Growth In Suffering

 

         No one likes to suffer. Yet we are all, at some point in our lives, deal with suffering.  There is death of loved ones, illnesses of family or friends, financial problems, broken relationships, physical deformities or mental illness, abuse, and a long list of other ways a person can experience pain and hardship. Currently our news headlines are still all about the Coronavirus.  It’s brutal and is causing, as of this writing, a pandemic across the globe; still spreading, with grim consequences.

David, the author of Psalms was not a stranger to grief, pain and despair.  He was hunted by Saul, made huge human mistakes and paid the consequences of his sin, which included losing a son, and so much more.  Job was tested by God and lost everything!  And even Jesus was no stranger to temptation, pain, agony and suffering. 

Jesus came in human form so he could experience fully what we do as humans.  This act of obedience was painful from a human perspective, but even more so when you consider the price he paid on a cruel cross for the redemption of the human race!

As we experience pain and deal with the burdens of life, very often we learn who we are, what we’re “made of,” perhaps what we want out of life and what is important.  It’s what we do with what we learn, that can turn the tide for someone else.  The road of our suffering can be a place where we learn not only sympathy for someone going through a similar trial, but empathy.  God can use our burdens to bring others, who may not know him, to come to a place where they recognize their need for him.

We are able to give comfort, where otherwise, we probably would not have known how to respond.   In some crisis situations, very often we tend to consider who we are taking care of, and forget to take care of ourselves.  This compounds our misery.  We lose sleep, sometimes weight, due to our lack of focus on self-care.  We then, like those we are tending, become ill, even if differently. Our ‘agony’ overrides good sense if we don’t do something about it.

I have a friend who has dealt with a husband who had PTSD for years.  He finally went to counseling and has medication to deal with his illness.  She on the other hand, has never seen a counselor for her own emotional upheaval for all those years.  I learned recently, during a visit to her doctor for a different matter, the doctor saw something that triggered red flags.  Because of this visit, my friend is going to see a counselor.

She needs to work through her feelings, and God will likely use this!   Yet, for all this person’s grief and suffering, she holds fast to a God who carries her when she can no longer walk!  He holds her in the palm of his hand, and that is so reassuring; not just for her, but all of us!  

God says he is strong in our weakness.  I see myself as weak.  I’m outgoing, yet find myself filled with anxiety and fearful, when life is filled with mayhem.  We should all be holding fast to the Father, so that when life spirals out of control, sending us to the depths of despair, we can be like Jesus and say, ‘Not my will, but yours, Lord.’  That’s where I want to be.  

Staying In God's Rest

 

  There are days when I am positively spent after three minutes out of bed.  I went to bed at a decent hour and slept all night.  I dreamed some, but nothing dramatic. Still I’m just done and the day hasn’t even started.

Am I the only one who has this issue?  I doubt it, but that doesn’t make me feel any better, and certainly not less tired.  Rest.  Why am I not rested?  My mind, even after being in ‘shut down’ mode for the night still struggles with the issues of the day.  I realize it’s not physical fatigue, but mental and emotional exhaustion.  In a word, it’s stress!

The events that have filled my previous day, week and last several months leave me wondering ‘what will be next?’  ‘How long will this trial last?’  And likely sixty more questions just like these.  None of which have an absolute, of even hint, of an answer.

It makes me think about the Hebrew children who didn’t enter God’s rest because they had so little faith.  God became angry because the people would not believe in faith what he had promised.  They faltered, and murmured and complained.  He admonished them, ---and us--- to ‘not be stubborn.’  

Rest comes in a variety of forms.  The most precious rest is that which we find in God.  Sometimes I feel ‘stubborn’ when my mind doesn’t allow me to rest.  I am praying that God would take care of my problem (and I know He will), but ….  There’s that ‘but’!  Am I completely trusting Him?  Or am I worrying (that’s a sin!) about what’s going to happen, what will I do next, how will I manage, what can I do in the meantime? And a hundred other things.  

I admit, I’m allowing my worry to steal my peace!  That’s not what God wants.  I’m human just like everyone else.  And because of that quality, total trust can be elusive, yet that’s just what I must do to have the peace that God gives; the rest that supersedes all my problems!

