The Five Finger Plan to Figuring out God's Will

When you have a decision, problem, situation (big or small) to make, whom do you go to first?  It isn't suprising most of you would say, "my friend(s)." 

 

And yet, if we belong to Christ, we should be going to Him first.  Do you believe that God is omnipresent (everywhere present always)?  Do you believe that God is omniscient (knows everything, EVERYthing)?  Do you believe that God is omnipotent (all powerful, able to do anything....like, control your very next breath while keeping the sun, moons and planets orbiting in their correct places)?

 

I believe, if we really do believe God is Who He says He is, we'd run to Him first in all things, rather than other created beings just like us. 

 

Trust Him.

 

Check out today's LYWB post....and, write the verses they recommend on some 3x5 cards and memorize them.

 

How To Figure Out God's Will: ESPPP

Faith posted by Paula Hendricks on 08/31/11; found here: http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=792

 

How do you know if you should date that guy? Take that class? Join that team?

This might help. A while ago, I attended a small group where the leader, Roger Cabe, introduced an acronym I'll always remember: ESPPP. Each letter represents a specific key to unlocking the will of God. These five keys shouldn't be isolated, but used together, like fingers on a hand. I hope you'll find ESPPP as practical and helpful as I have. First:

Empty Yourself. Of all the keys, this one is definitely the hardest and usually the most overlooked. About 85 to 90 percent of your time will be spent on this one thing alone. In order to figure out God's best, we need to have no will of our own and be willing to be content in any situation or decision the Lord reveals. Whether we join or sit out, buy or save, date or stay single, our biggest concern is doing things God's way.

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matt. 16:24).

Scripture. In order to understand God's will, we've got to be reading and studying the Bible regularly, because the primary way He speaks to us is through His Word. As Nancy Leigh DeMoss often says, "When God's Word speaks, God speaks." Don't wait until a crisis to begin reading God's Word; start now! Then ask yourself, What has God been showing me along the way?

Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors (Ps. 119: 24).

Prayer. Talk to God often. Give your decision to Him over and over. Wait . . . and listen.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Prov. 3:5–6).

Providential Circumstances. God uses everyday situations to point us toward His direction. Look for God in your daily life. Are there circumstances that would prevent or point you to a specific decision?

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD (Prov. 16:33).

Peace. The Bible says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." Does God's peace flood your life as a result of your decision? Where the will of God is, the peace of God will follow.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6–7).

While there may be other ways to discover the will of God, these five principles are easy to remember and will help you out as you try to stay connected to Him and live life His way.

--
Mary E.Hickcox
www.CalvaryBaptistSM.org
http://mary-neotes.blogspot.com/

Hitting a Brick Wall (Corner, actually)!

Frank laughs trying to picture a 7 year old me doing this crazy, ridiculous thing.

 

All of you have done this crazy, ridiculous thing too.  And, getting ready to go back to school, you are in grave danger of doing this crazy, ridiculous thing again.

 

Proverbs 3:1-8

Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart

 ¹My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
²for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. 

 ³Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.  

⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
⁷Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
⁸It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

What is this crazy, ridiculous thing?  Listening to our own understanding of things, and doing it "my way," instead of trusting God, and doing things His way.

 

My crazy, ridiculous story:

It was the summer of 1970.  I was 7 and my sister was 12.  On this particular hot, summer day, my parents had left me in the care of my sister.  This is not a character assasination of my sister, but more a window into the inner workings and mischievous mind of my 7 year old self.  My sister did her best to supervise me and coerce me into behaving.  Most of the time.  I was prone to acts of sillyness.  Hey, I was a 7 year old! 

 

We were living in San Antonio, Texas in a duplex next to a very nice elderly lady named Miss Haley.  Miss Haley wasn't home on this particular day.  Had she been, perhaps my random acts of willful mischief wouldn't have taken such a bizarre turn of events.  I liked Miss Haley.  However, in retrospect, I am not sure she really liked me.  She always seemed to look at me with her piercing blue eyes, as if to say, "I see you Mistress Mary Elizabeth and I won't abide any nonsense from you."  She reminded me of an eagle, with her snowy white hair, shiny blue eyes and pointed, aristocratic nose.  As mom used to say, "she had my number."  Meaning, she knew what I was capable of doing left unsupervised, and, when asked to watch me, kept me very occupied with puzzles, arts and crafts, and the obligatory 1 hour nap, which someone lasted into a second hour.  Miss Haley also made me do lots of reading, mostly from the Old Testament portion of the Bible, making me sound out mutli-syllable words over and over again.  Yup, she had my number all right!

