I love a verse like Exodus 13.17 which says:

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt."

Now that's what I like to hear. I'd prefer it if I didn't have to face war. Safety. Comfort. I'm all for taking any kind of path where I can avoid those rotten Philistines (and any other kind of trouble lurking in my path). I am all for taking the easy road. But wait a minute! Going on to verse 18, I discover that God's leading did not stop there.

So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.

Uh-oh.

Any little kid at church can tell you about the Egyptian army who pins the helpless Israelites between a couple of mountains and the big Red Sea. So why did God so generously lead the children away from the faith-challenge of a war with the Philistines and toward the faith-challenge of being trapped against the Red Sea as the entire Egyptian army came galloping across the wilderness? What is the difference between the two challenges? Couldn't God have helped them win a fight with the Philistines?

I look a little closer and discover that there is a slight difference in these two challenges. In the first challenge (war with the Philistines) God says, "they might change their minds and return to Egypt." To avoid any mind-changing he leads those unsuspecting ex-slaves to the seaside-retreat-between-the-mountains where they may very well change their minds about this Exodus-thing, but there will be no returning to Egypt. They are pinned. They may want to run from the situation (I would have wanted to!), but they cannot move. Therein lies the difference between these two faith-challenges.

In the Faith-Challenge-of-the-Red-Sea, those cowering Exodus-ites were literally forced to follow the command God gave them in Exodus 14.13, Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. If these people had faced the Philistines and been threatened with war, I can picture them running in every possible direction—all of them thinking "I just can't wait to get back to Egypt and be a slave again." But there at the edge of the Red Sea, they were forced to watch destruction approaching in the form of the Egyptian army. To ponder in anxiety their position in the death-trap-by-the-sea. To wonder how they had been scammed into believing that God had led them to this forsaken corner of the desert. After all, given the dire straits of their circumstances, God could not possibly be the leader of their exodus . . . could he?

## An Uncomfortable Place

If they could have run away, they would have. But they couldn't. So they didn't. And at that moment, God must have seemed cruel and heartless. But he wasn't. He was about to reveal himself to them in a way he had never revealed himself to anyone. If they had run, they would not have learned that their troop leader could shuffle aside the waters of a sea. They would not have witnessed the way he set aside the laws of nature to save those who are dependent on him for salvation. Not only did the parting of the Red Sea reveal him as God Almighty to those ex-slaves, but it stands today as a witness to us that God is not hampered by geographical challenges. If one of his children needs his help, he will "make a way" (Isaiah 43.19).

It is not out of character for God to put you in uncomfortable circumstances. However, while it may be an uncomfortable place it is not a purpose-less place. The Israelites were in a tight spot which produced extreme anxiety in their ranks. But it did prevent them from running long enough so that they could witness a dramatic rescue. God was willing to allow them those anxious moments (or hours) so that they could see the power of the One who was leading them.

After the dramatic parting of the Red Sea not only were the surrounding nations scared of the pitiful troop of ex-slaves, but the Israelites themselves had hard evidence that they were not just ex-slaves. They were not mere work-horses, but a people worthy of having the sea moved out of their way. They had a Leader that could protect them from any kind of attack using unheard of techniques.

How awesome! What a great story! . . . . until I realize that God may allow those same anxiety producing moments in my own life. God being the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, might pin me in a corner—between a rock and a hard spot—and let me watch my approaching destruction. He just might let me sit and anticipate the danger that is about to overtake me. He might let things in my life look really bad for a while.

And yet, I have something that the Children of Israel did not have. I have the story of the Red Sea. We know what God is able and willing to do to rescue those in trouble. We know that God uses difficult circumstances to reveal himself to us. That destruction you see coming towards you with terrifying speed, may be one of God's spectacular "get to know me" moments. You do not need to be afraid because he has promised,

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41.10).

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, O worm, O little Jacob, for I myself will help you," declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41.13-14 paraphrase).

By studying God's ways, we can see that he's given us the information we need to avoid living in fear. By seeing his power, you can know that he is well able to take care of you. A solution-demanding problem provides an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed. God not only provides the miraculous delivery, but he generously allows the problem as well . . . what a bargain!

Back to the pitiful slave tribe. Before the Red Sea, they sat in Egypt—sweltering in the heat enduring their slave-hood. And along came Moses. Then the whispering began . . . . Wasn't he some kind of protester back in the day? . . . Some say he actually took down one of the government-taskmasters . . . . From royalty to runaway.

It wasn't long before they heard from Moses himself. He told them what God had said about them.

I have seen the misery of those guys working in Egypt. I have heard their cries that their slave drivers have caused. I am concerned about them and their suffering. I am going to rescue them and take them to a better land. I have heard their cry and seen how they are being oppressed. So I'm going to send Moses down there to rescue them (Exodus 3.7-10 paraphrase).

These poor overworked people actually felt a spark of hope. They were so thrilled that they bowed down and worshiped God of Deliverance (Exodus 4.31). However, being beginners at this whole faith-thing, their spark of hope was quickly extinguished when their workload was increased and the promised delivery was nowhere in sight. They cursed Moses for tantalizing them with the possibility of a new life (Exodus 5.21).

## A Big Problem

And so God began to set the stage for a Big Problem (because a Big Rescue cannot happen without a Big Problem, and God just loves a Big Rescue).

God could have caused Pharaoh to give in right away—as even the heart of the king is in God's hand to be directed as he pleases (Proverbs 21.1). But it seems he had something a little more dramatic in mind. He wanted to make a bigger statement to the people. In Exodus 5.22 Moses asked God, "Hey what happened to the Big Rescue we thought was coming?" God answered,

I'm not forgetful. I haven't forgotten the promise I made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I'm not deaf. I hear the groaning of my enslaved people. I'm going to do this rescue, but I'm going to do it in a dramatic manner. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt (Exodus 6.2-8 paraphrase).

God told Moses that not only was the rescue of the slaves a high priority for him, but it was also important that these people realize that it was the Lord providing the deliverance. If Operation Slave Rescue went easily, nobody's faith would be challenged, and therefore nobody's faith would increase.

God didn't want anybody thinking that the freeing of the slaves was just a coincidence or Pharaoh having a generous day. God was their leader and rescuer. But even after this discussion between God and Moses, deliverance was not just around the corner. . . . . Before their departure, God had a few projects in his chemistry lab that would make the lives of Pharaoh and his people more than a little difficult. He was about to avenge the maltreatment of the slave tribe. After all, those were Abraham's descendant's they had been oppressing.

First we need a little bloody water.

And then a whole mess of frogs.

Oh and then some gnats would be great.

And flies (everybody hates flies).

How about some dead livestock . . . that would be dramatic wouldn't it?

Now something disgusting. Oh I know! Boils!! (Pus has a way of making people squeamish.)

Throw in some big chunks of hail.

A plague of locusts (not only destructive, but they also have a really annoying buzz).

Darkness that you can feel.

And for the grand finale, the death of all the Egyptian firstborn.

(summary of Exodus chapters 7-11)

But wait a minute. Since the intention was to rescue the slaves—not inflicting more pain, God made the last seven plagues fall only on the Egyptian-side-of-the-tracks. By preserving the slaves from the last seven plagues, God showed himself strong on behalf of his people.

There is more evidence that God wants this showdown—wants to exercise his miraculous powers. Why would he do this? Hadn't those slaves been through enough over the past 400 years of their captivity? God had his reasons.

Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord (Exodus 10.1-2, see also Exodus 14.4).

Here we can see a few things.

God intentionally set the stage so that things would be difficult.

He did it so that he could perform miracles.

He wanted them to have a Big Rescue story to tell their children and grandchildren.

He did it so that they would know that he is the Lord.

God had a purpose. He was willing to perform a Big Rescue to let his children (and their oppressors) see just how mighty he is—even if he had to set the stage to prove it. By providing this dramatic exit story, it is a monument that reminds all of us that we really do not need to be afraid—God is in control.

After the plagues, he led them out of Israel. And to the Red Sea. And eventually . . . all the way to Canaan.

## Material for Story Time

This wasn't the last time God did a miracle to reveal himself to the children of Israel. In Isaiah 41 he reels off a list of miracles and then says,

[I have done this] so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it (Isaiah 41.20 AMP emphasis mine).

And later he promises,

I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name (Isaiah 45.3 emphasis mine ).

God could have—right at the beginning of the whole escape saga—blinded the Egyptians and allowed the slaves to waltz away. But that was not dramatic enough for him. He put on a dazzling array of plagues. Then he took them out to the Red Sea. He could have caused the Egyptians to be blinded and unable to see the Israelites desert-location, thus avoiding the whole Red Sea stand-off. But that was a little too bland. God showed his flair for the dramatic and parted a Sea. He moved heaven and earth for his children. He did it on purpose. He did it so that there would be story-time material for future generations illustrating that God is a great-big reliable God. The God of the Big Rescue. He did it so that in the future when things got rough, they could look back and say my current situation may be bad, but if God can part a sea and deliver us out of Egypt, I reckon he can take care of this problem as well.

## The Bare Arm of God

Do you have a Get-Out-of-Egypt-and-Walk-Through-the-Sea story? If not, perhaps God will allow some discouraging circumstances into your life so that you can have one. The hard times are only opportunities for you to call on God for rescue. They are opportunities for you to experience a Big Rescue.

Maybe you are going through a tough situation. Maybe it's time to ask for a little of God's bare arm which Isaiah refers to,

The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God (Isaiah 52.10).

I love the part about "lay bare" because to me that means God's power will be obvious. Bare. Visible. I picture a body-builder pulling back his sleeve revealing the big muscle underneath—laying out his bare arm so every one can see the source of his strength. When God lays bare his arm, there won't be any question by any witness as to whose strength it was that got the job done. He is allowing his power to be seen. There are times God takes care of me that I don't know about. But with a bare arm, there can be no question of God's direct involvement. A sea may suddenly get up and decide to move out of the way. Or opposing armies may just fight themselves and forget to attack their intended prey—the Israelites (2 Chronicles 20). Intervention so big, so powerful that it would be ridiculous to attribute it to human power.

Can you imagine some old hillbilly trying to pass off the Red Sea parting as a common occurrence? You say that they walked through on dry ground? Oh yeah, that old thing does part down the middle occasionally. Sometimes we take the boat. Sometimes we just walk through it.

Or someone trying to explain how it was that Jericho's walls came tumbling down. Oh that's pretty normal around here. Last month, somebody played Sally Jane's harmonica and Joe's Mercantile just fell right over—flat on the ground.

No! Those are events that just cannot be attributed to natural causes. It's the Intervention of the Bare Arm.

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men (Psalm 31.19).

When God's people needed a dry path through a very wet sea, God made it happen.

When God's people needed a cool drink in the middle of a dry, dusty desert, God made it happen.

So what do you need? A dry path in the midst of water? A wet drink in the midst of a desert? God will defy what is possible—and what is probable—for his glory and the deliverance of his people.

Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken (Isaiah 40.4-5 emphasis mine).

## But it is My Fault

From the previous examples, we can see that God sometimes allows a crisis-situation so that we can get to know him better. But sometimes as willful humans we get off track and do our own thing. As a consequence of our poor choices we end up in the frying pan of life. Following God's commands are the best way to avoid a crisis of your own doing. But the good news is that it is never too late to call on God for rescue. His 911 line is always in operation. Start out by asking his forgiveness and resolve to surrender to him immediately and in all your future situations. And then seek his miraculous intervention on your behalf.

Abraham was guilty of a lie that put his wife in a very awkward position (see the story in Genesis 20). He told those around that she was his sister instead of his wife. They hadn't been in town long before she was whisked away and given a jumpsuit that read: Property of the King, House of Concubines. Abraham's mistake was based in the fear that God would not take care of them. His stupid mistake put Sarah in danger as well as the King and his entire household.

Despite the fact that he lied and endangered those around him, God still stepped in and provided rescue for Abraham and Sarah.

God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman" (Genesis 20.3).

Abimelech took this warning seriously and responded immediately.

Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done"(Genesis 20.8-9).

I can only imagine the anxiety Sarah suffered while in the king's house. Anxiety she would not have experienced if she and Abraham had stuck to the truth. God in his generosity preserved them despite their misstep.

King Ahaz was the king of Judah and did not follow the ways of the Lord. He was a vile and evil man. Of him 2 Chronicles 28.1-4 says,

He did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord

He made cast idols for worshiping the Baals

He burned sacrifices in the Valley

He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree

He sacrificed his sons in the fire

I don't know that there is a more despicable person to be found in the Bible. His actions greatly diminished God's protection. In verses 5 and 6, we learn that it was because of his evil that God "handed him over to the king of Aram." "The Arameans defeated him and took many of his people as prisoners." And later we learn that 120,000 of Judah's men died at the hands of their enemies. The troops from Israel (Ahaz's sister kingdom) attacked and killed the top three men of Ahaz's kingdom. This was followed by the capture of 200,000 prisoners from Ahaz's citizens.

As the enemy army took the 200,000 prisoners home as war trophies they were met by a prophet named Oded who said,

"Because the Lord, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren't you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? Now listen to me! Send back your fellow countrymen you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord's fierce anger rests on you."

Even though Ahaz was as evil as could be, God had a limit to how much could be inflicted on the nation of Judah. After permitting much trouble to come to them, God said "enough." And the 200,000 prisoners were given back the plunder that had been taken from their country. They were bandaged up and sent back home. Despite the evilness of the king of Judah, God still got angry at those who would enslave a nation which he founded.

It is easy to see the dire consequences of not following God's way. Consequences that affect not only the instigator but those in his/her power as well. But this story also illustrates God's mercy. God was thoroughly provoked to anger, but still showed mercy to the 200,000 prisoners from that godless kingdom.

Have you done something awful? Have you defied God? Stop reading right now and ask him to forgive you and he will. Ask him to help you cope with the consequences of your actions. With a heart full of repentance seek his intervention in your life. The Lord would much rather draw you into his rescue plan than see you destroyed.

Do not think for a second that it is OK to live in defiance to God. Do not think that you can do whatever you want and that he will come along and clean up the mess you make. At the same time, don't think that just because your actions have placed you in devastating circumstances that Jesus will not lift you out of the "slimy pit" (Psalm 40.2). God will see you saved and rescued if you will but turn your face and heart to him. His rescue plan reaches even to those of us who don't always make the best choices. Do not despair. He will embrace you the moment you seek him.

## God Promises to Lead

You have committed your life path to the care of Jesus Christ. It's easy for us Christians to automatically assume that the rough times come because it's "our fault." It's not hard to think that because you are having a tough time, that you must have gotten off the path God laid out for you. It's easy to think that because nothing "makes sense," that you must not be getting all the "leading" you've been promised. And yet, we can see in the story of the Red Sea that God sometimes leads in a way that is unconventional. We see that it is not always our stupid mistakes that put us in challenging situations. Sometimes for our own protection God leads us away from the danger of an impossible situation toward a different—but still very difficult—situation where he will provide his help and salvation.

In these situations, God is with those who look to him for leading.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps (Proverbs 16.9).

You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail (Proverbs 19.21 NLT).

A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way? (Proverbs 20.24).

These verses promise that as you make your plans, God is going to guide each step along your way. God will guide you as you make your plans—God will guide you despite your plans. In the last verse, it acknowledges that since it is the Lord directing your steps, that it is quite possibly beyond your capability to actually understand all the steps you take.

Another important ingredient for successful planning is found in Proverbs 16.3.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

The Amplified version says to commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will. What an amazing assurance that if we ask the Lord to take charge of our thought process during our planning, that he will guide us in a direction that will be a success. I love the thought that someone who knows what is going to happen in my tomorrow will help me figure out what steps I need to take today.

God takes responsibility for getting you to the right place at the right time—fully equipped for the moment. He tells us,

I hem you in—behind and before; I have laid my hand upon you (Psalm 139.5 paraphrase).

Notice that it doesn't say Now therefore, when I, the Lord, seest thou getting out of lineth, I will punishest thou with a swift kick to thy nether-region. This guidance is gentle. He will keep you in the place he wants you, by laying his hand on you. It implies a gentle firmness. Not hostile. Not painful . . . but nonetheless very non-negotiable.

## What God Does Not Promise

God promised you a plan, but never promised you a road map or that he would tell you where he is leading. He never promised to share the details of the promised plan (Jeremiah 29.11). He never promised you that you would be an informed traveler. But he did promise that he would take you places you've never been. In Isaiah he says,

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them (Isaiah 42.16).

