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Seven years ago, Connie and I had our minds set on retiring—not from ministry but from occupational ministry.  However, that wasn’t what God had in mind, although He never told us until a council election was held.  Perhaps you thought you would marry someone different than you married, but that relationship melted away before the vows were exchanged.  Do you wonder where you might end up ten years from now?  What seems like a simple daily decision can later end up being a decision that changes the course of your future.  There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death (Proverbs 14:12, ESV). 

A young Israeli (Daniel) was literally taken east to the city of Babylon as a captive.  There the people worshipped a different god than he worshipped.  They worshipped Mardook.  Because he was gifted with wisdom above his years, the Babylonian king appointed him chief governor of the city of Babylon.  While there, he developed a reputation in his generation for worshipping Jehovah God and was able to influence some Babylonians to also worship Jehovah. 

Fast forward in the Bible to when Jesus was born.  About that time some wise men [astronomers] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-2, NLT2).  They had found in their records a prophecy that had been left by Daniel.  Do you think Daniel imagined what influence he left would later motivate men to take a journey that would lead them to encounter God’s Son?  I highly doubt it.  He simply followed the gentle voice whispering deep within his heart.  Do you think the astronomers centuries later imagined that their career might lead them to encounter Jesus?  I highly doubt it.  They simply followed what intuitively seemed the right thing to do.  It is fascinating to think the Bible refers to that same gentle leading as the work of the Holy Spirit.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future (John 16:13, NLT).

God’s timing is not like ours.  He works in the background, so when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman (Galatians 4:4, NLT2).  You see, 1,000 years earlier there was no common language that would enable many nationalities to hear about Jesus.  But providentially through the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Greek language was introduced as the common international language of that time.  There were also pirates on the seas and a very poor road system 1,000 years earlier.  Limited travel meant few people would hear the truths Jesus would teach.  In preparation for His time, He orchestrated for the Roman Emperor Augustus to bring peace to this vast area while the Roman navy swept pirates off the seas making maritime commerce and travel safe.  Plus, for commerce purposes, in the 2nd century B.C. the Romans began establishing 50,000 miles of well-built roads that God ordained for His agenda.

God knew when the world was ready for His truth to march on (Galatians 4:4). The fascinating part is selfish, godless men were involved; God used their selfishness to bring about His plan—even when the person He used never came to know Him in a personal way!  His truth marches on no matter what!

Our God has a perfect plan and time to use each of us in His incredible plan.  My role won’t be as dramatic as Daniel’s, but however obscure, it will be something that I need to do.  Only God knows what my part will play in the future of His kingdom.  The very same thing is true for you. The only way you can come to see the eternal good your word, your deed or attitude will have in the future is by being careful to do exactly what Jesus said, ‘… you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength’ (Mark 12:30, NLT).  Today’s small decision can determine your tomorrow and that of many others you won’t meet until you are in Heaven with Christ.  Isn’t there a strong desire within you to say or do just the right thing, so His plan will be perfectly fulfilled?

Among the first things a child learns to ask is “why”.  It is a sign their mind is beginning to compute more abstract things.  In the midst of this, incessantly asking the same question can be very frustrating to a parent for various reasons.  This is particularly true when they continue to ask where the unborn baby in mommy’s tummy comes from.  I’ve heard some parents try to satisfy the child by explaining that it comes from the watermelon seed mommy ate! 

Through the years I’ve been intrigued with the term discipleship.  I’ve learned people (including scholarly ministers) have a very wide range of what the discipleship process looks like in real time.  Some have come up with different methods of how it should be done.  However, few have really thought through a good answer to the common question a child is known to ask, “why”.  What is the objective of discipleship?  Is it all about Bible or theological knowledge, heritage, sensational experiences, or a special skill to persuade a person or an audience that God is real, and they need to accept Him as their God?  Or, is more about their behavior?  Or, could it be while all those things are good, they are only window dressing or the tangible elements of something much more vital?