 

As I said, it was a hot, summer day.  Mom and dad had provided a kiddie pool in our back yard.  Inevitably, we'd end up putting Mr. Bubbles into the pool and creating a foamy, soapy mess in the muddy yard.  If was bubble-licious!

 

I can't recall what possessed me (Mom said it was Old Ipsy).  I declared to my sister I was leaving home, in just my bathing suit and a towel.  Perhaps I was angry with her bossing me around.  Perhaps I was just bored.  Or, perhaps I was just listening to my internal reasoning of what I considered to be "fun," and started walking around the house to the front yard.

 

Here's where my deep intelligence was on display for all to marvel and admire.

 

The sun was beating on my head so I decided to put my damp towel over my head.  Completely over my head...to the point of not being able to see where I was going, over my head.  I imagine my childish intellect advised me to look at my feet and follow the sidewalk.  Which I did successfully for a while.

 

Did I mention I was barefooted? Did I also mention the sidewalk was HOT?  At some point, intelligence told me to walk on the grass...with the towel on my head, completly obscuring my view of where I was going.

 

Perhaps I was playing at looking like a ghost?  My arms were splayed out in front of me, I suppose, in an effort to protect me.

 

Perhaps I was trying to discipher where I was going by trying to see through the totally opaque towel? I'm guessing here.

 

The grass was cool and rewarded my intelligent decision to leave the unobstructed path of the sidewalk.  Cool grass on hot bare feet is amazing!

 

For some reason, which fails me at this moment, I was looking up, under the opaque, damp towel.

 

Suddenly, wham!, I hit the corner of a neighbor's brick house and cut open my chin (ask me sometime and I'll show you my scar).  Brilliant, right?  Immediately the towel came off and doubled as a sponge/bandage to stop the blood flowing (not trickling) from my chin.  I was caught between going home and getting help, or taking care of myself on my own. 

 

 If anyone had been watching me, perhaps they were laughing so hard, doubled over in fits of giggles, that it rendered them unable to give me aid.  In all likelihood, sane people were propped in front of their air conditioners taking naps to pass the heat of the day and not looking out their windows at a ridiculous child wandering around the grass with a towel on her head.

 

Pain is a motivator.  And, it motivated me to go home.  My sister came to my aid, while I endured her yelling at me and, quite possibly, calling me all sorts of unflattering names.  I probably should've gotten stitches.  By the time my parents came home, I was no longer bleeding and properly bandaged.

 

The passage in Proverbs tells us to stop walking around with a towel over our heads (really, look closer!).  The towel on my head was my immature understanding and self counsel.  God wants us to remove the towel of our own understanding, and follow Him.  Trust Him.  Wait on Him to make our lives take the paths He's planned for us.

 

What towel is over your head right now?  What crazy, ridiculous thing/person/activity is drawing your attention away from God and onto your own understanding?

 

For some of you it is a complete focus on getting a boyfriend/girlfriend.

For others it is chasing after the things of this world and not God.

For others it is making everything but God a priority in your life.

For all of us, it is anything we choose in place of putting God first and following Him.

 

What is the promise in verse 8? "It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones."  It's not too late!  Ask God to help you take off that towel obstructing you from following Him.

 

I hope to see you all at our Taco Night tomorrow night! 

 

Love in Christ,

--
Mary E.Hickcox
www.CalvaryBaptistSM.org
http://mary-neotes.blogspot.com/

What Happens in the Dark

Someone once said, "Your character is who you are alone in the dark."  

 

As I've been asking prayer for a college friend of mine, my thoughts drift back to January 2009 and mom.  I won't even imagine losing Frank, so as I try to pray for and identify with my college friend's wife going through the uncertainty of David's heart attack, seizure and road to recovery, I think about what brought me comfort during my mom's diagnosis, hospice care and death due to her brain tumor.