This verse tells us a few things. The first is that we are blind. Oh sure, we can see with our human eyes, but we cannot see the future. We cannot see the road ahead. Our ability to take in certain types of information is non-existent. We are traveling blind.

And it gets worse. We—the blind people—are going to a place we have "not known"—an unfamiliar path. So now we're not only blind, but we are in a place we have never been. We don't even have the advantage of being on our home turf. What a disconcerting feeling!

But the verse quickly moves on to say that on these unfamiliar paths, we have a guide in Jesus. He will guide us so that we do not have to fumble about in the unfamiliar experiences that life is going to bring. In all those times in life that you feel so inadequate and do not know what to do . . . well don't be surprised about that. God has not only promised that he will lead, but he's forewarned us that he's going to give us experiences (paths) that are unfamiliar experiences. If an experience is new and unfamiliar, it would be a little odd if we did have any idea how to handle it.

In the midst of the unknown, he will guide. He has not left you to trip and fall on these unknown paths. He knows that you do not have the ability to grapple this path on your own. He remembers that you are a finite being. He will not forsake you.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I'm walking through a land mine . . . blindfolded. I sometimes feel so disoriented and; have no idea where I am in the grand scheme of things or any confidence that I'm heading in the right direction. In those times, it can be a terrifying leap of faith to accept that God is leading me.

Sometimes it feels so confusing to know what I should do or how to proceed—the actions I should take or not take. But God reminds us that he is the Lord our God (Psalm 81.10). He reminds us that not only have we chosen him, but that he has chosen us (Isaiah 44.1). He has promised to teach us what we need to know (Isaiah 28.26, Isaiah 48.17). The Lord knows we live in darkness—in the blindness that does not allow us to see the events of tomorrow. He does not deny that there are many ways for us to fail and obstacles along the path. But he is our creator and he has promised to take responsibility for our inabilities (Isaiah 46.3-4). He will stand by his promises to help us navigate the unfamiliar areas of life that we encounter. Because he stands beside us, our faith in him will not be put to shame. So set your "face like flint" and choose to stay in the way he has chosen for you (Isaiah 50.7).

## Promise of Unfamiliarity

After you've traveled the Unfamiliar Path for a while, you will begin to get your bearings a little bit. You may start to feel a little bit more comfortable—a little more orientated. And God reminds you again of his promise, "along unfamiliar paths I will guide them." That is God saying, OK you've gotten a little too familiar here, it's time to move to the next unfamiliar path.

Uh-oh.

The promise of unfamiliarity is just as much a promise as the promise of guidance. Once I'm familiar (i.e. comfortable) I can depend on God to lead me on to the next teaching experience. And with that new spiritual lesson comes that feeling of being turned upside down. And because I do not have my bearings in this new place, there are no recognizable landmarks. Again the process of orientation.

It kind of reminds me of grade school . . . when I finished the work for first grade, I wasn't allowed to stay there and enjoy being a professional first-grader. Oh no, they quickly gave me the materials I would need to tackle second grade. I had grown into new challenges. Second grade. All newness. Back to the beginning of a new experience. The feeling of incompetence. Oh I was competent at being a first-grader but not at being a second-grader. I don't know about you, but I very much like to be in a place where I feel competent.

And yet, who wouldn't get bored after years of being a first-grader? God doesn't let me stagnant. He's going to move me on to new experiences which bring new growth! And as I enter into the darkness of the unknown experience, God tells me,

Let her who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on her God (Isaiah 50.10 paraphrase).

You lack understanding of the events that compose your life.

God acknowledges this. But the solution he offers is not to give you understanding. He doesn't offer you a road map, or the details of his Five Year Plan for your life. The command he gives is to "trust in the name of the Lord" (a very dependable name) and to rely on him.

He even goes further. He expects you to accept the darkness of your understanding—your inability to grasp the meaning of your current circumstances. How amazing to realize that he honestly expects us to make no attempt to resolve this lack of understanding. We are not supposed to fight this lack of light. We are not to try to end the darkness. He says,

But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment (Isaiah 50.11).

God's is saying "I put you in a dark room for a reason and have asked you to trust me. If you insist on providing light for yourself, go ahead. But you will only be able to rely on the light you are able provide for yourself—instead of what I will provide for you."

The first time I read this verse the control-freak in me was quick to say "You've got to be kidding! I don't want to be left in the dark about what is going on in my life. You want me to accept the unknown?" That kind of surrender goes against my very nature. If I were to walk into a dark room at home, the first thing I would do is start fumbling for the light switch. That darkness thing? That can be solved easily enough! Surrendering to the unknown is just not in my method of operation.

And yet that is exactly what God asks of me.

It adds new meaning to the word "scary." If I don't know what the plan is, how do I cooperate? How will I know what comes next? How will I know when we are done? She will rely on, trust in, and be confident in the name of the Lord, and she will lean upon and be supported by her God (Isaiah 50.10 AMP paraphrase).

The penalty for trying to solve the darkness is steep. Acknowledge the darkness, but don't try to get out of it. Accept it. Rely on God. Put your energy into trusting and relying instead of percolating and solution-hunting. Trying to find answers or manipulating your life's situation will only bring trouble. He will enlighten you as it is needed. He has promised to turn the darkness into light (Isaiah 42.16).

Until then, be the one who walks in the dark.

In the verse below God again details the penalty for those who depend on their own strength and intelligence to solve their problems.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.' Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.' Therefore your pursuers will be swift!" (Isaiah 30.15-16).

In essence God is saying "Don't rely on your fast horses—your plan to save yourselves. That may sound good to human ears, but it is in repentance and rest, quietness and trust that you will find your strength and your salvation." When these people refused the stillness, God left them to their own solution. And their solution was only as strong as a human solution can be. The very thing (fast horses) that they relied on to save them became their downfall—the fast horses of their pursuers were also fast.

Their human-conceived escape plan: fast horses.

Their downfall: fast horses.

Proverbs 10.24 says,

What the wicked dreads will overtake him.

They will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes (Proverbs 1.31-32).

When you don't rely on God, what you fear will be the very thing that overtakes you.

Repent. Rest. Be quiet. Trust.

(And then you will be strong.)

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20.7).

## The Not So Direct Path

I hadn't been walking with God for very long before I discovered that sometimes his paths are not as direct as I think they should be. I mean, doesn't Common Sense tell me to decide where I'm going and get there using the most direct line possible?

Yet in our physical world, we do not follow that logic at all. Frequently in my travels I travel in a direction that seemingly takes me away from my intended destination.

For instance, recently I needed to travel from my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee to Richmond, Virginia. Richmond is many hours north of Chattanooga, so it makes sense to conclude that I would travel north to get there right?

Until I tell you that the nearest major airport is in Atlanta, Georgia—two hours south of Chattanooga. Suddenly traveling in a direct northward line doesn't make sense. So I get in my car to drive two hours in the opposite direction of my intended destination so that I can tap into a more powerful source of travel.

Doesn't it work that way in our walk with God?

He may lead us in a direction that doesn't make sense . . . until you realize that in that direction there is a path that he has provided. Going away from the destination I want seems to slow things down until I realize that God's paths are different from my paths. Traveling on my own and in my own direction, I can only move a human speed.

In the human capacity, I need to travel toward the goal to get to the goal. Not so with the kind of paths that God provides. The path provided by Christ involves using his power and his speed. His route may seem to be convoluted at times, but his power and direction will get you to the place you're going at just the right time. Through his power—not yours. He chooses the battles for you to fight. He knows the future—you don't. Let him be the power behind your journey. Let him choose the route to accomplish his plan for your life.

## Trust. Acknowledge.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3.5-6).

### Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Not part of your heart, but all! With your heart—the very center of your being—trust in him unreservedly. Focus all your mental energy and emotions into relying on God. Discipline yourself to use every ounce of your capacity into trusting rather than worrying.

### And lean not on your own understanding.

Reason may tell you that such faith is not realistic. Social custom may tell you it's just not possible. But instead of approaching the situation using logic or what you've learned in life, realize that God is not bound by the limits of human knowledge or experience—with God all things are possible! Throw conventional reasoning to the wind!

### In all your ways acknowledge him.

Acknowledge his supremacy and authority. In every situation you encounter—any problem you face—stop to acknowledge that God is all-powerful. Acknowledge that he is interested, willing and waiting to help you. Acknowledge his presence. Acknowledge his power to guide your situation. Acknowledge that with God, fire doesn't always consume those who are thrown into it, that lions don't always eat available humans and it is possible to walk through a sea without getting your feet wet.

### And he will make your paths straight.

Your trust in him will allow him to "interfere" with your situation. He will act on your behalf. He will get you to the place you are supposed to be, when you are supposed to be there. He will open the way before you. Not only do you get a path, but a straight path. Your journey will happen in a manner that only God is capable of planning. It will defy human logic and human capacity. It will be a profoundly better journey than you thought possible.

Trust. Acknowledge.

God is the one who decided to create you. And as he is more powerful than you and made the decision to bring you into this world, he also takes responsibility to care for your needs. He will carry you. He has promised to instruct you in the way that you should go, and he will stand by that promise. It doesn't matter what it feels like. It doesn't matter what other people say. He is the one that is going to direct you in the plans that he has for you. He will sustain you through all the struggles you encounter. He will get you safely to your destination. Because you are his. Because he loves you. You are precious to him (Isaiah 43.4), and he knows how very much you need his help.

He will rescue you.

He will carry you.

He will sustain you.

Your hope in his unfailing love delights him and he loves showing himself strong on your behalf.

## Keeping it Balanced

I would like to point out that God promises to guide our steps—not our inertia. There isn't anything in the verses above that suggests that we should not make plans or have goals. God has promised to guide us as we make our plans. If I'm not taking steps, then what will he guide?

Some of us need to be shaken out of our inertia. Others of us need to learn to stand still and let God deliver us (which we will discuss later). Depending on the situation, God may call you to stand still—and another time call you to take some steps and make some plans. Only through communication with God will you know whether you need to stand still or take action.

The verse in Proverbs 16.9 could be paraphrased in a variety of ways,

God will direct you in your plan-making.

Regardless of what you plan, God will direct you.

As long as you are moving (taking steps), God can direct you.

God will direct your steps—not your leaps and bounds.

In other words, God is going to direct in very small increments. I've never read of him giving anyone a Five Year Plan or a Weekly To Do List. He may not even give you information about tomorrow. Jesus said,

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6.34).

You are only going to get guidance for today—not tomorrow, not next week. Give Christ an open invitation to do whatever he needs to do in your life. Seek his direction. On those days when you wonder if it is remotely possible that God has placed you where you are, ask yourself this question: Have I defiantly refused to follow God's leading? If the answer is no, then claim God's promise. Remind him and yourself that he has promised to guide your steps. Regardless of the steps you made (or thought you were making) your Savior has promised to guide your path. Know that he knows where you are and that in his wisdom and care for your life, he has allowed you to be where you are.

## Praying It

Lord, I have no idea how to surrender to you and your plan. I have no idea how to rely on you. It goes against all my natural tendencies! Have mercy on me and conquer my tendency toward despair and impatience to have my own way. I need your strength, because I do not have any and am too weak to lift my own hand in order to grasp yours. Please forgive my determination to have my own way. Please help me to surrender to your timetable in my life. I am so impatient to live the rest of my life, to get things moving. I can hardly comprehend why the Monarch of the Universe moves so slowly when you have every resource at your disposal. I want to learn patience, trust and wisdom from you.

I have no idea where this journey is going to go. But I want to thank you so much for choosing me to be part of it. In the moments where I am not disobeying you by giving in to fear, I am enjoying every minute!

Thank you for sheltering my journey from situations that would be more than I can handle. I know there are many things that could cause me to trip and fall—losing my hold on you. You direct my path. It may not be the shortest and most direct route—but it is the safest.

Thank you for leading me away from the battles that I am not mature enough to fight and toward the battles that will allow me to experience you in new and exciting ways. Thank you that you are preparing me for future battles, for even though the Israelites did not have the faith to survive a battle with the Philistines in the Red Sea story, they did get to a place where they were mature fighters when you commanded it. I believe you will do the same with me.

I praise you in advance for your salvation! Oh that I were more intelligent so that I could be aware of all the things you do for me—the thousands of ways you spare my life! I wish I could more deeply appreciate your work in my life so that I could praise you for it!

Thank you for remembering that I am made of dust and that my capabilities are so restricted! Help me to praise you with all of my dusty little being—with every ounce of energy and intelligence that is possible. Until the day when you make me over brand-new—the day that I will see you face to face, the day I will throw my crown at your feet. And on that day, I will begin to learn who you are and how to praise you to the fullest! I will have all of eternity to learn it.

Until then I ask you to accept my earth-ridden praise . . . weak as it may be.

#  Chapter 2: Standing Still

I boarded the plane from Chattanooga to Memphis, and while waiting for take-off I sat looking out my window. The plane had large propellers attached to the wings. They were so large they obstructed my view of the runway. Eventually the captain turned on the engines, which made the propellers start spinning. We taxied down the runway and after gaining speed, lifted into the air. I didn't have to twitch a single muscle to get myself into the air. I sat quietly in my seat. I did not move. Yet while I myself was not moving, my physical being was moved quickly down the runway and into the air. My transition from stillness to airborne happened through a power not my own. I sat completely still, and yet I moved faster than I could have moved if I had been on the ground flailing every limb I have!

Is this not the way God works with me as well? Sometimes he asks me to sit in quietness in the place he's put me while he does the work that will cause me to fly. It is his power that sends me soaring, not mine.

Once we were in the air, I leaned back in my seat to enjoy the unobstructed view from 30,000 feet on a sunny day. Wait a second! When I was on the ground the propellers were interfering with my view of the runway. Now there was nothing there! It took me a moment to realize that when a plane is traveling at full speed, the propellers are moving so fast that they cannot be seen! I knew the propellers had to be there, but I could not see them.

As I pondered this, it occurred to me that those propellers have a lot in common with God's work in my life. There are many times when I can't see God moving anything in my circumstances . . . it seems as though every area of my life is on hold. I look for God's hand, but can't see it.

After seeing those propellers, I realized that even though I can't feel or see him working, it doesn't mean that he isn't actively working in my life. It just means he's working extra hard and extra fast . . . so fast that his work is invisible . . . like those propellers. Even though I couldn't see them, I knew without a doubt that it was their whirling power keeping me at the steady altitude of 30,000 feet. I had no control over my speed or altitude. I could not have made the journey go faster by pedaling my feet as if I were in the car with the Flintstones . . . no, I just needed to do the hardest thing God ever asks of me: sit still and allow a power greater than myself to work on my behalf.

As the journey continued, the plane occasionally tilted to one side or the other. The tilt was just enough to reflect the tiniest glint of sunlight off the propeller. There was an iridescent blur, proving that the big ol' propeller was indeed where I had last seen it. Yes, it was still spinning hard and fast keeping the plane in the sky. Moving me in the direction of my destination. And because I had been having those feelings that come with wondering whether or not God was really moving in my life's circumstances I prayed,

O God, please tilt my life just a little so I can get a glimpse of the work you are doing around me! And in the meantime, help me to remember that you are never absent—even when I can't see or feel you. You are there.

## Freeze

Like me, God may have you in a standing still sort of phase right now. You may have some super-size problems on your doorstep. So isn't it great that you have a super-size God?

Maybe you could describe your problems as "a vast army coming against me" (2 Chronicles 20.2). That's how a military lookout described the situation to the King of Judah.

"A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar". . . Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him (2 Chronicles 20.2-4).

This crisis was so huge in it's proportions that the whole country rallied together to "seek help from the Lord." They were quick to acknowledge the depth of their problem—the fact that they had no idea what to do and their complete inability to defend themselves.

For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you (2 Chronicles 20.12).

The situation was dire. Words like "vast army" and "attacking" used to describe a problem do not contribute to a soothing atmosphere.

Death was imminent. But they placed their eyes on God. They stayed focused. They didn't look to the right or to the left for a savior in the form of a military or war horses. They looked up. And God answered them. He said,

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you (Chronicles 20.15,17).

And King Jehoshaphat (we'll call him King J) accepted the word from God. In the next verse he bowed with his face to the ground.

Do you face a dire situation?

God, my finances are caving in on me. I've tried to do my best. I don't know what else to do.

God, the relationship I want to have with my [spouse, parent, child, friend, future spouse] doesn't seem possible. What can I do?

God, no matter what I do I cannot get my health into the condition that it needs to be. I have no idea how to fix it.

And God says to you the same thing he said to them.

