Warm-a-Rama 15 seal jacks i/c 15 mountain man pooper i/c 15 seal waves i/c 10 hip circles each direction oyo 15 windmills i/c 15 harry rockets i/c 15 Michael Phelps i/c
The Thang Mosey to Woodstock’s coupons
Single awareness 15 per side L – lunge backwards O – Overhead press, single arm V – v up, single leg E – E2K
S – single leg Squat to coupon I – irkin N – navy seal burpee G – goblet Bulgarian Squat L – lunge E – E2K
15 seal jacks i/c 15 seal waves i/c 15 Michael Phelps i/c Side shuffle across parking lot and back Nur across parking lot and back 15 mountain man pooper i/c 15 Imperial walkers i/c 15 toy soldiers i/c 10 hip circles each direction oyo
The Thang Each PAX grabs a coupon and moseys to the park playground.
Timer is one PAX farmer carrys coupons around gazebo
Curls Swerkins Abyss merkins Small coupon Bent over flys Bent over rows – axle Hanging knee raises Small coupon lateral raise
3rd F Roll with the punches and look at the positive side of things.
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Windmills – 20 IC
Moroccan Night Clubs – 30 IC
The Thang
Mosey to the Fishing Pier and complete a set of Aiken legs – 20 squats, 20 box jumps, 20 lunges (10 each Leg), 20 split Jacks (10 each Leg). Then each PAX will take a lap up the hill and back down the Governors walk. Upon arrival back at the Fishing Pier each Pax will complete a Toy Soldier set of 30 LBC’s, 20 E2K’s (each side) & 10 Big Boys. Rinse & Repeat as much as time allows. Pax were able to complete three rounds before moseying back to CHOP.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayer.
Our friends were kind enough to loan my wife and me their second home where we could get away for a couple days. Now, when you’re in somebody else’s home, look, you want to be on your best behavior. You know, make sure you don’t break anything, and leave it like you found it. Well, I was having a little bit of difficulty getting the front door un-jammed; or unlocked. My wife said, “What are you doing?” And I jokingly said, “I couldn’t get it unlocked, so I’m just pushing it open.” She said, “No, no. Don’t do that.” Now, there’s a reason we had that little dialogue. Yeah, it’s called history.
See, she panicked right away because she knows my history of you know, sometimes trying to make things work, and it doesn’t happen, and a couple times you know something got broken. Oh, I got it out okay, and it worked okay but she knows I have this tendency to try to make things work when they don’t want to work. So I sometimes get impatient – I’m the only guy on the planet like that, I know – but sometimes I get impatient with things that don’t work quickly. Alright, I confess, I’ve been known to force a door handle and break it. I’m growing, I’m getting better. But you probably aren’t going to lend me anything anymore, right?
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “When You Force It, You Break It.”
Our word for today from the Word of God; Genesis 16:1, “Now, Sarah, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maid servant named Hagar. So she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go sleep with my maid servant.” I insert here, “what?” “Go sleep with my maid servant. Perhaps I can build a family through her.’ So he slept with Hagar and she conceived.” I’m shaking my head.
Here’s the history. Abraham and Sarah had been promised a son by God. They had to wait longer than they thought they would have to wait. Apparently they thought it wasn’t working. So guess what happened. Sarah has an idea, she says’ “maybe we can force it! We’ll help God out.” And Abraham goes right along with it. Now, here’s a new verb for you: to “Hagar”. You say, “Well, isn’t Hagar like a name? Isn’t it the name of this maid servant; this surrogate mother?” Well, actually, it’s a noun, but to “Hagar”, to make it a verb, well it means to try and make it happen. I’m trying to “Hagar” this. You force it, take it from the expert, you break it.
Thirteen years after Abraham and Sarah tried to force what God had promised, the son God promised came along-Isaac. Now they had a 13-year-old Ishmael on their hands, though. And those two boys were in constant conflict. They’re still in conflict today. It’s called the Arabs and the Jews descended from Ishmael and Isaac. And many great wars have been fought over that conflict. And it all happened simply because Abraham couldn’t wait for God to do it His way and in His timing.
