Luke 7:18-28

Do you find it difficult surrendering to God’s will when you don’t understand the full picture? What steps can you take to seek God’s perspective in a current challenging situation?

John was in prison and I am sure was wondering, why God I thought I was doing your will, I thought I was serving you, why prison?  While in prison John hears about Jesus and wonders is this the one whom I have been waiting, is this the guy who I have been telling people about?  It's interesting to me that John gets put in prison not because he is telling people to repent of their sin and be ready to follow God, but because he takes a stand against the king and the sin that the king is committing.  I wonder if he second guess that choice.  Jesus reassures John about who he is and as far as we know John continued faithfully to follow all the rest of his days that soon would be shortened by his death.

Do I find it difficult to surrender to God's will when I don't understand the full picture? Of course, who wouldn't, I think this is the human (natural) response.  However the supernatural response brought on only by the Holy Spirit at work in me is to trust God regardless.  It's vital then that I spend time seeking God through His word and in prayer so that I am able to trust Him.  I imagine that is exactly what John did as He sought to have his questions answered.

Father today help me to keep my eyes fixed on you, help me to trust you in all situations of life.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23:1 (NLT) The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

Wow I love the thought of this verse, I just wish I lived it practically in my life. Do I really believe that I have all that I need in Christ? I mean when I look at my life all of my needs are met, I am not even sure I know what it truly means to be in "need". However, in looking at my life I see how the Lord has provided me with the ability to meet all of my needs.  My wife of almost 22 years is a gift from the Lord who orchestrated us meeting, falling in love and now enjoying 22 years of marriage.  My job/ministry is provided by God as the only day I was on campus that summer of 1994 I met my future employer and have for the past 21 years had an amazing job/ministry as a pastor of an incredible church.  While it's true I can say I honestly have not been in "need" like many of my friends in other countries that are so dependent on Christ just to provide food for the day.  I can say my Lord is my shepherd.  He guides me, protects me, cares for me, provides for me and loves me.  What more could I possibly need, if I suppose if something came up He my Lord would know and would provide as He sees fit.

Father help me to recognize daily, moment by moment, your shepherding in my life.  Remind me of how you have provided in the past so that I can look forward in the future to seeing you meet all of my needs.

Acts 9:1-22

The story of Paul's conversion is simply an amazing tribute to in even more amazing God.  As I think about this man Paul he was just a chapter earlier giving the approval for the stoning of a follower of Jesus, Stephen.  Think about that he was literally saying yes this man deserves to die because he is a follower of Jesus.  I cannot imagine that Paul just sat and watched and did not participate in throwing stones.  Stones that would eventually take the life of a man simply because He followed Jesus a man that clearly Paul had great hatred.  We see that hatred again here in chapter nine, as he was, "uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers." Paul wanted those who would follow Christ dead. Until....
Until he was knocked off his feet by the very one he hated, Jesus.  What I find amazing about this encounter is verse 9, "He stayed there blind for three days and did not eat or drink."  I am led to believe that this encounter so "messed" him up that he physically was unable to do much of anything. I picture him sitting in a corner of a house just unable to move, because he had been so moved by Jesus that he could think of nothing else.  I can't say that I have ever had this same reaction to God moving in my life.  But I can say that I have had similar, when something happened in my soul that so moved me that I could hardly do or think of anything or anyone else except for God.  But those have been few and seemingly far between.  I wonder why this is????? I do long to know God more and more, I want grow in my love for Christ.  But so often my attention is given to many, many other things.  I wonder if sometimes I miss His work because I am not paying attention.  Or I wonder if when I do encounter Christ, it's not as soul rocking as it could be because of so many distractions.  I do not know, but I believe that I want to pray that God would so impact my soul that I would so caught up in Him that I could not mistake it was Him speaking to me.