Subtil

Subtil Men and Women

2 Samuel 13:3

"But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man."

Three times in the Scriptures God uses the word "subtil" to describe people. In each instance it is not a good description, but one of warning and deception. In the verse above, it says that Amnon's friend was a "subtil man." In the Book of Proverbs, God talks about a woman who was "subtil of heart." When the serpent approached Eve in Genesis, God described the serpent as "more subtil than any beast of the field." In each instance, the subtlety of character was used to show that they were trying to use deception to get another person to do something.

Determining whether someone is subtil is not always easy. A subtil person will say one thing to one person, but when talking to someone else they will say something else. You will find that a subtil person can never be nailed down on where they stand. You will find that a subtil person is one who is more interested in you liking them and their position than in you following truth.

Moreover, a subtil person is one who will never tell you their intentions or plans. They always have a good reason to get you to do wrong. Their plans are always kept secret. Simply put, the subtil person is not a transparent person. They keep everything under their sleeve so they can get from you what they want. In most instances, a subtil person has plans to get you to go against what you know is right. They desire you to forsake your character for the sake of physical pleasure or immediate gratification.

Furthermore, the subtil person is not a black and white thinker. In other words, they don't have absolutes, but everything is relative with them. The situation determines where they fall. Their whole purpose is to win you over to them so that they can take from you something that they desire.

So, what is the answer to avoiding subtil people? I believe the best way to avoid subtil people is not to be subtil yourself. In other words, be open and transparent to those with whom you come in contact. Don't be one who speaks in code, but speak plainly so everyone can understand. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. Transparent people will run off subtil people. When you make everything right and wrong, you will find that the subtil person will avoid you.

Christian, let me challenge you to be a person who by nature is transparent. God is a transparent God. He never has ulterior motives. Be transparent in your marriage. Be transparent with your children. Be transparent with those for whom you work. Be transparent in your business dealings. Most of all, be transparent in your work for Christ. Subtil people will destroy you and those whom you love, so avoid them by being transparent and decisive with what you believe and do.

Blessings

Blessings in the Clouds

Psalm 147:8

"Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains."

Often, when I go to the airport to take a flight to a meeting, I can see the storm clouds coming in and know that I am probably in for a bumpy ride. For many years, I disliked those clouds because of a bad flight I had many years prior. The clouds reminded me of the bad flight I had, and my mind would remind me of the adversity of the clouds instead of their blessings.

I fear that many people look at the clouds of life the same way I looked at the clouds when I flew because of bad experiences they've had in the past. Every time they see the clouds, they are reminded of the bad experiences of the clouds instead of what came from those clouds. What many forget to see is the blessings that those clouds brought to their life.

In the verse above, the Psalmist talks about the clouds covering the heaven. When he talked about the clouds, he wasn't complaining about them covering the sunshine; instead, he showed the blessings of the clouds. He said that the clouds prepared rain that would fall to the Earth. He understood that the rain made the grass to grow. He also understood that because the grass grew, the cattle had food to eat. He realized that because the cattle had something to eat, it eventually gave him food to eat. No, he didn't immediately realize the blessings of the clouds, but he knew that the clouds would eventually bring him personal blessings.

You must realize that the clouds of life are not always bad. You can choose to look at the clouds as a time of adversity, or you can choose to look at the blessings the clouds bring to you and others. If you dwell on the immediate, you will only complain about the clouds; but, if you look to the future you will see that the clouds are a blessing to your life.

Furthermore, the clouds of life are not brought to you just so that you can receive blessings, but they are also brought to you so that you can be a blessing to others. I often say that God uses us as object lessons to be a help to others. I have realized in my life that most of the hard times that I endure are not for my good, but they are for the good of others. When you see the storm clouds gather on the horizon of your life, you should take those storm clouds as a sign to minister to the needs of others. God doesn't send you through hard times just to make you miserable; He allows you to go through them so that you can help others who are facing the same clouds.

Moreover, you must realize that there was a period of time between the clouds gathering and the time that the Psalmist enjoyed the blessings of the clouds. Likewise, your blessings won't be immediately realized. You must be patient with God and realize that He doesn't work on human timing, instead He works on His own timing. If you will be patient and not give up, you will see the blessings of the clouds in your life.

Have the clouds gathered in your life? Has it been awhile since you have seen the sun shine in your life? Don't despair, the blessings are on the way. When you allow your cloudy days to be a blessing to others, it is then when you will find that the clouds will become a blessing in your own life. Stop complaining, and look for a way to use your clouds to help others. If you do, you will find the blessings in the clouds.

Your Compass

Your Compass in the Woods

Judges 6:24

"Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."

A person said to me, "I feel like I'm lost in the woods with no compass." What a helpless feeling that must have been for this person. Yet, I find that there are times when everyone surely feels that way. You're walking in the woods of life and don't know where you are going, and seemingly have no compass to direct you. That would be a helpless feeling; however, if you are saved, you do have a compass in the woods and that compass is God.

The children of Israel had different names by which they addressed God. Each name was important to the situation which they faced. For instance, when Gideon offered a sacrifice to God in a time when Israel needed peace, and he called the place where the sacrifice was made, "Jehovahshalom." The name "Jehovah" means, the self-subsisting God. In other words, He is the God of gods. There is no beginning or ending, for His power is everything. He is the eternal being that can never be changed. Everything around you may change, but Jehovah will never change. Let me show you some of the things about Jehovah that never change.

First, He is Jehovah-jireh, which means the LORD will provide. His providing hand never changes. The only One Who can provide your needs in life is God. Christian, you can always count on the fact that when you have a need, Jehovah-jireh will provide. Whenever you have a need that nobody can fill, Jehovah-jireh can fill that need.

