Focusing on the Light

     As I've been studying in 1 Corinthians lately, I came across a passage that convicted me and touched my heart. Our church has had several messages with this theme as well. The passage starts out about the children of Israel as they are being led by Moses through the wilderness.

"...All our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well-pleased: for they were overthrown [died] in the wilderness."

     As I read this passage, it struck me how painstakingly Paul points out that everyone in the wilderness had the same opportunity to hear God and to get to know Him better. Everyone lived, ate, and drank together- they were one body of people that the Lord revealed Himself to over and over and over again.
     However, most of the people here did not take advantage of that opportunity- many turned and did just the opposite. The chapter continues on with a list of sins this chosen people of God committed in the wilderness:
They lusted after evil things.
Idolatry. (Here idolatry's defined as 'eating, drinking, and living only to play'. Interesting...)
There was fornication. (23,000 Israelites were killed in one day for this alone!)
They tempted God.
They murmured.
     These people that were slain in the wilderness from their sins never lived to see the Promised Land. This made me think. Everyone went through the same circumstances. What made those who lived to see the land so different than the others?
   
Could it have been their focus?
   
     This line of thought brought to mind one of the accounts in the well known Pilgrim's Progress. Christian had just started out in his journey on the straight and narrow path, and was told by Evangelist to continue on, just keeping his eyes on the light he could see in the distance. However, as he begins to walk, he gets distracted by his discussion with his neighbor Pliable, who had decided to go with him. Before they know it, they get stuck in a huge slough that had overtaken the road, from which Christian and Pliable were unable to escape. As they wallow about, becoming more despondent (according to the name of the slough, the Slough of Despond), Pliable decides this whole journey was a mistake, and is somehow able to make it out of the muck on the side closest to his home. He returns home, leaving Christian alone praying for help. Eventually Help does show up, and after he fishes Christian out of the mire, he asks one simple question in return to Christian's sputtering: "Why didn't you look for the steps?" As it turns out, there had been steps built for a safe passage over this slough, but due to the muck and the mire of this pit, they could only be seen when one maintained their eyesight on the Light.
   
Is your eyesight on the Light?
   
     Is my eyesight on the Light?

The chapter continues:
"Wherefore let him who thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

     I'm sure none of those people who fell into those sins ever thought they would. I doubt as they left Egypt that they knew they would rebel against the One who sprung them from captivity. Even more so, I don't think they had any idea that they would die in the wilderness, still searching, once they had fallen into such things. The first part of this is a warning to us all: none of us are "good enough" to do anything by our own means. Not even resist temptation. It's when we start thinking that we can that our eyesight begins to fall away from the Light- God, our Creator- and onto ourselves. That's when we see the old saying ring true- pride goes before a fall.
     Before we start acting like we're the greatest thing since Swiss Cheese, stop and remember that you're only worth the living because God saw you as someone worth dying for. It is only through Christ that we can do all things! When that temptation to take your eyes away from God is ever increasing, when you feel your eyesight starting to fade away from that Light; when the things of this world are becoming brighter than the Light of Glory, the good news is that God is faithful. There is no temptation too strong that He cannot deliver you from it; there is nothing too far that He won't allow escape from. But only when you surrender, and are willing to make His will, your will.

So where is your focus today?

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25-26
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from which comes my help. Psalm 121:1
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:10-12

The Power of Prayer

Macas was our first destination point in Ecuador. We stayed there for approximately 2 weeks, with a pastor and his wife, Roberto and Dorothy. Both of these people were quite a blessing to us, and we have come to know them as dear brothers and sisters in Christ. They walked us around Macas the first couple of days, and one of our very first stops was in one of the many market squares. Here we met a young man, Jose.
Jose was 21 and had come to Macas from a village farther away to start his own business. He ran a small storefront restaurant, one of many you can find walking around Ecuador. And when I say tiny, I mean tiny- there was hardly room to fit one plastic table with 3 chairs around it, and even then, it was quite a squeeze. When Roberto came walking up with us, this tall lanky Ecuadorian came loping up to us with the biggest grin you have ever seen. I have never seen someone smile so much as him. He welcomed us in and cooked us up some empanadas.

