Does God Provide?

The ultimate question is this … Can God really provide what He has promised?

Let’s look at one particular story in the Bible for our answer.  In Genesis 22 we read about the story of Abraham taking Isaac into the mountains.  Here is a modified telling of this story.

Abraham and Sarah were barren for a bunch of years – well into their nineties, and finally God made a promise to Abraham that He would bless him with generations of descendants.  Low and behold Sarah got pregnant with Isaac.  Isaac was God’s plan for continuing Abraham’s line, which ultimately led to the birth of Jesus. 

Time passed.  Isaac grew.  When he was in his early teens God tapped Abraham on the shoulder and said, “Go into the distant mountains to a place I will direct you and sacrifice your son Isaac.”

That was pretty simple and direct. 

It was a three day hike to the place God had chosen and off they went.  All along the trail I can only imagine the conversations Abraham was having with himself mostly, and with God sometimes. 

“You promised to bless my line with generations upon generations, and the beginning of that line is Isaac, and yet you have commanded me to go and sacrifice him to you.  Why?  What are you thinking?”

And on they pressed. 

At one point Isaac looked around and asked, “Father, where is the lamb for the sacrifice you say God wants us to make?”

And Abraham answered, “Never mind son.  God will provide the lamb.”

And on they walked.

On the third day of their journey, Abraham saw their destination in the distance. 

As they got closer he commanded his fellow travelers to stop and make camp while he and the boy went ahead to make the sacrifice.  He even said, “And we will return.”

WE!  That was faith speaking.

On they went until they came to the place to which God had directed him.  He built the altar, lay in the firewood and actually placed Isaac on the altar. 

Got the picture?  Abraham had a promise from God – “Isaac is my plan to bring multiple generations to your lineage.”  Yet God had commanded that Abraham sacrifice him on an altar in the mountain.

So he tied Isaac down.  He bound his hands and feet, and he sharpened the knife.  And as he raised his hand to strike the deadly blow, a voice from the heavens called out and stopped him.  

The voice said, “I know that you trust God and He has first place in your heart, for you were willing to sacrifice your only son as God directed.”

Perhaps with a trembling hand and weak knees Abraham slowly lowered the knife, and as he did, he heard the bleating of a ram.  Its horns were caught in a nearby thicket. 

The message came loud and clear.  “Because you have obeyed me, I have provided a substitute sacrifice and I will bless you with abundant blessings and descendants.”

What is the message that reaches us in this narrative?

I think it is this.  God wants our trust and our obedience. 

~Trust that He always knows what is best for us in every situation 

~Obedience that we will follow and obey as we discern the voice of God.

You see, God provided the lamb for Abraham that day. 

And a few thousand years later He provided another substitute lamb for us in the form of His own son.  Christ became the ultimate sacrifice for us to provide a way to God’s side for eternity.

This gives me hope today.  When I think of this story and all of its ramifications, I see the hand of God and the wisdom of God at work. 

My mind automatically goes to this thought – God provided for Abraham in the middle of his sacrifice, and if He can do that, I believe He can reach across the generations today and provide for our needs as well.

The name for God that we see here is Jehovah Jireh (translation – God provides).

GOD PROVIDES!

Does God provide?

Yes indeed!

Please watch this:

God Has Provided the Lamb

The Bill Gaither Trio

 Click below for this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9muYzxjfpY8

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Don't Drown in Your Failures

Are you swimming in failures?  We all do at one time or another.

I have some good news.  First – a quote.

“You do not drown simply

by plunging into the water. 

You only drown if you stay

beneath the surface.”

~Paulo Coelho

This is a great metaphor that has a ton of life applications.  For today, let’s consider this one.

So you have fallen into some kind of predicament.  Perhaps it is a moral sin, a vice that has reared its ugly head, or some serious vow that has been broken.

What now?

Wallow if you must, however, I hope you find the strength and grace to stand once again and overcome your fall.

The great promise from God is this:  “My grace is sufficient for you.”  And in another place we find this:  “Cast all your cares on him (Christ), for he cares for you.”

That is the message I have for you today.

Sure, sometimes we sink down into the mire of life, but we don’t have to stay stuck in the mud and muck. 

God in his mercy and grace continually stretches out His hand to lift you up onto solid ground again and again.

I used this phrase a couple of weeks ago, yet it is still pertinent.

For out of his infinite riches in Jesus,

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

If you feel you are drowning in your sin, reach out your hand one more time.  His grip is sure and His ground is firm.

Thanks be to God.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

How Rich Is God

In the grand scheme of things, just how rich is God? 

Consider this.

