What God Wants

I recently heard a very good teaching about an issue that had confused me. For years I wondered why God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. Was it because Abel offered sheep and Cain only plants? I don’t think God didn’t like His vegetables, but all kidding aside, I think that has very little to do with it. Pastor Lloyd Pulley on The Bridge Radio station recently shed some light on the subject. Mr. Pulley stated that he believed that Cain offered God what he (Cain) wanted to give rather than what God wanted, while Abel offered what God wanted. Therefore, Cain represented man doing religion his way and Abel doing it God’s way. He went on to explain that many religions today are empty because they follow man’s ways and traditions as opposed to a real relationship with God. Being of a similar belief that a relationship with God is central, this got me thinking—what does the average person think God wants? I think a lot of people would probably cite the Ten Commandments and many others the Golden Rule, but I thought immediately of the verse in Deuteronomy 10:12. "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul (NASB). I believe this encompasses much of what wants, but it’s very open ended: for example, walking in His ways. You can’t know all the ways of a person unless you know them. The same for God. Of course God’s Word, The Bible, shows us His ways, but the law is filled with a lot of practices we no longer need to continue because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, like sacrificing animals. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, and He ended the need for continual sacrifice. So how do we know how to walk in God’s ways? The verse above gives us a clue. First we need to fear Him, not be afraid, but reverence Him; something our culture is NOT —reverent. Reverence for someone entails a healthy respect and a dash of awe. All I need to do is look at a sunset or study a flower and I’m in awe of God. My reverence is born out of my relationship with Him as I see how amazing He is, the depth of His mercy and grace along with His incomparable love. His love for me deepens my love for Him. But there’s another aspect to love—obedience. If I truly love Him, I will obey Him. Obey what? His commands. Yes, but Jesus went beyond the Ten Commandments to the Golden Rule of loving God with all your heart, soul and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. That’s a tall order, but if the Spirit of God is living in you, He will give you the ability to do what God wants and go beyond our human abilities. Then there’s turning the other cheek. How can we obey that mandate when some jerk cuts us off? Oops, I mean fellow commuter. Anyway, only a deep relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit can help us love our fellow man or woman to the extent God wants. Forgiving and caring for our neighbor is also a big part of this tall order that the Spirit can help us fulfill. Just think about how many times a day Jesus suggest we forgive another 70 times 7. I believe that doesn’t literally mean 490 times, but it’s a calculation that would have been considered unattainable or limitless. Marriage is a good one for exercising this privilege of forgiving. It’s a privilege because it shows us how much God forgave us, and it’s what He wants us to do for others. It also demonstrates our gratitude for how much God forgave us. So it’s not hard to see that doing religion God’s way requires that we have an abiding relationship with Him. When you know and respect God, you will want to please Him. That’s doing religion the way God wants instead of our own way. At that’s what I want to be Able to do. Now I understand why Cain’s sacrifice wasn’t acceptable; it was half-hearted, not the best or the first,but the last like leftovers. And God wants our all, our very best.

Excerpt from When God Speaks: 40 Days and Nights of His Promises

During this Christmas season, we may need this reminder.

GOD PROMISES US… TRUE HOPE


Hope sustains many, especially in difficult times, but what is our hope attached to?

Not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance character, and character hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-5

Hope is an essential ingredient in the human condition. With it, many have endured unbearable circumstances and terrible atrocities. Without it, mankind easily sinks into the pool of despondency. As the saying goes, “Hope Floats.” But what does it float on?

There are many things we can put our hope in—a better job, a good marriage, a dream vacation or winning the lottery. Some of these may come true, but they are mere wishes. Hope that bounces along the tides of our desires is merely a bubble that can pop at any time. True hope is different.

Hope that is based on the Word of God is an anchor of the soul. Its life emanates from the Creator to the created. As God breathed life into Adam, so the Holy Spirit breathes spiritual life into us. As Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote in her timeless poem, “Hope is a Thing with Feathers.” It gives wing to our innermost yearnings. Yet hope that is anchored in the Christian faith is not a flighty creature. It not only promises a return, but delivers one.

As in years past, many Christians today are persecuted and tortured in other countries. They have endured starvation, beatings, imprisonment and even death, but their hope shines forth because of the grace of God. I met such a blessed one at a writer’s conference.

She shared with the audience her story of cruelty and captivity. While it was a heart rendering and painful one, there was hope in her eyes as she shared. The seeds of her faith sprouted while in prison, and she grew in perseverance and character. Hope grew within her even in desperate circumstances, as she prayed for a miracle to be set free. Then she explained that she was miraculously released because of a clerical mistake, and now appears before Congress on behalf of her imprisoned brothers and sisters in Christ.

