INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

I had just moved my family across country and found myself without a job.  I had researched the role, vetted the manager, and going a well-respected brand with a long track record of great shareholder returns.  I moved to a city which was larger and more economically vibrant than the one I left.  Never mind that I knew approximately 5 people in the new town when I moved and my teenage children weren’t thrilled with my career plans.  It was all going to come together as I stepped out in faith.  Only to see the ground I had stepped out on become unsteady under my feet due to a multi-billion dollar international reorganization that I couldn’t have seen coming.

So, I networked like a mad woman attending breakfast meetings, seminar luncheons, and dinner events.  I applied to jobs.  I sought out groups, advice, and did “all the right things,” to try to bring order and control back into a chaotic and out-of-control situation.  Through it all, I was a bundle of stress and anxiety.  I continued charging hill feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. God eventually prepared for me a place to land, but I came to the new role weary and wounded, at my own hand.

Years skipped ahead, successes begat successes and opportunities led to opportunities.  One role and set of accomplishments leading to the next.  Until, the private equity firms that owned the established, industry-leading company I had joined, decided to force a reorganization that had me on the outside looking in. The rug was pulled out from under us, again. 

But I was different than the woman who had been unemployed years before.  I vowed to do thing differently.  My goals for the transition included not only finding a new job, but being a better wife, mother, friend, daughter, and faithful child of God.  I saw rightly that God was giving me the rest I refused to take before and I didn’t want to waste a second of it.  In addition to selective networking and job hunting, I added spiritual direction and a discipline around prayer and Bible study.  This quieted me and left me softer and more pliable for what was ahead.

As I began this transition, I took a former colleague on the invitation to come down to the offices of my former employer for lunch.  The offices I had relocated and was so proud to join years ago.  I hadn’t been back for all that time. After lunch, I sat in the street-level coffee shop and journaled my gratitude about all that God had been doing in my life, career, and in my family.  I committed my job search to His glory. I think took off on a walk towards the shiny headquarters of a company that I was preparing to interview with to pray around the building.  As I walked, it started to rain.  Not just sprinkle or mist, but it was a full-on downpour.  As I worried about my suede dress shoes and calculated how many more blocks I had to travel, I felt like the Lord spoke to me and said, “Don’t worry, my child.  You are waterproof.”  And to further cement his reassurance, on the train ride home, with my hair and clothes still dripping wet, there was a busker who sang in Jamaican-inspired rhythms the song “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone” and then he segued into Bob Marley’s “every little thing’s gonna be alright.”  I just smiled through my tears and knew that despite the storm I was feeling, that I was in good hands.  Good hands that created another role for me and brought it all about in His perfect timing, orchestrating another relocation, a gathering of family, and opportunities to serve that would have not been possible.

Through these experiences, I learned three very important lessons:

·       God was preparing a place for me.

·       God was preparing me for the place.

·       And that my preparation was going to be the gating function that slowed down or speeded up the first.

This study is what I wished I had when I embarked on that first job search, where I felt frantic and filled my days with frenetic activity driven by fear. This is meant to prepare you for the place God is creating for you.  The title of “Seek First” is a quote from Matthew 6 which reads:

31 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

You are more than a job seeker.  You are a kingdom seeker.

Of course, you should access all the resources, advice, events, and relationships that exist in your field, in your industry, and in your community to identify doors of opportunity that God might wish to open for you.  This book won’t give you advice on how to make your resume stand out in an applicant tracking system or the best techniques for networking. Throughout the Bible, God called his people to action.  He wants to co-labor and co-create with you to find you the next job opportunity.  He knows what you need and is already working things for your good. 

This book is about getting you closer and more aligned to the “hiring committee of one” that is our God. The God capable of miracles.  The one who can create jobs out of thin air and deliver them to you as a sign of His love.  But you should know that you serve a God who is much more concerned with the shape of your soul than the title and logo on your business card.  He wants to use this transition to spend time with you and to help you better hear His voice.

God knows that life is all about transitions and they are critical junctures which can build or destroy our faith.  It has been said that everyone is either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or about to find themselves in crisis.  And even if the change you are going through isn’t dramatic enough to be called a “crisis,” that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting or singe.  I pray that this book has arrived at a time when your hands and heart are open and that is an encouragement to you in your journey!

P.S.  We have created a community online at [seekfirst website] where you can read victory stories of faith and job hunting success.  We invite you to post your own story for publication and to put prayer requests on the prayer wall for others to see and lift up in their own conversations with the God of the universe.

 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book can be used as a daily or weekly individual devotional or the foundation of a group gathering or study.

Each lesson contains at theme (called a Promise) followed by a short Biblical-based lesson (called a Passage). This lesson is then reinforced in a Practice, borrowed from the spiritual disciplines that have been used for centuries. These might have you take action or think deeply about a topic. And finally, there is a place of reflection in each lesson, called Pause, in which you can journal your prayers, insights, or next steps.

Painting Shadows

Painting Shadows

Promise:

God is good all the time.  Even in bad times.

Passage:

What colors come to mind when you think of shadows?  Black, gray, dark colors undoubtedly spring to mind. 

I recently painted a picture that had shadows in it.  I started by using black and gray and something was off.  I experimented with lighter grays and darker charcoal shades.  It was frustrating as I continued to overwork the canvas trying to find the right color. 

Then I did what I should have done at first, I studied a shadow through observation.  I put a mug on the table and observed the shadow it cast.  And realized that it wasn’t casting a gray or black shadow.  It was just tinting the surface color to a darker shade of the same hue. 

I went back to the canvas and mixed a little black (a tiny amount actually) into the color of the background of the painting.  I started painting the shadows and immediately could see the difference.  The darker tint was realistic.

Through all of this practice and reworking, I learned a great insight.  The shadows of our life don’t change or remove the good that is there.  They simply tint it.  As my friend, James Barnett writes in his book Blue Skies, there are still blue skies above the clouds.

And shadows in real-life, not those frozen in paintings, move and change as the light changes.  What is in the shade in the morning is in bright sun by the afternoon.  What is shadowed in one season is a highlight of another.  In 1 Chronicles 29;15, our days on earth are described as a shadow for this reason.  We, like our circumstances, come and go.

