Depend on God

 But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:8

We all from time to time like to take the time to plan a vacation and what better way to do that then to look at travel sites, magazines and brouchures. I picked up a brochure describing the statistics of Lake Tahoe’s massive expanse: 39 trillion gallons of water, average depth 1,000 feet, 72 miles of shoreline and 99.9% pure glacier run off into this ancient crater. Stunningly, if you could pour all the water in Tahoe over the state of California it would be covered in 14 inches of water. God graciously spoke to my heart, “focus on the depth of our relationship and I will take care of the breadth of your ministry.” Deep spiritual roots create a sustainable dependence on God.

The prophet Jeremiah gives us a picture of a tree planted next to an ever flowing stream of water. Its root system gradually digs deep into the moist soil. It never lacks liquid nourishment for the green leaves high above the ground. God’s prophet says those whose confidence is in the Lord is like one who stays planted beside His living waters. Daily doses of Jesus grow us in grace, mercy, anointing, and strength. A life that always lingers near the source of life is sustained by the Spirit. The winds of adversity only cause us to bow down to Christ in praise. Faithfulness bears fruit even in heated situations.

“Remain in me [Christ], as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” (John 15:4).

Our need for autonomy can be an enemy to our dependence on God. Jesus is not an add on to a full and balanced life, He is our life. It dishonors our Savior to use Him as a last resort only after we have exhausted ourselves and our resources. In contrast, when our confidence is in Christ our default is to depend on Him. Like a healthy tree’s roots automatically reach beyond itself for sustenance, so we who trust in the Lord, as a matter of course, cling to Christ for our spiritual sustenance. Autonomy thinks it sustains itself, dependency knows it is sustained by God.

Therefore, make sure the roots of your trust flow deeply in dependence on your Savior Jesus. Burst out of your cocoon of false security and fly by faith like a beautiful butterfly on a mission. Seek first God’s kingdom, not striving to build your own kingdom. Pray for bigger ways to give and avoid building bigger barns to stockpile stuff. Perhaps you downsize so you can upsize for the Lord. Faith rooted in Jesus remains fruitful, growing the green leaves of God’s grace, even during a spiritual drought. Autonomy fears loss, dependency rests in God’s peace and love.

“Whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3).

Stillness

 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Be still with the Savior, for it positions us to see and hear God clearly. Stillness sets us free from busyness that can betray our trust in God. It is hard to be still in a society that values busyness and suspects and downplays the importance of stillness. We are made to feel guilty if we are not constantly on the go by the world. Why else would we stay habitually connected to computers, ipads, phones, social media, television, netflix, hulu, etc. etc. and caffeine? However, busyness is not a badge of honor, but a sad and seductive addiction. Overdone busyness is a lack of focus on God and His provision. However, to “be still” is the standard for serious followers of Jesus. Be still and rest; Be still and reflect; Be still and think; Be still and pray; Be still and write; Be still and enjoy your family; Be still with no agenda; Be still and see things more clearly; Be still and know He is God. Be still and remember His word and promises to us.  Being still is an investment that pays into eternity. Practicing stillness regularly means we trust God with the big things such as relationships, the future, finances, family, a job, and our health. Stillness also means we come to understand the small things and don’t sweat them because we know our Savior is in control. Stillness aligns our hearts with God. It is in our expressive stillness that we muse and meditate on His grace. Yes, there are seasons of busyness that make stillness seem foreign. An infant requires intense attention. A move to another home involves significantly increased activity. Launching a business or a ministry is an all-consuming affair. Starting something new most likely means you are extremely busy. However, do not use your busyness as an excuse to ignore God. Push back from your fatigue that comes from forgetting to be still. In our busyness, we can still carve out time to be still with Christ. Busyness is not meant to be a habit; it’s meant to be for a time. We are not designed to stay there. We move on and don’t allow busyness to backlog. We pass through busyness on the way to being still. Lastly, fill your stillness with the significance of knowing God. This is a potent perspective that facilitates faith and trust in the Lord. It is here that we are humbled with a massive dose of dependency on divine guidance and wisdom. It is in our stillness that we see God for who He is, high and lifted up, deserving of our honor, praise, and adoration. The sovereignty of God screams in our stillness. God grows bigger when we slow down and rest in the shadow of His stature. It is in our stillness that we see the unseen activity of the Lord our God. The Holy Spirit is melting hard hearts. He is orchestrating authorities in our life to bend them and us toward God. He is drawing men and women to Himself in the middle of Christless cultures. Stillness shows us what our Savior is up to, and gives us a living hope that can be ours daily and regularly. Stillness shows us the way. Stillness is God’s way of working with us. Stillness saves time. Be still, and we will see Him exalted among the nations and in the earth. Stillness knows God.

A leaders heart

His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 17:6

What is the difference between devotion and discipline? Is one more valuable than the other? Devotion is an overriding commitment to Christ and His way of doing things. It engages the heart, mind, and soul in learning the ways of the Lord and then applying them through our daily living. Devotion must be the driving force behind a disciple’s faith for them to persevere in Christ’s call on their life of being influential and impactful. Your devotion to God dictates how you will live your life.

