Tag: Obedience

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Disciple see, disciple do.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!” So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive. ‭‭Acts ‭9‬:‭36‬-‭41‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we read about the amazing outpouring of miracles God did through the apostle’s lives, we are immediately reminded that Jesus said this is what His disciples would do. Just the paragraph above this story is about a man who was “paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.” Peter, now filled with the Spirit of God, now more comfortable with the mantle of spirit-empowered miracles, does exactly what Jesus had shown him.

Here, we have Tabitha/Dorcas, which means a gentle gazelle. Tabitha was busy serving others, especially widows, when she became very sick and died. They got Peter to come over and pray for her. When Peter arrived, Tabitha had already been washed and prepared to be buried, she had been dead for hours. In an upper room, widows had packed in to honor a woman that showed them love by making coats and clothes for widows in town. There, in the middle of this solemn widow’s honoring moment, Peter does what Jesus had done with the little girl in Mark 5:41. Peter does what he had seen Jesus do!

This surreal moment surrounded by death and mourning, Peter remembered exactly what it felt like before. There’s something spectacular about experiencing something so overwhelming, but someone in the room knows what they are doing! And when you experience the tension, the emotional state of the people in that space, at first it’s so very very hard, so awkward. Yet, once you’ve experienced it, it gives you an opportunity to hear, see, smell, and feel these powerful sensations in a slightly safer state of mind the next time you are in that situation – especially when you are with that one person that knows what they are doing.

Jesus knew exactly what he was doing with the little girl and it marked Peter’s life simply by being in the room! Notice that Peter does exactly what Jesus had done in Mark 5:40, he asked everyone to leave the room. Jesus held the little girl’s hand. Peter simply knelt and prayed. Jesus spoke to the body, saying “koum” (Aramaic for arise). Peter turned towards the lifeless body and spoke directly to it, saying, “anistémi,” (Greek for arise)! Tabitha’s eyes opened and she sat up! Then Peter also extended his hand to help her up – an invitation to rejoin the living, just as Jesus had done. Peter called in Tabitha’s widow fan club and I am sure they all praised God together.

Discipleship is all about first BEING, but then also DOING. Jesus taught by BEING one who obeys God and also DOING the will of the Father. Jesus disciples, his followers, also learned by being obedient to his commands, his teachings. But, they had to also follow in doing what he said to do.

Disciple see, disciple do.

Peter watched Jesus raise the little girl’s back to life, then he did exactly what Jesus had shown him to do. Do we want to be a follower of Jesus? It hasn’t changed – we must see and do. If we only listen, if we only learn but never do anything with it, we aren’t really a follower – we are just an observer. And if we are just an observer, then there is no one to see and follow us as we follow Christ! If we say, “well, I can’t raise people from the dead!” Then, that sounds like the life of an observer, but not a disciple. For Tabitha’s sake, I’m glad Peter didn’t depend on his own abilities to raise the dead! Peter was just a doer of what he observed. Disciple see, disciple do.

Prayer

​Dad,
This life of faith goes so much deeper than I ever realized! No wonder it pleases you. This unusual, life-altering trust in you is WILD and untamed. It’s dangerous and mysterious. This follower’s faith is radically different from an observer’s faith. Believing and doing puts it all in perspective of setting aside my fears, comparisons and doubts and going straight to obedience. It’s not a blind faith, it’s a terrifying confrontation of my own abilities yet knowing that you are all powerful and do all the work, through miracles we need. Help me with my unbelief. Help me to be and do, to see and do! Amen.

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Unbelievable.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In our church, we’ve have been discussing God’s Grand Design through the idea of an individual’s calling. Old Testament patriarchs certainly come to mind. Moses calling is so extraordinary and filled with honest human emotions that come along with doubt. The creator of all things – God comes, makes himself known and speaks. But more than just revealing his plans, God chooses to include us in them. Why? We ask. From the beginning of time, God has invited us, even with all our faults and fears to be a part of our own redemption story. Amazing!