Thankfully, our God is described as the “Father of lights,” by the New Testament author James, who continues that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)

Practice:

One of my favorite scriptures in all of the Bible is Psalms 121.  In it, God is described as close as the “shade on my right hand” (verse 5). Using this as inspiration, take your hand on a walk.  Around your home, around your neighorhood, or out to a park.  Observe the light on your hand in different circumstances.  In nearly full dark.  In heavy sunlight.  In speckled shadows like when sunlight passes through a tree.  Notice the color of your skin under different lights.  The texture of the top of your fingers.  Perhaps you are wearing jewelry that changes colors in the light.

Now, rub two fingers together.  With a touch that allows you feel the ridges and edges of your unique fingerprints..  Consider how your fingerprints do not change whether your hand is in the shadow or the light.  Rub them together for at least 10 seconds focusing on feeling your fingers.  Adapt the activity to your body and circumstance.

Pause:

Your fingerprints are unique to you.  In all of humanity there has never been anyone with the same exact ridges and swirls that you see on your hands.  And they do not change in the light.  Ponder this truth and journal a prayer below, thanking God for all that makes you unique.  How he created you to function in various circumstances.  How he is a God that doesn’t change even when it feels like everything around us is changing.

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Gratitude

Promise:

Gratitude and anxiety can not coexist.

Passage:

Research shows that gratitude and anxiety cannot exist in the brain at the same time, as they activate different nervous system modes.  While anxiety triggers the “fight or flight” (or hide or acquiesce) response, gratitude activates the “rest and digest” state.

Times of transition can be filled with anxiety.  And since anxiety sells a lot of pharmaceuticals and causes people to dwell on social media platforms or click on advertising there are overwhelming cultural and commercial forces in our world wanting to keep us anxious. It takes a lot of effort to counter those forces.

Before I go further, I should say that I am not saying that treating clinical depression is bad.  I believe modern medicine is a tool God uses to provide healing. And neither is social media or digital advertising bad unto itself.  These are all tools that can be used for good or ill.  But if you find any of these “cures” make you feel ill, then you need to examine their role in your life.  If your recognize the feeling of fight or flight when doing something you go to for rest, relaxation, or inspiration, then something is wrong.

What does the Bible say about how to overcome feelings of fear?  Throughout the Psalms and into the New Testament there were commands to give thanks.  In all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and because of the nature of God Himself (Psalms 136:1).  Nearly every letter in the New Testament begins or ends with thanks to individuals and to God.  And a lot of these were written from prison cells or in hiding amidst persecution.  If the authors could find reasons for gratitude, we can as well.

Practice:

List out 50 things you are thankful for today.  They could be people, places, memories, physical items in your home or workspace, things you have learned, or anything that you consider of value and worthy of gratitude.

If you are having a hard time focusing on gratitude, start with laying your burdens down in prayer.  I recommend taking a stack of sticky notes and writing out each care of concern you carry today, big or small, on a sticky note and place them in a stack.  Cover them with a cloth or piece of paper.  Pray over them and ask God to allow you to set them aside for a time to focus on thankfulness.  If they still weigh heavy after the gratitude exercise, take each sticky note, one by one, and pray over it asking God to relieve the burden, resolve the situation, heal the wound, revive the joy, and show you what actions you need to take.  Then rip them up and throw them away (or burn them, safely, if you want something more dramatic) as a demonstration of you laying those burdens on the shoulders of the one who if faithful.

Pause:

Look over your list of blessings.  If there are any who are people or memories, consider sharing your gratitude for someone with a quick text, call, email, or visit.  In this way you pass the peace and inspire others to be grateful as well.

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Not Fruit

Not Fruit

Promise:

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control.  The list of things that aren’t fruit is longer.

Passage:

When I was a kid we watched Sesame Street and there was a little bit they did whose song lyrics said “one of these things is not like the others.”  They’d then show images of things that were similar with one that was different.  Three musical instruments and one vegetable.  Three articles of warm winter clothing and a beach ball.  It helped us identify by comparison and contrast, what fit the pattern and which things didn’t.  Sometimes contrast can be a powerful learning tool.

John Mark Comer said on his teaching podcast that “intensity is not a fruit of the Spirit.” Indeed it not found on the list from Galatians 5:22-23.  It sparked an idea that there should be a list of things that aren’t fruit of the Spirit. Some of these things are not like the others.  The list would be too long to contain in this book, but is useful to consider as we seek to show up as Jesus showed up in the world. 

When you feel any of the following, it is not from God and not an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in you.

We’ll start with the things that are the opposite of the fruits listed in the Bible.  These include hate, discontent, unwholeness, hurriedness, intensity, unfaithfulness, evil, and lack of impulse control.  These naturally extend to the 124 sings listed in the new testament which include creating division, being too quick to speak or be understood without listening, adultery, gossiping, complaining, pride, greed, envy, lust, brawling, gluttony, sloth, drunkenness (or equivalents), bitterness, deceit and dishonesty, ignoring the needs of others, rioting, and stealing.  The list goes on.  Although I have never participated in many of the things on this list (thank God!), there are many that are familiar.  I imagine it is the same for you. 

Comparing the two lists is instructive.  The fruit gives life to the person bearing those fruit and to everyone around them.  They are light, attractive, and great for building comradery and unity.  The “not fruit” can literally take away the lives of others or destroy them with words of negativity.  These anti-fruits create distrust and discord and deplete relationships of their happiness.

Practice:

Select one fruit of the Spirit and one of its opposites from the list of non-fruits.  Pray for insight and write out a definition and example of each in your life.  Continue this with two other fruit and non-fruits until you see a trend or pattern.  Pray in gratitude for the gifts of fruit that He has grown in your life.  Reflect on all that have been helped and encouraged by that fruit.  Think of what it felt to bear that fruit.  Pray in confession where you have fallen short and born fruit that isn’t from God.  Reflect on those who have been hurt or discourage by that non-fruit.  Think of what it felt to carry and act on those negative thoughts and emotions. Pray that God replaces any bad fruit with the good fruit of his Spirit.

Pause:

Reflecting on the exercise above, is there anyone that you need to apologize to, clear the air with, or restore a relationship with?  Is God prompting you to do anything different today?

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/john-mark-comer-teachings/id1592847144?i=1000743038259

Garden Pace

Garden Pace

Promise:

The Spirit bears fruit through us in the pace of a garden.