Paul wrote a letter to Philemon in which he writes For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother (Philemon 1:7, BBE).  Wow!  It is common belief that Philemon was a wealthy man who came to develop a deep love for God.  One striking element was how he valued serving others in spite of his wealth.  And his love for God was not expressed in his knowledge or sensational experience base or even in his speech or actions—not suggesting they were bad!  Instead, His mark of being a Christ-follower was in the mysterious, hidden, spiritual effect of who he was and had on others!  Since he wasn’t a teacher/preacher, he didn’t increase the knowledge of the saints, yet he made their hearts strong again.  Do you have a reputation for leaving that kind effect on people around you?  This really challenges me!  Let me be clear.  Even Jesus was known for making some so upset that they killed Him.  What I’m challenged by is what might be called the ‘afterglow’ Jesus left on the hearts of those open to Him.  They were so deeply moved they literally sacrificed jobs, family and friends to tell others of the kingdom of God Jesus had taught about.

Philemon illustrates the central objective (the why part) of discipleship.  It is all about becoming so much like Jesus the disciple leaves the aroma of His presence wherever they go.  If the very fiber of our inner life isn’t being so transformed that the Christ within makes others strong again, we have missed the point of discipleship.  Paul explains the tale-tell sign of a spiritually mature disciple is ..measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13 NLT2). This was illustrated in how the enemies of Christ were so astonished that they had to [recognize] that they [Jesus’ disciples] had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13, ESV)

I don’t know exactly what Paul was referring to in the words he wrote Philemon, but I do know I long to have those words said about me.  It is not what we teach or preach nor in what religious accomplishments we achieve; it is all about the life lived.  Is that your goal too?  Let’s together determine to set our faces, not towards a mission but towards continued life-change into His image.

As a leader I was presented with a no-win situation that was above my pay grade.  I inquired of my authorities for a correct response and then did my best to follow their guidance.  When the situation turned worse, I again called those over me, and I felt they moved the goalpost on me.  I felt betrayed after how hard I had tried to handle the situation correctly.  Instead of accepting their judgment and moving on, I withdrew.  My trust in my authority withered leaving me feeling ashamed of my response.  Is that how God wants us to respond to Him when He exercises His sovereignty over us?

The Bible records God frequently expressing His love for the Hebrews (Jews) and Jerusalem.  God repeatedly promised Abraham that He would bless his seed in various ways.  The main storyline is about a love story between God and Abraham’s offspring.  David captured Jerusalem and called the city Zion.  Later David wrote, As for me, I have set my King on Zion [NTL2 Jerusalem], my holy hill. (Psalm 2:6, ESV) and For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it (Psalm 69:35, ESV).  These verses and many others express God’s strong love for His people and His city, Jerusalem.  However, He didn’t just say it.  He spent a lot of grace over several millennia showing His love towards them.

It helps to understand that true love isn’t always tender.  There is what is called tough love.  Out of authentic love, the Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to call out the Hebrews for their empty religious behavior and words.  Isaiah continues to prophesy warning for them to change the attitude of their heart towards God.  Here is what really messed with my thinking!  God comes to the point where, through Isaiah His prophet, He calls His beloved city Ariel.  The Hebrew word Ariel may mean “lion of God” or it may also mean “altar hearth”, the top of the altar where fire continually consumed the sacrifices.  The next verse interprets it as the latter meaning by speaking of heavy disaster coming upon God’s chosen people living in Ariel (Jerusalem).  The people will experience weeping and sorrow.  The striking part is in chapter 29 is who He says will bring this disaster!  While He used the Assyrians as His instrument, He said I will besiege…I will surround Jerusalem and attack its walls.   Imagine Isaiah’s inner feelings having to prophesy such harsh things to God’s chosen people and city.  What has become of our gracious, loving, longsuffering God? 

