Everyone wants victory in evey endeavor. Success is the objective of everything we do. Sarisfaction is brought by the success that we achieve. Every contestant wishes to get the first place of victory. Well, that is just fine but it is not fine to keep maneuvering on our own without asking the blessing and direction from the One who holds the result of the contest.
Remembering the victory of David when he fought with Goliath and his succeeding fights including the one with King Saul. David actually used to ask God first before making his first move and any other moves. The Philistines were attacking. David wanted to know how to respond. He confidently inquired God on how he would get victory in fighting against the Philistines. David followed God’s instruction and gained victory. He acknowledged that God knows best and everything that would make him win the battle. In every attack made by the enemies, David would inquire God about what he would do next.
So he just kept on asking and in this way, he was bringing Gos’ presence in his battle. “So David inquired of God again, and God answered him, ‘Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees’ ” (1 Chron. 14:14)
David was a well-trained warrior and an excellent strategist. Yet, we find that David’s dependence on God to direct his efforts was very great. This is the most important lesson we can learn from this story. God told David to attack, but only after he heard the marching in the balsam trees as God told him to.
How many times have you operated in the workplace based only on your skill and ability, without seeking to know the details of God’s will in the matter? David could have simply assumed that since he had won the last battle, surely God would give him victory the same way. However, David had learned that communicating with the living God is the only sure way of victory. The truth is our skill is not enough. We always need to have God’s blessing in every matter. How many times have you worked in your work life the same way each time only because it was the way we did it last time? What if God has a better way? What if God has a different plan than ours? “So David inquired of God…” These are the important words that we are to learn from. We must be constantly inquiring of His mind on every decision we make and action we take. When we do this, we can expect the same results that David achieved-success in our endeavor and recognition by God.
The sure way to victory is constant communication with God and obeying His instruction. Practically, victory is the reward of obedience to God. He wants to make victorious those servants who are willing to obey Him at all costs.
One of my favorite books in the Bible is the Book of Proverbs. It gives me wisdom that I can practically apply in my every day life. The knowledge to distinguish the right and wrong, the good and evil, the reward of obedience and the purpose of tests and the reward to receive after passing the tests.
Take for example the word from Proverbs 17:3 which goes this way,
“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart. “- a proverb that describes one of God’s strangest mysteries. It tells about God’s formula refining one’s heart which is purposedly done in order to bring out its finest qualities. This significant truth leads me to think that I have to experience the so-called crucible and fire to bring out the best of me for God’s glory. The dross in my heart needs to be removed and it can only be removed through a process.
Only God understands the human heart. He knows when do will the seasons of fire must come our way. We simply need to really pass through the fire in order to become all that He hopes for us. Let us take into account the life of Joseph who went through a number of tests. Succeeding in the test qualified him for greater responsibility. His responsibilities which had been tested through a lot of fire had made him very significant character in the Kingdom of God. The greater the use for God’s purpose the greater the crucible we need to have in order to prepare the right foundation. In my life, I have observed that many of God’s greatest crucibles are actually found in my workplace where I live every day: a harsh co-employee, an annoying client, and a bossy boss. I had been in the corporate world for eleven years and I really had a lot of crucibles which had developed my character and personality. Every season of fire had given me lessons that are worth-counting for. Every crucible had contributed to my emotional, intellectual, attitudinal and spiritual growth.
I have learned that each is a test from God to find out how I will respond. Everything still has something to do for the fulfillment of His purpose in my life.
How about you? What tests are being brought your way today? Take courage for His grace has been provided that we might pass the tests. Should we fail, we need not fear. we can ask for His sufficient grace as well. Just keep asking God for grace in order to walk with Him in whatever tests you may face today. Keep in your mind that He is more than able to accomplish what He wants for you.
There are times that I I felt that the more obedient I am to following God, the more adversity there is around my life. A lot of questions entered into my mind and at times, I saw myself losing faith. Things seemed to flow not the way I wanted to see them flow. I wanted to do all my tasks just as perfectly as I am expected to. But my body is not that strong enough to do so. I wanted to help but unable to. Those things and other more that I really would be doing if only I could but only God can. There are prayers that are unanswered until now. I am also taking part in the ministry of God. I do tithe and give gifts. There are many things I am doing and being which I know are in line in the will of God. However, my life still seemed to be not that successful in every aspect. Spiritual life is not that well nourished. Marital relationship is not really that sweetly unique, career is just in average, parenting is not really that ideal. That is just to name some vital parts of my life where I need to work on and out.