Passage:

In his book, Cultivate, Richard Kannwischer makes the observation that change happens at the pace and process of a garden.  Although there are examples of miracles in our lives and in the Bible, most change we observe is slow and steady.  Living a life without fear, being content, restoring relationships with others, and even cultivating deep trust with God doesn’t happen overnight. 

Good things come to those to wait, the saying goes.  More accurately might be that good things come to those who patiently and expectantly plant, water, fertilize, feed, prune, and harvest.  The rest is up to God.  This theme shows up in the parables and teachings of Jesus as he taught his disciplines to abide in the vine (John 15:4-11) or how the Spirit bears fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

You may be in a season where you feel unrooted.  You might feel over-pruned.  You might feel bare and exposed in the harsh weather of circumstances.  You might feel overgrown and out of control in other areas of your life.  But know that you can trust that God is a good gardener.  He is always patient with us. Firm when we ask. Wishing for us the best of what He created us to be.

Any gardener knows that the same activity can lead to different results each year because some factors are outside of the gardeners control.  They begin with the condition of the soil and the season, but add to it the temperature, the amount of rainfall, pests or diseases that might infest, and a host of other external factors. You, too, have external factors affecting your growth.  If we are focus on what God is asking us to do, I think we will find he doesn’t ask us to change the weather.  He asks us to be open to changing ourselves.  And sticking with it even if it grows at the pace of a garden.

Practice:

Find a plant in your home or yard and spend time in deep observation.  Pray that God use this exercise to reveal something about His nature (after all, he created the plant) and His will for you.

On what does the plant rely for its growth?  It is in its nature to grow, but how is it cultivated.  What do you observe about the plant that is healthy?  What do you observe about the plant that needs the care of a gardener? What seems rushed or hurried? What seems “slow”?

Pause:

What did this observation and meditation on God as the gardener teach you?  Write your reflections below.

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Brain Grace

Promise:

Our ability to learn, change, and grow is a gift.  Neuroplasticity is evidence of God’s grace.

Passage:

After Paul retells a doxology that alludes to Isaiah and Job about the unknowability and unsearchability of the wisdom and knowledge of God, he gives this plea:

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform 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.

This verse says that knowing the will of God (and who doesn’t want to know that!) starts with a transformation of the mind.  Not conforming to the standards set by others, but offering and emptying yourself to God. We do this “in view of God’s mercy.”  It is his compassion that has us respond, but also makes transformation possible.

Hebb’s Law in modern brain science has taught us that “neuron’s that fire together wire together.”  The more you think on something or do something the more naturally those thoughts and actions become.  We are capable of change.  It just happens at an atomic and spiritual level.  We can learn to listen and do the will of God because he has given us this plasticity.  Like Isaiah wrote (64:8), God is the potter and we are the clay.  Moldable and restored to beauty in the hands of our savior.

Practice:

In Luke 2:52 we read about Jesus’ childhood and that he grew in “wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man.”  Using that as a framework, how have you successfully grown your wisdom or mental capabilities, how have you grown physically (as an athlete, your health), and how have you grown relationally, with God and with your family, friends, neighbors, and community.

Pause:

Reflect on a time when you learned something new.  Perhaps in one of the domains listed above. You started as a beginner and were not very good, but with practice got better, stronger, more efficient, and more confident.  Think deeply about what you did to gain proficiency.  The hours you put in.  The sacrifices made.  The help you garnered from others.  Ask God to show you the patterns that led to success.  Then ask God to show you an area of your life in which you need to do the same.

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Seeing Giants

Promise:

God can deliver, if we don’t let our fear get in the way.

Passage:

I am sure sometime in your transition you have faced giants of doubt and fear.  Failed applications or referrals that were unresponsive. Hiring processes that seemed stacked against you. Not meeting all the requirements for a job that you would love and you know you can do. Progress that seems too slow.  Hurdles that seem unsurmountable.  Circumstances that seem unfair. 

In today’s reflection, we meet a group of refugees who literally are facing giants.   By the time the story of the exodus reaches Numbers 14:1-5, Moses has led the people into the desert and sends 12 leaders, one from each tribe, on a 40-day recon mission into the promised land.  They return with reports of a land “flowing with milk and honey” and a cluster of grapes so big it required two to carry it.  Only two of those leaders, Caleb and Joshua, return in faith that God will prevail.  The others are afraid of the size of the people (some of them are giants related to Goliath which later King David will face off with) and the fortification of the cities. The facts of what they reported was the same.  The difference was their response.  In this passage we see two responses to the “facts” which represent extremes.  The community lets fear rule their thoughts and others remembered God’s provision and promises.

In the end, God forgives the people, at Moses’ insistence, but punishes their lack of faith by not letting them enter the promised land.  In the end “seeing giants” and letting that fear cloud their faith had consequences.  God had a plan and was going to prevail and the people’s attitude determined whether they’d be a part of the plan or not.  This is a powerful and sobering lesson on how God prepares our hearts for victories only he could bring about.  We can only see giants fall, if we believe God can do it!

Practice:

Read the following once to familiarize yourself with the story.  Feel free to start in chapter 13 of Numbers for additional context.

14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Now,, read it again to see what jumps out to you. 

Read it a third time, focusing on the words, phrases, or ideas that piqued your interest.  Pray that God reveal why this is important for you to hear.

Read it a fourth time, focusing on your response to the message.  What insights or actions can you take away.

Note your reflections below.

Pause:

What does this lesson hold for you as you interpret the facts of your job search?  How can the same facts be interpreted in different ways?  What might you miss out on if you act from a place of fear instead of a place of faithful possibility?  What is God telling you about which facts need to be focused on right now?

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Work Interrupted

Promise:

God’s assignment can interrupt what we think of as our work

Passage:

Have you ever started your day with a calendar full of meetings and priorities, only to have it interrupted by other priorities?  It happened to me on the day my job was eliminated, and all the deadlines, calendar invites, and important tasks were no longer my responsibility.  My work was interrupted for what I believed, at first, was for the worst.  Perhaps you have a similar story of unwelcome disruption.

There are others in the Biblical record who had their work interrupted.  Moses was minding his own business when God met him in a burning bush to give him a new assignment. Zachariah had his work ss a priest interrupted with mutism until his promised, but unlikely son, John the Baptist, was born. Saul, a persecutor of Christian converts, had his mission to eradicate the early church interrupted by a vision of the risen Christ and several days of blindness.