God tells Moses the what, the why and the who, but Moses throws up some protests, some reasons he believes that God has the wrong man.

Here’s Moses’ counter arguments:

First one; who am I – 3:11? The inference is, I am a nobody, an unknown, in fact a failure.

Second one; who am I to say sent me – 3:13? One can’t be a hero without the proper credentials, right?

The third protest; What if they don’t believe me – 4:1? I’m not sure why these sound a bit ridiculous, especially because no one is asking for a famous, royal ambassador who has made up a fanciful story about talking with God! Who’s asking these imaginary questions? Pharoah? The Jewish leaders? No, Moses is asking these questions in his own head because he does not want to do it and thinks he can convince God to move on to someone else! God helps Moses out by giving him a cool miracle – the stick/staff/snake! And the backup would be the miracle skin diseased hand healing. These are meant to bolster Moses’ faith, thus saying YES to God almighty. But Moses still persists in protesting – what patience God has! You get the feeling that God will not let Moses out of this.

Fourth protest; Moses throws out another idea – Oh… and I STUTTER! You can’t have a stutterer be your spokesperson – 4:10.

Four excellent reasons to choose someone else and four patient answers from God, all workarounds for Moses to be obedient. Talk about a super reluctant leader! In vs 13 Moses begged God, “please send someone else.” In vs 14 God is now angry with Moses. He concedes, not to let Moses off the hook, but to have his brother be the spokesperson for Moses! God tells Moses, Aaron will be your spokesman, he speaks just fine – but you are still my spokesman, God still chose Moses.

Moses was a reluctant leader, who constantly wavered with unbelief and never felt worthy of being the man God called to lead and free the Jewish people from the tyranny of Egypt’s enslavement and onto the promise land that God had in store for them. God calls whom He wills and His plans are always perfect. God still calls people to great things, and small things today!

If we say we believe God and we are followers of Jesus the we have a general call to obedience and most likely a specific call to ministry, to passion or to pursue our purpose with the gifts God has granted to each of us. Let me ask you, “what’s in your heart?” What is your purpose, calling and gift? What are you doing with it? Go ahead, run your own list of protests like Moses who tried to dissuade God, insinuating that God doesn’t know what He’s doing! After you run out of perfectly legitimate protests in your own head, you’ll be faced with the ultimate decision – to obey or not! And to not obey is disobedience! Flip your stubbornness into faithfulness and determination to obey instead of angering God and trying His patience.

Prayer

​Dad,
I put up a small resistance with tantrums and protests back in the day. And, still even today, question every one of my own beliefs, frailties and abilities. But through faith I will continue to believe you. With grace, I will continue to move forward to accomplish what you have called me to be and to do! I trust you far more than I trust my failures and doubts? Here I am Lord, send me again! Amen.

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Obedience vs Sacrifice.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night. Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.” When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We can love sacrifice, but be stubborn about obedience. God certainly has shown a preference of one (obedience) over the other (sacrifice). Why is one easier than the other? Why are we more impressed with our ability to sacrifice in opposition to being obedient? Our heart carries with it the ability to do both, but we’d rather choose to flaunt the appearance of doing good rather than doing what is right. By sacrificing are we just masking the underlying motive of truly believing that we know better? We know what God has said, what He has asked of us, but when we are faced with the option of something we perceive to be better, or benefit ourselves, we often fail. God told Saul exactly what He wanted Saul to do with the Amalekites, “Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys, (15‬:‭3‬). But Saul decides to do something different. ”Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality, (15‬:‭9‬).

Then, immediately Saul starts lying and reframing the entire story, making it look like he was obedient. When questioned about being disobedient, he began sidetracking the conversation saying that his “intentions” for disobedience were to give God the choicest animals for a sacrifice to Him. God did not tell him to capture the Amalekite King. God did not tell him to set aside the best of the animals for Himself. God said completely destroy! Saul didn’t obey God at all.