Do not be afraid of this super-size problem that is on your doorstep breathing down your neck, occupying your mailbox, monopolizing your thoughts and threatening to ruin your life. It is not up to you to come up with the solution. That is not on your "to do" list. It is on MY "to do" list. The battle belongs to me. You will not have to find the solution to this battle. Take up your position. Stand firm. Watch the deliverance that I will give you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Go out and face your problem, because I—your super-size God—will be with you.

Those are commands from God—not suggestions. That is your Commander-in-Chief ordering you to not be afraid, to not be discouraged. How is this possible?

### Take Up Your Position

You need to find a way to get it through your head that your God is who he says he is. You have to know who he says he is by reading his blog archives (as in the B-I-B-L-E). Take the position of accepting his promises. Take the position of believing he is who he says he is and will do what he says he will do.

### Stand Firm

Now holding that position may not be so easy. The devil will try to shake you out of your position without wasting any time. There isn't anything in popular culture that is going to contribute to "standing firm." Figure out what is rattling you and challenging the position you have taken and get rid of it. If you are worried about your finances and the news on TV constantly plays doom-and-gloom reports of the economy, turn off the TV. Your God is bigger than any news report and you don't need to be agitated by bad news. Take your position and then stand firm in your focus on God.

### Watch the Deliverance

If you are not accustomed to letting God fight your battles, be careful to watch for the deliverance God sends you. It may not come in the form you are expecting. Like the man trapped on the roof of his house during a horrible flood. He refused the rescuer passing by in a canoe saying, "Oh no thank you, the Lord will save me." He refused the rescuer in the hovering helicopter telling them, "Oh no thank you, the Lord will save me." And then he drowned. Later he asked God, "why didn't you save me?" To which God replied, "What do you mean?? I sent you a canoe and a helicopter!"

Be prepared and alert. Take your position. Stand firm. Watch as God provides your deliverance.

God essentially told this nation. Yes, I realize you have a super-size problem. No worries. Don't do anything. Just sit still a sec. I'll be right over and show you the way I'm going to save you. You do not need to lift a finger to save yourself. Take it easy.

The next morning the nation went out to face their enemy and watch the impending deliverance, King J encouraged his troops. His words also apply to you and whatever problem you are facing.

Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful (2 Chronicles 20.20).

King J started everybody singing a round of praise songs. And then he watched. The militia stood there watching—their strength useless. The men stood—not lifting a finger. The women stood. They watched. None of them did anything more than move their eyeballs from one side to the other.

And then.

Deliverance came.

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them.

After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped (2 Chronicles 20.22-24).

Dead bodies as far as the eye could see—not one of them killed by King J's home team. Not one of the "vast army" escaped. And not one scratch on anyone from Judah. Their defense plan did not even include getting their clothes dirty. And yet the defeat of their attackers could not have been more thorough.

Take up your position. Stand firm. Watch.

## How To Stand Firm

King J and his people are great models on standing firm. Let's look at some of the things they did that we can copy in our problems today.

### Seek the Lord

In verse 3 King J was "alarmed" to hear the news of the oncoming super-size problem. Freeze frame his reaction for a second.

The moment when you first hear the bad news. Then the alarm. Then what? In the case of King J he "resolved to inquire of the Lord." Before you give in to the big bad news, take a moment and resolve rather than looking for a solution or giving in to panic. Resolve that you will not lose sight of the God who lives to rescue and sustain. Look to him for your salvation. Look to him for leading. Let him be your Shepherd as he has promised.

### Admit Your Inability

Do not fall into the trap of overestimating your capacity to handle the problems that come your way. You are a finite human being made of mud. God knows how weak you really are and does not expect you to solve problems that are beyond your capability.

For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103.14).

When you have done all you know to do. When your resources are exhausted.

Admit it.

Like the king did in verse 12.

God, I have no power. I cannot face this. I do not know what to do. I'm looking to you for salvation.

Just let it go. This problem has not caught God by surprise. By turning it over to him, you aren't going to be throwing something at him that he can't handle.

He's big. You're little.

He can fix it. You can't.

### Remember What God Has Done in the Past

Starting with verse 6, King J starts a prayer before his assembled nation. He starts off by addressing God as the "God who is in heaven" going on to state that "power and might" are in his hand. Then he begins reminding God that it was him who brought the nation to the land. It was God who gave them the land promised to Abraham. He basically said,

God you have been our God for a really, really long time. You are the God who is the God in heaven are you not? You rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand—and that makes anyone who is against you "defeated." You emptied out this land so that we could live in it. You gave it to Abraham's descendants—not just for a time—but forever.

When we built our temple, we built it because we knew that you had put us in this land and that we could come here in our distress and you would save us. These people that are about to attack us and wipe us off the planet are the people that you would not let us evict hundreds of years ago. You would not let us attack them. YOU let them stay and now look what is happening.

King J remembered that the land was a gift from God and that it was their Divine Leader who had designated this land for his people. He claimed the promise given to Abraham, "Wait a second, you said this was our land."

What has God done in your life? Has he put you where you are? Do you think your circumstances have caught him by surprise? Have you ever asked him for help and had him leave you help-less? Remember the way he has led in the past and be assured that he is still in the business of leading people today.

### Claim the Promises

In verse 9, King J declares that God will "hear" and "save." Since he was aware of God's promises to hear and save, he was able to claim them for himself and his people. Not only has God promised to hear and answer, he has promised to do this before we actually give voice to the prayer!

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear (Isaiah 65.24).

In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears (2 Samuel 22.7).

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer (Psalm 17.6).

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles (Psalm 34.6).

By knowing these promises, King J was able to claim them. If he hadn't known they existed, he wouldn't have been able to claim them. What a loss it would have been to the people in his kingdom!

### Bow and Worship

As soon as King J finished hearing the word of the Lord telling him to take up his position, stand firm and watch for deliverance in verse 17-18, he immediately bowed to the ground and worshiped. And all those around him quickly followed his example.

For those days when you are ready to hear from God and to see some action in your life, bow and thank him that he is teaching you new lessons about him. Thank him for this situation that is so frustrating to you. Worship him as the Monarch-of-All-That-Is. You are waiting. You don't have anything better to do. Use your down-time to worship him and remember who he is.

### Praise God with a Loud Voice

The Kohath and Korah tribes got a little crazy with it. While King J was bowing in verse 18-19, these tribes couldn't stay still. They stood up and started praising the Lord in a "loud voice." If you are having a bad day, get out your iPod and blast some praise music. No tinkling stringed instrument music. Something with a loud voice. Something that expresses the energy and might of God, the one who leads through a sea and conquers the enemy. Cheering. Louder than a Tennessee Vols home game. A touchdown is nothing compared to the works and wonder of the God Almighty. When you know the mighty and powerful God is drawing near it is worthy of some noise!

### Declare the Victory

In verses 20-22 King J takes ownership of the victory. There doesn't seem to be any hesitation on his part in accepting that the battle has been won before it is fought. He publicly declares that they will be successful before he recruits the choir. If God has promised you success and deliverance then declare it. Own it. Internalize it.

### Sing Praises

The choir recruited by the king begins to sing. Not hymns. A praise song. "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever" (2 Chronicles 20.21). They too joined King J in declaring victory. They thank God for his deliverance before they have been delivered. Before they see the dead bodies. Before they know exactly how their deliverance is going to come about. Give thanks! The Bible says that as they began to sing and praise it was then that the Lord set the ambushes. Their praise and their thanks were synchronized to the Lord's intervention. Coincidence? I doubt it. Could it be that praise and thanksgiving are the fuel for stoking God's Mighty Right Arm of Deliverance?

### King J's Action Plan

Seek the Lord

Admit your inability

Remember what God has done in the past

Claim God's promises

Bow and worship

Praise God with a loud voice

Declare victory

Sing praises

## An Imperfect King

Sometimes it is easier to think that God will perform such powerful acts for his "advanced" children. After all King J exhibited a very strong faith and sometimes our faith is just not all that stellar. I mean we try to get it right, but how often do we really get it right like good ol' King J and his gang of praise-singers?

But did he really get it all right? In 2 Chronicles 20.32-33 the Bible sums up King J's life,

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.

He didn't get it all right. Just like you and I will never get it all right all of the time. He failed in a big way. He let idolatry live in his country which left the way open for his people to turn away from God. He made it easy for them to continue in their idolatry.

And frankly it doesn't sound like he was a great success at parenting. His son—also his successor—was a really rotten kid.

When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father's kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the princes of Israel. . . . He did evil in the eyes of the Lord . . . He built high places on the hills of Judah and caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and led Judah astray (2 Chronicles 21.4, 2 Chronicles 21.6, 2 Chronicles 21.11 changed verb tense).

King J did not set an example of idolatry-intolerance for his son to follow. He made it too easy for the people to retreat into their idolatry. Yet despite his failures, God still honored his faith. It's never OK to leave sin growing in your life. But neither is it OK to wait until you are perfect to claim God's promises and to expect him to work in your life. It is his work—not yours—that is going to clean up your life anyway.

You are made of dust.

You do not have the capacity to get it all right all the time. But do not let that keep you from grasping the hand of God and inviting him into your life.

## How Long Do I Have to be Still

Stand still until God tells you to move. There will be times in your life when God tells you to take steps as he guides you. There will be other times when he tells you to stand still. As you seek God, he will tell you when to stand still and when to move. In order to know this, you will need to be in communication with him. His word promises us,

Whoever obeys his commands will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure for there is a proper time and procedure for every matter (Ecclesiastes 8.5-6).

The Israelites had to stand still with their backs to the Red Sea and watch the Egyptian army race towards them in pursuit. They could do nothing. In Exodus 14.13 Moses tells them to "stand firm" in the face of the approaching enemy.

## The Speed of a Seed

Isaiah 28.24-29 follows the story of a seed from planting to harvest.

When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it. All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.

Notice the role of the seed. Did you see the verse where it said the seed really worked hard to get its little seed-head above the earth? What about the verse where the seed worked really hard to gather all the water it could find? I didn't see those verses either. The seed doesn't do anything. It just "is." The only thing we can accuse the seed of doing is to absorb that which God sends it—rain, sun and dirt. Isaiah 61.11 says,

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

Sometimes God's children just need to be still and do nothing more than sit where he has placed them. During this sitting period the agents that God provides are the materials for growth. By absorbing the circumstances in your life, you—the seed—grow. Not through any power or action of your own, but through the power of God. You don't need to be scurrying about for things to happen. Remember it is in quietness and trust that you find your strength.

Let all that I am, wait quietly before God (for my hope is in Him) (Psalm 62.5).

## Praying It

### A Paraphrase of Psalm 107: O Lord, I give thanks to you—the God Most High! Your love for me never tires and will be with me throughout eternity. I have cried to you and you have heard me. You have delivered me from my distress and have led me straight to you. Thank you that your love is so merciful and consistent. Thank you for being my provider in so many ways—and so many times that I am unaware of your salvation. You satisfy my hunger and thirst with good things—things that bring satisfaction.

I have been in darkness and deep gloom—trapped by things I cannot control. But you released me from the trap, you broke through the gloom that hung over me. I praise you for your goodness to me—the coolness of your refreshing presence. You break down the bronze gates in my life. You cut through the bars of iron that I cannot break. Through your word you have healed me. Life has been like a stormy sea. I feel as though I have been tossed from one place to another. I have sought your face. And you have stilled the storm. You have quieted my fears and chased away my anxiety. It is quiet within me. I am glad and rejoice in this calm! You have guided me to a quiet place as I asked you!

I know that you will take the dryness in my life and turn it into pools of water. The parched ground will become a flowing spring.

Where there is want, you will provide.

Where there is nothing, you will put cool refreshment.

You will save me because you are gracious and loving. You will save me from despair and bring me out in triumph because I trust in your name!

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#  Chapter 3: Claim Your Inheritance

It is sobering to realize that we may be restricted in possessing the things God has promised because we are not thinking big enough or expecting gifts from him.

You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God (James 4.2).

That's the sobering part . . . "you do not have, because you do not ask." This verse is saying, Hey, about those things you look to gain. You are running all over the place, trying everything you can, to obtain them for yourself when you could just go to God and ask him for it. In this case, the verse goes on to say that these particular people want something that they will use for their own agenda and pleasure. These people could have asked, but would not receive because they had wrong motives. But what about when our motives are not wrong, and what we seek is not out of harmony with what we know about God's character—then what?

God has made hundreds and hundreds of promises throughout the Bible. These promises are your inheritance. They belong to every person who is a child of God.

In the human world, a parent dies and leaves her child an inheritance. At the moment of death, does that inheritance just magically appear in the child's bank account? No, the child must go through a process to claim the inheritance. It has to be moved to the child's account. Then he or she has the inheritance.

Similarly, God has given us many promises spread throughout the Bible. He has given us much spiritual territory. Some of the promises are an automatic inheritance. Even though it is an inheritance that goes to all his children (not just the firstborn), the original inheritance does not diminish. Each person gets the full amount—it is not less than the original amount just because other heirs have also claimed it. The inherited promises in the Bible are backed by the name of our Father Almighty.

I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name (Psalm 138.2 NLT).

These promises are guaranteed! God has proven himself trustworthy. If you know our Father, then you will trust him. You know that you will not be abandoned.

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you (Psalm 9.10).

You have your work to do in laying claim to this magnificent inheritance. Just as the Israelites had to claim the inheritance God promised them from one generation to another.

After years of desert-dwelling, they arrived at the border of the Promised Land—the land that God had promised to Abraham hundreds of years before. Despite that reliable promise, the land was not vacant when they arrived. There were people living there (really bad people, but that's another story). The first chapter of Joshua says,

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.' "

As they stood on the border of their new country, they were instructed to go about claiming what was theirs. God gave, but they had the responsibility of claiming. If they had refused to move forward and "set their foot," they would not have taken ownership of the God-provided benefits.

God has given us territory as well—lots of it. But like the Israelites, we have our work to do in discovering the parameters of the promised territory and laying claim to it. The Lord promised Joshua, and the Lord promises you. His promises are there for the claiming! Set your foot on the promise of God.

God promises in verse 5 that he will be with you as you do this and will not forsake you. He has promised that no one will be able to stand against you. Not that the devil won't try to stand against you. After all he'd just as soon keep you sitting on the edge of the promised territory waiting for it all to fall in your lap. But God says the devil will not succeed in his stand against you. As you move forward to take the promised territory, the devil is going to start shooting flaming arrows at you in an attack. But God has provided the defense recipe:

Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6.16).

The devil can shoot all he wants, but those arrows are going to be extinguished! How does this work? In order to have faith, you've got to know with whom you are dealing (God) and whether or not he is reliable. You also have to know the territory he has defined and promised you. In order to have faith you will need to stand firm in your convictions. Knowing and internalizing these aspects of God's character will take prayerful exploration of your Bible.

For most of my life I did not know that God promises the desires of our heart. I did not know this because I never bothered to ferret it out in the Scriptures. Get into your Bible and see which promises God brings alive in your heart.

When the Lord had the pre-move-in chat with Joshua, he laid out the borders of their territory. He defined it.

Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west (Joshua 1.4).

It was very specific territory. The land within those borders was the area they could count on God to provide. Your territory is just as specific. To learn the God-promises marked out for your life, you are going to have break out the Bible. Once you've located your God-given territory, get out there and claim it. Remind God in prayer about the territory he's given you. Tell him that you are there to claim the things he has promised. You won't catch him by surprise as he knows what he's promised. He may be waiting for you to take the claiming action. Do not be someone who does not have, because you do not ask. Put your faith into action and quit living on the border of your inherited territory. With promises that are so varied and so numerous plus the promise of success, it is a guaranteed adventure.

## Your Action Plan

In Joshua 1, there are several commands given for the claimers to follow as they go about possessing their territory.

### Set Your Foot (Joshua 1.3)

After you've found the promised territory in God's word, plant yourself on top of it. Own it. Do what you need to do to integrate that promise into your life. Sing it. Write it. Speak it. I have one of the promises found in Isaiah hanging on my living room wall. I keep a whiteboard in my bedroom where I write the promises I'm trying to work into my life. There are so many Christian songs that are based on Bible promises; I play them constantly. Whatever it takes to convince myself that God really meant what he said. Whatever it takes to pound those promises into my thick head, to work them into my soul.

It may take time to set your foot on all the ground God has given you. The Israelites took their territory one city at a time. It was not the work of one day. One by one they conquered the cities in their promised country. You may want to seek out God's promises regarding the territory of healing, relationships or finances. Ask God to help you scout out the countryside and guide you as to which of his promised territory you will claim first.

