Bread Crumbs

Strength for Surrender

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Phi 4:13 NKJV

Achieving success becomes paradoxical when we try to live our lives for Christ's cause.  In many ways we can't handle the truth.  Knowing all that God expects from us sometimes becomes more than we can bear because it is then that we recognize that all of our "self help" gets us nowhere with God.

Its no wonder that God's expectations can weigh us down.  He does, after all, expect us to completely surrender to His plan.  If we sincerely seek God's face through His Word, He encourages and convicts us, builds us up and breaks us down.  We must become soft clay in God's hands as He molds our character and our lives.  But it takes effort and strength to surrender, doesn't it?   Therein lies the paradox.  We have to be strong to become weak and so much strength is required that the strength for surrender must also come from God.

Why is surrendering so difficult?  It would appear that surrendering is best suited for the weak people of the earth.  Isn't that what happens in physical warfare?  The weaker army simply stops fighting and surrenders to the stronger one.  That sounds reasonable enough, but our reasoning is not wise in God's eyes.  God's Word says:

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.  Where is the wise?  where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world?  hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1 Cor 1:19-20)

As the apostle Paul says numerous times throughout scripture, we must die to ourselves - to our own needs, ambitions, and desire for outcome control - in order to live for Him.   This "dying" cannot be achieved by the weak in faith.  Strength and discipline are required to achieve the moment-by-moment surrender God desires for His cause and no one of us is strong enough to do that in their own power.  The good news is, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  He can even give us the strength to surrender.

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

When the Cat's Away the Calf Comes Out

And the LORD said to Moses, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves... They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!'" - Exodus 32:7-8 NKJV

Life and leadership principles abound in the book of Exodus.  Reading the story of the Israelites' journey to the promised land gives plenty of chances to see the errors of our own ways.  Like the people of Israel, we too lose faith when bumps in the road of life appear, and forget that it was God who brought us this far in the first place.  Then, to make matters worse, we take those matters into our own hands.  Yikes!

I suspect Moses was having the time of his life on the mountain with God as the molded calf was being crafted.  Moses was talking with and receiving instruction from God, yet while he was away, his trusted partner Aaron was being swayed by an unbelieving people.  One has to wonder how they could have possibly turned to another "god", when the real God was so close at hand!  Here are a couple of thoughts to consider:

1. A Misplaced Faith -The people of Israel put their faith in man, not in God.  Once they started doubting the fate of their earthly leader, Moses, their faith crumbled along with their obedience to God.
2. A Misguided Leader - The bottom line is, Aaron should have known better.  And to his credit, he did recognize his mistake, albeit too late.  Leaders need to be stronger than all the rest.  Had Aaron's faith been unshakeable, I doubt he would have helped them make the golden calf.

As leaders, we need to keep close to God so that when trials come, we can trust God's plan.  We also need to make sure that we keep pointing others to follow God rather than us.  That way, no matter what happens to us, that "calf" will never come out.

For further thought:

• Who do I trust for my faith?   
• Am I living on someone else's faith coat tails or does my faith stand on its own?

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Excuses, Excuses

But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharoah, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" - Exodus 3:11 NKJV

When it comes down to it, Moses was no different than we are, was he? God asked him to do something and he came up with all kinds of excuses for why he wasn't the man for the job.   As you read through the list of Moses' excuses, ask yourself "Have I ever said the same thing to God's call on my life?"

1. Who am I? (Ex 3:11)  Moses didn't feel qualified.
2. Who is sending me? (Ex 3:13) Moses didn't know God well enough to describe him to others.
3. What if they don't listen to me? (Ex 4:1)  Moses was intimidated.
4. I am not a good speaker. (Ex 4:10)  Moses felt inadequate.
5. You can find someone else, can't you? (Ex 4:13)  Moses felt inferior when he compared himself to others.

I think it is interesting that God did not take "No" for an answer.  After every excuse, God replied with reassurance that He would not only provide what Moses needed to do the work, but He also reminded Moses of how big He was.  Moses was not alone.  Moses had God at His side.  And so do we.  With God at our side helping us to achieve His God-sized goal for our lives, we cannot fail. That should keep us from making excuses. 