God spoke to me on matters of obedience to His will. My thought is so far from His. I may be thinking that I am already obeying Him but I am not, at His sight. I might be following Him in some area but in other things, I do fail to obey. I recall the story of Moses and the Israelites.
Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all. - Exodus 5:23
Moses had been instructed to go to Pharaoh and tell him to release the people of Israel. God said that He would deliver the people through Moses. However, God did not tell Moses at what point they actually would be freed. Then Moses complained to God and the Lord told Moses that He had to harden Pharaoh’s heart in order to perform greater miracles. Yes, God was actually behind hardening Pharaoh’s heart. The king’s heart is in God’s hand. Now I had learned that God had a specific reason for each plague and each delay in the answer of my prayers. God has a reason for everything He does in my life.. in all aspects. Everything was designed to bring greater glory to God and intended to be a lasting legacy of God’s miracle-working power for generations to come, not only for the present one.
Moving on with the story of Moses where the people were freed but God again hardened Pharaoh’s heart to go after them. This action of God to harden Pharaoh’s heart was to set the stage for an even greater miracle — the parting of the Red Sea. The people were angry with Moses for bringing them to the desert “to die.” But God said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on” (Ex. 14:15b). There was only one place to go by this time — the Red Sea. God parted the Red Sea, and another greater miracle took place. Awesome God!
Just like Moses, I have learned a number of lessons. When obeying God seems foolish and too hard, then I will just remember that His promises are true, but His timing is not the same as ours. God always wants greater glory than what we might be willing to give Him. God puts obstacles and adversity into our lives in order to build perseverance and faith. I should not worry when God put a mountain in my life. If it is to demonstrate His power through me, then I let God to just move. I let go of anything that brings trouble in my mind and heart in order to show His glory. I will simply obey even when obedience to God seems too hard.
Just keep moving! It is a very motivating sentence that will definitely cause our feet to rise, move and go. When life beats down on me and I get to the place where I really want to hide in a cave of safety, I observe that God usually places people around me who could surely prod me into moving in the right direction. I have learned tha God never wants me to remain in the place of despair and discouragement and He never please to see me keep myself in the stonghold of safety.
I remember what God had said to David when he was trying to flee from Saul.
“Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah”… - 1 Samuel 22:5 . In the story,
David and his company tried to hide in the cave of Adullam. David was content to stay in the safe cave. Then, God’s prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold of a safe cave and go into the land of Judah. There we are, God wants us to move into the land of Judah which means “praise. He wanted us to move from the land of discouragement to the land of “praise”.
All through my life from childhood until now that I am already a growing adult I used to go through a very difficult time. I seemed to drag on and on with no change until finally I wanted to retreat to a cave and forget to press on. It was a great time of discouragement. Then gentle voice told me “You must keep moving! There are too many around you who are looking at you and they felt being inspired of the joy and strength that exude out of you.” I didn’t totally understand what the voice was actually telling me at the time.
Eventually, I had realized that God intends to prepare each of us to be the vessel He wants to use in the life of another person, but we will never be that kind of vessel if we give up and hide in our cave of discouragement. God does not only require us to keep moving but we must move into a new realm. We must have the attitude that will make us move from discouragement to praise. We will surely begin living above our problems when we are able to move past discouragement to praise. Make a decision today to go into the land of Judah. Praise the Lord and just keep moving.
Can you believe the belief of the people who had been successful because of failures? You may hear them say that failing is not actually a failure per se but it does mean success. They will persuasively recommends that you just keep going with your business even when you are already at the brink of bankruptcy. Keep venturing because failing is just a normanl thing in every aspirant. Well, I myself join them with this advocate. A passage in the Bible will support this matter:
All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader…. - 1 Samuel 22:2
Many times I have heard teachings that will tell us that God uses broken things to accomplish His greatest work not only in a single person’s life but in many people’s lives. If we know the story of David, we will believe this news. When David was anointed to be the next king, he was only a boy, the youngest among all his brothers who could only do little things. Little did he know that the next several years would be years of fleeing from Saul. King Saul was then having an obsessions as a leader who had fallen from God’s anointing. The King’s obsession had caused anger towards David which had made the latter to live like a fugitive. David was the next king and he could be thinking that he must not flee from Saul. Yet, David’s life was filled with adversity after adversity before he ever fulfilled the ultimate calling God had for him- to be the next king of Israel. Others began to hear of David’s successes and identify with his plight. Who you think would be joining him? Surprisingly, it was “those who were in distress or in debt or discontented” who would be part of his army! His army would become known throughout the world as the greatest ever assembled, not because of their skill, but because of the God behind the army. God turned David’s men into “mighty men of valor” (see 1 Chron. 11:10). What an irony! The discontented had been turned into being a mighty men of valor!