### Obey the Law (Joshua 1.7)

James 4.3 mentions some folks who were asking but not receiving.

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

People who are not living their lives following the commands of God don't have much else to seek other than their own pleasure. Over and over God reminded the Israelites that their relationship was a two-way street. There were certain things he promised them, but also certain things he required of them. As long as they followed his ways, he would lead them. Those who followed his ways (the Israelites) received the promised land. Those who did not follow his ways (the inhabitants of Canaan before the Israelites arrived) eventually wore out God's patience and he punished them accordingly.

As you go through the process of claiming God's promises, don't forget to observe the commands that he has given you. He has asked certain things of you to protect you from harm.

### Meditate on God's Word Day and Night (Joshua 1.8)

You will not be able to work these promises into your soul and mind by just flipping through the Bible once or twice a week. It is going to take some dedication. It's going to take some time out of your busy day. Don't worry about that stuff that won't get done because you are taking some time to meditate on God's word. God promises in Matthew 6.33 that by seeking his kingdom above all else, the other stuff will be added to your life. If you aren't including time for God-seeking in your day, you are missing out on a powerful fuel source for every activity of your life.

### Focus (Don't Look Right or Left) (Joshua 1.7)

Territory claiming takes practice. There are plenty of things to distract you from claiming God's best in your life. It is not the work of one day or one week. It takes discipline and commitment. Set your "face like flint" as you look into the face of the Lord Most High. Allow nothing to take your focus away from God.

### Do Not Be Afraid or Discouraged (Joshua 1.9)

There are some risks with territory claiming. We'll discuss those in a later chapter. Discouragement comes easy when the territory is so vast. Remember that success has been promised. Move forward in faith even when the situation looks grim.

God told the Israelites they should not be terrified or discouraged by saying, "Have I not commanded you?" Taking over a whole territory may be intimidating and may not look so promising, but it was God sending them forth. You remember God, right? That same guy who parted the sea, sent the plagues and rescued them from a hundred other unpromising situations. Yeah, that's the same guy who's sending you forth. Get out there and get to work . . . you've got some land to claim.

### Take Possession (Joshua 1.11)

This is the best part! When your faith has been rewarded and can now cease to exist. When you cannot see the gift, you have to accept it by faith. Faith is required for you to be able to claim it. However, once you can see the gift. You no longer need faith for that particular request, because you have the gift in a tangible form.

## Those Who Do Not Claim

The verses in Joshua 1 in which God instructs them to take possession of the land he has given them, are almost identical to what he said forty years earlier as they sat on the edge of their new land.

You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them (Deuteronomy 1.6-8).

See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" (Deuteronomy 1.21).

The first time around, the Israelites didn't immediately follow the commands to "go" and "possess." They decided to take some time to evaluate the situation. The spies went out and had a look at the promised territory. They (or at least 10 of the 12) found reasons why possessing the land was not likely.

They decided it was too risky.

Too unreasonable.

Unlikely indeed.

They said things like,

The people who live there are powerful.

The cities are fortified and very large.

We even saw giants roaming about (Numbers 13.28, Numbers 13.33, Deuteronomy 2.10).

So ten of the Territory-claiming Feasibility Assessors decided that claiming that territory could not be done and should not be risked. Due to the irrationality of taking ownership of something that obviously had so many associated challenges.

And how much of their inheritance did they receive?

None of it.

Not one square inch of territory. They didn't claim it. They didn't expect it. God sent them back out to the desert where

there were no powerful people.

Or big, fortified cities. Or giants.

Or milk. Or honey.

Or a grape cluster so big that it took two men to lift it (Numbers 13.23,27).

They turned back to the desert where no one asked them to take faith-risks to claim the good stuff.

Those ten spies got what they expected: the inability to claim the promised territory.

Now the other two spies Joshua and Caleb—the ones who said,

We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it (Numbers 13.30).

Don't be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them (Numbers 14.9).

Those two spies . . . they also got what they expected: ownership of the promised inheritance.

All twelve spies had just as much right to occupy the promised territory. The difference between whether they possessed it or not was based on whether they believed God's promises or not . . . and whether or not they chose to do the work of claiming.

Do you avoid claiming the territory that seems irrational to expect? Do you say things like,

This health problem I have is really powerful and not easily overcome.

The relationship I want is too hard to get, there are a lot of barriers in the way.

There are huge problems around me. Nothing is working.

What kind of attitude do you have in your role as Territory-claiming Feasibility Assessor?

Whether or not you claim your territory, there is territory that God has given you. You are the owner of defined territory. But if you do not claim, you will not receive.

No claiming = No success

As you go through the process and work of claiming, God has promised you that no obstacle will be allowed to interfere. Be confident of your success. Would God promise you something that he is not willing to give? Is it safe to assume that his will includes the very things he has promised? Would he promise us something and then be upset when we ask him for it?

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 (1 John 5.14-15).

Stop wondering if God wants you have the things he has promised you. Stop evaluating whether or not his promises are feasible.

Or likely.

Or reasonably possible.

There isn't anything rational about walking through a sea.

Or senior citizens having babies.

Or oil continuously pouring from a single finite-container.

## Practical Tips

When the children of Israel went into the promised land they took over houses that they did not build and fields they did not plant (Joshua 24.14). They went to a city that had been vacated by the previous inhabitants and chose the house they liked best and moved in. I'm thinking that they changed the names on the mailboxes. I'm thinking that when they arrived, they replaced the welcome mat that said "The Smith Family Lives Here" and replaced it with "The Jones Family Lives Here Now."

Why? Because they were claiming it for their own. Do the same with the promises of God. When you find a Bible promise, add your name, change the pronouns to make it yours. Put your name on the promise that he has given you.

If you are afraid and need help from God, get your hands on Isaiah 41.14 and change the name to your name such as,

Do not be afraid, O worm "Julie," O little "Julie," for I myself will help you," declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

If you are a woman, change the pronouns of Isaiah 50.10 so that it reads,

Let "her" who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on "her" God.

If you have cancer, change Psalm 103.3 to,

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all "my" sins and heals all "my cancer."

If your marriage is falling apart—there are big problems, iron wills and bronzed opinions, you'll want to see Isaiah 45.2,

I will go before you and will level the mountains "of problems;" I will break down "opinions" of bronze and cut through "wills" of iron.

If you are claiming the promise of a spouse, then Genesis 2.18 becomes,

It is not good for "Sally" to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for her.

Get into your Bible, see what the Lord has in store for you!

## Keeping it Balanced

As you began to explore the territory given, you need to be aware that many of God's promises are conditional . . . in computer language they are called "if/then" statements. If X, then Y. Some of these promises are for God's children, some of them are promises for the disobedient. And there are some promises that apply to both the obedient and the disobedient.

An if/then promise for the idolatrous can be found in Joshua 24.20.

If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, [then] he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.

Matthew 21.22 is a conditional promise for those who believe,

If you believe, [then] you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

An example of a financial-oriented conditional promise is found in Malachi 3.10 which essentially says,

If you give tithe, then I will pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it (paraphrase).

Isaiah 65.24 promises that if you are speaking, then he is listening. Proverbs 2.1-9 has many if/then conditions and promises.

Some of his promises are for everyone on this planet. For instance, in Hebrews 13.5 God says,

Never will I forsake you.

God will not forsake—forget—the righteous or leave them to fend for themselves. However, he's not going to forget about all the acts of those who are disobedient either. Their defiance of the Most High God will not go unpunished.

As you go through the amazing experience of claiming what God has promised you, take some time to look at the conditions specified for the promise. Ask God to show you if there is anything in your life that needs to be changed. Ask him to do whatever housecleaning needs to be done in your oh so very human heart.

## Praying It

O Lord, I am here for some promise claiming. I know you are leading and guiding me in ways I cannot even imagine. I ask that you do not let my faith be put to shame. I pray that you will answer my prayers for your miracles in my life. I pray that you will put unstoppable praise for you in my heart!

I want to have a heart that does not doubt your word. I do not want to miss out on any of the blessings you have promised. Let me be blind to the obstacles and challenges in the territory you have promised. Let me seize your promises with a heart that refuses to doubt. You have promised to give me success in claiming the things you have promised. I want to remember that all of your promises are backed by the integrity of your name. You cannot lie! You have put my inheritance in a written contract. Oh that I might be strong enough to do the things you ask of me. And yet, I cannot even comply with a simple command such as "do not be afraid." Even for strength to obey you, I must rely on you. I am so thankful that you have promised you will not abandon the work of your hand.

Without you, I have nothing.

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#  Chapter 4: Build a Bigger Tent

A few weeks ago, my aging shih-tzu Suwanee inspired me (through his cuteness alone) to give him his favorite doggie-cookie. Usually, he is quick to take the treat and run for the couch where he munches it up in mere moments.

However, this time he wasn't so quick to grab it because I was handing him two treats—one stacked on top of the other. He was not prepared for two and didn't have his mouth open wide enough for me to fit both cookies. He was struggling to open his little mouth, and I was struggling to wedge them in between his teeth. It took a few moments for us to coordinate our efforts to squeeze both cookies into his mouth. Once he had a firm grip, he was off to his usual picnic spot on the couch.

The momentary delay was due to the size of the gift I was offering him. It was almost more than his mouth had the capacity to handle. But between his determination to receive the cookies and my determination to give the cookies, we succeeded in the mission. If he had given up his efforts to increase his capacity to receive, the cookie exchange would not have been successful . . . no matter how hard I tried to give him the two treats

Moral of the story?

It is important to be persist ant in one's efforts to open wide in expectation of a gift.

Do you sometimes worry that you have expectations that are too big or too far beyond the plan God has for you? Maybe your expectations and hope seem a little ridiculous, but sometimes God asks us to step out in unconventional belief because (1) he has promised outrageously good things for us and (2) because we believe he will do what he said he will do. Sometimes God will prompt us to do things that do not make sense according to conventional wisdom.

God wants to help you increase your expectations. There is so much he is willing to teach you. But he has to work at a pace that you can handle—he doesn't want to blow your circuits. With Suwanee, I could have tried to force those cookies into his mouth, but I waited until he adjusted his mouth around the gift on his own. (Somehow I think jamming them into his mouth would have ruined the positive moment I was trying to create!)

God may be working with you to create more space in your life for the things he wants you to receive. The two of you will have to coordinate your efforts for this to happen.

## The Power of an Expectant Heart

It is sobering to realize that sometimes the Lord provides proportionate to our expectations of his provision. He says,

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it (Psalm 81.10).

He does not say Open your mouth, he says Open your mouth wide. What difference is there in an "open mouth" and a "wide open mouth"? The difference is that the mouth that is open "wide" will be able to contain more. As I write this, I picture a mouth straining to open as wide as possible . . . after all, the promise is that the mouth will be "filled."

The word "fill" is a relative term. Webster's dictionary defines the word: "to put into as much as can be held or conveniently contained" or "a quantity that satisfies or satiates." If someone is just a little hungry, it will take just a little food to satisfy her. If someone else is a lot hungry, it will take a lot of food to satisfy her. If someone has small expectations, it will take something small to satisfy those expectations. It takes something big to satisfy big expectations.

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

If I offered you a box "full" of $100 bills, would you rather that box be a shoebox or a refrigerator box? Which full box will contain more? Obviously the refrigerator box has a greater capacity to be filled. Both boxes are full, but one "full" is greater than the other simply because it has more space to receive.

The mouth that is part-way-open will receive less than what is possible; because a part-way-open-mouth does not have the receiving capacity that the all-the-way-open-mouth has. This verse tells us to go all out and have great expectations—to prepare as much space as possible in our hearts and lives to receive from God. Make space available so that God can fill you to capacity. The wider the mouth of your expectations, the more "filling" space. Open wide your heart so that the king may fill it!

## Be Extravagant

King Ahaz was nervous about the army approaching to attack his people. Isaiah went to Ahaz with an encouraging word from the Lord—letting him know that there was no reason to fear. Isaiah instructed the King to make a request of God. He didn't encourage it to be a little dinky request. Oh no, this request was going to be made of the Lord Most High.

Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead (Isaiah 7.11).

The Message Bible paraphrase says it this way,

Ask anything. Be extravagant. Ask for the moon!

There isn't anything in Isaiah's instructions from God that implies that Ahaz should ask for the least he can get by with. There isn't anything cautioning him to downsize his expectations. So what do you think Ahaz asked for?

Nothing. He refused. And the prophet Isaiah was not happy with him. He said to Ahaz,

Isn't it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? (Isaiah 7.13).

By refusing to ask, Isaiah told Ahaz that he was exhausting the patience of God (and from reading the Bible, it's plain to see that God has the patience of. . . well uh . . . a saint.)

You can tell a lot about the size of someone's God by the requests they make of him. If you view God as limited in power, you will make small requests, such as "Dear God, please help me find my glasses" or "help me pass this test." If you have a big God, you will pray big prayers, such as "Dear God, please save my family and bring them into your kingdom."

## Elisha and the Archer King

The prophet Elisha has a similar experience with an apathetic king. Jehoash was not a follower of God (2 Kings 13.11), however he did have some degree of respect for Elisha, God's chosen prophet—enough to visit Elisha on his deathbed.

Elisha told him, "Get a bow and some arrows." And the king did as he was told. Elisha told him, "Put your hand on the bow," and Elisha laid his own hands on the king's hands.

Then he commanded, "Open that eastern window," and he opened it. Then he said, "Shoot!" So he shot an arrow. Elisha proclaimed, "This is the Lord's arrow, an arrow of victory over Aram, for you will completely conquer the Arameans at Aphek" (2 Kings 13.14-17).

After the king shot his first arrow out the window at Elisha's command, Elisha explained to him that the arrow represented a battle in which they would conquer the opposing army. What encouraging words for a king worried about an invasion! "Victory. Completely conquer."

There was more. He was given another opportunity for victory. Elisha instructed the king further.

Then he said, "Now pick up the other arrows and strike them against the ground."

Here the king showed his apathy. He didn't seem to believe what Elisha had said about the first arrow—he demonstrated this by his lack of enthusiasm in following the second request.

So the king picked them up and struck the ground three times. But the man of God was angry with him. "You should have struck the ground five or six times!" he exclaimed. "Then you would have beaten Aram until it was entirely destroyed. Now you will be victorious only three times" (2 Kings 13.18-19).

Since he only shot three arrows, he only gained three victories for Israel. Had he been more enthusiastic about his arrow-shooting, they would have had more victories. How easily they could have had doubled the victory! Twice the victory would not have caused God extra effort. But the victories allotted to the king's people—his nation—were proportionate to his expectation and enthusiasm in embracing the task before him. He would have received more had he believed the prophet, had he expected more.

You do not have, because you do not ask God (James 4.2).

## An Oily Widow

A modern day paraphrase of the story found in 2 Kings 4.1-7 might be told like this.

There was a woman whose husband suddenly died. He left behind so much debt on the family credit cards that neither of her sons would be able to attend college as they had planned. Both would have to go to the coal mines to work the rest of their lives slowly paying off the family debt. She would never see them again, and it would be dangerous work with little pay.

A desperate situation. A family with no choices. But she went to Elisha and he told her,

"How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?"

"Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil."

Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side."

At this point the widow has a couple of choices.

Option 1: Looking at the prophet in disbelief, she can mumble her thanks, halfheartedly tell her closest neighbor that she needs to borrow a mayonnaise jar and wave goodbye to her sons as the bus hauls them off to the coal mines.

Option 2: She can demonstrate her belief in the prophet's words and go around her neighborhood asking anyone she sees if she can borrow all of their tupperware, water pitchers and garbage cans. She can check the trash bins up and down her street for empty milk jugs, soda bottles and juice boxes. She can borrow mop buckets, picnic coolers and flower pots.

What she chooses to do will depend on whether she really believes that something big and irrational is about to happen . . . or not.

Unlike King Jehoash, she chooses to believe. She chooses to expect. She chooses to prepare.

She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing.

She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."

The oil stopped flowing as the last jar was filled. Done. Finished. It was not possible for her to check with just one more neighbor for an extra jar now that she saw that this oil-pouring thing was going to work out. If she was embarrassed to ask before, it was too late now. She had to make the decision to go all-in before she had visual confirmation that this was really going to "pan" out. She had to have faith to do such an irrational thing.

The oil held up until the last jar was filled. If she had gathered ten more jars, they would have also been filled, and she would have had more money.

Did she borrow as many as she could find as she had been instructed? When that last jar was filled, did she think of another neighbor she could have asked for one more jar? Or did she rejoice that she had followed Elisha's directions thoroughly?

