God’s Promises
Forty
Forty, the number, is commonly used in reference to a milestone, achievement or a set of things like years of a lifetime, even degrees of temperature. Today, forty is referring to a number of times.
Twenty-nine years ago when my life was full of challenges as a wife, mother of small children and a demanding career I found myself at a fork-in-the-road that seemed to give me a new perspective on time and purpose of living. A challenging childhood can make you aware of things that others may not even consider and not wanting to miss God’s will for my life through the busyness of life caught my attention.
I began asking Him for insight, specifically what I was placed on this earth to accomplish. Growing up, my mother spoke frequently to me about how God had a plan for my life which naturally created curiosity around how His plan would play out in my life. And so I began to ask Him specifically.
“Study My Word,” was always His response. This instruction seemed like a small thing to apply myself to and not very significant when it comes to impacting the lives of others. After all, I was great at taking my bible to church and following along with the teaching, even taking notes most of the time. But, God’s voice kept reminding my heart that His instruction was to study His Word. Eventually, I surrendered to His command and made a commitment to make studying His Word on a regular basis. I promised God that I would read through the Bible one time, believing that would result in a great achievement and spiritual growth. How little did I know!
One time through the Bible turned into six years of on-again, off-again attempts before finally accomplishing the promise that I had made to God. Obviously, it took me a minute to make studying God’s word a priority. I had to learn how to overcome the distractions of daily life by creating space in my life for the more important things before I found a way to maintain the pursuit of keeping God first in this world we live in everyday.
The first time through God’s word exposed how little I actually knew about God and His heart for me. It also exposed how little I knew about the teachings of Jesus and His will for my life. How in the world could I fulfill God’s call on my life without knowing what He had to say about the valleys and mountaintops that we will encounter on our way towards fulfilling His call on our lives? Most of all, how in this world would we know how deeply we are treasured and esteemed in His heart, to the point of sending His Son, Jesus to rescue us from all the issues of life by learning to lean on Him when life takes a turn toward hopelessness and sorrow. God knew that I needed to be taught how to become a warrior, how to run my life race as a winner.
My first time through the bible can be compared to reading a cliff note version of a book, it was too much to take in with one reading, (which of course God knew this way before I did). He worked through my circumstances and my desire to “grow in His grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Peter 3:18) while serving/volunteering in leadership roles in the local church, eventually teaching and mentoring women.
The number forty is a significant reference in the Bible, often used as a season of preparation or duration of service to God for the benefit of others, even those who don’t acknowledge Him.
“…For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)
Today marks the completion of my 40th read through the Bible representing 29 years of my life. It is true that “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) I have been transformed in the process. By God’s grace I can honestly say “…that He who began a good work in you (me) will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
Knowing God through His Word was a crucial element in fulfilling His call (or assignment) on my life and will continue to be.
What has God been whispering to your heart lately? If you heed His voice by making it a priority in your life (no matter how long it takes to accomplish it), you will fulfill God’s call and your obedience will not only transform you but will also change your world.
Patience
“There is no patience equal to the patience of God.”
Patience is not an attribute that is embraced whole heartily for most individuals or seen as the virtue it once held in society. It is often criticized in our fast-paced world by those who embrace the “just do it” mentality.
Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest, penned this powerful insight (quoted above) based on his journey of learning how to embrace a life of patience as he sought to fulfill God’s purpose on this earth.
When we become impatient with waiting for the promises of God on our lives to be fulfilled, or begin to question the way that He is going about bringing it to pass, we must remind ourselves of His perspective on time and waiting.
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (2Peter 3:8)
“…but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
In the waiting, God is doing a transforming work in your heart and life that makes no allowance for shortcuts or lack of integrity in your heart, mind or soul. The process of preparation, however long it takes, leads us to a life of total dependence and surrender to the God which sets us apart for His glory and not our own.
If you are a follower of Christ, you have been given patience as a gift, it is a fruit of the Spirit:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is … patience…” (Galatians 5:22)
Let patience have it way in your life and you will be thoroughly prepared, called up by the Lord, who is faithful to fulfill every promise He has placed on your life.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” (1Peter 5: 6-7)
Scripture Quoted in ESV
Leading Well
How would others assess your leadership qualities if based on a standard established centuries ago by God? Apparently, leading well requires paying serious attention to what God requires of those who lead although He graciously leaves it up to us to choose His way, that promises success, or our own way to lead, that promises eventual disaster.
