TERRIBLE HORRIBLE NO GOOD VERY BAD DAY

Because I was seeing new cracks in the bricks and drywall I had someone come and look at the foundation of our house.  He pulled out his laser level and did his measurements.  Then he let us know the house was slowly sinking especially at one end.  He gave us an estimate on what it would cost to fix the foundation.  Suddenly it was a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”.  I had been praying about this problem for over a year asking God for wisdom to know what to do.  I knew there was a problem and that at some point we might have to do something.  But I guess I was hoping that maybe we would not need to.  After work I came home in a subdued frame of mind.  Just before bed I realized I did not have my phone.  I looked all over the house and then drove back to the church to look in my office, and it was nowhere to be found.  My “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” got worse.  My calendar, address book, and many other things are now on my phone and it is the only number where people can reach me away from the office. That night as I went to sleep and every time I woke up I asked God to help me find my phone - and help me to decide what to do about the foundation of our house.  The next day as I was reading my Bible these were the verses I read. 

1 Peter 5:5-7 (NET) ... all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. [6]  And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under His mighty hand [7]  by casting all your cares on Him because He cares for you.  

God makes a couple of things VERY clear.  He hates and OPPOSES those that are proud or arrogant.  However, He gives grace to those who are humble.  Peter says humble yourself... by casting all your cares on Him.  When we choose to lay all our worries and fears on God what we are saying is I cannot handle this - I trust YOU, my God, to care for me.  We are accepting the fact that ONLY God can handle ALL our worries, doubts, fears, stress points, or triggers.  Humility admits that God is big enough to handle anything and everything that we are facing. Rather than focusing on our fear or our stress, by prayer we turn them all over to God.  We know He cares and we know He has the power to act.

 PRAYER:  Lord God, keep me close to You.  Help me resist Satan’s attacks of worry, doubt, and fear.  Please help me to come humbly into your presence with those things that weigh me down.  Help me to Trust You to do ALL that You have promised to do.  Help me to change my focus from my fears and doubts to Your Promise to strengthen and help and care for me. Thank You Lord. 

(PS- I did find the phone the next day in another part of the church and a structural engineer gave us the all clear on our home. PTL)

The Treadmill or Recliner ~ Let GO and Let GOD

Let Go and Let God.  The first time I heard that phrase I thought there it is that is the answer that is exactly what I have been looking for.  I don't need to strive and work and try harder and harder to DO things to please God.  So I let go I kicked back and did NOTHING.  After all that is what LET GO means right?  I had been living on the treadmill striving and struggling to somehow get my walk with God right - NOW I was sitting in my recliner no problem Let God.  The problem was that I was NOT doing anything.  We can NEVER live the Christian Life in our own strength or by our own efforts.  We will FAIL.  But if we think sitting back and doing NOTHING will help us grow we are DEAD wrong.  Let's look at these verses together.

Colossians 2.6-8 (NET) Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives IN Him, rooted and built up IN Him and firm IN your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

We are saved by Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death for us.  That means we put ALL our faith and trust in the Forgiveness He offers us.  We cannot do ANYTHING to save ourselves it is ALL about God’s grace.  But once we are saved the process of walking with the Lord Jesus on a daily basis does take thought and effort on our part.  It is still by FAITH just as you received your salvation CONTINUE to live or walk IN Him.  HOW?  Our roots go down into Him as we take time to be in His Word. (Blessed is the man who DELIGHTS in God's Word Ps. 1.1-3).  If our roots are IN Him and we trust Him for the strength and grace to keep going.  We will be building on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word.   spend with Him helps us to build on that  foundation and we continue to process of growing in our relationship one brick at a time. Like any relationship it cannot happen without conscious effort.   If we are rooted and built up in Him the result is a FIRM established Faith.  Anytime I struggle and doubt I can trace it back to a failure to DELIGHT in God’s Word. 

Growing in our faith will include an OVERFLOWING thankfulness.  Have you ever felt like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh?("good morning if it is which I doubt")  If find that in my own life if I stop and think BEFORE I complain I can always come up with something to be thankful for.  At the very least - I can be thankful that I do not have to run on the treadmill forever to earn my salvation or even to keep my walk with God fresh and growing.   

Let Go - yes let go of trying to EARN my salvation I cannot do that.  Let God - well yes I NEED God's grace to save me but I also NEED God's grace to sustain me.  But that will take continuing effort to DELIGHT in His Word and it will take continuing to BUILD my relationship with Jesus Christ a day at a time brick by brick on the firm foundation which is Christ.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to find that balance between TRUSTING  You and the Effort which I need to put in.  Help me to remember that my Relationship with You will take time and effort.  May I learn to Delight in Your Word and in spending time with You.  Thank You Lord God for Your Saving Grace and thank You for Your daily Sustaining Grace.

