Like so many others in the United States, my wife and I are self-employed. All our income streams ground pretty much to a halt, when travel and markets were thrown into disarray during the pandemic. In natural terms the future appeared very uncertain.
In the middle of the pandemic lock-down however, God provided us with a house to lease out on behalf of a client. The very next day a person advised that they would like to buy the house, instead of lease, which was great news. The sale was executed within normal time scales. Payment for the work completed to execute the sale came in some time later, but at just the right time as our business revenue slumped. You might think that was great random luck. It was not – the Father left His “business card” behind. God knew what was heading our way and provided house number xxx7 and payment check number xxx7 to provide what we needed. More importantly it gave us the confidence to also encourage others, that God is working even in the turmoil and to put our trust in Him.
Many years ago I asked God to guide me, a logical and analytically minded person, through the number 7, His number. God speaks in various ways but He has often accommodated my request over the years. The desire to involve God in our everyday lives put my wife and I on a road that lead to taking life risks and moving into a new level of dependence on God. Through trying times the Father has shown himself to be faithful.
The 27th of September 2020 will be 7 years since we decided to make a major life change that would disconnect me from a corporate job with a steady salary. This month also hosts my father’s 77th birthday, my mother’s 77th birthday and marks 37 years since my mother was taken to hospital by ambulance from our home to undergo a serious operation. My mother’s birthday each year has additional meaning; she was released from hospital on her birthday and afforded the grace of time to raise her children to adulthood. For me this September is the month of seven, sevens.
Seven years ago a stranger walked up to me at a gas station and told me to do what God instructed me to do. Now in the final month I have discovered this alignment which only God knew would happen seven years later.
Why would God arrange such an alignment of 7’s for me? Because God knows every detail of our lives and wishes to be consulted and respected in our everyday goings on. God makes himself available/known to direct our steps as required (if we search Him out). Everything good in our lives comes from God. This does not mean that God continuously holds our hands, but he nudges us in the right direction, provides opportunities, asks us to step out in faith (often), opens doors, shuts doors and enables miracles and divine appointments (also for people getting on with normal lives). Everyday offers opportunities to honor God, without having to embark on a formal mission’s trip.
Again standing in amazement at God’s intricate knowledge of my life, motivated me to review what I have learned/experienced over the past seven years. I will focus only on a few matters which I think is currently of great importance.
Actions matter:
I am an imperfect man with many faults, but I refuse to condone that which God calls sin and His Son payed the penalty of death for to set me free. There is a big difference between failure or succumbing to temptation in the pursuit of living a life pleasing to God and willfully rejecting God’s principles in the pursuit of sin. Willfully embracing and promoting a life of sin is rebellion against God.
We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and desperately need a savior from the severe eternal consequence of separation from a Holy God. The son of God, Jesus Christ gave up His life to set free all who call on Him. Salvation however is not only an emotional experience, it requires repentance. Repentance demands us to stop and turn away from doing the things that required Jesus to be nailed to the cross for.
The Holy Spirit is available to help believers to live a life that continuously progress in overcoming temptation and minimizing failure in terms of God’s principles without fearing condemnation. God recognizes a heart that is committed to pursue a life pleasing to God; a heart that is quick to repent whenever we stumble and that is determined to grow closer to God every day.
A heart that accepts God’s grace of salvation but makes no effort to honor the sacrifice that was made on the cross or instead promotes the exact opposite of God’s principles is deeply deceived. A true understanding of the value of God’s grace is reflected in loving God through keeping His fundamental commandments which reflects true love.
God has never given me a pass on parts of my life that were not pleasing to Him. He did however provide me with abundant grace and help to overcome aspect by aspect in my life. I deserve none of God’s grace, but He knows my heart is committed and keeps pouring out His grace. There has been periods when I rebelled, and the consequences were personally very uncomfortable, but still God picked me up from the floor whenever I turned back to him. Yes, I will fail again but my heart is committed to do better.
God’s grace and His requirement to “be Holy as I am Holy” and pursue His principles are not mutually exclusive. The power of the Holy Spirit enables a society that can be pleasing to God even on this earth. This requires committed hearts, which automatically overflows into lifestyles that validate our faith and thanksgiving to God. Grace empowers us to excel without the threat of condemnation when we stumble.
Truth that offends breaks down strongholds:
Some of the most telling and direct confirmations I received from God was after I offended somebody. No, I have no desire to offend people for the sake of it. The majority of my interactions do not end up with people being offended. The life altering and liberating truth of God however sometimes offends people and always upsets the enemy.
One time a person completely exploded on me. It troubled me and I wondered through most of the night if I could have done anything differently. In the days that followed however major personal and national events confirmed God’s truth on a large scale. God confirmed to my heart that it was the truth and not my actions that caused the reaction. Subsequent interactions have verified this understanding to me. We plant the seeds through obedience and God takes care of the much bigger picture as custodian of the truth and in pursuit of the lost.
Another time, my tooth flew out of my mouth while I was speaking during dinner with a prior colleague. I felt greatly embarrassed. I mean really embarrassed, considering the company. As I left that night, I declared to the enemy that God would reward me for being obedient and discussing matters of faith with this man. The next day a person gave us an unexpected check out of the blue within $10 of the greater than $1000 cost of fixing my tooth. Once again God confirmed that He was standing behind the truth while I felt deeply embarrassed. “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven…” (Mathew 10:32) includes when you are greatly embarrassed….
Biblical truth will set you free, because there is power in the truth. God confirms His truth and encapsulates it with the light of His Holy Spirit. The strongholds within the soul of a person that does not know God, often revolts against the truth. Biblical truth triggers the forces of satan against whoever speaks it.
We cannot love other people the way God have intended it without loving God first. Loving people from a human perspective often means treating a person’s symptoms without ever attending to the root cause of that which is keeping them captive. Speaking God’s truth into people’s lives are necessary to set them free.
Loving people God’s way, considers the persons eternal well-being and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome any stronghold, as well as caring for an individual’s natural needs. We are called to speak the truth with love. Truth is often the most powerful when we have to sacrifice our own pride to reveal and endorse the same truth working in our own lives. That sacrifice is a reflection of loving God first.
Sometimes we are required to speak the truth to acknowledge God and fend of lies that are aimed at the very character of God. In those circumstance we are presented with a choice – offend people (with love) or deny God? The latter is not a good choice.
This post turned out to be longer than I intended. I will cover some more insights in subsequent posts. In summary:
God’s grace empowers us to pursue lives according to His principles, which God requires as an act of thanksgiving. This leads to God’s blessing on our families and society.
Loving God first means speaking Biblical truth, sacrificing our pride and loving other people with their eternal well-being in mind.
As an individual person or a people, whether it be a family or a nation, we fall into decline when we have a form of religion but deny the power thereof. God’s grace and the blessing of the Holy Spirit enables us to live a life in pursuit of God’s principles.
Have a blessed week.
Image: (c) logoboom www.fotosearch.com Stock Photography