“…he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law…and it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life…” (Deut. 17:18-19)
Leading well begins with knowing God’s word for ourselves, not knowing it based on what others have to say about it. In other words, God knows how much a leader, in order to be successful in leading needs to know Him through knowing His word in order to be led properly in his/her leadership role.
“…that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them…” (Deut. 17:19)
Learning to fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). The wisest person who lived on this earth (King Solomon) knew he needed wisdom to lead the people of Israel and it pleased God so much that He not only gave him wisdom but added to it riches, possessions and honor! (2Chronicles 1:12)
“…that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers…” (Deut. 17:20)
God is all-knowing, and He knew that leadership, left up to us would lead to a prideful heart with little to none accountability to anyone.
“…that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left…” (Deut. 17:20)
We are warned ahead of time that without embracing God’s standard of leading well, we will turn aside and adopt our own style of leadership that is anchored by a prideful heart which moves us from being successful in God’s economy to a place of unfruitfulness.
“…so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.” (Deut. 17:20)
Successful leadership maintains a lasting effectiveness on those impacted by a leader after God’s own heart, and not just those corporately but the family of those who lead well.
Great leadership starts at home with a loving servants heart and the humility to know your need for godly wisdom for the stewardship that you have been entrusted with.
“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way.” (Psalm 25:9)
I Have Decided
Decisions are made through a process of settling a dispute or doubt, making a judgement or determining a preference that brings us to a conclusion “by giving victory to one side.”* Decisions are made in the soul of our being, where our will, emotions and mind reside.
Major life decisions affect the projectory of our life outcomes and the people we encounter along the way. The impact can be enormous when you think about it from the perspective of eternity.
In 1904 a spiritual revival swept across Wales, England and a particular Welshman accepted Jesus and the missionary call to travel to India to a remote village known for its violence and savage head-hunters who prided themselves in displaying as many heads he had collected. This was a sign of their marriageability – the more heads a man had, the more eligible he was.
One tribesman heard the gospel and accepted Jesus as his Savior against much opposition from the tribal chief. After being brought before the entire village the chief demanded that this tribesman stop following Jesus or his children would be killed. “No, I have decided to follow Jesus, I am not turning back,” replied the man. His children were killed.
The chief went on to threaten the man to stop following Jesus or it would cost him the life of his wife. “Thou none go with me, I still will follow, no turning back,” replied the tribesman. The chief killed his wife.
Left alone after witnessing the murder of his children and wife, the angry chief demanded a third time for the tribesman to stop following Jesus now at the threat of losing his own life. “The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back, no turning back,” replied the man at the cost of his own life.
With the entire village witnessing this ordeal and this one tribesman willing to sacrifice all that was dear to him to follow Jesus, one by one the village people began to make the decision to follow Jesus and eventually the tribal chief bowed his knees to follow Jesus.
God is eternal, our time on this earth is not. Jesus came to make a way for our relationship with God to be restored to His original, eternal plan. Jesus took our place on the cross and made restitution for our sins, completely wiped them away by the shedding of His blood, making a way for those who would choose to believe in Him, granting eternal life in the presence of God. Forever.
I was 14 years old when confronted with this soul decision. By Gods grace I knew in my heart that I needed a Savior, that I didn’t know enough (and never would) to do life on my own. I’m so grateful for my life journey that brought me to a place of settling the struggle and doubt in my heart at that time. This song of the ages propelled me to the altar to proclaim my decision to follow Jesus.
“I have decided to follow Jesus…no turning back, no turning back…Though none go with me, I still will follow…no turning back, no turning back…The world behind me, the cross before me…no turning back, no turning back.” (Author Unknown)
This one tribesman’s decision is still reaping a harvest today. Who could have known but Jesus the ripple-effect of his decision throughout time, the world and the lives that would be impacted and the souls brought into the eternal loving arms of God.
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*dictionary.com
Eternal Hope
Like a vapor in the backdrop of eternity, life can seem to vanish before our eyes from our first breath to our last just as the Bible describes it.
