What is God telling you to do? What has He been saying to you that you’ve been resisting? Why is it that so many of us can’t seem to find the capacity to move when God speaks? Why is it that many of us stand paralyzed when God tells us to move?
The answer is so simple and yet so complex.
The answer is fear.
The answer is rebellion.
The answer is pride.
The answer is weakness.
The answer is blindness.
The answer is disobedience.
There are so many reasons why we don’t do what God is telling us to do. There are so many reasons we are disobedient to His voice and His instructions. But is this not our ruin? Our disobedience, which leads us to sin against the Almighty is exactly the mountain that blocks our path to His blessing.
And, so, today, I want to encourage you to do what God is telling you to do. Don’t hesitate. Don’t remain inert. Move quickly and swiftly at the Father’s command and do exactly what He tells you to do.
In the Book of Exodus 16, we see the first instance of God providing food for the Israelites – manna to be exact. There are several lessons that I’ve learned about this particular chapter.
The first lesson in the manna is that we MUST trust God for our daily provision.
When God first provided the manna, the Lord gave specific instructions to gather what they needed for the day. Of course, not everyone listened to God’s instruction. Some people gathered enough for two days. The people who gathered for two days discovered that their manna had maggots in it. They couldn’t eat it. The lesson is that we have to trust God for our daily provision. When we try to provide for ourselves we fail – and by fail, I mean that we cannot rise to the competence of what God can provide for us when we trust in Him. We have what we need when we allow God to provide for us.
Only God can provide for us physically and spiritually. When a person tries to provide themselves with what they think they need spiritually – it’s called religion. Religion can do very little for a person’s soul. It’s far better to be spiritual than religious. Only the Holy Spirit can provide the spiritual abundance we need to sustain and strengthen us.
The second lesson in the manna is that what God graciously gives, we must industriously gather.
God provides, but we must do our part too. We can’t sit idly by and do nothing. Faith without works is dead. We are co-laborers with Christ. We have a role to play, and it’s easy to become unbalanced – some people rely on themselves completely and have lots of work without faith – and others have faith and no works. You have to trust God completely and solely, but God expects you to do your part. We must pray, seek His Face, listen to His voice, walk in obedience and love, and make good decisions. God expects us to choose blessings and life. God provides everything we need to live a godly life, and He has equipped us for the work that He’s called us to do, however, let’s not forget that we have a role that we must fulfill. As God provides, we must be industrious in using what He has provided.
The third lesson in the manna is that when you honor God’s Word, He provides everything you need for the following day.
God told the people to gather twice as much on the sixth day so that they could rest on the seventh. Once the Sabbath day arrived, some people went out into the fields expecting to find manna to gather. But, there was no manna. However, because of God’s instructions to gather twice as much on day six, the people still had provision. The Israelites were learning that God prepares a person for their future when they are obedient to Him and listen to His instructions. The Matthew Henry’s Commentary says this; none are ever losers by serving God.
The final lesson in Exodus 16, is that Christ, Himself is the True Manna.
Yeshua calls Himself the Bread of Life, and indeed, He is. Manna sustained the Israelites for many years, and they had all the nourishment that they needed. If you’ve ever studied nutrition, then you know that the body needs many vitamins and minerals to function. Whenever there is any deficiency of any kind, illness and sickness creep in. A deficiency in any vitamin or mineral will cause symptoms. For example, if you’re feeling fatigued you might be lacking vitamin D; or if you’re cold all the time, there might be an iron deficiency. However, the Israelites were healthy and strong – Scripture says there was none feeble among them. The manna had everything they needed to stay strong and healthy – and so it is with Christ – He is everything we need! Everything we need is in Yeshua – He is the Bread of Life, the True Manna.
Galatians 1:10 – For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10 is clear: No one can please everybody.
Each person is going to like aspects and parts of you while disliking parts of you. It’s very rarely that you’ll find someone that likes all of you, and if you do, then you should just marry that person. With that said, different people will want you to behave in a different way – people will have their unique version of who they think you are at your best – this may differ widely. You can’t be who everyone else wants you to be, or even who one particular person wants you to be. Sometimes you can’t even be the person you want to be because that might even be a bad idea.
So here is what I suggest, be the person God wants you to be.