 

I distinctly remember getting the call at work to come over to St. Jospeh's Hospital as the dreaded "C" word (cancer) is spoken over the phone.  In reality, the walk from my office to my mom's hospital room is closer than the walk from the sidewalk in front of our church to the furthest point in the back parking lot.  Faces of patients, coworkers, etc., were a blur to me.  I don't believe I thought at all.  I don't recall praying.  I do recall feeling numb with shock.  Nothing really prepares you for a diagnosis of "inoperable brain cancer."

 

As I walk into mom's hospital room, familiar faces try smiling at me.  Dad tries to explain what's going on.  He crumbles into sobs.  This annoys me.  Someone hugs me and I start to cry.  Quickly, I pull away and apologize, "I can't do this right now (the crying)."  Then I look at my mom, who, for all accounts and purposes, seems pretty happy and oblivious to what is going on.  She thinks she's there due to a recent fall.  Ah, her short term memory is affected.  She doesn't know what is going on.  Needing reliable information, I ask for the neurologist.  A few agonizing moments pass before the expert arrives.  We step into the hallway.  I'm in automatic.  I'm listening and absorbing all the technical terms.  I catch, "need to biopsy the mass."  "Won't know till we analyze the biopsy."  "Two areas in her brain.  One deep.  One near her right temporal lobe on the surface.  Easier to biopsy there without affecting brain function.  Size of a golfball."  I remember thinking, golfballs don't belong in the brain.  Silly.   Fast-foward a few days.  Mom has inoperable brain cancer and is being moved into hospice at Town & Country.

 

From the time mom was diagnosed to her passing, we had exactly 30 days.  I believe it took me about 1-2 days before I actually prayed.  And, the first time I cried out to God was in the dark after everyone was asleep.  What happened there set the tone for the remaining 28 days with my mom.  I know the first few minutes were garbled sobs with staccatoed "Oh Father, help...help me" escaping from my heart and over my lips.

 

All my Christian life, I've known God, His Word and my relationship with Him.  In those desperate moments, Who I thought God was/is and what I believe to be true about Him, coalesced into a defining moment at this point in my life.  It would make the difference between being angry & bitter or thankful & joyful.

 

I remember saying, "God, I know I'm supposed to praise You for this, even this.  I need You to help me do that."  And then, I praised Him for my mom's brain cancer.  I praised Him for being there with me in the dark while the world I knew slept.  There was a sweet peace which followed and allowed me to sleep.  This peace carried me through all the details surrounding the next 28 days with my mom.  Sure, I was still an emotional basket case at times.  Trusting God doesn't mean you don't feel the human, emotional pain of losing somone. 

 

Bottom line, God is God.  Our circumstances don't change Who God is.  But, God certainly uses our circumstances to change us for His glory, honor and praise.  And, knowing God, trusting God and believing God will determine our praise of Him, at all times, but especially in the dark places and times in our lives.

 

Can you praise Him in the dark?  Do you praise Him in private, when only He is smelling the aroma of your praise offering to Him?  That's what today's devo is all about: praising God.

Looking For Work? Ever Considered This Job?

Myself posted by Paula Hendricks on 08/24/11

 

Did you work a summer job this year? Are you looking for one now? I know this probably isn't what you had in mind, but did you know that GOD is looking for workers? Well . . . worshipers, actually!  

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks" (Jesus, John 4:23, emphasis added).

Isn't that incredible?! God's looking for worshipers! How are you doing at worshiping the LORD God Almighty? Would He "hire" you?  

A couple weeks ago, Shannon O'Dell spoke to our staff. He said he bought a car with a sunroof just so he could worship God while he was driving, with one hand on the wheel and the other one out the roof. (Please don't tell your mom I encouraged you to do this—she might kill me!)

Shannon said we shouldn't be worshiping God in public if we're not first doing it in private. (Have you ever thought about raising your hands in worship in your bedroom? When you're watching a sunset on the beach? When your world's just fallen apart?)  

