Where is God? – Gideon #5

Posted on December 12, 2016December 12, 2016 by Matthew Laker

Series: Gideon – Gideon #5 (text- judges 6:1-13)

Has God abandoned you?

Is it possible for you to make such dire choices that God will just write you off and give up on you?

Have you ever had doubts that God is with you?

As followers of Jesus we often say to others in the midst of challenging circumstances “God is with you, he will get you through.”

However, for many, they do not believe it themselves. The question of where is God? is one that all of humanity asks in one way or another. It has been a question throughout history. There is so much hurt and brokenness we wonder just where is God. The truth is some have been affected by so much hurt it has scared them in deep ways. For some, it has blurred their perspective on life and driven them away from God. For some, it has had the opposite effect and it has driven them toward God.

In the story of Gideon, he believes that God has abandoned his people.

In Judges 6:13 Gideon responds to God physically showing up in his life by asking a great question– a question we have all asked or thought at one time.

Gideon asks:

“If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?”

Gideon has assumed that God has abandoned them because of all the bad things that are taking place in their life. We have all been there. Suffering is part of the human experience, none of us are alone in this matter. For some, they feel as a result of suffering or a personal failure that God must have abandoned them.

In the Old Testament, God gave a promise for his people. This promise is not there for us who follow Jesus, as we are under what the bible calls the new covenant. However, it helps us understand Gideon and our own journey today.

God promised, if they followed God, they will not have any nations ruling over them and their farms will succeed. The problem was this was not their experience at the time. They also came to believe that to not obey God meant God left them. This would not be so.

We know in the passage that some of the circumstances they found themselves in came as a result of not listening to God, ignoring the road he called them to live (Judges 6:10). God is like a life-giving fountain, and since they have stopped drinking from it, they have become confused and lost. In this confusion and suffering, they blame God for the circumstances, even though they did not want anything to do with him.

Here is the key, even in the valley God is there. Even in dark circumstances that he could have stopped but did not, he still loves and cares for us. This is hard to understand at times. In the midst of brokenness and hurt and earthly failure, Jesus is calling us to follow him and journey with him. He is calling us to his road of life and has not given up on us even when circumstance may feel like he has.

Jesus said I will never leave you (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is a reminder that God is with us. Jesus is our great shepherd who left the 99 sheep to find the one who got lost. This great shepherd, we are reminded of in psalm 23, he meets us in the dark valley sometimes and just sits there with us.

Our bad or good circumstances are not a determining factor of if God is with us or not. This is what we see here in the story of Gideon. Even though they wanted nothing to do with God, he is still working a way for them to come back to him and experience the flourishing life.

At times I, like Gideon, ask where is this Jesus that has performed signs and wonders? Where is this power of the Holy Spirit I see and read about in scripture and other local bodies of believers? Where are all his wonders that our fore fathers told us about. God must not be in this because I do not see it.

Yet the story of Gideon reminds us that God is there; he does not abandon his people. Jesus reminds us that storms will come and if we build our life on him, the storm will not destroy us. We see throughout the book of Judges that God is at work in both the larger picture and the small picture.

So we live in this tension. The tension of our emotions, challenging circumstances and declaration from Jesus that he is with us. Somehow through that restoration will come.

The issue for the people in Gideon’s time was they stopped listening to God. In the midst of the circumstances you find yourself in, what characteristic of God do you need to remember and trust in this moment? It is in listening to God that we are led to life and restored to living as we were created to be. It is a journey, but this is a foundational truth.

Though your circumstances make you feel like God has abandoned you, fix your life eyes on Jesus and live the life you were created for.

Experience Grace and Following Jesus voice.

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Matthew Laker

Series Gideon – Part 3

Read Judges 6:5-10

The people of Israel are in great fear. To be honest they have good reason to be fearful. The Midianites and Amalekites and others would come and torment and burn their crops and kill their animals. Israel is demoralized and feel like they have nothing and are nothing. Perhaps you can relate. Perhaps there is a nation that is pressing against your people and taking everything. War is alive in our world. Perhaps you are in circumstances and there seems to be no way out. You feel like there is just nothing you can do or you are at a loss of what to do. Perhaps an enemy is beating down on you in some form in a regular pattern. Like the people of Gideon’s day you are very low because of this.

It is at this point Israel cries out to God. God’s response, by the way, is an expression of grace.

This may not be you, but Israel at one level has walked themselves into a valley of the shadow of death. They have rejected God and his leading and protection in their life for some time. Yet now they call upon him.

