Wednesday, August 25, 2010

If it seems too good to be true, then . . .

Our family has been praying for several years for God’s favor over a particular dream and the answer was always “In My time, just wait.” It has been hard and frustrating to wait and I have to admit, I have not been especially patient. I felt ignored and have been unappreciative of what God was doing because I wanted what I wanted. Nothing else was good enough. Finally after several years of waiting, the dream is coming true. The unexpected thing is, it is all so surreal. It seems too good to be true!

As I’ve been repenting of my unbelief and impatience, I’ve also been wondering why the excitement I expected isn’t there. As I prayed God reminded me of the story of Peter’s jail break found in Acts 12: 1-19.

To please the religious leaders, Herod had James the brother of John and a disciple of Jesus put to death by the sword. When he saw that this pleased them, Herod had Peter arrested planning to have him brought to trial after the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover (the celebration of God delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt).

Peter was in jail guarded by four squads of four soldiers each waiting for public trail. The church was earnestly praying asking God for Peter’s release.

The night before the trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and lit up the cell. He had to strike Peter to wake him up. “Quick, get up” the angel told Peter and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

The angel told Peter to put on his clothes and sandals, so he did. The angel then said, “Put your coat on and follow me.” Peter followed the angel but had no idea that this was really happening. Peter thought he was having a vision. They walked past the first set of guards, then past the second set of guards and right up to the iron gate of the prison. The gate opened by itself and they walked right past the sentries and out of the prison. The angel led Peter down the street and then disappeared. As Peter stood there all alone he finally came to himself and realized what had just happened. God had performed a miracle in answer to the prayers of the church! He said to himself, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the religious leaders were anticipating.”

Peter went to the house where the church was praying and knocked on the door. The servant girl, Rhoda, came to the door and was so astonished that she ran back into the house without letting Peter in. The people gathered there praying told her, “You’re out of your mind!” and when she kept insisting he was there they said, “It must be his angel.”

Peter just kept on knocking until they finally let him in. They were so astonished they began to make a lot of noise. Peter motioned for them to be quiet and told them what God had done. He encouraged them to tell the church leaders and then he left.

Doesn’t it seem funny that when God answered the people’s prayers, they found it hard to believe? It’s a wonder God didn’t do a “Gibb’s smack” to the back of their heads. What faith! What trust in God! What separates me from them? Nothing!

The church prayed earnestly just as my family and I have prayed. There has been a measure of piety in seeking God and straining for what we believe to be God’s will. I have been consoled by Isaiah 30:18 “… the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” It has become part of my life, the norm to pray, believe and wait. I know how to do that.

The church had faith enough to pray, believe and wait for Peter’s release but they lacked the faith to receive it. What is our job once God grants our request? I’m discovering it requires just as much faith to receive the answer as to ask and wait.

Jesus said in Mark 11:22, “Have faith in God, I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” We are to start receiving when we start praying!

Lord, forgive my doubting heart and help me to have faith enough to receive the answer. Forgive me for feeling like I need to look over my shoulder to see if it really is “too good to be true”! I KNOW you are faithful to your word – I BELIEVE AND RECEIVE!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Long Way Around

Exodus 13:17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.

There are times when God brings deliverance that doesn't look much like deliverance. When God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, He prepared them with gold, silver & clothing - the usual plunder for the victors of war - given to them by the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:36 The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.) He also dressed them for battle (Exodus 13:18b The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.) So why then with all this favor and preparation did God take them the long way across the desert instead of straight to the Promised Land? God knew the Israelites well. He knew that even though they had experienced miracles in Egypt and seen Him do everything He said He would, they were prone to doubt and whining! "God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." (Ex. 13:17)

Does that mean that the “long way” was the easier way? Somehow, I don’t think so. They were chased by Pharaoh and his army, Ex. 14:10; they didn’t have good drinking water, Ex. 15:23; they didn’t have enough food, Ex. 16:3; they got tired of the new menu, Numbers 11:4 - 6; they begged for water to drink, Ex. 17:3; they were attacked by the enemy, Ex. 17:8. It all seems rather bleak. We can even sympathize a little with them when terrified they yelled at Moses and said, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?” (Ex. 14:11)

Just hours after God had spared them the loss of their firstborn and they had marched out of Egypt “in full view of the Egyptians, who were burying their firstborn” (Numbers 33:3), they had forgotten what God had done. They had forgotten the way God had kept them through the plagues and supplied them with riches and protection for their journey. They spent everyday of the journey wishing they could go back to Egypt. Back to slavery and mistreatment instead of going to the land that God had promised their father Abraham (Genesis 15:18); the land that they had been told about through all the generations since Abraham.