She was supplied in direct proportion to her ability and willingness to receive. Fewer jars would have reduced her receiving capacity. She received in proportion to her expectations (and those expectations had to exist before she saw the outcome).

## Thinking Big

In Isaiah God tells again that we need to think big. To plan big. To have grand expectations.

Enlarge the place of your tent. Stretch your tent curtains wide. Do not hold back! Lengthen your cords! Strengthen your stakes! Do not be afraid. You will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace. You will not be humiliated (Isaiah 54.2-4).

When you seek the gifts that God has promised, you are seeking things that are in his will—territory he has allotted you. As you are obedient to his leading, you can expect great success. Make his promises your own. Stand on them. Seek the kingdom of God. He will fill the space you make available to him.

## Powerful Expectant Faith

It is through this heart of expectation—faith—that we "gain what is promised" (Hebrews 11:33).

By faith . . . Abraham was enabled to become a father.

By faith . . . the walls of Jericho fell.

By faith . . . Rahab was not killed.

Through faith . . . [they] conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained what was promised.

Through faith . . .

. . . they shut the lions mouth,

. . . quenched the fury of flames,

. . . escaped the edge of the sword,

. . . weakness was turned to strength,

. . . men became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies,

. . . women received back their dead raised to life again (Hebrews 11.11-35 paraphrase).

According to your faith will it be done to you (Matthew 9.29).

Did you get that? "According to your faith." The depth of your faith determines how it "will be done to you." God may have promised but that does not leave you without responsibility—without a part to play.

What is the depth of your faith? How will it be done to you?

## Centurion Sized Faith

The centurion in Matthew 8, who requested that Jesus heal his servant, had expectations of how Jesus could help. He essentially told Jesus that he knew Jesus' healing power could reach his sick servant without Jesus even entering his village. He expressed his faith that the dark force inflicting the sickness would have to obey the voice of Jesus—even when Jesus was not physically present. Jesus was delighted by the centurion's faith and said of him,

I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith (Matthew 8.10).

Jesus could have visited the centurion's house. He could have given the man an action plan like Naaman was given by the prophet to dip seven times in the river. But he did not. He said,

Go! It will be done just as you believed it would (Matthew 8.13).

Just as requested. Just as the centurion expected. The answer was proportionate to the request—and the request reflected a depth of faith that astonished Jesus (Matthew 8.10). Belief in God's power is very important.

Don't be afraid; just believe. Everything is possible for him who believes. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Blessed is she who believes that what the Lord said to her will be accomplished! Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" The one who trusts will never be dismayed (Mark 5.36, Mark 9.23, Mark 11.23-24 changed pronouns, Luke 1.45, John 11.30, Isaiah 28.16).

In our world—our culture—we wait until we see something before we believe. We want to witness it before we believe. We want to see some statistics. We want some cold hard data. But Jesus said,

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20.29 emphasis mine).

### Our way: Show me. (Then I'll believe you.)

### Jesus' way: Believe me. (Then I'll show you.)

What are you believing today? Which promises do you have faith in today? What do you wish God would show you? Are you asking God for too much? . . . . or for too little?

## The Risk of Believing God

It can be scary to believe. God may ask you to do something that appears irrational to those who know you. Think of Abraham walking around for 25 years expecting to receive the promised son. Think of Noah preaching for 120 years that rain—a substance never experienced by humans—would flood the earth. Think of Naaman dipping seven times in a muddy river expecting to be cured of leprosy.

Abraham risked looking foolish by calling himself Abraham which meant "father of many nations" (Genesis 17.5). Noah risked looking foolish preaching about a flood. Naaman risked looking foolish by splashing about a muddy river.

### Risk-takers in the Bible

There are others in the Bible that also made a decision to believe God. Their actions demonstrated their faith in his word.

Elijah and the widow (1 Kings 17)—During a nationwide famine, the widow had to risk the oil and flour for her last meal to fulfill Elijah's request for a meal.

Elisha and widow with the two sons (2 Kings 4)—She gathered jars so that she could fill them with oil. She had to risk looking foolish to her neighbors (and they were probably well-aware of her lack of resources). After all it was silly to think she could fill all those jars when all she had was a few drops of oil.

The disciples (John 21)—Peter and some of the other disciples were out fishing. They were unsuccessful in catching anything despite their long hours on the water. Jesus instructed them to throw out their net again (on the opposite side of the boat). "Obviously" not a technique to count on, I can hear the sighs under their breath as they drag the net to the other side. They had to risk extra effort to follow an irrational command.

The lame man (John 4)—This man had not walked for 38 years. Along comes Jesus and says, "Get up." This man had no reason to think any effort on his part would enable him to stand. It made no sense to go through the efforts of trying to stand. Try and fail, and it would be in front of all those people. There would be witnesses to the failure. He had to take a risk on the words of this unknown man telling him to get up.

Family of Lazarus—These people knew that Lazarus had been dead for days. Yet Jesus came along and asked them to do something irrational—he asked that they roll away the stone. Physically possible, sure. But why? They had to risk unpleasant odors and the effort of rolling away that stone.

These were not rational people. All of them were asked to deny common sense through some simple action. Yet the action they were asked to take was totally within their abilities.

Anyone can give away their flour and oil. Anyone can ask their neighbors to borrow every container they have available. Anyone can move a net from one side of the boat to the other. Anyone can try to get off their sleeping mat. Anyone can ask that a stone be rolled away. Anyone can walk into a muddy river and dunk seven times. Just because any one of us is capable of performing these actions, doesn't mean that any of these actions make sense in relation to the desired outcome. Any of the actions are possible—for someone willing to express their faith through action.

## An Army of Circle Walkers

Think of the Israelites about to conquer Jericho. Stronger in their faith. Subdued by forty years of desert-wandering. And now on the border of the promised land God asks them to take a risk in trusting him again. He asks them to march around the city of Jericho once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they were to march seven times. What a dumb battle plan! No self-respecting military commander would be willing to take credit for thinking up such a plan. Yet, they were not asked to do anything beyond their human capabilities. Any ol' army can walk in circles (as walking in circles does not require a high level of competence last time I checked).

But it takes a faith-filled army to actually do it!

God could have knocked down those walls without the Israelites ever leaving their comfy tents. But that is not the way God works. He wants his people to take the risk of trusting him. He requested their participation in a very simple (achievable) manner. And the Israelite army complied. They did the circle-walking required of them; they became the Army of Israelite Circle Walkers. Only a people filled with faith could be convinced to do something so dumb!

Action: simple.

Risk: bigger than huge.

Their faith was rewarded. They won the battle and conquered the city.

And the other risk-takers?

Abraham had a son. Noah's flood came as promised. Naaman regained his health. The widow was fed throughout the famine. The other widow kept her sons and had money to live on. Peter and the disciples caught more fish than their nets could hold. The lame man walked. And Lazarus was reunited with his family. They risked taking God at his word. They risked believing. They risked their common sense.

And yet through all of these illogical actions the Provider of Miracles was revealed. Had the Israelites attacked Jericho with their own battle gear and beaten them, the success could have been attributed to their military expertise instead of God. Had Naaman been given a poultice to cure his leprosy, it would have been the best-selling cream at the local pharmacy. If the disciples had been given new bait for fishing, that bait would have been the talk of the town. If Lazarus had come back to life from CPR, everyone would have been taking classes at the local Red Cross facility. Because those actions would have made sense. Those actions and results could have been replicated by anyone. The results from those actions would have been reasonable and explainable. Not so with marching around a city in circles! Who would take credit for such a battle plan?

The actions these people were asked to take were not explainable. There was no human rationale to them. They were asked to take a risk in putting it all on the line. They were asked to risk belief.

The miracle receivers in the stories above were asked to do something completely irrational. In the human-world not one of their actions makes sense. Any of these actions would be undeniably foolish to achieve the desired outcome. At the same time any of them were achievable by the average human—each person had the capacity to easily comply with the human-action needed. They only needed to be willing. Had it made sense, it would not have required faith. God's power and intervention would not have been visible.

## An Army of Few

Gideon was also a risk-taker. His army was about to be attacked by a military composed of 135,000 men (Judges 8.10). He had only 32,000 men on his team. The odds were stacked against him. In Judges chapter 6 he put out a fleece to receive assurance from God that he would provide protection during battle. Who could blame him with only 32,000 soldiers to fight an army of 135,000—I would want God's assurance too!

After receiving the desired assurance from God, Gideon gathered his team of 32,000 and headed out to the battlefield. And then it happened. God asked him to do something irrational. He said,

"You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. Therefore, tell the people, 'Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home." So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight (Judges 7.2-3 NLT).

I can hear Gideon thinking, "Are you kidding me? We're already short-handed and out-gunned and you want me to let 22,000 troops go home?" Not exactly a battle strategy that would earn an "A" grade at the local military academy. This is not a plan designed for victory. But that seems to be God's point . . . he doesn't want anyone—at any time or any place—thinking that the Israelites won through their own strength.

So now it is 135,000 soldiers against 10,000 soldiers. A little dismal, but perhaps it is doable.

But that's a problem . . . maybe a little too much fighting power on the Israelite's side. So God has more to say,

There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not." When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him, "Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream." Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.

The Lord told Gideon, "With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home." So Gideon collected the provisions and rams' horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him (Judges 7.4-8 NLT).

So now God reduced their number to 300. Three hundred soldiers versus an army of 135,000. Now that's more like it. No chance that 300 soldiers can defeat 135,000 men through their own strength.

God is not limited to human convention. He can accomplish more through one person who has faith in him than can be accomplished by 135,000 people who do not have faith in him. Do not doubt his ability to save you. Have a constant faith regardless of your circumstances. Your Father God is all powerful. You may think that you do not have the resources to stand against the challenges that face you.

You are right. You do not.

But God does, and he is just waiting for you to turn to him and ask him to help you. In answering, he may even reduce your ability to solve the problem yourself. He may let your circumstances get worse before he intervenes. He does not want you to attribute success to your own resources. He may allow the odds to be so stacked against you that the impending victory is completely irrational when measured by human reasoning. After all, 300 soldiers cannot beat 135,000 soldiers . . . can they?

He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram's horn and a clay jar with a torch in it. Then he said to them, "Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. As soon as I and those with me blow the rams' horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, 'For the Lord and for Gideon!'"

It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams' horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!"

Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. When the 300 Israelites blew their rams' horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath (Judges 7.17-22 NLT).

When God is the Commander-in-Chief, 300 men can defeat an army of 135,000. Gideon's "risk" of taking God at his word—his faith in the promise was rewarded. God defeated the opposing army—120,000 men were dead and 15,000 escaped to tell of their defeat.

Is it really a risk to believe in the sure word of God?

Is faith risky?

## God is Bigger Than Common Sense

As we can see, God does not always ask us to take the route that "makes the most sense." He is not averse to asking his children to act in "irrational" ways that might make them appear a little nuts to those observing. He gave each of the people a doesn't-make-sense-task to test their faith. If the task had made sense, the resulting miracle would not be noticeable. The miracle becomes obvious only because there can be no other explanation.

Are you willing to risk looking irrational? If God asks you to take the step of believing him are you willing to do it even when it goes against conventional reasoning? Be obedient for the glory of God.

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you (2 Corinthians 5.13).

Believing God and claiming his promises is not for the faint of heart. Perhaps that is why God's most oft repeated command is "do not be afraid." As Joshua led his troops into the promised land, God repeated several times,

Be strong and courageous and Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged (Joshua 1.6, Joshua 1.9).

God acknowledges that this task will feel scary to those involved. He's aware of the size of the task in front of them and how intimidating it is. But he is quick to soothe when he tells them "don't be terrified, don't be discouraged." He reassures them in verse 9 that he will be with them wherever they go. Take a risk today. Believe that God is by your side as you walk into your struggles. Hear his voice telling you not to be afraid or discouraged. He is still a God that causes walls to fall.

Be willing to take the actions that God asks you take—

not random actions,

not presumptuous risks.

But actions that God Almighty instructs you to take. Be willing to make yourself vulnerable to God . . . even if it means looking foolish to others. If something does not make sense to you, ask God to reassure you that it is him asking you to take action. Then ask him to help you see it through eyes of faith. Ask him to speak to you, ask him to give you courage to comply.

It feels like risk. It is not for the faint-hearted. You may be scared to believe that God can get you through the challenge that is in front of you. It may be difficult to believe that God wants to give you a Big Rescue. But commit your life to God and his purpose for you. Be willing to believe that he will do what he says he will do. Believe that he will save you.

Quit evaluating all the reasons it can fail and itemizing all the challenges of the situation. Step out in faith. Believe what is so hard to believe! Cling to God in faith. Fix your mind. Don't look left. Don't look right. Don't look at the facts. Look only at the face of God where you will see the power that is waiting to work for you.

## Praying It

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation (Psalm 5.3 emphasis mine).

O God, please show me how to raise my expectations, for I am a mere human who cannot understand all the wondrous possibilities that exist for those who wait on you. Please show me how to prepare a place in my heart big enough to contain all the gifts that you have for me. Please help me to keep my eyes fixed on you so that I will not worry about what other people think of me. The most important thing in my life is you. I want to have an "irrational" faith—to believe that all things are possible through your power. When you ask me to do something that just doesn't make sense to me, I want to comply immediately with a heart of faith. I want to enlarge my capacity to receive your blessings.

I hear your voice calling me to believe in you and the word you have given me. I hear you asking me to rest my faith in you. I hear you asking me to prepare my heart to expect big things. In the wilderness of my life, I will prepare a place for you as you have asked me to do. I know you will take every low spot in my life (the valley)—all my greatest failures—and will raise them up and make a victory of them. I know that you will take all those seemingly insurmountable challenges in my life (the mountains and hills) and will flatten them with one word. You will conquer them, and they will be flatter than flat. All the rough and bumpy spots in my life will be smooth and all those tough times will become a place of rest. Through this the glory of the Lord will be revealed! (Isaiah 40:4-5). You show your people that you care and are mighty to save. You have told me to believe your promises. You have said that she who trusts will not be dismayed. I can believe this because it is a promise from your mouth; if you said it, how can I doubt it? I seek your embrace and your glory. May your goodness and mercy be revealed in my life. May I learn how to share you with others so that they will not miss out on walking with you.

#  Chapter 5: That Something You Really, Really Want

I have to say I feel a little cheated.

Despite 18 years of attending Christian schools and thirty-plus years of attending church, no one ever told me that God wants to give me the desires of my heart. I was in my early thirties when I discovered this little-preached fact. My theory is that those who know about this are reluctant to share it willy-nilly. I think they worry that those listening will begin to see God as a big-genie-in-the-sky who will magically grant every wish. That maybe my prayers to God will be strikingly similar to a letter to Santa Claus.

So for all these years, I have missed out on knowing the tender side of God who says,

What the righteous desire will be granted (Proverbs 10.24).

I have granted her the desire of her heart and have not withheld the request of her lips (Psalm 21.2 changed pronouns).

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37.4).

[The Lord] who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (Psalm 103.5).

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145.16).

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them (Psalm 145.19).

The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath (Proverbs 11.23).

The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied (Proverbs 13.4).

You have desires. Perhaps they are small. Perhaps they are big. But know this, God cares about your desires. He sees your innermost heart and knows its longing. There are times, due to the nature of our humanity, God cannot give us all the gifts he has for us because on earth some gifts would end up hurting us rather than helping us. But just wait until you cross the threshold of heaven and see what he has prepared specifically for you!

That said, there are some gifts we can safely receive from him now. There are God-gifts we can realize during our time on earth.

In his book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby tells a story of buying his son a blue Schwinn bicycle for Christmas. He proceeded to spend the weeks before Christmas pointing out all the Schwinn bicycles around town to his son Richard . . . expounding on the benefits of owning such a bicycle. By the time Christmas rolled around, his son's greatest wish was to personally own a blue Schwinn bicycle. Why? Because his loving father, who had prepared the perfect gift for him, pointed out the benefits of such a gift. Henry worked hard to implant the desire in his son's heart for the very gift he had prepared for him . . . Richard wanted the bicycle because his father taught him to want it.

If Richard had wished for a Red Ryder BB gun, he would have been disappointed as that was not in his father's plans. It was not the desire that determined the father's plan; but the planned gift that determined the desire. Similarly, we will desire the gifts God has in store for us.

Do you have a strong desire to receive something from God? He may have planted that desire inside you from the day you were born. He tells us,

For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2.13).

