A Sermon for a Saturday Morning Men's Group

Introduction- Ask yourself do you want to change? Even better, ask yourself are you willing to change? I can guarantee that something will be said in this room this morning that will have the power to change you. But do you really want it? Change only comes to those with desire.

Psalms 57: 2 “I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me!!”  Are you ready to cry out? To have your purpose fulfilled?

Trivia – Guess Who?

This super hero originated with DC Comics.

He was on a team with one more superhero and together this team was called the “World’s Finest.”

He once rose from the dead.

His secret headquarters is named the Fortress of Solitude.

Action 1, the most valuable comic book in the world, features this superhero.

He grew up in Smallville and later worked at the Daily Planet as a reporter under the name Clark Kent.

What does Superman have to do with us this morning? I want to talk to you today about the three S’s of manhood. I want to talk about what it means to be a man, a father, a friend, and a leader. There are many men in the world but through the work of Jesus Christ we are called to be supermen.

I don’t believe we can all leave here with x ray vision, bullet proof chests, and flying capabilities (although that would be pretty sweet!) but I do believe you can absolutely be changed this morning by having a firm understanding of the three S’s. Additionally, I want to explain to you the kryptonite of the three S’s so that it can be avoided.

These three S’s apply to your marriage relationship, your relationship with your children, your friends, and your followers. Each one of them was demonstrated in the life of Christ. They were common threads that were interwoven in Jesus’ life. There was never a more manly man to have ever lived than Jesus. He was a superman. He lived and breathed these three S’s and we will explore how in Scripture. The three S’s are as follows:

1.   Service – We see services in the external expressions of a superman. It is when one gives directly to others in time, energy, and action simply for the good of another. I want to give attention to the word directly. I am not merely suggesting doing something good that you enjoy that may also helps others, but doing something solely for the primary benefit of another. It is – giving your undivided attention to your kids, getting off your butt and helping your wife with the chores, volunteering to serve at church. It is meeting with someone at an inopportune time to offer them help. It is a Nathanael Miller spending giving his weekend and long evenings helping me and teaching me how to frame a wall and remodel my living room.

2.   Support – We see support in the internal expressions of a superman. It is helping others navigate through their failures and successes. For you fathers it is answering your child’s deepest questions, “Do I have what it takes?” (boys) or “Am I lovely and cherished?” (girls) Dealing with their fears and holding their hand as they go face to face with a problem only they can solve. It is leading your wife in love when she is out of whack. It is being a listening, non-critical ear to the hurting heart. It is allowing people to make mistakes and still supporting the best for them. It is being strong when others are not.

3.Strength – We see strength in the reflective expressions of a superman. It is consistently living a life worth following filled with integrity, virtue, and endurance. The key word here is consistent. Are you a rock when the rest of life is an ocean? Are you a safe place of protection for those in need? Can you always be counted on to be there or do you give up, throw fits, and demand your way? Do you let down those who rely on you? Your presence, integrity, and moral excellence should be unchanging and reliable.

As I mentioned earlier the three S’s were the over-arching them of Jesus’ manhood while he was on this earth.  Here are a few key examples.

Jesus SERVED the masses in  Mark 8: 1-8. “¹Another time there were many people with Jesus. The people had nothing to eat. So he called his followers to him and said,² “I feel sorry for these people..(He supernaturally provided food for them) ⁸ They all ate until they were full. 

Jesus SERVED by healing the sick late into the night when His disciples wanted to send them away.

 Matthew 14:14-16 ¹⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away.”

Jesus showed SUPPORT when he arranged to meet with Nichodemus in the middle of the night to answer his true questions. Jesus showed support when he saved the life of the adulterous woman and looked her in the eyes with non-condemning judgment. (John 3:1-21, John 8:1-15)

Jesus demonstrated the greatest STRENGTH of all when he died for a people who crucified him. Even up to the moment of his own death he refused to curse them and was filled only with love for them. Jesus longed for people to accept his strength. Listen to his words in Luke 13:34,  “"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”

One of my favorite stories of Jesus being a superman is when he called Zacchaeus out of the tree in Luke 19. Jesus saw a man who had a need. He picked him out from a vast crowd, and honored this man who was lowly in everyone’s sight. He called him down from that tree but then called him up to a new life.