WEALTH - DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

Whenever I sit down to pay the bills - there is always a sense of hope that maybe there will be a little more left over this time.  Paying bills is one of my least favorite things to do.  But it is also a constant reminder that I need to be careful HOW I spend the resources we have.  It is so easy in our culture to simply throw it on the credit card and if we can't pay it off when that bill is due we merely let it ride.  Part of the problem is that we do not want to say NO to ourselves.  We would rather say yes and then deal with the economic consequences later.  That is why these verses are such a challenge.  Because even as I struggle to pay bills I understand that I have so much more than most believers in the world.

1 Timothy 6.17-19 (NLT)  Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. [18] Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. [19] By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

Wealth, riches there is very real DANGER in having more than you need.  It is so easy to slip into thinking you are the reason that financially you are doing well.  Paul addresses that by warning the rich NOT to become arrogant and TRUST their money - INSTEAD they must trust God.  After all it is God who gives us ALL we NEED for our enjoyment.  The implication in that is that if I do not have enough money to get the latest gadget or toy or laborsaving device then I don't need it.  I am supposed to remember that God has given me what HE knows I need for enjoyment.  That may require me thinking through more carefully the things that I enjoy.

Paul goes on to say that they should USE or INVEST what God has given to them. They are supposed to be doing good with the resources that God has entrusted to them.  They should be generous and ready and WILLING to share with others. 

The Last reminder is for us to see that this world is temporary and that ALL that we have here cannot compare to the wonder of heaven.  It is a reminder that this life is NOT all that there is.  

 

I Love these quotes - great reminders of the DANGER in pursuing wealth.

"Be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. No matter how much money you have, your life should demonstrate that God controls the wealth that He has placed under your care." NLT Notes

“Though riches come, and riches go, don't set your heart upon them.  The fields of hope in which I sow  are harvested in heaven.” A Keys

PRAYER: Lord God help me to see clearly ALL the different ways that You have blessed me so that I can fully enjoy them.  Help me to think more about how to be generous and share with others than about how I can accumulate more stuff. Help me Lord to see that this life is an investment NOT for here but for Eternity.

 

IT IS WHAT IT IS???

So the news was NOT what I wanted to hear.  I wanted the Doctor to say you can stop wearing the boot and resume normal activities.  Instead I heard think LONG TERM - months not weeks.  And I had such good plans - none of which included being forced to wear a brace or boot long term.  What do we do when we get bad news?  How do we handle serious disappointment?  Yes I KNOW God uses hard things - hard times - to strengthen us, shape us, and form us more and more into the image of Jesus Christ.  But.......  I have said for years the phrase "it is what it is" as a statement that some things you just cannot change. But too many times - for me - that has become a statement of fatalism... oh well I cannot do anything about it so I have to accept it.  Those were some of my thoughts before I read these verses.

1 Thessalonians 2.16-17 (NLT)  Now may OUR Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God OUR Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, COMFORT you and STRENGTHEN you in every good thing you DO and SAY.

After I read these verses today - I had to stop and confess. I have been complaining and by my complaints (subtle as they may have been - being expressed mostly in my thoughts) I have been questioning God’s plan for me.  But these verses remind me that MY God gives Grace and Eternal Comfort, and WONDERFUL HOPE.  Not because the circumstances have changed or gotten better from MY perspective.  But because He gives Comfort and Strength each and everyday. He gives the ability to DO and SAY good things no matter what the circumstances may be.  The question is will I look for those GOOD things that He wants me to do?  Will I seek out ways to SAY those GOOD words that need to be said?  Because the comfort and strength He promised seem to be connected to a willingness to DO and SAY the good things to which He calls us. 

So instead of saying "it is what it is" maybe I need to start saying "God KNOWS what He is doing."  I certainly believe that on a biblical and theological level.  But I need to believe it on the everyday - I have to wear this brace for an extended period of time - level. 

PRAYER: Lord, God thank you for Your comfort and strength especially during hard and challenging times.  Lord all that I am going through comes from Your hand for a good purpose.  Please help me to keep in mind ALWAYS that no matter what is happening I can still DO and SAY good God Honoring things.  May I hang onto the TRUTH that YOU KNOW what You are doing. 

NO ONE CAME - EVERYONE DESERTED ME

If you have ever felt totally alone - you know it is a very hard and difficult thing to go through. When I was a single missionary many years ago there were periods of time when I felt completely alone.  I was in a city of over a million people - but there was no one with whom I could share my fears or longings.  The danger for me was to become self-focused and to think only of my self.  Becoming self-focused NEVER helped me grow in my walk with Jesus or help me to love and serve others. 

