"The Steppingstone Perspective"

"And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt".  Genesis 45:7,8

More happened to Joseph during his lifetime than happens to most people.  He was loved by his father.  Hated and betrayed by his brothers.  They wanted to kill him but threw him in a pit instead then sold him to slave traders.  He was bought as a slave and made to serve in Potiphar's house.  He was taken from his home and his father living among strangers.  He was tempted by Potiphar's wife and lied on because he would not give in to her lustful desires.  He was thrown into prison and made to suffer in chains.  Sounds like a hard life.  Sounds like there wasn't anything good about it.  It was filled with choices others made for him and not for himself.  At the end of all these hardships he was promoted to the second highest position in Egypt.  He "ruled" the world. 

It wasn't until the end of his trial that he was able to see the whole picture.  God had a purpose for Joseph and though it looked like others were "doing it to him", it was God sending him ahead to be in place for the great task of saving His people.     

Hindsight is often 20/20 but we don't always have the luxury of living in hindsight.  We live in the "here and now".  Because of this all we see is what is happening in the present and we judge our circumstances accordingly.  Often what we see as bad, from God's perspective He sees it as good.  Don't misunderstand, He doesn't call evil good, but He sees the good that He can bring out of it.  Yes, the brothers did an evil thing, but God brought great good out of it.  Often what we see as a "demotion" God sees as a "promotion".  With each new transition-- from his home, into the pit, then into slavery and next into the prison-- Joseph saw demotion.  It looked like he was getting further and further away from God's plan.  But from God's perspective it was like a steppingstone placing him in the exact position and right place.

Don't get discouraged when things aren't going as you planned.  Don't see the negative in it.  Don't look at it as a demotion.  Don't look at it as just another trying circumstance.  Ask the Lord to show it to you from His perspective.  You might be surprised because it may actually be bringing you one step closer to fulfilling God's plan.

Have a great day. Don't view your trying circumstances as a defeat or demotion, it may be the next steppingstone that is bringing you into your destiny.    

"The Blame Game Perspective"

"And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him".  John 9:2,3

When things go wrong, one of the first things we want to do is play the "blame game".  Whose fault was it?  Who sinned?  The disciples asked Jesus this same question concerning a blind man.  Surely someone was at fault.  Surely this is a punishment for either his own sins or the sins of his parents. 

True enough there are often consequences that we face as a result of committing a sin.  For example, if you break the law, you will face the consequences with either a fine or jail time.  You are at fault and brought this upon yourself-- you are to blame.  True also is the fact that sometimes we face problems that are the fault of someone else.  If a dad is a "dead beat" and won't support his children, they suffer because of him.  This was not their fault but his fault.

But most of what happens to us is not because of any fault of our own or someone else.  We live in a world that is under the curse of sin.  Because of the fall that came with Adam's disobedience the door was open to sickness, disease, hardship, violence, lawlessness, death, etc.  Sickness attacks.  Death comes and claims all ages.  Trials happen.  It is the "fault" and result of living in a sinful world. 

The God perspective doesn't want us to be constantly blaming ourselves or others for the problems we are facing.  We are often blaming the wrong one-- "neither he nor his parents sinned".  God's perspective is that regardless of what happened, why it happened, who caused it to happen, He knows how to turn it around and work it out for good.

If what you are going through is a result of consequences you are reaping because of bad choices, repent and ask the Lord's forgiveness.  If what you are going though is the result of consequences caused by someone else, forgive them.  Otherwise, what you are going through is because you are living in a sinful world, so stop blaming yourself or others.  Trust and believe that even in this the Lord knows how to "manifest His works" and bring glory through it.

Have a great day.  When things go wrong, stop playing the blame game and ask God to do a work in it. 

"Rose Colored Perspective"

"Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead".  John 11:14

We have all heard the expression "looking through rose-colored glasses".  It means that we want to see everything as pleasant, beautiful and going well even when they aren't.  People tend to do this because they don't want to face the reality that things are not well. 

Many Christians are living their lives looking through "rose-colored" glasses.  They see things different-- especially bad things-- than the way they really are.  When something is going bad, they try to confess it away, claim it away, command it to be different or if they just don't talk about the situation it won't exist or it will change.  They conclude that to say something is going wrong is lack of faith.   

Let's talk about this way of thinking from the God perspective.  Let me say that it is not a lack of faith to call black black and white white.  It is not a lack of faith to say you are sick when sickness is in your body.  It is not a lack of faith to say you don't have enough to pay your bills when you don't have enough to pay your bills. 

Jesus did not teach this.  Jesus called things as they were.  "Lazarus is dead!".  He wasn't looking through rose-colored glasses.  He was looking through the eyes of faith and following the word He had received from the Father.  He called it just like it was-- Lazarus is dead... but... we are going to go "wake him". 

