Find Strength in the Lord

I love the Psalms because they are raw and real and timeless. David and the other psalmists often wrote of pain and fear, of disappointment, loneliness, and grief. But they also wrote of faith. They turned their thoughts back to what they knew about the Lord God. Like David who returned home from a battle to find that his home and the homes of his men had been destroyed and their wives and children had been taken captive. Those mighty warriors wept and grieved “until they had no strength left to weep” (2 Sam 30:4). David did the only thing he knew to do: “David found strength in the Lord his God” (v. 6).
How do we do that? Psalm 73 is a good answer. This was written by Asaph, a Levite and “worship leader” for Israel. He was dealing with some very strong emotions – anger, envy, and frustration are evident in his words. That sounds familiar. He even confessed, “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You” (vv. 21-22). Yep, been there too. Then comes the hinge on which his heart turns:
“Yet, I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You” (vv 23-25). Yet. Despite the circumstances, he reminds himself of the Lord’s faithfulness and tenderness towards him. This is an act of his will, just as it is for you and me. You may get tired of hearing me say this, but your thoughts are your choice. You can choose to dwell on misery or anger or hurt or you can choose to focus on the goodness, kindness, and faithfulness of God. I know this one personally.
Here’s the part I want you to see; when he turns his mind to God, his heart soon follows. Listen: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (v. 26). And that is how we find strength in the Lord our God. “We take captive every thought . . .” (2 Cor 10:5) and we fill our minds with truth (Phil 4:8). Not just once, but every time those negative thoughts and emotions pop up.
It’s a life-long lesson that I’m still trying to master. But if it worked for David and Asaph, it will work for you and me. Beloved, find strength in the Lord – it will change everything.

For the Weary Warrior

This year has seen my family shatter and Joy unexpectedly taken several hours away from home. It has been a year of grief, conflict, tension, brokenness, and isolation. It has worn me down. My body is tired of carrying so much tension. My brain is tired of jumping through all the legal hoops. My heart is tired of sorting through the emotional aftermath. My spirit is tired of . . . well, my spirit is just tired. The enemy has been telling me I just need to quit – to shut myself up in a room, lick my wounds, and put it all away. In other words, to give up. I’m not going to lie – it has been tempting.
But the Spirit keeps bringing one verse to mind: Paul wrote, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9). The word “weary” means be so exhausted as to lose courage. Notice it doesn’t say, “don’t admit that you’re tired.” It just says, “don’t give up. Because God is faithful.
I ran across this today in my Facebook memories and it explained so much about the past year and about what I am feeling. It was written by Francis Frangipane of In Christ’s Image Training Ministry. “There are times when we face extended spiritual conflict. We fight, endure, and finally prevail. Yet remember: our enemy is a “thief” (Jn 10:10). You may be so relieved that your main battle is over that you fail to notice your joy is gone. The obvious fight has been won but in your weariness your peace was depleted. Therefore, routinely take inventory of your soul. Wait before the Lord and listen. Make sure the thief hasn’t stolen any of the fruit the Holy Spirit has been cultivating in your heart — that your “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” are all functional and growing in you (Gal 5:22-23).” –www.icitc.org.
Paul and Francis are both right. We can’t give up. But we can rest. There is too much at stake to throw up our hands and throw away our peace and Joy and hope. I’m going to take the summer off from school and I’m going to enjoy every minute I get to spend with my girl. I going to let the Spirit of Christ nurture my spirit. I might even clean up my house. But I will not give up.
Beloved, I don’t know what battles you’ve been fighting, but maybe it’s time to rest a spell. Let the God who loves you heal and refresh you. Just don’t give up.