I wonder what it was like for Paul alone in that Roman prison at the end of his life...

 2 Timothy 4:16 (NIV) At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.  

NO ONE came to my support...  everyone deserted me...

I can certainly FEEL the depth of what Paul is saying.  He was left entirely on his own with no support - where were the Christians from the church in Rome?  How does Paul respond?

May it not be held against them...    What?  That is the last thing I expected to hear from Pau; - No One came... Everyone deserted me...  BUT Lord God please do not hold this against them. What an example of how to pray for others even those who wronged us or who have hurt us. 

2 Timothy 4:17 (NIV) But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.

NO ONE came...everyone deserted me...BUT the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength...

What an amazing testimony to each of us who are struggling.  This is what we must do especially when we FEEL like we are ALONE.  We must remember we are NEVER ALONE. The Lord the Sovereign God of the universe is ALWAYS with us He is right there at our side.  And just as Paul trusted God for His presence and strength - we too can know that the Lord WILL give us His STRENGTH if we turn to Him when we are lonely, feel abandoned, or feel full of fear and doubt. 

2 Timothy 4:18 (NIV) The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

We do not know for sure - but it is possible that Paul was eventually executed at the end of this imprisonment in Rome.  That is why these words are so powerful The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack... HOW? He was convinced that his future was secure he was trusting God to ...bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Whether set free to continue to serve the Lord or being executed for the gospel Paul saw the Lord’s hand in ALL of it and was counting on the Lord to STAND by him and to give him strength.

PRAYER:  Lord God - thank You that You are ALWAYS with me whether I feel alone or not YOU are there.  Please Lord help me to grab onto that TRUTH and never let go.  Lord when I struggle and I am tempted to focus my thoughts on myself HELP me to look to You - to Trust You - and to keep on loving and serving others.

WRONG.... AGAIN!

NO Sunday Services... Not some thing I enjoy saying or doing. From a selfish perspective it means doing a lot of things to get the word out (changing voice mail messages, sending - emails, Facebook messages, and text messages). However, the hardest part is wondering if this is the right decision... should we try to meet anyway?  Is it going to be as bad as they say?  What about the ice in the parking lot?  At some point a decision has to be made and then you live with it.  But I do miss meeting together... there is something precious about God's people gathering to honor and worship Him as well as encourage and serve each other. 

As I thought about that this morning I thought about several friends of mine who live and work in very dangerous - closed countries.  They are there for the sake of the Gospel - they are there because they long for others to know Jesus.  So they risk their lives and families everyday.  Many of them CANNOT meet with other Christians especially openly. So as I read the next chapter in my normal reading today these verses took on new meaning for me:

2 Corinthians 4:11-13 (NLT)  Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. [12]  So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. [13]  But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”

Paul’s situation was so dangerous that he said we FACE DEATH everyday WHY? For one reason - that others may know Jesus and have eternal life.  These verse reminded me of Carol’s nephew who was killed last year because he was living and working openly as a Christian in a close country.  His deepest desire was to see young men and women become disciples of Jesus Christ. 

2 Corinthians 4:15-18 (NLT)  All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. [16]  That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. [17] For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! [18]  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Why would you take your wife and children into dangerous place to live and work?  Paul said he did it for the BENEFIT of those who had NOT yet experienced God’s grace.  He said He would NEVER give up no matter what he was facing no matter what the hardship may be.  WHY?  He saw that the painful present struggles would be overshadowed by the wonder and glory of the gospel the joy of seeing people’s lives changed for ALL eternity.  So we FIX OUR GAZE - or focus - NOT on the hardship or the painful struggle - but on the things that CANNOT be seen... on eternity and our Lord Jesus.  As we do God WILL Receive More and More Glory and that is what it is all about. 

NOT BEING ABLE TO MEET... what would that really be like.. Not just the roads are slippery... or I'm too tired... or it is too much hassle to get ready and go.  But if I meet with other believers I will be in DANGER.  Some of my friends would do anything to be able to be at a Sunday service with other Christians.  But the best they can expect is to quietly carefully worship with their family praying for the day when there will be MANY Believers because of their sacrifice.

PRAYER: Lord God, help me NEVER to take for granted the wonderful privilege of worshipping YOU with others - free from fear of any kind.  Please Lord encourage and strengthen my Brothers and Sisters who are in real danger everyday because they are Serving You.  Please LORD help them see the REALITY that what they do WILL have Eternal Results.