It's Raining

Outside, the rain is pouring down. I've looked out the window for sightings of cats and dogs, but only seen raindrops! We tend to not like rain very much. It gets in the way of our obsession with comfort. Rain gets in the way of the comfort of a dry day. Rain gets in the way of the comfort of nicely coiffed hair. Rain gets in the way of dry shoes and pressed clothes. It makes outdoor entertainment and activities difficult.

Few of us look out the window on a raining day and say, "What a great day!" But that's exactly what God's people in the Old Testament did. When you are living in desert-like places a rainy day is a good day. So, in the Bible rain is often used as a metaphor for blessing. The Bible talks about blessings raining down on us. Perhaps there's a connection between the way we tend to respond to rain and the way we tend to respond to blessing.

God blesses us in surprising ways, ways that don't always seem like blessing to us. He sends the rain of difficulty, not because he doesn't love us, but because he does, and he is calling out beyond ourselves to find new and deeper hope in him. He sends the rain of an honest friend to confront us with the need for growth, because he wants to bless us with maturity. He sends the rain of failure, so that we will get our identity from him and not from our acheivement. He sends the rain of want, so that we will grow in faith and courage. All of these things are blessings of his love, but we tend to not see them as blessings. In fact, in the moments when we are experiencing these things we often are tempted to question God's love.

How about looking out your window and thanking God for the rain. And how about asking him to give you eyes to see the surprising blessings he will rain down on you because he loves you.

As you leave the blog, don't forget to visit again our website, www.paultrippministries.org. When you go there you can:

1. Learn more about the ministry.
2. Check out the schedule of upcoming events.
3. Listen to the daily radio broadcast.
4. Purchase a resource that will put the transforming power of Jesus Christ
right next to where you live each day.
5. Subscribe to daily podcast and have the radio program delivered to your
computer daily.
6. Make a donation to support bringing the transforming power of Jesus Christ to
individuals, churches, and ministries around the world.
7. Fill out the form, requesting Paul to come to your area for a conference.
8. Read and reread the blog that is daily being updated.
9. Make direct contact with us through email.

May God rain his blessings on you until you are soppy wet!

The Wrong Address

Do you ever think that perhaps you're at the wrong address? Did you ever wonder or wish that the things you deal with everyday weren't meant for you? Did you ever look at the blessing of someone else and wish that it had landed at your address?
Do you ever feel lost in the middle of your own story? Do you ever feel as though you don't have what it takes to deal with what is on your plate? Have you ever felt ill-prepared and ill-equipped to carry the responsibilities that are your daily duty? Does life at times seem too hard? Have you ever wished that you had more control over your own story or a greater ability to deal with all the things that are in your life, but which you did not plan or choose?

Listen to what Paul (in Acts 17:24-27) says about how each of us landed at the place where we now live, relate, and work.

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breathe and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the exact times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

Consider what the Apostle Paul is saying about you life and mine:

1. When and where you live is never a mistake. Although many of the things that have shaped your story are out of your control, they are under the careful administration of the God who not only created the world, but is the ultimate definition of everything that is wise, good, loving, and true.

2. Your life has not worked according to your plan because it is part of a bigger plan. There is One who is Lord of heaven and earth. He has written your personal story into his grand redemptive story. He welcomes you out of your own little kingdom of self to be part of his wonderful, big-sky kingdom.

3. God has you just where he wants you. Sometimes it is hard to face, but God really does determine exactly where you live, who you live with, the exact period of time in which you live, and the exact length of your life.

4. God has a wonderful purpose for bringing into your life the things that you now face. Rather than working to deliver to us our personal definition of happiness, satisfaction and contentment, God is working so that so that we would know him in a heart and life transforming way. So he will put us in places that take us beyond the boundaries of our own character, strength, and wisdom. He does this so that in humility and weakness we will reach for the help that only he can give us. He is working to pry open our fingers so that we will let go of the things that we tend to hold to so tightly, not because he wants us to have less, but because he wants us to have so much more. His rule is never separate from his love and grace. It is comforting to know that his rule is an expression of his grace and his grace would not be reliable without his rule.