I know one day there is going to be a greater rest than I can have on this planet.  It will be the joyful rest for eternity in the presence of a God that loves me.  He knows I have faults and stumble along the way.  But when life gets too heavy for me to walk, I know he will carry me and there is so much solace and comfort in that.

This week, do your best to place your trials at the feet of Jesus.  I can promise this isn’t always easy.  It takes effort and focus.  But the God we trust will never fail us---and that’s HIS promise! 

Pinnacle of Success

       

       It seems every year I set new goals.  Through the year I accomplish some of my goals, but rarely all of them and even the ones accomplished, sometimes are altered by the time “completion” has occurred.  I’d like to be a success.  I expect most of us do or at least have had these kinds of dreams.  

The definition of success changes from person to person, but with success usually comes, at least a certain amount of satisfaction, monetary rewards or other kind of compensation for a job well done at whatever we are working toward.  Personally, I just want to see my work “out there” making a difference in people’s lives.  Fame?  Not likely, I’m just an ordinary person, doing what I consider an ordinary job.  Money?  Well, sure, that is certainly a welcome reward for a job well done, but it’s more than that.  It’s about leaving something worthwhile, and helping to make someone’s life just a little better.  

The greatest success story is the story of Christ, the Messiah.  Jesus had been on the earth 33 years and at the pinnacle of his popularity, people had to make a choice.  He had performed many healing miracles, rebuked demons and even brought Lazarus back to life.  The common people thought he was wonderful, while the Religious leaders of the time felt horribly threatened.    

There comes a time when we need to meet with Jesus, one on one, and make a decision to allow Him to control our lives.  This should be the most important decision in our entire lives.  It doesn’t matter what we do on a daily basis.  It doesn’t even matter what legacy we leave!  What does matter is where we choose to spend eternity; that we have total confidence of our eternal destiny.

Once we meet with Jesus, we place our souls into his complete trust, yet how often do we not trust him with our finances, our kids, our health or other decisions?  Do we even approach him when things are turned upside down because we feel we have the need and power to do it ourselves?  Do we forget it is He who has the power to make things right?  

Is it possible we are afraid to allow God to “control” our lives?  God has a way of using our abilities or talents to place in uncomfortable arenas, out of our comfort zone.  What He sometimes asks, goes against what seems naturally possible in the physical world, as we know it.  Consider even the belief of Mary and Martha as God calls Lazarus out of the tomb.  What is He asking of you that seems unnatural to your normal way of thinking?  Is it forcing you to trust him?

Our pinnacle of success is best measured by what we do for Christ during this life.  It is after all the only thing we can take with us when we depart this life.  All other rewards will be of absolutely no value.  So I ask you, where do you see your pinnacle of success?  Is it for Christ or something (or someone) else?

Photo credit: pictures of being successful

In His Presence

 

         A friend shared the story about how he and his wife, before she passed away, would go for walks in the park, long drives, or even just sit together on the front porch swing, discussing any variety of subjects from their children, future plans and even daily activities.  And then other times in the same scenarios, be together without ever saying a word.  He said even in silence, there was a connection neither one could likely describe, but it was comfortable and filled with a peace and unity that only comes from love.

My friend's story makes me think about how Mary sat down and listened to Jesus while Martha fretted about getting things done.  I must admit I’m more like Martha than Mary in the scripture from Luke 10:41-42.  I am a terrible ‘sitter’!  I’m one who is up and down, over and around, always seemingly doing something.  I fret when there are dishes in the sink, when the floor isn’t swept or laundry folded and refuse to leave my bed unmade.  These things drive me to keep at it, until the task is finished, regardless of the time or how tired I am.

Years ago, when my husband worked night shift, he would miss dinner with the children and me.  This was before the magical microwave invention!  So, at night when he’d arrive home, whether it be 10 p.m. or 1 a.m. I would get up, fix his food and then do dishes—without the added convenience of a dishwasher!  There were mornings I would wake, go to the kitchen, see the clean dishes in the sink, know that I’d washed them, but have no memory of having done it.  

I’m not sure what that says about my personality, except that, I’m somewhat of stressor, which is why I feel more like Martha.   But the idea of sitting at Jesus' feet and ‘just being’ gives such an image of rest and peace.  

We don’t all have someone in our lives with whom we can share the kind of connection, my friend described.  And to complicate this in today’s world, are those devices that are designed to keep us ‘connected’ yet seem to be, on some levels, breaking us apart.

