Confidence

 

How much confidence do you have IN God?

A couple of hours ago my answer to that question was different than what it is now.  let me explain...

Earlier today, I undoubtedly would have responded:  I have full confidence in God, I will do what ever He asks me to do knowing He will take care of me, and I would do it with no hesitation.

I would imagine if you have been a believer for any length of time your response would have been similar, very similar.

What made me change my mind, Genesis 22.

To fill in some blanks on what is going on in Genesis 22, it is as follows.  Abraham has waited his whole life to have a child (specifically a son).  He and Sarah are now at a very old age.  Then, God works and Sarah in her old age is able to conceive and give birth to a healthy boy that they name Isaac. You can imagine now that Abraham has that son, that he and Isaac are inseparable.  They probably hunted together, fished together, and played catch.  This was his boy, the one he had waited his entire life for. 

Then God tells Abraham:

^2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
(Ge 22:2., NIV)

From that point with no hesitation, no question, and no second guessing Abraham packs up his son and two servants and heads out.  Even though Abraham would have known that God said in Deuteronomy 12:31 and 18:9-12 that human sacrifice was detestable in the eyes of God, he still did what God told him to.

Listen to what Abraham says, and you will see his FULL confidence in his God:

^5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

^6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, ^7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

^8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.  (Ge 22:5-8., NIV)

Both times when Abraham spoke about it he had full confidence that they would BOTH be back, and that God would provide the sacrifice.  Not only that but the confidence that Abraham had in God he has passed down to Isaac.

^9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ^10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  (Ge 22:9-10., NIV).

Now I don't know about you but the moment that my dad would come at me with a crazy look in his eye, ropes to bind me, and a knife I'm going to fight him with all that I have got.  Isaac didn't.  He had full confidence in God, and in his father.

Back to the story, Abraham raises the knife and is about to bring it down...... God stops him.  Miraculously a ram appears with its horns caught in something and Abraham takes the ram and does the sacrifice instead of his son.


^12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”  (Ge 22:12., NIV)

That was the point, Abraham held nothing back.  He had full faith and full confidence in God.

Here is where I have trouble.  I love God.  There is no doubt that I do.

I have four daughters.  I love them.

I cannot answer positively that if God asked me to do what Abraham did that I would.

I would like to think I would, but I would be lying to myself.

So the answer is clear:  I don't have full confidence in God; at least not compared to Abraham.

Just something to think about, have a great day.... Chris

Regret

Regret: an expression of distressing emotion (as sorrow or disappointment) (Webster's)

 

I saw a tattoo the other day and have heard it said many times "live life with no regrets".  I couldn't help but wonder "is that even possible"?

 

I have regrets, if your honest you do as well.

 

Today's blog is not about my regrets, or yours for that matter.

 

Yesterday I was reading Genesis and I read something that really intrigued (or better yet scared me when I thought about it).

 

^5 The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. ^6 The Lord was grieved (regretted) that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. (Ge 6:5-6., NIV)

 

Let me give you a scenario here, in Genesis 1:31 when God created man it says: "God saw all that he had made (man) and it was very good.  Did you catch that, yeah God made man and said not just that it was good, but very good. Then In Genesis 6, it says He was grieved (or regretted) that He had made man.  That stopped me in my tracks, how does man go from "very good" to "regret making".

 

Here is my thought process:

 

Man is created in the image of God, his heart leads him astray, and God regretted making man.  I am created in the image of God, my heart leads me astray, and God........, I don't want to type the rest.  It hurts to think about, but yet I'm left wondering:  Does God regret making me?  Has He ever?

 

Does God regret what He called me to do?  Does God regret giving me the life He has?  Does God regret giving me a second chance at life?

 

Now granite I understand that man had gone haywire in Noah's days, even to the point that there was constant thoughts of evil in their hearts.  God found some goodness in Noah, so He saved him and his family (plus the animals).

 

yet I'm left wondering again:  does He find some goodness in me like He did Noah?

 

God regretted making man AND he had His heart was filled with pain.

 

Pain.  intense emotional distress.

 

here I go wondering again:  Do I cause Him pain?

 

I know the answer, I know I have.

 

There is a flip side meaning to the word used for "regret", it also means to "have pity on" or to have "compassion".

 

That is the silver lining, God has pity on me.  He knows my shortfalls and yet He has pity on me and loves me anyway.

 

God may I live my life so that You have no regrets....

 

Chris

 

 

What to do when you don't know what to do

Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads or possibly an impasse.  Maybe to a point where you feel numb and really unsure of yourself.  Maybe even finding yourself at an intersection of heart, head, emotion, and God; to which none of them agree.  You find yourself standing there thinking to yourself:
what do I do, what do I do, WHAT DO I DO??????

Crossroads are never easy.  Every road seems the one to take, until you think about it...

road of the heart:  ^9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. (Je 17:9.)


road of the head: ^26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.  (Pr 28:26.)


road of emotions: ^17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. (Ga.5:17.)


road of God: ^5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ^6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Pr 3:5-6.)
Here is the hardest part:  we want to follow our heart, we want to follow our head, and we want to follow our emotions.  "Lean not on your own understanding".  I have found that I know what this means.  When you think about this you are not really going to like it (because I didn't).  Don't trust yourself, or your judgment.  I know right, it sounds harsh.  However, seriously think about it.  If you are honest with yourself you will derive at the same decision.  If you think about any decision you made with only your heart, only your head, or only based upon emotion it was not a very good one.

Don't trust yourself.

I don't trust myself.

So if you can't trust yourself, who can or who do you trust:

^5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ^6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Pr 3:5-6.)
 
Trust is a hard thing, especially if you have trust issues like I do.  I envision trust this way:  it's like wearing a blindfold and allowing someone else to lead you.  You and I don't know the future, we don't know what is around the corner, the next day, the next month, or the next year.  God does.

^5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ^6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Pr 3:5-6.)
live for Him.  You are a walking billboard for Jesus Christ.  Need I say more?

^5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ^6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Pr 3:5-6.)
Trust Him, Live for Him, and then we learn that He will make the decision in the crossroads easier.  Now notice I didn't say actually taking the road would be easy, I said the decision to do so would be.  The next part is up to me, and up to you.  God made us people who choose our own way.  You can still choose to take the wrong road.  You can still choose to follow your heart, your head, or your emotion; however, don't blame God or others for your misery that will follow.  When you take the path God wants you to take I promise it won't be easy, but I also promise that God will never leave your side.  I find comfort in that.

So if you are reading this and find yourself at that crossroad of decision.... don't trust yourself, trust the Higher Authority...... God.

Have great weekend!