Inner Turmoil

Sometimes I feel as if I’m in a bad relationship—with myself! Whenever Julie the writer starts a paragraph, Julie the editor interrupts. "No, no, no. Don’t say it that way. Why are you always so negative?" Or "What makes you think you have anything worthwhile to say?"

Before I’ve completed a single thought, my alter ego has torn it to shreds. This is a very debilitating ritual. It’s also common to the human condition.

Satan loves to distract us with criticism, and he tries to get us to use it on others as well as ourselves. We judge prematurely and try to correct others before we know what they’re saying. That’s what Eli the priest did when Hannah was crying out to God. He interrupted her prayer and accused her of being drunk (1 Sam. 1:12-14).

But God lets us pour out our hearts to Him in full honesty (Ps. 62:8). In fact, the Psalms indicate that it is when we are expressing our doubts and fears that God resolves them. Many Psalms that begin in despair end in praise (22; 42; 60; 69; 73).

When a battle is raging inside, pour out your soul before the Lord (1 Sam. 1:15). He can make sense out of what seems senseless. — Julie Ackerman Link

When turmoil seems to hold full sway
And be the ruler of the day,
I’ll open up my heart and find
That God with peace can ease my mind. —Hess

Prayer does not make God see things as we see them; it helps us see things as God sees them.

March 5, 2007
http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2007/03/05/devotion.aspx

The Bible’s School Of Prayer

To call God and us unequal partners is a laughable understatement. And yet by inviting us to do kingdom work on earth, God has indeed set up a kind of odd-couple alliance. God delegates work to human beings so that we do history together, so to speak. Clearly, the partnership has one dominant partner—something like an alliance between Microsoft and a high school programmer.

We know well what happens when human beings form unequal alliances: the dominant partner tends to throw his weight around and the subordinate mostly keeps quiet. But God, who has no reason to be threatened by us, invites a steady and honest flow of communication.

I sometimes wonder why God places such a high value on honesty in our prayers, even to the extent of enduring unjust outbursts. I am startled to see how many biblical prayers seem ill-tempered. Jeremiah griped about unfairness (20:7-10); Habakkuk accused God of deafness (1:2); Job conceded, “What profit do we have if we pray to Him?” (21:15). The Bible teaches us to pray with blistering honesty.

God wants us to come to Him with our complaints. If we march through life pretending to smile while inside we bleed, we dishonor the relationship. — Philip Yancey

Give Him each perplexing problem,

All your needs to Him make known;

Bring to Him your daily burdens—

Never carry them alone! —Adams

The best thermometer of your spiritual temperature is the intensity of your prayer. —Spurgeon

January 13, 2009

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/01/13/devotion.aspx

Inner purity results in outer power

In Psalm 24:3, David ponders, "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?" Then, he answers: "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior" (Psalm 24:4-5).

Here, David tells us that in order to stand before the Lord, you must have "clean hands and a pure heart." Such inner purity results in a "blessing from the Lord and vindication from God." What an excellent reward for keeping a pure heart!

Intuitively, to have God's power flowing through you requires a clear "path" through which it can flow. In other words, if you want God's power to be working in your life, you must keep a clean conscience and a pure heart. It's no surprise, then, that Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8).

Having outer, visible power requires having a developed, mature inner life. A believer who tries to have a powerful outer life but lacks that pure inner life is like a tree with lots of branches that lacks roots. When the storm comes and the winds blow, the tree topples, because it has no roots. Likewise, you must develop solid "roots" in your inner life, if you ever want to bear strong, stable fruit in your outer life.

Similarly, in Colossians 2:6-7, Paul instructed the early Christians to be "rooted and built up in [Christ], strengthened in the faith as you were taught." We too, need to be rooted and grounded in God.

King David also knew the importance of inner purity. After he had ordered the murder of Uriah and committed adultery with Bathsheba (see 2 Samuel 11), he obviously lacked inner purity. However, in Psalm 51:10, David asked God to cleanse him: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." His desire for inner purity was necessary before he could "receive blessing from the Lord."

Since inner purity results in outer power, I challenge you to take David's prayer and make it your own.

Weekly Wisdoms for the week of January 5, 2009

http://www.christnotes.org/ww.php?d=2009-01-05

God is not necessarily looking for ability, He is looking for availability

Some Christians doubt that God can use them, because they don't have any great talents or skills. However, God doesn't necessarily look to use people with great talent; He examines the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7).

Paul wrote, in 1 Corinthians 1:26-27, Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

God often chooses to use lowly or seemingly foolish people so that He can show His greatness through them.

