Author: theministrymama

So Your Little Plan Didn’t Work

The anger boils within your veins, you clench your jaw tight, and turn around quickly to leave the room. “Argh! If only that person would just let go of their stubborn ways and just accept the plan I have created to take care of everything. But no, it always has to be difficult, doesn’t it!? People…I just can’t stand their rejection of this great idea. I might actually shake that guy by the shoulders and scream ‘Accept this or you’ll regret it buddy!’ but that wouldn’t really work would it? Surely there must be another way…” Your mind begins to reel as newer solutions flash into your mind, your new plan begins to formulate and before you know you’ve made it your quest to conquer this stubborn rejection of your little plan.

Ever had a solution to a problem and be rejected? It’s funny how we can go into destructive mode toward that obstacle that just will not move out of our way. But what if that obstacle is there to teach us that we are the problem and our little plan is just a cover up to something bigger that is lurking in the darkness behind us?

King David’s plan didn’t work. He did his dead level best to lure Uriah the Hittite back into his home to be with his wife. He provided a feast and he gave him prime vacation time from the heat of the battle. But no, the stubborn man chose to sleep with the servants outside the king’s house. David tempted Uriah to stay another night and provided the wine to make him drunk, hoping that his drunkenness would lead him home to be with his wife. Yet again he slept outside with the servants in front of King David’s house. His integrity determined him to stay loyal to the soldiers on the field unable to be with their family members and see their own wives. Uriah was known as one of David’s 30 mighty men and King David abused his position to right his own personal wrong. King David’s last resort was scribbled on paper and sealed with his seal, placed in the hands of the man he was betraying. Uriah delivered his death sentence to the leader of the army and was stationed to the front of the battle, dying on the battlefield by innocent hands of the enemy because the true killer that schemed against him was inside the walls of Jerusalem with a crown upon his brow.

Lust, immorality, and pregnancy with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, caused King David to sink to the depths of homicide. His plans were rejected perhaps so that he could repent and make the wrong right before his loyal soldier but he could not see past his little plan. The account seems to highlight the obstacles King David faced, revealing his character and desperation for a cover up. Certainly the obstacles revealed Uriah’s character also. David breathed a sigh of relief that his problem could be resolved in wrong manner and after a time of mourning sent for Bathsheba to then become his wife.

The relief ended when Nathan the prophet confronted David about his actions. Thankfully he saw himself as a murderer, a robber of life and family, and was able to acknowledge not only had he destroyed a life, he disregarded God’s laws and expectations of him as a king of God’s chosen nation, Israel. He had taken lightly God’s position upon lust and marriage by giving into temptation, the temptation brought forth sin, that multiplied itself to a rotten plan to kill what stood in his way.

Let us be careful not always be mad at what does not seem to be working but to be able to step back sometimes and say “Am I trying to accomplish this for my own purposes?” “Is there something I’m trying to cover up?” We can even, imagine this, pray and ask God to reveal the thoughts and intents of our hearts. If we have a determination to plow over those that stand in our way of obtaining what we want so that we can get it immediately – Red flag!

Some of us need a good dose of good preaching, just like Nathan the prophet gave David, to slap us upside the head and knock a little Holy Ghost conviction into our hearts so that we can repent and do right! So if your little plan doesn’t work… in the end, what will it reveal about your character? It’s better to always do right than to have to make things right later.

© The Ministry Mama 2009 No part of this may be reproduced in any fashion online or elsewhere without the expressed permission of The Ministry Mama

Question Your Questions

This was something I wrote a long time ago in 2007 and I thought I would share… it is a more general post toward everyone, not necessarily Ministry Mamas…

Question Your Questions
February 21, 2007

Lord, I ask more questions
Than You ask.
The ratio, I would suppose
Is ten to one.
I ask:
Why do You permit this anguish?
How long can I endure it?
What possible purpose does it serve?
Have You forgotten to be gracious?
Have I wearied You?
Have I offended You?
Have You cast me off?
Where did I miss Your guidance?
When did I lose the way?
Do You see my utter despair?
You ask:
Are you trusting me?

