BE-CAUSE

Why do you do what you do?

This was the question asked to my husband & I the other day by a pastor friend of ours. At first I looked at him like why would you ask such a question, when the answer should be obvious. I truly had to fight the temptation not to say that to him. So I stood there processing for a minute because there were many different religious answers forming in my mind.

 I didn't want to seem clueless so I answered, "Be-CAUSE” Jesus has set me free. I want others to experience this same freedom.”  I thought to myself, "Yeah that sounds good to me." That sounds like the right answer to give when a pastor asks you a question about the motives of your pursuits. The pastor nodded his head in agreement and began expounding on the reason for his question. I kept myself engaged in conversation with him, but my thoughts kept taking me back to his question.

WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?

Although the pastor seemed satisfied with my answer (at least he made it appear that way) for me the answer just seemed to float on the inside of me. It was as if it had no weight to it.  It wasn’t that my answer was untruthful. That wasn't it at all. The thing that troubled me about my answer was that it was a surface answer. It was the typical answer. It was the answer a good Christian gives to be safe or to avoid further questioning. Besides, what other purpose is there than helping people know Jesus?

The truth be told, I did not have a specific answer to the pastor's question and that bothered me. It was something that had been frustrating me for a while. It was the -WHAT IS YOUR BE-CAUSE? What cause needed to be in my life? What is the BE-CAUSE if I don't do it people will die? What is the thing that God wants to use me to show Himself mighty through? I have been doing a lot, but not finding satisfaction. I took his question as, “What is the beautiful scenery of the big picture that all these little puzzle pieces are going to make?”

Ugh, God has not shown me the big picture yet, and you would think by now He would have. Right, now all I have is a bunch of fragmented moments.

These questions were starting to plague my mind; they were becoming a trap. It isn't that these are forbidden questions. It is simply that they were being used as distractions. If the enemy could get me so focused on what I didn’t know about my future instead of what I did, then he knew I would get discouraged, irritated and outright confused.

The realization is, I do not know all of why I do what I do. And you too, like me, may not know the depth of all you do. God may not have pin pointed a certain BE-CAUSE in your life, but just because He hasn’t doesn’t mean He won’t. Be assured that it will happen in His time. It is not wrong to want to know what your be-cause is and it’s not wrong to not know it.  Don’t be hard on yourself. Remember not to let impatience or frustration cause you to discount everything else that has and is happening in your life. There are things we do that may not seem to have a significant meaning as it stands. However, we must not discard them so quickly. It may very well be the piece that completes the puzzle.

Sometimes our be-cause will come in a bright light on the road to Damascus like Paul (Acts 26:13-18) or -be kinda surface like mine was and other times it may be -I'm not sure yet. Our ultimate because is unfolding everyday and the more we obediently trust Him; the closer we come to the revealing of what He has ordained for us. All things are working together for our good. Don't lose heart. You are on the verge of an answered BE-CAUSE! 

Prairie Dog Showdown

Read and meditate on Job 30:13

The car drove down the road and suddenly stopped, facing a prairie dog head on. The prairie dog looks innocent enough, with its cute little stance and cuddly face, but it carries the bubonic plague, digs up the ground, making it difficult for ranch owners and all those in the neighborhood as those holes cripple horses and other livestock if they step in them, and are just an overall nuisance.

I watched as the car waited for the prairie dog to move. It stood as a little sentinel, and then ran back and forth in front of the car. The driver then honked. I couldn’t help but release a little chuckle. To think that a little prairie dog could cause that little drama made me laugh.

Just behind the car was a truck coming up the road. The driver saw what was happening with the other car and simply drove past both. They didn’t let either obstacle stop them. As silly as it sounds, we need to be the driver in the truck.

Don’t let the enemy stop you from reaching your destination. Simply drive beyond what he has put in your way to slow you down. If we stop and give opportunity to the enemy, he will definitely distract us from reaching our destination.

By. Erica Alexander

ABUNDANT HOPE

Lately I have been meditating on the word hope. We are admonished in the Bible to have hope, but what exactly is hope? Is hope faith? Is it a feel good sensation that fills your heart when the preacher gives a compelling message? Or is it the inspirational word used during Christmas time? Not at all. Hope is much more. Hope is joyful, earnest expectation. To expect something is to look forward to it with assurance that you will attain it.

To hope is not the same as to wish. There is no certainty, or assurance in wishing. It's like saying, “I want this to happen but, there's a possibility it won't.” Let me give you an example. One day during church service, Alex announced that he had been praying to get a good job and asked those in the congregation to pray as well. Immediately the pastor called him forward so he could pray for him. The pastor placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder and said, "Alex, God is going to grant your petition.” Alex looked up at the pastor and said, "I sure hope so.” In all actuality he was saying, "That's what I'm wishing for. I don't know if a good job is what God wants for me, but maybe it is and He just might help me get one.” Now a response like that doesn't sound like joyful, earnest expectation to me. It sounds more like doubt and unbelief.

 Romans 4:18-22 (NKJV) gives us a true example of hope:

18 Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Abraham was 100 years old and his body was past what seemed physically possible to produce a child. He considered not only himself to be too old, but his wife also. Nevertheless, he trusted God to be faithful to perform what He had promised.

This is the true picture of hope. Hope is expecting to see what God has promised come to pass no matter what things look like in your life. You may be in a situation right now that looks as good as dead, but hope believes even if a thing dies. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. You might even be standing in front of an incredible mountain. Hope believes God has given you the authority to speak to it and tell it to move.

Hope is not maybe it will happen or I'm wishing it does happen.

Hope is joyful, earnest expectation in God!

Hope is trusting.

Hope maintains the spiritual vision of faith.

It is CRITICAL for every believer to have hope because hope keeps us moving forward. It’s more than just a mere emotion. It is our passion, our driving force, leading us, rather than pushing us. Every time doubt creeps up, hope begins to remind us of the promise and how determined we are to see it; seeing and receiving looks much better than not. God promised to give us a hope and a future. Don't be discouraged because the thing you desire is being prolonged. Keep your focus on the fact that it is coming and praise God for it.

I believe the more we thank God and show how appreciative and excited we are for His coming promise, the more He wants to give it to us.

Our hope/expectation in God is His delight.

Do not lose hope! The promises of God in Him are, “Yes!” and “Amen!” and they are coming your way!

Daily Declaration-I AM ABUNDANT WITH HOPE

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.        Romans 15:13 (NASB)