Discipline, on the other hand, is the ability to stay focused on the task at hand. It finishes the assignment or completes the course. A disciplined person trains to improve their strength and self-control. They are religious at carrying out routines, fulfilling checklists, and getting things done. Discipline is designed to grow your faith, with regular readings from God’s Word, and engaging prayers of praise, thanksgiving, confession, and repentance.

However, we must make sure our discipline is driven by our devotion or we become judgmental, callous, and insensitive like a pharisee. Devotion to Christ first keeps our heart of faith full of grace, love, compassion, forgiveness, and truth. Discipline without devotion is like a billowing cloud that gives no refreshing rain. It can become so rigid in its rules that it causes decent and devoted people to flee. Disciplined leaders are wise to not substitute their warm devotion for cold discipline. So, apply devotion to both God and people. 

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10).

We need to be into practice directing our passionate devotion to focus on one thing. Like Paul, learn to channel all our energies into one endeavor, and see it through to the end. “Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah” (Acts 18:5). It is better to complete one task than to start a dozen and leave them all incomplete. Indeed, our devotion to Christ determines our discipline over the long term. Keep this your motivation, and discipline will follow. A heart devoted to the Lord’s ways does not stray away.

Start at home

 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.  Joshua 24:15

What does it mean to be the spiritual leader of my home? Do I have to reach a certain level of spiritual maturity before I qualify? What if my wife is more spiritual than I am? Shouldn’t she be the spiritual leader? Spiritual leadership is determined by position, not knowledge. God places a man in the role of spiritual leader to lead his wife and children in faith. 

Our wife and children may know more of the Bible, but the Lord still holds us responsible for their spiritual well-being. So as husbands and fathers, we have to ask ourselves, “What are we doing to lead our family spiritually?” This non-optional assignment from Almighty God forces us into faith-based behavior. We want to model daily time in Bible reading and prayer. Spiritual leaders show the way in knowing God. 

“The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family” (Acts 16:34). 

Spiritual leadership does not require a graduate degree in theology, but it does require a degree of planning and preparation. Spiritual leaders create a prayerful plan of intentional actions that expose their family to faith opportunities. You spend time looking for houses of worship that meet the needs of your wife and child, much as you would seek out the right home or school that also meet their needs. Spiritual leadership seeks out a church. 

“Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool” (Psalm 132:7). 

Men who make it a big deal to lead their family spiritually make the most difference at home and in the community. Your investment in family Bible study, your example of faith under fire, and your Christlike character are living testaments to the truth of God. 

Talk about the Lord when you linger in traffic with your children, pray with them when they are fearful and upset, hold your wife’s hand and listen to her heart, sign up for the next marriage retreat, and serve others unselfishly. You can’t control the culture, but you and your house can serve the Lord. Spiritual leaders lead their family to love God. 

“For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:23-24). 

Silence is golden

 In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15

A five-day silent retreat is not required if you want to hear from God or grow a disciplined walk with Christ. But if you can afford this investment of time beloved you will not be disappointed. Always remember, prayer saves us time by aligning our agendas and will with God’s agenda and will for the day and our lives. Prayer is what fuels our faith and empowers our work, and service unto the Lord and others. It is important that we creatively manage our routines around experiencing the Lord in prayer, meditation, praise, fellowship,  Bible study, reflection, and worship. As there is a universal language the Lord speaks, it is silence. Quietly read these next few sentences. Perhaps turn off your phone, tv, music and all distracting things. Listen: the Lord is speaking, and He is speaking to you.  Avail the ear of your soul.
 
“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it…Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:15,18).
 
Isaiah in this moment described the Sovereign Lord’s heart for His people to enjoy their salvation through repentance, rest, quietness, and trust. These attributes were the fuel for their strength. Though they initially resisted, the Lord remained compassionate to remind them of His justice. If they would wait for Him, He would fulfill His promises to His people. Blessings come when we wait for God’s hand and His best. When burdens beset us we don’t panic and act like we are alone, but quietly trust in the Lord. 
 
Silence is the soul’s remedy for spiritual fatigue. Be still, be quiet and listen to the voice of Love that comes from our Lord.
 
Are you becoming fluent in God’s language of silence? Are you able to comprehend what the Lord says to your heart through Holy Spirit inspired scripture, and through His creation? Be still and know He is God. Be still and know He is. Be still and know Him. Be still and know. Be still. Be. This is something to be learned, just like any new language. A linguist devotes their skill and energy to learn a new language, and in time is conversationally fluent. So, stay immersed in the process. Our heavenly Father is patient to work with us where we are. Also learn from others who speak the language of silence fluently. God’s language is not to be taken lightly. Let us take the time to silence our heart and we will grow into a disciples who finish well.

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
 
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:2-3).