Feeling God's Pleasure

Several years ago I bought a book entitled "Walking in Total God-Confidence" by Donna Partow. It's written as a ten-week study (great for groups) but I read it straight through. Not too long ago I decided to read through it once again. Just like the first time, I gleaned a lot from what Donna had to say. But this time one particular thing spoke to me in a profound way. In the book Donna relayed the story of Olympian Eric Liddel. If you're not familiar with him by name, the movie "Chariots of Fire" tells the story of his Olympic journey as a runner. In the movie, Donna explains, there is a scene where Eric's sister is trying to convince him to give up running and devote himself to missionary work. He responds to her by saying "I know God made me for a purpose. But he made me fast, too. And when I run, I feel God's pleasure." Wow! What a wonderful thing to feel. To know or to feel that something we do (which may seem frivolous to someone else) can bring pleasure to God is a feeling worth seeking.

In the book Donna goes on to ask the reader a question. It was a question I've probably asked myself a million times before and had no convincing answer. But somehow this time was different. This time when I asked myself the question, I instantly had an answer. What was the question? It was simply this: "Is there something you do that, when you do it, you feel God's pleasure? You feel 'the smile of God' upon your life."


For me it was a "putting two and two together" moment. I've been doing something for years off and on simply because I enjoyed doing it. But at the moment I asked myself Donna's question, I realized the feeling I got from doing it was more than just my enjoyment. It was the feeling of pleasing God. So what does one take away from such a realization? If I don't do it, I wonder if I'm displeasing God (or if I'm saying no to something He wants me to do). This is not a path I wish to take. So I choose to do what I believe in my heart pleases God (which, in turn, pleases me). My hope is that I'll discover the feeling more and more often with other things I do or in ways I behave.


Did I find God's calling for my life? Not necessarily. Eric Liddel's calling wasn't running. He eventually became a missionary to China. But running fast was a gift. I think Eric was blessed with the realization that simply doing something with the gift God gave him was pleasing to God. And I believe Eric relished every moment.

Live Your Life In Such A Way...

There is a saying out there that basically says we should live our lives in such a way as to tick satan off.

Now let me say up front I believe we should not necessarily live our lives focused on tormenting satan but rather on glorifying our Creator. But with that said - sometimes I do get sick and tired of feeling beat up on by the evil one. (This is what I prefer to call him. It reminds me of his true character. Besides I don't feel he should be dignified with a name.) There are moments when his attack on me is strong and sending a little annoyance his way sounds like a good idea. If it makes him suffer a little or cringe when I burst out in a praise song or when he hears me declare my love and loyalty to God then I'm okay with that. It actually kind of brings a smile to my face. I mean, really, he causes enough pain and havoc in the world and if it hurts his pointed little ears to hear me praise God then so be it. He shouldn't be close enough to hear my private conversations anyway. I figure when I pray or offer praises to God I'm creating a sound barrier of sorts. The evil one wants me to stop but can't get close enough because of the pain it causes him.

We're in a constant battle. The evil one sees we have been covered by the blood of Christ. Even though he may already know he can't win our souls he attacks anyway. This is because he knows he can render us ineffective. He relentlessly goes at us until we are weary. We become too tired to fight for ourselves let alone offer hope to others. If he keeps us from doing our jobs as Christians (reaching the lost), his job gets a whole lot easier. So let's get out there and pierce his ears to the point he topples over - immobilized - unable to do his bidding.

It goes a little like this: HALLELUJAH - PRAISE GOD ALMIGHTY. HIS NAME IS ABOVE ALL NAMES!! (What was that I heard? Was that shrieking? Or was it the sound of something slithering away?)

To be real with you - these past couple of years have been difficult. The evil one has attacked and attacked and I have been beaten up. So - my anger level toward him has been pretty high. But at least my anger is correctly placed on him rather than God. In difficult times or when the evil one is in attack mode it helps me to know that distancing myself from God is exactly what he wants. And if that's what the evil one wants then I will do my best to do the opposite. On bad days I lean on the strength of God or on the prayers of friends and family. On good days when my strength is up I do my best to make it clear - I will live my life in such a way as to make sure his efforts are wasted here!

Praying the Light (40 Days of Prayer Part 2)

Do you have friends or family members that don't know God (or don't have a relationship with Him)? Chances are you do. The Bible says that people who are lost are surrounded in darkness and cannot see the truth. How do we get them to see the truth? Maybe you've tried talking to them. Maybe you've tried praying for them. Sometimes the effort seems futile because some people seem like they will never change. I've heard the doubts that prayer will even work on someone who refuses to know God. After all God's not going to make them come to Him. There is freedom of choice and accepting God is a choice they alone can make.

But if this helps - let me offer another perspective.

