My Bold Buddy

Recently a friend of mine had an issue that needed to be taken care of--immediately, if not sooner.  Knowing only of One Who could handle this, he took his petition straight to the top, where he demanded that God take care of this.

But he didn’t stop there.  Not this friend.  Not only did he tell our sweet Father what it was he was in need of:  he demanded proof from Him that the mission had been accomplished.

Well, you know our great God just dropped everything to handle this, right?  I mean, after all, isn’t that what He’s there for:  to be our order taker so that we can have things our way, when we want them, and then be relegated back to His throne until next time?  I mean, after all, shouldn’t He have been keeping a better eye out anyways?  

As it just so happened, the God my friend and I serve did not jump when said friend spoke--even though the issue was one of possible severity and potential harm.  Maybe He was thinking back to those days when Mary and Martha fussed at Him, telling Him what He should do and/or should not have done so that their brother Lazarus wouldn’t have died.  Maybe God was recollecting the lesson taught and learned way back when.  If memory serves me correctly, didn’t He wait about two days or so before even responding in person to this call?  It wasn’t that the sisters’ need wasn’t great.  Oh no, friends, not at all.  Rather, Jesus lingered in Bethany for reasons many have supposed.  Basically, though, it just wasn’t time for Him to move.

So, back to my friend’s (ahem) “request.”  He sought a little assistance from an outside source or two.  He contacted them often to see if the evidence had been provided and when after several days it hadn’t, his prayers became more fierce, more intense.  He knew God could handle this tiny little matter in the grand scheme of things.  Though he was often a praying man, this incident had literally brought him to his knees, imploring God in a way he has rarely had to do.  

Lo and behold, guess what?  After a few days, when the time was right, my friend got the call he’d been waiting for.  Ta da!  The proof was provided without any doubt that the entire issue had been dealt with completely.  To say my pal was relieved would be an understatement!  As a matter of fact, after he profusely thanked our Good Lord for His provision, he did what any normal man would do:  he got mad.  At God!  Yeah, I know:  how dare he?  How dare this child question the manner in which God responded to his pleas?  The absolute gall!

Basically, this dear friend of mine told God that He had better not ever let that happen again.  When I questioned him why he would talk to God like that, his response was clear, concise, and one that made me question my own relationship with the Father.  He said he was selfish.  He didn’t want to take time away from his normal duties and cares to spend worrying about something that he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God could handle.  He was bold in his prayer, bold in his demand for evidence, and bold in his response.  I mean, after all, doesn’t God know us inside and out?  Doesn’t He know our thoughts before we speak them?  Doesn’t He know the cares and scares of this world before we even face them?  Doesn’t He know the end from the beginning?

Yes.  He does.  That must be one of the reasons He allowed the above verses to be favored ones throughout the ages.  Verses that teach us that:

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.    

Mercy, grace, and help.  When we need.  One Who sympathizes with our weaknesses.  Yeah, that’s the God my friend serves.  He’s not intimidated by me and my smallness--not when He Himself is so great!  He’s not mad when I question Him.  He might laugh to Himself a little at some of my ridiculous demands but you know what?  In His time, He takes care of what needs cared for.  He provides evidence that what He began will be completed--in me and in others.  All in all, He’s a pretty special God, don’t you think?  

Let’s pray!

Thank You, Father, for answered prayers.  No, You don’t drop everything to tend to Your children’s cries because You have a plan and in Your wisdom, Lord God, You know when things need to come together.  

Sigh. I must confess:  I am often impatient with You much like my friend was.  But You already knew that, huh?  You already knew my petulant attitude does not serve me well nor reflect Christ-like behaviour.

Thank You for being God and for putting up with me.  And my friend.  May we honor You better after this lesson and the many more You teach us day by day is my prayer, asked in the healing name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

It Only Takes a Spark

Fire.  That little glow that starts with the teeniest spark and builds into a flame that burns ever so brightly.

Does it fascinate you the way it does me?  I can be around a campfire or a fireplace or even just burning old documents and feel the pull, the warmth--even on a warm day or evening.  I find myself drawing closer to the flame, mesmerized by it, lost in its power.  I want to watch its magnificence as it consumes what is within its reach.  I want its warmth to heat me to my inner core.

Yesterday, I saw a title for a book called "Praying With Fire."  Immediately I was off on tens of tangents (as my wandering brain is likely to do once a hint of inspiration comes to it).  I knew how I liked playing with fire.  I knew the dangers and...the power.  Oh the power!  So I thought to myself, "Stef:  how absolutely wondrous it must be to have this type of fire in your prayer life!  To pray with such fervor, such boldness, such intensity!  I mean, after all, God told us to 'Come boldly before His throne,' right?  Oh Stef:  if you could pray with such command and mastery, that whatever you were speaking of to God would be drawn into this intensity and catch wind and burn, baby burn!  Just think of the effect your prayers might have if your flame turned into a full-fledged blaze that swept over your little world.  How great a matter would that little fire kindle into?"