For further thought:

• What is God asking you to do in your life that you feel is bigger than your capabilities?
• How would you fill in the blanks to this question?

Who am I that I should ______________________ and that I should __________________?

• How big is your God?  How can He help you do what He has called you to to?  Ask Him to provide what you need.

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Janna Rust is a Professional Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

An Acceptable Offering

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering.  From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering you shall take from them ... - Exodus 25:1-3 NKJV

How often do you ask yourself what God wants from you in the form of an offering?  Do you know what would please Him coming from you specifically with respect to your own time, talents and treasure?  I wonder how many people give God what He wants.  I wonder how many times I allow my own motives or laziness to get in the way of what God wants from me specifically.

God is very specific with the types of offerings he wants from his children.  In the initial days of Israel's relationship with him, God bent Moses' ear for 40 days on Mount Sinai explaining to Moses all the details surrounding God's laws, the temple construction and the type of offerings acceptable to Him.  God knows exactly what he wants from us and tells us so.

The passage above tells us this:

1. God wants offerings.
2. God wants pure offerings.
3. God wants specific offerings.

It is amazing to me that while God "owns" everything, he still wants something from us - a specific something.  Why waste our time and treasure giving him something he doesn't even want with impure motives to top it all off?  We definitely can't fool God.  Remember, He has the ultimate in surveillance equipment - Himself!  He knows what we can offer. Let's spend time with Him God through his word, seeking him and his will for our lives with sincerity, so we can give him the pure, specific offering he desires. 

From learning to living...

• What can I offer to God that is specific to Him from me in the area of my abilities?
• How can I make a sincere offering of every area of my life to Him this week?

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Janna Rust is a Life Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Obedient for His Presence

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel.  And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.  But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand.  So they saw God, and they ate and drank. - Exodus 24:9-11 NKJV

What a rare occasion this must have been for many people other than Moses to actually stand in God's presence and look upon Him.  Try to picture the scene above in your mind. I'm sure that words cannot adequately describe what they saw.  Interestingly enough, not too much earlier than this scene, all of the people but Moses were told to stand back (Ex 24:1-2)  What changed?  What does is take to see God and be in His presence?

Two things changed.  The hearts of the people and the applied mercy of God.  Moses received the words of God, told them to the people, and the people in united fashion proclaimed to Moses their obedience to God.  As a result, Moses took blood from the burnt offerings and sprinkled it upon the people as a sign of God's covenant.  (Ex 24:7-8)   It was only then that some of the people were allowed to approach God.   And oh, did they see Him!

Individual obedience to God's call on our lives allows us to draw near to God.  Our first act of obedience is to respond to His "call" by believing on Jesus Christ for salvation and asking Christ to be Lord over all of our lives.  That is our blood "covenant", allowing us in to heaven where God dwells in all His majesty.  Day to day obedience allows us to draw near to God while we are here on earth in the form of prayer and worship.  It takes a lot of surrender to our own wants and desires, but it is worth it.   Do you want to get a closer "peak" at God?  Ask God to give you a heart examination and show you how you can be more obedient.  He'll let you see Him.

The King of Self

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. - Judges 21:25 NKJV

Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.  In a strange sort of way, this post was inspired by my watching the season premier of American Idol last night.  Every year when I watch footage of the auditions, I am in disbelief at how disillusioned some of the contestants are to think they should be participating in a singing contest of that magnitude when in fact they can't even sing.  I told my husband that I feel sorry for those contestants but am angry at their friends or family members who didn't tell them the truth.  Ahh...but "speaking the truth in love" is a whole other topic.  The whole point is that those bad singers thought they were good when in fact they couldn't sing...and they let the whole world know.

Getting back to the passage above, are we merely talking about the nation of Israel in its early state of existence or could this apply to the post-modern culture in which we live today?  I'm wondering if in fact the verse isn't more applicable now than ever before.  I am no church history or sociology scholar, but I have done my share of research and I do in fact live in today's culture of relative moralism.

So how do we know what is right, anyway?  Any faithful reader of this blog is going to know where I'm headed with this one.  A close encounter with God's Word will definitely show us the way to live.   If God is truth, and therefore the epitomy of what is right because He is by nature all that is holy and pure, then it makes sense that the Bible would be our guidebook.  It can reveal to us personally what we need to change about the attitudes and actions in our lives to conform to God's standard of living.