Here, confusion deepens.  The Spirit then abruptly shifts from speaking destructive words to speaking redemptive words—perhaps in the next breath!  In veiled language Isaiah tells them (Is. 29:5) how God will remove the Assyrian army “suddenly, in an instant” which is precisely what happened to Sennacherib’s army (Isaiah 37:36). 

Try to imagine what was going through Isaiah’s head when said these things.  I highly suspect he himself was confused with God as He radically and rapidly reversed Himself.  I wonder if Isaiah might have felt like Jonah who sternly warned the people of Nineveh only to have God suddenly turn and be gracious to them.  Consider this, God knew of the deliverance He was going to bring to His people and the city while He was inspiring Isaiah to prophesy harsh judgment! 

What might this tell us about God’s sovereignty?  His thoughts are not like ours and He can and will do what He wants when He wants and has good reason for doing it even when we do not understand.  As I was praying through these thoughts, it became clear how God wants me to respond to Him when He exercises His sovereignty over me.  I must choose to be a tool in God’s hand to say and do whatever I am told because I love Him and believe He knows what He is doing even if it is totally insane to me.  It made me very aware that I cannot predict what my Sovereign King will say or do.  Have you come to that level of love and trust in the King of Kings?  If not, that is the level of love and trust that will please Him.

Normally we are attracted to those who share our passion for art, music, a specific sport/hobby, or belief system.  An employer will hire a person because they the candidate has common core values as well as determination, conviction about or a passion to do whatever may be needed in his/her business?  That passion does not necessarily equate to being gregarious, high energy or extraverts because introverts can have strong passion as well.  Such people have something that lights up within whenever a subject is brought up that they are zealous about.  Some have called that passion a ‘fire in their box’. That was one of the qualifying factors I used to look for when considering asking someone to join our ministry team.   

Paul boils down the walk of faith with Christ to these essential principles Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:11-12, NIV).  This verse describes a person with fire in their box. People are drawn to those with a burning fervor for Christ that can be channeled but not contained.

In these verses Paul reveals to us three essentials to living this kind of life: 1) Be joyful in hope, 2) patient in affliction, 3) faithful in prayer.  It needs to be understood that, like many common words today, the word translated hope here has been redefined through the years.  The original usage was not the same as I hope I will get this job, win the lottery, or that my investment makes 50% this year.  The hope Paul writes of is a strong expectation God will do what He says—like come back to take us with Him to Heaven. It’s not wishing; it’s confident believing, a deep, inner conviction that He loves you and is always working for your good—even if it is best for your future to go through a trial victoriously.  When a person has this kind of hope an inner joy wells up that endures the bleakest of situations or environments. 

The next essential is patient in affliction.  Although we don’t like to think or say it, Jesus prophesied about our future saying, Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33b, NLT2)  The Bible doesn’t say God will keeps us from trials and sorrows, but it DOES say He will always be with us just as He was with the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace.  You and I can have patience in difficult times by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame (Hebrews 12:2, NLT2).  

The last essential is learning to be faithful in prayer.  Please remember, prayer is more than a position we put our self in, although a humble position may assist us in prayer. Jesus didn’t always kneel to pray.  Prayer is a lifestyle in which prayers flow deep within our spirit, through our head or out of our mouth as commonly as we breathe.  Simply put, prayer is communication with Christ which, when our hope is genuinely in Him, flows naturally.

Ironically, sustainable joyfulness, patience in affliction and faithfulness prayer are not attributes we can manufacture out of sheer willpower.  All are like a shadow that follows when walking in the light.  Fire in our box flows only out of authentic oneness with Christ—not perfect behavior and certainly not out cold religion.  The Pharisees’ religious words and behavior lacked genuine love for God.  The writer of Hebrews offers a map for developing a fire in your box for Christ.  It says let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1, NLT2).  What might it be the Holy Spirit has been prompting you to lay aside in order to win the race with spiritual fervor? 

