Jesus had just fed four thousand men along with at least as many women and children, using only seven loaves and a few small fish (see Matthew 15:34). The leftovers from that meal filled seven large baskets.

After this mind-boggling miracle, both Jesus and His disciples were accosted by vicious challenges to their secure connection with God.

One challenge targeted Jesus Himself. The Pharisees and Sadducees contested the Lord’s authority with a brazenly snide challenge to the miraculous power of God which was flowing from Him. The other challenge zeroed in on the disciples. This one was a devilishly subtle twisting of the words of Jesus in their minds that filled them with shame and a sense of not measuring up.

The disciples vs. the Connection-Challengers

Jesus definitely had the edge over any connection-challengers that came His way. He had this going for Him: “…He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man” (see John 2:25). His disciples, however, were not so perceptive. When their connection was challenged, they often didn’t see through the attacks, and they needed help not to succumb to lies meant to undermine their confidence in the Lord.

Jesus had just silenced His self-righteous taunters with the example of Jonah (see Matthew 16:4 and my previous entry, http://www.firstofallpray.com/?p=4391). He took advantage of the “teachable moment” and told His disciples, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

What happened next was completely unexpected; out of left field condemnation and a deep sense of shame overtook the disciples because of what Jesus said. As out of kilter as it sounds, this is a common tactic of the devil. Day in and day out, the enemy of our soul busily seeks to twist and weaponize the Word of God against us to bind us up in condemnation, confusion, and shame.

Jesus had just warned His disciples, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” The leaven of which He spoke was hypocrisy—looking spiritually “together” on the outside, while inwardly, pride and rebellion raged against true connection with the Lord.

Jesus was actually saying to His disciples,”Boys, you’re doing great. You’re  following Me; just keep your connection with the Father genuine, simple, and tight like it is right now. It’s when folks get all gummed up in looking good and keeping up with the religious ‘Joneses’ that they start losing their grip on what’s really important.”

But His disciples didn’t hear that. When Jesus said, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” they heard, “You Bozos! You forgot the bread AGAIN?!”

The Book of Matthew expresses their thinking a little more politely. It says, “They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, ‘He said that because we did not bring any bread’” (Matthew 16:7).

Let’s think about this. Jesus was using a teachable moment to train His men to discern religious agendas. The leaven He was exposing was an imposed conformity to looking holy as opposed to simply and freely connecting to the Holy One Himself. This type of leaven was all about how things looked on the surface.

While Jesus was warning them to avoid getting caught up in appearances, the disciples were worried about how stupid they must look because they forgot the bread. We’re idiots! they were probably thinking. We look so inept! We’ll never measure up! Jesus must be disgusted with us—He’s talking about leaven because we forgot the bread! Their minds were spinning out of control and condemnation was having a heyday.

The disciples were yielding to the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees by buying into the agenda of “you have to look right to others to be right”. They yielded to the leaven of hypocrisy by assuming that their relationship with Jesus hinged—not upon the genuineness of humble connection—but upon whether they had performed with perfection.

Unfortunately, this thinking plagues believers in our time as well. Whether you seek to perform to obtain approval from God or man—like the disciples—or like the Pharisees, you seek to appear more spiritual to gain advantage over others, Jesus is speaking loud and clear: “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

In closing, here are the notes that I wrote that snowy morning to sum up everything that I had received from the Lord that day about connection:

“PERFORMANCE and APPEARANCE VS. HEARTFELT CONNECTION

“Trusting in my performance and adjusting my appearance to avoid disapproval leads to disconnect before God. But when I prioritize connection with the Lord, performance and appearance will take a back seat to God’s will for me. Interestingly enough, however, as I merely obey what He reveals about connecting with Him, appearance and performance will take care of themselves and be conformed to His will naturally.”

Bless you as you connect tightly with the Lord.

Dorothy

And immediately thereafter…

The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. Matthew 16:1

Jesus had just fed four thousand men along with at least as many women and children, using only seven loaves and a few small fish (see Matthew 15:34). The leftovers from that meal filled seven large baskets.

After this mind-boggling miracle, both Jesus and His disciples were accosted by vicious challenges to their secure connection with God.

One challenge targeted Jesus Himself. The other challenge zeroed in on the disciples. And it all came via the demands of “prove-yourself” religion, complete with a heavy dose of “appearances-R-us”.

