Are you FAT?

A reminder from Rick Warren about just what it takes to be used by God.....
"Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was co-dependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive, and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriage, Zaacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid. That is quite a variety of misfits. But God used each of them in His service. He will use you, too, if you stop making excuses."
I remember being taught that God desires FAT people in His service.....
Faithful
Available
Teachable
Take a minute and consider: Where do you rate in those three today?

I want to be like....

King Asa is one of the unsung heroes of the Old Testament...of the entire Bible really. Funny how most of us have probably never heard of him. Although I guess you would have if you've ever read II Chronicles 15-16.
In a nutshell, his story is short but oh so sweet. Well, those 2 chapters are sweet...it looks like things get a bit ugly in Ch. 17 but I will be reading that next week in my Bible reading plan.
The first description we find of Asa in Ch. 14 is one I want people to say of me...'he did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God'.....change the pronouns though.
Look at the verbs that follow. Seek, obey, removed, built, rely. Doing what is good and right in God's eyes looks the same today. Are we seeking Him....wholeheartedly? Moment by moment? With our thoughts...words...actions?Are we obeying all His commands...not just the ones that suit us? Are we removing the idols, obstacles, hinderances, habits that take our focus away from God? Are we building ourselves in knowledge and understanding of what God wants for us and how we are to live? And are we relying on Him as our sustainer, provider, protector?
The rewards for Asa and for us are great. Asa not only had military victorys...that's one we might not revel in....but also, he prospered.....was at peace.....and was given rest. Ahhhh delightful words......even better experiences.
Then God promises Asa 2 things at the beginning of Ch. 15....that He will be found by Asa if A seeks Him and if A forsakes God, God will forsake A. Seems logical to me...a fair trade even. And perhaps an easy choice to make. A choice we all get to make...both on a macro level....where does God fit in my life? And a micro level....each day we make the decision to seek and acknowledge God or to ignore His presence and directions.
Asa makes the wisest choice he could.....with the people, he makes a covenant with God....a binding promise...to seek God. Not half heartedly...or when the going is good....or when they remember too....but with all their heart and soul (v12).
And doing that is not a chore...it brings them such joy and they did it eagerly (v15). How much joy do you have in living for God....do you do it eagerly?...or is a slog? A chore? A requirement so I get the ultimate reward of an eternity in heaven?
I hope, that like Asa and the people he ruled, we too can live for our God with a great passion and willingness. That we would be faithful and ruthless in our obedience and devotion to Him and that we would know the great benefits of living that way.
Finally, like Asa, I want people to say of me....(her) heart was fully committed to the LORD, all her life (Ch. 15 v17). 

Logically Speaking...

This morning I read from II Chronicles 11-15 and even though no-one reading this is likely to be royalty, like Kings Rehoboam or Asa - there's much to learn from the lives of both of these men.

R was the son of Solomon...the wisest man the world has ever seen. And after his Dad died, he started his reign well. Leading by example, the entire Israelite nation 'set their hearts on seeking the LORD' (v16).

I love that there is logic in following our God, even though He so often does the unpredictable and you end up in places and spaces you never expected to be in....like Uganda, Africa or married to a Happyrocker....or a first time Mum at 36 (when you had thought you'd have 3 kids by the time the millenium rolled around...the one that cllicked over in 2000, not the one coming in another 2990 years!)

Here in II Chronicles there is a clear correlation between this 'seeking the LORD' and what happens next. Well, actually, in Chapter 12, the logic disappears for a time. After the blessings experienced by David and Solomon who walked in the ways of God, and after a great start under Rehoboam, the people 'abandoned the law of the LORD...becoming unfaithful to Him.' Hmmmmmm where's the logic in that? And notice, it's not God being illogical, but the people.

Anyway, God's not willing to let this pass and promises, logically, to abandon the people as they have abandoned Him. But here's where the people get smart again and it's a smartness we'd do well to imitate. Vs 6-7 tells us the leaders and the people 'humbled themselves' before God. So too, our response to Him should always be one of humility and obedience...it's what please Him most.

Logically, God saves His people, but there are still consequences to their previous choices. In this situation, they have to live under the rule of the king of Egypt, but even in that, God has a plan. He wants to teach His people about serving. How like God, to take our mistakes and still use them to refine and change us into the people He wants us to be.

Tomorrow....Asa's story. He's just that bit smarter than his old Dad (Abijah) and his Grandad (Rehoboam). That's great news for all the Israelites and for us with kids.....hopefully they'll make more logical choices than us too:)