In the last decade or so, the younger generation typically accuses the older generation of being “old school”.  An “old school” method of transportation may be described as horse and buggy or train whereas the up-to-date alternative would be automobile or airplane.  Obviously that type of contrast could be made for methods of education, mores, style of homes or clothes.  Indeed, there is a measure of truth in that phrase, so it would be appropriate to use in various situations.  If used improperly, it could also be interpreted as discriminatory or condescending. 

The more adventurous, entrepreneurial type among us prefer eating different breakfast foods or lunches rather than the same old, same old.  Obviously, that is not a bad thing only different than those who don’t really care what they eat because life consists of more than food, so they eat only to keep from getting hungry.  Albert Einstein was known to put on two different colors of socks and even different shoes because what he wore was unimportant to him.

This desire for something new or updated can go astray when it comes to a marriage relationship.  Exploring an intimate relationship with a different spouse is extremely destructive to more than just the adventurous mate.  Not only does that lead to a painful divorce, it damages others around them, especially the children.  By the same token it is not acceptable in a relationship with God or faith in Him.  He requires a much narrower bandwidth of thought.  As Moses wrote You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you (Exodus 34:14, NLT2).  

Isaiah was a prophet in a time when the worship of God had become limited to an empty ritual with empty rhetoric.  It had become so bad that the priests and prophets staggered and reeled due to alcoholic addiction to the point their tables were covered with vomit.  Isaiah prophesied against that warning them of God’s judgment, but they mocked his “old school” way of thinking and method of teaching.  They essentially wanted him to tell them things they wanted to hear.  In this context Isaiah said to them For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people (Isaiah 28:11, NKJV) a verse Paul virtually quotes in 1 Corinthians 14:21.  Isaiah said that since they would not learn the simple truths of life from God’s spokesmen, they would learn them from the lips of Assyrian taskmasters and at the end of their whip and prod.    

What might that say to us today about adapting to new teachings or new ways of doing things?  From this it seems quite clear that we can adapt to new cultural ways of doing life, but there are unbending limits that separate what we can change and what we cannot change.  We CANNOT deviate from “old school” righteous attitudes and teaching of the ways and values in God’s word.  God’s method of teaching, even though it sounds “old school” and some will mock it, was modeled by Isaiah.  His critics described it as He tells us everything over and over— one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there! (Isaiah 28:10, NLT2). 

This concept leads me to wonder just how much have I conformed to this world in areas where I instead need to be transformed by His Spirit (Romans 12:2)?  How might you have inadvertently done the same?  Holy Spirit, PLEASE open our eyes to what is near and dear to YOU, even if it makes us peculiar compared to our society. 

This past Halloween my oldest granddaughter, her husband and my two great-grandchildren came to “Trick or Treat” our home.  After receiving their extra special bag of treats Gramie had made for them, my great-grandson decided he wanted to take off his Sheriff Woody costume.  His mother wisely said to him, “You can take it off, but IF you want to get candy at your auntie’s house, you must keep your costume on.”  She was forcing him to decide which he wanted more.  In this case he wanted to take his Sheriff Woody clothes off more, so off they came. 

Later I connected Jesus’ way of communicating with people He worked with.  When it came to issues relating to the kingdom of God, his favorite theme, quite frequently He began with the operative word IF.  Here are a few examples:

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15, ESV).

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24, ESV). 

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26, ESV).

And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen  (Matthew 21:21, ESV).

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32. ESV).

If you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15, ESV). 

If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned (John 15:6, ESV).  

It seems apparent our Lord does not insist upon obedience to law.  Instead, He very unequivocally sets a benchmark or standard of what to do to receive the desired reward. When Jesus talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an IF—you do not need to unless you want what I’m offering.  We must be motivated by a deeply felt love for Him not a set of rules.

Throughout the Bible, you will find Jesus does not insist upon obedience to rules as much as He sets His holy standard then leaves it up to us to decide.  If my relationship to Him is based upon deep love rather than legal obligation, I will do what He says without any hesitation.  My hesitation reveals I have a greater love for someone/thing else that stands in competition with Him.  Never forget, Christ values our motivation more than our deed.  Paul warned on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value (1 Corinthians 3:13, NLT2). 