Jesus vs. the Connection-Challengers

Instead of scrambling to whip up a miracle to impress the religious heavyweights before Him, Jesus replied back to them with a challenge of His own:

“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”  (Matthew 16:2b-3).

He stated the obvious: they knew how to accurately predict the weather by looking at the appearance of the sky; but even though they heard and saw the miraculous works of Jesus, they refused to acknowledge the reality of what they were witnessing. In their arrogant rejection of the Truth standing before them, they attempted to dismiss the Lord by downgrading the display of God’s mighty power to the status of carnival tricks (Show us a sign, they mocked, like teenagers at a magic show hosted by a second-rate magician).

Jesus could read their intentions like an open book. Bottom line: they wanted to stop the manifestation of God in His life—or at least control it. And they were attempting to do so by intimidating Him with scorn, hoping to push His buttons. If they could coerce Jesus to try to “prove” Himself to them, they would be in control, having gained the upper hand.

But Jesus would have none of it. Instead, He declared, “‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.’ And He left them and went away” (Matthew 16:4).

The web had been woven; the spiders were eagerly awaiting their prey; but this One refused to be caught and instead, snared the predators with their own web.

Here’s my paraphrase of the words Jesus used to confront them:

You seek after a sign, you say, but we all know the truth. You don’t intend to give God the glory for any sign He displays in your midst. That’s because you are an evil, adulterous bunch—you’ve strayed from the One to whom you were betrothed.

But the Lord gave them a sign, nonetheless—the sign of Jonah. And then He walked away.

Of all the Old Testament signs Jesus could have cited, He chose Jonah.

Yes, Jonah was swallowed alive by a big fish and was trapped within its belly for three days and nights before being vomited onto dry ground. In this way, Jesus was foreshadowing His death, burial, and resurrection.

But there was another pointed reason that Jesus chose the sign of Jonah, in my opinion. Jonah, the prophet of God and the man with the message, was all about—at least throughout most of the book bearing his name—Jonah. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew it.

Jonah fled in disobedience from the Lord when God wanted him to preach to Ninevah. The Pharisees and Sadducees knew this.

A storm overtook the ship upon which Jonah was sailing and catastrophe was about to befall everyone onboard on account of Jonah. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew it.

The storm ceased when the crew threw Jonah overboard. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew this.

A giant fish swallowed Jonah alive. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew it.

Jonah was forced to acknowledge his rebellion and sin while sloshing around inside the fish’s stomach contents. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew this.

The fish vomited Jonah onto dry land—quite an ignoble deliverance for such an important man. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew it.

Jonah preached to Ninevah, and the Ninevites repented before God with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes—signs of truly humble, repentant hearts. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew this.

God did not judge Ninevah, and because of this, Jonah was furious. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew it.

There was more. Jonah rested under a plant appointed by God which gave him shade and comfort…and then it was attacked by a worm and died. And Jonah pouted, whined, fretted, and wished to die. The prophet—the religious heavyweight—threw a tantrum. And the Pharisees and Sadducees knew it.

And the sign of Jonah, given to the Pharisees and Sadducees—men of great religious import—was a fore shadow of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

But that day—in the arena with men who presumed to know God and to be judges on His behalf—Jonah was also held up by Jesus as a mirror. And as the stunned Pharisees and Sadducees watched Jesus walk away, they could only gaze into the mirror of Jonah—in all of his rebellion and self-absorption—and they saw themselves. And they knew it.

Dorothy

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

When I taught younger grades, I encouraged my students to frequently quiz themselves on their math facts. That way, they would be able to recall sums and differences, products and quotients at the speed of thought—not at the speed of tapping fingers or after finding a calculator. And with practice, even the more math-phobic ones among them could hold their own.

Youngsters need to review their math facts repeatedly until those answers are as retrievable as their birthday or the name of their favorite pet. In my opinion, such “drill and kill” preparations don’t create math-phobia (especially if conducted in a positive environment where stickers or Jolly Ranchers are involved); such practice actually frees students from one more reason to be math-phobic—I can’t remember anything; I’m just stupid in math!