I John 3:1 says he lavishes us with love.

James 1:5 tells us that He doesn’t just dole out wisdom.  Oh no.  He gives generously to all without finding fault.

Romans 2:4 tells us God is rich in tolerance, kindness and patience.

I Timothy 1:14 says He gives grace exceedingly abundant and indescribable.

He overflowed the banquet table when the prodigal son returned home.

He flooded Peter’s boat with fish beyond counting.

He made better wine and in more abundance at the wedding feast.

He provided manna for the throngs of Israelites during their 40-year hike in the wilderness.  And he gave them quail to eat.  He never let their sandals wear out all during that time.  And He provided a flame to lead at night and a cloud for the daytime.

How rich is God?

His grace is sufficient.

His mercy is everlasting.

He forgives and forgets.

God promises to meet all our needs. (Philippians 4:19)

He bestows bounty even when a brother or sister is in need of forgiveness.  His admonition was not just to forgive seven times.  Oh no.  He said “forgive seven times seventy.” 

That is bestowing riches.

Generosity abounds.

And His grace shows up best in weak people.  He give generously, liberally, he does not withhold, even though we may deserve justice.  We find grace.  We find a giving Heavenly Father. 

And to cap it all off, His promise is this … if we call on the name of Jesus Christ, we shall inherit eternal life.

Inherit! 

And what did we do to deserve this?  What price did we pay?  What good deeds were required?  How many trips did we have to make to Africa, or New Zealand, even Las Vegas to earn these gifts, this grace thing?

None.

Not in your righteousness. 

Can’t earn it.

Can’t pay it back.

Don’t even deserve it.

He just gives, and gives, and gives again and again.

This old hymn comes to mind here.

His love has no limits,

His grace has no measure,

His power has no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Please watch this

We are heirs, and joint heirs with Christ.

We have a very rich Papa.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Grace in the Dark Places

Grace isn't just for sunny days.  It’s for dark days too.  Maybe grace shows up best on dark days.

King David had a few dark days.  His infidelity and murder was brought out and made public.  That had to be a dark day.  And he found grace.

There once was a woman drawing water at the community well.  She was what you might call a “woman of many men” for she had already had five husbands, and the man who was her current main squeeze had not even bothered to wed her.  Christ came along.  He brought grace to this woman’s dark and dreary life.

Another woman, one we might label as “a slut with an impure lifestyle” was found washing the feet of Christ with her tears.  Her TEARS!  And after washing his feet, she dried them with her hair.  Can you picture that one?  Those nearby chastised her, and they said some less than esteeming words to Christ as if he had lost his senses. 

And in the end, Christ extended grace to the darkest depths of this woman of the streets.  He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Grace came that day and touched the dark places of this common prostitute.  She came in as a woman of sin.  She left as a woman seized by grace. 

What is your dark place?  What parts of your life would you really like to keep in the dark and out of sight of others?

The God that I serve wants to offer you great grace.  He wants to light up your life and extend the hand of grace to your distorted, disjointed, and disengaged lifestyle.

He can bring grace to your life.  He can shed light and life on any area in which you feel great shame and disgrace.

The invitation is this:

Come, all who are tired, worn out, and carry immense problems on your shoulders.  Lay down your burdens.  I will give you rest.  Learn about my ways and a new way of living.  I shall bring peace to your soul. 

In other words … I give grace for the dark places in your life.

Amen!

Thanks be to God.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

The Ticket Back Home

Let’s cut straight to the point, shall we?  Our title, The Ticket Back Home is all about grace and acceptance.  Here is why.

I will borrow a line or two from Henry Nouwen’s book The Return of the Prodigal. 

“Here the mystery of my life is unveiled.  I am loved so much that I am free to leave home. … But the Father is always looking for me with outstretched arms to receive me back and whisper again in my ear:  ‘You are my beloved.  On you my favor rests.’”

What is at play here is this – the relentless love of Papa God. 

He loves us so much that He, God, continues to allow us our free will.  We get to choose.  We choose our food, our clothes, our friends, our jobs, our cars, our entertainment, our sins, our lifestyle and everything else. 

He promised a long time ago that He would never revoke this one privilege.  It started in the garden.  Adam and Eve chose fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  And so today we retain that one great power.

We choose.

And even if, in that choosing, we walk away from God, what then? 

He still looks for us.  He still calls to us.  His love continually reaches out to us, offering grace, hope, forgiveness, peace, safety, assurance.

And still, if we choose to ignore all of that, He still looks for us.  With every stirring of a leaf or every rubbing together of a couple of tree branches, perhaps Father God wonders if we made that disturbance as we turn and head back to His arms of grace and His house of safety.

