You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will. - John 13:7 NIV
Mary and Martha were upset that Jesus didn't come until their brother Lazarus was dead. "Lord...if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (Jn 11:21 & 32 NIV). But instead of giving them reasons, Jesus replied, "Did I not tell you...if you believed, you would see [God glorified in this?]" (Jn 11:40 NIV). When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac he didn't understand, but later he witnessed God's faithfulness when Isaac was restored to him. Moses didn't understand why he had to spend 40 years in the wilderness, but later when God called him to lead Israel to freedom, he got it. Joseph didn't know why his brothers mistreated him or why he was imprisoned unfairly, but later he saw God's hand in everything. His father questioned why Joseph had been taken away from him, but later, looking into the face of the man who had been made governor and who'd saved the lives of the nation, God's purposes became clear.
Just like your children don't always think your decisions make sense, we don't understand God's ways. That's why Jesus said to Mary and Martha, "You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will" (Jn 13:7 NIV). God doesn't expect you to understand, but He does expect you to trust Him. In spite of his boils, bankruptcy and bereavement Job said: "When He has tested me, I will come forth" (Job 23:10 NIV).
Is God testing you? If He is, what are you learning? Is the experience making you bitter, or making you better by causing you to draw closer to Him?
Joshua ordered the officers of the people. - Joshua 1:10 NIV
Before Israel entered the Promised Land God gave two important instructions to their leaders:
(1) "Cross over ahead of your brothers" (Jos 1:14 NIV). If God has called you to lead, step up to the plate and swing the bat. Believe in yourself and your mission! Accomplishment is more than just working harder and smarter; it's about believing the right thing.
Someone called it the 'sure enough' syndrome. If you expect to fail, sure enough you will. If you expect to succeed, sure enough you will. Personal breakthroughs begin with a change in your beliefs. What you believe deep down determines what you expect, and what you expect determines how you will act. In the long run, a belief is more than just an idea you possess, it's an idea that possesses you!
(2) "Be strong and courageous" (Jos 1:6 NIV). Your life will expand or shrink in proportion to the measure of courage you display. If you're willing to take risks you'll go further than those who timidly follow the safe and predictable path.
Orison Swett Marden writes: "The moment you resolve to take hold of life with all your might and make the most of yourself at any cost, to sacrifice all lesser ambitions to your one great aim, to cut loose from everything that interferes with that aim, to stand alone, firm in your purpose whatever happens, you set in motion the forces implanted within you for your own development. Live up to your resolve, work at what God meant you to work at for the perfecting of His plan, and you will be invincible. No power on earth can hold you back from success."
Joshua ordered the officers of the people. - Joshua 1:10 NIV
God said to Israel's leaders when entering the Promised Land: "Help your brothers" (Jos 1:14 NIV). "How long do I have to keep investing in this person?" you ask. Want a Bible answer? "Until they too have taken possession of the land that...God is giving them" (Jos 1:15 NIV). It's not an occasional act of assistance; it's a lifestyle of serving.
At the end of every day we should each ask ourselves, "Did I do a good job today? Was I an asset and not just an expense?" Author Richard L. Evans remarked, "It's priceless to find a person who will take responsibility, who will finish and follow through to the final detail - to know when someone has accepted an assignment that it will be effectively, conscientiously completed." And Paul raises the bar for followers of Christ! "Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus" (Col 3:17 NLT).
People who take advantage of others inevitably fail. Dr. John Maxwell writes, "If you desire to succeed, live by these four simple words: add value to others. That philosophy will take you far. All talented people have a choice to make: to do their own thing and get all the credit, or do the team thing and share it. My observation is that not only do talented people accomplish more when working with others, but they are also more fulfilled than those who go it alone."
So here's the deal: you are only qualified to enjoy the privileges and benefits of leadership when you're willing to (a) go first and (b) put others first. God says: "After that, you may go back and occupy your own land" (Jos 1:15 NIV).
Thank you, Tonto, for the above message. It makes a lot of sense, when you meditate about it, even concerning our present leaders. I wish they ever read the Bible. But do they? Wapi!!!
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Walking By Faith
We walk by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7
After refusing to worship idols, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown in a fiery furnace. Sounds pretty hopeless, eh? Not for the God Who specialises in doing the impossible; Who isn't known for 'business as usual'. When men do something spectacular we can detect human logic behind it. But as one author writes, "God doesn't build skyscrapers; men [do]...and they have the touch of human genius. But you can't find a man who can make a star. And when God steps in, [it's] like the difference between a skyscraper and a star."
God honoured the Hebrew children's faith by bringing them safely out of the fire. The king himself declared, "Blessed be...God... who...delivered His servants who...trust in Him...there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way" [Da 3:28-29 NASB].
Many people who appear to be carefree, have anxieties only God understands: money problems, employment issues, health challenges and marital concerns. So God says, "Transfer all your anxieties to me" (See 1 Pe 5:7). When you walk by faith you get answers to prayer that challenge human reasoning. And looking back you realise you couldn't have come up with a better solution yourself.
Poet Patrick Overton said, "When you come to the edge of all the light you have and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on, or you'll be taught to fly."
Remember, "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Co 5:7). And just when you think you've learned how to do that, you'll face a situation that requires you to learn it all over again!
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