People-pleasing is vanity. It’s like grasping for the wind. It’s a miserable existence to live your life trying to please people. However, trying to live a life that is pleasing to God is far from miserable. People pleasing produces anxiety and fear – discontent and frustration, but God-pleasing produces peace, courage and clarity.
Most of us are guilty of trying to please people. Throughout the Bible, we see men of God attempting to please others. King Saul is a good example. Saul lost the kingdom because he was so focused on pleasing those around him. God gave the kingdom to David, who wasn’t a people-pleaser, but was instead a man after God’s own heart.
I know what it’s like to fall into the trap of wanting to please someone. My life got much easier, far more peaceful and focused once I stopped caring what people thought, and cared more about what God thought. When you can get free of the opinions of others, it’s incredibly liberating. I thank God that He is so merciful and has warned us against people-pleasing.
There are two simple truths that you need to remember:
First, you can’t control what other people think about you. Focus on what God thinks about you. Is God pleased with you? That’s what matters. If God is pleased with you then you are on the right track – His opinion is the only opinion that’s important.
Second, understand that your self-worth isn’t dependent or contingent on someone’s opinion. Your self-worth must be rooted in Christ, and Christ alone. Usually, at the heart of people-pleasing, there is a self-esteem issue or a confidence-conflict. This is something that many of us struggle with. The enemy is a thief, and one of the things that he attempts to steal is our confidence. When you lack confidence and have low self-esteem, it’s easier to fall into the trap of people-pleasing.
Remember how much Yeshua loves you, so root your sense of self-worth in His love. Know that God loves you, and that is all that matters.
Put your trust in God, seek to please Him and put your trust in Him alone.
Giving isn’t a command – it’s encouraged. And it’s encouraged with good reason because when we give, it transforms us. We evolve into better people when we are generous and unselfish. The doctrine of tithing often focuses on money, but another area that we often overlook is time. While being generous with our money transforms us; giving our time is also transformative.
Many years ago after getting my first “real” job in a corporate environment, God showed me that He wanted me to tithe. I soon realized that money wasn’t the only area of my life that I needed to surrender to God. Time was a part of my life that I had kept entirely to myself. I went to church on Sundays, but God wanted more for me. And so, I began the habit of tithing my time. There are so many different ways to tithe your time, but below are just a few.
Serve in your church – if there are areas of ministry where your church needs help, jump in. Many churches need help with the children’s ministry, or perhaps the church is looking for volunteers who are willing to pray for others or greet visitors at the door. Church is an excellent place to tithe your time.
Give God the first of your day – In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to give a tenth. Before they paid workers, bought property, or did anything else, they tithed. You can tithe the first of your day by dedicating your mornings to God. When you wake up in the morning before you do anything else, pray.
Many people believe that expressing anger serves no purpose, and it’s best left unexpressed. However, people with this perspective typically end up feeling resentful of their loved ones. They never express their anger, so it just simmers unproductively. The resentment builds, and the relationship deteriorates.
In some cases, anger is better left unexpressed. It’s wrong to express anger in a way that is physically or emotionally harmful towards the person with whom you are angry, but if you know how to communicate in a healthy manner, then expressing your anger can lead to a more fulfilling, honest and authentic relationship.
What many people don’t know is that the idea of not going to bed angry actually comes from the Bible. In Ephesians 4:26, it states; Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Ephesians 4 is clear: resolve any conflict before drifting into REM.
Going to bed angry has a profound effect on your brain and subconscious. A study in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that going to sleep after experiencing anger (or any negative emotion) helps the negative emotion to lodge permanently in the brain. The brain activity that occurs while we sleep “protects” the anger and permanently embeds it our emotions.
If you have a fight with your spouse, don’t sleep it off. Instead, talk it out and choose to resolve the conflict – even if you must agree to disagree, let go of the negative emotions so that you can rest.
There is an interesting concept in Judaism called Tikkun Olam, which is synonymous with social action and the pursuit of justice. Tikkun Olam means ‘World Repair’ and it’s the idea that your actions, the things that you do have the capacity to repair the world – a world that’s been broken by sin.
However, what we need more than world repair is Heart Repair.