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

We may think that we are right in the things that we do, but are we?  How can we know what right and wrong really is if we only rely upon ourselves?  Our motives and emotions can sometimes get in the way of rational thought if we aren't careful.  I know that happens to me.  I want to do what is right as best as I can.  Therefore, I keep trekking through the bible daily and ask God to show me where to change.  I know that everything is not always right through my "eyes".

Eye Openers:

1.  How do you view a passage of scripture that contradicts the way you live your life?  Do you try to change your life or do you attempt to modify the interpretation of the passage to fit your life?

2.  How often do you consult the real "Truth" for guidance in your life?  How do you think it would make a difference in the way you live?

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Janna Rust is a Life Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Revisiting the Call

From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar.  There Abram called on the name of the Lord. - Genesis 13:2 NIV

Sometimes after a long journey with God as we live out our calling we must return to the place from where we have come and seek His face again.   The reasons for this are varied.  We may be weary.  We may be facing obstacles.  We may sense that we need to change direction.  We may just need a little encouragement that what we are doing is still what God wants from us.  Whatever the reason, whether we are seeking God's face for a new direction or for renewed energy on our current trek, the fact remains that when we ask God for help, he will give it.  If we heed God's advice we will find ourselves encouraged anew and revitalized to tackle the challenges ahead.

I wonder what compelled Abram to return to that place near Bethel where he had built his first altar to God.  He had been on a long journey from Haran to Bethel to the Negev to Egypt and then back again to Bethel.  He had yet to settle in the promised land but had still managed to accumulate wealth along the way.  Perhaps he sensed he was off track in his pursuit of God's original mandate to him.  I'm also wondering if in this latest meeting with God, God didn't remind Abram of his original instruction to leave his people and his father's household.  After meeting with God, we do see from the text of Genesis 13 that Abram parted company with Lot (a relative), who had been traveling with him since he left Haran.  Once Abram shed this "load", God spoke again to Abram and reminded him of the original plan he had for him:

The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west.  All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.  I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.  Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."  (Genesis 13:14-17 NIV)

Abram lifted up his eyes and looked at the vision God had planned for him.  He took his eyes off of himself and his current situation and focused on the future.  He took in the sights, the sounds, and the smells of what the future held.  We must do the same if we are to continue steadfastly in God's purpose for our lives.  Has God given you a dream for a future in His service?  What does that look like to you? Lay hold of it and start today to make that dream become reality.  God is waiting to join you.  Won't you join Him?

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Janna Rust is a Life Coach and Speaker dedicated to encouraging others towards lives God intends for them.  For more information, visit her at www.purposefulpartnerships.com.

Who Will You Serve?

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. - Joshua 24:15 NKJV

Life is a series of choices - lots & lots of little choices.   Some of our choices are good & some of them are, let's say, not so good.Some of our choices have become habits by virtue of repetition, but they are choices nonetheless.   Each choice builds up on the other to form the fabric of our lives, making us into the people we are.  What kind of a person do you want to be?

Joshua knew what kind of person he wanted to be.  He wanted to follow God, the one true god, no matter who or what the other people in his life served.  I love Joshua's conviction.  Joshua was determined in his life to keep his eyes focused on the right things.

It is hard to make the right choices sometimes, especially the little choices.   For instance, it is easier to sleep a little later in the morning sometimes than it is to get up before everyone else in the house to spend quiet time with God.   It is easier to turn on the TV or radio and passively be entertained than to open a book and actively participate in the experience.  It is easier to complain and remain in the same old rut than to craft a solution of daily choices to change our situation.  Choices.  We all face them every day.

The good news is, that as believers through God's Spirit inside of us, we have been given the ability to make good choices to follow God and go against the grain of popular culture.  As Paul says in the book of Romans:

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  Ro 6:4 NKJV

When we make the choice to follow God and accept His son Jesus as our Lord and the Savior of our souls, we will have that power to walk in newness of life.  Our choices will still be there and we might still struggle to change previous bad habits into new good habits, but we will have access to the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.  I know that I need that kind of help sometimes.  What small choice for God are you going to make today?  Take a small step toward big change.  You'll be so glad you did.