So What About this Kryptonite?

Unlike Jesus we are prone to the effects of kryptonite. I believe I have identified three things that weaken us and work directly against the three S’s. I have learned these because lately God has been teaching me how I have been suffering. I have allowed these three things to hang around and slowly drain me of my superman abilities. I am going to open up in hopes that you can relate.

1.   Image- I care too much about what others think of me or what they don’t think of me. I have an image in my mind of the man I would like to be. Often I find myself trying to fabricate this image causing foolish, selfish decisions or a fear of failure that slows me down. I want to stop comparing myself to others. I want to be the man God specifically created me to be with holy confidence before God and others.  Do you?

2.   Priorities – I often place my own comfort above others. I often don’t leave enough margin in my life to allow me to effectively minister to others. I order my life and hobbies at times without considering others. Sometimes I would rather pursue my own ambitions before helping someone else achieve theirs. This should not be! I want to change!!   Do you?

3.   Overflow – Because I am too busy, because I care too much about me, because I don’t always put in the hard work to pursue the heart of Jesus. I lack overflow to give to others. At times I want to be a superman but all my strength has left me and I have no service, support, or strength left to offer anyone. I need constant intake from the Holy Spirit to have enough overflow to help others. I want to be characterized by passion for Christ. Every day I want to be ready to talk about and share with others the work that Christ is currently doing in me.    Do you?

I will close with these questions. Are you willing to be a superman? Do you have kryptonite that needs to be removed in your life? Is there a Zacchaeus that you need to call out to? Are you willing to be called down from your various trees that you like to climb by a brother in this room? Are you willing to really change? Are you ready to cry out to God Most High so that He may fulfill your purposes?  

We (the leaders of this group) have a vision for this group that reaches beyond the 35 men in this room. There are countless men who are waiting for us to reach them. Countless women, children, and friends are depending on those men who wait for us. We can only reach more, fulfill our purposes if we are calling out to one another regularly, reminding each other to be supermen. We need one another. Don’t be offended if someone calls to ask how you are doing. Let them call out to you, and call out to them back! If you are not calling out, talking, and meeting with others in this group then something is wrong.

If you maintain service, support, and strength in your life and get rid of your “image”, your misaligned priorities, and your lack of overflow this ministry will greatly benefit and continue to the next level of maturity. But what I care about most of all is that you will greatly benefit with an improved relationship with God and others. Suit up Clark Kent! It’s time to be Superman!!!  

Disappointed with Life and God?

If you have never been disappointed with life and God then lucky you, but the honest truth I think the majority of us, at one point or another, has felt this sinking disappointment. We humans are caught between temporary and eternal. Our hearts long for the eternal blissful conditions of heaven yet, we find ourselves living this life on earth that can be at times anything but blissful, and all too temporary. Therefore, if we are not careful the disappointment that this life sometimes brings will lead to an uglier disappointment with God.

Never have I felt as let down as I did that night. That night I was online watching the School Board meeting stream live. Sound exciting? Well it was to me because I just recently applied for the position of Assistant Principal and I was told that in this meeting the Superintendent was going to announce the assignments of new principals. This was good news because it would tell me where some possible openings might be for my job. After all the principal announcements were made the Super. immediately went into announcing new assistant principals. As the names were being announced my heart sank deeper and deeper. I was told they were not making those decisions until June and this was May. The hurt, anger, and confusion came quickly. "Does this mean I didn't get the job? Why did no one speak to me first? I can't believe this! Did I waste all my time, energy, and money trying to become an assistant principal!? God I thought this is what you wanted me to do?" I think you get the picture.

Over the next couple of days I was miserable to to be around. My wife whom I have known for 12 years said she has never seen me like this before. Around day three or four I was called in to speak with an Executive Director who confirmed they passed over me for the job. I fought hard against it but it didn't change a thing. The disappointment set in. This was the second year in a row I had been hand selected out of many to interview only to be told, "We like you, but not that much yet." There is a lot more back story that made this even more gut wrenching for me but I don't want to bore you will all the details. Hopefully you get the picture of how I was feeling, because I want to get to the point of this post. Looking back God allowed me to go through this painful situation to reveal what was in my heart so He could lovingly and graciously heal me like only He can.