How easy that is to do. You know, right now maybe there’s something in your life that isn’t working like you think it should, it isn’t happening fast enough. Maybe the romance isn’t there. Maybe you think “I’ve got to help God out a little bit here.” Maybe the money isn’t there and you’re trying to figure out some scheme to help God with that. Maybe the future isn’t working out the way you want it to. So you’re going to try to make it happen. Don’t “Hagar” this! Don’t force it. Don’t grab a wrong way to get a right thing done. You’ll pay for that mistake for a long, long time.
Four thousand years later people are still paying for Abraham’s “Hagar” solution. So, are you trying to rush it right now? Are you trying to force it? Are you trying to make things happen instead of waiting and watching your God do it? Would you let go before you break it and let God make it work in His way, in His time. Because the Bible says, as for God, His way is perfect. As for my way, it makes a mess.
Bolt 45’s – IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Imperial Walkers – 20 IC
Jiminy Crickets – 10 OYO
Merkin Mile – each ¼ mile Pax stopped and completed 25 merkins. Pax completed two sets on the way to the site of the “Thang”. Pax completed the second half of the merkin mile with two sets of merkins in returning to the Aegis.
The Thang
From the Exicon – Doracides – Two Pax worked together to reach exercise reps of 100, 200, 300, & 400 of 4 different exercises EACH. One Pax worked on the exercises while the second Pax completed suicides to three designated waypoints. The extra twist is at the waypoint of each suicide run; the Pax completed 1 burpee, then 2 burpees, and finally 3 burpees before returning to the starting point. Once all three suicide sprints were completed, the Pax switched stations until all reps of each exercise were completed. The exercises completed are as follows: 100 Merkins, 200 American Hammers, 300 LBC’s, & 400 squats.
There’s bad plaque and there’s good plaque. The bad kind is that substance that builds up on your teeth that you see in all the toothpaste commercials. They’re going to help you get rid of that. Oh, and then there’s good plaque; that’s the kind we have hanging on walls all over our house.
They’re good plaques because they have different promises on them from God’s Word. Right as you come into our house there’s been a plaque on the wall that says, “All your children will be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of your children.” That’s Isaiah 54:13. And most homes have God’s promises on plaques on the wall, or churches do. But plaques like that are meant to do more than hang on walls; they’re actually meant to float.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “When God’s Promises Turn Into Life Preservers.”
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 119. I’m going to read verse 50. David says, “My comfort in my suffering is this: ‘Your promise preserves my life.'” I love that. “Your promise preserves my life.”
Not long ago I was talking to some friends of ours who had lost a relative in a tragic auto accident. I said to them, “Was His grace enough?” You know, one of the great promises of God in 2 Corinthians 12:9 is, “His grace is sufficient.” There’ll always be enough grace.
And they said, “Oh yeah, it sure was.” And then together we began to remember some of those promises that make good wall plaques, like “Underneath are the everlasting arms.” And then it dawned on me, those promises of God are nice words, but when a storm hits and you’re sinking – like when a loved one dies for example – the promise of God becomes a lot more than a plaque. It becomes your life preserver, like someone drowning in the ocean, hanging on for dear life, and the promise is all you’ve got to hang onto.
David said, “My comfort in suffering is this, ‘Your promise preserves my life.'” All you’ve got to hang on to. And the more you hold on to that promise, the more you live as if the promise is true and the more you can handle. We’ve got to have those promises in our heart so we can rip them off the wall and hang onto them when that sudden storm hits.
I talked not long ago to a burned out Christian leader. He’s hanging on to a promise from the 23rd Psalm, “He restores my soul.” I talked to a family who was recently hit by five medical blows within as many weeks. They’re hanging on to Deuteronomy 33:25, “Your strength will equal your days.” When my wife got ill and was sick with hepatitis, in bed for nine months, I wondered, “How in the world am I going to do it without my partner?” I hung on to that verse. Every day I said, “Your strength will equal your days, Ron. Your strength will equal your days.” It did! It got me through.