From Tell Me Again, Lord, I Forget
By Ruth Harms Calkins

The questions of a Christian can blind and distort the figure of God Almighty. When questioning God you must seek His Word to find your answers. Did not Satan pose a question to Eve about God’s instruction in her own life? Then as she began questioning herself what God had told them Satan began speaking lies that caused her to reconsider her desires to obey God. Her view of God changed because she allowed Satan to whisper in her ear and cause doubts. As she looked at the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil the Bible says that she saw that it was good to eat and she ate it. Then, she passed it on to Adam, who also made a decision to partake.

You must strongly question when you question the Lord and decide if it is going to be a doorway of Satanic lies in which he will work in order to destroy you and your relationship with God through the introduction or re-introduction of sin. As in the case of Eve passing the fruit on to Adam, beware lest you fall into a snare and drag others in with you.

In most of our tumultuous times in life we ask questions to which the author of that poem familiarly wrote and we search for complicated and logistical answers for the effects of what has happened to us when it’s really simple: “Are you trusting me?” Our panic, our lack of prayer, our manipulative actions to control a life that is not within our control is all because of a lack of trust toward God.

The chorus of a song by James Wells comes to my mind when I think of what trusting is – “Living by faith, in Jesus above; Trusting, confiding, in His great love; From all harm safe, in His sheltering arm; I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.” Faith is trusting in the God we cannot see and knowing His plans and power will keep our soul safe from eternal destruction. Without that type of faith we’re leaving the door unlocked for Satan to come in.

Many times in the Old Testament God put the children of Israel through various circumstances in order to “prove” them as you can read in Exodus and Deuteronomy. The word prove means to “test, tempt, to try.” Deuteronomy 8:3 says, “And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.” It was an effort to reveal to them what was in their hearts and whether they would be obedient to what He told them to do.

Maybe that’s the case here in your situation, whatever it may be, with whatever difficulty, test of morality, trying of your patience, perhaps God is proving what you’re made of.

Are you trusting Him?
Are your questions legitimate or have you begun to question for selfish reasons? or a way to get out of obedience?
Are you allowing Satan to come into the door of your hardship and gain entry to destroy you and your relationship with God?
Are your doubts bringing others down with you?

It’s a good thing to stand back and evaluate so that you can have the closest relationship you can with the Lord despite what you’re going through. Seek the answers to your questions in the Word of God and it will help your trust and faith to grow or stay in tact. Question your questions!

Ministry Advice from Proverbs 10

Open your Bible and read along!

Proverbs Chapter 10

For those tight on the budget: The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish… vs 3

To keep yourself in the fields: He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. vs.5

Wondering what to do next?: The wise in heart will receive commandments… vs 8

Your mouth can offer hope: The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life… vs 11

Offering forgiveness: …but love covereth a multitude of sins. vs 12

To keep searching the scriptures: In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found… vs 13

Your job is for eternity and eternal life: The labour of the righteous tendeth to life… vs 16

Are you in the right place? He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction… vs 17

Not sure of whether to speak everything on your mind: …but he that refraineth his lips is wise. vs 19

After you’ve thought about what to say: The tongue of the just is as choice silver… vs 20

Questioning your call? The lips of the righteous feed many… vs 21

If you’ve come to a fork in the road: The blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. vs 22

Have you been tossed to and fro in recent circumstances? As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more; but the righteous is an everlasting foundation. vs 25

Need gladness? Find hope in Christ: The hope of the righteous shall be gladness… vs 28

In weakness: The way of the Lord is strength to the upright… vs 29

I know that this can apply to many of life’s circumstances but today in particular it spoke to many situations that ministry people find themselves in. Hope to all!

Please do not copy or publish without The Ministry Mama’s permission. theministrymama @ l i v e.com