In our messed up world, we sometimes forget that God is sovereignly in control of all things. Satan, though ruler of this world, is still ultimately limited by God's will. This awesome quote from a book I'm reading gave me great hope in the power of our God over the darkness:
When God gave Satan permission to test His servant Job, He set the limit beyond which Satan could not go. At Calvary, he became a defeated foe, for when Jesus cries, "It is finished," He implied a complete victory over the unseen rulers of the darkness of this world.
- Herbert Lockyer
Love Them Again
I will plant [my people] for myself in the land;The entire book of Hosea hits me like a truck every time I read it. Hosea's wife betrayed him over and over, but God instructed him to "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods."(Hosea 3:1)
I will show my love to the one I called "Not my loved one."
I will say to those called "Not my people," "You are my people";
and they will say, "You are my God."
-Hosea 2:23
I'm so grateful the Lord is patient with me. When every ounce of logic says He should throw me away and disown me, He loves me again and again and again.
On Our Side
I had a few Skype meetings today with some awesome people. One of them was with a good friend who is always incredibly encouraging. After talking about some struggles for a while, she reminded me of the words of a song she wrote a few years ago: God is "on our side".
We talked about how God cares about our struggles and actively fights on our behalf. He stops at nothing to win victory for us and to help us through anything that is dragging us down. He offered up His own Son to be brutally beaten so that our own wounds could be healed. We don't need to battle our demons alone, because God is with us. If God is for us, who can be against us? The Creator of the universe who mightily controls all things, that God is standing in our corner cheering us on and picking us up when we fall.
We are never too broken, too sinful, or too lost that God will not sit down with us and love us.
We talked about how God cares about our struggles and actively fights on our behalf. He stops at nothing to win victory for us and to help us through anything that is dragging us down. He offered up His own Son to be brutally beaten so that our own wounds could be healed. We don't need to battle our demons alone, because God is with us. If God is for us, who can be against us? The Creator of the universe who mightily controls all things, that God is standing in our corner cheering us on and picking us up when we fall.
We are never too broken, too sinful, or too lost that God will not sit down with us and love us.
Holy Discontent
A little while ago I wrote a little review for a booked called "The Me I Want to Be". I just finished another book, so I thought I'd say a few things about it.
The book is "Holy Discontent" by Bill Hybels. I figured a book by Hybels must be good, because I've heard him speak several times and his messages are always incredible. However, this book seemed like kind of a dud to me.
I don't mean that nothing in the book was relevant or true—because it all made a lot of sense. I just found that each chapter tended to repeat what the last one said.
In the book, Hybels lays out his theory, which he calls holy discontent. Basically, God has wired us all to be "discontent" with some issue in the world; poverty, the spiritually lost, the AIDS crisis, etc. Hybels suggest that instead of accepting the world for the way it is, we should embrace our holy discontent and allow it to fuel us as we change the world in one small way. This is a great idea which Hybels supports with solid scripture in the first chapter.
Unfortunately, that's pretty much all you need to read. Very little new information or expansion on the idea is presented in the rest of the book. It's still an interesting read, as Hybels shares stories of people he knows who have embraced their holy discontent to make an impact on the world. He even gives some examples from his own life about how his holy discontent over lukewarm churches drove him to build Willowcreek, which as you probably know is one of the most influential and thriving churches in the world today.
This book is definitely not a bad one by any means; it's very well-written and has some good inspiring stories in it. I got really excited over the first chapter but was disappointed to discover that the remainder of the book was basically just a series of rewordings.
However, if you're a person who doesn't quite have your own "holy discontent" quite figured out yet, this book could definitely help. There are tons of inspiring stories that might just trigger something in your heart and show you what God might be calling you to do with your life.
A "ministry leader" guide is also available for the book, which I haven't had a chance to read. If anyone's checked that out, please post a comment letting me know how it is.
The book is "Holy Discontent" by Bill Hybels. I figured a book by Hybels must be good, because I've heard him speak several times and his messages are always incredible. However, this book seemed like kind of a dud to me.
I don't mean that nothing in the book was relevant or true—because it all made a lot of sense. I just found that each chapter tended to repeat what the last one said.
In the book, Hybels lays out his theory, which he calls holy discontent. Basically, God has wired us all to be "discontent" with some issue in the world; poverty, the spiritually lost, the AIDS crisis, etc. Hybels suggest that instead of accepting the world for the way it is, we should embrace our holy discontent and allow it to fuel us as we change the world in one small way. This is a great idea which Hybels supports with solid scripture in the first chapter.
Unfortunately, that's pretty much all you need to read. Very little new information or expansion on the idea is presented in the rest of the book. It's still an interesting read, as Hybels shares stories of people he knows who have embraced their holy discontent to make an impact on the world. He even gives some examples from his own life about how his holy discontent over lukewarm churches drove him to build Willowcreek, which as you probably know is one of the most influential and thriving churches in the world today.
This book is definitely not a bad one by any means; it's very well-written and has some good inspiring stories in it. I got really excited over the first chapter but was disappointed to discover that the remainder of the book was basically just a series of rewordings.