In God’s Hands

Joy was walking around the living room last night with her eyes closed. “Joy, you need to open your eyes so you don’t trip over something,” I said. “My eyes weren’t closed, Nana,” she insisted, “I was looking through my fringes.” Fringes, in case you didn’t know, are eyelashes. Her eyes were opened just enough to “see” through her lashes, though not enough to look like they were opened. And not enough to actually see where she was going.
Joy’s “fringe vision” made me think of Paul’s words: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; then we shall see face to face” (1 Cor 13:12). Paul was saying we have imperfect knowledge and understanding. This world in which we live often leaves us confused and, let’s be honest, fearful. The more we try to figure things out the more uncertain life seems. I get it. I’ve been living in the “fringes” for the last year plus. Everything has been turned upside-down and inside-out. I thought God and I had a plan – I thought it was a good plan – but God has other ideas.
Job, in the midst of his painful trial, said we all live on the “outer fringe” of God’s works and ways (Job 26:14). The Hebrew translates to the “mere edges.” In other words, because He is so big and so other, we can’t see what God is up to. We don’t have His perspective. We can’t see “the end from the beginning.” But He can (Is 46:10). Not like a fortune teller who can “see” what will happen in the future. This is the sovereign God of the universe who determines the future and sets things in motion to achieve His plan. He said “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand” (Is 14:24).
I trust God’s plan. I trust that everything He purposes will be good because He is good. I trust that nothing – not one single thing – will touch my life that has not been filtered through His loving, gracious, merciful hands. Yes, even the hard things and the unexpected things and the things that break my heart. Because I trust His heart. And I know that the plan is ultimately to conform me to the likeness of Son.
Beloved, you and I may not see everything from the fringes of His hand, but we can trust Him nonetheless because – even at the edges – we are still in His hand.

Spiritual Hindsight

“This is a test.” Radio stations are required by the FCC to periodically test their emergency alert system to ensure it is in proper working order before a crisis occurs. They will play the alert sound – that loud, screeching, beeping sound – and then tell their listeners: “This is a test.” I wish they would tell us that upfront. It would save me from a moment of panic.
I thought about that when I read Deuteronomy 13:1-4. Go read it and come back – I’ll wait for you right here.
Deuteronomy is the retelling of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt. The Lord God brought them up out of slavery to bring them into a “good land, flowing with milk and honey” (Ex 3:8). It is also Moses’ final message to the nation he led for forty years. He knows is about to die and he wants to leave them with encouragement and hope and wise instruction. Two thoughts come to my mind about verse .
First, Moses said the Lord was testing the Israelites “to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (v. 3). I do not think that God was trying to gain previously unknown information. He already knows every man’s heart. John 2:24-25 says, “Jesus knew all men and what was in a man.” I believe that the testing was more for the Israelites’ benefit than God’s.
Second, these testing phases rarely come with a warning. We don’t understand what is happening or why. Job never knew that his hard season was a test to prove something to the devil. He just knew that his life had shattered and he was in misery. The Bible never says that God told Job the whole story. Maybe He did, but it would have been after the fact.
Jesus told His disciples, “You do not understand what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7). I do not understand why things have turned out as they have but I am hanging my life His promise. Because I know that He is faithful. Beloved, in all the things that don’t make sense, you and I can trust God. As the great Charles Spurgeon said, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”

It’s okay to have questions

Doubt can be dangerous for Christians. Doubt often causes us to distance ourselves from God. Distance leads to disobedience and soon our faith atrophies. God wants us to believe without wavering. But sometimes that’s hard. If anyone should have believed without wavering, it was John the Baptist. Even in the womb, Jesus’ cousin recognized the Lord, leaping at the sound of Mary’s voice (Luke 1: 41-45). John’s whole life was, “to prepare the way for the Lord” (Luke 3:4). He declared Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” How did he know? “The one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen, and I testify that this is the Son of God” (John 1:29-34).
Later John asked a big question, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:20). What changed? John was in a prison cell after speaking out against the Roman king and his adulterous marriage. He had faithfully proclaimed the coming of God’s Kingdom. He had rebuked the religious elite and the irreligious royals. And rather than blessings, his efforts brought down wrath. He did what God asked of Him and the results were harsh. He would lose his head over it. Can you blame the poor fellow? Haven’t you and I questioned God for less?
With all that he knew, John – weary and discouraged – began to doubt. But Jesus didn’t chastise John. He pointed him back to the evidence. “What do you see, John?” “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor” (Luke 7:22). Look beyond your circumstances, John. You preached the coming of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 3:1). You spoke of my power (Mark 1: 7). Your own words are being fulfilled in Me. Then He added, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Luke 7:23).
My questions made me search for answers. And those answers strengthened my faith. Ask your questions Beloved. He will not chastise you. He will give you answers that will ground and strengthen your faith. Jesus not only has the answers, He is the answer.