In this reflection, we want to focus on a group of employees who faced a major disruption: an army of angels descending on their workplace announcing Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

Shepherds had a messy job.  They were outdoors in the elements, either working a family farm or as a hired hand.  They lived around sheep (which are the dumbest and have to be the worst co-workers ever).  They didn’t have access to the city’s amenities or excitement.  They worked terrible hours and faced dangers.  They didn’t have dental.

And yet, they were the first to meet the newly born Jesus.  They were the first to spread the word of his arrival.  They went from being shepherds (the lowliest in society), to being God’s messengers (like the angels).  All in one night.

What began as cowardice and confusion, ended with curiosity and confidence.  God knew the sheep would keep, but that these enthusiastic, action-oriented chaps would be the right ones to throw the birthday party for the infant savior of the world. They returned in a spirit of gratitude and praise for the gift of the Messiah.  This is a gift we still receive today and sometimes our work and plans need to be interrupted in order to remind us of the greater priorities and plans that God has in store.

Practice:

Read the following once to familiarize yourself with the story. 

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Now, think about the interruption and actions of the shepherd from God’s perspective and ponder these questions?

·       What was most important that night: the sheep or the savior?

·       What did the shepherds do after they found Mary and Joseph? How was this a divine assignment?

·       How might of their testimony about the angels been a message of encouragement to Mary?

·       How did the shepherd’s evangelism change the community?

·       How did their experience that night change them?

Pause:

What curiosity and confidence can you now claim from the interruption of your life?  How can your testimony of God’s faithfulness, even at this time of transition, be an encouragement to others? How can you approach an interruption today with praise and gratitude? 

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Whatever You Do

Promise:

How you do anything is how you should do everything.

Passage:

The third chapter of Colossians covers a lot of ground.  It talks about a variety of human relationship and relational virtues that we should be displaying in our lives (gratitude, unity, love) and right in the center is this reminder that whatever we talk about or act upon, we should doing it all out of reverence for and thankfulness to God.

Colossians 3:17:

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him

In a different letter to the Corinthian church talking about a controversy regarding meat sacrificed to idols, Paul writes “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:31).  He was essentially saying that our actions, even mundane actions, should reflect God in our lives.

As you think about your own situation, remember that whatever you say, do, or chose, it should reflect God’s glory and our gratitude.  Even in times of stress or frustration, choosing your words and actions are important. If you are showing up for work (subject to the priorities of another), picking food for your own consumption, or spending time diligently on a job search, you can do all of those things as if working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23).

And finally, assuming the work you did before and the work you will do after your time of transition is over will be “working for the Lord,” and the time you spend in your job search has the same gratitude and diligence, then it is all the Lord’s work.  Employed or unemployed. It’s service to the same God.  You are the same you.  It is just a different assignment.  How you do anything is how you should do everything for the glory of God.

Practice:

Read the following three times, focusing on the meaning of each word. 

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him

Pause:

Write your response below to the question:  What would it mean, right now, for me to choose words and actions that honor Jesus and show gratitude?  How can I practice that today?

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Reframing Trials

Promise:

God believes in you.

Passage:

James is believed to be the brother of Jesus and a leader in the Jerusalem church.  His letter to Jewish Christians who were facing persecution is inherently practical.  He begins his letter with a reiteration of the core message of this Seek First book and that is that God is preparing you for the place he has prepared for you. 

James 1:2-4, 12

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Writing to others under persecution, Paul echoed similar themes in Romans:

Romans 5:3-5

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

In his now famous talk and book entitled “The Last Lecture,” Randy Pasch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon who was facing terminal cancer, talked about being coached in football.  He would be pushed, prodded, and yelled at regularly.  In other words, he faced trials of many kinds.  He then shared what his coach told him: “When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, they've given up on you.” He was only facing scrutiny because the coach cared enough to provide him feedback and shape him into the player he believed he could be.  If he didn’t believe in the potential, the coach wouldn’t have bothered.

Perhaps spiritual forces work in the same way in our lives.  Whether the trials were brought on or allowed by God (good, smart people disagree on what God causes or allows, so I’ll let you study this on your own), the challenges are the forces of Satan opposing the good in us (like the example of Job illustrated so well), or the result of our own sin and disobedience, these circumstances are shaping us.  And perhaps if God cares enough to try to develop us (or in the devil’s case, a life that is such a threat that it needs to be thrown off track), we should consider it pure joy.  God believes in us and wants to see us succeed in and through Him.

Your job search is shaping you.  Like a trial of a new cure in a lab, your faith is being refined through experimentation and testing.  It can be developing your perseverance and your resilience.  It can develop your character and hope as a stronger testimony and encouragement to others.

Practice:

Use the space below to change the passages above into a math formula or scientific equation.  Of course, there is no formula or simple equation that sums up a lifetime of maturing faith, but it could be useful for you to meditate on the elements of that maturity, as outlined above, in the form of a formula.  If the result to the right of the equal sign is the “crown of life” or “maturity and completeness,” then what comes to the left of the equal sign?  What are the things that contribute together to create the faithful follower we have been called to be?

Pause:

Reflect on the formula you wrote.  What is the hardest part of this equation for you to believe right now?  How can you reconcile the idea of trials being “pure joy” based on how you previously defined both of these terms?  How does the idea that God believes in you change your definitions?

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Outlandish Obedience

Promise:

Obedience in the small things builds a life of righteousness and a readiness for the big things.

Passage:

The familiarity of the story of Noah might mask its strangeness.  Read the passage below forgetting what you know about the story and imagine what it took for Noah to be faithful to God in a faithless land while he builds a large boat on dry land.

Genesis 6:9-22

9 This is the account of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress[c] wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.[d] 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit[e] high all around.[f] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Verse 22 is remarkable considering all that came before it. God says that he is going to destroy the earth, but save Noah and his family.  Noah is then asked to build something monstrous following exacting standards.  I can only imagine his neighbors complaining to the HOA about the noise and nuisance of a large ship being built on dry land (perhaps the first anyone had seen as there was no mention of boats or of sea navigation in the Bible before this story).

Many wish that God would give specific instructions of this type to us who are trying to follow Jesus.  Oh, the clarity of a blueprint, when we are seeking His will!  However, I can’t help but believe that there was a lifetime of smaller requests and ongoing dialogue between God and the man the narrative describes as a “righteous and blameless.”  A building of mutual trust and communion that resulted in an ambitious request with this level of precision. This was not the first request requiring Noah’s obedience, nor would it be the last.