Two weeks ago, when our staff met for a week to seriously seek God, I purposefully chose a seat on the front row, on the far right side of the room. Not because I wanted to show off. It was because I knew myself well enough to know that if I were anywhere else in the room, I'd be distracted by what others were or weren't doing by my (unrighteous) judgments of their worship and by fear of what they thought of my worship. Standing up front meant I couldn't see them, and I felt the freedom to raise my arms in worship, to kneel in worship, to "prostrate myself" before God on my face.  

Girls, let's get serious about worshiping King Jesus. After all, it's why we were created—to make much of HIM! Do what it takes to worship Him freely, even if it means moving from the back of the room to the front of the room. And let's not forget to practice—in public, but first in private! 

--
Mary E.Hickcox
www.CalvaryBaptistSM.org
http://mary-neotes.blogspot.com/

Walking with God

"We all know our peace comes not from how good our circumstances are but rather from how close we are walking with God. We all know life is hard and that we need Him daily. God is our run-to ... He is daily bread and He is faithful. He has never left us and never forsaken us. He is strength to go on no matter how crazy life gets. He has proven every word He says in His Bible true. He loves us with a perfect love, and He is hope when life seems hopeless." Kim Jaggers. Kim is a speaker and author who knows painfully well the mark suicide leaves. Her husband committed suicide 15 years ago.

 

Romans 8:26 - 39
²⁶Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

God's Everlasting Love

 ³¹What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."  ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

What circumstances in your life is God using to make you more like Jesus?

 

This weekend, Frank and I previewed the movie, "Soul Surfer."  It's a movie many of you said you wanted to see, so we purchased it with the plan to have a movie night with all of you.

 

The movie was excellent.  What impressed me more, however, was the personal video Bethany Hamilton (the soul surfer) and friends created, which is on the DVD under "extras."  Weeks before Bethany lost her arm to a shark while surfing, she and her mother had been praying God would reveal His plan for Bethany's life.  They were a committed Christian family and Bethany was at a crossroads of going the professional surfer circuit or something else.  This 13 year old teenager did not become bitter nor angry towards God.  She began to see God's plan for her life: to proclaim the name of Jesus and give Him the glory for her life.  As her Youth Leader commented, "Bethany brought light to a dark industry [professional surfing]."

 

When I rented the van for our camping trip, it came with satellite radio.  We were able to listen to Christian music exclusively in the van.  Some of my fondest memories on that trip revolved around that Christian station: cranking it up when the Revelation Song came on and Christine Byars and I singing along as loudly as we could; having my whole van sing with Chris Tomlin's "Our God" as loud as they could and two little heads (Christine and Alex) bopping back in forth in the back of the van; and hearing, many, many times, the song, "Blessings" by Laura Story. 

 

It seemed I always caught the song halfway through.  It wasn't until our drive home that I heard the complete song.

 

Wow.

 

Here are the lyrics for you:

 

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
* It's not our home *

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

 

Thank God for whatever your trials are today - good or bad.  He will use all things to chip away at us and make us more into the image of Jesus.  And, it will be pleasing to Him.

 

I love you all and pray for you daily!

--
Mary E.Hickcox
www.CalvaryBaptistSM.org
http://mary-neotes.blogspot.com/

Thoughts after Pismo...

With great anticipation for what God would do, Frank and I prayed for and eagerly awaited our 7 day/6 night Pismo Beach Camping Trip.

 

Pismo is over.  The spiritual sparks ignited that week continue on.

 

What did you learn about God, yourself and others?

 

You all completed the "One Anothers." 

Do you realize you lived them out all week long? 

How crazy is that!!!???

 A.    Love one another.  John 13:34-35  

I learned to not go it alone.  Trying to be efficient, I went to the grocery store while all of you were listening to Frank on Sunday evening.  There, I met Jan, a South African Jewish man who isn't religious, but has many religious friends.  Jan's view of God was quite whimsical and based on man's view, not as Jehovah God reveals Himself to you and me in His love letter to us, the Bible.  Pray for Jan's salvation.  I challenged him to read Isaiah 53.  He promised he would.  After 45 minutes, I hadn't finished my shopping and Frank was texting me out of concern, "where are you?"  Perhaps, had another been with me, the conversation with Jan might have been more fruitful.

