knowledgeofgoodandevil

God has the power to do anything. Why does He use fallible people to accomplish His work?

In the book of Esther, when Haman was up to his tricks in setting up a scenario to slaughter the Jews, why didn’t God just zap Hamon and be done with it? Why did Esther have to go through all that work to become the King’s wife? Why all that preparation? Then she had to meet his approval. Why did God risk Esther being in the palace, when she was a Jew and the King’s right hand man wanted to slaughter the Jews? Why put the fate of His people into the hands of a very young impressionable girl? A girl who could decide at any minute to save her own skin and not worry about the greater good of all the people. A girl who had to risk her own life by approaching the king before she was asked to.

God spoke through Mordecai (a type of the Holy Spirit) to tell Esther what to do or say. Then Esther had a choice whether she would listen to Mordecai or do what she wanted.

An interesting fact about the story of Esther is that God’s name is never used in that story. Yet God is working throughout it.

Just like the story of Esther, God works the same in our own lives. He works quietly behind the scenes. We don’t see God or hear Him, yet the Bible tells us He is everywhere and knows all things. We can’t experience Him with any of our senses. Yet He is there, working.

When we pray for something, God doesn’t just zap that problem right out of our lives so we can move on. In fact, when we first pray for something, we often feel like nothing is happening. Our senses tell us nothing is happening.

What we don’t see is that God went right to work when we prayed. He knows exactly what to do to answer our prayers. And while He is working on your life, He is working and answering prayers in other people’s lives. He is working over here and over there, answering prayers.

We don’t see God, as He is changing or molding you. At the same time He is encouraging another soul or lifting someone up. Many times He uses each of us to affect others in whatever ways they need. Again, changing, molding, or encouraging each of His children.

We don’t see God affecting change all around us – in big ways and little ways. The Holy Spirit is whispering in people’s ears: “do this,” “go there,” or “say this.” And as each person obeys, the prayer is getting answered. Hindsight is 20/20. After we have come through, we look back and can see God’s fingerprints all over our lives.

That is how God works.

Happy New Year! Or, soon to be a new year. I’ve seen tons of memes about this coming year being 20/20. As I’ve reflected on that, I thought, “How can I go through this next year with 20/20 vision?”

I’m going to try and start praying without ceasing like the Apostle Paul tells us to do. I’ve been doing it more and more, but I’m going to make prayer my first reaction to everything. When I’ve lost something, I’m going to pray about it. When I’m scared, I’m going to pray about it. I’m going to pray for the big things and the little things.

“Pray without ceasing,” 1 These. 5:17

I’m getting too old to waste time. I’m going right to the source of all my strength – God. Only He knows the future. And only He he has the power to do anything about it.

“And all things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive,” Matt. 21:22

God tells us in His Word to pray without ceasing. Jesus, who was God Himself, spent much of His time on this planet, praying. In fact now, the Bible tells us that Jesus prays for us. Right now, while He is in heaven, Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead, is praying for us.

“Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them,” Heb. 7:25

“who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right ahand of God, who also intercedes us.”

I don’t have any power of my own. I definitely can’t see the future. So I’m going to rely on the One who can.

Will you join me in this effort? Will you pray with me? If all of the Believers would make prayer a priority, imagine how effective we would be in everything? Let’s all start this new year out right.

The truth of Christmas

Yes, we don’t know the day Jesus was actually born. Yes, He may very well have been born in the summer. But are these reasons not to celebrate Christmas?

The celebration of Christmas isn’t about when He was born. The celebration of Christmas is the very fact that He was. A KIng…God Himself, came to the earth to be born a man. That’s what we are celebrating.

Mankind was and is in need of redemption. Our sin seperates us from the living God. Nothing we can do or say, can make us righteous. The earth groans, longing for redemption.

Christmas is a celebration of God providing us a way out of our sin and eternal separation from God. We can’t save ourselves. We all deserve to die for our sins. But once we die, that’s it. That’s the end of the story. 

For God so loved the world He gave us His only begotten Son that whosever believes on him should have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

That IS Christmas! God sent His Son to us! He came that we might have life and life more abundantly. He came to provide salvation for us all. So we celebrate. We don’t have to be lost in our sins! We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born. That is absolutely true. When He was born, really doesn’t matter. 

We celebrate Christ coming to save us from our sins. That is the story of Christmas.

God thought it was important to celebrate His Son’s birth:

“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom His is pleased.” (Luke 2:8-14)

This passage was an invitation to the shepherds to come celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. If God asks shepherds to come celebrate, we most certainly can. Christ’s birth is a celebration! God came to bring us salvation! He would walk among us, perform miracles and then sacrifice His life for our sins, then rise from the dead! This IS the time to celebrate.

Jesus will come again. But when He comes again, it won’t be a celebration. He will come again, as a Judge of this world. He won’t be a tiny baby. He will come as the Victor over sin and death. He will come as the judge to those who chose not to accept Him.

Now is the time to celebrate! God came to bring us salvation. Hallelujah and Merry Christmas!

When you feel crushed by the world around you…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When you feel absolutely alone and no one understands…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When you are broke, with not a penny to your name…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When your spouse has left you…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When your child has rebelled against you…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When the grief you feel hurts so badly…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When your doctor tells you, you have cancer…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When your spouse has cheated…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When you get fired from your job…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When a loved one dies…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When you’ve had enough…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When emotional pain is so overwhelming, you physically hurt…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When you can’t stop that sin that’s controlling your life…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When your joy is gone…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

When you want out of this world…Jesus knows exactly what to do.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light,” Matthew 11:28-30

For the Believer, Jesus knows exactly what to do. Call on Him.

Have you ever felt like the Israelites fleeing Egypt? Just when they finally thought they were free from Egypt, they stand at the edge of the Red Sea with no way to get across. They look behind themselves and can see the Egyptian army coming. There looks like no way out. They are trapped. God brought them this far, but now what? They either drown in the sea or get killed by the Egyptian army. What other choices are there? It doesn’t look good.

Do you ever feel this way? I know I do. God pulls me out of a problem, only to face a new one. I began to feel trapped. I can’t see a way out. Just like the Israelites, I see the Red Sea in front of me and the Egyptian army behind. I can’t see how I’ll get out of this mess. Because I can’t see the solution, I began to think there is no solution. In my finite mind I can’t figure it out then it must be unsolvable. I’m an Israelite, standing at the edge of the Red Sea, panicking because the Egyptian army is coming! I’m about to die. There’s no way out.

God doesn’t drop the ball on His children. He doesn’t say, “Oh, I brought you this far, but now you are on your own! Start swimming!” God has been faithful to faithless me, 100% of the time. Yet, I panic. I quickly forget all those times God has pulled me through.

The beauty of the story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, is that there was no way out, except through God. So God performed a miracle and Moses raised his staff and parted the Red Sea and the Israelites walked on dry land. God does the same for us today. What we cannot see, God sees. We are trapped because truly there is no way out. Except…except God can provide a way. He won’t leave His children standing at the edge of a sea, waiting to die. He doesn’t work that way. But our only way out is through God. He must do the work.

So Believer, when you are faced with a problem that seemingly has no solution, go to the only source that can see you through, God. For the Believer, God does provide the way out. It will look bleak, but that’s when God will provide a miracle. Though it looks impossible, with God nothing is impossible. Though it looks unsolvable, God can solve it. God will provide a way. Just wait on Him. He’s never late. He will save you before the Egyptian army gets too close. And just as you make it to the other side, God closes the sea over your problem. Your problem is washed away, never to be a problem again.