King David understood the reality of heart repair and asked God in the Psalms to create in him a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit in him. David understood that if he was going to live a life that pleased God he needed a new heart. I believe that God gave David what he requested and answered his prayer, which is why we also read that David was a man after God’s own heart, because when your heart is clean, you seek His heart.
Thankfully, God is not just a God of repair, but He is a God of renewal because the world needs more than just repair – it needs to be renewed. Repairing the world simply won’t work because we ultimately need a new world altogether. In the New Testament, the disciple John records the future and says this:
The earth is so defiled and degraded; it’s beyond repair. This is not to say that God can’t repair the earth, because He is God, after all, He can repair anything. However, in the future, God is going to create something new.
It’s encouraging to know that we serve a God of renewal. Until our new world comes, we need heart renewal, and in the meanwhile, as we ask God to renew our hearts we can hold on to the promise of Yeshua, who said “Behold, I am making all things new.”
You need to be able to recognize God’s voice so that you don’t confuse it with the enemy’s voice. When you don’t know God’s voice, the possibility for deception is there. You might think that what you hear in your heart, mind, or from other people is from God, when it’s not. Being able to hear and recognize His voice and distinguish between His voice and Satan’s is imperative.
God’s voice has distinct characteristics based on His nature. God is a God of love, order, clarity, encouragement – these are all characteristics of God portrayed in His voice. So, while Satan condemns, God convicts. The enemy discourages, God encourages – the enemy confuses, God clarifies. When you understand the character of God and the Word of God, you’ll recognize His voice. His voice is gentle, beautiful, confirming and brings about peace in your spirit. God doesn’t bring anxiety and fear.
Some people think that hearing God’s voice means hearing the audible voice of God. There are plenty of people waiting to hear God’s voice, assuming that it will thunder from heaven (and it can) – but because it hasn’t, they assume that God has never spoken to them. But God speaks in more than one way.
God can speak to us through other people.
He often speaks to us through His word.
He speaks to us in a still, small voice – sometimes it’s just a whisper in the heart.
God can even speak through music. I once asked God a question when I was a little kid and He immediately answered me through a song that was playing on the radio. I was so surprised and delighted I never forgot that moment. God speaks to us in numerous ways, so listen for His Voice.
People usually make a snap judgment about you based on the clothes that you wear. Have you ever wondered what your clothing says about you?
Quite a few scientific studies have researched how clothing influences our perception. In one study, researchers asked 300 people to look at a man in a made-to-measure suit and then in a less expensive suit. Of course, people judged the man in the bespoke suit more favorably. Our impressions of others doesn’t stop with men in fancy suits. Even teachers make assumptions about a child’s academic ability based on their clothing.
Clothes don’t just shape what other people think about us; they even shape what we think about ourselves. A team of scientists discovered that when people dress to impress, they enhance their cognitive abilities. Dressing in fancy clothing makes a person think differently. It makes a person feel powerful, which changes their mental processes.
Romans 13:14 doesn’t tell us to dress up in formalwear, but it does tell us to wear Christ.
We talk a lot about walking with Christ, communing with Christ, loving Christ, following Christ, but we rarely discuss “Putting ON Christ.” What does it mean to wear Christ?
The Greek word used for ‘put on’ or ‘wear’ is the word endyō, which means to sink into something, and put it on as one wears clothes. According to Strong’s definition, this word can be literal or figurative. Gill’s exposition explains that we are to put on Christ as a person puts on clothes in the morning. The righteousness of Christ is compared to a garment, which covers our sins and imperfections.
Putting on Christ means placing our faith and hope in Him, trusting Him, submitting to Him, staying under His covering and living in His Presence. Choosing to think like Christ as we go about the day clothes us in His Grace. Choosing to meditate on Christ and His sacrifice clothes us in His Mercy as we go about our day.
We are to be completely clothed with Christ. He is to cover every inch of who we are. Any part that’s uncovered is exposed. The exposed parts are susceptible to the outside influences of the world. How do we stay completely covered? In the figurative sense, it is a submission of every area of our lives to Him. It means submitting habits, work, relationships, speech, thoughts, burdens, fears, and desires. When every area of our life is submitted to Him, we are clothed with His love, and we are wearing Christ.
BOHO + THEO 