When God Overrules

It has been nearly three years since God moved me and my family from southern California and transplanted us in Sydney.  I can say by God's grace we are looking healthy as a unit, like a well-established tree.  The leaf-casting season was short, and I'm not aware our leaves even drooped as we drew up water through well-tilled earth!  Our roots have shot down deep into good soil, and the loving Body of Christ has been a huge part of that on both sides of the Pacific.  We have had exceptional support from family, friends, and from so many at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  When I think of all God has done from establishing the boys at a great school, strengthening my marriage, and granting us permanent residency, I am in awe.

For almost the entire time our family have been in Australia, we have lived in one house.  It was certainly a God-send, granted at the time we needed it most.  There have been issues scattered over that time with an occasional repair required, but for the most part we have been without complaints.  Of course on those super hot days air conditioning would have been nice, but we've also become more acclimated to Sydney weather!  A couple months ago, we received a notice our rent would be increasing.  Laura decided it would be good to test the renting market and see if we could find a comparable house for less money.  Now I am one of those people who really don't like to move.  I would rather go to the dentist every day for a week than pack everything up, change our address with more people and businesses than I care to count, and deal with the hassle of unpacking, arranging, re-arranging, and hanging pictures.  How long will it take me to learn where things are in the kitchen?  I don't even want to think about it.

For the past couple months, Laura has been checking online, going to open houses, and us boys tagged along for a few.  The more houses we saw, the more I was convinced what we have been paying - even with the increase - was excellent value for money.  So many of the houses we saw were beat up rentals with too many problems:  garages converted to shabby rooms, exterior doors that scraped so hard on the tile they won't open, carpets that resembled a spattered crime scene, and no storage whatsoever.  Even Laura had pretty much resolved to stay at our place, something I was resolved to do before she ever started looking.

But then one house came up which caught Laura's attention.  It was a comparable size and relatively close to the boy's school.  There were some sizable concessions (detached garage without an automatic opener, electric cooktop, and a much older house), but there were also pluses:  single storey, air conditioning, less than a one minute walk to a park, and located in a cul-de-sac with a pool - all for $80 less a week than we had been paying for our current home.  Laura filled out the application and we arrived at the open house Saturday and were greeted by a gaggle of well-dressed prospective renters.  As I saw all the people, I assumed most of those folks were in a far more financially viable position and was fairly confident we wouldn't stand a chance.  At that moment I figured the only way we could have a sniff at the property is if God miraculously opened the door.  And to be honest, I didn't want Him to.

Does that sound bad?  I don't know if it is or isn't.  But I know you can be very honest with God.  Your honesty doesn't offend Him.  Honesty can offend people, but not my heavenly Father!  The fact was, I was very comfortable in our home and did not welcome the aggravation and stress that comes with moving house.  I would be happy to stay in a comfortable, predictable environment and trust for God to provide for our needs right where we were, which He has been graciously doing.  So as I drove away with admittedly selfish motives I prayed, "LORD, I pray we won't get that house.  What a pain to have to move."  Now my wife and I have an agreement we have made with God:  if He opens the door, we will walk through it.  In our minds, the only way the door to renting that property would occur if God opened the door.  I continued on through the day, thinking very little about the property.  Consider my surprise when Laura sent me a text message with three words:  "We got it."  Laura later told me she had just put down a deposit, and we had been chosen out of 25 other applicants.  I was more than surprised.  I was more like, "Oh no!" but not in a bad way.  Obviously God had overruled my plan.  He opened the door to that rental property, and I am delighted to walk through that door.  What are my shortsighted plans compared to God's?

This morning I was laughing to myself.  How ironic that I would uproot my family from San Diego and move to Sydney, only to balk at moving to another suburb!  The fact is, God has every right to order my steps and tell me where to live.  This morning I read in 1 Samuel 22:5:  "Now the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth."  Fearing for his life, David had gone to the land of Moab and stayed with the king in his stronghold.  But God sent the prophet Gad to tell David not to remain there, though Saul sought his life, and to go to the land of Judah.  Obediently, David did as God commanded him.  This move certainly required faith for David, seeing as there remained only a step between him and death.  Yet God was gracious to protect and provide for David, as He will for our family as well.  God will never mislead or trick us.  The children of Israel were reliant upon the presence of God leading them in the desert, and the leading of the Holy Spirit is the same for Christians concerning our actions as well as where we live.  Moving for me is an act of faith, and I know God will use it for good.