Samuel gives us a principle that is still important to remember – when God tells to do something, obedience is the ONLY thing that pleases Him! “But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams, (15:22). Just as faith is credited as righteousness, obedience is credited as trusting God.

Prayer

​Dad,
It is interesting that we believe that sacrifice would take priority and precedence over obedience. Obedience is clear, with no grey area. We either obey or we don’t! And, I understand how I might think you are impressed with the quantity or quality of what I bring you that costs me time, money and effort. Which, does please you because I know that generosity and sacrifice are both valued in Your kingdom. But certainly not above pure obedience. Thank you for helping me and being patient with me in my struggles to obey. Amen.

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Duplicity of praise with disobedience.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart! Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭108‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This Psalm, likely written by Solomon, or at least, about him, describes facing a new day, with faith and hope that God would give Israel victory over Edom.

Interestingly enough, God was responsible for “stirring” this once defeated country to attack Israel because Solomon wasn’t obedient to God. A few verses out Kings 11 give the context: “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” And, “So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.” So God raised up an old enemy of Solomon’s father, David.

God allowed a once defeated country (Edom) to not only be revived, but come back to discipline Solomon for his disobedience, because “The LORD was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the LORD.” Yet, this is Solomon’s prayer even still! Even in disobedience and leading Israel back into idolatry, Solomon wakes up one day with a confidence of hope!

Solomon was old and near the end of his life at this time, and did not live long enough to see God take the 10 tribes of Israel and give them to Jeroboam, a once trusted industrious, mighty man of valor. As we know Jeroboam was not obedient to God either. This was the beginning of the end of the 10 “lost” tribes of Israel.

This Psalm captures an odd sense of extraordinary faith and praise to God, that was beautiful in words but empty in practice. Can we extol and praise the goodness and greatness of God with our words, yet neglect the simplicity of obedience? Can God receive our praise even when we are living a life of disobedience? Apparently the duplicity in the human heart allows for both! Solomon woke up that morning with eloquent words and bright hope for his future, but his days ended in shame and the loss of Israel as a unified nation.

Prayer

​Dad,
It is disheartening to see a full circle view, a complete family cycle of one of the most beloved and wise leaders of your people. This was always a dilemma for me. Solomon, the wisest of wise with the most amazingly humble heart as a young man, but fame, power and wealth still caused him to turn from you and follow fake gods! Of course this directly points to the fact that none of us are perfect and all of us are sin consumed and needing Jesus. But, these are such sad stories, that could bring a sense of hopelessness. My only hope is not how I can be perfect or live some kind of apparent “perfect” life, but that my heart, my soul and strength are set on you and you alone. My life, my trust is in you. You are the priority of my soul! Amen.

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The leader dilemma.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The backdrop to this moment in the Sinai desert is a classic, repetitive cycle of leadership. God appoints Moses to meet with Pharaoh demanding the release of the nation of Israel. Moses has a speech impediment, so God allows his brother, Aaron to do the talking. The ten plagues proceed. Eventually Pharaoh concedes and 3 million people exit Egypt and head out to the desert – no man’s land.

The first barrier to escaping the Egyptian army is water, lots of water, flowing down the Red Sea inlet of the Indian Ocean. And, God specifically told Moses where to lead and where to make camp, Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Pharaoh changes his mind and pursues the Israelites, finding them trapped by the Red Sea with no where to run. Here’s where it gets interesting. The people are scared to death, but they’ve also lived with fear for so long, they had adjusted to a slave-fear mentality. This fear was new. It was different. This was now a free-fear experience for them. They were free, but trapped. They lashed out at their leader! They cried out to God, but held Moses responsible saying, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt?” God brought them out. Sure, Moses led them under God’s direction, but Moses did not have a plan on what to do or where to go! This was all on God. The Israelites cross by God’s miraculous intervention. The Red Sea opened, they got across, but the ethos of the nation had not changed. They were free, but maintained a slave mentality! The end of Exodus 14 says, “They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.”