While Jose whipped these up, Pastor Roberto told us a little bit about Jose. Back in his home village, Jose had professed to be a christian. However, he walked away from the faith when he came to Macas, and brought alone his also backslidden girlfriend, Rosa (whom they affectionately referred to as Rosita). We met her later on that day- a young girl not more than 15, who was 5 months pregnant. After they had met Roberto and Dorothy, they recommitted their lives to Christ and were beginning to act in their own small steps of faith. In fact, they were returning to their village later that week to get married and make their relationship right.
That first day, Jose pulled out an old beaten up and dreadfully out of tune guitar and began to play it for us. He was actually quite good once you imagined the sound should he tune it, and he could sing fairly well too. But the best part about it was his true love of singing praises to Jesus. It was encouraging to see the potential in this young man, especially since the small church in Macas didn't have any musicians... all the worship was led a capella.

Jose came over later after church and we were able to show him how to tune a guitar- he had never attempted to do so before. While teaching him, I noticed what poor shape his guitar truly was in. On top of this, he used cheap plastic strings, so while the first chord he played after tuning sounded great, they strings just slipped back out of tune after that. However, Jose just kept playing away with a great big smile on his face.

One day, Jose's faithful old guitar finally died, and the neck broke off of the body. Jose was so disappointed, but he only told Roberto. Despairing, he didn't know what to do- with their meager income and a new baby coming along, there was no way he could afford a new one. Roberto told him to rely on God and pray this situation. So Jose took his baby step of faith and brought his problem to God.

Unbeknownst to Roberto or Jose, a sister during this time began feeling a pull on her heart to bless Jose with a new guitar. She struggled with it for a while, and prayed about it, but God kept showing her that this was what he wanted her to do. She had no clue about Jose's old guitar.

Finally she gave in to the direction God was leading her in. She bought a new guitar for him along with some other supplies for it. She gave it to Roberto to bless Jose with after church that evening.

Roberto gave it to Jose, and Jose couldn't believe his eyes. God had answered his prayer of faith, and was faithful to give him the desires of his heart.



Jose didn't waste any time, and began tuning and playing the guitar all night. He couldn't stop smiling, and only stopped playing when Roberto told him it was time to leave. Every time I saw him after that until I left Macas, he always was carrying that new guitar, and offered to play it anywhere he had an opportunity.





 This story showed me several things. First was how prayer really does work. So many times it seems like praying is just spewing out words that hit the ceiling and fall back around you, even if we don't always want to admit that to other people.But when you see that little mustard seed of faith and prayers being answered, it reminds you that prayer is actually effective. God, the Creator of all of the universe cares to listen to your prayers, hears your heart's desires, and responds. To us.
Secondly, it showed me that God can use anybody. The sister that blessed Jose with the guitar wasn't anybody special. She didn't even know there was a need. But if you're listening to God, and willing to be used by Him, He will. God is looking for willing vessels. And that should be our hearts cry. "Hear I am Lord; use me."

You don't have to be a huge spiritual giant to see God working in your life.
Ask God to open your heart, to feel where He's leading you.
To open your ears, to hear His voice speaking to you.
Open your mouth in prayer.

He is faithful.

    Jose and Rosita the day before their wedding

For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16b
Delight yourself also in the Lord; and he shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21
Then said I, Here am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8b
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4