We must learn that God often uses failure to make us useful. When Jesus called the disciples, He did not go out and find the most qualified and successful people. He actually had found the most willing, and He found them in the workplace. He found a fisherman, a tax collector, and a farmer.
Failure is definitely a part of maturing in God. We need to understand that failing does not make us failures. It makes us experienced. It makes us more prepared to be useful in God’s Kingdom — if we have learned from it. And that is the most important ingredient for what God wants in His children. What a great iropny?! Failure will eventually lead us to success.
A couple of months before December, everyone was already excited looking forward for christmas vacation, gifts and parties. Almost everyone around was preoccupied with christmas ideas such as to whom would they spend the holidays, what gift items should they picked for their loved ones and hmmmm… where should they get away for christmas vacation.
I had missed writing about christmas ideas before reaching the month of December. Does it mean that I was not that occupied about anything on christmas. Yuletide season is very precious to me ever since I had learned that the best thing in Christmas is that we have Jesus Christ, the main reason of the season. I used to have my list of people whom I wanted to give gifts in advance so that I would not get into rush and hush. I used to have an early plan where and how should I spend it.
The 2011 Christmas season was a very different occasion to me. I had a very unique trip last christmas. I had wearied myself and I did not have enough sleep. I had a day-off from work but not from my household chore and babysitting. Yes, I had a terribly unique way of spending my christmas last 2011. Sleep on the Christmas Eve..Whisper a prayer to the One who had brought the world this kind of season. Reminisce my christmas parties on the previous years.
What matters most is that I still had remembered my God and the very Reason of Christmas. I still had spent it with Him as I had some moment of reflection on His goodness and faithfulness. Lastly, my faith is still alive. That still makes sense.
How about you? How did you spend your Christmas? Did you really enjoy everything you did on the said holidays? There are still more christmas seasons to come. The time can still make it up with me on the next christmas. I mean, I do not want to exactly experience same thing next time. Of course, I want a better, happier, sweeter, healthier and more gracious christmas next time.
Have you tried living in the dessert? This might be a question that you do not want to give an outright answer. It may seem that you are actually experiencing a life in the dessert but you could not accept that fact. So, You would rather not answer it. You want to deny but deep inside you feel that you are really in the dessert. Sometimes, thinking that you are in such situation will pose a query about your faith in God. So, you may answer an indefinite reply.
Well, It is not abnormal to pass through the dessert. In reality, we really cannot avoid going through such path because we are not that absolutely obedient to what the Designer of Life is asking us to do in every step of the way. I, myself, have been in the dessert for a year now.
I might even describe myself as roaming around the dessert aimlessly. In such place, I find my dreams are dead and the seems to be nothing left in the world to live for. Everything seems to be against me. Note: Not everyone seems against me. All my resources seem to dry up. At first, I felt that I was physically weak. Such physical feebleness gradually weakens everything within me including my soul. My mind? Almost, I lost sanity. Yes, peace of mind had almost gone. I kept asking the Lord of the things I made that had wronged Him and displeased Him in the past. I even protested to the Lord: “I had sacrificially obeyed you and followed you in the aspect of emotion( a part of a person that is so hard to trade in with faith). How come that you allowed me to be in this place?
Life in the dessert seemed to be lifeless. The good news is that God will not allow me to stay in the dessert for life. The good thing that happens with me while in the dessert is to learn this lesson and truth. Being in the dessert is just a season. God is not pleased to let me live there for another year or two. The Good Lord will definitely take me out of this dessert very soon. Well, I did not totally lose my sanity. I still have a sound mind considering that I still acknowledge that God is showing me something for me to get to a better place that he had pleasurably prepared. I know that in times like being in the dessert, God is doing His deepest behind-the-scenes work. During these times, God is performing a deeper work in me — a work that I cannot see with my naked eyes. In these times, I have learned that I can be willing to listen more intently and seek God in ways I would not normally do. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” I believe that God has been orchestrating something for the fulfillment of His ultimate purpose in my life.
Has God taken you into the desert? You may realize that He is forcing you to depend wholly on His provision? Pray that you will learn the lessons God desires you to learn in the desert place. I have been learning. I am sure that He will bring you out when He has accomplished all He wants to build in your life. Remember that it is a season; you will not be there forever. He understands that no one can stay in a desolate place forever.