That faith was very thin and it only took them three more days to run out of it. Now three days out in the Desert, they find an oasis, but the water is bitter, un-drinkable. Three days from ocean to oasis, and it feels like a cruel joke. You can’t drink salt water and you can’t drink bitter water? The circumstances caused the same fears to come up and as expected, they blame Moses. Like Moses can make water in the desert.

Moses, being a quick study, immediately called out to God. This time God gave Moses a bit part in the miracle by showing him a specific piece of wood. Moses throws the wood in the water, the water turns sweet and the people drink all they want. But Moses also caught onto these situations and figured out they were life-lessons, living object lessons. Moses takes this opportunity to lay down some ground rules that are a precursor to the law, a way to live in obedience to God. He tells them something kinda strange, He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭26‬. What? Not suffer the diseases God sent on Israel? Were they thinking that God would drag them out to the desert to punish them and pour out His judgment on them? Apparently, Moses knew this is what the people were thinking?

The leader dilemma is not only carrying the responsibility to take people to a destination, but it’s also to help people grow, learn and develop along the way. And, as a godly leader, an under-shepherd, it’s also important to let people know that the leader doesn’t have all the answers. It is also the responsibility of the leader to communicate, that it is up to each individual person and together, as a community, to listen to God and obey Him.

By the way, the complaining, disbelief and blame from the people eventually got under Moses’ skin, because he reverted to his old angry ways of dealing with the injustice and inadequacies of being in stressful situations. This time it wasn’t killing an Egyptian officer, he tried to kill the rock, disobeying God (Numbers 20:8-11). Wasn’t it better that he smacked a rock rather than a rabble-rouser?

Prayer

​Dad,
Maybe it’s just me, but isn’t it a tad bit more difficult to live a life of faith and obedience when one has a bunch of people following? It often feels like pastoring in a church means that we don’t have a life of our own at all. It’s always open to the public! And the questions and complaints, wow – they seem unending. Do folks realize we’re just normal people with a calling and a passion to be obedient to you just as everyone else should be in the body of Christ. It’s just an enormous weight of responsibility. Maybe there’s a specific kind of grace for those who carry others? I’d like some more of that kind of grace please. Amen.

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Obedience out of love or fear?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the Lord had commanded him. And all the people responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.” So Moses brought the people’s answer back to the Lord. Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, Moses, so the people themselves can hear me when I speak with you. Then they will always trust you.” Moses told the Lord what the people had said. Exodus‬ ‭19‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

These Exodus passages are a great place to think about our human nature, especially when it comes to doing what is right or wrong – obedience to the law or rules for living or doing whatever we please.

Let’s face the facts, the nation of Israel, the chosen people of God, had faced the most intense, supernatural occurrences over several weeks, maybe months, known as the plagues. But, whether the ten plagues lasted forty days or three months, we can be guaranteed that the entire group of Egyptians and Jews went through a living nightmare of horrors. If that wasn’t enough, the mind-blowing phenomenon of a narrow escape across the Red Sea, then a pillar of fire by night and a massive cloud by day led the nation to this holy place called Mount Sinai! It could be said that it was either a glorious or traumatizing set of events. And Moses was at the center of all of it – God’s chosen stutterer, turned super leader in a very brief time.

When Moses came down from the holy mountain and told the people what God had spoken to him, it’s not surprising that they responded together, “we will do everything the Lord has commanded.” They were probably still terrified of Moses’ God. The Bible is very open about the fact that the people DID NOT obey… at least for long. Let’s set aside the fact that God told Moses, the visual, audible show of a cloud with booming noises coming out of it was for a specific reason – so the people would TRUST Moses. Ok, great. But these passages help me ask the question, did the people obey out of fear or love? And, how effective is obedience out of fear verses obedience out of love? You could argue the point that Israel loved God and loved pleasing God. But I offer this, I believe they were re-establishing a relationship with God that had been abandoned since Jacob and his son Joseph led the nation. Heaven had been silent for several hundred years! I don’t think they knew God all that well.

