Monday, November 26, 2007

I am like Adam

It is often my desire for more that motivates me to disobey God.  Even though I rationally and experientially know that there is no long term benefit to me as the result of my disobedience.   I know that when I get more I often have less contentment!  Paul said to Timothy:   "godliness with contentment is great gain." (I Timothy 6:6)

 

God has provided all I need….and more!  Yet I still covet, I still get greedy.   I may be content until I see idealized advertisements on TV, or see what another person has…or hear what another person is doing.

 

God created Adam and Eve in his image, as perfect people!  And God placed Adam and Eve into an incredible setting and gave Adam pleasant work to do: no sweat, no weeds.    "God put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." and "God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food".   And God asked Adam to give a name to all of the animals – livestock, birds, beasts of the field.  Today we go to the zoo to see a few animals in cages.   Adam and Eve just looked around, and there were all of the animals God had created.   What a show that must have been!  (Genesis 2)

 

Basically God said to Adam and Eve, "I am giving you a great life!  Enjoy!!!     There is only one thing you cannot do – only one thing!  Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

But….Adam and Eve were not willing to be content - to the place where they were willing to disobey God's directive.

 

Satan, in the form of a beautiful serpent, comes up to Eve and asks: "Did God really say 'you must not eat from                                                                                                                                                                                any tree in the garden?" The Serpent/Satin begins by raising the question – creating the doubt ….Did God really say?    Eve hears the Serpent's twist of words and responds with "but God did say…"     Adam and Eve knowingly chose to disobey God, their creator – for fascination?   for curiosity?    The result?  Work, Pain, Death.   

 

As God's children we can have an incredible life with incredible freedoms!  To enable us to enjoy our God designed life God says…here is a 10 item list of what you must and must not do: one God, no idols, do not misuse the name of the Lord, Sabbath observance, honor parents, don't murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, covet (Exodus 20). Jesus then condensed the 10 down to two: love the Lord your God…and your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:29-31)

 

Perhaps Satan comes to us today, not as a serpent, but through pictures of people.  Or through pictures designed to sell cars, clothes, resorts, perfume, etc.  Perhaps Satan comes to us today, not as a serpent, but as a peer who invites us to, or perhaps a boss or teacher who expects us to, or the driver in the next car that "causes" us to….  

 

Temptations must be real for us – or they would not be true temptations.  Excuses for our disobedience?   God does not buy them.  "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it".  (I Corinthians 10:13).   If you face an irresistible temptation, e-mail me, for I would like to hear about it!

 

Perhaps we can learn from Adam and Eve's disobedience, and from the Apostle Paul's words to Timothy: "godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:6)   It should not be difficult for each of us to be content with abundance!   A key to abundant living includes obedience to the list of 10 in Exodus 20.   How are you doing?  Don't rationalize!!!!

 

chief chuck

Monday, November 19, 2007

Introduction

                                                                           11/19/07

Good Morning Deerfooters!

 

For as long as I can remember I have struggled with my desire to be God's Man.

 

The issue has seldom been "what would the Lord have me do?" - for most of the time I have known what God desires of me.  The question for me most often has been: "Do I really want to do what God desires for me ...more than what I, in my humanness, would like to do?"

 

this struggle was common to the men we read about in the bible.

  • Adam faced this choice - and chose what he wanted to do (Genesis 3)
  • Moses faced this choice - and became the leader out of Egypt (Exodus 3)
  • Joshua faced this choice - and led the battle against Jericho (Joshua 3)
  • King David faced this choice - and chose a relationship with Bathsheba (II Samuel 11)
  • Gideon faced this choice - and delivered God's people with an army of 300 (Judges 6)
  • Jesus faced this choice - and willingly went to the cross to accomplish our salvation (Luke 22)
  • Paul reminds us that he struggled with this question continually (Romans 7)

So why should we be surprised when we struggle between what God desires for us...and that which we feel would benefit us...or at least be...fun?  It makes no sense that I have struggled in this way, for I experientially know the absolute value of living "In Partnership with God". The only explanation must be what the Bible says it is: Satan is alive and well... and does not want me to obey God's directives - any more than he wanted Jesus to (I Peter 5:8)

 

I feel the greatest gift I can give to you at this time is words that encourage you to live in obedience to God's desire for you.  Our conscious awareness that we can live In Partnership with God impacts our interpretation of what is happening to us, and through us.  If we choose to live In Partnership with God, then God has the responsibility of enabling us to do our God assigned work - what ever it takes.  As we do this, we live with a God given inner peace.

 

Deerfoot has benefited by my obedience to God's direction - and not just from my obedience, but also the obedience of Sally Jo - and the DL Board - staff - and donors of prayer, time, money, ...and "stuff".  Enough of us have worked at doing what is right before the Lord that what has happened, and continues to happen, exceeds logic..is way beyond what we could reasonably expect.

 

I will develop these one page devotionals as I work through the men of the Bible - using 23 years of After Breakfast Bible Studies as the basis. I look forward to having  "In Partnership with God" on your computer screen each Monday Morning.  I welcome your response to these devotionals with an e-mail to me...I will answer.  It is always good to know they are being read.

Chief Chuck