Even so, God provided for them at each complaint.

When they were chased by Pharaoh, God swallowed him, his army and all their weaponry in the Red Sea, Ex. 14:19-28. When they didn’t have good drinking water God provided a piece of wood that sweetened the water, Ex. 15:25. When they didn’t have enough food, God rained down bread from heaven, Ex.16: 4. When they grew tired of the bread from heaven and begged for other kinds of food God sent quail in from the sea, Nu. 11:31. When they begged for water to drink God gave them water from a rock, Ex. 17:5-7. When they were attacked by the enemy God brought great victory in battle, Ex. 17:13. Every time God provided.

Are You taking me the “long way” to the promises You’ve given me, Lord? Am I prone to complaining and whining? Am I forgetful or narrow in my understanding of Your faithfulness? Help me to identify my Egypt and strengthen my resolve to go where You are leading me recognizing that You have equipped me for the journey to my Promised Land!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Cover of Darkness

Remember when being a “Peeping Tom” was considered a deviant type of behavior? A peeping tom usually lurked outside someone’s house and peered in the windows at people. It is defined in the dictionary as “One who derives pleasure, usually sexual, from secretly spying on others.” You could get arrested for this behavior! In fact, in the state of New York the sentence for a peeping tom is six months in jail! Now we turn on our TVs and “peep” through that window - our families sitting right next to us - in the comfort of our own homes - watching “Big Brother” or “The Bachelor”, “The Bachelorette”, “Jon and Kate Plus 8”, and “Survivor” (to name a VERY short list). We call them reality shows.

Recently, I saw a preview for a new reality show called “Dating in the Dark”. The producers of the show put people who have never seen each other in a totally dark room and film what happens using night-vision technology. Once the people have developed a relationship, they reveal them to each other in the light and film their reactions. Apparently, the cover of darkness allows them to “see” each other for who they are and keeps them from making judgments based on physical attributes. It helps to take away their inhibitions and allows them to act on their feelings without having to worry about what the other person is thinking. Of course, the preview made it look like it can get pretty “steamy” between the people. If it didn’t who would want to be the peeping tom on the other side of the screen?

In theory, it all sounds reasonable, I guess, but how do they “forget” the camera and crew are watching them? Does it really work to say, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain?” Maybe it does. They seem to have forgotten that they are doing all this in front of “God and everyone” as the saying goes. Nothing is hidden by the darkness because God has night-vision, too!

David wrote in Psalm 139:11 & 12, “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you (God); the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” These verses follow David’s acknowledgment in verse 1 “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.” All of Psalm 139 gives testimony to God’s knowledge of who we are and what we do.

Job, the man God called “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8), understood that God sees all and knows all. Job 34:21 & 22 “For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do. No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes.”

It puzzles me that anyone would want to be filmed in these situations. I get the allure of winning money but what else does it offer? Is the 15 minutes of fame the draw? And what is it that draws the viewer? Does watching other people fail at relationships or succeed at things we thought impossible encourage us? Do these shows give us permission to behave outside the social niceties of manners and etiquette? It just doesn’t seem worth the risk to me.

The truth is that we are all part of a reality show. Our lives may not include cameramen, directors and make-up people but we do have family and friends watching us every day. Most importantly, God is watching us day and night! That realization alone makes me agree with David in Psalm 139:23 & 24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” The New Living Translation says “Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

The only “viewer” I want to please is God. If I am living to please Him, all the other “viewers” will fade into the background and the cover of darkness will only be needed for restful sleep!