In my life the opportunities for outlandish obedience only follow obedience in small things as my faith grows. If we want to be a part of God’s big plans, we need to be obedient in the small ones.

Practice:

Find a quiet, comfortable place to be alone.  Pray that God gives you a specific word.  Ask for a small task (nothing like an ark to build).  Perhaps the Holy Spirit will bring someone to mind who you should call, send to text, or write a note.  Perhaps you will think of a service that you could provide to bless others.  Perhaps as a fellow job seeker needs a word of encouragement.  Perhaps a former colleague needs forgiveness.  Ask God for the same specificity that you read in the passage above.  If He tells you the “why” that is a bonus (we don’t always get that), but you can be satisfied with the how and what.  Pause with a pen in hand and ask God to reveal for you a task about which you can do as Noah did. 

If you are not hearing clearly, pray that any barriers to your hearing.  Sometimes a sin or preoccupation will keep us from hearing God’s voice clearly.  Ask for those to be removed.  Perhaps that is the word he has for you today.  If you don’t hear something immediately, step away and come back to it.  Spend time reading Proverbs and reacquaint yourself with what God sees as wisdom, which might inspire and give a response to your prayer. If after multiple attempts over several days you still hear nothing, ask for the prayers of a believing friend.

Pause:

What task did God give you to do?  How did you fulfill it?  What did you feel when you heard the word?  How did obedience feel?  Were there any results you saw or heard (and it is okay if you didn’t as sometimes God’s will for you plants a seed in others that needs time to germinate)?

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Where are You

Promise:

God knows all about you and he still wants a relationship with you.

Passage:

In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, God’s first question isn’t “why did you do this?” or “I see you fell short of our standard and you can no longer work here in the garden.”  Instead in Genesis 3:9, God asks “Where are you?” 

God knew that they had eaten from the tree that God had instructed them not to each from, warning them that “they would surely die.”  He also knew where they were.  The previous walks that God had with Adam and Eve in the garden in the cool of the evening were disrupted that day as the couple was ridiculously hiding from God. For the first time, they no longer sought out the relationship with their maker.  They feared it.  They prioritized their own shame over their relationship.

God honored their privacy, as He sill does ours, and didn’t expose them, but asked a question that brought them to a response.  

I wonder what would have happened if Adam and Eve had modeled a proactive and remorseful confession instead of reactive, accusatory blame. If they had come on their knees to the Lord while the fruit juice was still on their chin and sought Him out instead of hiding in wait, there might have still be consequences, but there might have been a faster reconciliation. Later in the Bible, confessions from others (David’s penitent Psalms 51 comes to mind) helped restore relationships with God.

If you are reading this study, you have likely “lost” your job. Perhaps it was taken away and given to another.  Perhaps the need for the work was eliminated, leaving you without a seat in a cruel cake walk game. Perhaps you messed up and although learning a lesson, there were consequences to the mistake.  Perhaps you became disinterested or distracted and could no longer give it what it needed.  Perhaps you lacked the skills or will to grow alongside the needs of the business.  In any case, the feeling of being “lost” or focusing on what you lost, can be overwhelming.  But God knows the circumstances. 

When fear and shame overwhelm you in your job search (and it is normal that they do), remember that God is asking “where are you?” and wants to be found.  You can bring those burdens to him. This is not the time to hide from God. If you seek Him earnestly, He will walk alongside you. 

You are not lost to God.  You might just be misplaced and need to put yourself in a posture to be found by God and put back into place.  Misplaced doesn’t mean broken. Like an item designed for one purpose that finds itself in another environment.  God is still looking for you to be in relationship with him and will take care of the rest.

Practice:

Take an item in your home that has a regular spot and move it to another prominent location.  Perhaps take a tube of toothpaste and put it on the kitchen counter or place a random kitchen appliance on your desk.  Move a tool from the garage to your bedroom nightstand.  Every time you see it for the next few days, think of this lesson and how God seeks to find us and restore us to our rightful place and purposes.

Pause:

As you look at the “misplaced” item, is it any less capable or functional in its current location than where it was before?  If you moved your hand mixer to your office shelf, could it still function as a hand mixer?

Now, imagine yourself looking for that misplaced object in its regular location?  Think of digging in the back of the cabinet, searching other locations, or asking someone if they had moved your item.  Think about a time when you searched for something of value that had been misplaced and how frantic, frustrated, and fearful you became. How much more so is God searching to find you?

Now, imagine your item of value not being “lost,” but just put in a different location for a time. Perhaps for its own protection, like how someone would put a family heirloom piece of jewelry in a bank safe deposit box.  How does that reflection make you think about what valuable thing you thought was lost and how it will feel to have it found?

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Fear Not

Promise:

God provides a way to accomplish His will and if it is a direct command to have us not fear, then He provides the anecdote to the fear.

Passage:

“Do not fear” is one of the most common commands throughout the Bible.  There are 72 explicit commands to fear and if we include other reassurances or poetic metaphors that could interpreted as calls to courage and comfort, then it numbers in the hundreds.  Some have even said there are 365 references (and although I love the idea of a reminder to not fear for every day of the year, I couldn’t find a count that high in my own study without stretching to include “peace to you” greetings or admonitions not to worry).

Not matter how many you count, it is a prominent theme of the Bible narrative and it was said by God, Jesus, angels, and spiritual leaders (like Moses, David, Paul, and Peter).  It was written to individuals, used rhetorically (common in the Psalms), to church groups gathering in ancient cities, and to humanity on the whole.

So, if God commands it, he must believe it is possible to achieve.  He created us and knows what we are capable of on our best and worst days.  He never asks us to do what He isn’t equipping us to do.  He can equip us to be content. As Paul wrote to the church at Philipi:

Philippians 4:12-13

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Practice:

Think of the last time you were afraid.  Perhaps you worried about the outcome of a job interview or application, showed concern about a bill that is coming due, or prayed in desperation for a family member.  Sit with that memory for a second and feel where the fear showed up in your body.  Was it a tightening of your chest?  Was it a weight on your shoulders?  Was it an ache in the back of your head?  Where did you feel it?