5. God does all of this so that he will always be near. Paul's view of God's rule is tender and encouraging. He does not picture God as the ultimate, impersonal chess player, moving the pieces according to his whim. No, Paul pictures a God who understands our weaknesses, who sympathizes with our struggles, and who rules his world in a manner that makes him near and available. And he welcomes us to reach out and find him.

So, even in moments of confusion, you and I can rest; not because we know exactly why God is doing what he is doing, but because we trust him. Real rest of heart is not the result of understanding everything in my life. That will never happen. Real rest is the result of a relationship, just the kind of relationship that God sent his Son to make possible and now invites you to have with him.

As you leave the blog, don't forget to visit again our website, www.paultrippministries.org. When you go there you can:

1. Learn more about the ministry.
2. Check out the schedule of upcoming events.
3. Listen to the daily radio broadcast.
4. Purchase a resource that will put the transforming power of Jesus Christ
right next to where you live each day.
5. Subscribe to daily podcast and have the radio program delivered to your
computer daily.
6. Make a donation to support bringing the transforming power of Jesus Christ to
individuals, churches, and ministries around the world.
7. Fill out the form, requesting Paul to come to your area for a conference.
8. Read and reread the blog that is daily being updated.
9. Make direct contact with us through email.

May God enable you to rest, not because you understand, but because you know and trust the Person who is in loving and wise control over the details of your story.

In Need of Help

It's hard to admit your need of help. It's hard to admit that there are things you do not know and do not understand. It's hard to admit that there are things that you cannot do. It's hard to reach out and cry out for help. It's hard to confess to weakness and ignorance. It's hard to have to depend on another for what you think you should be able to supply for yourself. It's hard to talk about what you do not know and what you cannot do. It's difficult to admit to poor judgment and wrong responses. It's hard to receive correction and to confess to sin.

Why are these things so hard? Because we all like to buy into two very seductive lies. These lies argue against any need to be dependent and they bolster the independence that tends to attract us all. The first lie is the lie of AUTONOMY. Autonomy tells me that I am an independent being, with the right to do what I want to do, when, where, and how I want to do it. Now you may say, "Paul, I know well enough not to believe that!" Yet, every time you defend yourself against the correction of another or tell someone not to tell you what to do, you buy into this lie. The second lie is the lie of SELF-SUFFICIENCY. This lie tells me I have everything within myself to be what I am supposed to be and to do what I am supposed to do. Perhaps you're thinking, "Okay, I do occasionally buy into my autonomy, but I definitely don't think I'm self-sufficient!" Yet, each time you resist reaching out for help or each time you act like you're okay when, in fact, you're not, you have bought into this lie.

Why are these two lies so wrong and so dangerous? Because the Bible clearly tells us that we are people who have been made for COMMUNITY. We were designed to live in worshipful community with God and humble community with people. We were never constructed to live all by ourselves. Even Adam and Eve needed God and one another. Think about this. They were perfect people, living in a perfect world, yet they were still needy because they were not created to live life on their own.

Remember, there are few people more influential in your life than you are because no one talks to you more than you do. You spend each day in constant comversation with you! And the things that you tell yourself shape what you do and say each day. Do you constantly remind yourself of your need of God and others.? Do you tell yourself that it is good to admit weakness and to reach out for help? If you do, it is not a sign that is something wrong. No, by God's definition, that kind of self-talk is a sign that something is very right.

How about beginning to pray these three prayers every morning:

1. "Lord, I am a person in desperate need of help today."
2. "Lord, won't you, in your grace, send your helpers my way."
3. "And please give me the humility to receive the help when it come."

Are you intimidated by your weaknesses? Are you afraid to bare your needs to God and others? Don't forget that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He came so that we would be able to experience both peace with God and with others. He came so that we would no longer have to seduce ourselves with the delusions of autonomy and self-sufficiency. He came so that we could be the kind of people we were created to be, living in humble worship of him and humble dependency on others, right here, right now.