Jesus spoke of the man who heard the Word and acted upon it, likening him to a wise builder who chose to construct his house on solid rock. He emphasized building on bedrock before the storms arose; and despite the time and effort needed to do so, the alternative—an express-house built on the sand—just wouldn’t be able to withstand the tempest.

Jesus placed great importance upon hearing His word and acting upon it in a consistent, life-building way. If you have accepted the challenge from Jesus to live with determined, intentional hearing and acting—like that child who regularly repeats her math facts—then when the rains fall, the floods come, and the winds blow and slam against your life, you will be able to withstand it all. You will pass the test.

One way to help yourself be consistent with building on the Rock of your salvation is to forget none of His benefits. Remind yourself again and again of the wonderful benefits of your connection with the Lord. Psalm 103 lists them. He:

• pardons all your sins
• heals all your diseases
• redeems your life from the pit
• crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion
• satisfies your years with good things
• renews your youth like the eagle

Like that child learning her multiplication tables, it wouldn’t hurt to build this six-point list into your spiritual memory so that it instantly comes to mind the second you need it.

Another way to consistently build upon the solid foundation of Jesus is to remind yourself frequently of the wonderful things He has done in your life. When I feel attacked and defeated, I will often use my prayer time to review aloud before God all of the sweet, miraculous, remarkable, and kind things He has done for me personally. I’ve learned that as long as my eyes are on my problems and how bad I feel, I won’t ever truly see God as my help in times of trouble, and therefore, it’s impossible to go before Him in faith. But when I start reminding Him of what He has done for me in the past, it isn’t long before joy and praise, confidence and faith arise within me, abolishing despair and defeat. And now I’m in faith, and although I still have no clue how He’ll get me out of this one, I know He will!

A third way to build on that sturdy foundation of the Lord is to acknowledge Him in all your ways. How do you do this? When I was a young believer, I practiced talking to Him about whatever I was doing; I  even asked His opinion once about whether I should get Coke or Dr Pepper on a road trip (I was pretty sure He suggested DP). 

As silly as my soda inquiry sounds, an important aspect of building on the Rock of your salvation is to keep the lines of communication open. And that means acknowledging Him in all of your ways.

I also remember realizing after I had forgotten for several weeks to keep a running conversation going with the Lord, that I was shocked at the difference in the way life felt when I consistently talked to God versus when I didn’t. My conclusion in those early days? Life felt better when I kept up a conversation with God. And you know something? Nearly forty years later, it still does!

Let’s review. Three ways to build on the Rock and to keep your connection with Jesus tight are:

1. Forget none of His benefits.
2. Regularly review aloud all the good things that God has done for you.
3. In all your ways, acknowledge Him.

May you find great joy and security as you build your life on the Rock!

Dorothy

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23

Pharaoh had finally insisted that Israel depart Egypt following a series of ten plagues which fell upon the land, one after another.

Yet soon after Moses and God’s people left, this happened: “When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, ‘What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?’” (Exodus 14:5.)

Sometimes God will grant you a great deliverance—you are born again; perhaps you get healed from sickness or are delivered from an awful addiction—and the devil smacks the side of his head in fury, stomps his feet, and determines this: I can’t let him go! I’ve gotta recapture her! You see, you submitted to God; He delivered you with His mighty hand; now the devil is enraged and wants you back—or at least to re-bind you so you’ll be hindered from inflicting further damage upon his kingdom.

This is what happened to Israel after they exited Egypt. Pharaoh and his troops set out after the exiles to drag them back to Egypt and resume their servitude.

“As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord” (Exodus 14:10).

A massive attack against the people of God was looming—just upon the doorstep—and the people spoke harshly against Moses in their panic (see verses 11-12).

But Moses, every bit as vulnerable as the people, spoke with confidence in the living God. “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent” (verses 13-14).

I believe that Moses had no idea how they would be delivered at this point; he merely spoke from the place of trust in God’s purpose, power, and loving connection. And I believe that God’s response—a test in the midst of the test—was an act of drawing near to Moses who had chosen to draw near to and honor Him in the face of sure annihilation. Here’s what God said:

“Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land” (verses 15b-16).

Moses heard the words God spoke and he acted upon them. The rest is history—the Red Sea parted, the Israelites crossed over on dry ground unscathed, the Egyptian army pursued through the walls of water, and were subsequently crushed under the sheer force of the sea falling back into place.

