For me at least, waiting on God to act is not easy. I’ve come to understand, though, from my son, who recently returned from a dream vacation to Europe, that this is a very American trait. It’s not necessarily a good trait to have either, especially when it comes to our walks with Jesus.
Jesus isn’t in a rush. He will act on His timetable. He can see the big picture of every person who lives on this planet all at once. He knows at the exact moment to act in achieving His purposes in every single person’s life too. To become impatient and act in our timing can have disastrous results (1 Samuel 13).
I’m not sure whether you know it or not, but waiting on the Lord to do His thing is an act of love. Jesus said if we love Him, we will obey Him…even if that means to wait patiently on Him to act.
Love waits. Getting tired of waiting? Say you love Jesus by continuing to worship Him through peacefully waiting. Want to jump ahead of Him? Don’t!! You’re the only one who loses.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

I heard in a recent conversation, “If I know what I teach, I can teach what I know.” My biblical filter started beeping. I asked the person, “Do you actually use what you’re teaching?” After the pregnant pause, they said, “I don’t know.”
The operative words are if I know. Is it knowing facts in your head or experiencing them in your daily life? Proverbs uses three very important words – knowledge, understanding and wisdom. We absolutely need biblical facts or knowledge. This helps us to discern whether something is a lie; and thus, filtered out of our heads. Western Christians often stop here! Scripture doesn’t.
We must take those truths and ask, “What is God trying to say by what He wrote?” Once we’ve thought that through, we must ask, “How do I use that truth in my daily decisions?”
Knowledge alone leads to pride. Cliché answers to life’s struggles lead to frustration for ourselves and to those with whom we pass on biblical knowledge. Understanding biblical truth, knowing how to use it and then actually practicing that truth leads to life transformation – becoming more like Jesus.
James writes, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” (3:13) Humility comes from understanding it’s not as easy as it looks to live out biblical truth as the cliché responses make them out to be. As a good friend of mine says, “Struggle well!” As you do, your life and those you’re teaching through your words and actions you will be changed.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

Whatever Adam and Eve wore when first entering the garden (Gen. 2:25) or Job wore when exiting his mother’s womb (Job 1:21), Isaiah walked around in Isaiah 20. In other words, God asked Isaiah to literally walk around without clothes and shoes for all to see…for three years!
Crazy, but why? Two reasons were given. One, it was to show what was going to happen to both Egypt and Cush when Assyria attacked them. And two, it exposed the fallacy of trusting those two peoples, rather than God Himself, for one’s physical protection.
People often ask God, “Why is this happening to me?” The answer at times is, “Does it matter?” I know that sounds harsh, but Isaiah might have thought so as well. Sometimes what happens in our lives has nothing to do with us. God could simply be using the life He already owns, ours, to teach others about Him.
If Jesus is truly Lord, does He not have the right to ask anything He wants of us, even if it sounds really crazy? Like Isaiah, Jesus did what He did, not because He deserved to be humiliated, but because God wanted to save others from humiliation.
Will we submit like Jesus did in Gethsemane so that we might live? What Jesus may ask of you might sound crazy, but it could be exactly what others need to find true life in Him.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

I was thinking about Peter and his water walking experience. He was afraid. He thinks he saw a ghost, but heard Jesus’ voice. He ventures, “If it’s You, tell me to get out of the boat,” which is exactly what happened.
He was doing what Jesus told His disciples then and now to do, “Listen and follow Me.” Will it take faith to get out of our comfort zones, no matter how scary those comfort zones actually are? You bet it will.  Now, here is the crucial question. If you fail in the follow through of what you heard Jesus say, like Peter did, will you get out of the boat next time?
Two chapters later, Peter is out of the boat…again! Peter heard God tell Him who Jesus was, the Messiah (Matt. 16:17). When asked, he blurted it out. He heard God speak and acted on that intel.
You will get better at hearing the voice of God and then at getting out of the boat. Don’t waste time beating yourself up over past failures, no matter how that sinking feeling overwhelms you at times. Walking on water is wonderful. You get to be with Jesus and experience Him in ways the disciples before you did.
Set Fre“E” Nowww

I just read in Ezekiel where God’s presence left the Temple in Jerusalem, some years after the first group of Israelis were kicked out of the Land. Before God took off, however, King Manasseh put all kinds of garbage “in the temple of the LORD” to foreign gods, even an Asherah pole carved by human hands!
This had to tick God off; and yet, He stayed. Keep in mind, in 1 Samuel 4, God made Dagon, the Philistine god, bow down to Him. And yet, even through Judah’s darkest hours, God hung in there. What a picture of grace! God was being slimmed and He took it.
Now think about the current temple in which God resides, believers in Christ. Think about how much Jesus puts up with our antics. Our junk thoughts. Our purpose based goals and driven actions, even “Christian” ones. Our time fillers that leave no room for Jesus and His Word. (The Temple was so thrashed they had to “find the Book of the Law” buried under lots of junk!)
This perspective on grace should give you something to raise your voice in thanks about this Friday. Give thanks to the Father for the reality of Romans 8:37-39 where nothing, not even the junk in our lives, can separate us from His love. Thank the Spirit for sticking around through the stench of our garbage to remove those junk thoughts, words and actions. Thank Jesus, that despite our junk, He walks and talks with us. What a great God we have indeed. It’s time to thank Him for all He does for us, despite ourselves.
S“E”t Free Nowww