Recommendations

Recommendations

Acts 16: Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. ² The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. ³ Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

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“Mind if I introduce someone to you?” a person from another department asked. “Please” was my reply, not knowing why I was meeting the person. I had a lot of work to do, and meeting someone was the last thing on my mind that day. “You have been recommended to lead a division” the person said. Wow! I didn’t expect that!

• I have been blessed to receive recommendations.
• I have been shocked that someone noticed what I was doing.
• I have been excited to work with those who believed in the abilities given to me.

Many believers approached Paul, recommending Timothy. After a while, Paul could not resist wanting Timothy to join him on the journey to teach the simplified message of obedience to new believers of JESUS. This recommendation paid off. Paul and Timothy spoke, many believed and the church was getting stronger.

• GOD wants me to seek HIM.
• GOD wants me to simply use the gifts HE has given me.
• GOD wants me to focus on HIM and HE will deliver me to the people HE needs me to speak to.

There are two ways to work. One way is to work to seek recommendations or “thank you” from people. While this brings moderate success, my rewards are only the “thank you.” BUT GOD wants me to seek eternal rewards which are given by HIM. This is not achieved by bragging and self-promoting.

GOD wants to be centerstage. My work for HIM should point to HIM. People may notice or they may not. BUT GOD always sees when I work for HIM with sincerity. I am grateful for HIS eternal rewards.

• Are you seeking to be known?
• Do you want to create a huge following for yourself, and not for GOD?
• Will you point people to GOD and allow HIM to change your approach so you become highly recommended without needing to boast?

Trying too Hard

Zechariah 4: ⁶ So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

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After looking at the clock when I got home, I noticed thirty six hours had passed from the time I had last got out of bed. We were trying to land an account and I stayed overnight to work on the proposal.

• There were times I worked extremely hard to make things work.
• There were times I worked to exhaustion only to find dead ends.
• There were times I worked my fingers to the bone in order to get what “I” wanted.

Avoiding disappointment was the reason behind all the effort. I figured that since the others were not “strong” enough to complete the work, I would push us over the top with “my might.” We did not get the account. Wait, I worked hard! Why didn’t we get the account?

• GOD said to me “Not by your might.”
• GOD said to me “Not by your power.”
• GOD said to me “Only by MY SPIRIT.”

Success is defined by GOD alone. HE is the one who deems what will be successful and what will fail miserably. GOD places perfect barriers on my path that I cannot go over, under around or through. HE stops me dead in my tracks until I acknowledge I need HIM and HIM alone.

I have to take my faulty thinking that the source of success is from me and turn it towards the truth, namely GOD.  HE is the way the truth and the life!

• Are you depending on yourself for your success?
• Do you think you can get yourself out of your mess?
• Will you stop trying to depend on yourself and place your trust in GOD who will guide you?

In memory of Daryl Matthews

Independence Quandary

Hosea 10: ¹² Sow righteousness for yourselves,
    reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
    for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes
    and showers his righteousness on you.
¹³ But you have planted wickedness,
    you have reaped evil,
    you have eaten the fruit of deception.
Because you have depended on your own strength
    and on your many warriors

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“I cannot wait to get away from here” I thought to myself when my parents were trying to tell me yet another thing to do. As I left home, I embarked on my journey of “independence” and immediately ran into trouble. My car broke down. Not having many numbers to call, I choked it up and phoned them.

• Sometimes I wanted to be independent.
• Sometimes I wanted to be on my own.
• Sometimes I wanted to not have to be told what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

I looked at GOD the same way. I mean HE was always trying to tell me to do stuff that did not seem “fun” and yell at me for the stuff I was doing wrong. I wondered if I could be independent of HIM for a while too.

• GOD said to me “I love you, I will be right here when you return to ME.”
• GOD said to me “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
• GOD said to me “Put your trust solely in ME and your paths will be made straight.”

Storming out from GOD was similar to how I stormed out from my parents. I only wanted to contact them when there was trouble, but otherwise do my thing and never let them know if I had fallen. I wanted to do my thing without having GOD looking at me as well. BUT GOD wanted me to see HIM differently.

GOD wants me to see HIM as the only one who could save me from this degrading world. HE wants me to see just how far I had fallen and to say “I need YOU LORD” as a show of my quest to be with HIM. HE is NOT trying to harm me or control me. GOD wants to protect me but as long as my stubbornness to allow HIM to protect me the way HE wants to exists, I will fail at my own plans. I’d rather depend totally on GOD than on me.