Is obedience out of fear effective? Of course it is! Is obedience out of fear expedient? Yeah, it works pretty quick. Just watch what happens when a Highway Patrol vehicle pulls onto the highway. The speed limit instant becomes every driver’s best friend. But does obedience through fear engage an enduring change of both behavior and heart? Is it not true that love takes longer, but is far more successful for a lifetime of obedience? Ask any Dad, “would you rather your children fear you or love you?” Ah, that’s tricky isn’t it? Fearing your Father for the right reasons, like the ultimate goals of safety, security and delayed success for your future – is a good fear! Ask a Dad if they “would rather their children respect them or love them?” Good Dads, great Dads want BOTH. Why? It’s the best outcome for the child’s sake!

I am not advocating that fear has no place in our obedience to God, it’s just that our relationship must mature to a point where love becomes the primary motivation to do what is right. That’s why God says he prefers obedience over sacrifice. Sacrifice can be faked, obedience can’t. Even, if one doesn’t obey for the right reason, it is still beneficial. Do you know how often I hear my friends express gratitude for their strict parents? Parents that held the line, set the boundaries and corrected their children when they disobeyed. They held those boundaries until the child became an adult – understanding the necessity for rules and even fear-based compliance. I don’t know if you’ve noticed that children and/or youth make some really stupid, even life-threatening mistakes. Some of these “mistakes” have horrible, life-altering consequences – that are permanent.

Shouldn’t maturity and a growth in our understanding of God, drive us to be obedient more out of love than fear? In surrendering to the discipline, the correction of the Holy Spirit, I am yielding – more out of love for God these days, and less out of fear.

Prayer

Dad,
It has certainly not been easy to be raised in more or less, a fatherless home environment. I rarely felt safe, rarely felt loved, valued or protected by a good, loving father figure. That lack of discipline made it much harder to do what is right for the right reason. You know my sense of right and wrong was based on getting caught or getting away with something! It was not helpful at all as a young man. But when I was learning to be obedient and even disciplined out of your love it was both amazing and extremely difficult. Thank you for your long, enduring patience with me. Thank you for your grace still today. You are such a good Father to me and I am eternally grateful.

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If only it was this simple.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

”Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.“ ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This whole story of God relenting and giving Israel what they were BEGGING for – a KING, is amazing. Like little kindergartners in the global playground, Israel’s leaders wanted to be like all the other nations surrounding them. Samuel warned them that they did not fully understand what they were asking for, but they wanted a King nonetheless. Here in these chapters is the process by which God selects their first King FOR them. God only does this kind of selection a couple of times, before Israel decides for themselves. I am fascinated of how gracious, kind and thorough God is in this process of their first King appointment.

God’s spokesperson, Samuel, is given the responsibility of setting up a private meeting with a young man named Saul, and telling him exactly what God will do in him and through him. When we read these verses, 10:2-6, we find four specific moments that Samuel tells Saul exactly what will happen and who it will happen with and where it will take place. Amazing! The who, what, when and where of God’s plans for Saul’s life at the start. If it were only this simple today!

Samuel explains what would happen next, in perfect order: First two men at Rachel’s tomb and what they will say. Then three men at the oak of Tabor, and what they will say (plus! the bonus of a couple loafs of bread – always a treat). Then at Gibeah, a band of prophets, along with the instruments they will be playing. And finally, the Spirit of the Lord will come on him and Saul will prophesy with the band! And, Samuel tells Saul “you will be changed into a different person.” It happened exactly as Samuel said it would. Saul did not tell his father about any of it!