However, if you're a person who doesn't quite have your own "holy discontent" quite figured out yet, this book could definitely help. There are tons of inspiring stories that might just trigger something in your heart and show you what God might be calling you to do with your life.
A "ministry leader" guide is also available for the book, which I haven't had a chance to read. If anyone's checked that out, please post a comment letting me know how it is.
 | Holy Discontent: Fueling the Fire That Ignites Personal Vision By Bill Hybels |
 | Living and Leading from Your Holy Discontent: A Companion Guide for Ministry Leaders By Bill Hybels & Ashley Wiersma |
Do Not Let Me Stray
Psalm 119 is hands down my favorite psalm. I could probably talk for an hour about each verse in that psalm. Don't worry, I won't.
But I will talk about verse 10, because it reveals such a powerful truth about how our good intentions cannot compensate for our weak sinfulness.
The first part of the verse sounds like one of those passionate declarations that people make during the worship time of a church service. It's easy to love God and desire Him during times like that: you're surrounded by brothers and sisters, God's Spirit is dancing around the room enjoying the songs about Him, and the enemy is far away cowering from the power of God. In that safe Spirit-filled environment, untwisted by sin, our souls can freely make a declaration like "I seek you with all my heart", because deep down I believe there's nothing humans desire more. It's a great thing to desire and I think most people really intend to pursue it, at least in that moment.
The problem is with the rest of the week. The other six days when we're out in the spiritual battlefield and we might not be as aware of God's presence. This is when we become painfully aware of our own weakness and our inability to seek God under our own strength. Like the other half of verse 10 says, our souls scream out to God, "Do not let me stray from your commands".
Will power cannot enable us to follow God's commands. We are sinful people, living in a sinful world, surrounded by sinful influences, and being constantly lied to by a sinful spirit. We don't stand a chance on our own. Instead of using futile effort to will ourselves to be godly, we need to confess our own weakness and rely on God. Beg Him daily, if not moment-by-moment, "do not let me stray from your commands."
God loves the humble and strengthens the weak. God didn't give us weak will-power so that we would be discouraged when we fail. Our will-power is weak to keep us safe from ourselves—to prevent us from relying on our own strength, from trusting in our own opinions, and from hoping in our own ability. When we come to admit that our strength apart from God is flimsy, our opinions apart from God are tainted, and our ability apart from God is lacking, God will fill us with the power that only His Spirit can provide. He designed it this way so we'll realize we cannot be apart from God, but need Him desperately in order to live a life pleasing to Him. It is faith, not disciplined will-power, that will put a smile on God's face.
But I will talk about verse 10, because it reveals such a powerful truth about how our good intentions cannot compensate for our weak sinfulness.
I seek you with all my heart; Do not let me stray from your commands. - Psalm 119:10
The first part of the verse sounds like one of those passionate declarations that people make during the worship time of a church service. It's easy to love God and desire Him during times like that: you're surrounded by brothers and sisters, God's Spirit is dancing around the room enjoying the songs about Him, and the enemy is far away cowering from the power of God. In that safe Spirit-filled environment, untwisted by sin, our souls can freely make a declaration like "I seek you with all my heart", because deep down I believe there's nothing humans desire more. It's a great thing to desire and I think most people really intend to pursue it, at least in that moment.
The problem is with the rest of the week. The other six days when we're out in the spiritual battlefield and we might not be as aware of God's presence. This is when we become painfully aware of our own weakness and our inability to seek God under our own strength. Like the other half of verse 10 says, our souls scream out to God, "Do not let me stray from your commands".
Will power cannot enable us to follow God's commands. We are sinful people, living in a sinful world, surrounded by sinful influences, and being constantly lied to by a sinful spirit. We don't stand a chance on our own. Instead of using futile effort to will ourselves to be godly, we need to confess our own weakness and rely on God. Beg Him daily, if not moment-by-moment, "do not let me stray from your commands."
God loves the humble and strengthens the weak. God didn't give us weak will-power so that we would be discouraged when we fail. Our will-power is weak to keep us safe from ourselves—to prevent us from relying on our own strength, from trusting in our own opinions, and from hoping in our own ability. When we come to admit that our strength apart from God is flimsy, our opinions apart from God are tainted, and our ability apart from God is lacking, God will fill us with the power that only His Spirit can provide. He designed it this way so we'll realize we cannot be apart from God, but need Him desperately in order to live a life pleasing to Him. It is faith, not disciplined will-power, that will put a smile on God's face.
And without faith it is impossible to please God... - Hebrews 11:6
Dry Trees
...I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it- Ezekiel 17:21
In the verse above, God compares people to trees. Then He talks about humbling them; bringing down the tall trees and drying up the green tree. On the flip side, God likes to lift up the humble; making the low tree grow and the dry tree flourish.
When looking at these two options, being a green tree or a dry tree, I'd rather be the dry tree. I am the dry tree, whether I want to admit it or not. I'll embrace my weaknesses and bring them to God, because through humility, God will make people flourish.
He ends the passage with a powerful declaration of His power and sovereignty: "I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it."
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