Dire Straits (no, not the rock band)

So it seems we are not done with 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. The Spirit “pressed” me to dig even deeper and He revealed some things to share with you. As I researched these verses one definition kept popping up: straits. Paul’s original audience would have caught it immediately.
We think of “straits” as extreme difficulty or hardship – as in “dire straits.” It is a very unpleasant place, a painful place, a hard place. I’ve been there and I suspect you have too. Sometimes it comes from someone else’s actions that crash into your life. Sometimes – at least for me – it often has my own fingerprints all over it. But it is often the consequences of living in this broken world.
Paul used the word when he said he was “hard-pressed (v. 8).” He was describing a “narrow, constricted place of great pressure.” You may recall from Geography that straits are those places between two land masses through which a channel of water runs – like the Strait of Gibraltar. It is a narrow strip that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa by 7 nautical miles of ocean at the Strait’s narrowest point. It is an important shipping passage from one body of water to another. But it is difficult to navigate and easy to get into trouble.
Sounds like life, doesn’t it? Paul also used this word in Romans 5 when He said “We rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope” (v. 3-4). The straits are places of suffering. But they are also places of growth. Joy sometimes has “growing pains” because her muscles and ligaments are stretching and her bones are lengthening and it hurts. But she would remain in a little body forever without them.
Paul said that there is a purpose for the straits. They produce perseverance, character, and hope. How? Because God shows us His great faithfulness in the straits. He carries us through those narrow, hard-pressed places. Hear this this good promise: “Hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts . . .” (v. 5). The progression from pain to hope is a sign of spiritual growth. It’s what the straits are all about. If you’re being pressed today, Beloved, trust God to bring perseverance, character, and hope from it. Then sail on in the big sea of His love.

When You are Hard-Pressed

I ran across a powerful statement a few days ago that set me on a search mission in the Scriptures. Oswald Chambers said, “The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine.” The Spirit brought Paul’s words to mind: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8-9). In the Greek “hard-pressed” is both pressing grapes to produce the juice and pressing a person with trouble, suffering, and affliction. No wonder the Spirit directed me here.
I studied the rest of the words and found some interesting things. Paul said we will also be perplexed – which means to be uncertain about what to do in a situation. Anybody? Persecuted means to be harassed and troubled. Yep. That comes from people, from our own minds, and from satan. To be struck down means to be thrown face-down to the ground. (A perfect position for prayer.) All of these Paul said will be a reality in the life of the believer. They have all been a reality in mine this past year.
But here is what we will not endure: we will not be crushed – the Greek means to be crushed in spirit. Satan can press us, but, praise Jesus, he cannot touch our spirits. We will not be in despair – utterly hopeless. We will not be forsaken – left behind in a helpless state. We will not be destroyed – this refers to losing our eternal salvation.
Maybe this has been a pressing season for you – it sure has been for me. What do we do when we feel like the grapes at the bottom of the barrel? Paul said, “. . . we do not lose heart” (2 Cor 4:1, 16), but “fix our eyes” on eternity (v. 18). Because these pressing seasons – these “light and momentary troubles” (v. 17 – God’s words, not mine) are all about glory and eternal life.
Beloved, hard seasons are guaranteed. You and I will be pressed and perplexed, maybe even persecuted and thrown down to the ground. But God will not let us be crushed or left in despair or destroyed. He will use every difficulty to prepare us for eternity. The question then is, will we trust Him? Will we bring forth wine or whine?

