We Can Depend On God

WE CAN DEPEND ON GOD

We can depend on God to lead us even though we cannot see the big picture. We have Someone who is higher than us and He can see what we cannot see. We may be surrounded by problems or obstacles that cause our vision to be blurred, but God wants to come and lift us up so that we can see things from His perspective and be changed.

Psalm 61:2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

SEEING THINGS FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE BRINGS CHANGE

When we see things from God’s perspective things change. When Moses saw the burning bush and God spoke to him, things changed. When Joseph had his dreams and saw a glimpse of what God had it sustained him through all that He was about to face. When the disciples discovered that they had a purpose and destiny to spread the Good News about Jesus to the world, they changed. The same is true for you and me. When we catch a glimpse of what God wants to do everything changes. We may see things dimly now, but a time is coming when we will see things clearly and we can look forward to that.

1 Corinthians 13:12 In the same way, we can see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face-to-face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now.

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God’s Ways

OUR THOUGHTS AND GOD THOUGHTS
Our thoughts have profound effect on our lives. In our minds, if we have to admit it, we are filtering everything we see, hear and are exposed to through our minds. It is strange but we tend to have thoughts, opinions and perspectives on every conceivable thing, even things we may have nothing to do with or things that really don’t affect us. The problem is that these thoughts are usually very dominant in our lives and they seldom match up to God’s thoughts. This is where the conflict comes in.

Isaiah 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.

It is for this reason that we need to become flexible in our opinions and thoughts so that we can catch a glimpse of God’s heart. In my dealings with people I have discovered that it is this inability to entertain another view or perspective that robs us of seeing and doing what God has for us.

GOD’S WAYS
God’s ways is another aspect that we don’t always fully understand.

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Because God sees the bigger picture, He knows why He is doing or allowing certain things to happen in our lives.

In the life of Joseph we see how he went from being the favored son, to becoming a slave and being falsely accused and ending up in jail. No human would have thought this was the best route to go. But God saw something different. Joseph himself must have often believed that both he and God had missed the boat. But nothing had altered God’s plan.

Moses is another example. God had chosen him to bring the nation of Israel out of captivity and yet God leaves him to wonder around the desert looking after sheep for many years while millions of people suffered. It does not make sense to a human mind, but God had a plan and when His time came He did as He had planned and promised and delivered His people from slavery.

It is not for use to try and understand God’s way – we cannot, it is for us to simply endeavor to fit into His plan from day to day and watch the big picture unfold as we are faithful.

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Seeing Life from God’s Perspective

SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE

When we begin to see life from God’s perspective we see life differently. Many of the great men and women of God have had an understanding of God’s perspective and that has changed their lives.

Moses is a prime example. He had run away from Egypt and was living in the wilderness. Here he had found a home and had a family. He had settled down to this existence and accepted that this was his life. He then had the burning bush experience and God speaks to him and his perspective changed. As a result he went on to lead the nation of Israel out of captivity in Egypt.

Once Moses caught a glimpse of God’s perspective on things, he was ready to move beyond his comfort zones or his conditioning to become a great liberator. When we see things from God’s perspective things change.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR PERSPECTIVE AND GOD’S PERSPECTIVE
Our perspective is often limited and small. Our perspective can often be warped or flawed. This is primarily because we see things through our past, our upbringing and the things that have conditioned us.

God’s perspective is always big, balanced and filled with purpose. When Jesus was about to leave earth and return to heaven, his disciples started to get worried. Their perspective was that they were nothing if Jesus was not with them in person. God’s perspective was that Jesus had made the deposit in these men’s lives and that seed was enough to change the world. While these disciples were full of fear and even wanted to return to being fisherman, Jesus tells them to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

This just illustrates the tremendous difference in perspective. We must learn not to allow our limited perspectives to limit God. God wants to give us a glimpse from His perspective so that we will see things differently and never be the same again.

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The Big Picture

Often times our perspective on things is very limited. We see things from our perspective and from our viewpoint. It reminds me of a tree. We may see the beauty of the tree, the branches and the beautiful shade it provides. What we don’t see is how that tree works and grows and the root infrastructure, which supports it. In the same way there are many dimensions about God that we simply cannot see or understand.  In the movie JOSEPH – KING OF DREAMS, Joseph finds himself in jail. At this point in the movie they sing a song: ‘YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I’. One of the lines of the song says the following: ‘IF THIS HAS BEEN A TEST, I CANNOT SEE THE REASON’. I is a beautiful picture of how we do not always see the big picture. God is at work in each of our lives. If we will allow him to continue working, He will bring about His plan and purpose for our lives. You see, God sees the bigger picture and this is something that we cannot see and this is why we have to trust God.

SEEING LIFE FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE
When we see life from our perspective we handle things different from one person to the next. We are all the product of our upbringing and our past experiences and this has a tremendous influence on us.

Perhaps you were brought up to believe that you a failure. When this happens we often begin to see ourselves as a failure and this has a corresponding affect on our lives. I had one friend who was brought up to believe that you NEVER go backward in life. As a result he always had to get a bigger and a better car or house. His life was continually motivated by this concept of progress. It just about destroyed, bankrupted and left him penniless.