Flying High

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a missions trip to Ecuador. I was there for a month, and during that time period, the Lord taught me a lot about my walk with Him. Over the course of the next few weeks, I shall write some of the stories that happened there, and some of the lessons I was taught through them. The first thing that I would like to share, however, actually took place while I was flying down to Quito, Ecuador.
As I was sitting on an airplane on my way to my first semi-long term missions trip, I began to marvel about all the activity taking place around me. This was only the second time I had ever flown. Everything was still somewhat new to me. I sat back and thought of how funny it seemed that people could have so much faith in a (relatively) small machine, to carry them 33,000 feet about oceans, mountains, valleys, and deserts. They scramble on the plane at the first mention of their boarding section, never truly giving a thought about how the airplane works, or whether or not they should fly that day. They doze off during the safety videos, and watch with glazed eyes as bored flight attendant gives them the run down on what to do in case of emergency. They never worry that they don't even see the pilot. In fact, after the first announcement greeting the passengers on board, the pilot rarely speaks again to the trusting passengers. They simply know the pilot wouldn't jump ship, leaving them stranded on board.
In many ways, this parallels the kind of trust we need to have in our own walks, or flights, with God.
When God has a call on our life to do something, He's booking the ticket to the next leg of the trail that He's blazed for us. We should be able to know that His flight will never fail; in fact, the only delays are caused by the sometimes hesitant "passengers" aboard.
There are times when Christians, myself included, go through periods where it feels like God isn't speaking to us. Maybe He's too far away, or possibly we think He may have given up jumped ship on us. But if passengers aboard a manly vessel flown by a mere human can trust that their pilot is still there guiding them, with them every step of the way, it struck me that we can at least have that same kind of trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When turbulence in our lives starts shaking up our worlds, it's then that we can trust that God is still manning the controls. It's at those times that His presence is most evident even. It's such a relief knowing that He will never leave us, nor forsake us!
Still, like all major airlines, you have to go through checkpoint security. Certain fluids aren't allowed on board an airplane, liquids have to be packed just so, you can't have metal objects...  it's a hassle figuring out all the requirements to be able to board your flight. God's flights have one simple standard. His security requirements are to leave our fleshly desires at the terminal. There is no room on board for extra baggage, such as earthly concerns or worldly mindsets; leave them at Calvary!
The most exciting part is that God doesn't just call us to one "adventure" with Him, and then leave us be in the same spot for the rest of our lives. He calls us to keep going higher and higher with Him; in fact, daily He asks us to pack up our crosses and fly with Him.
Travel lightly, and be prepared for flights you never could have imagined!

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7
Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. Psalm 146:3-5
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. Psalm 118:8-9
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them--the LORD, who remains faithful forever. Psalm 146:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14

Crumbs

     In my devotions today, the account of the Syro-Pheonician woman was referenced. This woman was part of a society that was fully aware that they were not the “chosen people”. At this point in the Bible, salvation and grace had not been extended to all people as it was later in Jesus’ sacrifice, which made it possible for both the Jew and the Gentile to come before the Lord. They had no law put in place to bring them to God such as the Israelites, and they had no hope of a Saviour to help them. It was not only the Israelites who regarded these people as below them- I think that this society also felt as though they were not worth much. Yet when this woman heard that Jesus was near, she knew that He could be her only hope. She was so moved by the desperation of her daughter’s situation, that it gave her the courage to step out on her faith and fall at His feet. We know the rest of the story- Jesus called her a dog to her face, yet she still persisted and asked for mere crumbs of His grace to be given to her. The Lord had mercy on her and healed her daughter right there.

     The Bible passage that most of the devotion was based upon today however, was in Galatians 3. Paul teaches that we are not under the law any more but under grace, and shows that the wall between Jew and Gentile has been broken down, giving us all a way to our Saviour. None of us are regarded as “dogs” any more- as Paul says we are all now joint heirs of Christ. We are all now able to come to the banqueting table and feast on more than crumbs- the feast has been prepared for us to partake freely of the riches of God!
This got me to thinking… when this woman knew she wasn’t entitled to anything from Jesus, she still had the faith to go and receive what was not yet promised to her. She received healing for her daughter. Lately I have been looking at God’s promises for healing, which are all through the Scripture and available for all to claim.
     Yet so many times we see people not believing God in this area, too content to sit things through and put their faith in earthly things around them. We, who have been promised healing and countless other promises can’t exhibit even a fraction of the faith shown in the “dog” woman! If just a crumb of God’s mercies equaled at least a healing and a deliverance, what does the whole feast of God mean for us?
     It convicted me. It was as though God was putting a magnifying glass over my heart and showing how big I often make my problems seem, when truly it is just takes crumb of God’s goodness in that area. How many times have I forgoed God’s feast for me? How often does His church disregard God’s plentiful promises to them?
     I want to encourage you to come to God’s banqueting table today. Stuff yourselves with His goodness; bring containers for that which you cannot digest yet! Partake of what God has prepared for us- His desire is for us to come into His presence for that reason and so many more!
     Eat of the meat of God’s Word today.

In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Mark 7:25-30
Galatians 3:7-29
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:14
He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." Exodus 15:2
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Psalm 107:19-21
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:2
“Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." Luke 14:15b