Now, actively contract that muscle or area of your body and hold the inhale and contraction and then relax it with some exhale breaths.  Do this several times, holding the contraction for at least three seconds and exhaling in a controlled manner for at least as long. 

Now, add a breath prayer to this practice. With each inhale, think or say the short phrase “I know who you are.”  And with each exhale, think of say “I rest in your strength.”  Do this three times, deliberately, slowly, and in anxious anticipation that He keeps his promises.

Pause:

Use the space below to write additional breath prayers that you can keep at the ready when anxiety, worry, or fear creep in. 

If you lack ideas, look up these verses and use language from them to inspire your prayers.  For instance, Psalms 46:10 which reads “Be still and know that I am God,” can become the breath prayer “Be still, my soul/Rest in God.”

Here are others to consider: Psalms 34:4, John 14:27, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalms 56:3,  Philipians 4:6-7, Isaiah 26:3, Psalms 94:19, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalms 23:1-3, Matthew 6:34, Romans 8:38-39, Proverbs 3:5-6, John 16:33, Psalms 27:1, Psalms 62:1, Joshua 1:9, Psalms 55:22, Isaiah 41:10, Lamentations 3:22-23

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Slide into Jesus

Promise:

Jesus promised that if sought, He will be found

Passage:

We often think of God as being above us.  Surrounded by the heavens, superior to us in every way.  This is all true.  But imagining God as being at a higher elevation than us, even though he is spirit and not contained by space or altitude at all, has a unintended consequence.  We think we must strive, strain, and fight gravity to get to God.  What if instead God was waiting for us to relax into a relationship with him?  What if seeking God with all of your heart to find him (as Jeremiah 29:3 promises) didn’t burn as many calories as think it does.

Like a child who decides not to climb and clamor up a playground slide to get to the top, but instead to loosen their grip and let gravity take her to the soft grass below, perhaps this is what God wants for us.  Maybe all our striving is just creating more unease, fear, shame, and distance between us and our heavenly Father.

This doesn’t mean that one can simply do the “path of least resistance” and be undisciplined in their spiritual walk.  Or that those prone to depression or despondency should just fall into those patterns without consideration.  The theologian, Dallas Willard aptly said that “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action.” This is where discerning the will of God continues to be critical, but perhaps we can take Jesus at his word when in Matthew 11:28-30, he said:

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Or when King David penned in Psalms 40:1-2

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.

Practice:

Spend a few minutes in silence waiting patiently for God to join you and show you His insight and care.

Imagine yourself on a playground slide, climbing up the slide bed to get to the top.  The surface is smooth and hard to hold on to.  Perhaps it is even hot to the touch because of the summer sunshine. Your feet slip.  You are grasping and reaching to attain your goal.

Now, imagine you are on the same slide, but that your starting point it now on the top platform.  You haven’t earned your spot there, but was placed there in grace.  You sit down or even lay back, as gravity pulls you to the bottom. 

And finally, imagine yourself sliding down the slide, but stopping yourself with the soles of your shoes or with your hands on the slide edge.  You fight gravity.  You resist the pull of the slope and smooth surface which is beaconing your progress.

In your imagination, switch between the three scenarios and think about how each makes you feel in each case.  Which is easiest or hardest and why?

Pause:

Consider how these ways to play on the playground are a metaphor for us seeking God.  We can assume He is hard to find and that we must go find Him at great effort.  We can assume get distracted by worries and doubts and impede his presence.  We can use solitude and silence as disciplines of surrender to lean into His promises and provision. Write your reflections below.

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Remember in Memorial

Promise:

We build trust and faith in God by remembering all that He has done.

Passage:

Have you ever seen a pink ribbon on someone’s lapel and knew immediately that they lost someone to breast cancer?  Have you ever seen a “W.W.J.D.” written on a bracelet as a reminder that someone should ask themselves “What would Jesus do?” when faced with choices? Have you ever visiting a war memorial or monument commemorating a great person or place? Have you ever placed a sticky note on your mirror with a scripture or promise that you want to remember? Have you ever worn a cross pendant as a reminder of God’s sacrifice?

In our family, we have a tradition of putting pins on our Christmas stockings to commemorate things we have accomplished, places, we have been, and things we want to recall.  As we grew up, me and my siblings added to our collections with award ribbons, “It’s a girl” pins from the hospital, souvenirs from vacations, and the like until the stockings were heavy from the weight of these memories.  They were conversation starters when displayed on a mantle and served to mark some of the highlights of our lives.

The command “remember” is said at least 62 times in the Bible consistent with the theology that faithfulness flows from memory.  God knew that our memory needs a nudge and this is the power of memorials, signs, or reminders.

This practice of remembering through memorials big and small is ancient.  When Joshua crossed the Jordan river and the Ark of the Covenant passed on dry land, God commanded representatives from each of the 12 tribes to bring a stone. We pick up the reading in Joshua 4:4

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

Practice:

Using the example provided in Joshua, create your own memorial to something God has done for you.  Think of a time when God was faithful in a time of trial or need to your personally.  If you can’t immediately think of an example, you can use one in the Bible as a starting place.  Try to avoid the more common symbols which you might already have in your home or on your body in jewelry or tattoos.  Try to think a little out of the box.

Build your memorial.  Thank God for His faithfulness.  Tell someone about the meaning of your memorial.

Pause:

What memorial did you build?  What is its meaning and significance?  Recall the event or incident which inspired the memorial.  How is this memorial a sign to you and others’ of God’s faithfulness?  What is the memorial and related memories saying to you now about your job search?

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Remember in Ritual

Promise:

We build trust and faith in God by remembering all that He has done.

Passage:

Each of us has traditions.  Perhaps you have a family practice of serving a certain casserole to remind you of your great-grandmother at the holidays or perhaps you have a special jersey you wear at the first kickoff your favorite sports team each season.  Perhaps you have a favorite New  Year’s Eve toast or a special thing you do on every wedding anniversary.  Routines and rituals are a very effective way to nudge the memory and create a rhythm that brings the mind back again and again to what is most important.  So much so, that we do it for trivial things like games and to celebrate “national donut day.”

To remember was one of the last commands that Jesus gave his earthly followers at the last supper where he instituted the Christian communion. He asked his disciples to remember his body and blood shed for them (read the account in Luke 22).  A practice grounded in the Israelite remembrance of Passover which was practiced for centuries before Jesus and his disciples observed it in the upper room that fateful night in Jerusalem.

