We wish... we long... we hope... we pray... for opportunity.
Opportunity to experience something good, powerful,
significant, wonderful, helpful.
Opportunity to have God show up like He did in the
Bible.
Then we whine about the very circumstances that are
the breeding ground for Him to do so.
You see... it is CRISES, PROBLEMS, DIFFICULTIES
that create opportunity. Until we are
staring into the eyes of something so big or bad that we cannot handle or do anything
about, we are not in the place of opportunity.
I think having eyes to see that way is a big part
of what “faith” is all about.
Daniel got the word that everyone on “Team Wisemen”
had been ordered to the gallows, (Daniel 2).
What did he see? As the rest of
the team saw CRISIS, Daniel saw OPPORTUNITY.
He boldly went to see the king, asking for time (he got it), prayed
fervently with his three friends for God’s answer (he got it). By seeking and surrendering to God he went
from death row to vice-king of Babylon.
CRISIS creates OPPORTUNITY.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were ordered with
the rest of the new and revised “Team Wisemen” to the Plain of Dura, (Daniel 3). Arriving they saw a ninety foot statue, heard
the announcement that all were to bow and worship when the orchestra struck a
tune, and realized they were in a CRISIS.
But they saw OPPORTUNITY. They
refused to bow, made their stand with the king and vowed absolute loyalty to
God even if they were thrown into the flaming furnace. They saw OPPORTUNITY to
point people to the only true God, even at the cost of their lives, knowing God
would deliver here or hereafter. In
fury, the king ordered them tossed into the flames.
AN ASIDE:
What would you do if you were there?
Our tendency, “But God! I’m not
supposed to be IN the fire, You were supposed to swoop down as my celestial
superman and save me FROM the fire!” and other such whining. If we put on faith eyes we see that we cannot
experience the DEPTH of God’s miracle unless we experience the DEPTH of the
danger!!
BACK TO THE STORY:
Into the flames they were thrown, where Jesus was waiting for them,
where they walked around in the fire high fiving Jesus, where they experienced
God! The king ordered them out, ordered the world never to criticize God and
promoted them to high office. CRISIS created OPPORTUNITY.
What crisis, problem, difficulty are you
experiencing? Look at them again with
fresh eyes... faith eyes. Do you see
that God is bigger? That only as you go
through them that God can show up big?
Lean into God, seek Him with all you’ve got, trust Him no matter what
and watch God turn your CRISIS, PROBLEM or DIFFICULTY into OPPORTUNITY to
experience Him and to point people to Him.
Here’s what God says...
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah
32:27 (NIV)
Boldly, Herb
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