Yet, even with all that detail, and powerful confirmation moments that God is choosing Saul to be Israel’s first King, what happens when the big announcement goes out and Samuel wants to present God’s choice to the people? Saul goes AWOL. ”So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord…” Even though Samuel knew who God’s choice was, he still went through the process of using Urim and Thummim (polished round stones that were a part of the High Priest’s robe) to “cast lots.” Family by family, until finally down to one individual was determined. Of course, it was Saul. But where was Saul? He was HIDING! When it came down to it, even after all the supernatural confirmations that God was leading him – Saul was terrified, scared to death to be chosen. The people found him, cowering, hiding, and brought him out to be their King.

There is so much here about why and how God chooses individuals to lead. There is so much truth about how many of them have a difficult time believing it, even with overwhelming proof. Saul is not the only one who struggled with such an overwhelming calling on his life. What has God called you to be, to do? What is God supernaturally laying out before you to convince and confirm to you that He wants to use you in His great plans in the Kingdom of God. No, it may not be the position of a king, but who knows? Saul had everything laid out for him, yet still he had enormous doubts. Even his friends and family kind of mocked him after he went home. Sure, Saul was tall and handsome, but people could clearly see that he was no leader! But God, right? Same with you and me. Maybe you don’t see it. Maybe your family and friends don’t see it. But God sees it, he sees you and who you will become!

It’s funny to think, “yeah, if all those crazy things happened to help me believe… then I’d say yes.” Really? Those things did not convince Saul either. I said this in a sermon yesterday, “Know God. Believe God. Follow God.” He is trustworthy to believe and God knows what He’s doing. Just say YES and start moving forward.

Prayer

Dad,
I still remember how hard it was for me to say “yes.” I still remember feeling awkward and uncomfortable, not really knowing what I was saying yes to! It took years to figure out, I wasn’t saying yes to a position, calling or pursuit, I was simply saying “yes” to You. The more I tried to figure out what I was supposed to do, the more I had to learn to listen and obey you. I wanted a supernatural roadmap of how my life would go and the only thing I discovered was I needed to get better at listening, not actually leading anything. You have been faithful. You are still faithful. Others get impatient that I don’t lead or do what they expect, but I am only called to please YOU, by obeying You. Thank for your grace and mercy as I muddle through this wonderful life of mystery.

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Lessons from an introverted leader.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Moses, the man, the legend! Moses’ life is a great example of God’s calling on a person. His story is famous, but his journey to fulfill God’s call is often overshadowed by the amazing scenes of miracles God did through his frailty. Moses wasn’t a weak man, not in grit or girth, but in his self confidence he was weak. His view of himself was not at all what God saw in him.

At eighty years old, God catches Moses’ attention out in the middle of nowhere. And, God waited forty years to approach him. Forty years is plenty long for the death of one’s dreams. At forty, Moses’ anger had finally boiled over when he murdered an Egyptian foreman because the man was mercilessly beating one of his own people. Moses escaped and fled to Midian, the desert where people can disappear. Now at 80 years old, he curiously checks out this crazy fire-bush.

A casual conversation with God on the side of a mountain takes place. God tells Moses his plan. He says, “I’m getting my people out of Egypt, out of slavery and setting up a new place they will call their own. A beautiful place fill with plenty, but there are some folks already there, but I’ll move them out to make room for my people. I’ve heard their cry and I am ready to send someone to lead them out. I am sending you!

It was all a nice conversation until it came down to a command. It wasn’t a question, like with Isaiah, “Whom should I send?” No, it was an order. Moses protested! Moses asked the most telling question of anyone who has ever been called by God. “Who am I?” This wasn’t humility, this was truth. Moses saw himself as a nobody because he was a nobody! He was living a quiet, simple life with his whole new family. He was married, had a kid; Egypt and his former existence was a lifetime in the past. Yet, God would not take no for an answer, because it wasn’t a request, it was a command. God’s patience is sweet, but He would have his way. Moses protest goes on for a very long time, from 3:11 to 4:17, you’ll find every excuse presented and dismissed. But you’ll notice a shuttle shift in wording in verse 10. Moses changes his method from “protest” to “pleading.” Three specific protests and two pleas! The final one, “But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”” God relented and Moses thought he was off the hook, God said, “fine,” I’ll let your brother, Aaron do the talking, but YOU are still going! What an incredible exchange between the God of all creation and this broken, wash-up, now invisible man, living in the desert.