It is in your best interest to ask yourself, “Is my obedience out of deep love for Him?”    

I am my worst enemy.  I second-guess my decisions; find fault in what I’ve said, written or done; I push myself to do more than God has asked me to do, etc.  When I think of freedom, I often think of freedom from myself!  While I enjoy a great deal of God’s freedom in many areas of my life, I can see how the Holy Spirit has been continuing to lead me to greater freedom.  Where do you need greater freedom in your life?

The primary message Jesus preached was NOT Jesus saves or heals, as much as we tend to think that was the case.  If you analyze everything Jesus taught, you will find His most dominate message was the kingdom of God.  It was the only thing Jesus called “good news” or the gospel.  We don’t hear much about that teaching, and when we do, preachers and teachers often put a VERY different spin on what the kingdom of God means or represents. 

Indeed, Jesus came to set the captive free, but we tend to think the captives are those in prison, addicted to something, in some handicap or other form of bondage.  If you look closely at what the freedom Jesus taught, you will find He is referring to the results of the bondage Adam placed us in: freedom from our independent way of life which influences the way we think.  We have grown so used to living with our sin depraved nature that it has become normal to us—as normal is for a child raised in a ghetto with drug addicted parents.  Their toys are limited to empty bottles, sticks, hubcaps or whatever they find lying around. His/her eyes are blind to any other way of life. 

When the apostle Paul preached the kingdom of God on his missionary tour, he was accused of preaching allegiance to a king other than Caesar (Acts 17:7).  That was how radically different the truth of the kingdom of God was in Bible days and is still the same in our day.  Do you essentially obey what you prefer or what our King has commanded in His book or whispered to your inner being?  When Jesus is truly King of our lives, Jesus said out of love for Him we will obey everything our King commands (John 14:15).  

We live in a democracy that is government by the people for the people.  This basically gives us freedom to do whatever we convince ourselves to be best for us.  This has led most Christians to think Christianity is also a democracy rather than a kingdom where the King writes the rules, determines the penalty and goes so far as to judge His servant’s attitudes towards obeying His laws.  

To be crystal clear, God is not as concerned with our behavioral choices as He is with our attitude that determines how we respond AFTER we violate what He has taught in His word.  He doesn’t require a sinless life, but He does require a humble and repentant heart after we sin.  His Spirit will continue to transform our lives PROVIDING the attitude and passion of our hearts are to love Him with all we have and are.

As you look at your life, can you say your daily decisions are governed by the rules of the kingdom of God or more by what you prefer or what is right in your own eyes?  I fall far more than I like.  But because my heart is passionately desiring to know God, His ways and values in a more intimate way, I have confidence His Spirit will continue to change me into His likeness.  Is the condition of your heart for God the way you want it to be? Do you need greater freedom in some areas of your life?  What do you have to do for God to change you?

The strange phenomenon is, we hear far more about those holding an extreme position (Democrats-Republicans; Calvinist-Armenian, etc.) instead of a balanced one.  Truth is actually found in the tension between two opposites, not in the extremes.  Without the balanced perspective, God’s ways could appear a bit bipolar in what He is going to do with His people (Jews) and believers today.  

Isaiah begins in chapter 1 sharing a vision he received from God how the people were religiously going through the motions of spirituality, but their hearts were falling short of authentic worship.    In the third chapter he prophecies how God is going to bring painful judgement on their sin.  In chapter 5 he says how God will “lay it [His vineyard – Israel] waste.”  He repeats this in chapter 22.  But by chapters 26-27, he prophecies of God opens the Jews’ eyes and turns their varied levels of captivity into deliverance by bringing the now authentic God-following Jews into the millennial reign of Christ on earth.  This overview of Isaiah’s prophecies gives us a clue into God’s ways with us today.