It is possible that long ago God gave you a particular desire to receive something special from him. It is possible he gave you this dream so that you would start thinking big. It is possible that he is willing to provide this for you. He's done big things in the past; he's proven he will take care of you and provide.

Perhaps he has kept your dream alive over the years so that you would turn to him and request his help—his intervention. This desire could be an opportunity for God to flex his righteous right arm on your behalf. A time for him to display his glory and interest in your life.

Maybe God is planning a Red Sea experience custom-tailored to speak to you—to move your heart. God has promised that he will guide you and that he has a plan for your life.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29.11).

Don't you think that those plans would appeal to you? If for no other reason than they give "hope" and will "prosper" you. Hope is great on its own, but we're talking hope in a God-level sort of way. He created you and personally chose your likes and dislikes. Your talents and strengths. He has a better understanding of what would make you happy than you do. His "inside" knowledge of your heart makes it easy for him to plan something spectacular for you.

He had a plan for you before you were born, and that plan is written in your DNA. Now, it's a matter of God instilling those plans and desires into your heart so that the journey to fulfillment can begin. Your job is to accept his promises and accept his leadership. To follow him. To have a heart full of praise.

## A Woman of Prayer

I think of Hannah, mother of the prophet of Samuel. Now there was a woman obsessed with having a baby! This was not just a passing whim. She wanted a baby in the worst kind of way. She prayed—year after year. And prayed some more (see the story in 1 Samuel chapters 1 & 2). And finally . . . . her prayer was answered.

Where did that overwhelming desire to have a child originate? In 1st Samuel 1.6 it tells us that "the Lord closed her womb." The Bible attributes her inability to bear children to none other than the Lord. This inability to bear a child transformed into a desire so deep that she prayed longer and harder than the mother who easily gets pregnant. She went to the temple and was so intense in her prayer that a passing priest thought she was drunk (1 Samuel 1.13-16). That is some intense praying . . . I can safely say that I've never prayed so hard that someone thought I was drunk!

She was so anxious to have a child. She went so far as to promise God that if he would give her a child she would dedicate that child to serve in the temple. She would take him while he was still a small child and leave him in the temple to grow up. Miles from her home. No car to use for a weekly visit. No spring-break trips home. An annual visit so that she could give him a new outfit.

Which to me seems a little counter-productive. Why pray so hard for a child only to give him away? I don't know a mother out there who would be willing to do that even if she didn't spend years and years praying for a baby. It seems to me that a mother who had such difficulty conceiving a child would cling to her child more than a naturally-fertile mother.

But maybe it wasn't Hannah who needed the child. Maybe it was God who needed the child. God set the stage for her to experience an unfulfilled desire for so long, that she was willing to have a child and then give him away if only it satisfied the longing of her heart. That strikes me as being rather miraculous. A woman so grateful to receive something that she was moved by her sense of gratitude to give up the very gift for which she prayed.

I picture God sitting on his throne—infinite in wisdom—looking into the future and forecasting Israel's need for a prophet. This prophet would need to be a man of God who would not commit the foolishness of his priestly predecessors. A man that would properly care and provide for the people. This man would need a lifetime of training that could only be obtained by living in the temple headquarters from the time he was weaned. Now if he could just find a woman who would be willing to give up her child . . . .

Had Hannah conceived early on, she probably would have taken the ability to conceive for granted. It would have been your usual ho-hum birth. Your average muddy boy skipping through the sheep fields. But Hannah was chained to the dream of having a child—year after year. There was no way she was going to take this prayer-child for granted. No way he would be just an average kid. His significance would be recognized.

Undoubtedly you have desires that originate within yourself and are not God-given. However, it's not safe to assume that just because you have a strong desire that it is a selfish desire. You may be experiencing a desire that exists in your heart as part of God's purpose for your life. A blessing not just for you, but for those around you as well . . . maybe even a nation.

Hannah's answered prayer was not just a gift for her alone, but for all the people of Israel. Her son grew up to be leader of Israel, and as he anointed King Saul he stood before Israel and said,

I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right (1 Samuel 12.1-3).

To which all of Israel replied,

"You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied. "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand" (1 Samuel 12.1-4).

It seems that Hannah's longed-for child grew up to be a man with whom no one in the nation could find fault. Her desire for a child rippled far beyond her home; it was not a coincidence that a small boy was dropped off at the temple to be raised.

God needed a man.

Hannah wanted a child.

By working through her heart's desire, the Lord's purpose prevailed.

Like the other prophets born into the world, the Lord knew Samuel before he was born—"before he was born I set him apart." God created a man to lead the nation. Both Hannah (in her willingness to pray for a son) and Samuel (in his willingness to lead) answered the call of God.

Before I formed him in the womb I knew him. Before he was born I set him apart; I appointed him as a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1.4-5 pronouns changed).

I the Lord have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you (Isaiah 42.6).

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139.14-16).

It is possible that the desire residing in your heart is not of selfish origin—your desire may also be God's desire. The longing you experience may be God's purpose taking residence in your heart.

Know also that when it is time for your desire to be fulfilled that it will not be for your benefit alone, but also for the benefit of others. God gives to you, so that others can receive from you. Just as Hannah dedicated her child-of-prayer to God, be ready and willing to use whatever God gives you to further his purpose. To glorify him as your Creator and Redeemer.

## A Thirsty Heart

Our bodies need water to survive because God created us that way. Thankfully he also created water. What if he created the need for water, but forgot to create water itself? He not only created the need, but he created the substance to satisfy that need. A body in need of water will not be helped by food or clothing—only by water! For every human need, God has provided the substance to satisfy the need.

But there's more. Our bodies need water, and water exists. But there is another component to this physiological need—the awareness of your need for water—aka thirst. If you had not been equipped with a sense of thirst, you would not know when you need a drink of water. Thirst is the trigger that alerts you to your water deficiency.

The Webster dictionary defines thirst in two ways,

1. A sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat associated with a desire for liquids.

2. An ardent desire.

Are you experiencing a sensation of dryness? What is your ardent desire?

Not just a passing whim.

A longing.

You have consecrated this longing to God. You have asked him to take it out of your heart if it is not of his making. And it will not go away. It will not let go of you. You have become a "prisoner of hope" (Zechariah 9.12).

Your God-given desire is not an accident. The longing—or thirst—you feel is God triggering your awareness of a need he wants to fill. A God-given awareness. He is using your desire to invite you into his plan for your life. That desire is the call of God asking you to participate in an adventure. He is the only one who is able to satisfy that longing. Let him supply your need . . . do not try to obtain it on your own.

God promises to guide you along your path, and he also promises to satisfy your thirst.

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants (Isaiah 44.3).

For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things (Psalm 107.9).

Praise God that this verse does not say I will give food to the thirsty or I will give clothes to the thirsty. God fulfills the need; he gives water to the thirsty. Food and clothes are great (and needed), but neither conquer thirst. Thank the Lord that he gives you loneliness to trigger your awareness of your need for the people he wants to bring in your life. Praise God that when he sends you the longing for a child, he also has a solution to provide. The Lord will not ignore your ardent desire.

Sheri Rose Shepherd tells her story of longing in her book My Prince Will Come.

I always wanted a baby daughter. Oh, I adored my son, but my heart still longed for a little girl, and God promises to give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37.4). He doesn't put those desires in our heart to torment us, but I miscarried three babies, and I so longed to be the mother of a little girl. After my third loss I asked the Lord to either give me a daughter or take the desire of my heart totally away. Well, God did not remove the desire. It actually became even more intense, but I didn't have enough faith to trust Him. So, when I was about to turn forty, I asked my husband to get a vasectomy. I thought that if it were physically impossible to have children anymore, then I would stop wanting another one. Like [Abraham's wife] Sarah, I took matters into my own hands.

Six weeks after Steve's surgery, I was in Nashville for a Christian bookseller's convention. While I was there, an author whom I had just met at the convention walked up to me and said, "Is it your heart's desire to have a daughter?" I replied, "Yes, but it's too late for me." She said, "Actually the Lord told me that you're pregnant now with that little girl you long for." Of course I didn't believe her, so the next morning she knocked on my hotel door with two pregnancy tests in her hands. (She knew it would take two for me to believe it!)

Overwhelmed by the news, I called Steve right away, and he responded by saying, "Don't tell anyone in case we lose this baby too." Fear immediately stole my joy, and my faith was nowhere to be found. I knew that my dear husband was just trying to protect me from greater heartbreak, but I wanted to tell everyone! Praise God that the Spirit of our Lord rose up inside of Steve. He immediately ran back into the hotel room and said boldly, "Tell everyone you can to pray so we can have our girl!" We were at the right place to ask for prayer because this trade show draws about six thousand Christians. Then later, while I was being interviewed, I shared the news of my pregnancy—and the program host asked all the listeners to pray for our precious girl! I praise God for that prayer cover, because we welcomed our baby girl into the family on October 23, 1999. Even though I got in God's way, He gave me the desire of my heart.

In light of my own experience, I want to encourage you to ask God to either give you the desire of your heart or change your heart in accordance with His perfect will.

God will not ignore your plea. When you are thirsty he will not give you food and expect it to suffice. In some cases he may say "no" and remove the desire that does not mesh with his plans for your life or the desire that will hurt you more than help you. But I believe he will help you understand why his answer needed to be a loving "no." He will replace your longing with something even better. For he has promised,

No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless (Psalm 84.11).

If it is "good," he will not withhold it. You are safe in asking God to satisfy your longing. Surrender your life and will to him in all areas—especially the areas where you have such strong desires and opinions. He has promised to hear your cry for help.

## Persistence

When you decide you are ready to be a risk-taker and a promise-claimer, you will begin a wonderful adventure with God. In his word he promises success for the seeking heart.

Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened . . . .

You sinful people know how to give good gifts. How much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him (Matthew 7.7,8,11 NLT).

This promise is an amazingly broad promise! So many times I've heard this promise used to explain salvation being awarded to those who seek it—and I don't disagree with that. But the latter part of this verse refers specifically to "gifts." This verse promises us again that our Father wants to give us good gifts. Why does he do this? The verse says because he wants to and because we ask!

That sounds too good to be true! He gives gifts simply because he is good!

Actually when you stop and think about it, the best gifts on our planet were conceived and created by him in the first place. He is the inventor of all the good stuff. On top of that he encourages us to persist in asking for his goodness. He doesn't say ask once and poof the gift will appear. "Keep on asking," he says. The book of Hebrews tells us that in addition to faith, patience will also be needed. If God were to give his answers with the speed of a fairy godmother, we would not need the patience he asks us to have. He says,

Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised (Hebrews 6.12).

If God answered prayers instantaneously, there would be no need for patience. It may be easy to have faith for a moment. But what about a week, a month or years? Abraham had to believe for 25 years before his faith became sight. Not only did his faith have to persist, but he had to learn patience in a major way! During those 25 years, do you think there was one day that went by that he didn't think of God's promise of a son? Was there a day that he didn't imagine what life would be like when Isaac arrived? I'll bet his friends and neighbors thought he was a little obsessed with the idea of having a son.

Then there is Hannah. Was there ever a day that Hannah did not think about the child she desired? Was there ever a day that she did not mourn the absence of a child in her life? Was she over-focused on the promises of God?

Abraham and Hannah are both marvelous models of persistence. If you are not experiencing answers to your prayers, and God has not specifically told you "no," then keep asking. Hosea 10.12 instructs you to seek until you have your answer.

Seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you (emphasis mine).

Isaiah 62.6-7 also outlines determination in prayer,

You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem.

Be stubborn like the widow in Luke 18.1-8 who kept pestering the judge until he agreed to answer her case. Jesus pointed out that the judge refused to answer because he is wicked and draws a contrast with the God who will hear,

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly (Luke 18.7-8).

Jesus is saying that our Father will not keep putting us off, but encourages us to have persistence like the widow dealing with the human-judge.

In Matthew 7.7-11 there are three instructions from God: Ask. Seek. Knock.

According to this verse,

Who gets the gifts that are promised by God?

Those who ask.

How many of those who ask will receive?

Everyone.

Ask = Receive

## Endless Possibilities

I hope you are asking God for something as "high as the moon" (Isaiah 7.10-11). I hope that you know he is big enough to do the difficult stuff. You are talking to the Father God of whom Jesus said,

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19.26).

He has called you to hope, to believe that he is who he says he is. He has called you to be enlightened regarding what he has given you . . . a glorious inheritance and his "incomparably great power" that is ready to intervene on your behalf if you will believe.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1.18-19).

It doesn't matter how difficult the request. It does not matter how impossible. You are following the God of Heaven who refers to things that "are not" as though they "were." He will give life to those things that "are not."

The God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were (Romans 4.17).

If you feel as though the odds are against you, remember Abraham. It was not because Abraham was young and fertile that he believed he would have a son. Those days were long gone. God had reduced his possibility of success to zero. Abraham acknowledged that his body had dried up. That Sarah was too old. To make things more complicated, around the time of Isaac's conception Abraham was healing from his circumcision and Sarah was living in the Palace's Concubine Quarters. Abraham did not dispute the associated difficulties of conception. He recognized that he had nothing to hope for in himself.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised (Romans 4.18-20).

Are you "fully persuaded" as Abraham was? God may ask you to persist in belief for a week, for a year, perhaps longer. But he will also strengthen you to have the persistent, expectant faith for as long as you need it. He will get you to fulfillment in one piece. You need only be persistent. Stubborn in the face of delay. Willing to seek the miracle you need. Abraham was strengthened in his faith. You will be too.

Give glory to God as Abraham did. As King J did, sing praises to God for your victory before you experience the victory. Start planning how you will use God's gifts for his glory; treasure the gift before you receive it in tangible form. Allow God to use your waiting period to lead you to a greater understanding of him, as it is easier to seek him from the depths of the problem you are facing than it will be once he has fulfilled your request. It is the angst-ridden periods in your life that drive you to the action of promise-claiming, to faith and to prayer. In the midst of your frustration, you are acutely aware of your need for God-sized power in your life.

## Praying It

O Lord, it leaves me speechless to realize that you have promised to fulfill the desires of a faithful heart. You promise over and over that the righteous will receive what they ask and what they desire. Your word is so clear on this. But it is amazing! Why am I only just discovering this? Any time in the past I've heard these verses referenced, the human speaker points out that you are not a Santa Claus and then quickly lists a host of conditions for the promise to be fulfilled—almost to the point of rendering the promise useless. It makes claiming these promises seem hopeless. I do not find associated conditions other than someone living an obedient life and faithfully seeking you. The simplicity and broad inclusion actually makes it harder for me to believe!

In 1 John 3.22 (AMP) you tell me that I receive what I ask because I watchfully obey your orders, observe your suggestions and injunctions, follow your plan for me and habitually practice what is pleasing to you. The straightforwardness and utter simplicity of this promise is actually an obstacle to my belief! How ridiculous! Let me not be so thick-headed as to doubt a single word that comes from you. Please strengthen my faith and help my desires to be in line with your will for my life. Please help me never to treat you like a genie-in-the-sky. I beg you to remove any desire that I have that is not in your plan for me. I want to walk with you more than anything else. Please teach me to seek your kingdom with all my heart and soul.

#  Chapter 6: The Answer of God

Three men scramble throughout the countryside seeking a buried treasure in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou. They have nothing other than the clothes on their back. Along their journey they have one adventure after another—at one point recording a song at a radio station. After many mishaps, they get to the end of their journey and do not find the expected treasure. They are discouraged. They are dirty. They are tired. They have no place to go and nothing to motivate them. Until they discover that the song they recorded in the studio has swept the nation! They are the pop-star singing sensation of the day. They have a best-selling album. People from all over the country have been trying to find them. Throughout their journey they were in possession of a treasure bigger than the one they had been seeking. They had a ticket to stardom. Their needs were provided—no more living like nomads.

Sometimes it's easy to feel discouraged because you cannot see the answers to your prayers. You pray. Pray again. Wait. Pray. And wait some more. You feel tired and worn. Sometimes it feels as though God hasn't answered. But his word says,

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear (Isaiah 65.24).

God promises that he will answer before you finish asking him. There is nothing in this promise indicating God needs time to consider your request. He does not need time to think about it; he knows what his answer will be based on the depth of faith you exercise.

God grants your requests during your quiet prayer time. You may not see the answer; you may not know the answer. However, that does not mean there isn't an answer. God has answered. Like the three treasure seekers, you possess the answer even though you aren't able to see it.