Who can tell God no? The fears and frailties are real. The common misconception is that God “prepares” those he calls. Ha! That’s funny. Yeah, God prepares alright! He says, “Here’s what you’re going to do… now obey me and get going!” That’s the prep! I don’t know who started this nonsense that somehow miraculously one slowly grows into what God sees in them, when they cannot see it themselves. I can tell you from my experience, I grew and learned through OBEDIENCE. There was no model, no template, no lectures on methodology and no practice test. There was only, “Here’s the plan, go and be obedient.” It required 100% faith to cut through the overwhelming fear that I was not enough. I was not old enough, experienced enough, nor knowledgeable enough. I learned about leadership through obedience. You can take dozens of classes. Listen to hundreds of podcasts about how others did it. Follow a more experienced person and try to emulate what you saw. NONE OF IT compares to obedience and faith. You just have to DO IT.

Moses obeyed and told his father-in-law, then Aaron, then the leaders of Israel, living in Egypt, then finally Pharaoh himself. He became an extraordinary leader, not perfect though. I still see the pattern in Moses’ life… God speaks, he obeys.

Prayer

Dad,
Obedience is better than sacrifice. Obedience is faith in action. Obedience is not in my beliefs, it’s in my behavior. I can imagine that I am obedient to your will, your way, all day long, but until my behavior follows through, it’s just a game, a pretense. Thank you your patience, grace and kindness as I get over myself and learn to just do what you say.

Posted on

Fleecing or filtering God.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” ‭‭Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭36‬-‭37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Not growing up around church all that much, I had heard about this idea of asking God for miraculous proof before I had ever read the Gideon story. This request is know as Gideon’s fleece! There was always a warning that came with exercising a fleece before God. Don’t do it, I was told. I don’t see any rules regarding a fleece in Gideon’s own story. All I see is a desperate man, wanting God to rescue his country and trying to find out if he’s really the guy for the job.

Of course he’s got insecurities. We’re talking about taking a farmer and turning him into a warrior. Who wouldn’t need a boost for that? Oh, I understand the whole element of faith and trusting God. I think Gideon had faith in God to eliminate the enemy, he was just shocked that there weren’t more qualified volunteers. You’ve been there right? I sure have! My entire faith-walk has been filled with Gideon questions. God, surely there has to be someone better? God doesn’t seem to mind our unqualified experience or opinion. God didn’t seem to run us through the list of people He spoke with about the job.

Israel had no king, but there had to be some battle ready warriors hanging around. Ah, but none of them honored God, and Gideon did. Let’s not forget, the chapter begins with “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.” Midianite and Amalekite raiders would wait until the crops or herds would get to a certain size and then just camel-ride in for a shopping spree taking everything. The people of Israel finally asked God for help, they were ready to repent and get their act together.

Gideon was God’s answer to their prayer, he just didn’t know it yet. Preachers always point out the humor of the angel of the Lord (Jesus in the OT), when he greeted Gideon, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Who me? Hero? That’s funny. But God saw what would be, not what was! God always sees what would be, could be with our obedience and faith in him. Past, present and future is always NOW with God! Gideon’s fleece, the battles, the beginning and the end of Gideon’s life on this planet – are all NOW with God.

Gideon “fleeced” God several times, needing some extra help in his faith. The wool wasn’t the only one. Once Gideon got down the way faith works, he started obeying without all the props to get him moving. I remember a couple of times God asked me to do something and I gave the ol’ fleece a try. The fleece happened and I was still stuck with being obedient!