I’ve often wondered what happened to the scores of Jews who died while in their stubborn, adulteress condition, if in the end, His people will return to Him and then be able to live in such a kingdom of God?  If they were insincere Jews who spoke of Jehovah as their God yet were only going through religious motions, would they end up in God’s heaven?  Today what we struggle to understand is the wide chasm between insincere churchgoers (similar to insincere Jews) and those with a passion to really know and serve Christ.  Will God be so gracious that all who call themselves Christians will end up in His heaven?  What does the Bible really say about this?

God is not bipolar!  He is both awesome in love and in severity.  Paul, a New Testament writer unveils God’s ways by writing Note then the kindness AND [my emphases] the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off (Romans 11:22, ESV).  He also wrote For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,  and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt (Hebrews 6:4-6. ESV).  Jesus even taught but the one who ENDURES [my emphases] to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13, ESV).   The point is, God’s promises were/are for the authentic God-following Jews and authentic believing Christ-followers today, not everyone.  This shows the mind-boggling fact that just as God separated the Jews in the past, He will separate Christ-followers today, not based on one’s heritage, knowledge, rhetoric or behavior, but rather upon their hearts’ passion for Him.  In both cases, when they chose to let their love for Him determine their choices instead of their own rationalizations, they enjoyed God’s incredible tender love and protection.

It is fascinating to note that even when the essential element of vital desire for God (not His gifts) was at its lowest, He relentlessly pursued His people even allowing them to suffer great loss.  But at the end of time, their desire for Him will finally return and He will lead them into the millennial reign of Christ.  His ways never change.  Hopefully you can better see how, out of great love for us, He can be both kind AND severe.  He responds to us not based upon our heritage, knowledge or legalistic behavior but rather upon our expressed, persistent desire for Him and His truth.  Have you been making your daily decisions on God’s severity OR His loving kindness OR on His both/and nature?  God is not as interested in your perfect behavior as He is in your perfect heart towards Him.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30, ESV)  By basing your daily decisions based purely on loving God with ALL you will come to naturally bear the most joy, peace and fruitful life. 

I have been recovering from my unexpected open-heart surgery.  I’m trying to learn through this experience rather than try to control it (as if I could!) or fight against it.  I have a sordid track-record in my responses to God’s calling me to do what I really don’t want to do.  To me, this is as much of a spiritual journey as it is a physical one.  He has been opening my eyes to see things about myself and His ways that I’ve not observed before!  I will attempt to share one in this blog.  

In my reflections through Isaiah, I was stopped in my tracks when I read LORD, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. (Isaiah 26:12, NLT2) This is a very loaded verse!  Each of us want His peace in our daily lives, especially with the clutter of so many voices speaking to us and so many plates spinning at the same time.  Our experience with His peace crisscrosses back and forth across the line between control and chaos.  I suspect if put on a screen, that back and forth trip would look like a heart monitor constantly jumping up and down. The ironic thing is, Jesus is the Prince of Peace and came to give us His peace.  As believers, we have a level of peace others may not have, but we would be very hard pressed to say we always experience His peace every day of the week.

The Spirit inspired Isaiah to write Lord, you will grant us peace–note the future tense.  In the midst of that, God wants His peace for us (although this certainly isn’t always an external peace), and it is intended for us to have this peace.  His peace has already been arranged for and released.  What keeps most of us from literally experiencing His inner peace is revealed in the last part of this verse, which is most revealing.  Isaiah goes on to say, all we have accomplished is really from you.  There appears to be a most humbling correlation between our recognition that whatever we do is actually only Him doing it through us, and the actualization of Him ordaining peace for us.  In practice this would mean what righteousness happens in our life is largely there not because of our efforts or way of thinking but because of God’s initiative and workings.  This reminds me of Jesus’ word, The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.  Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens (Mark 4:26-27, NLT2)   The only role we have is perhaps even naively agreeing with and submitting to whatever drawing He works in us towards Him and His righteousness.  While this most certainly deserves your continued prayerful study, this blog will not permit me to expand on it with you.