God knew that our memory needs a nudge and this is the power of ritual. 

The Passover is a great example of how ritual and remembrance go together.  When the Isrealites were enslaved in Egypt, the final plague that convinced the Pharoah to release the people to Moses’ leadership was the first born of every family and herd of animals was struck dead.  The have God spare them from the same fate, the Isrealities put blood on the door posts of their houses and prepared for a quick exit with bread that didn’t have time to rise.  From the point of God’s initial instructions to Moses, he instituted the Festival of Unleavened Bread as a “lasting ordinance for the generations to come” (Exodus 12).

This is how Moses described it in Exodus 13:3 and following:

3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. 10 You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year.

This is the bread of remembrance that became the symbol of Jesus’ body as broken on the cross. So it has double meaning of redemption, of sacrifice, and of community identity.

Practice:

Think about the routines that have developed in your job search.  Do you start each Monday morning with an email scan and a cup of coffee?  Do you end each day making a list?  Do you carve out time for a run, a Bible study, or a meeting up with friends? 

Now, think of a promise of God or an act of His faithfulness in the past that you want to remember now.  Think of what you want to remember and how often you want to recall it.

Design a ritual of your own (or adopt an ancient practice if you’d rather) to commemorate God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness, so that you don’t forget it when you get discouraged.  This could be giving meaning to something you already do (perhaps you add a quick stop into a church for prayer to run) or some new ritual you start (like watching the sunrise every Sunday morning to thank God for his faithfulness as creator).  Implement the ritual and see it take root.

Note: This could be something you do by yourself or with a group.  Rituals are great ways to get others who care about you and your job search involved in your living testimony.  And when God blesses you with employment or other provisions, there will be more witnesses and those who will appreciate all God is doing in your life.

Pause:

What is a ritual that you do regularly either to commemorate a day, a place, an event, or someone you love?  How will your new ritual help you remember a promise of God at this time?

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Remember in Writing

Promise:

We build trust and faith in God by remembering all that He has done.

Passage:

The command “remember” is said at least 62 times in the Bible consistent with the theology that faithfulness flows from memory. 

Sometimes memory needs a nudge and this is the power of writing.  The bible authors themselves were motivated to keep an account to help people remember the works of God throughout millenia.  Moses wrote down the law that was given him (Deuteronomy 31). Luke sought to create an “orderly account” through his Gospel and Acts of the Apostles so that readers might “know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4). 

The Psalms are full of accounts in poetry and lyrics that seek to remember God’s goodness and acts of power. Consider the following which recalls the creation, the exodus, and starts with the admonition to remember.

Psalms 77:11-20

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

13 Your ways, God, are holy.
    What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
    you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
    the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16 The waters saw you, God,
    the waters saw you and writhed;
    the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water,
    the heavens resounded with thunder;
    your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
    your lightning lit up the world;
    the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea,
    your way through the mighty waters,
    though your footprints were not seen.

20 You led your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

A friend of mine keeps a journal of miracles.  He only records things that he believes could only be explained as acts of God in his live and those around him. When things happen to him, small or large, he records the in his journal.  And then on days when he feels alone or his faith is waivering, he goes back and reads the personal accounts he has recorded and is reminded of all God has meant to him.  Those who have kept prayer request and answer journals can attest to the same.  Remembering builds faith and faith is the true foundation of obedience and love.

Practice:

Starting below and for the next few days, create a list of all the things God has done for you.  Note miracles, memories, answered prayers, unanswered prayers (we need to thank God for more of those), and anything that you believe your future self would benefit from remembering.  These could be painful times that He saw you through as you now look back.  These could be joyful times that He created for you.

Note: It could be a private journal or something you intend to share more broadly, that is a personal choice.  The entries can be written as stories, song lyrics, poems, or the like, but should be specific enough to allow for recall long after the details of the event have been forgotten to time.

Pause:

Write your first entry (or few) below.  Thank God at the end of each for His provision, protection, and personal salvation.

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Parched Heart

Promise:

Hunger and thirsting for righteousness is a basic need that only God can satisfy

Passage:

Are you familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?  This widely-referenced psychological theory categorizes human needs into a five-tier pyramid beginning with physiological needs like air to breathe up through shelter, belonging, esteem, and finally self-actualization. 

Although its accuracy and applicability can be debated, there is some inherent logic to the hierarchy.  It is common for someone to risk their safety or place in society, if they are hungry enough.  The Isrealities in the wilderness regularly grumbled about the food and access to water. Even today, it is hard for someone to focus on self-improvement if they lack a dry and safe place to live.

At the bottom of the pyramid are basic human needs for food and water.  In what is called today the “sermon on the mount” Jesus told his followers that that there is a different kind of hunger and thirst that when satisfied makes people truly happy.  See some different translations of Matthew 5:6 below:

NIV: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.

NLT: God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied.

BibleProject Translation: How good is life for those who hunger and thirst for right relationships, because they will be satisfied.

According to the Bible Project (highly recommend their work), our English term “righteousness” comes from the Hebrew word tzedakah and the Greek word dikaiosune. Both terms carry with them weighty ideas like justice, generosity, and honesty.  Characteristics of relating with others and with God. 

So, in some ways, God has turned Maslow’s pyramid upside down or inside out.  In the beginning, going back to the garden of Eden, was a relationship with God and others which was righteous.  It began there.  The fall brought toil and struggle where now hunger and thirst would be common. So, much so that in the teaching immediately following these beatitudes, Jesus addresses physical needs.

Keeping with the BibleProejct Translation, in Matthew 6:31-33 Jesus says:

So then, don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the nations, they constantly seek for all these things, and your Father in the skies knows that you need all that. Rather, first of all seek for his kingdom and doing-what-is-right by him, and all these things will be added to you.

Perhaps your job search has got you worried at the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid.  What you will eat, what you will wear, and where you will live?  Perhaps bills are piling up and the situation feels hopeless. That is a normal response that Jesus expected of his listeners on a hillside in Galilee thousands of years ago, so you are not surprising Him now.  He has a word for you today.

A word about justice, generosity, and honesty.  A word about relating with others in a way that glorifies God. A word about relating with God in a way that points people to Him.