After that amazing deliverance, Israel rejoiced in exuberant song and dance. But soon they found themselves in the wilderness for three days without water—and they complained bitterly.

“When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’” (Exodus 15:23-24).

Again, circumstances turned south and the people were under attack—this time in severe need of water. And once again, just after victoriously worshiping God for His miraculous intervention, they complained bitterly.

And yet again, Moses held himself steady and turned to God.

“Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet” (verse 25a).

Yet again, God responded with a test within the test: throw the tree I’m showing you into the water. Moses heard the word of the Lord and acted upon it, and God followed through with miraculous intervention.

Are you picking up on a pattern? Here’s what I’m seeing:

• A test comes through circumstances—orchestrated by wicked men, the devil, or stressful, unpleasant events.
• A choice is made—either to complain bitterly or to trust in God.
• When trust in God is chosen, God hears and responds with a “test within the test”—in other words, He gives you something to obey or act upon.
• You hear the word of God and act upon it—you do that thing which God tells you to do.
• God responds with miraculous intervention.

Two times in a row, God heard the lone voice of trust within a sea of bitter complaints and responded with deliverance. However, both times, the rescue was based upon a “test within the test”. Would the people let go of their panic, fear, and anxiety long enough to hear the word of God and then to act on it? “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).

The waters became sweet and safe to drink when Moses heard God’s instruction and acted upon it. And it followed that “there He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer” (Exodus 15:25b-26; emphasis added).

What is the test of the Lord?

• Give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God and give ear to His commandments.
• Do what is right in His sight and keep all His statutes.

The “test within a test” is God’s way of delivering you when all hell breaks loose against you. The trial or attack threatening you is not from God; but when it hits you, He will provide an escape route so that you will not be destroyed (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). And that escape route is what Jesus taught at the end of the Sermon on the Mount: Hear these words of Mine and act upon them (see Matthew 7:24).

So, the next trial you face, choose to trust God rather than to panic, despair, or complain. Call to Him, listen to His Word, and obey what He shows you to do. He will not leave you in the lurch. He will give you a simple “test within the test,” and as you obey, He will come through for you.

He will always provide the way of escape.

Dorothy

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24

Connections will also be tested without any warning at all due to random events that occur beyond the control of the individual. Because of such unforeseen events—hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.—architects and city planners have learned to build structures and systems to withstand a variety of cataclysmic misadventures.

Testing is an integral part of good architectural design. Without testing, there is no way of knowing whether a structure will be able to hold up against the worst of nature or evilly-motivated men. This testing is designed to tweak and adjust, retrofit and restructure so that buildings will be able to stand—and so that the lives of those living or working within will survive if the unthinkable happens.

So, there is a good kind of test and an evil kind of test. The good kind of test prepares for the worst but is designed to bring about the best outcome possible. The evil kind of test collides with everything in its path to wreak havoc and destruction.

Guess which type of test is from God? Guess which type is not from Him? In light of the architectural analogy, it’s not hard to discern the difference.

Jesus used an architectural analogy Himself when instructing His followers concerning being prepared for the cruel tests of life. As He concluded His Sermon on the Mount, He revealed that His words were not only to be heard, but to be acted upon, as well. Jesus, the wise Teacher, had just distributed the test—words of life and sober truth—among the crowd, and He set the bar high.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock,” He declared (Matthew 7:24). He was saying, in essence, You’ve heard Me; now, if you are wise, you will follow through. This was a test—a controlled, Teacher-directed test in a safe environment.

Take a closer look at the test:

• Hear these words of Mine
• Act on them

Jesus is teaching you and me today exactly the same thing He instructed His disciples long ago on the Mount of Olives. The controlled test of the Lord, presented and conducted in a safe environment, is simply to hear His words and to act on them. Daily. Often. Consistently. Time and again. Over and over. Regularly.

But why?

“...the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25; emphasis added).

Studying the Word of God and acting on it is like building a house on solid bedrock. And it is in the safe, controlled environment of learning the Word and putting it into practice that you become equipped to face the cruel tests of life. Rains fall. Floods come. Winds blow. They slam against all of our lives—and if you have built your life upon the Word of God, you will not be destroyed.