• Are you independent?
• Do you find yourself spinning your wheels when things are not going your way?
• Can you stop trying to be independent and look to GOD to fulfill your needs?

People Can Only Do So Much

2 Chronicles 16: ¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians.

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Feeling lonely I would frequent the gym. It seemed more bearable when I was around people. I struck up a conversation with some of the guys. We began lifting weights together and one person suggested we go hang out at a bar. Something inside of me said I should not do this because the guy seemed to be doing steroids, but I really wanted to meet people.

The night was going well until the guy started to pick fights and looked at us like we were supposed to jump in.

• Sometimes I join the crowd when I want a solution to my problem.
• Sometimes I join the crown when I want to feel better about my decision.
• Sometimes I join the crowd when I want to do things on my own and in my own time.

Whether it is an ailment or a problem at work, many times I have not sought GOD for HIS deliverance. I think insurance or a physician or the best consultants money can buy will help me out of the situation. BUT GOD says something quite different.

• “Take MY yoke upon you and learn of ME for I am meek and lowly at heart and you shall find rest unto your soul” is what GOD says to me.
• “Turn to ME” is what GOD says to me.
• “I AM a jealous GOD” is what GOD exclaims to me.

GOD is jealous not selfish. HE wants me to seek HIM for even the tiniest problem and trust that HE has the best in mind for me. All blessings flow from HIM and my efforts to circumvent HIS timing and methods will always fail. GOD is excited to help me grow into the being HE created.

• Are you in trouble?
• Do you despise the timing and length of your pain?
• Can you hold on instead of giving up?
• Can you find GOD and pray to HIM for even the tiniest items today?
• Will you add “trust in the LORD’ to your plan today?

Where Advice Comes From

2 Kings 1: ² Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”

³ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’

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“Should I…” are the words I have said on many occasions. The problem with these unsure words is that they were pointed in the wrong direction. “Should I sneak out of the house?’ was pointed at other teens who had done this and “gotten away with it.”

• Sometimes I seek advice from those who are not following GOD in order to join the crowd.
• Sometimes I seek advice from the fearful and they add their worries on me.
• Sometimes I seek advice from the rich and powerful in order to be more like them.

GOD’s way is definitely not my way. HE does not want me to bow down to gods of money, power and fame so the source of my advice should be different.

• GOD wants me to seek HIS kingdom first so HE can say “No” or “Yes” to my request.
• GOD wants me to ask HIM for everything since HE owns everything.
• GOD wants me to see if I am following HIS plan, not my own.

Even the tiniest decision can be run by GOD. HE can handle it. HE wants total dependence on HIM and reliance on HIS power. Authority is given once I ask GOD “what should I do in this situation?” When HE has first right of refusal then HIS guidance is far better than any human advice.

• Whose advice are you seeking?
• Do you check “churchy” advice by comparing it to what GOD says?
• In your prayers for situations and stuff, do you ask GOD “what do you want?”
• Can you seek what GOD wants for you today?

Answered Prayer Doesn’t Mean I Am Following GOD

Exodus 8: ³⁰ Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, ³¹ and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. ³² But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.

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“LORD please help me feel better” was the prayer when I felt unusually sick. A few hours later I felt better.  Now I can go “hang out” like usual. “Hanging out” was my code word for getting into mischief. Nothing had changed.  I didn’t learn my lesson.

• Sometimes my requests are selfish yet GOD answers my prayers.
• Sometimes my selfish requests make me turn my back on GOD yet HE answers my prayers.
• Sometimes my turning away from GOD makes me think I can do things on my own power yet HE answers my prayers.

Pharaoh was told to let the Israelites go to worship GOD. He wouldn’t and GOD sent plagues.  He hardened his heart at every plague even though his prayers were answered to remove them.

There is an old saying “you better be careful what you ask for, you might get it.” I get nervous about GOD helping me get on the wrong path. HE knows the heart and knows how incredibly wicked it is. HE can dig deep and see the motive behind my prayer. Scary thing about this is HE has given me free will to “not” choose HIS way.

• GOD would prefer that I consult HIM on my requests.
• GOD wants me to align my desires with HIS plan to draw all people to HIM.
• GOD desires that I seek HIS counsel, HIS timing and HIS answer which could be “no.”

Before I ask GOD for something I really should ask myself “Why do I want this?” Then when the answer pops in my head I should compare it to what GOD says is right. If they match then I can proceed. I know it’s harder than this statement but it is a start.

• Are your prayers selfish?
• Have you asked GOD to resolve your situation?
• Can you ask GOD to take control of your desires?
• Won’t you seek what GOD wants for you?