Your View of God

This past Sunday our small groups started a study on the subject of prayer. The groups separated male and female. I led the men and Doris led the women. I am unsure what the women covered, but the men studied our view of God and its impact on our prayer life.

Often we have a poor view of God. To us He is a vending machine for our many prayer requests. Request goes in and Answer comes out. This is a wrong view of God. Rather, we need to use Scripture, God's creation, and God's Son to give us a greater view of God. We will pray much differently when we understand who God is and what He has done for us.

-Mark

Judgment, Mercy, or Both

There is an awareness that can come upon one who is waiting on God.  As you wait, you should become increasingly aware of God's holiness and increasingly aware of your sin.  Murray points out in day 19 of his devotional that God is both the God of mercy and the God of judgment.

So if awareness of God's holiness leads us to see our sin, then this awareness should lead us to a greater understanding of God's salvation.  Truly God is good, because of His great love He is able to save someone as sinful as me!  I hope you too have come to the same understanding - That a perfectly holy God loves you and has provided a way, Jesus, to pay for your sin.

-Mark

Waiting as a Church

Murray used Isaiah 25:9 in his devotional titled, "To Reveal Himself." It is a beautiful verse that gives the reader a glimpse into the hearts of those waiting.  It speaks of that moment when God delivers those waiting. And what is their response? "Look, here is our God!....Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation!"  Finally, those waiting upon God see Him revealed and come to celebrate their salvation and deliverance from their dark circumstances.

Murray focused his discussion on a congregation that is waiting on God.  I wondered as I read it, how many churches are waiting on God? Or are they marching on to their own drumbeat, oblivious to God's desires for them? Hmmm?

You can read Murray's devotional by clicking  here.

-Mark

Waiting for Others

Sometimes it is not for self that we seek God's face, but for others.  Murray addressed this on day 17, using Isaiah 8:17.  However, Murray takes it in an unexpected direction.  He notes that many do not wait because there is no life in their faith. They are spiritually dead. 

"You worship with a certain congregation. Possibly there is not the spiritual life or joy either in the preaching or in the fellowship that you could desire. You belong to a Church, with its many congregations. There is so much of error or worldliness, of seeking after human wisdom and culture, or trust in ordinances and observances, that you do not wonder that God hides His face, in many cases, and that there is but little power for conversion or true edification."

So Murray focused on those who claim Christ but are spiritually dead. And they are dead to the point that God has turned His face from them. It is for those that we are to wait.  And as we wait, we must believe that God can and will deliver them.

-Mark

God's Counsel in Your Time of Need

In Murray's devotional, on day 15, I learned that believers often fail to get God's counsel in their time of need. I feel that this happens at both extremes.  When we come out of a dark place and stand on the mountain top, God's counsel is not considered. Why? Because life is good.  Or, when we are in the dark place we do not seek God's counsel? Why? Because we only want deliverance not feedback.

We all know where to find the whole counsel of God - the Bible. But, it seems to me that whether in good or bad the Bible is not considered.  We stand and celebrate deliverance, then go forth in ignorance, or we cry out in darkness for deliverance, but only open the Bible to where it brings comfort; never to where it is pointed.

Look to the whole counsel of God in your times of trouble and in your times of joy.

-Mark

Life in the Tunnel - "Oh God Where is the Light!?"

I think that today's devotional from Murray's Waiting on God is my favorite. It is Day 14 and is titled "The Way to The New Song." If you find that you are living life in a dark tunnel looking for the end and the light, then I suggest that you go and read in full what Murray has to say.

Murray speaks from personal experience when he shares that patience and suffering are firmly linked both in language and in biblical teaching. However, Murray then notes that it is God who gives His children the strength to wait, to practice patience, to suffer as we look to God for deliverance.  He shares, "Have you ever noticed what proof we have that patience is a grace for which very special grace is given, in these words of Paul: 'Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all' - what? 'patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.' Yes, we need to be strengthened with all God’s might, and that according to the measure of His glorious power, if we are to wait on God in all patience. It is God revealing Himself in us as our life and strength that will enable us with perfect patience to leave all in His hands."

I am thinking of many that even now are in the dark tunnel of life. To them it seems that there is no end in sight. They long to round the bend and see the promised light.  But still they press on. And still there is only darkness.  Murray's words give hope and a promise - that there is an end and at that at that end God will give all those who endure a new song. So my friends start humming and warming up the vocal chords; for soon you will be singing anew.

Murray's devotional is posted here. Go down to day 14 and read his insights.

-Mark

Keeping His Ways When Your World Comes Crashing Down

I had to take Saturday-Tuesday off from posting because of weekend responsibilities and a funeral on Tuesday. However, now we will resume the subject of waiting on God.  I have been reading through Andrew Murray's devotional, Waiting on God, and commenting on it. Normally after skipping a weekend, I resume on track. However, I cannot let Day 12 pass without comment.

Murray uses Psalm 37:34 and Isaiah 64:5 to stress the importance of keeping God's ways during your time of waiting on Him.  This devotional addresses a subject common among those that are waiting on God - the difficulty of godly living when your world does not make sense, when your life is crashing down around you.

There are several areas of difficulty for those who wait on God. Murray notes that it is important that the believer's outer life be in harmony with his inner life.  He writes, "How close the connection between the two parts of the injunction, 'Wait on the Lord,' - that has to do with worship and disposition; 'and keep His ways,' - that deals with walk and work. The outer life must be in harmony with the inner; the inner must be the inspiration and the strength for the outer."  On our own strength, I would say "Easier said than done, Mr. Murray." However, on God's strength, all things are possible.

It seems to me that there are at least three reactions during a time of waiting. One is faith in His righteousness. Another is to turn away from God.  Finally, and Murray addresses this, calling out God on the unfairness of life. "Life is not fair" or "Why do the unrighteous prosper and the righteous suffer?"  Take time and read Murray's thoughts on this. Also see Psalm 73. Asaph almost slipped into this problem.

Hopefully, I can keep up now that the dust has settled. You can read Murray's devotional by clicking here.

-Mark