The night of the bad news before going to bed I gathered myself enough to read a quick devotion by Joyce Meyer called The Battlefield of the Mind. I accidentally turned to the particular one that was titled "Not Getting What You Want". I began to read it hoping it would make me feel better but after I read it I only felt more disappointed because I thought it was God's way of confirming that I didn't get the job. In a way it was but it was much more than that. It was a gift.

About two weeks passed since the night I read that devotion, and I had finally accepted the fact that I was just going to be a teacher again. My church asked me to lead a men's Bible study and as I was thinking and praying about what to teach on my mind went back to the devotion. It was like God was telling me, "Don't just look at the Easter egg but open it!" So open up the egg I did, and out came a wonderful gift of revelation and understanding that brought immense healing.

Summarizing the devotion I boiled it down to four basic points that greatly determine how well we deal with life and disappointment. These points act as a gateway to let in trust or disappointment towards God. Here are the points and the probing questions/remedies that I assigned to each. (To you these may sound so simple and "churchy" but put yourself in a position of wanting something so badly you can taste it and truthfully consider these.)

1. Expectations- Do I always expect things to go my way, and does anger follow when that does not occur? If so then your expectations are skewed and non-biblical. It is not biblical to always get your way because that is a constant attempt elevate yourself above others and God.    
2. Patience- Am I desperate for something other than God, and do I overly self-promote? If so then you have a lack of patience. The Bible has called us to have hope and endurance, and to serve others not ourselves. God should be our only desperation because when all is stripped away without Him we are nothing!
3. Character- Am I often complaining or am I fearful? Do I battle feelings of being trapped? If so then you are suffering from ungodly character. We are to have the character of Christ and our identity/joy needs to be found in eternal things not in our jobs or our current circumstances. 
4. Humility- Do I have a prideful sense of entitlement and wrestle with arrogant thought patterns? - "I should be first. I am better than everyone. I should have won. I should have gotten that." If so then you are lacking humility and you are not submitted to God's will for your life or for the life of others. 

During my struggle I could have answered yes to every question above. I especially felt trapped. Trapped at my present level. God could not promote me because my heart was not in the right condition to be promoted, and He is more concerned about my eternal state of being than my current pay check. He gave me this heart check gift that will stick with me the rest of my life. I had no hope of being promoted and God pulled me under His arm and told me, "It is okay- here is why..." He gave me the understanding to be content at my present level or even below my present level. Then as a gift of grace (a blessing that is undeserved) my God promoted me. A different school system hired me as an assistant principal, one that I would have never expected. My school is one of the most beautiful schools I have ever seen, it is in one of the nicest communities available, I love the people I work with, and I can better take care of my family financially. But could I have been content if all this didn't happen. I can honestly answer yes. Is your heart in the right condition to be promoted? 

Feeling Lost?

I grew up in a little town called Pulaski. This town is located in Southwest Virginia along the Blue Ridge Mountain line. Forestation was plenty, and as a young man it fed my adventuresome heart. At most times, I was at ease working my way through the deep woods with my brothers or buddies. We grew accustom to it.    We grew even more than accustom to it, we began to own the woods. We made some unbelievable forts/hideouts. However, in the deepest of forests, or in a territory I have yet roamed, at times a fear or panic would creep in on me, and rest over me like a blanket. Thoughts of being lost and not being able to find my way out became very real. The truth is I was not lost but rather I was more uncomfortable. After I would settle down and work my way past the panic I would immediately remember from where I came, or work out a plan how to get out.

You see, God gives us our emotions to aid us in our life journey. Had I not had those feelings out in the forest it is a very real chance that I could have wandered too far and got myself into a dangerous position. The same goes for our spiritual journey. God will give us an emotion to get our attention, to woo our heart back to His, or to warn us of coming danger. What separates the mature Christian from the immature Christian is an understanding of these feelings. The mature Christian takes these feelings to God and does not  let the emotion take over and become reality. The immature Christian labels themselves based on these emotions and it then becomes their reality. Their heart convinces them, "I am lost!" This only perpetuates the problem and without an intervention the immature Christian indeed becomes lost. I have seen this sad story play out in front of me with people I have known.