It is a good thing to consider:  when you are overruled by God, will you choose to obey and rejoice?  For me my joy was not immediate, but I tell you the truth:  what peace, joy, and delight is found when we choose to obey and rest in God's will.  He knows us and the struggles we will face.  He will see us through every one and bring us to His desired end.  It will be difficult at times and it will not always be comfortable.  But what a joy to know that God is leading, directing, and upholding us by His gracious love.  I am praising God for the provision of a place to stay, and I covet your prayers as we prepare to move in the next few weeks.  Glory to God, for He rules over all!

On Spiritual Fitness

Our family recently signed up for private health insurance.  There were many reasons we did so.  The primary reason was that if we did not to opt for private health insurance in Australia within the first 12 months of being permanent residents, there would be a sizable rate increase we would have to pay for the rest of our lives.  Basically, the government strongly advocates private health care as well as public.  The cost of private health care through Bupa is about half of what we were paying for international health care through Aetna, so we're actually saving money!

There are many benefits to private health coverage I was aware of, but there was a promotion I was not aware of.  After signing up for Bupa, we were given the choice of three gifts:  a $200 New Balance shoe vocher, 20 movie tickets, or a Fitbit One wireless activity and sleep tracker.  After mulling over the options, we decided to go with the Fitbit One.  It's an amazing piece of technology, very small and clever.  It keeps track of how many steps you take, calories burned, distance walked and incline climbed.  The tracker syncs with your mobile device and computer, keeping track of how you are doing.  It notifies you when you have reached a goal and new goals can be set.  You are able to input exactly what foods you eat and how much water you drink.  Strap it on your wrist at night and it keeps track of how long you were in bed and how long you were restless or awake.  My, the things I'm learning about myself!

What is great about this device is not only that it keeps track of what you do, but it also pushes you on to do more.  It is a silent encouragement in my pocket to be more active and to consider my health with eating and drinking choices.  I thought to myself:  what if we did the same with our Christian walk?  It might be very useful to know how long I have prayed, how much screen time I have had during the evenings, and how often my mind intentionally considered scripture.  After walking yesterday and looking at how many calories I burned, I was unimpressed:  "I only burned 130 calories after all that?!!" (I did go over 3,000 for the day)  I wonder how many of us actually gauge how effective our spiritual exercises are.  Our means of measuring is far more subjective.  But we don't need to clip devices on our pockets to be able to answer these pertinent questions:  what did God say to me in prayer?  How can I apply that passage to my life today?  Am I intentional in sharing my faith with others?  Do I have new stories about how God has revealed Himself to me?  We need to take careful stock of our spiritual health, even as it is beneficial to carefully observe our activities, food choices, and sleeping habits.

How spiritually healthy are you?  What sort of things are you putting in your mind?  Are you standing strong in the LORD and in the power of His might?  Are you utilising the gifts God has entrusted to you?  If all we did is eat without exercise, we would balloon up.  If all we do is gain knowledge through scripture without putting it into practice, we become the equivalent of a couch-potato Christian - someone who impacts furniture more than people.  Let's get moving!  We all have room to grow in Christ, and He will lead the way.  We cannot only be content with what we have done yesterday, but be spurned on to do more today for God's glory!

Seek Christ and Live

"For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live; ⁵ but do not seek Bethel, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing. ⁶ Seek the LORD and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, with no one to quench it in Bethel."

Amos 5:4-6

A few nights ago I came across this passage.  It illustrates one of the common pitfalls of God-fearing people:  seeking fulfillment through ritual rather than seeking God.  Amos was a working man turned prophet through the call of God.  Amos issued many warnings to Judah and Israel because of their idolatry and sin God would certainly judge.  God gave Amos a series of visions to share with the people to aid their understanding.  Through Amos, God predicted the dispersion of His people and their ultimate restoration.