I tried it.  Subconsciously because my thoughts often take time to turn into concise actions.  Last night, I was asked to close prayer for our missions group.  As I considered the requests, thought of the needs, hurt for the hearts that were troubled, I found myself becoming impassioned.  I spoke to God as though He and I were the only ones there as I prayed for His compassion for those whose lives were in such need.  My voice trembled and shook and then--as it became more focused on the situation--it became powerful.  I claimed God's promises.  I implored Him to heal, to touch, to soothe, and to bless.  A hush fell over the room.

Now, before you think the next words to read are "I suddenly began to speak in tongues and a strong rushing wind began to blow through the classroom" I must tell you to stop right there.  That's not the way it was.  For you see, when I am impassioned, I tend to get quieter, to have passion yes, but to take command of the incident so as to make sure you hear me by being forced to listen more closely to what is being said.  Does that make sense?  Too often I find folks talk over one another in their attempts to have their opinions voiced.  Not me (well, most of the time.  Sometimes I do raise my voice to be heard but mainly out of frustration that I was interrupted in the first place.  Talk to Shirley about that one.)  

To sum it all up, friends, it's time to be bold.  It's time to pray effectively.  It's time to stand.  God isn't afraid when you raise your voice to Him.  Nothing you can say shocks Him (ahem:  remember how he knows your thoughts before you do?).  Speak plainly without fancy words.  It's even okay to whine, to fuss, to gripe, to complain.  But, if you are unwilling to be a part of the next step--the one where you commit yourselves to changing the situation--then just be quiet.  Seriously.  Hush!  

However, if you find yourselves righteously indignant over social issues, don't just sit there and whisper amongst your peers:  do something!  When we sit idly by, our rights get trampled.  Our children's schools are forced to teach other lifestyles and agendas rather than the ones we grew up in and post so fervently on our Facebook pages.  Our bathrooms become stalls for all sorts of indecency.

Stop it.  If you are only going to incite, keep it to yourselves.  But, if you are seeking to rally the troops, to make positive differences, to indeed change the world then begin that work in your prayer closets, your war rooms.  It only takes a spark.  Be a match today.  You might not set the world on fire but then again...

Let's pray!

Lord, how my heart burns within me as I consider so many--too many--cares of this world that are within my power to reshape.  Now, Father:  You know what a big chicken I am and how I like to work behind the scenes rather than be the leader of the pack.  So, on my platform, in my own prayer closet, and as I drive down the roads, help me to see things through Your eyes.  The things that hurt You that I have blindly turned away from so as to not rock the boat or to mind my own business or (and this one really gets my goat when I find myself incorrectly applying scripture to or hear other quote inaccurately) to judge.  Help me, I ask, to wake up. To get up, carry my bed, and to walk.

I'm not talking about going out and having town hall meetings, God.  You know that.  But, with Your help and Your guidance, I am asking You to embolden me whereas my heart used to be frozen.  Light Your holy fire in my spirit and soul so that I will hear from heaven, so that You will forgive my sins, and maybe, just maybe heal my lands.  I'm calling to You for You to show me those great and powerful things I don't know about.  Teach me and refine me today is my earnest and fervent prayer.  Amen!  

Stop murmuring!

Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world...

Ahh if you could have only been in Bible Study this morning. The girls and I are meandering through the Book of Philippians via a Kay Arthur study. As is inevitable when discussing the previous week's events, we get a little slack. We get a little lazy, complacent, and--okay, we whine sometimes. There. I said it.

We discuss the needs in our lives, in our spiritual walks, and then we write down on a sticky note our special prayer requests. At the end of the meeting, we each take one of these and are supposed to pray over that concern. Realizing we have been brought up better than to just whine and complain, one of the ladies mentioned she had taken part in the "Thankful Challenge" that has been going on on Facebook. A couple of us had already participated but we decided as a group to list three things we are thankful for over the next seven days and report back at our next meeting. I went ahead and told Linda to go ahead and put me at the top of her list.wink emoticon I'm just helpful that way.

Later, we all went to lunch and I must say, I was a bit saddened that we had so quickly lost our fervor--myself included. Either the burgers were too done or the potato salad had celery seeds in it or the food wasn't brought out at the same time. Yep, that quickly we had forgotten our decision to stop murmuring and to be more thankful. Sigh. No wonder we need a Saviour! Having accountability partners is well and good--as long as we take each other seriously.

So, here's what I am determining to do today for the next week--in addition to the Thankful Challenge: I am going to be bold. I am going to sweetly remind my sisters in Christ when they are being immature. Not in a mean way and not in a judgmental way. There's plenty of that out there and it certainly shouldn't come from my lips. I am going to be a stronger friend and casually but confidently remind them of the lessons we have learned and should be applying. My hope is that they will love me enough to do the same.

It's time we grow up, folks. Time to get real and stop playing church. We don't have time for it and the world needs lights in this world. We need to be blameless and stop turning people off with our poor behavior. How do we expect others to see Jesus in us if we aren't portraying Him in a favorable light? We can't if we refuse to put into practice the things we have been taught. I'm ready! Who's with me? smile emoticon