His response is nothing short of grace. God’s response is challenging and hard to embrace. Yet, God wants to help and lead them back to wholeness, but they still have to face their choices.

God’s response is not “you are a bunch of sinners.”

God’s response is:

* This is who I am and what I have done.

* This is who you should be.

In verse 8 he begins to remind them of what he has done for them and how he freed them. Then in verse 10 we read, ” I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. ..” In that moment, he reminds them who they are to be. You were not created to live in fear. Your circumstances are not to define who you are but I am. You are to live a life that does not live in fear.

If I am being honest I am not totally sure what that life looks like. I get that the nations are ravaging the lands because of the people leaving the protection of God and their sin. But look at what he is saying. Even if the circumstances are bad around you, even if people are looking stronger than you and hurting you, you do not live a life in fear of them.

That is going to be hard to live out depending on the depth of brokenness in our life. To walk away from fear and embrace faith is not easy journey. Yet God’s grace is for you and this is what he calls us to.

God continues to speak and shares with them the reason they have not entered, engaged and experienced the life they were created for. At the end of verse 10 he shares “you have not obeyed my voice.”

When we understand who God is and what he has done, we can know who we are and what we are to do.

The same can be true in our life. Jesus would share the reason we have not entered, or can engage or experience the life we were created for is because we look elsewhere. Everything God wants us to know is found in Jesus. Yet, fear drives us somewhere else.

In Matthew 7:24-28 Jesus just finished sharing God’s dream for our life. He lays out principles of the life we were created for. A life that leads us to Jesus and wholeness. Then he shares if you put these into practice–if you listen to him– you are like a wise man who builds his house on the rock. The rain came, the wind blew, but the house did not waver. Notice that even for Jesus followers storms will still come. Jesus says when it does, you will stand. You do not live in fear of the storm.

Like the people we read in Judges 6, it starts with fixing our eyes on God. Like the people in Judges 6 God’s grace is for you. Embracing his grace for you, and following his voice leads to living the life you were created for.

Reflection Questions:

* Where are you not embracing his grace in your life?

* Where are you hearing Jesus’ voice in your life? What does that change?

Tips for Looking for God in My Life

Posted on January 14, 2015January 9, 2015 by Matthew Laker

Where is Jesus in my life? Do you find yourself wondering where God is in your journey? We all find our self in a season at times, where we struggle to see God leading us.

Looking for God in your life?

After service one day in the midst of a conversation someone shared with me. You know I really think the way God works today is in small ways. He shared we need to have eyes to see the small little L.E.D lights. The lights are God at work, and as you see them they start to light our path. They are God’s way of lighting your path. But you have have to have eyes to see.

This is some great wisdom from a fellow believer on the journey with us. So just where in your life have you seen the L.E.D lights? Over the last week, month, 3 months, six months, year, where have the L.E.D lights been found? Take a moment and write them down, where are you seeing God? Is it in that small conservation? Perhaps someone was able to give you the words to express yourself? Perhaps something unexpected? Still struggling to start a list, try writing out what you are thankful for. I am sure that will lead you to some L.E.D lights.

Here are four starting tips for looking for Jesus in our life.

1. Faith in Jesus

This is not a cop out. Seriously, you have to believe and understand that God is at work. Do you believe that God is great? If he is, then you do not have to be in control of everything. If we do not have faith that God is good enough, then we will look elsewhere for satisfaction. In a way faith is what helps us get through the long waiting time. It is like the oil the virgins carried or did not carry with them in Matthew 25. Faith is about trusting that God is leading your life. Faith is about following that call of God in your life. Sometimes we struggle to see him because we allow the waves to be greater than he is. We put more faith in something other than Jesus.

Make the choice today to trust Jesus.

2. Look for him.

Take a moment and look back. Where do you see the little L.E.D lights that are the God moments in your life? There is a good chance it was small, a conversation here, an impression to go left instead of right. Do you see it, along your journey? A conversation with a person, who just opened doors that were not there. Perhaps it was physical doors or doors inside of you. This is about asking the question, “Where am I seeing God at work?” Where is the kingdom of God or God pushing into your life? Why are you seeing this happen? Why is this happening? What are you going to do now?

Take a moment and write it down. Write down the God moments in your life.