It's interesting; I watch my own children grow in their families, and how quickly they reach for their phones for games or email, messages, etc when even a moment goes by without conversation. (And sometimes even during a conversation!)   It makes me wonder if they are afraid of their own thoughts.  I don't know, but it causes me pause.       

Peace and contentment are amazing gifts and sometimes we forfeit them for the most recent television show, movie, video game or other activity (even cleaning?).  Sitting still and ‘just being’ in God’s presence is amazing.

I’ve found the only way I can accomplish ‘being still’ for more than a moment is to have a planned time for God in my day.  This works best for me early in the morning (and/or just before going to sleep at night) and some days it’s a real effort to get up early enough before the ‘busy-ness’ of the day overtakes me!  Yet, I find if I don’t do this, my day seems ‘off.’  It’s clear I’ve missed a valuable component of the day that sets my mind, my heart, desires ---my comfort, peace and contentment levels—where they need to be!

Photo Credit:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/811210951634583638/ 

In Small Doses

       

      I started a new Bible Study recently and I loved the introduction on why and how we should study God’s Word.  The obvious why, is God’s desire for salvation for all mankind.  The ‘how’ however, is what really intrigued me.

When we think about food, we understand it’s best to only eat until we are full.  Overeating will usually cause stomach upset or other unpleasant issues we’ll have to deal with later.  And in truth, a single person isn't usually  interested in eating an entire six-servings of pasta, six-servings of vegetable and six-servings of meat all at one time.  We each take a single (sometimes double) portion of what we feel our stomachs can hold, and eat until we are finished.

Eating until we are full, with a single serving at a time, (as long as it's healthy food!) is a diet that can keep us healthy.  The same is true for our spiritual health.  We need to daily reach for the ‘food’ we find for our souls.  When God fed the Israelites in the Wilderness, he sent them Manna.  They couldn’t take extra portions, only what each person needed.  Any extra would rot!  

What intrigued me, is the idea that God places commands throughout his Word.  They aren’t found in one single place.  He scatters lessons to be learned all over the place, if we look for them.  But again, they aren’t localized to one area!  His Word is filled with promises, but again not on a single page, but all the way through his messages.  

This means we get small doses at a time.  If we prayerfully read his Word, and search the scripture for what he wants us to know on any given day, he will show us.  The Holy Spirit was promised for this reason; to teach us and give us understanding!  We don’t have to be a professor of Biblical knowledge to understand the Bible!  But we do have to be diligent students who love the Lord!

I heard the story about a little girl who came home after her first day of school.  When asked what she learned that day, her reply was, “Apparently not enough.  I have to come back tomorrow, the next day, and the next day after that!”  She couldn’t have known, there was no way she could learn everything she needed to learn in a single day!  Learning comes in small pieces, all through our lives.

But we won’t learn if we don’t attempt.  When we are ill and go to the doctor, he often prescribes some kind of medicine.  There are directions on the container the medicine comes in and needs to be followed carefully.  But they are useless if we don’t take them! The same is true of God’s Word!  It is filled with medicine for our souls, our lives, our emotional health, relationships, recovery, and overall health.  But if we don’t open those covers, and read the directions, and then follow the leading, we’ve not opened ourselves to healing!  

I encourage you over the next week to dig deep into God’s Word to find what he wants you to know.  Revel in his reassurances of peace and love.  Acquire an understanding of his commands and desirers for your life.  Learn the promises he’s given his children and any ‘contingencies’ associated with them.  Be fed daily, in small doses from the Word given by  the Great Creator.  If you are diligent, you won’t be disappointed. 

photo credit:  https://www.sweetlife.com.au/sugar-free-diet/food-list/ 

Giants In My Life

 

  It’s out there, all around us, and everyone is borderline paranoid.  Some are even panicked.  Yet, there isn’t a lot we can do, except wait and use good common sense.  It’s amazing how a flu type virus can up-end an entire country, yet, here we are.  It’s got a huge grip on all our lives and it’s still squeezing.

More than a year later, there are still cases of the virus across the world and the statistics tell us it’s getting worse via a brand new strain, but of course, that totally depends on who you talk to.  There are precautions we are still needing to take, and talk of making more mandates about masks and the vaccine.  

