Sunday, May 6, 2007

Financial Giants in the Land

This year when we were praying for where to go on the summer trip and we heard God say "Bahamas" I was hesitant because I knew that the cost would be a problem.
We continued to pray about it and again we heard "Bahamas". I was still hesitant but wanted to do what God said.
As I kept praying, we visited a church one week and the pastor was preaching on financial stewardship. It was a good message and one particular thing he said spoke to me. He was talking about the importance of obeying God above all. He was specifically talking about tithing, because many people who are wrestling with the topic of tithing fear that they won't be able to pay their bills if they tithe. He said that if we obey God first, he will take care of the rest since he is a God who has unlimited financial resources. This spoke to me about the trip because I knew that if God was saying to go to the Bahamas, that I shouldn't change it because of my fears about money. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of heaven (which is obeying God's instructions) and all these things (food, clothing, shelter) would be added to us (Matt. 6.33). As I prayed, I knew that God wanted us to go to the Bahamas and that I needed to just trust Him that God would make a way for those who were supposed to go on the trip.

As I was doing my reading through 1 Samuel I was struck by the faith of Jonathan, son of Saul, in 1 Sam 14 when the Philistines were attacking Israel and the Israelite army was quaking with fear and Jonathan decided to go with just his armor-bearer and attack the Philistines. He said "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." He then set up a simple sign to see if God would be with them, ("We'll cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say 'Wait there until we come up to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. Bu if they say 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.") got confirmation and ended up killing many and God sent a panic which caused the whole Philistine army to flee.

It was a huge act of faith for Jonathan. He knew what God had done in the past and had defeated armies, but translating what had happened before to the current situation is where we often get stuck. Most of us would look at the situation and say "There are too many of them! I, a single person can't do anything." We wouldn't get to the point of asking what God is wanting us to do in the situation. On the other hand, it would be foolish to Jonathan to have simply try to take on the enemy without making an attempt to discover what God's will was. Note also that God didn't bring the panic on the Philistines until AFTER Jonathan had asked, gotten the confirmed sign and fought the enemies. So as Jonathan responded in faith, God increasingly brought him victory (first in a confirmed sign, second in killing some 20 men, third in striking the whole army with panic).

So here we are thinking/deciding about the summer trip. As I had expected, many of us are being tested with the finances. The financial enemies look large and many, and many of you don't even have a job. So if you don't have the money and you want to go on the trip, here are the options of how you can proceed:
1) Decide that since you don't have the money, the trip is out
2) Decide that even though you don't have the money, you'll go anyhow and hope that it all works out
3) Pray and see if God wants you to go on the trip and then
3a) obey him if He says to go or if He says to not go
3b) make your own decision (1 or 2 above) despite what God said

Obviously 3a is the only right choice (and by the way, even if you have the money 3a is still the only right choice). Another point to make is that there are things that God WANTS you to do and things that he will PERMIT you to do. In Jonathan's case, God didn't come to him first and ask him to attack the Philistines. But Jonathan was engaged in a war and he was obviously wanting/willing to attack the Philistines. So he put out a sign asking God to confirm or deny his desire. For the most part if God is WANTING us to do something, we can be certain that he will provide the way and the finances. If God is WILLING for us to do something, He may not provide the finances - though we can certainly ask Him to do so.

So here is what I'd recommend based on the Scriptures:
1) Pray and ask God if He wants you to go on the trip. If you are wanting to go and don't see a way, you can ask God to make a way.
2) Show this to your spiritual covering (for most of you that is your parents) and discuss it with them.Ask them to pray as well.
3) Ask God to confirm to you with a sign.

Let's set a date for determination/confirmation of this Thursday (May 10).

Just as an encouragement to you, God has already answered this prayer for some people on the trip. They

didn't have a way and couldn't afford the trip. I encouraged them to first determine God's will and pray before they made a decision. They asked for a sign of an out-of-touch friend calling by a certain date and I asked for a sign that an offer of financial help would come without me asking anyone (we hadn't mentioned to each other what our sign was). Within a day, both signs were confirmed, and they were encouraged to follow on though they still didn't have all the answers.

So even before the trip begins, there are lessons to be learned and faith to be built as we learn to follow God.

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