3. Gathering with God’s community for Worship

I have watched people as they are going through challenging times. They gather with God’s people, and as we pray, sing and teach, God’s spirit softens their hearts. There is something about gathering with a healthy community of God’s people that can help bring proper perspective. For many, this is the only time to pause, and be still and know God. Our eyes begin to be opened to the L.E.D lights and we see the light on our path. As we gather with God’s people we will listen to the stories of others, and through their journey God will speak to us about our journey. Transformation takes place in community.

4. Spend time in God’s word

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”

Let the Scriptures remind you about who God is and what he has done. As you understand and embrace that, you can then understand who you are and understand the path you are to walk.

Do you find yourself looking for Jesus in your life? Try these four rhythms to see the L.E.D. lights.

The Second Coming in 3 Parts – Do not Fear the Circumstances

Posted on January 9, 2015January 9, 2015 by Matthew Laker

Series: Matthew 24 – part 3
Text: Matthew 24:6-32

This is part 3 of a series of posts (part 1, part 2, part 3) that are looking at the Second Coming of Jesus. To help narrow the conversation for better reflection, this series of posts will be based on Jesus’ conversation in Matthew 24.

“False labour contractions are unpredictable. They come at irregular intervals and vary in length and intensity. Although true labour contractions may be irregular at first, over time they start coming at regular and shorter intervals, and become increasingly more intense, and last longer.”

In Matthew 24:8, Jesus says, “All these [signs] are the beginning of birth pains.” As one read Matthew 24, there is a feeling of the building of contractions getting greater and the intervals closer. Jesus starts with a short list of the beginning signs of his return in verses 6-7.

We will hear of wars and rumours of wars.
Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.
famines
earthquakes

The challenge of this list is that realistically we have always had such things. How do we know if what we see today is part of a regular cycle or the first stage of birth pains? We do know that there are physical changes taking place in our world, which one could argue are leading to stronger storms. What is important to remember is the storms are not signs that the end is here, but it is coming. I would suggest that they are signs of our need for Jesus. The talk of rumours of war, and nations against nations, is hard because war is a part of our world. There is always one group going up against another.

Jesus continues with more signs

v. 9 – You will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death

It should be noted that Jesus is talking about believers. In the build up to his Second Coming persecution will be part of the journey for followers of Jesus. It will continue as the birth pain increase, and it does not end till near the end (see v. 31). We also have the tension here that persecution is an experience of many believers today.

v. 10-11 – There is a rise of falling away and many false prophets appearing.

Each generation will have its falling away and false prophets. But there seems to be an increase above the norm. The challenge is,“What is the norm?” and so becomes very hard to measure. The church needs to be careful in saying one generation is more evil than another. We need to be reminded that as long as we follow Jesus, there will be temptations, and a battle to pull us away.

v. 14 -The gospel will be preached in the whole world.

What this will look like we simply do not know. Many have shared this means a church or at least missionary in every people group of the world. Tracking that may be hard, but we have the promise of the message going out even in the midst of challenging circumstance.

It is at this point we see an intensity of the birth pains taking place and perhaps closer together. In verse 15-22 there is talk about a third temple that has been built. It should be noted that as of 2014 this has not happened. There is more that can be said about this section that space does not allow for. You will have to look for future posts. These verses contain some big events. During this time there is a great desolation that takes place. Not much is shared what that will look like, but I expect one should pray they are not around during that time.

Like birth pains coming on quicker, this moment will not last as long. There is a quick transition into the 3rd stage of signs. This next phase of the birth pains comes in verse 28-31. This is the final stage as the birth takes place. During this final phase we see events take place in space, among the sun and moon with stars going out. Then the crowning of the head begins in the birthing. The sign of Jesus will appear in the sky.

We do not know what this sign is, but I expect we will know it when it comes. Then we will see Jesus.

Then in Verse 31, God will gather his followers.

There are two important thoughts Jesus wants us to take away from this conversation. These two things are related to the signs, but the signs are not the main point. The first point is that:

1. God is sovereign

God is a God involved in history. In the midst of the choices of people and the power of sin in our world, God is at work to bring about his will. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but his words will never pass away”

The second thing we need to take away is:

2. Be not alarmed.

In the midst of all these signs Jesus has shared, this is not even what he wants us to understand. Like the anxious husband, waiting for his wife to go into labour, wondering if it is time, so we too run the risk of doing the very same thing in our life. Jesus on the other hand, shares in verse 8 and 13 what he is concerned about.

Be not alarmed.

This does not mean we have to understand the time line of everything. It does mean that we do not have to fear the circumstance and events taking place around us.

Stand firm in God and do not be alarmed.