The Bible tells us that there is a "day of salvation" and a "time of [God's] favor" (Isaiah 49.8). In Psalm 145.15 God tells us that he feeds us at the "proper time." I don't know about you, but I usually want my prayers answered right now! But God has his own agenda. He has objectives for in your life of which you may be ignorant.

When will God answer your prayer? He says,

At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation, I will help you (Isaiah 49.8).

God will reveal his answer to you "at just the right time."

Not one day too soon. Not one day too late.

## Part of the Answer

God promises to hear and answer your cries for help.

He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you (Isaiah 30.19).

Sometimes his answers may feel more like adversity and affliction than the answer you seek. It is hard to accept that his answer may include situations you really don't want to experience. But it is through this adversity he teaches you. It is through these afflictions that you will learn God's ways and come to a better understanding of who he is. By passing through these difficult experiences, you will learn to hear God's voice saying "over there, walk that way" (Isaiah 30.21).

It was probably beyond the wildest dreams of the Exodus-slaves to think that God's road to freedom included being trapped at the Red Sea! I doubt that any part of watching the Egyptian army barreling toward them felt like an answer to their prayer for freedom. But just as God never left their side, he will never leave your side. Just as God used this experience to teach them about himself, he will use your trying experiences to teach you about him.

And just as God delivered them, he will deliver you.

In Acts, Paul had a word from God that he and his ship-mates would be rescued. He said to his sailing companions,

Keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as [God] told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island (Acts 27.25-26).

If only he had left out the second part about the ship running aground on some island! He's basically saying,

Oh yes, God will do all the saving he's promised to do, but first . . . you are going to encounter some turbulence. . . .

### Turbulence, Pregnancy and Farming

When a woman prays to have a baby, God answers her prayer—not by giving her a baby, but by giving her a pregnancy. Pregnancy in and of itself isn't much of a gift. From what I hear there's not much pleasant about the process by itself! God answers the prayer for a child by providing pregnancy, labor and delivery. All of these not-so-fun events lead up to the event of birth—the delayed fulfillment of an arduous experience.

Oh yes, God will provide a baby, but first . . . you are going to have a pregnancy.

There has never been a baby that was not a result of a pregnancy. A baby is always preceded by pregnancy, labor and delivery. God uses this process to answer a prayer. The answer or fulfillment to your prayer may not be visible, but that doesn't mean it isn't growing inside your relationship with God.

This is similar to farming. To the farmer who seeks a crop, God answers, not by giving an abundant harvest, but by giving him a seed to sow and a field to plow. After that he sends the blazing sunshine, pouring rain and a long wait with no visible changes. When the changes come, they creep in so slowly that the daily watcher sees no progress. Yet one day the plant is ready for harvest, and the farmer's prayer for a harvest is answered.

Oh yes, God will provide a harvest, but first . . . you have some fieldwork and threshing to do.

Do not assume that because there is no harvest sitting in your barn that God has not heard your cry for help. Just as there has never been a harvest without a season of planting, your day of fulfillment will not come until you have passed through God's growth process. This process will last until his purpose is complete, and it may be uncomfortable because growth does not come without serious stretching.

God answers when you call! There is growth even though you do not see it. There is progress, even though you can't comprehend it. The adversity and affliction you feel are part of God's answer. He has heard your prayer.

## The Phases of a Harvest

We "hurry-up" humans think of the outcome—the bottom line. We think in terms of the destination—not the journey. We think of instant make overs . . . not processes, not development. To God the journey is just as important as the destination. It's during the journey that the Red Sea parts, a son is born to Abraham and Jacob is blessed by the Wrestling Angel. The good stuff isn't at the end of the road but all along the path we walk. We think of the end result; God thinks in terms of growth.

In Isaiah 28.24-29 God tells us that plowing stops once the surface is level. He tells us that there has never been a harvest without planting, sowing and reaping. He tells us that each seed is planted in the place and manner suited to the seed. He tells us that different crops require different intensity in the threshing process. He tells us that threshing does not go on forever.

When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil? When he has leveled the surface, does he not sow caraway and scatter cummin? Does he not plant wheat in its place, barley in its plot, and spelt in its field? His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.

Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is a cartwheel rolled over cummin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it, his horses do not grind it. All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.

A seed is planted, but for the seed to grow to its full potential, it must pass through several stages—it must be processed. When we first "plant" our request with God, our hearts must go through a process before we can experience a "harvest."

Between plowing and harvest there are stages. There is a point to each stage—an objective. The objective for each stage must be met before we can move on to something else. Just as a farmer does not plow forever, God will not allow any stage of your life to last forever. Just as the farmer quits plowing when the entire field has been plowed, God will move to the next phase in your journey when the work for the current phase is complete.

Also just as different crops need different growth management, people need different growth management plans. God will not necessarily work with you in the same manner he works with others. There is a proper time and method for each of God's children. He will instruct you and teach you in the way that is right for you.

Notice in the harvest illustration that it takes grinding to get the grain to emerge from its husk. But also notice that the grinding stops before the kernel is damaged. It says "one does not go on threshing it forever." When it's time for God to grind the husk from your life, the grinding feeling is going to last only long enough to get the good part out; it will cease before you are damaged. It may feel destructive—but it will not destroy you.

When God removes the external, superficial things in your heart that need extracting from your life, then he will stop the process. Then he will be left with something great . . . something of value. He does not plant a crop without reaping a harvest. But conversely before he harvests, he sows, reaps, threshes and grinds. Where there is a harvest, there has been plowing planting and threshing. If you are willing soil and it is God doing the planting, then you can expect a harvest.

O people who dwell in Zion at Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you (Isaiah 30.19 AMP).

Or to make it personal,

To you, the person who is reading this book, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you.

There are phases to God's answer. There are phases to God's plan for your life. He is not going to take you to your next stage of growth until you are ready; he is going to work at a pace that you can handle. He wants you to learn to know him. No growth phase will last forever! The harvest will come . . . and perhaps the duration of plowing and threshing is proportionate to the size of the harvest.

## The Intensity of Harvest

Just as the farmer in the passage from Isaiah 28 sows different seeds in a different manner, God will work with different people in different ways. Some seeds are scattered in an irregular pattern, others are planted in rows. Some are planted in one field, some in another. God has a plan that fits you and no one else. You cannot expect someone else to have the same experience as you. You cannot assume that because others have not had experiences like yours that they have not had the same amount of growth. God has placed you in the best place to ensure your continued growth.

In the threshing process the farmer used different tools to remove the grain from its husk. Different levels of force are needed for different types of grain. In making a harvest of your life, God will use varying degrees of force to remove the superficial, unnecessary things from your life.

As the husk protects the grain from the elements during the growth process, you may have things in your life that God has allowed you to keep because he knows removing them too soon is more than you can withstand. But after the plant matures, during the harvest process the farmer threshes in order to remove the husk. Similarly, God removes things from your life as he harvests his work in your life. This is great news! It means you will not experience any more pressure than is absolutely necessary. Your threshing process will only be as painful as it needs to be to complete the process in your heart. Just as the farmer does not plow forever, your processing will end when the objective is achieved—there will not be any unnecessary pain.

Your process is built for you with Jesus Christ as your teacher and instructor. He uses this process to educate and refine you. The experience that would crush another person is a benefit to you. God is wise and his work is effective. This is not a random process, but a process carefully tended by the gardener himself.

You may very well feel like you are being "threshed" right now. You may feel pummeled with the rod or as though the threshing cart is rolling over you, squeezing your grain from the husk. Progress may be slow and it seems as though nothing is being accomplished. Whatever the stage it will not go on one minute longer than is necessary. There is a purpose and a plan.

Ask the Lord to show you how to apply this teaching to the stressful areas of your life. Remember that he is "wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom." He is in control of your situation. It is not out of control. You will not be crushed. He has heard and answered your prayer. Be pliable in his hands and allow him to answer your prayer in his way. In his time.

During these growth phases it can be tough to remember how very much God cares for you. And how he gets up each morning trying to think of something that he can do to benefit you.

The Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]! (Isaiah 30.18 AMP).

He looks for ways to show you mercy. There isn't anything that can happen to you that God cannot turn into an advantage for you (Romans 8.28). Wait on the Lord with your heart full of expectation and longing. Expect to receive his favor, his love, his joy and his peace. It's all part of those unfamiliar paths that he has guaranteed will exist . . . the paths on which he will lead you. Enjoy being his chosen son or daughter. Life on the road with our Savior may not be easy, but it is never dull!

## Harvest Always Follows Planting

God is not a half-way God. He does not fill us with desires that will go unfulfilled. He does not create needs that cannot be satisfied. He does not provide partial solutions. He doesn't fix part of a problem or solve part of a dilemma. He is the God of All-That-is-Complete. He has not brought you this far to desert you or to leave you to your own human-size devices. Be excited about the wonderful things God has in store for you—for the solutions he will provide.

Don't wait to receive your answer to start thanking God that he will answer. Celebrate the fact that he is a trustworthy God who keeps his promises—not some of the time—but all of the time.

Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day (Psalm 96:2).

Are you feeling the discomfort of the planting and harvesting process? Are you feeling the discomfort of being "pregnant" with a longing that you cannot satisfy yourself? Have you turned to God for resolution? He has not started this process to torment you. He has not left you to be plowed and threshed forever. Just as the farmer does not plow once the field has been leveled, God will not continue this part once his growth objective in you has been achieved. He has to grow you big enough so that you will have room to receive his works in your life.

In Isaiah 66 God asks "Who has ever heard of a woman giving birth before going into labor—or having a son in her arms before going through the birth process." God asks "Who has ever heard of such a thing?" He then goes on to say "Will I bring something to the moment of completion and then not cause it to happen?" In other words "Would I plant a harvest in your life and then not reap the harvest? I am the one who brings forth."

Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son.

Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? (Isaiah 66.7-8).

Shall I bring to the [moment of] birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord. Shall I Who causes to bring forth shut the womb? says your God (Isaiah 66.9 AMP emphasis mine).

He is the one who started the planting process in your life. It is he who has caused you to start growing—to start looking to his hand for provision. He has not done this to torment you, but because he has an end result in mind. The fact that he has planted is also his guarantee that he will reap. In Isaiah 66.8 he says that countries are not born in a day and nations are not brought forth in just a moment's time. There is a process to be observed. God is answering your prayer—but he's not dropping a harvest in your lap without the steps that it takes to produce that same harvest.

God is not a God who starts something and does not finish it. He works with you according to the plan and process designed to fulfill the purpose he has for your life. That process takes time. Maybe a little time. Maybe a lot of time. Don't get discouraged; God has promised to hear and answer you. The work he started in you will take time to construct—not because God needs time, but because you need time. You need to make space in your heart to receive. You have to adjust your expectations of God. You have to learn to depend on God for the need that you cannot provide for yourself. You will have to let God work with you since you are not on your personal timetable any more. God is going to work at his pace not yours—but it will be in the order that is right and good. The work that is started, will be finished. Don't give up.

Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay (Habakkuk 2:3).

Just as a pregnancy takes time to produce a baby, so does God's plan for your life. In pregnancy those last few weeks drag on forever for the woman carrying the baby as it gets heavier and heavier. It lingers. She waits. But the lapse of time does not make birth less of a certainty. The extra heaviness is a sign that fulfillment is getting closer. A birth is always preceded by a pregnancy. Sooner or later labor begins, and when that part of the process starts there is no more delay. It may have lingered for a long time, but now it is certainly going to come and will not delay. God completes the work he starts; he always keeps his promises. Don't get so frustrated in waiting for your harvest that you walk away before the harvest is ripe. Continue to be pliable in the hands of God so that he may complete his work in you. He has promised,

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him (Psalm 126.5-6).

## Suddenly

Are you tired of waiting for God to show up in your life when he has promised that he would hear and answer your prayers? As you can see in the verses below, God has promised us much—but also notice that there is nothing said about timing. No guarantee of instant-answers to go with your instant-coffee, your one-minute popcorn or your speed-dial phone. Answers—promised. Human kind of speed—not promised. There are no fast-forward buttons on the promises of God.

Don't be afraid; just believe. Everything is possible for him who believes. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in her heart but believes that what she says will happen, it will be done for her. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Blessed is she who believes that what the Lord said to her will be accomplished! Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" The one who trusts will never be dismayed (Mark 5.36 changed pronouns, Mark 9.23, Mark 11.23-24 changed pronouns, Luke 1.45, John 11.30, Isaiah 28.16).

I think of the people in the Bible who had to wait a long time for God to provide . . . Abraham, Hannah, David, Joseph. Joseph spent years as a slave, followed by years as a prisoner. He had been given two visions by God in his teen years indicating that all of his brothers would one day bow down to him (Joseph's story can be found in Genesis 37, 39-47). How cruel that dream must have seemed to him during his years as a slave and prisoner. But those years did not diminish the promise of God. It was during this time that God did the work of the plowing, planting and reaping in Joseph's life. God promised him a future and a hope just as he has promised you.

Long ago I told you what was going to happen. Then suddenly I took action, and all my predictions came true (Isaiah 48.3).

"Long ago" says that far in advance God made a revelation. He made a promise . . . how encouraging that is! He informed Joseph of what would happen. It gave him a long time to ponder, grow and anticipate. I wonder if Joseph gave up on that promise as he looked around him at his circumstances or did he cling to it and use it to get through the rough times?

In his life year after year after year and still nothing. So much time that Joseph's promise became "long ago." And then my favorite word in the realm of promise-claiming . . . "suddenly."

Suddenly God takes action. Suddenly God makes his promises come through. Suddenly God takes Joseph out of the jail and into the second highest position of the most powerful country. There is much angst between the words "long ago" and "suddenly." God made Joseph aware of something that would happen in his future. Then he took him through what must have been an agonizing wait. A long wait for a fulfillment that will be couched in the term "suddenly."

A delay that drags on and on.

Then at break-neck speed, the solution.

One day a naïve boy. The next day a slave.

One day a prisoner. The next day the prime minister of Egypt.

When God performs "suddenly" things change in an instant. More evidence that the farmer does not plow continually. Just as he stops plowing the moment the field is level, he did not leave Joseph in the School of Prison one second longer than was necessary. When God answers, your circumstances can change instantly. Dramatically.

God's process developed a man capable of running a country. A man capable of saving a country from the destruction of a famine. Joseph's suffering changed him—it caused growth. One day that growth was enough for God to bring the harvest into Joseph's life. Are you feeling pummeled by the threshing wheel?

Rejoice in your sufferings, because we know that

suffering produces perseverance;

perseverance produces character and

character produces hope.

And hope will not disappoint you (Romans 5.3-5 paraphrase).

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking (James 1.2-5 NLT).

God is telling you that your "troubles" are only "opportunities" to develop endurance.

Trouble = Opportunity

Do not walk away from your faith-harvest; hang in there. God has not left your side and is the gardener that oversees your growth. He will not let it go on too long. He will not let it be too hard.

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently (Romans 8.25).

As you get worn down from waiting and praying, remember that not only is God the God of the "stand still" command, he is also the God of the "suddenly I acted" promise. Just because today you do not have signs or evidence that God is working to change this situation in your life means nothing. Do not use a human time scale to predict when God has to act to make something happen. You are slow. You have to adhere to human time capacities. But God does not. When the time is right according to his timetable, he will step in and change things most miraculously. In the meantime, follow his command to stand still and to focus your faith on him.

When you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do (James 1.6-8).

Remember God promised to hear you and to answer you. He has a consuming interest in your life. Remember that he is the God of "Suddenly."

## A Heavenly Turbo Charge

I was traveling a few weeks ago and had a brief stop over in the Detroit airport where the boarding gates are in a straight line. Gates one through eighty-something spaced down a very, very long corridor. God used this experience to remind me that my own efforts are not the best way to get to my intended destination. I had very little time to catch my flight and it was located 60 gates away—linear gates. I had the choice of running the entire length of those 60 gates or I could stand still for 2 minutes and 38 seconds and wait for the tram. I was debating as to which would be faster. To wait two-minutes-and-thirty-eight-seconds seemed like an eternity when I was in such a hurry. I did not want to wait. I wanted to pour my efforts into getting to the place I needed to be. Then I realized the stupidity of that plan. There was no way my best effort could get me to the place I needed to be in time to catch my plane. I needed to rely on a power other than my own. I needed to sit still on that bench and watch two-minutes-and-thirty-eight-seconds tick by one painful second at a time, until a power greater and faster than my own arrived to do the work on my behalf.

At the designated time—2 minutes 38 seconds—the tram arrived and whisked me right to my gate. It was so much easier to get to my gate that way . . . and it really took very little effort on my part—sitting on the tram while taking advantage of its speed and power.

