The Set Up
August 8-9
The Lord can push us where he wants us. Sitting on the dock I had come up with what I thought was a clever course for a writing on "SelfSINteredness". The plan, which may come to fruition someday, was to take the letters in "repent" and form an acrostic supported by scripture. Beginning with the letter "p", just where the concordance fell open, I instead was taken by coincidence to scripture after scripture related to "hope".
And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us. Romans 5:5
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.
2 Timothy 6:17-18
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
No sooner had I finished writing down the third verse than my cell phone rang and it was someone wanting to share an answer to a prayer for which we had prayed together over a year. God had set me up! I had hoped, but had I believed?
I turned the page in the ratty ole notebook I had with me on the dock and came across something I had written weeks ago after being challenged by a friend on what keeps God from answering our prayers.
"I spent some time digging into the prayer thing for you. Because of who God is I believe he hears not only our prayers, but our thoughts as well and he certainly knows our hearts."
Jesus said to the Pharisees: You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. Luke 16:15
David said to Solomon, Acknowledge the God of your Father and serve him with whole hearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1 Ch. 28:9
He answered their prayers, because they trusted him. 1 Ch 5:20
If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will heal their land. 2 Ch. 7:14
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord accepts my prayer. Ps. 6:9
It was after this encounter that I stepped back and looked at some of my prayers and saw a theme of selfishness in them. Even the sacrificial ones for others were centered on the heart's desires of those individuals and lacked a fervency for bringing God glory. It is so easy to get caught up in the trappings of this present world and not have an eternal focus seeing Christ on his throne.
If He asks us, "Who did you tell about me?" how will we answer?
The Lord can push us where he wants us. Sitting on the dock I had come up with what I thought was a clever course for a writing on "SelfSINteredness". The plan, which may come to fruition someday, was to take the letters in "repent" and form an acrostic supported by scripture. Beginning with the letter "p", just where the concordance fell open, I instead was taken by coincidence to scripture after scripture related to "hope".
And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom he has given us. Romans 5:5
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.
2 Timothy 6:17-18
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23
No sooner had I finished writing down the third verse than my cell phone rang and it was someone wanting to share an answer to a prayer for which we had prayed together over a year. God had set me up! I had hoped, but had I believed?
I turned the page in the ratty ole notebook I had with me on the dock and came across something I had written weeks ago after being challenged by a friend on what keeps God from answering our prayers.
"I spent some time digging into the prayer thing for you. Because of who God is I believe he hears not only our prayers, but our thoughts as well and he certainly knows our hearts."
Jesus said to the Pharisees: You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. Luke 16:15
David said to Solomon, Acknowledge the God of your Father and serve him with whole hearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1 Ch. 28:9
He answered their prayers, because they trusted him. 1 Ch 5:20
If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will heal their land. 2 Ch. 7:14
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord accepts my prayer. Ps. 6:9
It was after this encounter that I stepped back and looked at some of my prayers and saw a theme of selfishness in them. Even the sacrificial ones for others were centered on the heart's desires of those individuals and lacked a fervency for bringing God glory. It is so easy to get caught up in the trappings of this present world and not have an eternal focus seeing Christ on his throne.
If He asks us, "Who did you tell about me?" how will we answer?