Just like any relationship, our relationship with our Heavenly Father has an ebb and flow with some extreme highs, some lows, and some spots right in between. Now that I have a fairly mature relationship with Christ I cannot remember the last real low I have had with God, but currently I am in that in between spot. It is here that my emotions are triggered and the feelings of being spiritually lost began to awaken. However, I am recognizing that God is only tugging at my heart and reminding me to come back to intimacy with Him. I have had this entire week off of work and have been running around non-stop. This did not displease God, in fact it made Him smile to see how active and alive I was, but He knows, as well as I do, that some quality time together is in order. Sometimes God puts us at a low or at an in between spot out of His love and mercy to get our attention. So the next time you feel unsettled or lost remember it is Christ wooing your heart back to His. A scripture I always store in the recesses of my heart is, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Deut. 31:6, Hebrews 13:5) It is impossible to get lost with God as long as we truly return our heart back to Him. Suddenly, I don't feel so lost anymore.    

You Call Yourself a Husband?

If you call yourself a husband, then you better be prepared to call yourself a leader as well. Recently, my wife, Jessica Ashworth, wrote a blog (www.lifemarriagekidsandgod.blogspot.com) on the wife's role regarding submission to the husband. Admittedly, she struggles with this concept, as most women do. In fact, it is part of the curse given to women in the garden once sin was first introduced to mankind. Genesis 3:16 states, "And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you." (Before I lose all my women here reading this post please continue to read. God does not want your husband to rule over you!) Submit? Rule? Those are some pretty hard words to swallow. I get it, and if the Bible told me that my wife would rule over me and that I must submit to her I would grapple with that idea as well. To worsen the problem, our culture is filled with feministic ideas that preach women's individualism and power. Women have fought for a greater voice and position. While much of this effort has been good, and just, some women have lost the sense of balance and seemingly desire for all manly influence or leadership to be done away with.

As I cannot nearly describe all the beauty and complexities of marriage and God's word, particularly in a short post, let me try to paint a beautiful picture for you. One thing that my father has taught me about God that I have found to be true time and time again is that He is a God of balance. For every negative there is a positive. For every demand there is a reward. For every night there is a day. You get the picture. Marriage, and the roles of the woman and the man, work just the same. First, to set the record straight, God never desired man to rule over the woman. God created woman to be an equal counterpart/helper/guide. This curse was a result of the man and woman sinning against God. Furthermore, God (Jesus) came to this earth in the flesh and died for our sins to remove the curse we brought upon ourselves. Once the cursed was removed a new command was given regarding the interaction between man and woman. We find this command in Ephesians chapter 5 verses 24 and 25. It states, "As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her."

No longer is the woman told that she will be ruled over but rather, that she is to submit. Submission is a willing action where being ruled over is not. You may be asking at this point, "Why would the woman willingly submit to her husband?" The answer lies in the command given to the husband. Husbands are to love like Christ loved the church. What does this really mean? That at all times, as my father-in-law would say- period dot, men are to have the best interest in mind for their wives with a servant-hood attitude and be ready to give their lives for their protection/good in an instance. Do you see the beauty in this? The complete balance? Women are called to submit, but they are submitting to someone who in turn ought to be trying to serve the one who is submitting to them. Is this  not a picture of love and balance? While men are called to lead, it is only to lead in love. It should be a joy and a ease for the woman to submit to her man because her man loves her with a fierce Christ like serving type of love. The problem occurs when our sin nature gets in the way and we revert back to the structure where women try to control and men try to rule. There is no balance in this only chaos, heartbreak, and divorce.

To all my men out there. Man up, and be a real leader! Lead in love and in serving. I am so sick and tired of the television portraying men to be either weak sissy boys or perverted macho thugs. I want to show this world and my wife what a real man should look like!! I am still a young man, and have only been married for five years now, and I realize that I still have lots to learn on the topic but I am asking you all, men and women, to join my wife and I in this pursuit.

Mercy that Covers

According to John 19:23 the soldiers who were responsible for the crucifixion of Christ cast lots to see who would get his undergarment. This undergarment was a seamless robe. Many think the soldiers wanted this so badly because it was an expensive piece of clothing due to its' seamless nature, but just last night my pastor Fred Michaux of the City Life Church in Newport News, VA opened my eyes to a greater reason explaining the true significance of this robe.