Looking through "rose-colored" glasses says there is no problem, everything is lovely, everything is great.  But looking through "blood-colored" glasses (red-glasses, that's what I call them-- looking through the backdrop of the cross, the word of God, and the victorious resurrection of Jesus) we can call things that "are" as though they aren't.  We can say there is sickness, but the Lord is Healer, by His stripes we are healed.  We can say there is a problem, but the Lord is my Helper.   

If there is no problem, why do we need to pray, why do we need the Lord to work on our behalf, how will He get the glory for solving the problem "that doesn't exist"?  Acknowledge the problem, but don't stay there.  Don't keep talking and talking about it.  Don't keep rehearsing it.  Don't get stuck in it.  Acknowledge it and stand in faith concerning it.

Have a great day.  Are you looking at problems through "rose-colored" glasses or through "red glasses" of faith?   

"Jesus Taught God's Perspective"

"But I say unto you..."  Matthew 5:22a

 (The Lord keeps giving me devotions on the subject of God's perspective. So, we will continue to talk about that for a little while.) The word perspective is defined in the dictionary as: a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.  So how can we be sure we are seeing things from God's perspective?  How can we be sure we are walking according to the Spirit and not the flesh?  How can we know if the way we handle a certain situation or view it is from our own perspective, a worldly view or God's perspective?

 

We have already said that God's perspective is:  all things work together for our good.  But how do we know that the situation is working together for our good?  When Joseph was betrayed and thrown into the pit by his brothers, he didn't say, "Praise the Lord, this is for my good.  This will take me to the palace where I will rule over all Egypt".  He didn't know that.  He couldn't see into the future.  Remembering that all things work together is the anchor for our faith-- it is where we place our trust in God's faithfulness.  It is the assurance we have concerning the outcome and end result of our situation-- it will work for my good.   

 

But how do we walk the situation out from God's perspective as we move from point A to point Z?  We find that answer in the teachings and example of Jesus.  Fifteen times He used the phrase-- "But I say unto you".  The world says one thing.  Your flesh says one thing.  But God says another thing.  The whole time Jesus was on earth He taught us Kingdom perspective.  He related to us what the Kingdom of God was like and how we are to operate as kingdom people while on earth.  He told us what God's perspective was when He said to love our enemies, go the second mile, vengeance is Mine, when you have treated others kindly you have done it unto Me, blessed are the pure in heart, etc.

 

So, when you are in a situation remember that somehow, some way God will work this out for your good.  And when you don't know if you are walking according to His perspective, go back and see what Jesus said about it.

 

Have a great day.  Jesus told us and showed us what God's perspective is in every situation.     

 

"The Wrong Praying Perspective"

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure".  2 Corinthians 12:7

 We have already determined that there are two perspectives in which we can view a problem, a situation or a circumstance that takes place in our lives.  We can see it from the natural point of view-- fleshly, worldly, emotional and feelings oriented.  Or we can see it from a spiritual point of view-- the way God sees it.

When we see things from a "God perspective" it will change the way we pray.  Our prayers are less likely to be selfish, self-centered, focused around our own personal wants and desires, prayers for deliverance from unpleasant situations, prayers crying out for a life of ease and carefree existence and prayers for abundance and material blessings.  This does not mean that we should not pray for our needs but that will not be our central theme in prayer any longer.

Paul prayed to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh.  He prayed that this messenger of satan would leave him alone.  He prayed that the Lord would remove it.  Three times he prayed this, but God did not.  Paul's perspective of the situation was that this thorn was hindering him from doing his work for the kingdom.  It was in his way.  It was tormenting him.  He was being buffeted by it.  It was taking away his liberty and ability to do what he needed to do. 

God's perspective was different.  God's perspective was-- this thing is necessary, you need it, it will help you stay humble, it will keep you from being exalted in your own eyes because of the revelations I have given you.  Without it, pride can come in and destroy you.  God's perspective was-- I don't have to take it away because my grace and strength will give you all you need to endure it.  God's perspective was -- this is working together for your good, or else I would take it away.

Paul's prayer, and ours, when facing these situations, should be-- what is Your will in this?  What is Your plan through this thing?  Is this allowed by You or is it an attack from the enemy?  Do I depend on Your grace to carry me through it or do I take authority over it?  If Paul had sought the Lord for His perspective in this matter first, he would have saved himself a lot of time and agony praying against it and for its removal.

When we face unpleasant situations, we should pray first to find out how God views it.  That obstinate co-worker may be part of God's plan.  That overbearing friend may be working God's purpose out in your life.  Whatever keeps "buffeting" you may have a part in helping to fulfil God's plan in your life.  If so, don't pray for its removal, pray for God's grace to endure it. 

Have a great day.  When we start looking at our situation from God's perspective, it will change the way we pray.