Understanding Given not Gained

1 Kings 3:4  "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?"

In churchplanting there are so many opinions, models, books, and networks that it can seem like "success" is simply finding the right formula by adding  A + B + C.  If I just read "this" book, or talk with "that" churchplanter for have "these" resources, we'll be good to go.  So, so wrong.

Once again I read in Scripture that God is the source and that he alone is the one that gives understanding.  The moment we put these other (well-intended) books and people above God - we've begun practicing idolatry - as if those people and books are what we really need rather than God himself.

Let God be your God, and let your friends be your friends - but don't ever get them mixed up in where your source of wisdom and help comes from.
















Prayer:  God be my source.  That I would know you.  Help me.  Give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people in the name of the Lord without the Lord?  Come Lord, be my source.

God or Bust

"Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
- Psalm 127:1 (the Bible)

"And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground." 
- 1 Samuel 3:19 (the Bible)

"We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God's purpose prevails."
-Kay Warren

For the past 9 months I've tried desperately to have a great plan and purpose for starting hopecity church.  I've labored to do things the right way and with wisdom.  Understanding the responsibility that has been given to me, I've wanted everything to go as perfectly as possible.


The danger is that plans can become manufactured.  All of a sudden I subconsciously became plan-dependent more than God-dependent.  Not good.


I don't think God was all too concerned about the exact words that Samuel uttered in I Samuel 3...I just think God wasn't about to let one word fall, because it was the plan of God to raise up Samuel.

• Is it fair to say, that God is much less concerned about our plans, 3 year goals, and various strategies than we are?  
• Wouldn't you agree with me, that - more than anything our PRIMARY purpose is to be totally dependent on God, to be desperate to be near his heart?
• If we honestly read the story of the early church in the Bible - can't we conclude that none of them really knew what was next?=

It's not that we don't have plans...it's not that the watchman in Psalms 127 isn't supposed to watch...it's that our primary dependancy must be overwhelmingly clear.  May we all live accordingly.

God or Bust.