Jesus also said this: “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Matthew 7:26; emphasis added). You hear His Word—you’re in the safe-zone, the perfect testing environment for absorbing the truth of the Bible and then obeying what you learn; but you decide you have better things to do.

Oh, that’s OK—God’s really a great Guy. He’ll cover it, you may think. You’ve built a lovely beachfront home, right there on Sandy Lane over by Easy Street, and you are enjoying life at its best. You almost feel sorry for all those poor clods who dig away at the Rock day in and day out, building and calculating and fitting and testing their structures for soundness. They’ve gone off the deep end, you may chuckle to yourself.

But you didn’t take into consideration one teensy, tiny point—typhoon season!

“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:27; emphasis added).

Jesus clearly revealed the way to not only survive the worst that life could throw your way but to overcome in the midst of it, too. As you allow the Lord to test you by receiving His words and then acting on them in the safe, controlled environment of your everyday life, you build on a solid foundation with materials of an imperishable nature. And when storms crash against your life, you will stand and prevail, because you’ve built upon the bedrock of God’s Word.

May we value to the fullest extent the safe, controlled testing environment of hearing His Word and acting upon it in our everyday lives.

Dorothy

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. Proverbs 14:1

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. James 1:22

Not all tests given in schools are great assessment tools; not all tests truly tap into the heart of the knowledge imbedded within students; yet almost all tests have certain things in common—they require some sort of preparation; they draw upon the reserves of the individuals undergoing the test; and they are not fun.

The book of James speaks of the testing of our faith: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:2-3; emphasis added). James is pointing out here that one way the testing of your faith occurs is through trials. The apostle Paul writes of tribulations (which are certainly trials): “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance” (Romans 5:3). Both James and Paul observe that trials which test your faith produce endurance and perseverance.

What is being tested when you as a Christian undergo a trial? Mainly, your faith—your confident connection to God through Jesus Christ. But how do you attain faith?

Faith is the gift of God—it’s not self-manufactured—and it comes as you recognize the biblical truth that you have need for connection with One greater than yourself. Saving faith comes to you when this recognition of need leads you to the truth about Jesus, the One who died for you. It is then—when you link your life to Jesus by the faith arising within you—that you enter into full relationship with God based the substitutionary death of Jesus for you. Note: saving faith immerses you in the righteousness of Jesus, who took your sin on the cross, thereby creating an exchange—your sin for His righteousness. Saving faith can never be granted due to your own personal goodness.

Therefore tests, trials, and tribulations are geared toward one end—your faith in God through Jesus Christ. Who is the author of these tests? Good question; this very question is at the heart of how confidently you approach the test.

When I taught, I devised tests. I spent time thinking about the lessons I taught and how I wanted to assess the mastery of those concepts. In a controlled atmosphere and specific time frame, I gave those tests. They had a beginning, a middle, and an end. More times than I can count, I heard the triumphant word “DONE!” escape the lips of my students—both boys and girls—in every subject and each grade I was privileged to teach, from second to ninth.

But here’s the next question. If I tested a concept, is it safe to say that, as a result, my students would never need to use the tested understanding again? They passed, didn’t they?

Here’s the truth behind controlled testing. At its best and most practical, testing equips students for the real world. Math lessons and tests should prepare you for real-world encounters with everything numeric. English and language arts lessons and tests should prepare you for real-world encounters with everything in the realm of communication—reading, speaking, listening, and writing. The same is true for science and history. Those lessons and tests should train you in scientific thought based on facts, inquiry, and observation and should give you historical perspective from which to draw independent conclusions about human interactions, behaviors, choices, and outcomes.

I’m not referring to the current academic practice of indoctrinating young minds with worldviews designed to lead them to shun biblical faith and traditional values. I am speaking in reference to the true goal of solid education—the equipping of young people with the tools and skills necessary to interact with their world and make wise and well-developed, thoughtful choices based on critical thinking, honest questioning, and self-directed research.

You learn and are tested because of the real world which you face every day. That world is not always nice and neat; that world doesn’t always abide by the Golden Rule; that world doesn’t always think that you are wonderful and deserve a medal.

