The Process

I am secluded in the hills. For that reason, I do not have a prayer partner for the SOLUTIONS process through which I am leading my church. Therefore, I will make all of you my prayer partners and record my journal here.

I share them because some of the concepts with which I grapple can be transferred and contextualized to your own life.

Yesterday was a traveling day and I did not get to post. So, we'll have two entries today.

Day 1 - Seek

My reflections on Deuteronomy - What struck me were these words:

"The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb,"

I am taking them a bit out of context here, but they spoke to me in the midst of real concern for my kids and grandchildren. I seem to focus on many tasks at once - and sometimes do, but when there are problems with my children and worries about their futures, I sometimes become very single minded. I have spent a great many hours in prayer for them. At the same time, I need to focus on the tasks that have brought me to the mountains.

Full integration  of life and faith is a spiritual exercise of trust in God. I trust God that He will provide for our church, our church families, and me and my family. Increase is His mode of operation.

From Matthew 7 - Seeking is not divorced from asking and knocking. How many knocks does it take to get someone to come to the door? God is no fickle and is not playing games with us, but He does want us to persist in prayer. He wants our participation. Likewise, He wants to tell us what He is doing in a way that we can understand His larger purposes and to the extent that we are ready and able to receive them.

When do I stop seeking? When do I stop knocking or asking?

At least not until I have an answer that leads me to stop. I believe that God knows things that i don't know and that none of us know. Some of those things are the answer to whatever challenges we face as individuals, as a community, and as a church. Some of that He wishes to share with us so that we can join Him in His work.

If I do not seek, I will not find.

Day 2 - Obey

From Deuteronomy - I am to fully obey and carefully follow. I know I am often lax and casual about holy things. This cannot be if I am to enter into the promises of God fully and completely. I do not see a call to prudish "sourpussism" here, but to joyful embrace of the ways of God. Obedience is a thing of great joy!

Samuel told Saul that it is better than sacrifice in I Samuel 15:22.

God isn't as much interested in how miserable I make myself in the course of following Him as He is in my willingness to follow and in my follow-through on that commitment. I can offer everything I have, but it does not matter if I do not offer who I am.

Jesus said that this yoke is easy and this burden light. It doesn't always seem that way, but it seems less that way when I am waging war with god over His simple instructions.

God is not interested in controversy over this business of obedience. He just wants me to do it.

It may mean doing just what i am doing now - sitting in a cabin alone in the mountains seeking Him, writing/finishing a book I have been putting off for years, letting Him take care of the problems at home, and learning to trust Him - which is the first and greatest act of obedience.