How is it then we perhaps even naively agree with and submit to His working within us?  The answer to that is found in the results to an authentic spiritual rebirth Ezekiel describes in verses 36:25-27.  The defining result of salvation is, I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.  Plainly put, an authentic believer will not be perfect but will have a STRONG DESIRE to follow God’s decrees and regulations in contrast to his/her own preference or anyone else’s.  Like a child learning to walk, although he/she may fall, he/she has a strong enough desire to get up and again try to take steps forward.  Over time, desire for God overpowers independent thinking and falls decrease as maturity increases.

There is a direct correlation between a person having a desire to follow God, taking steps to do so and experiencing His peace his/her world of continual external chaos.  And at the end of the day, God will have worked His incredible works through that person.  BUT it is essential that that person recognize it was God’s Spirit, not his own efforts, ingenuity or talent!  That means the more we relax and follow the DESIRE the Spirit put within to follow Him, not only will we experience a greater fullness of His peace but also be a part of Him working the supernatural through us.

In our first year in college, Connie and I knew each other enough to go on dates.  We knew each other much better after we married.  Now after 52 years of marriage, which includes weathering some serious storms together, we definitely know each other.  This is like knowing God.  Our trust improves the more we experience with Him and how intimately we get to know Him.   

One indicator of the depth of one’s relationship with God is how a person responds when God does something they don’t expect or don’t agree with.  Their response reveals how well they know God’s character, wisdom, knowledge or ways.  The closer they are to Him, the quicker they trust and obey Him. 

These were God’s instructions to his prophet Elijah, “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan (1 Kings 17:2-3, ESV).  Elijah had just finished obeying God’s instruction to brazenly tell the king there would not be any rain or even dew until he said it would happen.  That took guts and sounded very presumptuous!  Only a crazy or a heavily anointed person would do that.  After stepping out to do that, the same God who told him what to say to the king, now tells him to go hide!  What?  What happened to his heavy anointing after courageously doing God bidding?  If he didn’t really know God intimately, his pride after doing such a thing could have more easily motivated him to disobey God’s blatantly strange command.  But knowing God as he did, he lovingly obeyed.

What is more, God told him to go hide by a brook not a river where water would flow year round. Brooks can dry up overnight!  God commanded ravens (not known for their sharing of food) to feed Elijah.  Then the brook where God told him to go dried up!  That too is a strange thing to happen after God told him to go there.  However, the Spirit had provided another place to feed Elijah in Zarephath.

We can only speculate, but knowing a few of God’s ways, He most likely didn’t want Elijah to become distracted by His provisions while hiding by the brook.  He wanted Elijah to remain focused on obeying Him, even when his situation and new command didn’t make sense.  What separates a spiritually mature believer from an immature one is how they respond when life doesn’t make sense.  The mature person will love, trust and obey even if it sounds insane and most certainly goes against one’s preferences or emotional need for security. 

In the last week, much to my surprise, I’ve encountered heart problems that require open heart surgery. This discovery even surprised my cardiologist who did my heart cath.  What has been amazing to Connie and me, knowing this will mean a major change in lifestyle, is we both have a strong sense of God’s peace.  Our soul has responded with natural curiosity and some angst, not about the surgery but to what will happen after the surgery.  We both are fully aware our peace is a gift from God—but has also flowed naturally out of a continued growing relationship with Him.

Knowing God is a lifelong journey.  How have you responded when He led you in a very strange and confusing path?  Your response gives you a clue as to where you are in your faith journey.  If you find your responses have not been as healthy as you would like, it is God’s grace to let you know your condition and is now watching closely to see if you will change your lifestyle to more passionately pursue Him or let that awareness pass and go on with life the way it has been.  I pray whatever He asks of you will reveal what He wants to do in your spiritual life, and you will chase after Him.