I don't know what is worse because they are both bad:  unbelievers who refuse to seek the LORD, or believers who also neglect to seek God.  My opinion is when believers actually seek after God with all their hearts, their influence to lead others to God will grow exponentially.  The problem is not so much with the unbelievers in the world because they are doing exactly as one might expect.  The heart of the issue is found in the hearts of professing Christians.  Instead of wringing our hands because of the sins of this world, may God rend our hearts for our feeble witness and propensity to seek anything but God.

In the days of Amos, the Jews who feared God were overtly religious.  They made pilgrimages to Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba.  At the time, Bethel was a place of gross idolatry.  King Jeroboam had set up two calves in Bethel so the people could "worship" without going to Jerusalem.  This of course was strictly forbidden under the Law God gave to Moses, but many people were willing to make worship of God more convenient.  Gilgal was the place were a monument of stones had been raised when the children of Israel first crossed over Jordan into the land of Canaan.  It was intended to memorialise what God had done in divinely parting the Jordan to allow His people entry into the land on dry ground.  Abraham and Isaac both called on the LORD in Beersheeba.  Abraham planted a tamarisk tree there, and Isaac built an altar to the one true God.  People thought by visiting these "holy sites" their efforts would be rewarded by God.  Though the people were very religious, despite their efforts and sacrifices, they neglected to do the most important thing:  to seek God!

Over the years, the worship of God had been reduced to a grab-bag of idolatry, tradition, sacrifices, offerings, and ancestor worship.  Through Amos, God rebuked the people for seeking after experiences rather than seeking Him.  At great cost they would travel to Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba, in their eyes a show of genuine piety and devotion.  But God told them otherwise.  "Seek Me and live!  Don't seek Bethel, Gilgal, or Beersheba!  Seek the LORD and live!"  Worship of God was life for the Jews.  God reminded them worship is empty in itself:  life could only be found in Him.  It is very easy to substitute a church building for Bethel, a Bible study for Gilgal, and an outreach for Beersheba.  May we never substitute anything for seeking God.  It is fine for you to go to church and teach a Bible study.  But are you seeking God when you go?  Do you hear His voice speaking to your heart?  Are you seeking God like you would for valuable treasure?

Life is not found in activities or service, but in God alone.  When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, He testified that the Bible was their Bethel.  They thought through obedience to the Law they would have life.  Interpreting and following the Law was their life, but it could never provide it!  Jesus said in John 5:39-40:  "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."  There is no life apart from Christ.  He is the world's only source of life, forgiveness, salvation, and peace.  The words spoken by Amos ring clear and loud today:  "Seek the LORD and live!"  Are you willing to come to Jesus that you may have life?  Seek the LORD while He may be found.

Pain into Joy

God is able to redeem the pain of our lives.  Sometimes pain continues after the healing is over.  Our bodies are designed in an amazing fashion, able to adapt and compensate for injuries.  I have many injuries suffered years ago that I still feel every day.

During my years working with youth, I racked up all kinds of injuries.  Matt broke my left thumb with a small basketball during a dodge ball game.  My thumb still works, though it looks deformed and has limited movement.  Jason busted something in my right thumb during a football game.  This one is special because I have to adjust it multiple times a day.  I can get three to four cracks at a single time!  Kevin popped something in my right elbow when we were arm wrestling - and yes, it is sore especially after I pitch.  That was the day I retired completely from arm wrestling, a young man's game!  Brian chipped one of my teeth during a inflatable games jousting match, and I totally deserved that one.  When you give someone a "free shot," what can you expect?  Those are just the injuries that made the cut!

The funny thing is, I am not in the slightest mad at those who had a hand in breaking down my body a bit early.  I remember all those kids in the best light, happy for the times we spent together.  When I was feeling pain in my thumb today, it reminded me to pray for Jason.  Forget sticky notes or strings around the finger:  I have nerve endings as my reminders!  I am deeply grateful for the season of working with the youth at Calvary Chapel El Cajon, and I pray they would make a great impact on the world for God's glory.

Pain is a great reminder of our mortality and frailty.  As C.S. Lewis famously said, pain is God's megaphone and through it speaks loud and clear to hearts tuned by the Spirit.  I am grateful the reminders of fun times, wonderful friends, and God's sustaining grace through it all.  Only God can turn pain into joy without regret.