Meeting God's Approval

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. - 2 Tim 2:15

I recently bought a new study bible - the Thompson Chain Reference kind - and honestly I have to say that I'm going to need to do some studying to figure out how to "work" the tools in it so that it will be useful to me.  And of course, like a good little modern Christian, I had to buy a new leather bible cover to protect it.  :)  This bible cover included a highlighter pen with the verse above printed on it.  I suppose so that if the pen ever got separated from my bible cover I would know where it belonged!  All humor aside, I do have to say that I have finally succombed to the "pressure" and am now writing a blog post on this verse.

Paul is telling pastor Timothy that he needs to get to know God's Word by diligent study so that he will be approved unto God.  This passage applies to us as well.  We are in a day and age where real truth is hard to come by because more and more the philosophy of relative moralism is seeping into every aspect of our lives.  If we as Christians, who have the truth, don't know how to explain and share it with others, who will?  As Christians, we only have one weapon in our arsenal against spiritual warfare of all types, and that is the sword of God's Word.  God's Word, when understood can not only protect us in the battle but can encourage, convict and instruct us to be the people God is desiring us to be. 

Most importantly, we must not fail to see in this passage that by studying God's Word, we will please God.  Our motivation to study should not be to impress others by our bible knowledge or to check off on a task list that we completed so many word studies in a year.  Our motivation to study should not even be so that we can be comforted or be a comfort to others by passing on a particular scripture passage.  We should be studying God's word so that we can please Him because by reading His Word - His Mind - we will get to know Him better.  That's what God really wants.

This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts, boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord. (Jer 9:23-24 NIV)

If we can study God's Word, rightly dividing it so that we get the correct meaning of what He is saying to us, we will get to know God, we will please God and all of the other benefits of God's Word to us will come.  Doesn't that want to make you study?  I know I'm ready to look for more treasures.

For the Faithful "Workman":

1) How well do you know your most important weapon?

2) What can you do today to get to know it/God better?

3) If you are having trouble getting started in a bible reading plan, what is really holding you back?

Staying on Track

But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.  But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? ... I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.  (Galatians 4:8-11 NKJV)

In reading through Paul's letters to the churches these past few weeks, I am relating in some way to how Paul must have felt when he expressed some of his concerns to his massive "flock".   Aside from Paul's thankfulness for the people of faith at these churches, a prevalent theme in his writings is an expression of distress over their apparent straying from the dedication to the faith that they had been taught.   Paul is perplexed at how they could have strayed from a rock solid faith because Paul knows how powerful the gospel is (Romans 1:16-17).   After all, why would someone stray from something so good?

I appreciate Paul's candor in telling the truth as he sees it.  We know that Paul loved these people.  However, it appears that his statement was not well received because he asks the question later in his letter:

"Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" - Gal 4:16 NKJV

The truth is hard to take and the truth is hard to tell, isn't it?  Generally speaking, these truths of which Paul writes also typify the church today.  We can read the passage at the top of this post (Gal 4:8-11) and be convicted even today, almost 2000 years later, of the state of our churches and the state of our hearts.  We have strayed from God because although we are known by God, we don't know God deeply because we are not in God's word enough to develop an unshakeable faith.  Poor Paul.  He was afraid he had labored in vain.   Pastors today who are passionate about equipping people with God's Word must feel the same frustration, but nonetheless they must keep pressing on to do the work that God has called them to do. 

So how can we keep from straying from our faith?  How can we protect ourselves from falling prey to false doctrine, fear and feeble worship?  We can continue in our faith by striving to know the mind of God through the daily reading of His word.   God's Word, when allowed to dwell in our hearts and bounce around through are minds, has the power to change our lives and enable us to live the way God intended us to live - in a way that will show others that Paul's (and other co-laborers for the gospel) labor was not in vain.   Let's dive in to its riches today.

For Further Thought:

1) How well do you know God?  Gauge this by how often you are reading His "mind", His Word.

2) In what area of your life have you slipped into false thinking or "idol" worship?  If you have, what do you think is the cause in your own life?

3) How do you react when confronted with the truth?  Is it the reaction that God would be pleased with?