Month: November 2006

Random Thoughts

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God has been speaking a lot in the last few days.  He has also been testing our faith.  We were very disappointed that we had to cancel our trip to Kenya.  There are times that God uses circumstances to reroute His children.  This was one of those times for us.  We are interceding for the group that went on to Kenya. We know that God is going to bless Steve Fields and the team.

Today, we simply want to share some random thoughts that God has been sharing with us.

1. God used Psalm 105:19 to say this, “Until the time that his word (his promise) came to pass (is fulfilled), the word of the Lord tested us.”

2. God’s schedule takes precedent over His promises…He will delay fulfillment of a promise until you are on His schedule. 

3.  There is a big difference between seeing the acts of God and the ways of God.  In Exodus 6:3, God inspires the writer to say, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.”  God Almighty is El Shaddai who performs miraculous acts.  Lord is a name for the Sovereign God of the universe…who is pulling the strings and ordering the steps, the stops, the trials, the blessings, the closed doors, and the open doors.  In Psalm 103:7, we find these words, “God made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.” 

4.  The book of Ezekiel is tough.  But there is one phrase that appears 19 times.  In Ezekiel 39:28 we find the phrase, “…then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer.”  God wants us to know Him as the Lord God which means the ‘sovereign God of the Universe’.  He is pulling the strings and ordering the steps…it may not look like it sometimes but He is!

5. It has been almost six months since we left our last ministry position.  At times, you wander what is God doing!?  Is He asleep…has He forgotten your address?  And then He will point out a refreshing passage such as Hebrews 10:23 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

6.  We proclaim that our God is a loving, caring Father as Matthew 7:11 indicates:  “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  He is our Father and He cares for us…we trust Him that He knows what He is doing.

We worshipped Sunday at FBC of Atlanta.  Steve Green sang and Dr. Stanley preached.  What a combination!  FBC has a beautiful sanctuary. You could tell God was in that place. The In-Touch program is being translated in 103 languages.  Dr. Stanley is literally teaching the Scriptures to the entire world. Wow!   (There is a link to In-Touch on our website.)

God bless you this week.

Billy and Sheilah Daws

For His Dining Pleasure

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What is the job description of a ‘waiter or waitress’?  The federal government gives the following definition:  “A waiter is responsible for coordinating the entire station and communicating with front- and back-of-the-house personnel to provide a dining experience that meets or exceeds guest expectations. He will process guest orders to ensure that all items are prepared properly and on a timely basis. He may carve meats, de-bone fish and fowl, prepare flaming dishes and desserts at tableside and present, open, and pour wine when serving guests. He observes diners to ensure that guests are satisfied with the food and service, and he responds to additional requests and determines when the meal has been completed. He totals bills and accepts payment or refers guests to cashier. He may assist bus person with stocking, removing, and resetting dishes and silverware between courses and cleaning and resetting vacated tables.”

Schonwalder.org says, “A waiter should be able to handle any task of a waiter’s complex and demanding job. A waiter should be experienced in seating, greeting, cocktail preparation and service, wine serving and sales.  If he knows something about accounting, the better for him. A waiter has to be able to explain the menu!  He has to be able to write fast and legible. He has to know how to serve any and all the guests’ orders! A good waiter is expected to handle himself in any situation, never to get angry with a guest and never to start a fight with coworkers. A waiter should be well groomed and able to stand long hours on his feet.”

It is a matter of choice for any waiter to be:

  • a) just an order taker and plate carrier or
  • b) a professional waiter well respected by the customers.

The customer, the patron, the guest – whatever you call him - is always right.

God is the diner…God is the guest…God is the patron…God is the customer…and, of course, He is always right. 

God dines on the fellowship of His children. This is His favorite meal.  God devours this fellowship and intimacy with His children.

You and I are the ‘wait-ers or wait-resses’.

It is our job to satisfy the needs and desires of our one client for the day or evening.  We are to turn down every other table for we have one diner, one guest.  It is God.  How rude to leave our one table and go serve another!  For now, we have one table.  Later, you can wait on the ‘table of work’, and the ‘table of sports’, and the ‘table of finances’.  But for right now…just one table…God’s table.  You and I are His ‘wait-er’ and we are to ‘wait’ on Him.

I can decide to do the bare minimum and just take God’s order and carry His plate.  Or – I can decide that I am going to make this the greatest dining experience that I can offer!  No need, no desire will go unmet!  I will anticipate His every desire and be ready to respond at one simple glance of His eye!  I will ‘serve’ Him glory and honor and praise.  I will delight in my work, my path in life,  and my responsibility as inner joy shows forth.  I have no way of knowing how long this dining experience will last.  I really don’t care; I am just enjoying the process.

At some point in time, if I have done my job correctly, my Guest will turn and give me a look of satisfaction that says, “Well done!”  The dining experience is over for now. In the process, I have learned areas that I can improve.  In fact, I can’t wait for the next dining experience with my one Guest…God Himself!

By the way…there is a perk to the job!

The prophet Isaiah gives us a great word in Isaiah 64:4, “…God works…God acts…God moves…on the behalf of those who ‘wait’ for him!” 

Wow!

Have a great week ‘wait-ing’ on your one Guest’s table!

Billy and Sheilah Daws

Why Pray?

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In 1 Kings 18:1, we find these words: And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.” God tells Elijah that it is going to rain. Elijah proceeds to pray seven times for it to rain. After the seventh prayer, God sent a drenching rain on the land.

In Revelation 5:8, John records for us: “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” There are golden bowls in heaven that hold our prayers.

In Ephesians 3:20, Paul wrote, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” I have known this passage for years but one phrase stood out this week as I was studying…’according to the power that works in us’. If I understand this correctly, all that God is and can do is released as I allow an effectual power to work in me.

In Revelation 16:1 John also writes, Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” God’s bowls were meant to be poured out….as a release of the contents.

Question: why did Elijah have to pray seven times asking God to send rain? God had just said He was going to cause it to rain. So why did God still want Elijah to pray for rain?

I believe that the four verses above are connected.

God desires His will to be done.
God desires a close relationship with His children.
God desires His children to grow mighty in the Lord.
God releases His power as we connect and grow.

God willed it to rain. God prompted Elijah to pray seven times. What was happening every time Elijah prayed? The essence of his prayer was captured and stored in a bowl…seven times this happened. What was happening to God? He was enjoying the fellowship…you see, every time we pray, we go into the Holy of Holies and talk to God. He enjoys this like a dad enjoys his son coming to talk. What was happening to Elijah? He was getting stronger every time he prayed for he was in the presence of God…an energy was beginning to flow through Elijah! After seven prayers, Elijah is pumped! God is having a good ole time…He has had seven sessions with one of His children. The prayer bowl is full! Now as an effectual power is working in Elijah, God is free to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think! The prayer bowl is tipped over and poured out on the situation. God moves! Need is met! God gets glory! And we are growing in the Lord!

And we wonder why we have to wait and pray and pray and wait and wait and pray! It is part of God’s divine process!

James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Have a great week…spend some time filling your prayer bowl this week.

Billy and Sheilah Daws