Waiting for Ephesians 3:20

By Dianne E. Butts –

Last month I told you about the short film I’d be making in February for the “168 Film Project” contest. As I write this, I can’t really report on that whole story because it is still in progress, so I’ll leave that for next month. This month, let me tell you a little of what’s been going through my mind during this whole exciting crazy adventure of faith.

I wonder if you’re like me. I like to plan. I like to know what’s happening. I like to figure things out in advance and then work the plan. But this whole act of faith thing, making a movie in a week adventure, hasn’t been like that exactly.

Yes, we’ve been making lots of plans. Yes, we’ve been working hard to get things in place so when the time comes for the camera to roll, we’ll be ready. But there is a ton that we can’t plan for.

We can’t write the story or script until we get our assigned Bible verse. So we can’t really know what we’re going to need. So we can’t get everything figured out. So I’m feeling a little crazy about it all.

This is where faith enters, right?

But my mind asks, Will God work everything out? Will He bring people to the fund-raiser dinner? Will that dinner make enough money to pull off this project? Will we be able to write a decent story? Will we find actors? What about props, make up, hair? I think we still need a gaffer. (Now, tell me again what a gaffer is?) What about…

Wait a minute. What happened to my faith walk? This is me, trying to do it all, trying to plan it all. But this is a faith walk, right? God will come through. I know He will.

Do you get like that? I do. When we can view the big picture from afar, we can say, “Sure. I know God will show up. He’ll work everything out. No need to worry.” But when we’re sitting in the middle of the chaos, and we need the funds, and we need the people, and we need so much and we can’t see where anything we need is going to come from…we feel a little panicky and wonder if God will really come through with everything we think we need.

If there’s one thing I’ve heard loud and clear from the good people at the “168 Film Project,” it is to trust that God will show up! He is in this project and we get to be amazed at what He will do for us as we pursue making a short film in a short time with a short budget based on His Word.

Based on His Word. How can you go wrong with that?

So as I lie awake at night wondering if anybody is going to show up at the fundraiser (Please, Lord. At least enough to pay for the spaghetti!), I remind myself over and over that this is what it’s like to live waiting for Ephesians 3:20:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV).

Immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…When we’re waiting on Ephesians 3:20, that’s what we’re waiting to witness. It will happen. God has promised.

“…to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:21).

May we each live this month expecting God to show up in Ephesians 3:20 ways!

Dianne is the author of the new book, Deliver Me: Hope, Help, & Healing through True Stories of Unplanned Pregnancy (www.DeliverMeBook.com) and an aspiring screenwriter. Her script, A Cowboy’s Faith, was inspired by a true story in her Deliver Me book and was a finalist in the 168 Project’s “Write of Passage” 2010 contest. (Currently a producer is talking with Dianne about making her script into a short film!) When she’s not writing, she enjoys riding her motorcycle with her husband, Hal, and gardening with her cat, P.C. in Colorado. www.DianneEButts.com

When Prayers Seem To Fail

By Warren Mueller –

Have you ever felt like you are talking to yourself when you pray or that your prayers don’t seem to go any further than your ceiling? What causes this? There are several reasons. First is the belief that the quality of our prayers depend on how we feel about them. When we are hopeful and optimistic, we tend to think better of ourselves and that God is listening. When we are depressed or worried, we are more likely to become frustrated, give up or wonder where God is.  However, the Bible says that we are to pray without ceasing which means that God expects us to pray whether we feel like it or not (1 Thessalonians 5:17). God is ever present and unchanging so he is not influenced by how we feel.

God may not answer our prayers because they are not in accord with his will and plans. Isaiah 55:8-9 says that God’s thoughts are not like those of mankind nor are his ways like those of man, but rather just as the heavens are higher than the earth so are God’s thoughts, view and ways beyond ours. Therefore, God may choose not to answer our prayers or he may answer them in ways that are different than what we prayed.

God may not answer our prayers because we are holding onto sinful ways. Psalm 66:18-19 says that when we cherish or hold onto sin God will not listen to our prayers. When we choose to hold onto sin, we rebel against God and evil rules in this part of our lives. Therefore, we must confess our sins and forsake them if we expect God to listen to our prayers (2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 John 1:9).

Sometimes God says yes, but the answer is delayed or slow in coming. One possible reason for this is that God wants to teach us to trust in him and learn dependence upon him so he can direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Finally, we need to remember that spiritual warfare is raging throughout this world. Satan and his demons are inciting rebellion and exerting their will. They do this through evil temptations of this world such as the pride of life which is excessive focus on getting more and better things or money. Also, evil can ensnare us through the pursuit of power and influence at the expense of relationships as well as through the weaknesses of our human nature such as selfishness, lust, greed and envy.