I don’t do “fleeces” anymore. I do use a set of filters to help guide me in making sure it’s God telling me to do something and it’s not me trying to get or manipulate something. There have even been a few times I was obedient and did what I was asked and never saw the results that I expected. The first filter is always – does it line up with the Bible? If it’s extra-biblical. it’s a no go. The second is a moral filter – what’s in it for me? If there is a win or a gain on my part, I’m pretty suspicious that it’s me and not God. If there’s no selfish advantage I go to the third filter. Am I willing to see the whole thing through? Not just drop a comment or do a one time act, but do I love this person enough to stay with it, even if the person or situation turns against me? If it’s not the purity of love then I don’t commit. As you can see, I don’t ask God for a “sign” as much as I question my motives and my own sanity! Trust comes as faith is exercised.

Prayer

Dad,
Interestingly, I don’t think I have ever been comfortable being asked to do your will. I just assume there will be a level of uneasiness just in being obedient. I do want to make you happy and obey you, but that’s never been all that fun. However, I am still willing to obey you and try not to wrestle with all the thoughts about what others will think of me. And, I was way more bold before I had a reputation and a life, family, or job to think about 😬.

Posted on

Suffering is a great teacher, I just don’t like her.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus faced down the same crummy situations that we do. The idea that Jesus had temptations is hard to process. The best glimpse is Satan tempting him in the desert. Jesus was tempted to make his own will happen over God’s will. Test the limits of who he is and what his mission would be. Get and gain everything a human would want by taking shortcuts and believing a con-angel. I forget about the deep pain and suffering that occurred in many of his interactions with religious people as well as those who were suffering physically or broken emotionally – oftentimes both.

Jesus was deemed a fake, a liar, a rebel and a power hungry conspirator from his own religious leaders. He IS God, but the guys who supposedly worked for God couldn’t recognize one characteristic of God in Jesus! It is extremely painful to be misunderstood, or worse, categorized as a contrarian. Then there is the pain of empathizing with those who had been marginalized and beat up by the religious culture of perfection all while they profited and maintained power. The strong got stronger at the expense of the weak getting weaker. This environment decimated faith and distorted people’s view of God – both religious and sinner.

It is painful to watch others suffer and then be told they deserve it. The author of Hebrews delivers the truth in the conversation of Jesus being the final High Priest – it wasn’t an easy calling. Hebrews writes, “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” Vs 5‬:‭8‬. My idea of learning obedience was simply doing what God says to do. Haven’t we learned that being obedient, doing what’s right and following God PREVENTS suffering? It’s not just that God disciplines us when we are disobedient, but now there’s the problem of suffering when doing RIGHT.

In my thinking, I should NOT suffer when doing right! Making right decisions and following God in obedience should get me a pass on suffering, right? That’s the whole carrot/stick scenario. Do right, get the carrot. Do wrong get the stick. Which is more motivating? Carrot please. Jesus did right and got the stick! He continued to do right and got the cross. Where’s the motivation? Where’s the reward? Hebrews has the audacity to tell us that suffering for righteousness sake yields obedience. Suffering can help us learn to obey God no matter the circumstances. If, for one moment I may think, “well, that’s for Jesus, and I am not him.” We both know that’s dodging the truth.

Obey God. Trust God. Suffer if we must, but do not confuse resistance, grief, mockery, gossip or mistreatment as an indication that we are doing something wrong. If we are being obedient to God, then suffering will come along with it.

Prayer

Dad,
Of course I confuse suffering with doing wrong and sinning! I am full of sin and just figured that suffering is what I deserve. I never thought of suffering for righteousness or suffering as a means to learn obedience. I want to avoid suffering! It is just not a good feeling. Help me to see the lesson, the value of suffering as Your Word shows me to be humble and to learn. I can’t tell you I like it, but I do know how much I love you and want to do what is right. Pour out your mercy and peace so that I can handle suffering appropriately.