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When Promises Are Broken

Dr. I. David Byrd July 1, 2019

 

“If a man makes a promise to the LORD or says he will do something special, he must keep his promise. He must do what he said”

Numbers 30:2(NCV)

We have spent the first six months of 2019 unpacking the many promises of God. We’ve seen the grace and mercy He provides to us day by day. We’ve seen that we can depend on His promises. We’ve search scripture to confirm His promises. Yet, doubt, disappointment or disillusion creep in when we think He has not fulfilled His promise to us. This month we pause, turn the spotlight, flip the script, reframe the focus to explore the promises we have made to God and ask, “Can He depend on the promises we have made to Him?”

When you give your word, you’re putting your honor on the line. You’re implying that others can trust you because you have integrity. Have you ever considered how God hears the fulfillment of your promises to Him –

I’m willing to offer a belief in you generally, but without specifics attached to it. If what you are asking is too hard for me to do, you’ll understand if I avoid it. I will sacrifice for others as long as it does not affect my own self-interest as I face life’s daily events. I studied your Word and used my intellect to discern all that was right and wrong with it. Besides, it was written by imperfect men. I ignore the parts that don’t make sense or make me uncomfortable. I’ll proclaim my allegiance to you by judging people on the parts that don’t inconvenience me. I’m willing to love those who are like me but as your Word says, I’m required to love my neighbor not those others. I’m not a minister so, at my own discretion, I will tell others about the Good News. I asked you to alleviate that situation and you told me “your grace is sufficient”; I know you understand that’s not quite going to cut it. 

 

Sound crazy? Before you too quickly dismiss this and while you may not audibly say these things to God, have you not conveyed these words to Him by your words and actions? God expects all true believers to be His emissaries. One day we will all have to stand before the Creator and answer the question, did we take Him at His Word and keep our promise?

 

The most basic promise of most believers is to serve Him. Serving is the obligation to love Him. John 14:15 defines loving Him as keeping His commandments. There is a direct link between His commandments and His promises. They are our reward for a life of faith, belief, and devotion. When we prioritize, pick or choose which commandment to focus on, we open the door for the enemy to get into our heads. My friend says, “If the enemy can cause us to doubt one promise from God to us, then over time that will cascade into uncountable other questions creeping into our heads and causing more doubt.”

Today I pose a set of questions that will allow you to unpack how well you have kept your promises to Him. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or your favorite beverage. Find a quiet space to work through them. You can choose how honest to be with yourself in your answers. This is between you and God. These questions are not designed to challenge you from my own perspective. It is the Word of God, the Word that Christ committed to His Church, and the Word that we are commissioned to defend and proclaim. The Word that can keep the Church strong and pure if we believe it and obey it. We convey our promises to Him by our actions and our deeds. Our actions should seek to please God, not have God please us. Special thanks to Chuck Bengochea and Tim Donoho for allowing me to integrate some of their questions with my own:

 

1. What real sacrifices have you made for Christ? The operative word is sacrifices. Not what have you done for Christ, but what have you truly sacrificed. Webster defines sacrifice as, “forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim”

 

2. What pain have you suffered for God? List 3 examples

 

3. List three significant gifts that you have given to God that forced you to change your lifestyle for at least three months.

 

4. If you knew you were going to die soon, what legacy would you leave behind that would benefit the body of Christ?

 

5. Have you ever been so hungry for the Word of God that you couldn’t sleep until you had meditated on it for a while?

 

6. What does it look like to “Seek God with all of your heart”? What changes would you have to make?

 

7. Do you know God well enough that He could brag on you if He wanted to? What would He say?

 

8. Learning to fully surrender to God is a journey; being willing to release your families, your financial future, and your health can be very difficult. Where are you on that journey? What do you still hold onto tightly and why? What do you think would be the outcome if you fully released that part of your life to God?

These are brutal questions for some. For others, these will be the most difficult questions that we have to answer in demonstrating your promise to God. Some of you simply won’t attempt to answer because the spaces for answers might be blank. I pray your first response will be to drop to your knees and join me in asking God to forgive us for not offering him our best.

Processing your answers will set you on a journey. You will find or awaken a depth of faith that wasn’t previously present. It is not too late to fulfill your promise to God; start today working on doing what His Word asks you to do and watch the blessings of the Lord come. E-mail me the challenges, roadblocks, and detours you experience on this journey so that I may pray with you and encourage you as you engage, discern and make conscious choices as you walk out your destiny.

 

Father God,

 Forgive me for not always holding up my side of this covenant relationship. Use me as Your tool, not for my own purpose, but for Yours. Inspire me each day to seek out how I might truly be a worthy servant to You. Give me the opportunity to share my faith in You with others in both my words and actions. And give me the courage to do it boldly, without fear of what the results might be, knowing that it is solely under Your providence what the outcome will be.