When you think you have it all together and have everything going in your favor, then you won't lean on God--you'll rely on your own strength. But if you know that you can't do something on your own, then you'll rely on God for strength--and that's when God can show His greatness.

Every single person has amazing potential to do great things for God. Regardless of your talents, you can do outstanding things for God. All God is looking for is people like David, who have a right heart that is open and available for God to work through.

If you find yourself broken and in obvious need of God's help, don't despair. God can use you anyway, because God is not necessarily looking for ability; He's looking for availability.

Weekly Wisdoms for the week of December 29, 2008
http://www.christnotes.org/ww.php?d=2008-12-29

Does the fear of God or the fear of man rule your life?

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe (Proverbs 29:25).

A person who is ruled by the fear of man is one whose decisions are dictated by what other people think. Such a person is a people-pleaser. One ruled by the fear of man will repeatedly base decisions on questions like "How does this make me look?", "Do you think they'll like it?", or "What if they don't approve?". It is certainly not wrong to ask for input from other people (indeed, it's wise to seek feedback from others); however, it is wrong—not just wrong, but foolish—for your decisions to be guided more by feedback from others than by feedback from God.

To fear God means to take him at his word, knowing that he will follow through on all his promises. A person who fears the Lord is one whose decisions are guided by God.

There are more than a dozen verses in the Bible that make very clear the advantage of being one whose life is guided by the fear of the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord (Psalm 112:1). Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life (Proverbs 22:4). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:26-27).

It's no wonder Proverbs 31:30 gives us this nugget of wisdom: Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

If you want the fear of God to guide your life, then base your actions on questions like "What does God think about this?", "Would God approve of this?", or "Would I do this if Jesus were right here watching me?".

If you want your life to be blessed, let it be ruled by the fear of God.

Weekly Wisdoms for the week of December 15, 2008

http://www.christnotes.org/ww.php?d=2008-12-15

Life’s Surprises

No one watching Britain’s Got Talent (a popular televised talent show) expected much when mobile phone salesman Paul Potts took the stage. The judges looked skeptically at one another when the nervous, unassuming, ordinary-looking chap announced he would sing opera—until Potts opened his mouth.

He began to sing Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma”—and it was magical! The crowd roared and stood in amazement while the judges sat stunned in tearful silence. It was one of the greatest surprises any such television program has ever had, in large part because it came wrapped in such an ordinary package.

In the Old Testament, the rescuer of Israel arrived at the battlefield in a most unlikely form—a young shepherd boy (1 Sam. 17). King Saul and his entire army were surprised when David defeated Goliath and won the day. They needed to learn the way that God looks at people. He said to the prophet Samuel, “The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (16:7).

If we judge others only by their outer appearance, we might miss the wonderful surprise of what’s in their heart. — Bill Crowder

O Lord, we are so quick to judge,

Though much is veiled from sight;

Lord, may we see how just You are

To guide us in what’s right. —D. De Haan

It’s what’s in the heart that counts.

November 20, 2008

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/11/20/devotion.aspx

Your level of living depends on your level of giving

Conventional wisdom says that your life will be better if you keep everything you have for yourself. However, God clearly says that your life will be better if you work to make another person's life better.

In Galatians 6:7-9, Paul writes, Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

In other words, what you give to others will affect how they give to you; the amount of love, patience, and kindness that you show to others will affect the amount that they show to you. This principle of giving and receiving applies to many areas of life. For example, if you invest an hour a day into exercising, then you will reap the benefits of that investment—a strong, healthy body. However, if you invest that same time into flipping channels on T.V., then you will reap the benefits of that investment—a wasted hour.

Paul isn't just talking about money or time; in fact, he is focusing on giving into the lives of others. In the very next verse, Galatians 6:10, Paul instructs believers: Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. If you "do good" to others by giving into their lives, then you will benefit.

So, if you don't feel like you're getting the love you should get, then maybe you should ask yourself if you're giving the love you should give. Why? Because you reap what you sow. If you give love, you'll receive love. If you give friendship, you'll receive friendship. If you give mercy, you'll receive mercy. (It is important to note that you may not always receive from the same place you give.)

Therefore, decide to give freely to others, actively look for ways to be a blessing to other people, and deliberately go out of your way to walk in love. Then, watch as the benefits of that giving affect your life. Remember, your level of living depends on your level of giving.

Weekly Wisdoms for the week of November 17, 2008

http://www.christnotes.org/ww.php?d=2008-11-17