Points to Ponder:

Sometimes God puts us in a tight spot to get our attention!

God sent me to Japan when I joined the army without His permission. It was there I accepted the call to preach.

Sometimes we put ourselves in a tight spot because we will not listen to God.

One of my nieces and her husband moved to get away from problems. There they found even more problems, but it brought both of them to the Lord.

Today’s scripture is God’s word to Solomon after the dedication of the Temple. There several distinct points in this very powerful verse.

1.      “My People.” God still claims us even when we have rotten attitudes! Some parents actually tell their children, “If you are going to act like that then never call me again.” I understand that sometimes adult children act like brats and limits have to be set on them. However, I cannot imagine disowning a child. Neither can God.

2.      Humble ourselves. Now we get into OUR responsibility! The key here is God reliance, not self reliance. That key opens the door to OBEDIENCE. Another objective is to give God the honor and glory, not praise ourselves. A humble person is not a self-serving person.

3.      “Seek My face.” This means to enter the very presence of God. It is a spiritual journey. According to Ephesians 2:6-7 we are already “seated with Christ in heavenly places.”

This is not hocus-pocus. We who are God’s children by virtue of the second birth have God living in us… we can consult with God at any time in any situation. But you will not know the full power and glory of God if you are living in rebellion by doing what you should not or refusing to do what you should!

God is not hiding from us… He is as close as we want Him to be! One man described his prayer life by saying that after he had spent some time in prayer he realized that he had done all the talking. He had not listened to God at all. He remarked, “Here I am, a man who knows so little, in the very presence of the Person who has all knowledge, and I was doing all the talking! How dumb can that be?”

4.      “Turn from your wicked ways.”

a.     WE have to change. God does not have wicked ways to turn away from!

b.    God will help us… but we have to make the first move.

c.     We have to take personal responsibility… that goes with the freedom God has given us.

d.    Genesis 4:7, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

5.      Then God will hear from heaven. This is a “If – then” situation. If we will do our part, God will do his. But you can’t fool God!

6.      First, we will be forgiven.

7.      Second, He will heal our land.

8.      No time line is given. It’s not like putting a dollar in the slot at the car wash and getting out 4 quarters. It’s more like planting wheat. It takes a while for it to come up!

 ***  “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17  ***

As the father of the epileptic boy said to Jesus,
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

          God gives every person “the measure of faith.” Without that measure of faith, we could not believe God for salvation – or even believe that there is a God.

          From then on, the quality of our faith walk is directly in proportion to our obedience and our understanding of the scriptures. This is why we say over and over, “Spend time in prayer.” “Spend time in the scriptures.”

William Booth wrote, “Faith and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again -- until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other.”

William Booth in “The Founder's Messages to Soldiers”, Christianity Today, October 5, 1992, p. 48.

Faith honors God and God honors faith! A story from the life of missionaries Robert and Mary Moffat illustrates this truth. For 10 years this couple labored faithfully in Bechuanaland (now called Botswana) without one ray of encouragement to brighten their way.

They could not report a single convert. Finally the directors of their mission board began to question the wisdom of continuing the work. The thought of leaving their post, however, brought great grief to this devoted couple, for they felt sure that God was in their labors, and that they would see people turn to Christ in due season.

They stayed; and for a year or two longer, darkness reigned. Then one day a friend in England sent word to the Moffats that she wanted to mail them a gift and asked what they would like. Trusting that in time the Lord would bless their work, Mrs. Moffat replied, "Send us a communion set; I am sure it will soon be needed."

God honored that dear woman's faith. The Holy Spirit moved upon the hearts of the villagers, and soon a little group of six converts was united to form the first Christian church in that land. The communion set from England was delayed in the mail; but on the very day before the first commemoration of the Lord's super in Bechuanaland, the set arrived. Source Unknown

          How strong is your faith today… do you want more? The speaker at the Lions Club meeting Wednesday night noted that the better the quality of our work, the more work we will be given to do… only she said it better than that. The important thing is that the more responsibility we accept in doing God’s work the more opportunities God will send our way.

          There is a method in His action – much faithfulness here means greater rewards there! Every day on earth prepares us for our eternal future! Wow! What a powerful investment return!

          God is calling each of us to ever-increasing faith. Are you ready for the task? Can you be like the faithful missionary that labored for years and years, and still had faith to order a communion set even though they had not seen results in all that time?

          I’m ready – and I hope you will make the journey with me!

 Pastor Leon