Way back in the time of Moses before the time Jesus walked the earth God commanded that the High Priest wear a seamless robe. This robe was to have tassels, pomegranates, and bells at the hem. Only those wearing this robe could enter the most holy place where God's literal presence resided. The most holy place was where atonement, forgiveness of sin, and grace was received for all the people of Israel. Those who dared to enter this place without the designated robe would be consumed by the raw power of God, and instead of grace and forgiveness, there would be death. Therefore, this robe became an icon to the people of Israel.

I have read over John 19 multiple times and never given much thought about the fact that Scripture points out that this robe was seamless. Is it not very peculiar that the Bible mentions this tiny detail in the middle of the story of crucifixion? The Bible is always very intentional so we must learn to pay attention to details. The Bible would not mention this seamless robe because of its expensive nature. The Bible cares little for the wealth of this world, but it would mention it because it is symbolic of God's grace. The Roman soldiers surely would know that this was an important garment. They would see the High Priest of Israel walking around in this garment and they would see the reaction of the people when they would hear the bells jingle on the hem of this garment. The jingle would remind the people of God's grace and power. So the soldiers, even though they may not have fully realized the significance of this seamless garment, knew enough not to tear it into pieces but rather cast lots for it.

What can we learn from this? Fist it serves as a reminder that Christ truly is our High Priest and by Him we have the atonement for our sins. Secondly, Christ took this garment of grace off to give it to sinners like these soldiers. Thirdly, it is a reminder of how God's grace covers. It covers not in pieces but fully and completely from top to bottom. God's grace covers us despite our spiritual temperature as my pastor put it.

As I was praying and mentally put on my garment of grace and reminding myself of how in other places in Scripture we are told that we are clothed with holy garments I suddenly felt very safe. I got the kind of feeling that you get after a cold day when you crawl into bed under your warm covers. In that moment you feel as if nothing can harm you, and there is great comfort and peace. We can all remember as children hiding under our blankets and the safety they provided us. This world is cruel and harsh and the enemy is constantly hurling insults and accusations at us. It is so tiring. However, under God's grace I am safe from all of this and immune to the coldness of this world. It is only when I take off my garment and began to do things on my own that I suffer from the assaults of the enemy. Lord thank you for this reminder in your Word and giving me a visual that I will never forget. Help me to wear my garment of grace everyday! Thank you for your grace. Jesus thank you!!!

Honesty in Prayer

In nearly completing my study of Jeremiah I found myself rooting for the remnant of Israel. God gracefully allowed a few men and women to stay behind and to tend the land while others were either slaughtered or taken as slaves to Babylon. Things were by no means easy for the remnant, especially when there were some enemies in the camp. Some men assassinated the king appointed by the king of Babylon and this sent the remnant into a panic. They were certain that this would bring more terror on them by the king of Babylon.   While their fears were legitimate and sincere, their prayers were not. They found the prophet Jeremiah, who was also left behind, to ask him to pray to God about what they should do. They wanted to know whether they should go to Egypt to flee from the king of Babylon or stay put in Israel. They vowed that they would listen to whatever God instructed them to do. At this point, as I said earlier, I am rooting for them and was so glad that they were seeking God and vowing to obedience. So you can imagine my shock, disbelief, and distaste when I continued to read and discovered that all along they were never sincere. Jeremiah took several days to pray and hear from God and this was God's response. 

Jeremiah 42:10 ‘Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. For I am sorry about all the punishment I have had to bring upon you. 11 Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore,’ says the LORD. ‘For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power. 12 I will be merciful to you by making him kind, so he will let you stay here in your land.’

13 “But if you refuse to obey the LORD your God, and if you say, ‘We will not stay here; 14 instead, we will go to Egypt where we will be free from war, the call to arms, and hunger,’ 15 then hear the LORD’s message to the remnant of Judah. This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and live there, 16 the very war and famine you fear will catch up to you, and you will die there.17 That is the fate awaiting every one of you who insists on going to live in Egypt. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape the disaster I will bring upon you there.’

18 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as my anger and fury have been poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so they will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. And you will never see your homeland again.’

