Does control increase glory

Think about it! Why does God sometimes prevent people from seeing him? In my reading of Luke 24 today it is clear that God controls our hearts and minds. In verse 16, "their eyes were prevented from recognizing him." In verse 31, "their eyes were opened." In verse 45, "He opened their minds to understand." Do you think that God's glory is increased when he sometimes prevents people from seeing Him?

The Source of Joy, Greatness, and Strength

Listen to the words of David's prayer in 1 Chonicles 29:10-20 - "Yours O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom. O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all."

If you truly examined your heart would you find your attitude and actions in life to be more centered on you than it is on the glory of God? In this story we learn from David, one of the greatest kings in the history of the world, what he learned - "everything comes from the Lord." How different was David's thinking about the stewardship of his talents and resources than ours. God put in David's heart a desire to build a house of worship for the Lord and David was eager and willing to give all of his talent, energy, and resources to accomplish this purpose. David recognized that his position of greatness was not his doing, but it was given to him as a gift from God.

Notice the attidude of David's heart and how that played out in his life. David did not focus on enlarging his own greatness. God had a greater purpose for David and this God planted in David's heart to do. Did you pick up the focus of David's energy? David's heart was fully engaged in releasing all he possessed to glorify God and in getting others to join him. So much so that David prayed that the Lord would preserve the heart of the people to be intent on completing the house for the Lord, that the Lord would direct their heart toward Himself, and that the Lord would give to Solomon, his son, the same passion and intention to keep the commandments of the Lord.


There is much to learn from this prayer of David? Read again 1 Chronicles 29:10-20 and think about your own heart attitude as you read it. It is a powerful lesson. We are all passionate about something - where is your passion directed. It is the Lord who is the source of all greatness and strength and it is He who directs the hearts of men and women to accomplish his purposes. You are in a very a powerful and satisfying position in life when your heart is passionate about fully engaging in what God has put on your heart to do for His glory. Joy comes when all your intentions are directed toward that purpose. And as you learned from David's pray your desire is that everyone else will experience that same joy and that the Lord would direct everyone's interest likewise.

I pray that God directs your heart to find his purpose for your life so that you can discover the joy of releasing all the talent and resources you have been given to glorify Him, our Lord.

Living with Power

Picture with me a flowing mountain stream of water moving rapidly and powerfully through the terrain carving its way through the land, pushing obstacles out of its path. See now the stream slowing down, moving ever so gently as it is obstructed by a fallen tree or large boulder in its path. In 2 Timothy 3:5, Paul warns us that we can have the appearance of godliness in our lives, but we are denying the power of godliness. Power comes from the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Godliness means holy living, and faith, love, and devotion to God. Combined, when our hearts and minds are aligned with God they result in a powerful force empowered by the Holy Spirit that cuts through the evil of this world and advances the kingdom of God. Look at 2 Timothy 3:1-4, which of these logs or boulders is slowing down the power of God to move through your life to effect change in your family or place of influence?

Determination

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand”

Vince Lombardi

“A leader, once convinced that a particular course of action is the right one, must….be

undaunted when the going gets tough,”

President Ronald Reagan

Determination is an important ingredient to achieving success. Think about the last time you physically challenged yourself, and you had to draw upon your sheer determination to complete the race, or climb the hill, or what was it? One challenge each of us face is determining the right course of action, choosing how we are going to live our lives, where to focus that determined energy?

In Jeremiah 18, the Lord spoke of himself as a potter of clay who takes our very lives and shapes them to accomplish his will. The Lord also talked of those who choose not to allow the Lord to fashion them into great instruments of success for His glory. These are determined people who choose to follow their own course – their hearts are fixed on their own desires and not moldable by the Lord.

Determination is a powerful thing – examine your heart, are you determined on letting the Lord mold you into a mighty man or woman of God for His glory or are you determined to do life your own way?

First, choose the right way, then with undaunted determination allow the Lord to keep His hands ever present on shaping your life - the result: you will finish the race well.

Listening

Are you a good listener? Whether you are reading a book on parenting, marriage, or leadership you will discover that being a good listener is important for living a successful life. In my reading through the Bible today this theme of listening was prevalent. Listen to these words: Joshua said, ‘and you have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you’ (Joshua 22:2); and in Jeremiah 11, ‘the word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Hear… Listen to My voice….Listen to My voice.’

Joshua commended the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh for listening to his voice and doing all that he commanded them to do. Do you desire people to listen to you? As a parent or leader of people wouldn’t you like to say that about your children or co-laborers? Would you like to know that people are listening to you? If you read the earlier chapters in the book of Joshua you will find that Joshua was victorious in conquering nations of greater military strength and number because Joshua’s enemies had listened to the testimony of others of how God was with Moses and Joshua and the mighty power God displayed on their behalf. Also, take notice that the people Joshua was leading listened to Joshua because Joshua was faithful to God, and God exalted Joshua, so that the people of Israel would know that God was with him.

Listen to the words of warning from Joshua in 22:5, ‘be very careful to ….love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.’ The Lord also in Jeremiah 11 is angry with His people because they turned their backs on Him and ‘refused to hear His words.’

Do you want to be worthy of the Lord’s approval? Then be a good listener and heed the words of Joshua and fix your heart on serving the Lord with all your heart! If your heart is the Lord’s he will give you the victory of a successful and productive life.

Listening and Responding

How different are we than children? Is our relationship with God similar to how our children, or in my case grandchildren, listen to us for a season, then they no longer hear our voice - or perhaps just ignore it (of course my grandkids are a model of perfection so they always listen and respond). As I read the Bible it appears there is a constant battle for our heart. Yesterday I read, God formed me and knew me intimately (Psalm 139). God had a specific plan for me, just as he does for you (Jeremiah 1:5). God demonstrates His power and authority and yet still we fall away (Jeremiah 2). In my prayer journal I wrote this prayer - "Life is found in you Lord, and only you. Lord direct my mind that I would be set on your interest (Matthew 16:23). Enable me to take up my cross and follow You, for only in following do I gain fullness of life. There is a battle Lord for my heart and mind. Lord be victorious in capturing my heart and mind and leading me to do all your will."

I wonder what change would occur in our world if our ears were attunded to listening to the voice of God and we had the discipline and courage to act upon the hearing of his voice.

Powerful Pursuit

Powerful Pursuit –when you wait upon God and listen and hear him speak, when God gives you a vision of what he is going to accomplish, do you then move forward in confidence and diligent pursuit of that vision? Learn from Moses and Joshua. It is the all powerful Lord God who accomplishes his purposes – he goes before us, he is with us, he will destroy our enemies, he will accomplish his purpose. So listen to God and be careful to do all he tells you, trust in him, be courageous and bold, fearless in pursuit of all God asks of you (Deut. 31). God does not work alone. He chooses to work through people who have a heart to do his will, to accomplish his purposes, and with those people he displays his power.

Choose Life – by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him you secure life for yourself, your children and grand-children, and the generations that follow you (Deut. 30:6,19-20). Pray that God would circumcise your heart to be firmly fixed on Him.