Isn't that how it works with God? Hasn't he promised to show up and take care of things? But in the meantime, you may experience some difficult waiting time. Time for you to sit and think about the reliability of God. Will his way really be the best way? Will he keep his promises? If I wait on him, will it really be OK?

God's way is better and faster. He is willing and he is able. Stand still and wait for him to show up and act on your behalf. It is through his power (as in not your power) that the impossible will be accomplished.

If you are like me, you probably have some things to learn about relying on Jesus Christ and learning patience. Let him teach you these lessons in patience so that you can move on to a different area of growth. He will provide the right opportunities at the right time. It is hard to wait, but God will use this situation to stretch and grow your endurance.

God will allow challenges into your life that will confront your beliefs about him. When he gives you two-minutes-and-thirty-eight-seconds to sit and wait on him, you will have to really wrestle with your concept of his reliability—is he who he says he is? Will he do what he says he will do? In the crisis of sitting still for two-minutes-and-thirty-eight-seconds you will reevaluate everything you know about him. You will discard your faulty beliefs about God and he will replace them with accurate beliefs. Everything you know and believe about him will be challenged. You can either believe that he will keep his promises regarding your troubles . . . or not.

If you don't believe God will do what he says he will do, then you don't have the trouble you think you have, because whatever problem you think you have is insignificant next to the problem of having a God you cannot trust to keep his word. The problem of an unreliable God is a much bigger problem than any other you could encounter.

Our pastor once said in a sermon, "You either have a big problem and a little God or you have a big God and a little problem."

You cannot have both.

## The Timing of God

One day your two-minutes-and-thirty-eight-seconds will be over. When God's power is implemented in your situation, it will catapult you to your destination. When he "suddenly takes action" it will happen so fast that you won't be able to absorb it all.

You cannot measure your steps by human milestones. Whether you are on milestone 1 or 100 doesn't matter. If God wants you on milestone 200, he'll get you there in a moment's time. Don't assume that he has to go through numbers 1-199 to reach 200 (any more than I had to walk past 60 gates to catch my flight in Detroit). That's human reasoning. God's method works in an entirely different manner.

Remember that in the span of a few hours Joseph went from years of slavery to being the second-most-powerful in the most powerful nation. Remember that one afternoon Rebekah was a single woman going about her business and the very next morning she left home to become the wife of Isaac (see the story in Genesis 24). God prepared both Joseph and Rebekah in advance to respond to the call of his purpose.

The beautiful thing about both of these "suddenlys" is that neither Joseph or Rebecca had to be aware of any of God's maneuvering on their behalf to be in the right place at the right time. God simply put them where he needed them to be. Both of them were going about their daily routine and then he acted "suddenly" and their lives dramatically changed—in an instant. God can do this for you just as easily as he did it for them. Remember!

As you evaluate your life, do not use evidence you can see to measure your status. If you could see it, God would not need to promise it, and you wouldn't need faith to accept it. God's promises must be accepted by faith . . . or not at all.

## The God Who Amazes

If you could solve your situation using your wildest imagining, how would you solve it?

Think big.

Bigger.

And whatever your answer, it is not big enough. God is able to more than that. The Bible says that God,

Is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).

Did you get that? More than you can imagine. You can solve your problem only in a manner which humans are capable. God can solve your problem in ways that you cannot even dream about.

I often read the Dear Abby column. Occasionally someone asks her if she makes up the letters she receives because some of them are hard to believe. She replies that there is no way she could make up the stories she receives in the mail—they are beyond the capacity of her imagination. The stories of God's Big Rescues are beyond the capacity of the human imagination. They are too "far out." Too unbelievable. And God does it on purpose.

Look around [you, replied the Lord] among the nations and see! And be astonished! Astounded! For I am putting into effect a work in your days [such] that you would not believe it if it were told you (Habakkuk 1:5 AMP emphasis mine).

Look, you scoffers and scorners, and marvel and perish and vanish away; for I am doing a deed in your days, a deed which you will never have confidence in or believe, [even] if someone [clearly describing it in detail] declares it to you (Acts 13:41 AMP emphasis mine).

God loves performing dramatic miracles on behalf of his children! He loves the look of surprise on your face when he reveals his power in your life. He wants you to have many stories in your life of how he has saved and helped you. Of ways that he has given you a future and a hope. He will do these things so that you will have a legacy to pass down to your children. So that you will know how important your family is in his kingdom. He wants you to know how powerful he is. In the future, you will have struggles. At times you will question whether or not he led you in a particular direction. With a miraculous and dramatic intervention, you will have no doubt that he led. You will look back and not question his leading. It will be obvious. Knowing that will give you courage during future wilderness experiences—perhaps bolster your faith enough so that you will avoid the "forty years in the wilderness" (like the children of Israel who refused to remember his leading) and be willing to claim the territory that he has promised you.

## Heavenly Wealth Transfer Plan

When it comes time to make his answer known to his children, God has a fascinating way of thwarting those who attack his children. In responding through a Big Rescue, he simultaneously defeats the enemy, rescues his child and then improves the lives of those who trust him—at the expense of the enemy.

Does that sound a little over the top to you? If so, you would have a question similar to that of Isaiah,

Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives rescued from the fierce? (Isaiah 49.24).

God answers that question by saying,

Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save (Isaiah 49.25).

We can see this principle illustrated by looking at the Exodus . . . . right before the last plague fell on the Egyptians, God instructs Moses,

Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold (Exodus 11.2).

The Egyptians who had oppressed God's children for hundreds of years were pummeled by the plagues. God is on the verge of delivering his enslaved people. But there is one more thing. The stuff. God doesn't want his people to go away empty-handed. Freedom is not enough. He wants them to walk away with more than they had before. With retroactive wages as he promises in the book of Joel.

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2.25).

His plan is that the Egyptians will actually finance the escape of their slaves.

Defeated enemy. Check.

Rescued children. Check.

Improved financial condition. Check.

God had it all planned out. His people will walk away. They are not going to fight. They are not going to steal. The Egyptians willingly hand over their own wealth.

The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians (Exodus 12.35-36).

The Israelites thoroughly plunder the Egyptians without the use of force or even a strategy!

The Score

Egyptians

Loss of workforce

Loss of wealth

Plundered

Have to clean their own bathrooms

Israelites

Freedom

Wealth

Led by a super-size God

Off to the adventure of a lifetime

Whose team do you want to play for?

It isn't long before God provides another event showing that he can use one event to simultaneously free those who serve him and punish those who don't. As the Israelites are hanging out by the Red Sea pondering their impending destruction at the hand of the Egyptian army, evening is falling. God is leading them with an angel in a cloud pillar and as it gets darker and the Egyptian army gets closer, the cloud moves between the Israelites and the Egyptians. One side of the cloud is light—so the Israelites now have stadium lighting for their passage through the sea. But the other side of the cloud is dark—the Egyptians are now unable to see the slave encampment and have to wait for morning.

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long (Exodus 14.19-20).

It is during this time that the sea parts and the Israelites made their night crossing through the sea. In the morning, the Egyptians began their pursuit as the Lord watched from the cloud. As their chariot wheels began falling off, they exclaimed,

Let's get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt (Exodus 14.25).

Same cloud, but vastly different results depending on which side of the cloud was experienced. Years later when the travelers reached the border of their promised homeland (for the second time) they again experienced God's Improvement-at-the-Expense-of-the-Enemy Plan. Those who defied the Living God were driven from their land (God used hornets to send the enemy packing this time), and the Israelites moved into the deserted territory—taking over the assets of their enemies.

I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant (Joshua 24.12-13).

## A Blessing in Progress

We see God's Plunder Plan repeated over and over throughout the Bible. God rescuing his children, defeating the enemy and giving the wealth of the enemy to his children. He did it for King J; after he and his country went out to watch the defeat of their enemies via the ambush set by God, they went out and picked up the wealth of the army.

When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it (Chronicles 20.24-25 emphasis mine).

Three days for all of King J's men to go out and collect the stuff—the wealth that God provided. God did not only provide a dramatic, miraculous deliverance from the attack, but he instituted a Wealth Transfer Program as a bonus. How awesome is the God we serve—not only deliverance but enrichment as well!

When David attacked Goliath, he utterly defeated Goliath. David gave the giant's head to King Saul, but "put the Philistine's weapons in his own tent" (2 Samuel 17.54).

Years later the King of Israel was under siege and experiencing a horrible famine. His people were starving to the point of death as the attacking Aramean army held their city under siege. God again worked on behalf of those dependent on his care. He rescued them. He defeated the enemy (by causing them to hear the sound of chariots and horses of a non-existent large army approaching [2 Kings 7.6]). Fear of this imaginary army caused the Arameans to run as fast as they could. Again the Israelites confiscated the wealth of their opponents.

They found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight. . . . Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans (2 Kings 7.15-16).

Abraham experienced this side of God even when he messed up by claiming Sarah as his sister instead of his wife. I find it powerful that God protected Abraham and Sarah in the middle of one of their not-so-brilliant escapades. Abraham lied. And yet, in his mercy God still protected them both. Even in their stupidity, they were covered by God's arm of protection.

Thinking Sarah was the sister of Abraham, King Abimelech took her back to the palace and gave her deluxe accommodations in the House O' Concubines. It was not a pleasant dream that awakened him that night.

God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman."

Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands."

Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die" (Genesis 20.3-7).

King Abimelech was completely convinced of God's sincerity. In the following verses he quickly assembles his Asset Managers, and who come up with some great parting gifts for Sarah and her "brother."

Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like."

To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated" (Genesis 20.14-16).

Through God's Wealth Transfer Program, each of these crisis moments became an opportunity for his people to know him better as well as the opportunity for them to experience financial gain.

So in light of this I wonder if you are experiencing a crisis . . . or a blessing in progress?

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8.28).

## Praying It

Lord, if you have allowed these tough times in order to show me a side of your greatness that I currently do not understand—I thank you. If I were left to choose, I would choose comfort and familiarity—not drama. Not crisis. But I realize that would mean missing out on learning something about you and your consuming interest in my deliverance. If you have chosen to use a crisis to reveal yourself to me, help me remember your mighty works while I wait for you to send me a Big Rescue.

I seek your best for my life. I seek your miraculous and surprising interventions. I realize that in my human-shell, I will never be able to dream big enough for all that you have planned for me. I don't want to miss out on any of your magnificent-beyond-belief plans. If that means you have to pry me out of my comfortable little place and drag me to a hair-raising adventure, then I ask that you do it! Let's have the crisis and journey onward!

May I never forget the Big Rescues in my life. May I always remember that you deliver me so that I can share my story with others so that they too may know about your Mighty Bare Arm. May my life's adventures be an encouragement to those around me.

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#  Chapter 7: A Letter From God

I think if God put all of this into a letter it would read something like this . . . .

My child,

I know you are experiencing challenges you never expected. I know you sometimes wonder if I care about your comfort—and whether I plan to remove the discomfort you face. I care about your comfort and happiness more than you know. My ultimate plan is to take you safely to my home where you will never again experience this earthly-condition called "discomfort."

Because your long-term comfort is at stake, I sometimes sacrifice your current comfort so that I may reveal myself to you. Unfortunately I can't teach you to trust my powerful strength while you sit in the easy-chair of life. I've got to get you onto the playing field where you will learn through experience what you would never be able to grasp if you stayed in the bleachers.

Just as I saw the misery of the Israelites during their Egyptian slavery, I see every heartache and frustration in your life. I hear your cries for help, and I have not forgotten you—not even for one second. (I know it's hard to believe, but I think about you more than you think about yourself.)

I am your Father Almighty. I am the one who has the strength and the power to rescue you from any threat you face. Anyone who launches an attack on you has to get around me first!

I have ways to rescue you that are beyond your ability to imagine. Moses had his burning bush. Joseph, his dreams. The Israelites, the Red Sea. But my mighty works don't come with a "replay" button. I have a thousand ways to save you—I have a plan that is specific to you and your situation. It is for you and no one else.

Because I am the Creator of the Universe, the Author of Life, and Your All-knowing Redeemer, it is up to me to have the plan for your life—not you. You are such a limited creature—a human mud pie . . . a God-formed sand castle. A being who is very precious, but with such limited capacity. You are my beloved child, wonderfully special to me. But you have no idea how small you really are. You do not know what will happen in an hour, much less tomorrow (and these are things that I know). But because you have given your life to me, I am anxious to protect you from the challenges hurled in your direction. Please let me protect you and guide your way . . . trust me little human, I know this path much better than you. You are blind to so many dangers. I can see them; I know what is coming next. I am going to take you by the hand and whisper in your ear. You will walk as I lead you. But because I do not want to see you get overwhelmed, we are going to take this one step at a time—slowly. I'm not going to give you more instruction than you can handle. You will be safe. You can trust me with everything that you have.

It is going to take practice for you to learn how to rely wholeheartedly on me. Unfortunately, it won't come naturally to your sin-soggy heart. But that's OK, I am very patient and have nowhere else to go. You will have my full attention, and I will refill your strength as you tire. Sometimes I will ask you to stand still as I fight your battles for you. Other times, I will ask you to step out in faith and fight an enemy that is much bigger than you—more powerful and better equipped. There will be some big ugly problems screaming for your attention. They will be big enough to cause you to wonder if you are about to be destroyed. You may wonder if I've left you to fight them alone.

Never fear! I will not leave you. Focus on me . . . not the fight. Nuking the enemies who antagonize my children is no challenge for me. Even so, I will let the threat get close enough to challenge your faith. Close enough for you to see the reality of battle. Close enough for you to feel your lack of coping ability. Close enough for you to practice trusting me in the face of the most discouraging circumstances. Each time you survive the battle, your trust in my ability to take care of you will increase. You and I will become closer. You will know me better.

When you are saved from the battle, I don't know which one of us will be happier—you or me. You will be happy to discover that I am bigger than you realized. I will be thrilled to see the joy on your face. Together we will celebrate your newfound faith the way a mother celebrates her child's first step! I love to watch you grow in your faith abilities. I love to see you learn new skills and become mature enough to interact with me in new ways. You are the one who puts the sparkle in my day!

I have so much I want to teach you; I hope you will find some time in your day to spend with me so that I can show you the promises I plan to use in building your faith-experience. There are so many promises, and it takes time for me to show you how each one fits in your life. As I teach you, I need you to listen to me often so that you will hear my voice reassuring you—telling you not to be afraid and explaining how you to be obedient in your current circumstances. I need to teach you to think big and to live in expectation of my presence. I will to teach you to view the events of your life from my perspective.

Sometimes you think too small. I want to show you the areas of your life where you need to increase your expectations. Sometimes you give up searching for something better simply because you think that you have the best that there is. I want to challenge you! I want your faith to overflow . . . so you can see your life with eyes of faith. So you will see not only what is physical, but also what is spiritual. This will take practice. This will take patience. But I am waiting to begin your lessons!

Because walking in faith is going to require you to do some things that don't make sense according to conventional human wisdom, it is imperative that you stay close enough to hear my voice. If you can't hear my voice guiding you, come closer to me. Don't be afraid, we'll start small . . . it won't necessarily feel small, but it will be small enough. I know your ability to comprehend better than you do. I don't want to scare you, I want to build a relationship with you.

Knowing that I care about the desires of your heart, please surrender your dreams to me. Trust my heart, and let me bring your God-instilled dreams to fulfillment. I am able to assemble the desire of your heart in a way that will amaze you. I will prepare something better than you expected—in a different way than you expected. I will bestow it at the time that is best for you, your life, your spiritual growth and the people around you. If your desire is not in my plan for your life, I will gently remove it; I will replace it with something better. I promise that I will not withhold anything from you that is to your benefit.

Now a word of caution . . . things are not always going to go the way you want or expect. Sometimes you may feel forgotten, disoriented and challenged to the brink of exhaustion. Sometimes things will get worse before they get better. In all of these times, I have a purpose. The ups and downs are all part of my curriculum. Like the seed, you must go through a process before harvest-time arrives. Remember that when you walk with me, things can change in a moment. Trust the timing to me. Trust the journey to me. Surrender your discomfort and fear to me. You know that some of the most terrifying and discouraging circumstances quickly turn into the most amazing rescue stories when I reveal my power on behalf of my children.

My most precious mud-pie, will you trust your life to me? Will you walk with me and let me teach you how to live in faith?

Your Father who longs to astound you,

God

Oh God, do I ask you for too much?

. . . or too little?

My child, you ask me for too little,

Your Father most powerful

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