So…does God test us? Yes. Are all tests from God? No. Then, how will you know the difference? You may not be able to discern at first, but keep this thought in mind—God is a good God, and the devil is a bad devil. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). If you encounter a test that falls into the category of stealing, killing, or destroying, then you are safe in assuming that the test is not from God. But fear not—He’s already equipped you to face any trial that comes your way. Remember, the goal of good instruction supported by wisely-developed tests is to prepare you for victory over whatever comes your way via the real world or the devil himself.

When trials do come your way, use the clear lessons you’ve learned in the Word, pray for wisdom, and know that the Teacher is within you. He’ll walk you through every part of the test and teach you as you move through its sections. Understand that what you’re facing, He has already faced—and conquered.

God tests us by His Word to do His Word. He does so to equip us to respond according to His Word when tests come from a different source—a decidedly sinister source.

Be confident in the One with whom you are connected. He has gone before you, He has conquered death, hell, and the grave on your behalf, and He will never fail you or forsake you.

When the tests come, the Teacher is on duty inside of you. Lean with confidence upon Him and you will pass the test.

Dorothy

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4

That snowy morning I spent time reviewing my part of the connection with God. I saw some gaps that needed to be “caulked” with a more focused pursuit of the Lord. I realized that I had been slacking off in the time I spent before the Lord, and I needed to draw more closely to Him to seek and enjoy His presence with undistracted abandon. A demand had been placed on my end of this connection—a demand to be more purposeful in my pursuit of Him. And I was happy to do my part to connect more tightly again.

In healthy relationships, both parties typically understand the need to spend focused, undistracted time with the other. And this intentional set-aside involvement is considered a “demand”, even if it is an enjoyable one. Most Christians understand that our primary job as believers is to seek God and to worship Him regularly. This is a “demand” that is placed on our end of the connection.

And yet that is just our side of the connection. On His end, He absolutely delights in our fellowship and savors our worship. But over and over again in the Word of God, He lets us know that He desires each of us to place demands on Him, as well.

One of the most incomprehensible attributes of God to many people—maybe even you—is that He desires and even delights in having demands placed upon Him. Now, He’s not a Sugar Daddy, a genie, or an ATM and will not be treated as such. But He is a loving Father who cares tenderly and very deeply for each one of us.

And hence, when the psalmist declares, “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him,”  you can be assured that He not only hears you when you call to Him, but He delights in that connection, as well.

Consider the contrast of the wicked: “Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord” (Psalm 14:4, NIV; emphasis added). A key characteristic of ungodly men and women is their refusal to humbly recognize their need to call upon God for His divine help. Evidently they think that placing a demand on the God of the universe is beneath them.

But as for you who know Him—or who would like to know Him—He is ready and waiting for you to place the demands of your life upon Him. He will lovingly take those demands and transfer to you the wisdom you need and then work out the rest in His own sovereign, supernatural way.

“…the…Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (see Romans 10:12-13). The Lord has committed to richly bless anyone who calls on Him; even salvation is accessed by calling on His name. You call; He provides. Never again think that you bother the Lord.

The psalmist wrote, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High,” a clear delineation of the human end of the connection between God and man (Psalm 50:14). Your part is to openly thank God and follow through with your commitment to Him. But then the psalmist wrote prophetically concerning God’s end, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:15; emphasis added).

Again, He beckons you to call on Him—even on the worst day of your life. And the Creator and God of all things has commanded you to place a demand on Him. He urges you to completely and one hundred percent look to Him to deliver you. And His part of the connection is this: He will rescue you.

Here’s the kicker: You bring honor to God because He rescues you. And that’s the way He set it up! When you encounter trouble, you cry out to Him; and He delivers you. That brings Him honor. What a deal!

No matter what life, the devil, or people throw at you, your part is to call boldly upon God. His part is to hear you and rescue you; and in all of this, you honor Him.

As you draw near to God, don’t neglect to place a demand on His great power and saving provision. In this way, you will minister to His Father’s heart and you will honor Him.

Dorothy

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. Psalm 34:6

That snowy morning God spoke to me quite a bit about my part of our relationship and how to recognize looseness on my end of that connection with Him. But connections run two ways—He reminded me about His commitment to do His part, as well.

It would be absolutely impossible for us humans to be personally accountable if God refused to uphold His end of the connection. We could try—but we would fail again and again. But because God is God; because He is good; and because He is gracious, He provided His Son as an atonement for our sin so that through Jesus, we could be empowered to walk in newness of life and to receive the grace necessary to sustain a close connection with Him.

The apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know…” In order to access anything, it is beneficial to know that it exists and is available. Someone may have set hundreds of thousands of dollars aside in an account for you, but if you don’t know about it, the money just sits there—unknown and unaccessed—while your financial needs pile up, unmet.

Along with other momentous truths, one thing that God wants you to know is this: that His power is surpassingly great toward you who believe. I like how the King James Version says it: “…that ye may know what is… the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe”. The exceeding greatness of His power is “us-ward”. In other words, you can read it this way: God has locked and loaded the exceeding greatness of His power me-ward—and He’s not afraid to use it!

All of “the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power” (Amplified) is focused on you, and God is more than willing to unload it on your behalf. He wants you to become so intimately knowledgeable about His willingness to use His power “you-ward” that it will be as natural for you to trust Him as it is to breathe.

Everything in your life; everything in your heart, mind, and personality; everything that has anything to do with you is something about which you can access the exceeding greatness of His power “you-ward”.  In fact, your end of the connection with the Lord can be made snug and secure only because His end of the connection provides the power to make it secure.

When you were little, you learned your ABC’s and math facts by repetition. You learned how to tie your shoes and ride a bike through trial and error—through practice—over time. You may have thought at first that “el-em-en-o-pee” was a big, fancy letter; you may have computed 2 + 3 to equal six every now and then; you may have hopelessly knotted your shoelaces a time or two; and you probably wiped out while learning to ride your bike a few times. But with every miss, you got up and tried it again. And eventually, you conquered.

Have you suffered a couple or so “misses” while seeking to receive from God? Take a lesson from “little you” and get up and keep on going. Don’t let your past failures—whether through misinterpretation, miscalculation, misunderstood instructions, or unbalanced attempts at moving ahead—steal from you the joy of your salvation. The Lord remains the same; His mercy endures forever; and His power will always be you-ward.

So get back up. Say those ABC’s. Calculate that math fact. Tie that shoe. Ride that bike. And trust God once again. He will make things clear; He will illumine your darkness; He will not fail.

And pray. Pray for the eyes of your heart to be enlightened to know—to really know—what is the surpassing greatness of the power of His connection “you-ward”. This is a prayer He delights in answering.

Dorothy

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Here’s what happened. Miriam, Moses’ sister, had just died, and the Israelites, after journeying relentlessly for decades, came to Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin. They were weary, hungry, and thirsty—and utterly miserable. “The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, ‘If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here? Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink’” (Numbers 20:3-5).

It’s bad enough to be around angry, contentious souls when you can feel your car keys in your pocket, ready and waiting to facilitate your escape. Moses and Aaron had no such recourse. They sought God; He revealed the plan.

“Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink” (Numbers 20:8).

Moses took the rod, and instead of speaking to the rock, he beat it with the rod, like the Lord had commanded long ago at Rephidim (see Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).

To us humans, the difference between speaking to a rock and striking it may seem like no big deal, but in God’s eyes, Moses was disobedient. He had chosen to approach the command of the Lord his own way.

Although hundreds of rich and meaningful sermons have been preached concerning Moses’ choice at Meribah, I don’t want to focus on any of these worthwhile topics: his poor decision; the difference between speaking to and striking the rock; the symbolism involved; or the consequences of Moses’ disobedience. Instead, I want to look at the solid connection between the Lord and him despite Moses’ failure to obey.

You see, Moses’ relationship with the God of Israel did not end at Meribah. God continued to lead Moses, to provide for Israel, and to do the miraculous among them. Unlike some Christians who cut others off after being offended, God did not give Moses the cold shoulder from then on. No, He remained faithful to the man of God, and Moses maintained his connection to the Lord despite the heartbreaking consequence of his disobedience.

This is a huge and all-encompassing lesson to learn in your walk with God. What do you do when things flat-out don’t go your way? How do you approach life and your relationship with the Lord and others from that time forward?

Consider Moses. His heart’s desire was to lead God’s people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Even after that fateful day at Meribah and the stunning pronouncement of the Lord, “…you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (see Numbers 20:12), Moses continued to lead the people and to serve God faithfully. And before his death the man revealed that he had pleaded with the Lord, “Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25), but God, the God to whom he was connected, said, “Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan” (see Deuteronomy 3:26-27). God allowed Moses to see the desire of his heart; he was not allowed to enter. Moses chose to cling tightly to God, nonetheless, and died, leaving behind the overarching testimony of faithfulness to the God who loved him.