We have all been conditioned in some way or another to see things through the eyes of our past and the things we have been exposed to. If we only see life from this point of view and can be very limiting.  It happens because we see just an element of life and that element is colored by the glasses we look through. God sees things differently.

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God Has Time for You

GOD HAS TIME FOR YOU

God is not too busy to listen to you. He is ready and able to give you His full attention.

Jeremiah 18:1-2 Here is another message to Jeremiah from the Lord: Go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made, and I will talk to you there.

Like a good father who has always got time for His children, so God wants to give us time.

Psalm 102:17 He will listen to the prayers of the destitute, for he is never too busy to heed their requests.

ASK GOD

When we talk to God we can ask Him for those things that we may need. I am so glad that we can approach God in this way.

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, all alone, and shut the door behind you and pray to your Father secretly, and your Father, who knows your secrets, will reward you.

Luke 11:9-10  “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Why don’t you approach God for those issues and circumstances that are a concern to you today? Just talk to God about them and let’s begin to trust Him.

EXPECTING GOD TO COME THROUGH FOR YOU

God wants to come through for us.

Mark 11:24 Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you have it; it’s yours!

Isaiah 65:24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

Nothing is impossible with God. While we are still talking to Him about our needs, He wants to start coming through for us. What more could we want? Be expectant as you talk to God about the things that concern you.

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The Importance of His Presence

AT HIS FEET

‘Down at your feet oh Lord, is the most high place.’ This is a line from a song. It is special to me because it captures something of what God wants us to realize. Prayer is just coming to the feet of the One who understands. It is a place of humility. It is a place of dependence. When we come with humility and dependence on God to His feet, we are at the highest place.

Psalm 86:5 O Lord, you are so good and kind, so ready to forgive, so full of mercy for all who ask your aid.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS PRESENCE

We need the presence of God in our lives. If we sense His presence it makes all the difference. ‘The presence of God is the only thing that matters.’ I really believe this. It is this aspect that makes the difference between prayers that feel like they have God’s attention and prayers that just bounce off the ceiling.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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Looking Into His Face

OUR FATHER

God is our Father. As with our earthly fathers, we should be able to communicate with ease. He wants us to come and talk to Him and He is waiting just to listen to us speaking to Him. Jesus taught us to pray to Our Father.

Luke 11:2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven”.

Our Father is always ready to listen when we talk to Him!

LOOKING INTO HIS FACE

We should be looking for the face of God. Often times when we pray we simply are looking to His hand. We want something from His hand. Perhaps for some form of provision or that He will supply a certain need.  This is good and we are entitled to do this, but sometimes we must just talk to God simply because we want to have contact with Him.  I have a picture on my computer of a little boy kneeling at the feet of Jesus. Jesus is seated and the little boy is resting his arms on Jesus’ lap. The little boy is looking intently into Jesus’ face. This picture is a constant reminder to me of how our relationship with God should be.

Psalm 5:3 Each morning I will look to you in heaven and lay my requests before you, praying earnestly.

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Talking to God

Some things in life we complicate. It often seems that the simple things in life become so complicated that we simply don’t do them. Prayer is one of those things. For many reasons we complicate the issue of prayer. The result is we end up excluding prayer from our lives, when in effect it is a very simple and vital element of any Christian’s life. I believe that God meant for prayer to be a simple, spontaneous outflow of our relationship with Him.

JUST TALKING TO GOD

What is prayer? Prayer is simple just talking to God. I think that many people pray more than they realize. But because we have complicated prayer and turned it into a formal religious endeavor, we step back from prayer. God just wants us to talk to Him. Prayer is the communication process between us and the Lord.

Isaiah 65:24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

If you have a PRAYER REQUEST, please send us an e-mail at Prayer@AliveToGod.com  For more information about Alive to God, or to subscribe to our free DAILY BIBLE VERSE, please visit www.AliveToGod.com

Living in the Light

LIVING IN THE LIGHT

The effect of having the light of God in our lives should be visible. You can’t hide a candle in a dark room.

Ephesians 5:8-9 Live as children of light  (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)  (NIV)

As a result of the light of God in our lives we should only do what is good and what is right and what is true. Our actions should consist of goodness, righteousness and truth. The fact that we have this ‘sunshine in our souls’ should be evident to all. We should live as children of light.

GOD’S LIGHT IS AVAILABLE TO US

God’s light is available to each one of us.

John 3:19-21 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.   Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

The fact of the matter is that light has come into the world. We can choose to live in this light.

John 1:4-5 Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. His life is the light that shines through the darkness.

Job 22:28 And the light of heaven will shine upon the road ahead of you.

LET’S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LIGHT

God intended that we would be light bearers. People who carry His light into their areas of influence.

John 12:36 Make use of the Light while there is still time; then you will become light bearers.

What is this light?  It is simple the presence of God in our lives.

1 John 1:7 But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship & joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.

Matthew 6:22 If your eye is pure, there will be sunshine in your soul.

If you have a PRAYER REQUEST, please send us an e-mail at Prayer@AliveToGod.com  For more information about Alive to God, or to subscribe to our free DAILY BIBLE VERSE, please visit www.AliveToGod.com