Can't you just hear God's heart in this response? He is crying out to the remnant with love and wanting to show them mercy and build them up! This broke my heart, which I will share why shortly. However, Jeremiah reveals the true heart of the remnant.  

Jeremiah 42:19 “Listen, you remnant of Judah. The LORD has told you: ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Don’t forget this warning I have given you today.20 For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the LORD your God for you. You said, ‘Just tell us what the LORD our God says, and we will do it!’ 21 And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the LORD your God any better now than you have in the past. 22 So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going.”

Sure enough, the remnant called Jeremiah a liar, binds him up, and insists on going to Egypt. If you continue to read you find the Lord holds true to His word and Egypt, along with the remnant, meets great destruction by the very king they were running from. Usually when something I read in Scripture gets this type of response out of me it is because either I am currently in a similar state or someone I know is, or because I have been there in the past. Actually, I too am guilty of this both in the past and in the present. I come to God like a magic genie. I come with prayers and intentions to obey but only if it is something that I want. This is absurd! Who do we think we are fooling? I must be honest in my prayers and if I am unwilling to obey then I should not ask God at all. He is not someone just to check in with while you go about your own way. He wants ownership of our lives. Why? So that He can show us His love, mercy, and build us up just like He wanted to do with the remnant! This is why my heart was broken. How many times have I left God holding out His hands ready to do great things for me, but instead gone about my own way?! I have just recently asked my wife to help hold me to prayer. I, by nature, am a high achiever. I do not like to sit and wait and when I think something is good I like to go for it, and quickly. Before I make any decisions in my life I want to speak with God and honestly pray to Him and be willing to do His will no matter what! I know this is way easier said than done but I hope this powerful, and very clear illustration of the runaway remnant will be forever cemented in my mind and heart, and yours if you are reading this.

Who Do You Belong To?

How often do we read the Bible and think to ourselves, "What are these people thinking, don't they know better by now!?" True while there are some particularly stubborn people in the Bible, most of the time we are no better than the people who frustrate us the most in the Bible. Excuse me, I can only speak for myself here, I am no better than the people who frustrate me the most in the Bible. No one gets me so frustrated as the Israelites of old. You know the ones who wondered the desert for forty years. They experienced some of the greatest miracles of any generation in the history of man yet they were so quick to forget about who God really was and what He was capable of.

I was reminded of this when I was reading Psalm chapter 78. If you have never read it I recommend you do. It is a great summation of the entire book of Exodus. In this chapter there was one sentence that stuck out like a sore thumb to me. It reads, "For they did not believe God or trust him to care for them." Psalm 78:22. Recently, I have undergone some financial hardship. My wife runs an in home daycare and at the moment is only watching one child. We have tried to find other children for her to care for but just when it seems like something is going to work out, it doesn't. On top of this we just had to fork out $400 to repair our car plus there is a pending cost for the ticket that my wife was given during the car accident. My truck has stopped working properly and it is also in the shop. In the next couple of months all my school loans will be out of the grace period and that will cost us a couple hundred dollars a month. We want to be a family that has enough surplus to give plentifully to others, but honestly we are barely scraping by.

All this at once caused me to go in a panic nearly and sent  my frustration over the top that I have not yet been able to land the job that I feel I am ready for. I have worked my tail off for the past couple of years to become a school administrator. But getting to the point, it bothers me immensely that my first reaction to all this struggle is to take matters into my own hand and push God out of the equation. The truth is if I were to lay my life out on a time line I would have moments one after another of how God has provided for all my needs plus more. There are several things about our human nature that combat our service to God but none greater, in my opinion, than that of our memory. Our memory can remind us of who God is but it can also fail  us when we need it most. We forget how reliable God is and how much He really loves us. Our memory can be crystal clear when times are good but murky and inaccurate when we are pressed. The Israelites are prime examples of this.

I pray that my memory will serve to keep me close to God even in the most trying times. Part of the function of this blog is to record God's doing and revelations so that I will always be reminded. However, this is not enough. This is a matter of prayer. I need to pray for a godly memory and constantly remind myself of who God is and what He has done in prayer so that I will never forget that my God truly is an awesome God! Lord, I believe in you and trust you to take care of me.