Imagine you are in a cave. It is pitch black and you are completely lost as to which direction you should go. Suddenly you see a flicker of light. Your first and natural instinct is to take a step toward that light. Though it may be small it offers you a tiny bit of hope. But suddenly the light disappears. You stop - unsure of where to go. You are once again surrounded in darkness. Your eyes begin to adjust to the darkness and there may be times when you actually forget you're in the darkness. But although you may be able to see the hand in front of your face and you've learned to cope with your environment, you're still in the dark. You are still lost.

Imagine a rescue worker at the exit of the cave. He has a tool to help him see in the dark - a flashlight. If he turns on his flashlight for a brief second, the light makes its way to you for a brief second. The flicker of light is helpful but not as helpful as it would be if he kept the flashlight on and shining in your direction. A solid stream of light would draw you to the exit - to the point of being rescued (of being saved).

Now imagine your loved one is in the darkness and you are the rescue worker. You have been given a great tool by God (prayer) to shine light into your loved one's life. Only the light that shines from your flashlight is not an ordinary light. It is the Light of truth. We can choose to turn our prayer flashlight on or leave it off. When we turn it on (when we pray), God's light of truth is generated and shines into the darkness. We are calling on God's truth to shine in the direction of our loved one. I believe every time we pray we turn on a light for someone in the dark to see. And the more we pray - the stronger the light. I mentioned in a previous post that I'm committed to pray for people in intervals of 40 days. You may have a different prayer plan. For me praying 40 days creates a constant light stream. A more continuous stream of light is easier to see than flickers of light. I believe the more dedicated we are in prayer the longer God's light will shine. The longer the shine, the more inviting it becomes. Maybe this is why we are told to "pray continually" (1 Thess 5:17). Your friend or loved one still has a choice to make. But by praying - we at least provide a choice. We can provide a source of hope that might not have been visible to them before.

John 12:35 - So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

John 12:46 - I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

One final thought - God provided the tool for us to use. He wants us to shine the light. He wants us to pray. I Samual 12:23 says: "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you." Think how different the world would look if it was filled with light. Let me encourage you to turn your flashlight on.

40 Days of Prayer (Part 1)

(Some of you have already read this before but I wanted to include it in this blog. My next post will be Part 2 which is new.)



If any of you are like me - praying consistently for others is a hard task to accomplish. It's not that I don't want to do it or that I don't have time to do it. I simply am not disciplined enough. It truly bothers me to know that family and friends need and want prayers lifted to God on their behalf and yet I continually fail them. I believe with all my heart that God wants us to pray for people - to be an intercessor. There are many things (circumstances, people's hearts) that I have no control over. But I know the One who does. I believe strongly that there is definite power in prayer. James 5:16 says: "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." So why is it that I can't seem to get a grip on this incredible avenue of change and blessing God has given us? I don't know the answer to that question and frankly all I can do is move forward and not give up. I have a desire to be the prayer-er I believe God wants me to be.



So I have come up with a new prayer strategy for myself. You may have noticed there is great significance given to the number 40 in the Bible. I am taking that important number and applying it to my prayer life. I have determined to dedicate myself to praying for a specific list of people for 40 days without fail.



1 John 5:14-15 says this: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him." This verse has often stumped me. But as I look at it again I go back to the "according to His will" part. What do I really know about God's will? Well - I know He loves people. I know He wants us to bless people. I know that He wants everyone to be with Him in Heaven. I know He wants us to draw closer to Him and I know He wants us to take the fruit of the Spirit and be fruitful. So with that knowledge and understanding, I have begun praying for my list of loved ones with confidence in this way: I pray for God to bless their lives in the manner in which He chooses (not what I think they need but what He knows they need). I pray for their relationship with God to grow (at whatever level of relationship they have with God from non-existent to strong Christian - the relationship can always grow). And I pray for a hedge of protection around them. These are things I truly believe God wants - so therefore - are "according to His will". Then I know that I will have what I have asked of Him.



Maybe you have your own prayer system that works for you. If not, maybe this will be an encouragement for you to try this approach or rededicate yourself in your own prayer life. The more dedicated we are in prayer - the more Godly changes can and will occur through us and around us. I have been doing this now for several months and am on my fourth list of friends and family. It has been a blessing for me to dedicate myself to praying for others. I have no doubt that God is interacting in the lives of the recipients and have even heard of some blessings in their lives. May the blessings continue!

Parable of the Talents

Here is another blog entry from my personal archive of written articles. You may want to read the parable first for reference. It's found in Matthew 25: 14-30.

Parable of the Talents

In the past when I’ve looked at the Parable of the Talents I looked at talents the way they are portrayed – as money. There is a great deal to learn from the parable in that respect but as I reread the passage recently I saw talents in a different light. I saw them as actual talents (special abilities).

