The Impossibility of The Natural

Many days I spend much more time than I'm willing to admit just staring at my computer screen, waiting just waiting.  I wait for an answer, sitting before the computer as if it were an oracle that held the answers to the meaning of life, or maybe just the problems at hand.  The hard truth is there are no answers there, just the information that has been programmed into it by man.  I sit here searching for answers to questions such as: what decision to make, where to get the money to pay this bill or that, various HR issues and others.  As I sit here I realize that I am confounded by the impossibility of the natural, the idea that something man-made can provide the answers that I seek.  This idea is a trap that many find ourselves in, the idea that any problem or question can be solved solely by more effort or more work or more money spent on a problem that we can solve the issue ourselves in the natural, on our own.  I have spent a good part of today doing just this, looking for my answers in the natural, and I am once again reminded of the futility of this when the answers that I seek have already been given to me, in my language, in one book (that I have many copies of).  I know that I have to do my part, but sometimes I forget that includes going to my Bible for these answers and then standing in Faith that what God said will come to pass. 

Psalm 27:13-14
13 Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the LORD.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the LORD

Isaiah 26:3

³ You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

But I haaaate minivans!

so we are on a business trip and we did all the right things as far as planning.  Way in advance we made hotel, plane and rental car reservations (as a preferred member no less).  Upon arrival we get to the preferred member board and instead of having our car number there next to my name it says go to preferred desk.  Great, at the desk we are told that they don't have any cars left just minivans!  Wonderful, apparently we are in the minivan capitol of the world!  So we go to our assigned minivan (complaining all the way and complaining loading our luggage while checking for damage ect) and my strong dislike of minivans seems well earned.  As I was loading the minivan it hit me how much complaining I was doing and I said Lord thank you that we don't have to take the bus or the airport shuttle or a taxi or walk I'm going to stop complaining now.  When I got in and started the vehicle the satellite radio came on and we changed it to 128 which is Joel Osteen radio and his topic is complaining!  Wow!  As we backed out of our space we lost the signal (this airport has the rental car lots in a parking garage).  Normally, by which I mean never, I don't activate the sat radio when I reserve the car, I love it and have it on one of our personal cars but for the time I'll be in a rental I just don't think it is worse the money.  However, on this trip not only have I been driving way more than usual but I have been alone most of the time all the while listening to Joel Osteen radio.  The enemy, loves to come after us when we are weakest and for me that is usually when I'm alone.  That's when tries to find an opening for his lies that's when he tries to get to lose my faith on the promises from God that I am believing on that I am praying for.  The enemy tried to ruin our trip by substituting a vehicle I hate but God knew I would need the encouragement from his word to get through this week so he took what the enemy meant for my harm and used it for my good, and he did by turning on the satellite radio.  Come'on Jesus!

Sometimes it really is that simple

While doing payroll today, I was trying to figure out the right way to pay holiday pay for an employee for the day after Thanksgiving.  Normally it would be this employee's day off but not always as she is more than willing to work this day of the week if needed.  As I was sitting at my desk (staring at my cubicle wall but not really seeing anything) and trying to decide whether to just do it or go look-up how I have done it in the past a paper that I had just pinned to the wall this morning suddenly came into focus.  It is a printout of a prayer that my wife had written some time ago and had been buried on my desk for the last month, the line that came into view was "God I plan to keep on giving to others....  Problem solved.

A word

Today in my time of trial and anxiety, in the mist of my fear, I am reminded of what the prophet Elisha told his servant when they were surrounded by the Syrians: And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 2 Kings 6:16.  Until the day comes when the Lord opens my eyes that I might see his great host encamped around me I will believe and receive it, I will stand in faith that it is so.  In addition I am standing in faith on the other things the Bible says about us such as: Romans 8:31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?  If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  If the words of one of God's prophets and one of his Apostles is not enough, then look no further than what God himself says in: Psalm 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.



 
 
 
 
 

Stand To

One of the things that I learned in my time in the military was that there is a time each night, right before dawn, that is darker and colder than the rest of the night.  This time is also the most likely time of the night that your enemy will try to attack you.  To counter this the military has what they call Stand-To.  During Stand-To everyone is up, has all of their combat gear and are in their foxholes waiting for the attack.  Stand-to continues until dawn, when the chance of attack lessens and you revert back to whatever the normal security protocol is.  Today in our spiritual battle our enemy acts in a similar fashion.  Anytime that God has an increase planned for us, there is always a period right before the blessing where then enemy tries to block it by bringing us into this place where it is darkest before the dawn to try to get us to waiver or even break in our faith that God is bringing the blessing.  Today, I am, like many of you, in my foxhole and it is darker and colder then the rest of the night and the enemy has brought his lies and his minions to attack me once again.  But I know that the dawn is coming that the light of almighty God will come and chase Deceiver and his forces away if I can just hold my position if I will just stand in faith, I know deliverance is at hand.  I remind myself what Elisha told his servant when they were surrounded in 2 Kings 6: 16: "So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  This is always the case God will show up in a supernatural way if we are willing to stand in faith, remember all of the times that God has pulled us out of darkness, all the time he has come to our rescue.  I know it's not easy, I am struggling with this in my life right now, but I know that if God were to open my eyes like he opened the eyes of Elisha's servant, I too would see that the hillside around me is filled with horses and chariots of fire, that those who are for me are greater than those who are against me.  I haven't had that happen yet, so I am going to stand in faith that God is bringing me the victory and when the Deceiver shows up I will rebuke him with all the times that God has done the impossible in my life in spite of the lies of Satan.  This is where the rubber meets the road as they say, it is so easy to say you are standing in faith when things are going your way, when then enemy comes to challenge your faith you can run or you can hold the line knowing that God is with us, that God is for us and not against us remembering what Paul says in Romans 8:31 "What shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  I say to you, that I know God is for us and because of that Satan can only win if we give up.

First Fruits

Not 2 weeks ago a prospective client said they would not be selecting us for their health plan.  We have known this prospect for a while, because they are a health care provider, and we've had a really difficult relationship with this practice (they seem to have a preconceived idea that what we do is negative  (in our opinion that's unfair and unfounded)).  It was not a surprise when we got the news, so we accepted it and moved on.  However, we have been praying and believing for God to bring us new business for some time now and recently we've been asking God to bring us business that it's obvious he is the source of.  So, we shouldn't have been surprised (but we admit we were) today when we get the call that this practice is indeed selecting us for their health plan!  It is hard to describe here but there is absolutely no way that this is anything other than God's grace, His mercy and His provision.  What we have been through with this practice, the only way they would have made this choice is from Divine intervention.

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Security

In our business we send a lot of mail.  I have been wanting to make the switch to security tinted envelopes, but have hesitated over the cost which is as much as 2.5 times the cost of non-tinted.  Recently, I made the switch and began using tinted envelopes despite the cost.  I did worry about the increase in overhead but I decided to give it up to God, that since he put the desire to make the switch in my  heart, he would also work out the increase in cost.  Just a few days ago while out shopping, I stopped in the bargain area of our local retailer and guess what I found.  That's right enough tinted, windowed envelopes to last at least 6 months if not longer and priced less than the non-tinted windowed envelopes that we used to order.  Jehovah Jireh, the LORD will provide.

Genesis 22:14
¹⁴ And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide;^[b] as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”