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14, NASB)
With the recent passing of my mother, her 85 years of life seemed to pass so quickly now that heaven is her home. She was an influencer of her faith in God to those around her. She lived out the assignment on her life in a most sincere, loving and courageous way. Her gift of encouragement and quiet reserve veiled her fierce faith and steel-like determination to pray things through. She was convinced that God could do the impossible for others just as He had done for her. Her faith was contagious and present, as a result of having survived many seasons of suffering that taught her not take her lifespan for granted. She understood what it meant to live out her trust walk day by day, depending on God’s provision for each moment of life.
“Give us each day our daily bread…” (Luke 11:3, NASB)
She lived with an eternal hope that was anchored in the promises of God and His vision for her family which she spoke over us numerous times. She never stopped believing, persevering right up to the end of her life.
To those she left behind, the many lives she impacted, she passed along her baton of faith. Now its our turn to carry on the mission of passing along the eternal hope that sustained her through the travel of life. Let’s pick up where she left off by not only living out our faith with a steel-like tenacity but with the desire to leave the fragrance of Jesus wherever He sends us.
“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (2Corinthians 2:15, NASB)
Her life was a sweet fragrance of eternal hope, a hope that is needed in our world with all its tribulations. The world is waiting to see this hope lived out. The world is waiting for you.
“…In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b, NASB)
New Beginnings
Do you live with an awareness that your days are numbered on this earth and that it is unwise to believe that you will always have another day to get on with the business of living with purpose?
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
This was a prayer of Moses who was encouraging us to make the most of our lives since our days on earth are so few in the light of eternity which is God’s perspective.
No one but God knows the number of days that have been appointed to each of us therefore, we must view life through the lens of His wisdom, purpose and fulfillment of His call on our lives.
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Psalm 139:16)
Jesus, while on earth embraced this teaching as well. He lived a life focused on fulfilling the call of God on his life to the point of being able to say at the end;
“I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.” (John 17:4)
What have you been given to do while on this earth and are you focused on accomplishing it? Living and walking in this truth is the mark of wisdom. May this year be a year of new beginnings for better living in all arenas of your life.
Lord, teach us to number our days!
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God & Holiday
Have you ever wondered about how the holidays have evolved into such a frenzied and hectic time of year? Well, celebrating Christmas did not start out this way, it began as a proclamation of peace and wonder to the whole world.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
When it came time for the fulfillment of this prophecy the people who received the announcement were so moved with awe and wonderment that they stopped what they were doing to go and see this newly born Savior.
“Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that happened, which the Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:15-16)
Celebrating Christmas began with receiving a gift from God in the birth of His Son, Jesus and it caused the people to pause from their daily routines to take time to worship and praise God for sending a Savior into a needy and lost world.
This holiday let’s join in with the multitude of the heavenly hosts who praised God by saying;
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:14)
Take time to celebrate the Gift of Jesus more than the gifts we expect to receive this Christmas!
“He is the radiance of the glory of God…” (Hebrews 1:3)
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Success
So often we think of success in terms of attaining wealth, position and honors but what does it take to build a lifestyle of success that has a lasting effect on those around us and possibly the world? It is in how we choose to go about achieving the outcomes we desire.
King Solomon, arguably the most wise, successful and wealthiest man on earth, understood the importance of seeking wisdom from God in how to live a successful life.
“Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiates 12:13)
Solomon understood that every deed of man would come under the scrutiny of God’s judgement, not that we should live in fear but that we would be encouraged to embrace the wisdom of God’s definition of successful living. That by choosing His ways over our ways and living our lives in fellowship with Him rather than away from Him, we would live a life of lasting honor and not one resulting in judgement.
“He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.” (Proverbs 2:7)
If we walk with God He promises to be a shield of sound wisdom in our lives that will protect us from straying from His best for our lives.
“Guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of His saints.” (Proverbs 2:8)
Your life may not appear all that successful at the moment but if you choose to trust in God, to live according to His ways, your life will be honored and the people around you will be blessed in ways that wealth and position can not, even though these may be a byproduct. God’s way of living is the most successful decision you will ever make. His way of living is purposeful and fulfilling, a faith journey of discovery that teaches us true success. Our greatest accomplishment and goal is to live a life with no secrets and no evil deeds that will bring us into judgement at the end. (Ecclesiates 12:14) This is successful living.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
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loretta j. willis, author 