Her hope of freedom was not wishful thinking; it was rooted in Christ.
Even if she had remained jailed or her body starved to death, her hope rested in the promise of everlasting freedom. As the verse says, “Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts.” If our hope is rooted in God’s love, everything that comes our way can be transformed…trials and tribulations become tools for hammering out perseverance, which forms character and yields hope—a hope that takes flight on the wings of God’s eternal and steadfast love. And that’s not a bubble that bursts.

If you are interested in learning more about the persecuted church, you can find information from Voice of the Martyrs or Open Doors.

This book is available from AMAZON in print for $12.79 or e-book for $6.95

Letters to God on a Prodigal Son--A Psalm for Parents

Letters to God, on a Prodigal Son—Overcoming Addiction Through Prayer is the poignant, true story of a parent's journey through the minefield of her adult child's addiction. This book will help you find peace in the midst of your tsunami and the secret to victorious prayer! Letters to God is a powerful journal packed with prayers, practical advice and key spiritual insights. It will help unlock the secrets to successful prayer, not only for those dealing with prodigals, but for anyone facing their own storm.

On Tues NOV. 8TH ONLY I’ll be having a book launch for Letters to God… and you’ll be able to get a lot of FREE Gifts when you purchase the book on that day. You can find out more about the launch on my web-site, www.anitaestes.com or this direct link http://www.anitaestes.com/landing-page.html



Here is an excerpt:
A Psalm for Parents of Prodigals

Oh God, You are my God
And I will worship You.
Though darkness and confusion
engulfs me,
You will light my path.

Though heartache and disappointments
Surround me,
You will lift up my soul.

You will meet me in my times of sorrow,
And comfort me.
You will lead me and guide me
when I don’t know which way
to turn.
Though no one else may know the way,
You will reveal it to me.
Though our enemy desires my son’s life,
You have spared him.

May he dedicate his life to You,
And follow Your footsteps.
May You illuminate my son’s path
back to You, that he may walk Righteously in Your ways.
May You open my prodigal son’s eyes
for the task he is to do
with his life.

Lord, look down upon us and lift us up.
Thank You for preserving our life.
May You give us wisdom,
And guide us in all we say and do.
I place my son and my husband
in Your hands.
Soften their hearts towards You,
And keep them moldable.
Let all of us be clay in Your hands. Amen.

Reconnecting--Doing it God's Way

This morning as I sat down to have my quiet time, an insight flashed across my mind like lightning illuminating the night. The incident yesterday with the interview presented itself in a different light. Perhaps the whole ordeal is an analogy for our interaction with our prodigals. We are speaking with them, then all of a sudden something happens to break down our communication. It can be addictions, depression, chemical changes in the brain, and hardness in the heart or any variety of waywardness. We think they still hear us, so we go on speaking, assured that the communication problem will be easily fixed if we just keep talking, talking talking.

That was my problem yesterday. I thought for sure the technical problem would be resolved because I could hear the interviewer and the audience could hear me. I was hesitant to call in again. It flew in the face of my reasoning. Isn’t that how we sometimes treat our prodigals? We believe we raised them properly so they couldn’t be having the problems they’re beginning to manifest. We are in denial because we are sure we can reason or talk them out of it. At least I thought I could.

I didn’t want to hang up and redial because I was afraid we wouldn’t reconnect, even though the interviewer asked me to do that several times. What kept me from following her advice? First overconfidence rose up assuring me this would quickly be resolved and then fear kept me frozen for a minute. I know that happened to me as I dealt with my son. I didn’t listen to professional advice immediately, believing my prodigal would change. When I realized this problem was not going to fix itself, I prayed. It took a little bit of panic, then I finally surrendered—the same way I handled my prodigal except that it was a torturous ordeal with a lot of panic.

After I prayed and put this situation in God’s hands, I broke off the old connection, and called back. At first we were flustered, maddened and annoyed, but after a few minutes we continued smoothly with a few minor bumps, but at least we were hearing each other.

When I surrendered my prodigal to God, a new connection was established. I felt a greater peace and my heart wasn’t in my throat all the time worrying about him. The change in my son wasn’t immediate; he spiraled further down, but I trusted my Savior would rescue him. Since I placed my prodigal in the Almighty’s hands, He has done an amazing work. We have a few minor glitches in communication, but we both know where to go to resolve it. We take it to the Lord in prayer.

It was prayer that helped resolve the technical issue and reconnect us. Once I was willing to step out and do what the interviewer told me to, not what I thought I should do, we could hear each other again. Maybe your prodigal just can’t hear what you’re saying. I know it’s a frustrating experience, but why not reconnect with God?