Second, He is Jehovah-nissi, which mean He is your banner. Every country has a flag that they fly. That flag is their identity, it is their banner. God wants you to know that He is your banner. Do you know what that means for you? That means that you are on the winning side. He has already won the war, and as long as you stay under that banner, no matter how hopeless it may seem, you have already won.

Third, He is Jehovah-shalom, which means the LORD sends peace. You may feel like your life is in turmoil, but He is the God Who can give you peace in times of turmoil. Whenever you need peace in your heart, call to Jehovah-shalom for that peace and you will find it.

Fourth, He is Jehovah-shammah, which means He will be there. Whenever you step out by faith and wonder if God will come through, He will be there. God never forsakes you no matter what you may face. If He tells you to do something, He will come through and be there for you.

Fifth, He is Jehovah-tsidke, which means He is your righteousness. He settled that on the cross. You have no righteousness of yourself to which you can boast, but the only righteousness you have is in Jesus Christ.

Christian, you may think that you are in the woods without a compass, let me encourage you that Jehovah is your compass in the woods. You don't have to wander through the woods of life without a compass, for He is your all-in-all. He is everything you will ever need. Don't feel like you are going through life without a compass, for Jehovah is your compass of life.

Overconfidence

The Danger of Overconfidence

Joshua 17:13

"Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out."

A disturbing statement is said about the children of Israel when God says that they didn't drive out the inhabitants; instead, "...they put the Canaanites to tribute;..." This statement reeks of overconfidence. The children of Israel thought they could handle those whom they had not conquered because they were so confident in themselves; however, they did not realize that their overconfidence blinded them to the fact that disobedience to God's Word should never be tolerated. They thought past victories guaranteed them the strength to handle those whom they should have defeated. Their overconfidence led them to become lazy instead of being vigilant, which eventually led to their bondage to those whom they should have destroyed.

Let me be very clear, I understand the importance of being confident in all that you do. Leaders must be confident in what their doing if they are going to succeed. Churches must be confident if they are going to succeed in reaching the lost for Christ. Business owners must be confident in their product and service if they are going to succeed when others fail. Confidence is one of the most important ingredients you will find in successful people.

However, overconfidence will lead one to destruction. Overconfidence comes from an over estimation of one's self. You will find a person becomes overconfident when they think more highly of themselves and their abilities than they should. You may have had some success, but past success should not cause you to think that you are better than others and stronger than what you really are. You must be careful to keep a proper estimation of yourself and your abilities to keep you from becoming overconfident.

Moreover, overconfidence gives you a false assurance of future success. You will find that people who are overconfident will assume that they will succeed because they succeeded in the past. Past successes don't guarantee future success. The effort, methods and hard work that brought success in the past will secure success in the future.

Furthermore, overconfidence will blind you to your own weaknesses. When a person becomes overconfident, they begin to think that they have no weakness. Overconfident people always see others as the problem and not themselves. When overconfidence blinds you, you will stop working on the areas where you are weak.

Let me warn you from becoming overconfident in yourself. Always keep past successes in their proper perspective: they are in the past. Any future success will be determined by what you do right now. Keep the proper perspective that at best you are still a sinner and are capable of making mistakes. Simply put, to keep from becoming overconfident, keep your eyes off yourself and place them on Christ and others. That is the key to always keeping yourself in proper perspective.

Success can breed overconfidence and eventual failure; or it can humble you that God would allow you to be able to help others. Daily ask God to help you to keep a proper perspective of yourself. When others brag on you, listen to it for a couple of seconds, then forget about it. Those who brag on you now will attack you later if you don't keep doing what you are supposed to do. Don't let overconfidence be your eventual destruction.

Silence

Silence Please

Joshua 6:10

"And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout."

What a strange command God gave to Joshua and the children of Israel when He told them not to make any noise while they walked around the walls of Jericho. It would seem that the more noise they made the more the intimidation factor would play on the minds of the people in Jericho. Yet, I believe that God wanted His people quiet so that He could speak to them while they were walking around the walls. This journey around the walls was not just an exercise of intimidation, but I believe it was supposed to be a spiritual exercise for Israel to let God speak to their hearts.

When you look in the Scriptures, you find that God speaks to the hearts of men when they are quiet. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Notice, the acknowledgment of God's power does not happen when there is noise, but it happens when you are silent. When you still yourself and everything around, that is when you see the power of God work.

It was in the time of quiet that God spoke to Elijah. 1 Kings 19:12 says, "And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." When Elijah ran from Jezebel because of self-pity, it was then that God sent an earthquake and fire, but He was not in these. It was when everything got quiet that Elijah heard the voice of the LORD. It was in the quiet time that God had the opportunity to speak.

When God spoke to Samuel in his childhood, it was not during the daytime when all the noise was around him, but it was in the quiet of night when God spoke to Samuel. God spoke to Samuel while he was in bed, and the noise of the hustle and bustle of those around him was gone. It was then that he heard the voice of the LORD. Samuel could not hear God's voice in the noise, but he heard His voice when it was quiet.

Our society is accustomed to having noise about us. When you go to the restaurant, at times the music is so loud that you have to ask the waitress to turn it down. When people are in their cars, you often see them playing music loudly. When walking down the street, you see people with earpieces in their ears listening to music. People just don't like it when there is silence. When there is silence most people become uncomfortable.

Christian, you need to learn to have a regular time of silence so that God can speak to your heart. You will find in the quiet time that God will reveal Himself to you in a way you have never seen before. It is when I silence everything around me that God often speaks to my heart. Some of the most spiritual times you will have is when you learn to spend time meditating on God in silence. Let me challenge you to have a regular time when you turn everything off for a few minutes so that God can speak. I have found the best time to do this is after reading the Scriptures. Break the bad habit of always having noise, and learn to let God speak to you in the time of silence.