April 17--This Is What Happens When You Believe What God Says

Does God's word impact your life--the things you do, the way you treat others, the choices you make?  Today's passages say how our lives will be impacted when we believe what God says:  Joshua 15, Luke 18:18-43, Psalm 87, Proverbs 13:9-10.

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Eve reads her Bible journal aloud on this episode.

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Transcript

Joshua 15

Luke 18:18-43

Psalm 87, Prayer, Proverbs 13:9-10

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April 17 This is what happens when you believe what God says. I won't be reading the scripture references. For those, please check the written post. Two year old Abraham has taken to buckling himself in his car seat and refusing to leave it. Daughter Sadie took a video so I could see the determination in his face and hear it in his voice. Ever since he learned that they were coming here to visit, he's been ready to go and demanding they go now. I want to go to Mam's house, he said, like a parrot who's only got one line in his repertoire. Last night, not even the promise of supper could allure him from his car seat buckling. But five year old Ransom gets it. He patiently counts off how many more sleeps until it's go time for the family, but Abraham's not having it. It's now or nothing. You can see it all over his face. Of course, I love watching the video and hearing how determined he is to see us, but I also love how it illustrates what today's passages get at. When you really believe what someone says, you order your life around it. You don't dilly dally about getting started, you get your stuff together, get things lined up and taken care of, and you sacrifice whatever it is you might have to sacrifice even if it's supper. The drive to get going doesn't originate in Abraham. The root of his resolve lies in trusting what mama said, whose word he depends on. She said they were going to Mam's house and by gum, that means now. He must be wondering why am I the only one who knows this? Like Abraham who depends on what his mama says, today's passages say what happens when you depend on what God says The Old Testament chapters Joshua fifteen It's hard to read every word of this chapter rather than skim it. I try to focus, but since it's mainly one long list of Judah's exact boundaries plus the names of its towns, I confess I skimmed a bit. So when the story of Caleb comes along in the middle of name after name, it's such a relief. At last here's something human among the geographical boundaries and peculiar place names. What was written about Caleb from the last chapter is expanded here, and it's more dramatic than I knew. The town Caleb was given was called Kiriath Arba in honor of Arba, the ancestor of Anak. Anak was the big deal of his day, a giant in the land and a descendant of the infamous Nephilim. Caleb renamed Kirath Arbah as Hebron. Anak's descendants were called Anakim for obvious reasons, and Caleb drove out three of them from Hebron. These were giant sized men and were notoriously warlike. When Caleb said he was still strong enough at age eighty five to take over his land, he wasn't kidding. He also goes against the people of Dibir and offers his daughter Oksa in marriage to the soldier who attacks and takes it over. With the offer of a bride as the price, Othaniel steps up to attack. Oksa influences her new husband to ask Father Caleb for farmland as a wedding gift. When Caleb asks her what she wants as her gift from him, she says she needs pools of water to go with the desert land he's given them. I like her pluck and that this little snippet of her story is in scripture, and I like God's obvious involvement in giving Caleb his land by beating these foes who were as built as Anakim. Because at his age it would have been easy for Caleb to let others do the fighting, but trusting what God says is how Caleb has lived all his life, and rather than hang back in fear, he believes God and presses in, quote, he gave himself totally to God, the God of Israel, end quote. I bet he relished the moment that he picked up his sword again. This is what a person of faith does. In the real place where he lives, with the skills he possesses, with his particular weaknesses, he takes God at his word and does his part as best he can. Kiriath Arba won't be taken if Caleb sits around waiting for God to do it. It's one when Caleb does his part to join up with God, which is to believe him, get out the door, and go to war, claiming what God has promised him and trusting God to go with him. And God does. God has a big book full of things he's promised us, things that include beating our bad guys, blessing our work and rest, blessing our families with children and saving them, plus giving us food and good health, homes and incomes. In short, God promises to give us the best of everything. So why aren't our lives more full of good things like these? Maybe it's because we don't really believe what God says, so we don't press Him to give us what He's promised, or maybe we don't think it's polite to make demands of Him or put Him on the spot. But David certainly did, and if we did, wouldn't it be because we really believe that God means what He says and the promises He's given us? Twice I've believed God like this. After having three children I was unable to conceive again. In fertility tests and procedures were unsuccessful. I was desperate enough to say to God, all the babies in the world are yours. I'm just asking for one more, so share. I'll take any baby you send me. Just have one call me up and say, Mama, come get me. One year later a