The encounters of giants are all through the Bible.  In Deuteronomy, it was the descendants of Anak, and then there was Goliath, and Daniel in the Lion’s den, and even the enemies of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego when they refused to kneel before the statue. 

Giants don’t have to be big and mighty, like Goliath, lions or even the ‘giant’ descendants of Anak.  Today, it’s the Coronavirus.  It’s so small, the naked eye can’t even see it, yet the fierceness has many people in knots, filled with despair and dread.  It's disrupting lives everywhere across the globe.  Even now doctors will weigh the urgency of surgery so as not to put a patient at even greater risk of infection, with all the germs from the virus.

Giants come in so many forms, although they seem to network together, making them seem even larger, and thus more threatening. There are monsters like loneliness, worry, doubt, failure, jealousy, anger and resentment, along with fear and discouragement just to name a few.  They link arms and twist themselves through our being so tight, we can barely breathe!

Our first instincts are to run and hide because the champions just seem too large for us to master.  The second might be to surrender, because no matter what precautions we take, the giant, whatever form it takes, is going to overtake us and win anyway.  These kinds of thoughts are exactly what Satan wants.  

The evil one loves it when we cave!  He jumps with glee when he sees our knees begin to weaken and knuckle under the stress.  Stress.  It keeps dumping on us until we don’t know which way to turn.  In some ways, the stress in our lives can be a giant unto itself!  And managing that beast can be difficult!  I know.  I’ve been there!

But God has other plans for our lives.  When we run and hide, or even cave to those ogres, we are saying God is not a conqueror!  We are not believing he has the capability of performing a miracle or working things out for our good, because the odds don’t look in our favor.  When we react this way, we are projecting a huge lack of faith!

Regardless of the giants we face, as Believers, we serve a Mighty God who will fight for us!  We need to stand tall and face the giant just as David did, even if all we have are small stones!  The challenge before us is great, but with God’s strength, we can be conquerors!  He is greater than any, and all, foes before us.  Let’s join together, and trust the God ‘who can!’

Camera Ready

        

      Birds fascinate me!  It amazes me how they can spread their wings and vault into the sky without fear of falling, tilt one way or the other for direction, change speeds while in flight, and still see on the ground the perfect place to land.

We have quite a few bird feeders on our property to accommodate as many kinds of birds as possible and enjoy them flitting to and fro, up and down, over and around as they look for the perfect morsel that will bring ultimate satisfaction!  

The hummer feeder right outside my kitchen window is especially close to the house and has lent itself to some really awesome photos.  However, those birds feeding at the feeders further from the house are especially hard to photograph, because as one friend put it, “Birds don’t willingly pose, so if I want photos of them, I have to be prepared!” 

Our Christian lives are similar to anticipating impromptu photo shoots of the birds, in the sense of needing to be prepared to share our faith with others.  Sometimes we only get a single chance to share with people we don’t know well—or at all; entering our lives for a moment, then are gone. Birds come to the feeders for food--- even daily; but can we know it’s the same bird that came the day before?  

Having cameras ready to snap the shot is the only way to get the perfect view on any given day.  When we prepare, by knowing God’s Word, being in prayer and aligned with Christ, we are making ready for the moment an opportunity presents itself, to share the Gospel.

Another person compared this same scenario with catching fish.  Fishing requires preparation: a fishing pole, some bait, a pond, and patience.  It’s not always instant gratification, just as it isn’t with photographing birds.  Wild creatures don’t come at our bidding—just because we ask.  We must have something to offer!

The bird watcher offers bird food, --suet, dry food or specialty food.  The fisherman offers worms, lures or other bait and then we wait for the bird or fish to spot the food and come after it, or get ‘caught’ quite by accident.  The catch for fisherman is fish to eat (or let loose—depending on the reason for fishing).  For the photographer, it’s the perfect pose of the tiny beautiful bird.

When we are prepared to share the Gospel, our words may seem to be unheard, or even ignored or misunderstood.  But we must put the ‘bait’ out there—offering God’s food—to those who don’t know, then wait patiently for the Holy Spirit to tug on the person’s heart, until ultimately God reaps the harvest!

If we want to share the Gospel, we must be prepared just as the scripture from Ephesians 6 describes, to be effective!  

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Ephesians 6:14-17