 In Jesus name we pray, Amen

 

 

 

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Tune Out The Distractions, Tune In to your Destiny

 

Dr. I. David Byrd. June 15, 2019

 

“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind, that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.”

John Wooden

 

Dr. Travis Bradberry writes, “Regardless of the magnitude of the decision, our brains make it hard for us to keep the perspective we need to make good choices”.Problems in life come mostly as a result of bad choices. Look back and think deeply about a bad choice that seemed like the best choice at the time for whatever reason. The reason it seemed like the best choice was because of a lack of knowledge. At the beginning of June, we learned that Jesus provides wisdom and knowledge to those who love Him and keep His commandments. That’s reassuring because bad choices can dress themselves up as the best choices. Then they take you where you didn’t mean to go; cost more than you wanted to pay, and stay longer than you intended for them to stay. Therefore, it’s important that today we unpack this concept a little more so that you can tune out the distractions that give bad choices space in your life.

 

Every day we make a constant stream of decisions. Most are mundane, such as what to eat or in what order to tackle tasks. Others are more difficult, such as choosing between two job offers or whether to cut a toxic person out of your life. Then others, aren’t momentous in themselves, but can lead to tragedies: A person chooses to ride with a friend who has been drinking, resulting in a serious accident. Meeting a co-worker for drinks after work that leads to an affair. The young lady who decides to participate in shots at a party, resulting in her letting down her inhibitions. She ends up pregnant or with a venereal disease. Checkmate!

On our own, we don’t have the power to live Godly lives or make Godly decisions. We have to be willing to obey the wisdom God gives us and God’s wisdom comes to us through Scriptures. When making a decision in faith God provides an opportunity to stop us if we are wrong. He can close or open doors as He leads those who are willing to be led. No, “When God closes one door, He opens another” is not in the Bible, but be encouraged knowing that God is with you, no matter the position of the door of your situation. The Bible says,

 

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”(1 Corinthians 10:13)

 

He also expects spiritual brothers and sisters to be accountability partners. There’s no shame in getting help. We are the body of Christ. Building each other up is what we’re called to do. When you find yourself in a tight spot, share your situation with trusted friends who also believe in God’s power. But, choose your prayer partners carefully; the influence of friends is powerful enough to trump facts. The opinions of others really matter. The Bible provides examples of trusting friendships. God gave Daniel the wisdom to interpret the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. A wrong interpretation would have led to death. When God granted Daniel the wisdom to interpret the king’s dream, it launched Daniel’s long career as a political leader, trusted advisor, and well-known prophet. However, he first prayed with his friends. He prayed with them that God’s will be done through the decision made. Prayer was more effective than panic. Panic confirms your hopelessness; prayer confirms your hope in God.

 

On the other hand, Lot ignored his uncle Abram (not yet Abraham) and chooses to settle in Sodom. The Bible says in Genesis 13:8, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, . . . because we are brothers”. Nevertheless, Lot did what Lot wanted to do. He never considered the spiritual implications of moving his family to Sodom. The pull of the world looked too good to him. Ultimately, he lost everything and ended up living in a cave. He and his family paid the consequences for his bad decisions. (Remember the Butterfly Effect). See, no one is immune from the lure of the world’s choices, not even believers. Lot was a man of faith. 2 Peter 2:8 says, “Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day”. Be careful of letting your bad choices seem sexier than they really are. Choices can have eternal implications. Daniel exhibited faith, Lot exhibited self-interest.

 

Faith in Jesus Christ is based on trust in Jesus Christ. James 2:14-17 teaches that faith must be more than belief in certain facts; it must result in action, growth in Christian character, and the practice of moral discipline, or it will die away. A life of faith leads to a better knowledge of God, self-control, patient endurance and godliness. These actions do not come automatically; they require hard work. They are not optional; all of them are our responsibility and must be a continual part of our growth process. Matthew 6:33 teaches us to, “seek first the kingdom of God”.Seek the Lord and wait for Him until He gives you instructions. Many in the Bible made their decisions without first seeking God’s wisdom and experienced unfavorable outcomes. The scripture continues, “then all things will be added unto you”. Right outcomes are the result of God-centered decisions. The only way we can keep his Word is to grow in His knowledge. That’s why Peter prayed that they would, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

 

When we ask in faith, God gives us the wisdom we need at that particular moment. We can confidently claim the promise, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5). A doubtful mind is not completely convinced that God’s way is the best way; so the better you know Jesus the better you will be able to discern right from wrong. Even mature believers will have their faith challenged. We will always need to draw closer to him. Pray to make wise, God-centered, not self-centered decisions in difficult circumstances. Then match your persistence in prayer with gratitude when your requests are answered. God gives wisdom freely to all who ask.

 

Again I ask, who’s informing your decision-making process?

