God In A Box?

“The apostles and brothers throughout Judea soon heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him and said, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them.” – Acts 11:1-3

These early disciples thought they had everything figured out and understood God’s plans. Then they heard that Peter had eaten unclean food with Gentiles. In fact, they “took issue” with him. The Greek word here suggests that they opposed and separated themselves from him.

They felt the rules were clear and could not understand why he had even spoken to Gentiles. How could Peter have declared “the word of God” to them?

All Peter could do was tell them that he heard God clearly telling him, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (v. 9). Forced to re-think his traditions, he asked himself how he could “stand in God’s way” (v. 17).

Peter felt compelled to cooperate with God. The other disciples agreed that they, too, needed to put aside their prejudices and be open to this new understanding.

Is it possible for us to be like those first-century apostles, convinced that we know everything? Have we put God in a box, placing our own limits on what we think He can do? Are we creating our own narrow interpretations of His Word? Are we standing in His way?

Today, make sure that you have not put God in a box. Seek to stay open to the leading of the Spirit. As He leads, let Him challenge your stereotypes and preconceived ideas. Open your heart. Listen. Be ready to change as He directs.

Don't Doubt

Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So, He will give you wisdom. But when you ask God, you must believe. Don’t doubt Him. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is blown up and down by the wind. - James 1:5-6

Have you been asked for advice and, as you were sharing your thoughts, wondered why this person came to you in the first place? They don’t seem to want to know. They’re not even listening.

One of my sons, now in his thirties, came to me recently for some advice on a difficult issue that he was dealing with. First off, as a Mom I felt incredibly privileged that he would even ask me. And secondly, of course I shared some wisdom with him. What a joy.

Which, I strongly suspect, is what it must be like for God when we ask Him for His wisdom.

Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So, He will give you wisdom. But when you ask God, you must believe. Don’t doubt Him. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is blown up and down by the wind.

We always look at the first part of this scripture. But now, let’s think about that second bit. Do you imagine, when my son came to me, that he ever doubted (even for a second) that I would give him my best advice? Of course not!

So why is it that when we’re hard pressed and we go to God and pray, “Lord, help me with this. What am I not seeing? How do I get through this?” … we doubt Him. We wonder whether He’s even there, let alone listening.

This is what happened to Peter, when He received the instructions to “Come”. He doubted and took His eyes off of Jesus and onto the winds and waves…and he began to sink.

Look, when you ask God for wisdom, just believe. Don’t doubt. If you doubt, you’ll be like a wave in the sea that’s blown to and fro by the wind.

Know The Source

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations. - Jeremiah 1:5

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God made you for a purpose. When you don’t know why something is made, you can easily abuse it. Don’t ask the creation what its purpose is; ask its Creator.

Some of you may be thinking, You don’t know where I came from, the things I’ve done. You don’t know my parents. I came from an illegitimate background. That doesn’t matter to God. Here’s what you need to understand: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you” (Jeremiah 1:5). You don’t come from a background. You don’t come from your parents. You may have come through them, but you didn’t come from them. You come from God. Your assignment can’t be messed up by your circumstances.

Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” When you were created, God encoded you for an assignment, and He gave you the power to get it done. The enemy’s job is to pull us out of that divine assignment, out of the will of God.

The good news is that God has the “inside information” on our lives. First John 2:20 says, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” Do you have questions in your mind? Do you wonder whom you should marry? Do you wonder what you should do with your life? Do you wonder if you should make that investment? “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.”

This means that you can know things you were never educated for. You can tap into a resource, an information source called the Holy Spirit, and you can know things that are beyond your natural education or ability to know. The Holy Spirit is smarter than any human being on earth, and through Him, you can “know all things.”

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the marvelous assurance that through Your Holy Spirit, I can “know all things”! Help me not to take this gift for granted. Help me to cultivate it through an active relationship with You and a desire to serve You in all that I do. In Your precious and holy Name, I pray, amen.