God is not unfair; He is righteous in all that He does. And when things don’t go the way you had hoped; when the desires of your heart remain unmet; when it seems that everyone else is blessed but you, what will you do? Will you throw in the towel? Will you leave it all behind? Moses could have—but didn’t.

Sometimes we don’t see the forest for the trees. Have you ever been so distracted by all the little pieces to the faith-puzzle that you missed out on the big picture of God’s never-failing, abiding love? Has your desire ever grown to be so all-consuming within you that it even overshadowed the Lord Himself? Was the direction you insisted upon going second- or third-best (or much worse), and all the while God was urging you elsewhere? Often what seems to be God’s rejection actually stems from our own frailty and human thinking—not recognizing the leading of His love and care.

Don’t let the disappointments of life or failures in faith unravel your connection with the Lord. His love toward you never fails; He is faithful to you till the end; and He is both your anchor and your high tower when everything around you falls apart.

If things don’t go your way, recognize this: You are connected to Someone far greater than all the blessings you could ever desire all wrapped up and tied together in a massive bundle. You are connected with the One whose love is better than life itself (see Psalm 63:3).

Let your attitude be this: Nothing shall ever be able to separate me from my tight connection with the Lord—including not getting my way.

Dorothy

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Before I dove into the devotionals that snowy morning, this verse from Hebrews came up within me, along with a portion of verse 3 from the same chapter: “…how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

I understand by experience that drifting can be dangerous; I’ve been on enough float trips on Missouri streams to know that if I don’t use my paddle skillfully and watchfully, the canoe drifts wherever the river takes it. Drifting is especially hazardous during high waters following the spring rains; trust me—been there, done that. Sure, it can be relaxing and more “chill” to settle back and just let the river do its thing, but on more than one occasion, simply drifting along has resulted in getting caught in the rooty snags of fallen trees, capsizing the canoe, and losing coolers, eyeglasses, car keys, or wallets!

You can always get a new pair of glasses or set of keys; wallets and their contents can be replaced; and usually you can fish your cooler out somewhere downstream.

But Hebrews speaks of a different kind of drifting. Hebrews speaks of drifting nonchalantly away from your connection to the Lord. This sort of drifting is the effortless floating away from the things you’ve learned in your relationship with Jesus. This type of drifting occurs with ease when you neglect what you’ve heard, seen, and received in the Lord.

And this kind of drifting can get you into trouble. Snags, snares, and snafus await drifters at every bend, ready to snatch oblivious floaters. Quite honestly, the Word is clear: such neglect of your connection with Jesus has consequences (see Hebrews 2:2).

Then I read Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest entry for that day, and he wrote, “Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life?” (See http://utmost.org/have-you-felt-the-pain-inflicted-by-the-lord/.)

Oh great, I thought, let’s read about pain. But when God fingers issues in your life, it is the sign of His tender love for you, not disdain or disgust. Hebrews 12:6 states, “For who the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (NKJV). And verse 11 addresses the pain of correction: “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (emphasis added).

In fact, the writer of Hebrews also insisted that if you never experience the uncomfortable touch of discipline or correction in your walk with Jesus, then you are illegitimate—you’ve never been born of God (see Hebrews 12:8).

As much as most of us don’t enjoy owning up to our flubs, flaws, or failures, nevertheless, the way of discipleship, the way of growth, and the way to yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness in your life involves just that—owning up to your flubs, flaws, and failures as you become aware of them.

So what was the Lord correcting me about? I had grown lax in giving Him first place in my day. I had allowed gadgets and media to consume my time before I gave Him a chance to speak, and as a result, I was actively laying a foundation of distraction to start my day. Betcha I’m not the only one dealing with this issue!

When you give God the right to correct you, you submit to Him. And as you do so, He can build upon that foundation, brick by brick, the scaffolding and structure of your life, and then He can direct the flow of the river within you to accomplish great things through you.

Yield to the training of His discipline; it will produce in you the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Dorothy

Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near to you. Psalm 32:9