So, learn those promises. They’re your source of strength. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” That means you’ll have everything you need. Maybe you need Philippians 4:19, “My God will supply all your needs.” Or maybe that plaque that becomes a life preserver is 1 Corinthians 10:13, “God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted more than you are able.” Or are you hanging onto Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” How many times have I hung onto Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know.”
Learn those promises, and then learn to lean on those promises. When your feelings are lying to you, when your world is upside down, grab a promise off the wall of your heart and rest all your weight on it. The promises of God are life preservers.
22 X-CROSS SIT UPS ( R HAND TO L FOOT, L HAND TO R FOOT BIG BOY)
22 INCLINE MERKINS
YESOW/NUR to AO
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Prayers were offered for multiple needs within the attending PAX, but please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
I don’t have much time for TV, and when I do, I don’t usually watch gymnastics. But some time ago they were showing a sports feature about gymnastics on a plane flight. As usual, I had too much to do to get the headset that carries the audio, but I did occasionally glance up at the video part. It was a gymnastics meet between the U.S. and Russia. You can probably guess who I was rooting for. Now, I couldn’t hear any commentary, but I saw some impressive performances by these young athletes. I also saw an occasional replay. But every time they did a replay, it seems like all they showed was the gymnast’s mistakes; anything she was marked down for, and they kept replaying it. They had executed some great moves, but no, we don’t go over those – just their mistakes.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Focusing On the Falls.”
It’s not only athletes who have their shortcomings replayed is it? A lot of us are experts on going over and over the mistakes people make; the weaknesses they have. Which is definitely not what God had in mind for how we would use these mouths of ours in the lives of those around us.
In fact, He describes that in our word for today from the Word of God. It’s Ephesians 4:29. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” In other words, talk about the things that will build that person up, and stow the things that will tear them down.
Now think about how you talk to the people that you’re around a lot; your coworkers, your friends, your parents, maybe your husband or wife, your children, or the people at church. Could it be that you have a tendency to train your camera on what they do wrong, on their weaknesses, their shortcomings, the problem areas? And do you keep bringing up where they missed it – like those sportscasters replaying the gymnasts’ mistakes?
This is a classic problem between parents and children, for example. Let’s say your son or daughter brings home four Bs and one D. What do we spend most of our time on? The four Bs? Oh, no, we do most of our talking about the one D. Too often, we do that with every area of their life. Minimizing – overlooking what they’re doing right – and focusing on what needs improvement. And we’re trying to build them up by showing them their failings and what they need to work on, right? But I wonder if we keep doing that, aren’t we actually tearing them down?
People can slowly but surely be destroyed by a person’s critical spirit. Could that be happening to someone in your world? Remember the people around you are starved for praise. Yes, part of loving someone is to gently help them see their blind spots and to help them get stronger where they’re weak, to help them improve. There’s a place for constructive criticism, but you win the right to do that when you spend more time talking about their strengths and what they’re doing right.
Replay capability – it’s a powerful thing. But if you keep replaying their mistakes where they haven’t measured up, well, you’re going to be diminishing the people around you. If you replay their good points, you’re going to be building up the people around you, which is what God says we’re supposed to do. Help the people who you are around a lot see the worth and the value that God sees in them. How do you do that? Well you just keep pointing it out to them.
Maybe you’ve focused on their falls too much. It’s time to start replaying the good moves made by the people you care about!
