If you're at all like me, (and for your sake, I hope you're not) you may doubt God from time to time. Maybe you're in a situation you don't like or don't understand, or maybe you're searching for direction in some part of your life, or maybe you just want to know if He's listening to your prayers. My tendency is often to pray for a sign. Lord, just show me who you are... show me that you are God.
But, as I read scripture, I really need to stop praying this. Have you done this lately? Look how God often proves Himself. It's almost always with death and destruction. There are very few fleece moments in the bible. It's more like this:
And they will know that I am the LORD, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars...
You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
If it's been awhile since you read the bible, think about it. Do you remember a passage that says, "I will deliver the job into your hands, then you will know that I am the LORD?" Or how about, "I will heal your ailing spouse/child/brother then you will know that I am the LORD?" Or even, "I will present to you the lottery numbers BEFORE they are drawn, then you will know that I am the LORD?" No. I mean there is the staff turning into a snake thing. And the time that Elijah called on God to set the altar ablaze. But generally, in scripture, the LORD makes Himself known in ways that we wouldn't really want to see Him. But, it also means that He has the power to make Himself known.
So, what does this mean for us? It means we need to have faith. Faith that His plan is better than ours. Faith that he's the same God He has been- yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Faith that He's still on His throne.
When nothing wheron to lean remains,
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is just the time to trust.
'Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch-black night, when there's no outer light
Is the time for faith to shine. - Joseph Parker
God has told us who He is, and He's probably shown you in your life time and again. Maybe you can't hear him now because life SCREAMS at you. Your circumstances YELL at you to ignore that still small voice inside your head. But, scripture tells us that God is in the whisper. Be still and listen... and know that He is God.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Lord, make me more stubborn
"But it won't work that way with the family of Israel. They won't listen to you because they won't listen to me. They are, as I said, a hard case, hardened in their sin. But I'll make you as hard in your way as they are in theirs. I'll make your face as hard as rock, harder than granite. Don't let them intimidate you. Don't be afraid of them, even though they're a bunch of rebels." -Ezekiel 3:7-9 (The Message, emphasis added)
At first, this seems like a pretty strange passage to me. I mean, who wants their face to be as hard as a rock? C'mon God, make my abs as hard as a rock, maybe, but my face?
But, what a cool thing God did for Ezekiel. He was sending him to speak to the Israelites and warn them about their sin. But in His sovereignty, God knew they would be stubborn about it, so he promised to make Ezekiel more stubborn.
I have to tell you that so many times, when I find myself in a similar situation, I pray about the others. I pray for the ones I'm speaking to and say, "Lord, soften their hearts. Help them see it my way."
But, maybe God wants to teach me something sometimes by making people stubborn. Maybe people who don't just follow me blindly are meant to test my perserverance. Maybe I should pray for God to change me more than I pray for Him to change other people. Like Ezekiel, I need to ask him to make my face harder than granite. After all, as James wrote, "You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-3 (the Message)
I want to be mature and complete. I want not to be deficient in any way. So, Lord, make me more stubborn.
And, about those abs...
At first, this seems like a pretty strange passage to me. I mean, who wants their face to be as hard as a rock? C'mon God, make my abs as hard as a rock, maybe, but my face?
But, what a cool thing God did for Ezekiel. He was sending him to speak to the Israelites and warn them about their sin. But in His sovereignty, God knew they would be stubborn about it, so he promised to make Ezekiel more stubborn.
I have to tell you that so many times, when I find myself in a similar situation, I pray about the others. I pray for the ones I'm speaking to and say, "Lord, soften their hearts. Help them see it my way."
But, maybe God wants to teach me something sometimes by making people stubborn. Maybe people who don't just follow me blindly are meant to test my perserverance. Maybe I should pray for God to change me more than I pray for Him to change other people. Like Ezekiel, I need to ask him to make my face harder than granite. After all, as James wrote, "You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-3 (the Message)
I want to be mature and complete. I want not to be deficient in any way. So, Lord, make me more stubborn.
And, about those abs...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
On making great people
Dads, let's talk. I think if we were to sit down face-to-face over a cup of coffee (or a large Diet Coke for me), we'd agree that one of the most important things we'll do in this life is raise great kids. Can we just agree on that now? Good.
So, why don't we always act like it's a priority? If we're to be honest with one another, I'd bet we both spend a lot more time thinking about our career development, financial future, or even our vacations than we do about how to build into our children. Look at it this way: we driven, ambitious career types are always looking for a way to add more value at work, right? We wouldn't think of just occupying a seat and getting by with the minimum required to get the job done. We strive to get better, we invest in our skills and knowledge, we bring ideas to people. We aren't static, we are in motion in our careers.
Why, then, when it's our turn to watch the kids, do we look for the easy way out? Why do we wonder which DVD we should put in to occupy the time while we rest or read or do what we need to do? Why don't we invest in our parenting skills, spend quality time playing with our kids, reading to them, coloring with them, doing things that build them up?
In his book Outliers, Malcom Gladwell suggests that great performers are made largely by great opportunities. In other words, if you want to be a great piano player, you need lots and lots of hours at the piano. If you want to be a great runner, you need a chance to put in miles and miles. Likewise, if you want to raise great kids (thereby making them into great people), you need to invest the time in them, not just spend time with them, but really spend time building them.
Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go and he will not stray from it." That's what most of us want as parents, right? A child who is raised right and turns into a great person - one who doesn't stray. So, let's take every opportunity God has given us to invest a part of ourselves in our kids. We don't have very much time- our opportunity is limited.
So, why don't we always act like it's a priority? If we're to be honest with one another, I'd bet we both spend a lot more time thinking about our career development, financial future, or even our vacations than we do about how to build into our children. Look at it this way: we driven, ambitious career types are always looking for a way to add more value at work, right? We wouldn't think of just occupying a seat and getting by with the minimum required to get the job done. We strive to get better, we invest in our skills and knowledge, we bring ideas to people. We aren't static, we are in motion in our careers.
Why, then, when it's our turn to watch the kids, do we look for the easy way out? Why do we wonder which DVD we should put in to occupy the time while we rest or read or do what we need to do? Why don't we invest in our parenting skills, spend quality time playing with our kids, reading to them, coloring with them, doing things that build them up?
In his book Outliers, Malcom Gladwell suggests that great performers are made largely by great opportunities. In other words, if you want to be a great piano player, you need lots and lots of hours at the piano. If you want to be a great runner, you need a chance to put in miles and miles. Likewise, if you want to raise great kids (thereby making them into great people), you need to invest the time in them, not just spend time with them, but really spend time building them.
Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go and he will not stray from it." That's what most of us want as parents, right? A child who is raised right and turns into a great person - one who doesn't stray. So, let's take every opportunity God has given us to invest a part of ourselves in our kids. We don't have very much time- our opportunity is limited.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Nehemiah Vision Ministries
In case you missed this last weekend, here is the video about some of what God is doing in Haiti.
Nehemiah Vision Ministries from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
MOVE Conference Roundup
So, we returned yesterday from the MOVE Conference at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. I think that most of the students were somewhat underwhelmed or maybe even a little disappointed at the conference... that is, at least, until the last day.
The entire conference focused on the book of Exodus, and the story of the people of God. The worship, by the Aaron Pelsue Band, was really good, but it took the students awhile to learn the new songs. Once they caught on, though, it was phenomenal!
On the first night, we talked about God appearing to Moses in the burning bush, and how he calls us all in different ways. The second day, we discussed what it means to be a slave to sin, and how we can be free. Day 3, we talked about the crossing of the Red Sea, and how we all come to a point in our lives where we have a crossing to make. Day four, we talked about worship, and what it means to worship God and to worship idols. On this day, each of the participants build their idol out of Play-Doh and we smashed them underfoot. Then came day five, the day that rocked our world. On this day, we talked about living with God and in God, and what that means. Each person at the conference got an envelope that they had to commit to do what it said before they opened it (they didn't have to open it, but if they wanted to, they were committed). Well, every student in our group committed to do it, and each one got a challenge that, by God's grace, was appropriately hard for them. One student now has to sell 50 items of clothing and give the money to a family who needs it. One has to skip one lunch per week and use the money to provide a meal for someone who can't afford it. One student has to memorize the book of Ephesians. My challenge is to not buy gas for a month and give the money to an environmental cause. I started today.
Then, by some ridiculously funny manipulation by God, we got the biggest challenge. If you want to know about that, or to know the story, you need to look here.
I'm really excited to see what God is going to do in our students and in our community in the next year. Stay tuned.
The entire conference focused on the book of Exodus, and the story of the people of God. The worship, by the Aaron Pelsue Band, was really good, but it took the students awhile to learn the new songs. Once they caught on, though, it was phenomenal!
On the first night, we talked about God appearing to Moses in the burning bush, and how he calls us all in different ways. The second day, we discussed what it means to be a slave to sin, and how we can be free. Day 3, we talked about the crossing of the Red Sea, and how we all come to a point in our lives where we have a crossing to make. Day four, we talked about worship, and what it means to worship God and to worship idols. On this day, each of the participants build their idol out of Play-Doh and we smashed them underfoot. Then came day five, the day that rocked our world. On this day, we talked about living with God and in God, and what that means. Each person at the conference got an envelope that they had to commit to do what it said before they opened it (they didn't have to open it, but if they wanted to, they were committed). Well, every student in our group committed to do it, and each one got a challenge that, by God's grace, was appropriately hard for them. One student now has to sell 50 items of clothing and give the money to a family who needs it. One has to skip one lunch per week and use the money to provide a meal for someone who can't afford it. One student has to memorize the book of Ephesians. My challenge is to not buy gas for a month and give the money to an environmental cause. I started today.
Then, by some ridiculously funny manipulation by God, we got the biggest challenge. If you want to know about that, or to know the story, you need to look here.
I'm really excited to see what God is going to do in our students and in our community in the next year. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
MOVE updates
If you're looking for MOVE conference updates, follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stevewallen or on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/steve.wallen Can't really blog from here.
Friday, June 26, 2009
3 days until camp
Just 3 more days until we leave with the high school students from Genesis Church to go to Move camp in Holland, Michigan. Once again this year, I will be blogging each day from the camp (assuming I can grab an internet connection somewhere) so parents and interested parties can keep up with our good times, crazy fun, and what we learn.
Stay tuned!
Steve
Stay tuned!
Steve
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