The ticket back home to God is always waiting for us at the station.  It is ours for the claiming.  And we get to choose when to claim it. 

Today might be a dandy time to claim your ticket and start your journey home toward redemption.

He is looking for you.  He left the light on for you.  There is food on the table and new clothes for you to wear.  And your seat by the fire is ready for you.

Come home to the one who loves you and has never stopped loving you.

Jeremiah 31:3 reminds us of this:

From afar, God reaches for us and He says, ‘I have loved you with a forever kind of love.  I shall continue to offer you my faithfulness.’

Amen.  Thanks be to God.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

Help for Our 'Should Be' Life

I should be perfect.  I've had every opportunity to get it right all of my life, so I should have this “God” thing down to perfection.  I should have my act together.  I should, you know. 

But I don’t.

I've been going to church since a few days after I was born.  My Dad was a minister and we had prayer in our home, we prayed at every meal, I attended church three or more times every week. 

I should have it all together. 

I've served as a minister.  I've sang songs of salvation and grace, of love and mercy, and I've spoken about these topics too.  I've read the Bible through on more than one occasion, I've attended hundreds of Sunday school classes, I've heard even more sermons, and don’t get me started on the number of prayers I've prayed. 

I should have it all together with God.  I should be a spiritual giant … but I’m not.

Can you relate to bits and pieces of this monologue above?  Do you also sometimes struggle with your ‘should be’ life? 

Then, perhaps, here is some incredibly great encouragement for all of us.

God wants to have a conversation with you and me, and it goes something like this. 

Hi.  This is God.  I have a few words for you.  I know your whole story.  I know everything about you, every skeleton that hangs in your closet.  I know every instance of sin and shame, dishonesty and disobedience that plagues your life. 

I know every moment of your dark past.  I know your moments of weak faith, and I know how shallow your prayers are. 

I know about the inconsistencies in your discipleship, I know how many times you've slept in church, even when trying to pray.  I know your private thoughts, your secret longings, your druthers and your angst.

And in the middle of it all - I still dare to love you. 

I LOVE YOU!

I love you, not as you are. 

I love you not as you should be.

I love you in the middle of all the messiness, the missed deadlines and the misguided thoughts, longings, lusts, and damaging “stuff” you do to yourself.

I put these words into my document called The Bible.  “No one is righteous and pure and holy.  Not even one.” 

(Romans 3:10)

And a little later in this scripture, I added this.  “Whoever calls out to me will be saved.” 

(Romans 3:13)

Don’t you see?  I’ll move heaven and earth just to have you with me.  You don’t have to dress up, clean up, try harder, go to church more, be more, sing more, read more.  You just have to accept what I've already offered you.

My salvation

     My grace

          My peace 

               My forgiveness

So put aside your low self-image.

Put aside your lousy attitude of “I’m not good enough.”

Stop hating yourself. 

Stop putting yourself down.

Stop limiting my power to work in your life.

Quit limiting your concept of me and my ability to love you.

Start believing what is already yours. 

Grace for each moment of your life.

And love – my love.

Your God

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time

A Spiritual MRI

In layman’s terms, an MRI is a result of signals from atoms inside the body that are turned into images of the inside of the body.

If there is an abnormality, it can be readily seen and understood by highly trained medical professionals.

What about a spiritual MRI?  Have you ever asked for an inner spiritual MRI? 

King David did.  About a year after his fling with Bathsheba, he boldly asked God to do an inside job.  It sounded like this.

“Search me deeply God.  Know all about my heart.  Put me to the test.  Uncover my anxieties, my whims and my proclivities.  Look deep for any wicked, evil, scheming ways, and then lead me away from those ailments and take me to your ways where I can discover everlasting life.”

Based on Psalm 139:23-24

Do you have some ailments plaguing your life?  Have you been ignoring the warning signs, feelings of guilt, or have you swept a lot of “stuff” under the carpet?

Then you need an MRI.

Note that David is the one who asked for this procedure.  He asked that God search him, learn all there was to learn about the inner working of his heart.  He wanted God to put him to the test and dig out all unsavory, unsatisfactory, and ultimately dangerous thoughts, longing and inclinations residing inside of him. 

We are the ones who ask for the examination.  When we come to our end, when things can’t get any worse, that is the time to come to the God who sees us, knows us intimately, and He is the one who can, with great surgical skill, eradicate the cancer, the growth, the poison or the malignancy. 

HE is the Great Physician who can heal our sin-sick lives.

It is your move.  Do you need an exam? 

Ask!

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement Inspiration

One Word at a Time