Warm-a-Rama 30 Marocan night club i/c 20 Michael Phelps i/c 10 mountain man pooper i/c 15 seals waves i/c 10 hip circles oyo, each direction 15 seal jacks i/c
The Thang
Each HIM grabs one large coupon and 2 small coupons
Colt 45 with small coupons, palms in
Tabata, using small coupons 8 rounds of 6 excercises
Flys (shoulders on large coupon) – palms up, palms in Bench press (shoulders on large coupon) – elbows in, palms together Holding chair chest squeeze – extended, close Overhead clap – palms in, palms forward Bent over rows – palms down, palms in Squats – butt must touch coupon – sumo, 6″
3rd F Positivity helps our spiritual hearts. Did you know it also helps our physical hearts? Our mindset truly changes everything. Which is exactly what today’s verse helps us do. Paul provides us attributes of godly thinking we can use as a quick “checklist” to guide our thought life: True: Does this align with God’s Word? (Psalm 19:7; John 16:13; 2 Timothy 3:16–17) Honourable: Does this bring respect to yourself and others? (Proverbs 22:1; Romans 12:10; 1 Peter 2:12) Right: Is it just and fair? (Micah 6:8; Romans 12:2; Proverbs 21:3) Pure: Is it free from moral fault? (Psalm 51:10; Philippians 4:8; James 3:17) Lovely: Does it promote love and compassion? (1 Corinthians 16:14; Colossians 3:12–14; 1 John 4:7) Praiseworthy: Is it deserving of admiration and respect? (Psalm 145:3; Ephesians 1:12; Philippians 2:3)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV).
• What are the main thoughts that guide your life? • Is there a particular area from the checklist where you feel you’re lacking? • What Scripture can you memorize to help anchor your thoughts?
Colt 45 with small coupons, palms up
Toy Soldier set 50 LBCs 25 E2Ks, each side 15 Big Boys
Number Rama Name Rama COT
8 HIM showed today: Semi, Probe, Streudal, Fireplex, TRex, Chattahoochee, Mr. Mom, Looney Toons
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 15 IC
Hydraulic Squats – 10 (6 Count)
The Thang
Round #1 – Karaoke around the circle switching directions at halfway and complete 10 hand release merkins. Round #2 – Nur around the circle and complete 20 LBC’’s. Round #3 – ass kickers around the circle and complete Aiken legs – 10 squats, 10 box jumps, 10 lunges (10 each Leg), 10 Iron Mike’s (5 each Leg). Round #4 – high knees around the circle and complete ATM’s – 10 alternating “merkin” shoulder taps, 10 tempo merkins, and 10 fast merkins. Round # 5 – Lieutenant Dan around the circle and complete 10 four count mountain climbers. Round #6 – Toy Soldier march around the circle and complete a set of 11’s. 1 big boy to 1 merkin, two big boys to 2 merkins ascending to 11 of each. Round #7 – mosey 10 laps around the circle and complete ascending Burp & Merks up to 10 merkins. The twist is we are going to repeat each of the previous exercises before starting the next lap around the circle.
On the first warm day of spring I can remember my son saying, “Ready for a little baseball, Dad?” Well, ’twas the season, although that early in the season we usually ended up stuck in the mud somewhere between home plate and first base. Now, he didn’t ask about playing baseball if it was fall or winter. Now, he always had a like a strong sense of season. By the same token, the first cool day of late summer, of course, that brought a predictable question, “Ready for a little football, Dad?” This is the same son, of course, that got upset when he saw Christmas items up before Thanksgiving, or phone calls when he was studying or homework that you had to do on weekends. See, this kid had and actually still does have for that matter, a strong sense of what season it is, and there’s actually a lot of sanity in living that way.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “A Strong Sense of Season.”
Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Ecclesiastes 3, and let me read some excerpts to you: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” It goes on with a list of life’s times, and then concludes in verse 11, “God has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Well, the message of Ecclesiastes 3 to me is this: Know what time it is. Know what season it is at this point in your life, or your month, or your week. And then really do what it’s time to do and don’t mix up your seasons. When it’s time to work, really work; when it’s time to fellowship, really fellowship. Just don’t mix everything up.
Now, I know some people who talk for half of their work day. Well, when it’s fellowship time, do that, but don’t mix that with your work and vice-versa. When it’s time to play, really play. When it’s time to be home, don’t bring your work home with you; really be home. When it’s time to be at work, don’t keep doing personal stuff. When it’s time to pray, block out everything else.
Maybe that’s why Jesus told us to go into a closet to do it. When it’s time to listen, drop everything else and focus on that person. If it’s time to finish something else before you listen, get that done and schedule a time when you really can listen. When it’s time to study, don’t talk. When it’s time to unwind, don’t study. Get the idea? It’s like the Bible says in Colossians 3, “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart.”
