Posts Tagged ‘Fellowship’

Trusting God when I don’t understand

Posted: March 22, 2010 in Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Uncategorized
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Trusting God when I don’t understand
by Rick Warren
“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 (NIV)

When the children of Israel were finally set free from Egypt after 400 years of slavery, they started marching out to freedom and the first thing they came to was the Red Sea. There were impassable mountain ranges on two sides of them, the sea in front of them.

Behind them, in hot pursuit, was the Egyptian army because the Pharaoh had changed his mind about letting them go. The path before the Israelites looked like a dead end.

But God knew exactly what He wanted to do. He had not made a mistake. He could see what they could not see. He opened the Red Sea and they walked through to safety. Years later, the Israelites looked back and sang, “Your road led by a pathway through the sea—a pathway no one knew was there!” (Psalm 77:19 LB).

You may be facing a dead end right now—financial, emotional, relational—but God can see a path that you don’t know about. If you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, He will make a way.

It will become more understandable as you head down the path he sets before you, but understanding is not a requirement for you to start down the path. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter till the full light of day” (NIV). One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and view the big picture. You’ll see God’s purpose behind the path He specifically chose for you.

What do I do in the meantime? You do what Proverbs 3 says: “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.” What does He mean “don’t lean on your own understanding”? You don’t need to try to figure it out. In truth, you’re not going to understand most of the things that happen in your life until you get to heaven.

Be patient. God knows what He’s doing. God knows what’s best for you. He can see the end result. You can’t. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays — all the things that make you ask “why” — one day it will all be clear in the light of God’s love.

But for now, we’re learning to trust God.

Tuning in to God

Posted: March 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Personal Growth, Uncategorized
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Tuning in to God
by Rick Warren
“God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” Job 33:14 (NCV)

After we ask in faith for God’s guidance, we need to listen for God’s response!

Did you know that the room you are in right now is filled with radio waves? You can’t see them but if you had the right type of receiver – like a radio – to tune them in, you’d be able to hear them.

God designed you to hear His voice. There is a receiver in you that allows you to get guidance from God. Job 33:14 says, “God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” We don’t understand when we’re not tuned in.

What channels does God use? The primary way that God speaks is through the Bible. The Bible is God’s guide book. It’s like a road map to guide us along the way. It helps you negotiate the mazes you face in life, giving you the directions you need. This is why we need to read the Bible very day. God’s will is found in God’s Word.

God also speaks through godly Bible teachers. Have you ever been in church or at a Bible study and you feel like the teacher is speaking directly to you? In that moment, God is speaking directly to you.

God not only speaks through teachers, he also speaks through every Christian. He even speaks through you. If you’ll stay in tune to Him and learn His Word, sometimes God will use you to say things to people that He wants to say to them. It’s not something special reserved only for pastors; God speaks through every believer at different times.

God also speaks through your circumstances and your pain. God whispers to us in our pleasure, but He shouts to us in our pain.

God is speaking all the time. But we must listen. Tune in to God and He will lead you on the right path.

Just Ask

Posted: March 22, 2010 in Encourgement, Fellowship, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Uncategorized
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Just ask!
by Rick Warren
“If you want to know what God really wants you to do, ask him . . . but if you don’t ask in faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer.” James 1:5-6 (LB)

The Bible says when we ask God for guidance, we need to believe he will give us that guidance.

Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9 NIV). Ask, seek, knock—ASK. God wants you to learn to ask.

God is willing to give wisdom: “If you want to know what God really wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; but . . . if you don’t ask in faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer” (James 1: 5-6 LB).

God wants to direct you in life, but two things need to line up:  You have to ask the right person—God, and you have to ask with the right attitude—in faith, expecting an answer.

Have you ever asked God for something and didn’t expect to get it? That’s why you didn’t get it. God works in our lives according to faith. So many times we say, “God, please guide me!” and we walk away not even waiting for guidance. We just immediately start to work. We say, “God, I want you to give me wisdom, help me make the right decision.” But we don’t really expect Him to do that. We think it all depends on us.

God has promised to give us wisdom, if we will ask. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view. Wisdom is the ability to make decisions the way God makes decisions.

Think about this: God never makes a bad decision. He never makes a mistake. He says if we trust Him and listen to Him, He will guide us. But we must ask in faith.
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