 

Dear Heavenly Father, 

 

Lord, you are my strength and my shield; in You my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give You thanks. For I know that my decisions will turn out for my deliverance through your Holy Spirit and according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, so Christ will be magnified in my every decision. 

 

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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God Will Give You Wisdom and Understanding

 

Dr. I. David Byrd. June 2019

 

The Netflix series What / If demonstrates how one seemingly innocent decision can have a major effect on oneself and those around you. It’s called the Butterfly Effect, first stated in 1963 by mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz, a pioneer in chaos theory. In essence, the flap of the butterfly’s wing is part of the initial conditions that can lead to a chain of events leading to a large-scale chain of events. So what does this mean for us? It means that every decision we make matters and effects more than just ourselves. Have you ever thought about what informs your decision-making process? Some say we make decisions based on logic; the research says decisions are based on emotions. The decisions you make are a selection from a series of choices. The real answer to what informs your decision-making process should be based on your “Why”. When you know your why, you establish clear priorities. And making the “right” choices becomes a lot easier. I heard a story from Dale Powell that highlights how understanding your “why” will help you make better choices and decisions:

 

“Shortly after I was released from the hospital, I met a lady who saw that I was walking with a walker and inquired what was wrong with me. I told her that I had just had my knee replaced. She said she hoped mine did not turn out like hers. Dr. So and So had really messed her up and she had been on a walker for three years. I engaged in the conversation for a while and then said I was off to physical therapy. She replied  “Oh, I don’t put any faith in that. I went one time and I thought they were going to kill me. I wouldn’t waste my time.” I thought how can she blame a doctor for botching her knee if she doesn’t follow up with his advice and do therapy? If I don’t follow the doctor’s advice, he cannot control the outcome. One session of physical therapy and expecting to get well is like doing one workout and expecting to be a fitness champion. It isn’t going to happen.”

 

She clearly didn’t understand that consistently going to physical therapy (the decision) was to restore functionality and prevent disability (the why). Can you relate? We sometimes make bad decisions because we don’t want to make the sacrifice that will lead to a better outcome. Even when we have evaluated our options – Self wants to do what self wants to do. And because we have the free will of choice, we are also the recipients of the free consequences of those choices. I’m glad God is more invested in accomplishing His good works through us. God’s plan is not defeated by our bad decisions. God intervenes to protect the promises He has made to us. Philippians 1:6 gives us the confidence that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”.

 

As believers, we can put our faith in Jesus Christ and allow Him to guide our every decision. Why? He will help us maneuver the traps, distractions and challenges this life presents. Our savior has promised to provide us wisdom for right living and understanding that informs our decision-making process. It’s been said that our destiny is a compilation of the decisions we make over our lifetime. Webster defines destiny as both a predefined course of events; and as the power or agency that determines the course of events. Our goal throughout our life is to use our agency to make proper choices and decisions that keep us from delaying or derailing our destiny. How we exercise our agency is enhanced by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember last months topic – He will be with you always.

 

Jesus provides us wisdom and knowledge through the gift of discernment. The gift of discernment is the ability to make the best choice when confronted with a number of options. Moreover, if the researchers are correct in stating that we make decisions based on emotions, then our emotions should be informed by the Holy Spirit. In our relationship with Christ, we have a noise cancellation system. When we study and apply God’s Word to our lives; when we passionately pursue Jesus daily, the noise of the world is quieted and we can hear Him clearly. Sure, we will still know the noise is out there, but the level of the roar is reduced. However, when we ignore these basic disciplines, the noise of the world increases and can become deafening – and our lives (and possibly others) suffer because we no longer hear God’s word. We then make emotion-based decisions rather than faith-based decisions. That’s why scripture teaches us,

 

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.       (Romans 12:2)

 

Jesus didn’t intend to remove us completely from the noise of the world with its temptations, hurts, injustices and evil. Rather He intends to protect us in the midst of these dangers, effectively canceling the world’s noise to a point where we can hear and respond to God’s Word and our lives can be lived joyfully and effectively for Him.

 

With this knowledge, we can be sure of His promise to give us wisdom and knowledge: to discern; to evaluate what we are thinking against the Word of God; to make good choices and to give us a door of escape. He knows our end before our beginning but in the middle, he gives us free will to make our own choices. Our choices determine the path to our destiny – quick or long, hard or easy.

 

Let me encourage you to, “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path”.

 

So, who’s informing your decision-making process?

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

 

Decisions are not easy. I make over 3,500 decisions per day; some small some large. I know you leave each decision up to me, even when you show me the path of escape from those choices that may not be best for me. Help me to first evaluate all my decisions through the lens of scripture. You promised wisdom and understanding, but I can be hard headed sometimes. Help me to listen and act on your guidance; to trust that you shall open, and none shall shut, and you shall shut, and none shall open. Let all the glory and credit go to you in everything I do.  

 

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God