I have a friend whose employees’ wives are on the warpath because their husbands are coming home forever late from work. Guess who they blame? The boss and the company for overworking their men. Well, the fact is what the wives don’t know is that these men are taking extended lunch hours for gym time and shooting the breeze much of the day. They waste as much time as they work, and then they have to work like crazy at the other end of the day. And then, guess what? They can’t be the fathers they need to be.
I like what the Bible says again, “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart.” And I really like what Jim Elliott, the missionary martyr said, “Wherever you are, be all there.” See, things don’t work as well when you do them “out of season.” Each day, each week has seasons in your life. Well, do with all your heart what it’s time to do at that moment and then God makes everything beautiful in its time.
I’ll tell you, life is a lot more peaceful when you live with a strong sense of season.
Bolt 45’s IC (4 Count) – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats.
Cherry Pickers – 15 IC
Plank Jacks – 30 IC
Cherry Pickers – 15 IC
Windmills – 15 IC
The Thang
Mosey around Mill Street and back to the M&T Bank parking lot.
Each Pax completed the Burp & Merk – Burpee with ascending merkins up to 10. Each PAX will Bear Crawl to each parking space and complete a Burpee with a hand release merkin. Bear Crawl to the next space and complete a Burpee with two hand release merkins. Continue until completing a Burpee with ten hand release merkins. Nur back to the start and plank for the six.
Pax continued on over to “Oh Hill No” and completed the bottom feeder/deconstructed toy soldier set exercise. Crab walk up the hill and complete 100 LBC’s. Crab walk down the hill and complete 50 E2K’s to one side. Crab walk back up the hill and complete 50 E2K’s to the other side. Crab walk down the hill and complete 25 big boy sit-ups.
F3 Message – See below
Mosey back to CHOP by way of Strawberry Alley. A round of Mary was completed to finish out the beatdown.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayer.
One of our team members reminded me the other day of how I felt about junior high school lunches. He was talking about it in our team devotions. Few of us remember those 7th or 8th grade cafeteria lunches with great fondness. Friday wasn’t bad – that was French fry day. But most of the other days – who knows what some of that stuff was – mystery meat! We’d complain about the food, we’d trash the food sometimes, and sometimes we even had a food fight with it! Hey, it’s junior high; what do you want? There were many days I wasn’t too excited about what was on my plate. There still are.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “When You Don’t Like What’s On Your Plate.”
Okay, this has nothing to do with your diet. I know you have days when you don’t particularly like what’s on your plate though. Or you don’t like how much there is of it. As a parent, you may have to handle some things that really aren’t much fun these days. That’s what on your plate. As a son or daughter, or a student, you’ve been stuck with some jobs you really don’t want to do. At work, it’s getting pretty messy, or heavy, or boring. At church or in your ministry, you’re not particularly liking the way it’s going and what you’re trying to do for the Lord. But it’s just part of life – days, and sometimes lots of days, when we don’t like what’s on our plate.
So, how are you handling days and tasks you don’t care for? Do you complain about them? That would be the way we normally do. Do you worry about them? Freak out over them? Do you get negative or irritable because of what’s on your plate? Look, we’re not in junior high anymore. It’s time for a more grownup response. It’s time to see what’s on our plate from God’s perspective.
Here it is in our word for today from the Word of God in Psalm 16:5-6. David says, “Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure.” So who decides what’s on the plate of a child of God? Your Heavenly Father who loves you totally and does everything perfectly! Sometimes God’s assignment is exciting and energizing, sometimes it just seems sort of humdrum and mundane, and other times God’s assignment is downright hard – like when He assigns you to a sickbed or an unappreciated, dirty-work job or working with someone who frustrates you or annoys you.
But there is a peace, there’s this lightness in your spirit – even a strange joy – that can come when you look at today’s plateful and say, “Lord, You have assigned me to this.” Which leads us to that powerful formula for being emotionally and spiritually on top of things, instead of things being on top of you. It’s in James 4:7 where the Lord says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” In other words, submit to the Lord’s greater plan, His greater wisdom – “OK, Lord, I’m going to handle what’s on my plate as if it came right from Your hand.” The result? Well, you have resisted the devil’s attempts to discourage or distract or detour you.