Practice:

Go to a quiet place where you can be alone with God, but speak outloud.  Go to your car or on a walk on a deserted road, if no where else can be found.  Quiet your mind and read this prayer out loud:

God and maker of the universe, I come with my worries.  I am asking questions that have been asked for centuries, but still bring fear and shame to me today. 

What will I eat and how will I feed my family?  Where will I live and how will I pay my bills?  What will I wear and will I have enough?  Will I need to be burden to others or drain down the savings you have blessed me with in order to provide for myself?  Will we need to move?  Will I get a job that provides enough?  What trials, heartaches, or sacrifices are in the next chapter of my story?

These questions and the realities behind them are stressful and can be overwhelming.  I confess them to you and ask for your guidance and provision. 

I know that you know me and know what I need.  From heaven you look down and see me, everyone in this town, in this country, and all of mankind.  You see heart you formed.  You see everything they do.  Your eyes are on me.  I take you seriously.  I wait in hope for you, Lord.  No just for the physical blessings you promise, but for you.  You are my help.  You are my shield and protector.  Your plans and purposes stand forever. 

I know you are already working for my good and for your glory.  You are orchestrating events that I don’t see, planting seeds in the hearts of others, and using me to live out your purpose in the lives of others that I encounter. Help me to seek justice, love mercy, give generously, live at peace, and speak truth.

I praise you for all the good things you have done.  I sing and shout with joy.  Why?  Because you love me.  Because of your faithfulness.  Because your steadfast love.  Because you are with me.  You are the author of my faith, please perfect it as I learn to trust in you and watch for your handiwork in my life.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Pause:

Take a moment to reflect on what God is responding to you in this prayer. If you don’t hear a response, pray that God shows you where you need to pursue justice, generosity, or honesty.  If useful, take additional reflection time to listen to praise music, to read Psalms 33, and to spend time thanking him for every blessing you can discern today (start broadly with creation, then to your church or community, and then into the circumstances of your own life and family that give you hope and encouragement).

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What Does It Mean to Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness?

Squirming into Change

Promise:

God knows what He is doing.  Even if we don’t.

Passage:

Judith Couchman’s Designing a Women’s Life book has held a special place to me for decades. In it she describes her career progression into her calling:

“Over the last decade at several junctures focus has required giving up with a cling to most,” she writes. “A secure job.”

“When a position has no longer accommodated my growing purpose, God pushed me to move on.  In two instances he terminated jobs to carry me, squirming and complaining, to the next level of focus.  Each time the transition frightened me, but I look back and understand that every time God knew what he was doing.  Sometimes when we are too afraid or inert to implement change, God starts the process for us.”

Perhaps this is where we find you today.  Squirming.  Complaining.  Confused.  Frightened.

You have heard that change is hard.  Change management is a whole field of academic study and professional practice.  Job change can be difficult, or downright traumatic. Changes in our family circumstances, health, or well being can be difficult, even if we choose them and consider them “good.”  We even have a hard time changing our mind.

But you know what doesn’t change?  Our God and savior.  Read what James and the writer of Hebrew say:

James 1:17

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Hebrews 13:8

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

While we squirm, God is steadfast.  While we complain and grasp onto things, God is the giver of all good gifts. While we are shocked and derailed, God is steadily working. How can we join Him?

Practice:

Think of some times when you have had changed forced on you.  Start with your childhood and go up until your present.  Consider these as you reflect on the questions below.

Pause:

What is your earliest memory of change?  How did I make you feel?  Note the circumstances and adjectives you’d use to describe your feelings below. 

Can you think of a time when God allowed circumstances to push you into change for the good?  What happened?  How did you feel initially?  How do you feel about it now that some time has passed?

What are the changes that led to you being in job transition?  How do those make you feel?  What words or descriptors come to mind?  Be honest, even if the words are not flattering or demonstrate great faith.  Treat them as a confession.

Pray over the changes you are encountering and that God give you a spirit of courage to overcome your fear.

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Surprise

Promise:

God is omniscient which means He is never surprised.

Passage:

For being made in the image of God, I think of a thousand ways in which we are unlike God.  We are not uncreated. We are not the creator.  We are not omnipresent.  We are not omniscient.

We can be surprised.  God can’t.

It was only a few years ago when I learned this obvious-when-you-say-it truth.  David Leonard wrote in his song “Plans” the lyric that God could never be surprised and it hit me like a slap across the forehead.

Of course!  This is why we constantly have to be reminded not to fear.  God can’t be afraid. He already knows the ending. 

Hebrews 4:13

13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Isaiah 46:9-10

9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
    from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
    and I will do all that I please.’

(This whole chapter is worth a read.  Really puts the differences between us and God and between God and our man-made idols into perspective)

Psalms 139:14-18

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

I enjoy watching those cheesy Hallmark-style holiday movies.  Sure, they all share the same plot.  Sure, you know how it ends from the movie thumbnail (not the trailer, literally from the first poster).  You know there will be hot cocoa, a Christmas festival emergency in a small town, and a handsome fella in a flannel shirt.  They are so predictable.  And that is why I love them.  Predictable is nostalgic, comfortable, easy, casual, and stress-free.  You literally don’t have to worry about missing anything when you walk away to refill your eggnog.  There is no drama.  It is so unlike life.  At least my life.

Not only has God created mankind and had a front row seat to the unfolding of history.  Not only has he advised our wisest leaders throughout centuries. But he isn’t bound by time.  He sees our past, present, and future (and all others throughout all time) all at once.  The patterns, the interactions, the movements, the heartaches, the triumphs, all of it.  There are no plot twists in God’s perspective.  We can trust Him.  You are plot protected, if you trust the writer, director, and producer of your life.

Practice:

Below are the lyrics to the David Leonard song mentioned earlier.  Go find the official music video or the audio track and read along as the prayer washes over you.

You care about the details
You know exactly what I need
In every situation
I feel Your goodness over me

‘Cause You know what the future holds
You can never be surprised
There’s nothing that can shake Your love
I trust You with my life

‘Cause You got plans for me
You got plans for me
God, they’re so much bigger and better
Than I could have ever dreamed

My future and my hope
You’ll never let me go
And I surrender everything I am
Into Your hands
And I trust Your plans

Yeah, I trust Your plans
If Your eyes are on the sparrow
Then how much more do You think about me

Pause:

Reflecting on the song and the scriptures above, what does it mean to you that God can’t be surprised?  What comfort does that give you at this time?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwSvT7KwJ5M