Daniel fasted and prayed for twenty-four days before he received an answer to his prayers (Daniel 10: 2-6). An angel appeared to him on the twenty-fourth day and told Daniel that, from the first day that he prayed, the angel was sent from God with the answers. However, the angel was held up by a demon called the prince of the Persian kingdom. This angel could not get through until help arrived in the form of the angel Michael, presumably because Daniel continued to persist in prayer (Daniel 10:12-14). This is challenging and encouraging because it shows the importance of persisting in prayer until answers are realized. How many times have we stopped praying because we have not seen any results? I wonder how many angels are stuck battling opposing demons because we do not persist in prayer.

Lord Jesus forgive us when we give up praying because it seems like you are not listening or answering. Help us to trust that you have heard our prayers and do respond to them. Help us to persist with humble dependence and hope in our prayers until your angels deliver your answers.

The Next Step

By Heather Arbuckle –

It is a story that began when I was just six years old. Angry about a perceived injustice handed down by my mother, I packed my bags and decided life would be better at Grandma’s house. Walking briskly down our long dirt lane, I quickly reached the point where the rubber hit the road. The driveway, stretching a quarter mile behind me, was at its end. A two lane highway now lay before me and I didn’t have the faintest idea which way to step next. Looking one way, then the other, the anger in my heart faded to regret, then on to desperation all in the span of a few minutes. As I sat on my suitcase, sobbing big salty tears, I cried out for my mom. Moments later, she parked beside me in her car and waited. Never letting me out of her sight, my mom had watched me from her kitchen window and was ready to bring me home. Without a word, she opened the heavy door and I stepped into the car. My trek to Grandma’s house was over and we were on our way back home.

That was the first of many journeys my mother and I have taken together. She has comforted me in my heartbreaks. Counseled me through tough decisions. Encouraged me in my trials. And held me accountable in my rebellion. Many times, my mother and I have been on opposite sides of the fence. Yet, she has never let me wander too far from her side. When I stumble, she is there to help me stand. And when I cannot find my way, my mother is there to guide me as no other can, this side of Heaven.

Years have passed and I have stepped out of childhood. Now, I too, am a mother. With children as strong-willed as their mama, we encounter many challenges in our journey together. In this season of my life, I see my mother differently. Through trial and error, I have learned the road of motherhood is sometimes difficult and lonely. I now appreciate her wisdom and strength more than ever. Filled with gratitude, I remember well what she taught me. First, Mom is just a phone call away. Second, some things just require time and a little faith. Finally, and most important, I never walk alone.

Furthermore, In the pilgrimage of life, I have found a faithful guide in Christ. A child of God, I am assured, “When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble” (Proverbs 4:12). The eyes of my Heavenly Father see my every move. Because of the LORD’s work in my life, I am free to step boldly in faith.

Sometimes, however, I miss those days when I could depend on the daily instruction of my mom. Today was one of those days. A bit discouraged, I meandered for a bit through the aisles of a local store. Taking a little time away from the numerous responsibilities awaiting me at home, I wondered what my mom might say.

Then, I saw a sign that spoke directly to my heart, and made me think of her. It simply said, “Faith. Start where you are. Take the next step.” Filled with uncertainty, my steps appear hidden. Bowing my head in prayer, I give a sigh of relief. I understand. There is no need to fret, for “my steps are determined by the LORD” (Proverbs 20:24 NIV). But I have my mom on speed dial…just in case.

Getting Rid of Spiritual Clutter

By Janet Morris Grimes –

Clutter is defined in several ways. Garbage. Unnecessary mess. Disorder. Confusion. It is the stuff no one knows what to do with, so it just piles up, expanding to fill whatever space it is allowed.

Entire television shows are based on how clutter steals the joy of a home. When left to its own accord, clutter takes over, to the point that it hides all that is beautiful; to the point that the mess is the only thing that can be seen.

During the last week of the life of Jesus, he was disturbed by the clutter he found in the temple. He hoped to find a quiet place of worship and prayer, but instead, he found a ‘den of robbers,’ shady characters who twisted the truth in an attempt to make a profit. He cleansed the temple, overturning the tables in a controlled fit of rage.

He had a right to be angry. Clutter cannot be ignored, and in order for the temple to serve its true purpose, which was to bring his followers closer to him and give them a place to worship once he was gone, he had to get rid of all that did not belong there.