In fact, since the Lord assigns you your portion, you can actually thank Him for it, looking expectantly for what good things He wants to bring out of it. What’s God working on through this? Does He want you to be more of a servant? More patient? A better listener? A learner? More sensitive?
See, whether or not you particularly like what’s on His menu for you today, you can be sure it is for your good – it’s part of His loving plan for you. What’s on your plate is OK – because the One who put it there loves you so much. Oh, by the way, knows exactly what you need.
Bolt 45’s – 15 squats to halfway down. 15 squats halfway to full down. 15 full squats
Cherry Pickers – 20 IC
SSH – 20 IC
Imperial Walkers – 20 IC
Four Count Freddie’s – 31 IC
Hydraulic Squats – 10 IC ( 6 Count)
The Thang
Pax paired up to complete as many Burpees as time allowed. One PAX Nurs up the hill to Mill Street from the flag pole pad area at the fire station and runs down while the other works on his burpees. Pax rotate positions upon completion of each Nur and run down the hill at approx. .14 miles for each lap. When all Pax reach 50 Burpees a break for the F3 message took place. Pax continued the evolution for a second set of 50 Burpees.
Count-O-Rama, Name-O-Rama, and the Circle of Trust. Please keep all our HIM in your thoughts and prayers.
There’s a mountain in northern New Jersey that has an intriguing view. It’s called Garrett Mountain, over the city of Paterson, New Jersey. In the 1980s, Paterson happened to be the fourth poorest, middle-sized city in America. Now, if you had driven around that city then and that’s all you saw, you would think the whole area of north Jersey was poor. But just beyond Paterson on the horizon, you can see some of the wealthiest communities in America.
If you drove around some of those towns, you’d think the whole area was well-off. If all you saw was Paterson, you’d say, “There’s no countryside around here.” If all you saw were the suburban communities, you’d say, “There’s no city here.” See, I like Garrett Mountain, because it gives me a bigger view than I can get when I’m right in the middle of things. Up there, you can see the bigger picture. Maybe you need a mountain like that right now.
1 Samuel 8:4 says, “All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel. They said to him, ‘You’re old and your sons don’t walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us such as all the other nations have.’ But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they’ve rejected, they have rejected Me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now, listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.’ Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.”
Samuel has a frustrating situation. The structure of the judge ruling Israel on God’s behalf is coming unglued. He’s being unappreciated by the people he has given so much for. Does that sound familiar? These people are off on a total tangent that he knows is wrong. They’re trying to get a king, when all they really need is God ruling through the judges. Maybe you have some frustrating people in your life. Different issues, but frustrating.
What did he do when the people frustrated him? It says, “So, he prayed to the Lord.” What they did displeased Samuel, “So he prayed…” He didn’t tell them off or blow up. He takes the people and his feelings straight to the Lord when he’s frustrated. Do you?
There are two good results when you do that. First, the Lord gives Samuel the big picture. He says, “This isn’t against you. It’s part of a pattern.” And he defuses the emotions. It’s like being on that mountain overlooking both the suburbs and the city. You can see the whole picture when you take the frustration to the Lord. You can see where things are coming from, and where things are going. You’re above that limited view you have when you’re right in the middle of the aggravation. When you take the frustrating people to the Lord, He gives you the big picture instead of you just reacting to an incident.
Secondly, He gives you a balanced response. He told Samuel to listen to them and then warn them. Listening to frustrating people gives you credibility. They’ll listen if you’ve listened to them. Then warning them fulfills your responsibility to tell them the results of the way they’re going. Some people listen without warning people; some people warn people without listening to them.
When people’s actions displease, frustrate, and hurt you, would you go to God first? You know what He’ll do? He’ll take you up on a mountain where you can see the whole picture, and help you respond in a balanced way. When people frustrate you, go over their head. Go straight to the Throne Room of the King.