 B.    Submit to one another. Ephesians 5:18-21

 The Truth that submitting to Frank pleases God was reinforced all week long.   As I bit my tongue and waited out most situations, God worked through Frank to say just the right things and elicit deep, soul searching responses from you.  A great example of this was the testimony time around the campfire on Friday night.  As we started, I saw the discomfort and look of fear in some of your eyes.  At one point, I tried to get Frank's attention and suggest he ask for volunteers rather than go around the circle.  I'm so glad God didn't allow that to happen.  What happened was amazing, God honoring and the final bonding of a group responding to each other's testimony.  We found out we had so much in common.  We found out the impact faithful men in our church have on your families.  We found out we all struggle in similar areas and share the Spirit of the living God.  We also found out some are still struggling with their salvation and haven't come to faith in Christ yet.  We found out one made a decision for Christ that week!  What a huge, immediate lesson to me on remaining quiet, to continue in prayer and to submit to the God ordained leadership of my husband and spiritual leader.

C.    Be humble toward one another. 1Peter 5:5

D.    Forgive one another. Ephesians 4:32  

I learned waiting on God's timing brings healing and a renewed relationship.  This one is too personal to share in detail.  But, God allowed me the opportunity to make right a wrong and seek forgiveness.  The sweet unity that followed was so deeply restoring and honoring to Christ.  I am so thankful I waited and God blessed me so richly!

E.    Spur (Encourage) one another on. Hebrews 10:23-25 

I was reminded how God gives us exactly what we need at just the right time.  Honestly, Frank and I shouldn't have physically made it through the hectic schedule created for this trip!  Even Andrew commented by saying, "how do you guys keep up this pace!?"  My only explanation is God.  He gave us an extra dose of energy, patience, love and care for all of you.  It is really cool when you think about it.  It wasn't us at all...two almost 50ish adults climbing sand dunes at midnight, getting up after 4 hours of sleep, playing paintball, barking out game rules, teaching, singing, driving (and not falling asleep)...it had to be God's Spirit rejuvenating us, keeping us awake and enthusiastic all week long.  We asked for God's help, and He overwhelmed us with His grace and mercy all week long!  Praise God!

F.    Bear with one another. Teach, admonish each other. Colossians 3:12-17   

I was reminded how precious the time is when we get alone with God.  My heart burst with joy each time I observed you all seriously pursuing your Personal God Time.  It encouraged my heart and made my alone time with God that much sweeter.

G.    Offer hospitality to one another. Minister gifts to one another.  1 Peter 4:8-11  

I had the joy of observing the Body of Christ united and working together.  As Adam said on Sunday, each of you brought different perspectives to the Personal God Time.  And, because we didn't place demanding parameters on you, and waited for God to work in His way, you broke off into groups and discussed some of the harder questions.  You even kept discussing them while doing other things.  That, my sweet brothers and sisters in Christ, is exactly how the Body is suppose to work, how fellowship encourages us to grow in Christ and how we can enjoy God in all situations and circumstances.  I know our week together is a bubble like experience, where the distractions of daily life are removed, but you all had a taste of what it means to live out the Christian life in work, play, friendships and Bible study.

H.    Confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another.   James 5:10-16   

I heard your heartbreak as you revealed struggles in your lives, your families and your faith in Christ.  My heart broke for you.  And, know I pray for each burden shared...each personal heartbreak spoken, and, the ones unspoken.

 

What God did all week long is all that mattered on this trip!  Sure we had fun, we played some silly games, we kept busy – but through it all, God was at work drawing us closer to Him, to each other and to a deeper relationship with Jesus.

 

The best part, the fellowship we enjoyed, the personal God time we shared, the testimonies we revealed, don't have to end when Pismo is over.  I hope you realize that!  I hope you are looking for ways to live in God's presence, care more about what He thinks and glorify Him with your life.  I hope friendships flourish.  I hope memories of a great week spur you on to love and good deeds until each time we can meet again.

 

Frank and I love you all, very dearly, and pray you fall truly, madly, deeply in love with God.  Everything in this world, in this life, may satisfy for a brief moment...but only God satisfies completely.

 

Augustine was spot on when he observed this truth: "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You…"

 

What did you learn at Pismo?

--
Mary E.Hickcox
www.CalvaryBaptistSM.org
http://mary-neotes.blogspot.com/