God's Intervention in a Place of Longing

When we're seeking God in trials, God will answer our cries for help and will intervene, but sometimes his intervention is not what we expected or were hoping for.

Sometimes his intervention comes as a testing of our faith. In trials, we're "thirsty" and longing for satisfaction and to feel better, but he often allows a "drought" and for our "thirsts" and longings to go unsatisfied for a while so he can do a greater work in our lives.

What does it mean for God to test our faith?

It seems that he wants to see whether we'll turn to him in the drought or whether we'll try to find water and satisfaction elsewhere. He wants us to answer the question, "Do I really believe that God is enough, that he satisfies all my thirsts and longings, even and especially as situations continue to prove unsatisfying and disappointing?"

Whatever we believe is what we will act upon. If I really believe God is enough for me, then I will live like it. I won't continually be chasing after other things for satisfaction because my satisfaction and contentment will be found in him.

When I'm looking for satisfaction and contentment outside of God, I will feel like what I have is never enough; BUT if I'm looking for satisfaction and contentment in him, then no matter how my heart has felt - all the discomfort, pain, and longing - those things will be washed away, overpowered by the wave of realization that God is more than enough for me.

"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength." Isaiah 30:15

"...Those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing." Psalm 34:10

To See the World Be Changed

Throughout this year, I've been writing weekly devotionals for my church, talking about various ways we can experience more of God's power in our lives. Each week, I focus on one of five different areas: Prayer, Outreach, God's Word, Expectancy (expecting God to show up), and Relationships.

This week's focus is on outreach, and it's one of my favorites because of what God's been doing in my mind & heart lately, so I thought I'd share with you.

P.O.W.E.R. Point

Experiencing More of God's Power in 2011

+ Outreach +

I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give
With the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

Lyrics from “The Power of Your Name” by Lincoln Brewster

Lord, break my heart for the things that break your heart. Recently, I’ve prayed this as God’s been opening my eyes and heart in new ways to the needs of the poor, oppressed and marginalized of our world. It began with understanding the balance Jesus lived in his relationships – UP (God), IN (family & friends), and OUT (the world) – which is his model for us as His followers.

Recently, God has reinforced His call for me to live my faith OUT in the world like Jesus did through a friend, a song, and a book—a friend with a heart of compassion for those in need… the song above… and an eye-opening book called The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision.

Did you know that…

*In America, the average income is $38,611 per person, or about $105 per day, while 40% of the world’s population lives on less than $2 per day

*22,000 children die each day due to poverty

*About 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation

*Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities, not to mention fatalities from other infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS

Statistics taken from: http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

These statistics are just the beginning. In America, we’ve been given so much. Most of us have all our needs met and have extra for luxuries such as an iPhone, tickets to football games, or the occasional Starbucks coffee (yes, I’m guilty of this one!).

What if, however, God has entrusted us with what we have not to keep it all for ourselves but to share with others in need?

I want my life to count for God. I don’t want to sit idly watching from a distance those in need suffering without or enduring injustice. I want to see the world be changed by the power of God’s name, as the song above says. But I believe that it’s not going to happen by my sitting on the sidelines. It’s going to happen as each of us steps out into the world in faith and calls on Jesus’ power.

“…I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power…” Isaiah 52:6 (NLT)