friend called me to say, Are you sitting down? I know of a baby who needs a family. Are you interested? Josie Love was born and we were overjoyed. We held her, loved her, and adopted her. Two years later baby fever was raging again. My daughters and I prayed for another one. After two years of praying together, I was desperate all over again and said, God, I've asked and asked, and I'm giving up. This is the last time I'll ask you for a brown baby boy. You know if you're not going to give me another baby, then take away this longing. It feels mean. I said this prayer on Friday. The following Monday our attorney called with news of a brown baby boy who would be born in a month and needed a family. Were we interested? Stone was born and we were overjoyed. We held him, loved him, and adopted him. Would you believe that I had two more calls after that from people who had more babies we could adopt? I'm convinced that God likes to show off. But by then I was forty four and my baby fever was gone, so I helped find good homes for those little ones. God's not daunted by aging, infertility, or even angry demanding prayers. Look at Caleb at eighty five. He believed God would keep his promise to fight for him, so he charged ahead, and God did. Look at me. I knew God could give us another child, but he hadn't, though my prayers weren't gentle, they were honest and believing. Maybe God prefers bald faced to nice. Jesus told a story about a widow who pesters a judge for justice and is finally rewarded with it, but she has to ask him a lot, even going so far as to badger him. She trusts that this judge will do right by her given the opportunity, and even though he doesn't know God or care about her, he does. If even a godless judge will step up, surely the God who loves us will do even more for us. Jesus told this story so that we would quote, always pray and never give up, end quote. Except when I ask for more children, my usual posture in prayer is to quit when a situation is cemented in concrete rather than littered with rose petals. If I prayed like I really believe God, wouldn't I go all out, get active, get invested, get emotional? Wouldn't I pound on his door till he answers? What will it take for us to really believe what God says? At the least it takes knowing what he's promised, which means we've got to be in his word, and it means holding him accountable to what he's promised and asking him about it. God, you say you'll save my children, but at least one doesn't trust you. You say I'll have peace with my enemies, but one keeps accusing me. You say you heal all my diseases, but one keeps bothering me. When will you come through for me? Or God, I have no one else to turn to and nowhere else to go. Show up like you say you will. Help me because you love me. When you believe what God says, you'll be bold and persistent in prayer and see God keep his word to you. The New Testament passage is Luke eighteen, eighteen to forty three. Here are four scenes from the life of Jesus. When Jesus tells him that he'll have to give up his money if he's wanting to deserve being saved, he leaves deflated. He misses the Savior standing in front of him, who he can never deserve, but who he must simply believe in. two, Peter points out that they've left everything to follow Jesus, and Jesus says he'll be rewarded both on earth and in heaven for it. three. Jesus says he's about to be arrested and killed, but he'll rise alive in three days time. His guys don't get it. Hanging out with Jesus doesn't make them instantly wise. four. Jesus heals a blind man and he praises God and follows Jesus. Following Jesus means following no one and nothing else, having no other loves before him, having no other primary agenda. Those who live like this reap the benefits, those who won't don't. And those who don't quite get Jesus yet, like his disciples, still get saved just for the asking, because coming to Jesus is all about what he does, and not what we do. When you believe what Jesus says, you give up what you love most and he rewards you, and often what you love is made better and returned to you. From Psalm eighty seven The Korah brothers write that God keeps a record in his book of everyone who's been born again in Zion, where God lives. There's singing and dancing over these rebirths, there's joy in the fountain. One day we'll see the whole picture. For now, thanks to this psalm, we see the joy behind the scenes, we see God's logbook and the living water splashing, we feel the refreshing, we can almost hear the laughing. There's indescribable joy everywhere God is. Heaven is where we're headed if we trust in Jesus. Heaven will make our struggles worth what they cost us. We'll celebrate with God Almighty and everybody else there, full of joy and forever to feel it. It's a happily ever after I can only imagine, and it's for anyone who is desperate for Jesus. Whether you've been in Zion through prayer and praise on earth a thousand times or just once, everybody who gets in does so by trusting Jesus because, quote, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, end quote. When you believe what God says, you have heaven to look forward to one day, plus joy like a fountain today, and all because of Jesus. Prayer. God, help me believe what you say, make me persistent to pray. Let me let go of all loves before you. May your joy fountain well up and water me. In Jesus' name, so be it. From Proverbs 13, 9 to 10. Believers are brilliant while unbelievers go dark. Pride keeps you fighting while wisdom listens to advice. Passages in Joshua, Luke, Psalms, and Proverbs are selected for today in the yearly Bible. This is Eve Debartel Laban Robot.