No Corners Cut, No Pacifying, No Round-About Way

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

When life fails to meet your expectations, you should expect God to do the unexpected. We become discouraged when life, people and God don’t meet our expectations. We believe that we live in a cause-and-effect world. We believe things are supposed to turn out a certain way. We believe that if we continue to do “A”, eventually it will result in “B” but life doesn’t work that way.

It is in these times that we need to expect God to do the unexpected. We have nothing to lose by expecting God to do the unexpected in our lives. God is always ready to do his greatest work at precisely the moment we begin to think things are hopeless. The moment Moses reached the end of his rope, God stepped in and said, “Don’t worry, I have everything under control. I am going to let Aaron be your spokesman and when I get through, Pharaoh will think you are God.” God’s power is far beyond anything we can comprehend, so why shouldn’t we expect God to do the unimaginable?

God wants your faith to grow through experience. Experience comes in following God one day at a time. We walk by faith and not by sight. God seldom gave extensive details on the front end. When God calls us He doesn’t give us all the details up front. God told Abraham to get out of his country. God’s call wasn’t that specific. Abraham didn’t know where he was going. God simply called him out of his country into a land that God would later show him. He didn’t know the details up front. Initially, the important thing was just to get out. The important thing was to take that first step. Without that step things remain the same. Actually it is much easier to just take one step at a time than it is to know everything beforehand. How many of us would have taken the road to where we are now if we had known about the obstacles in our path beforehand? I don’t think I would have been doing what I do for 15 years if I had known the hardships beforehand.

When you step out one step at a time it allows God to fill your life with His presence. It allows God to work through you to the accomplishing of His will. It will be God at work in you. Moses finally realized God was all he needed. God is all you need. When you follow one step at a time you will find yourself in the center of God’s will for your life. When you follow one step at a time into the will of God you will become more confident with each step.

We Must Believe in God’s Wisdom. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how young you are, there is one lesson we all must learn in life. God can’t do the unexpected with our lives until we do what He says. Even if doing what He says doesn’t make things work as we expect them to. Even if doing what He says doesn’t seem to make sense. Moses realized that when he did what God told him to do things worked “just as the Lord had said.” If we do exactly what the Lord says, things will always work out just as the Lord has said. This is the first great step we all must take in faith. Yes, it is scary to stop trusting in yourself and start believing and following God’s will. However, it is the only way to live beyond what is expected. (Scripture Ref: Exodus 6:28-7:5; James 5:13-18; 1 Corinthians 1:24-29; Ephesians 3:20-21)

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

What do you do when you face one problem after another? What do you do when the dust starts flying? When the smoke gets thick and the fire is too hot? What do you do? Do you reason with yourself and say well I’m trying to believe? Or do you say, “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another? “ Now the Bible doesn’t indicate this, but I believe it may have crossed Job’s mind that, “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.”

One thing about trouble is that, it’s one of the few things we don’t have to worry about running out of. If you want trouble you don’t have to go out and look for it, trouble will find you. Trouble is smart, trouble will dial your number, trouble knows your address, and trouble knows your name and the names of your children. Trouble likes to lie down between a husband and wife. Many times trouble likes to clock in with you on your job.  And can I just tell you something, trouble doesn’t even mind getting dressed in its Sunday best. It doesn’t mind walking into the church house. Trouble is a gossiper and sometimes trouble can fool you and make you think it’s your friend and as soon as trouble decides that it’s the right time, trouble will show its true color. Trouble! “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.”

Job was a man who actually lived on this earth (he was not a mythical character), he was a man of great devotion to God; He was also a very rich man. He was a man who tried his best to avoid evil. Job was a family man, who had seven sons and three daughters. He had land, cattle, and servants. Job had everything a man could ever want. He was successful, but he didn’t let his success go to his head. He knew that whatever he had and whatever he achieved was only because of God’s grace and mercy.

One day (my Bible tells me) in heaven, the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord.  Satan also came along. Imagine that! Where we go, Satan goes. And don’t think that when we go to church the devil is no where around.  He doesn’t mind coming to church. He doesn’t even mind if you yourself show up. Matter of fact, He doesn’t mind you singing in the choir, as long as you don’t believe what you’re singing about. He doesn’t mind you shouting in the church, as long as that shout is just like a sounding brass and a twinkling cymbal signifying nothing. The thing that really bothers him though, is when you get down on your knees and start talking to God about your troubles.

God asked Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” And the devil responded, “Ain’t no use of me fooling around with him, seeing that you’ve built a fence around him.” But if you would just remove that fence and let me have at him, I think we’ll see a horse of a different color. So God gave His permission (with some limitations included) and the devil got started in doing what he does best, tormenting a child of God.

Job received bad news one after another. One man came with a sad report, and while he was yet speaking, another came and another after that. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Job wife said to him, “Why want you cuss God and die!”  But can I tell you, through it all Job praised God.

Sometimes our faith can and will be challenged, one trial after another.  Sometimes, trouble comes in doubles, and sometimes even in triples. But Job, He decided to hold on to God’s unchanging hand. What an example of faith! No matter what happens to us, no matter what the devil has in store, we need to have faith and know WHOM it is that we have placed our confidence in. For He is the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. He rules! Hallelujah!  So be encouraged, and know that the God we serve is much too merciful to leave us with nothing.  Know WHOM you have placed your confidence in.

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