interpretation – INSPIRATION with an ATTITUDE

Whoa, hoss!

“Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!”

This passage encourages me to ask God for His miraculous intervention! What a God we serve! Creator of the Universe! Molder of the everything from the Rocky Mountains to the pebble I skip in the lake! Designer of the intricacies of the human body as well as an amoeba!

This dove-tails right into what Jesus said about having mustard seed-sized faith and moving those mountains and asking for “whatever you will and it shall be done”—that suits me just fine, thank you!

Then I realize this passage comes from the book of Job…which gives me pause. More like slamming on the brake…

If anyone had reason to ask for miraculous intervention, it was Job. By the time this verse shows up in the narrative, we find our ragged hero drowning in disappointment and sitting on an ash heap with pus leaking from his multiple skin sores. All of his children and most of his servants have been killed in various assaults, his wealth has been stripped from him, his wife has been less than encouraging, and now his erstwhile friends have showed up to accuse him of being guilty before God for who-knows-what.

It hasn’t been a good week.

I’m all about asking God for miracles; He knows more than anyone how badly we need them down here. However, God is more concerned with intervening in my character than with intervening in my situation. If the trial will benefit my intimacy with Him more than the miracle, He’ll choose the trial every time.

Which sounds pretty scary at first, but then God also says this in the book of Job:

“I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.
Here your proud waves must stop!’”

No matter what the circumstance, my Father is still in control. His plan for my character and my relationship with Him supersedes my immediate comfort, (and not just physical, but emotional, mental, and spiritual as well.)

Even the secular segment gets the idea that sadness has a crucial place in our proper development:

Of course, I have choices to make in how I process these difficult times—regardless of what’s happening around me, I have decisions about what is happening within me. And as a Christian, God says I have internal resources not otherwise available.

Part of that processing has to do with interpretation; that is, how I “see” my circumstances. It’s very, very tempting to fall prey to thoughts such as:

God doesn’t love me like He loves others.

“For God shows no partiality [undue favor or unfairness; with Him one man is not different from another].”

Or, God’s going to do what He wants anyway, so why bother praying?

“Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];”

Then there’s the age-old: God must not exist.

“For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].”

The bottom line is the historical reality of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ—when nothing else makes sense, that does. The splintered, bloodied pieces of wood and the splendidly empty tomb mean there’s more going on behind the scenes that I’m not privy to…yet. To think otherwise means my arrogance is peeking through, something God addressed with Job in no uncertain terms.

So where does miraculous intervention fit in to all this? Jesus’ template of “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” is a good start, but I don’t think He meant for it to be a spiritually lazy default. I like His disciples initial request: “teach us to pray.”

Which is becoming an ongoing request for me: “Holy Spirit, teach me what to pray specifically, give me grace to pray persistently in the face of disappointment, and help me to engage the power of Heaven for the building of Your kingdom in this circumstance.”

Interestingly, I suspect that’s when something quietly miraculous begins to happen…

…in me.

Job 37:14; Job 38:11 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Going my way? (Better not.)

The days of the Crooners were a bit before my time, but I still love the old movies with them as the stars. Of the best well known, Frank Sinatra probably had one of the longest careers among them. One of his (many) hit songs was “I Did It My Way”.

Now if that’s not the American motif, I don’t know what is.

Not to dis Old Blue Eyes, but really, we all have that one in us. Even the Most Beautiful Three Year Old On The Planet, (our eldest granddaughter), showcases her opinion of her opinion…regularly. Actually, the Most Fabulous Infant In The Universe, (our other granddaughter), already does the same thing….loudly.

Certainly, I see it in myself—uncomfortably so, I am quick to add. It rears its ugly head (and it can get pretty ugly) in all sorts of relationships: with my children, friends, Bob…God. Even with myself. (Think about that one for a minute—all sorts of repercussions there.)

Culturally, this attitude of “doing it my way” spills over into our theology as well. Truth is often defined by opinion, rather like one who prefers ice cream over Brussel sprouts. (After all, I know which one I would choose.) Even if I accept the Christian definition of truth, it’s still an easy trap to try and “earn” God’s acceptance by my own goodness, rather than that of Jesus alone. Which means I’m still trying to do it my way.

However, even in the Old Testament, God was setting us up for this. Here the Hebrews were (still) getting ready to head into the Promised Land. But to live there, they are told~~

“Your pattern of worship will change….you must bring everything I command you— your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, your sacred offerings, and your offerings to fulfill a vow— to the designated place of worship, the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored.”

BINGO. They couldn’t do it “their way” anymore. If they wanted to live in God’s presence, they had to do it God’s way.

New Testament interpretation: Jesus is God’s way. Period. Not crystals. Not Buddha. Not Mohammed. Not reductionism. Not capitalism.

Not even the Republican Party. (Wow. I might take some heat for that one…)

The only way to live and move and have our true being in God’s salvific presence is in Jesus alone. It’s one of the many things I so appreciate about Jesus—His directness.

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’”

This is in no way an intolerant statement, at least not anymore than in saying that “my begonias are red and not lavender” is an intolerant statement. Or the rain is wet, and not dry.

Or that Frankie-baby had unbelievably blue eyes…(swoon.)

Deuteronomy 12:8,11; John 14:6 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The “I’s” have it.

wood 2

Yes, I know it’s spelled “Aye”, as in—

“All those in favor, say Aye!” or “Aye, aye, Captain!”

Here’s a few different “I’s” that I’m using in praying for others which someone else may find helpful:

Interruption – typically, we don’t like these, at least I don’t. But like it or not, we probably will be gratefully surprised when we find out (in Eternity) how the interruptions were many times God’s fatherly disruption, preventing only He knows what in our lives or in the lives of those we influence. If I truly believe that He is in control of my time, then the renewed thinking process Paul speaks might make a little more headway (pardon the pun…)

Interception – Let’s be real. As Christians, we believe in the existence and activity of an unseen world. Not that I want to give my hellish Opponent too much credit for the stupid decisions that I am very capable of making on my own, but I must rely on God’s angelic “ministers to the saints” working on my behalf. Pastor L. calls this “proactive preventative prayers”. Prevention is something that is easily overlooked in our prayers for ourselves and others.

Interaction – Interaction, not only one-on-one with Jesus Himself, but also through His people, who patiently and persistently present the Good News through both words and actions. Lord, surround them will Your people who will “not shrink back from declaring anything profitable” to them. (And me!)

Interpretation – My dad refers to “the School of Hard Knocks”. That pretty well describes life on this side for most of the planet, and who am I to think that I or my loved ones should be exempt? The key here is how we choose to “see” our life experiences, which determines how we integrate those lessons into our lives (and how they effect the lives of others….’cause it’s not just about ME!)

Praying for all four of these is a true exercise in faith, especially when seeking these of God for our loved ones, since many of them are not things we can necessarily evaluate in others…until later. Nevertheless, Truth, like water, has a way of finding the cracks in someone’s life and seeping in quietly and unannounced. Because He promises that:

It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

And…

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!”

Which means, the “Ayes” have it!

Isaiah 55:11; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 5:16 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.