Eyes on the Prize

Our model is Jesus. So to be like Him in all things, in all actions, in all attitudes is what we as believers in Christ should be shooting for. Let me direct your attention to the 11^th chapter of the book of John; there is a very subtle, but profound, display of how we can pattern ourselves after Jesus.

To quickly sum up the setting of this passage, two women send a message to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, is sick…presumably to hasten Jesus to come to where Lazarus is so that Jesus would heal him. Jesus has a close relationship with both the women and with Lazarus, but their location is a day’s journey away from where Jesus and his disciples currently are. This is Jesus’ reaction to that news in the 6^th verse of chapter 11: “Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”

If you read the rest of the chapter, you see that Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days by the time Jesus arrives. The two sisters meet Jesus on his way into town and tell him how if only He had been there while Lazarus was sick that he would not have died. Jesus is deeply moved by their grief (and probably their faith as well), and proceeds to raise Lazarus from the dead.

Today, I don’t want to talk about the miracle. I want to focus on how Jesus reacted when he was confronted with the bad news messenger.

Again, verse 6 says, ”Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” Although Jesus had a close relationship with Lazarus and his two sisters, he did not move at their request. I love how my NIV Study Bible puts it in the notes at the bottom of the page when commenting on this verse: “Jesus moved as the Father directed, not as people wished.”

I want to be like that! I want to move as the Father directs me; not necessarily how people direct me. I don’t wanna let every gripe, moan, complaint, or criticism direct and alter my path when I’m doing stuff for the Lord. Even in some situations that appear dire, if I know I’m acting upon the directing of the Lord, then men shouldn’t sway me.

You know by now that I’m all about having godly people in your life that you can trust for advice, having accountability present in your life, and having all of these types of things that are healthy…but I’m looking at what Jesus did here as a model for our behavior. Jesus ended up going to pray for Lazarus, but He did it in a way that didn’t compromise his mission. Sometimes the thing you have your eyes fixed on shouldn’t be put on the back burner when some other need arises. There is always gonna be something that could be done, something that needs attention, something that could pull your focus. You’ve gotta use wisdom, as Jesus did, and determine what is more important.

Lord, grant me the ability to know when to say ‘no’ or ‘maybe later’ when things come up. But also let me not neglect people, or their needs; let me prefer others to myself while walking in the wisdom that comes from You. In Jesus Christ’s Holy Name, Amen.

Provision

A few months ago, I had 2 dreams that I didn’t understand. So I took them to my friend, and my most reliable dream interpreter, Stephanie (shoutoutcafe.com). Sparing you the details of the dreams, the overriding theme of them both was that finances would not be an issue in my life. That’s good news to hear! Especially when you’re a worship leader!

For the next few days, I was really happy thinking about the dreams I’d been given. I was telling some of my friends how awesome it was, and just thanking God for the reassurance. However, a few weeks passed and I found myself worrying about money again. I was in the process of moving and facing the prospect of more bills and purchasing new things, and I was trying to make sure all the numbers would be right.

Well, I don’t remember the specific day it was, but it hit me that I had kind of lost hold of the promise the Lord had given me. I realized that I was trying to do things in my own power instead of just relying on Him. So I made up my mind to wholeheartedly trust in Him…even when I don’t understand anything about how something is going to work. I decided to take Him at his word, and believe exactly what He had said to me.

Wouldn’t you know that things are going just fine :) God is taking care of my needs and then some. Needs have been met by people seemingly coming out of the woodwork. I’ve actually had to turn down some people’s offers of generosity because I have no physical room for it! Praise the Lord!

I don’t want you to hear me wrong today. I’m not suggesting that we serve some “cosmic lotto god” that we just ask for material things we want on a whim and see them appear before our eyes; I’m betting that if you ask God for a Ferrari it will not magically manifest in your driveway. Nor am I suggesting that we should neglect our finances or fail to intelligently plan for the future. No. What I am saying is that if you put your hope, faith, and trust in the God of Israel you will always be taken care of.

God will make a way for you. If you are a born-again believer and follower of Jesus Christ, then you have nothing to worry about when it comes to having your needs met—spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, mentally, etc. The promise of provision covers everything.

I’m not the only one that shouldn’t be worrying about making things work, making ends meet, making sure needs are met. You shouldn’t either. Yes, I had a dream that was reassurance from the Lord, but all Christians have promises of provision from God in the Bible. For example, 2nd Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” Here are a few other verses that address this topic specifically: Matthew 6:31-33; Matthew 7:11; Luke 12:28; Psalm 37:25; Psalm 84:11.

God provides, my friend. Take it, bank on it, believe it, and stand on it. Amen.