The Privilege of Preschool

Thankfully on Wednesday night the Lord has modified the schedule allowing me to teach the four year olds in Awana (Cubbies). It is so precious to see there faces when they are glued to a lesson. I started the first night using little Woolly (www.amazehealingwings.com/puppets.htm) to teach the kids about sin. The eyes lit up when I started to bring little Woolly out of the bag. Of course, him being shy, he just peeked out of the bag and after a few more peeks he finally came out and began to teach the childen with me. Even at four years old the little kids knew what I meant when I talked about sin (doing wrong things). Those children are ready to understand the freedom that comes from forgiveness. Many hesitate to share this concept for fear of discouraging them. This is justifiable as a person has to be sure that a child understands both sin and forgiveness, the two must come together. However, even at this young of an age those children already know what it is like to feel guilty. They have been in trouble and they have all seen Mom or Dad lose their patience and get angry. Guilt is something they are now trying to figure out. Sharing this lesson of sin and forgiveness at their level is like a missionary sharing the gospel to an unreached tribe in the jungle. Just by the looks on their faces as I talked with Woolly I knew that this message was opening their eyes and hearts to the privilege we have when we receive Christ's forgiveness.

This will be one of the most exciting days of the week for me.

Pray for the Impossible.

As I have shared before God is teaching me more about real faith. In the last few weeks God has shown me that I have made faith just an extra help for my own efforts. In other words I would work hard on things and then ask in "faith" for everything to go well. Faith was not for God to do something in and of Himself, it was kind of the like the icing on the cake. My only risks were for me to fail in what I was trying to achieve. I relied on God to strengthen me but I did not rely on God to do it for me. At any rate, God put me to the test and showed me real faith.

This started when my wife and I gave money to the church even though it meant we couldn't pay some bills. This request put me in a situation in which I had to step out in true faith. God was saying to me, "Let me do the impossible". Sounds Biblically simple but practically nuts. In spite of my little faith we gave. Unfortunately nothing happened overnight, not even the next day or the next day. What made it bizarre was that I had more faith each day. We would talk together about how we were going to get through this and I would cheerfully say, God has to do something. On the very last day that we would suffer the consequence for not paying a bill God provided. The check we received was the exact amount that my wife had prayed for. This is one of those times when you are surprised but not surprised. Holding the check in my hand I was laughing at myself saying "what did you expect, you serve the almighty sovereign Dad."

The example I have thought of was Peter walking on the water. This was truly real faith because there was nothing that Peter could do to make this happen. It was simply impossible. This is now my prayer that I will pray more for the impossible that only God can do. This is one of the ways the Lord teaching me about real faith and I don't think this will ever end.

Trust..what did I get myself into

God answers prayers. Two years ago I told the Lord that I did not know what true joy was. Have you every asked God for something that if you would have known what it would take to learn it you wouldn't have asked. And yet what it brought you in the end made all worth it. True joy I have learned comes from only the things above and not from the things on earth. Deep, yes. Real, completely.

You would think that I would have learned my lesson. If it takes trials to learn a key word in the Bible why would a person ask for it. I guess you could call it righteous greed. I did not cry out for it or beg the Lord, I merely told the Lord that I wanted to know what real trust was. You know the verse, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart" At one time I considered that my life verse. Trusting as I may have been (20 years ago), I know that my trust in the Lord is not even near what it should be. And God is faithful, the process of learning about trust has begun. Yes, it is already a rough road. However, in spite of what it is going to take I know that in the end I will be to say it was all worth it.

This morning as my trust was being challenged, God brought these verses to me (www.youversion.com) at just the right time. Bibles usually titles these verses "Do not Worry".

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:22-34

Today it will be on His Word that I stand.