It struck me that many of us are afraid to use our talents so we run off and bury them somewhere much like the third servant did. When I applied this to my own life I wondered what talents I have been given that I’ve buried away. For example, I like to write but fear and lack of dedication has always gotten in my way of doing anything with this ability. I’ve been burying what actually could be one of my talents. What I believe this parable is telling me is that I must make an investment in my talent much like the first and second servants did. Only by investing time and effort into a talent will I ever see any return in it – any growth in it. I may not start out as a great writer but that’s okay. You see, I’m investing in it and I’m banking on the fact that the more I invest, the more talent I’ll receive. It’s kind of like practicing. The more we practice, the better we become. Matthew chapter 25, verse 29 says: “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” If we invest in our talents, we will be rewarded with more talent(s). If we don’t invest in our talents we are like the third servant. Our unused talents will be taken from us.

It can be a little daunting trying to figure out what our talent is. But it’s important to remember that we have many talents and abilities. I don’t believe we have one “talent-of-all-talents”. If that’s the case then there’s a great many of us wondering around completely clueless. If we’re supposed to have one grand talent, I assume we would know what it is. However, most of us don’t. I look at talent from this perspective: since God created me in His image I assume, then, that I have been given many abilities. The possibilities are endless. Our talent doesn’t have to be grand or obvious to us or the whole world. We can’t let that misconception keep us from investing in what may be a God-given ability. The simplest thing to one person may be something extraordinary to another. For example, I once had a roommate who enjoyed washing dishes. She said it was relaxing. Believe it or not but there are people out there who don’t like to wash dishes. Or maybe they can’t because of physical reasons. Having someone come do this for them would be a nice outreach. The same applies to other chores like cooking, house cleaning, and laundry. Do you enjoy doing these things? If so, then I say that is a rare gift. Go forth and bless those of us who don't. But seriously, do you like to write stories, songs, or poems? Are you a good listener? Are you a good teacher? Are you good at encouraging others? Are you someone who comes up with good ideas but has trouble making the ideas come to life? Share your ideas with someone who is a “doer” but has trouble coming up with ideas. Are you a home organizer, a computer whiz, a party planner or do you enjoy being a hostess? Everybody has things they’re good at. The trick is sharing them with others.

Whatever you do – do it for the glory of the Lord. The first and second servants in the parable were ultimately trying to please their master. We, ultimately, want to please God. He has entrusted us with talents and expects us to make them grow. By investing in our talents we’ll find the rewards are great. Not only do we please and glorify God but we also get more talent in the process.

God Walks With Me

Have you ever thrown a temper tantrum? Well - I have. Okay maybe I didn't lie down flailing my arms and legs while screaming at the top of my lungs but I certainly gave attitude. It's one thing to have tantrums when you're a kid. It's another altogether when you're a grown up. I'm not proud to admit my composure failures but I have to be honest. Life is hard and downright unpleasant sometimes. Can anyone really blame me for getting a little upset on occasion?

When I go through my tantrums it's because I'm hurt, frustrated, angry, confused, etc. Reality is - I usually feel some sort of combination of those emotions. When my attitude gets into high gear I don't feel like praying and I don't feel like reading my Bible (even though I know deep down that's what I really need to do). I go through sort of a rebellion - not an outright rebellion but more of a passive rebellion. I don't feel like praying because a part of me wonders if my prayers are making a difference. I stop reading because a part of me wonders what the Bible could possibly tell me that will help with my specific situation. Thankfully, I grew up with a good foundation of who God is and what He's about. Even though I don't always understand Him or His ways of doing things, I still know that He loves me and He will never leave me. Life may be difficult at times but I try to keep the following visual as a reminder of His love:

My life is a journey down a path. Fortunately, I am not walking down the path alone. My Lord and Savior accompanies me. Most days are spent in peace. We walk along talking, making note of the splendor around us and taking in the blessings of life. But, as with all journeys, we encounter obstacles, speed bumps, forks, or flat out collisions (whatever description seems to apply at the time). It's on those occasions where my tantrums comes into play. I picture myself crossing my arms, sitting down and stubbornly refusing to move forward. I am not happy and I'm not going to get up! It's my silent protest. Here is the remarkable thing: God doesn't yell at me. He doesn't call me a crybaby and tell me to get up. He doesn't tell me I'm ungrateful and I'm lucky to get as far as I've gotten in life. He doesn't say, "Fine, you stay here. I'm moving on with or without you." No - I believe with all my heart that God waits patiently for me to finish my tantrum so that we may proceed together. He'll wait however long it takes. Yes, He is probably disappointed with my attitude but that doesn't mean He doesn't love me. His hand is always there ready and waiting for me to get over myself. When that point finally arrives (when the hurt and anger have subsided enough for me to see truth again) I look up at my Savior. He holds out His hand and lovingly asks me if I am ready. I say "Yes." and take His outstretched hand. He pulls me up and our journey starts again.

I'm so thankful for God's loving patience. Knowing that God walks with me in my journey through life helps make each step easier to take.