LEANING HARD On God's Faithfulness:

PART ONE

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the things God has entrusted you to do? Like you're trying to stack a bunch of stones on top of each other, hoping they don't fall? 

If you answered yes, you're not alone. 

Although it might be encouraging to know God has trusted us with His belongings - finances, time, seasons of life, bodies, relationships, hope, emotions, community and power - it can feel a little overwhelming, too. Like us, God had trusted Moses with a great deal of responsibility. He was called to lead God's people - the Israelites. This story reminds us of a powerful truth: Leaning Hard On God's Faithfulness is our only way to live the life He's called us to. God is simply more invested in our lives than we could ever be, and our greatest response to stewardship is relying on God to do the heavy lifting for us.

 

Moses had been away with God on Mount Sinai for forty days. God was giving Moses His teachings and commandments for the Israelites. But Israel had become impatient, so they asked Aaron to make a god to go before them to the place God has promised them - the Promise Land. Without any hesitation Aaron made a golden calf, which become their god and led them to disobedience.

WE NEED GOD'S WORD: Exodus 32:15-18

God had a purpose and plan for Israel. They were to be a people set apart from all other nations - a living representation of God's love. It was God's commandments and instruction that would set Israel apart, giving them a blueprint for life. 

We live in a world where truth has become relative. Today's younger generation has especially been challenged with a godless culture - a culture that has produced an unbiblical view of what it means to live for God in our modern age. Did you know that 65% of teenagers want a relationship with God? But 63% of teenagers who consider themselves Christians don't believe that Jesus is the son of the one true God, 58% believe all faiths teach equally valid truths, and 51% don't believe Jesus rose from the dead. Although teenagers are interested in Christ, they have purchased a distorted view of God and what it means to be a Christian. 

 

This can equally be true for us. Without the accountability of God's Word, like Israel, we have no direction in life. We become distracted and lose focus of God's standards. God's Word is our only source of complete stability in a world that is ever changing: All people are like grass, and all their beauty is like a flower of the field. The grass dries up and the flower drops off, but the word of the Lord stands forever (1 Peter 1:24). If we're going to live unlike the other peoples of the earth by the way we manage God's belongings, we need to live by different standards of life. 

WE NEED GOD'S VOICE: Exodus 33:7-11

It's incredible to think that the God who performs the inexplicable, who spoke life into existence, who faithfully provided for Israel in ways beyond our comprehension, also makes Himself available to us personally, speaking to us directly in time of need. But what is equally staggering is that while it is natural to lean on our own understanding in time of need, Moses relied on prayer to find God's will for Israel. What would our lives look like if we relied on prayer instead of trying to manage it ourselves? How would our marriages be different? How would our children be impacted? How much healthier would our finances be? How would our approach to stewarding God's belongings change if we made a point to pursue His will for us daily? For Moses, it was prayer that made all the difference in his journey with Israel. 

Last Saturday I settled into a small prop plan in Philadelphia. While waiting for departure, I was thinking about how life on the ground can seem so busy and complicated. But as we became air born, life below - what once seemed overwhelming - had become motionless and straightforward. And it dawned on me that prayer allows us to break free from our small perspective to an elevated view - God's view. Prayer allowed Moses to hear God's voice, which led him to God's will for Israel. Not only does prayer allow us to tap into God's power, it also redirects our focus to Him - His standards and purpose for us, which is critical to following His will. 

WE NEED GOD'S FAVOR: Exodus 33:12-16

Moses realized and underlying truth: God's favor is the only way to live the life He's called us to. Moses understood that if he was to successfully lead Israel onward, God needed to take the lead and go with him.  

God's favor is what enables us to achieve godly stewardship: And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). 

Several months ago I stumbled across a song written by a worship pastor who had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The song became an instant encouragement around the world as it offered hope to thousands of people who had been battling illness and disease, and it had become a personal favorite of mine, too. A couple of months after the album was released, authorities announced that this pastor had never been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was a scam for profit. 

Seems like an ugly story with a terrible ending, doesn't it? But is it? When we look deeper, it should remind us of an incredible reality - that even in the midst of our unfaithfulness, God is still beautiful. God is always faithful. Although the song had been written and produced out of brokenness, God brought hope and healing from it. In the same way, we need a God whose favor exceeds our broken and flawed lives. 

REFLECT / TALK:

Q: Can you remember a time when you didn't rely on God's Word for direction? What happened?

Q: What comes more natural to you, reading God's Word or praying? Why do you think that is?

Q: Do you make a point to seek God's will through prayer? If so, explain a time when God clearly directed your steps through prayer. If not, what holds you back?

Q: How do you think Moses' journey with Israel would have been different if he didn't make a point to seek God's will through prayer?

Q: How do you think your life would be different if you relied on God's Word and prayer instead of trying to manage it on your own? How would your approach to stewarding God's belongings change if you make a point to pursue His will for you daily?

Q: Can you remember a time when God's favor clearly exceeded your efforts? When there was no other explanation but that God had intervened? How was your life impacted? 

Q: Read James 1:5 and see how this simple advice can help with your approach to stewardship. How does this verse speak to you?