The same is true for our spiritual lives. We hold on to bits of pieces of our past, the parts we aren’t sure what to do with, and we try to ignore them. But they accumulate and expand, soon overtaking our lives and keeping us from serving our true purpose. We end up carrying trash bags full of garbage with us wherever we go, wondering why we don’t feel free to worship and why we can’t sense the presence of God.

Here are a few ways to cleanse your own temple:
§     Forgive yourself and others – True forgiveness is the only act that frees you to move forward. Holding on to past hurts will damage you much more than the person who hurt you in the beginning. The only way your future can be better is by leaving your past in the past and getting it out of your temple. And as hard as it is to forgive others, it is much more difficult to forgive ourselves. Let go. Let go of the garbage, and make sure you are not your own worst enemy.
§     Free yourself from bad habits – Your body sometimes is a great reflection of how you feel spiritually as well. Treat your body with respect, and it will do the same for you. Strengthen you muscles and push yourself hard enough to grow.
§     Focus on Heaven – Most of what the world stays in an uproar about matters little in the end. Life is short and thankfully, it is not up to us to make sure the world is running properly. Paul said it best in I Corinthians 9:24, when he encourages us to “run in such a way as to obtain the prize.” The true prize is Heaven, and all that we experience between here and eternity are just preparing us for the reward of living with God, with Jesus by our side. Anything that doesn’t bring you closer to Heaven is simply not worth worrying about.

Our lives are meant for worship, and beauty, and growth, and anything that gets in  the way of this is clutter, and needs to be removed as quickly as possible. Only then can we find true peace.

I Corinthians 14:33 – For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…. (NIV)

Can God Find Me Anywhere? Even in a Restroom?

By Lori Freeland –

I ran down the hall desperate for a quiet place to meet God. Around the corner, through an old wooden door, an alcove hid a tiny restroom in the north end of the hospital. I pushed through the door and locked myself in the cold, grey refuge of the single stall. A knot formed in my chest, tight and suffocating.

“Lord, please. I need to be alone. Don’t let anyone need to use this restroom.”I stared at the chipped, stained tiles. Would God meet me here? In a worn, broken down, dirty restroom?

Footsteps echoed outside the door. I held my breath as they paused, then continued on.

Unexpected laughter bubbled up and I sagged down onto the worn toilet seat, balancing over the oval shaped hole. Even if this was an odd venue to beg for Kyle’s life—it painted an accurate picture of the day.

Was it better to leap right into the begging or make a bunch of lame promises first? God knew it all anyway. And my time alone was limited. Straight to the begging seemed the best option.

“First, I need you to forgive me. For getting too busy for You. Please don’t be too busy for me.” I flexed my foot, moved my ankle in a circle. Fixated on my dirty shoes.

The air conditioner kicked on and I slid forward on the seat.

Shaky laughter escaped, echoing through the bathroom. “Lord, please. I don’t want to do this. I’m not strong enough. The whole concept of You only give what I can handle? Well, I can’t handle it.”

I rubbed my palms along the rough fabric of my jeans. “I don’t want to handle it. So maybe we could do something else instead? Something easier? I could get sick.”

I stared at my wedding ring. Watched the diamond sparkle under the fluorescent light. “Or Pat? He could get sick. What about a fire? Tornado?” My bitten off nails dug into my legs. “Pat could lose his job. That would be character building.”

I squeezed my eyes together. “Pick something else. Please. I’m begging from a toilet seat.”

I paused to give God time think it over. But there was no great booming voice.

“You could wave the last few days away.”

The air conditioner chugged louder. Tears escaped and I turned my face to wipe them against my shoulder. “This isn’t supposed to be my life.”

The shape of the hard porcelain indented the bottom of my thighs so I stood. “You’re not letting me out of this, are You?” I sagged against the smooth metal wall. Slid down to the floor.

“I guess we’re going with cancer then.” Goosebumps formed on my back where my tank top scooped down.

“I can’t do this alone. And I can’t waste time and energy wondering if You caused this, or allowed this, or could have stopped this. I need to feel Your love, Your goodness. Every day. You are my rock.”

Tears rolled down my face—no point in trying to stop them. As the tears flowed, the hard knot inside my chest stretched and softened.

Still no booming voice.

But for the first time in days, my shoulders relaxed. A verse filled my head. “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” (Psalm 139:8 NIV). God could find me anywhere. He could fill me anywhere.

That day, six years ago, God found me in the restroom of the Children’s Hospital. He heard my plea and answered. No, He didn’t take it away or swap it out for something else. But He met me where I was, in that dirty old broken down restroom, lifted me up and reminded me why He was my rock. Throughout the entire four-year journey, I walked alongside my son with God as the glue that held us together. And not for one minute did I question His love.

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