Wait for the Whole Story

By now you know that my favorite way to study the Bible is passage-by-passage, verse-by-verse, and even word-by-word. There is so much wealth in every word of Scripture. But I also want to consider the greater context so I pull back from the close-up of one word and see the bigger picture of the verse and then the passage. Pull back a little more and I can see how the passage fits into the theme of the section and even the entire book I’m studying. If I take this macro-vision even further I can see the bigger-bigger picture of the Old or New Testament and finally the whole Bible.
That’s also how you and I need to look at our lives. Right now, you may be dealing with something very difficult and all your attention is centered on this one thing in your life. It’s all you can see. You are hyper-focused on this single issue, person, or struggle. May I encourage you to pull back just a little and look for the bigger picture? This issue, person, or need is one word in one sentence of one paragraph on one page of your entire life story. But it isn’t your whole story. God has a much bigger picture in mind. The Bible tells stories of people who had a challenge—infertility, oppression, imprisonment, slavery, rejection, even lack of basic life necessities—and God moved in such a way that the resolution to their challenge became a much larger and more God-glorifying part of their story.
In my present season, I am resting my heart in Jesus’ words in the upper room: “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7). When I want to say, “God I don’t get this; I can’t figure out why You allowed this to happen,” I hear Him say, “You can’t grasp it now child, but you will understand when you see the bigger picture.” Because there is a bigger picture. There is a higher purpose. I’m leaning on that with all my heart today.
Let’s give God our troubles, our struggles, our difficulties, and disappointments and watch Him unfold something we never imagined (check out Ephesians 3:20). Beloved, your life is so much more than this one moment. Trust the Author of your story, He has a beautiful ending in store for you.

Navigating the Unknown

Life is full of unforeseen twists and turns. A job loss, a death, a difficult diagnosis, a child in serious trouble, a decision that shakes your family – we all will face life-altering situations. We will all ask, “What do I do now?” “Where do we go from here?” “How will I cope with this?” It’s pretty unnerving to not know what’s up ahead. I understand this uncertainty very well. As I pray and seek God’s Word, these are the promises I’m clinging to.
God is my guide along the way – “[The Lord] leads me…He guides me…” (Ps 23: 2, 3). God knows where I’m going – even if I don’t. He knows the path I must take and what challenges lie ahead. He knows the best place to cross the river and where to stop and rest for the night. I can follow Him with confidence because He is a good guide.
God is always with me – “The Lord your God will be with you where you go” (Jos 1:9). God knows I need the comfort of His presence as I make my way through unknown territory. He knows I will become anxious and I will have sad days. He also knows I will wander from the path if I lose sight of Him. He is carefully attentive to me, knowing when I need encouragement, strength, help and comfort.
God will provide along the way – “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything” (Deut 2:7). As He guided them through the wilderness, God provided the Israelites with water (Exodus 15:22-25; 17:1-6), food (Ex 16:4; Num 11:31-32) and even kept their clothes from wearing out – for forty years (Deut 29:5). Jesus reminds me that my Heavenly Father knows all my needs, and is committed to providing all things for me if I will trust in Him (Matt 6:25-33).
I don’t know what uncertain path looms large before you, but God does. He has promised to be with you, to care for you, and to lead you all the way. To where? Your heavenly home. You and I may not be able to see what tomorrow holds, but we know Who holds tomorrow. Take His hand and let Him lead you, Beloved, He not only knows the way, He is The Way.

When it doesn’t turn out like you hoped

I had hoped in what I believed was God’s plan for my family. But things did not turn out as I hoped and so I’m left with a heavy heart wondering how to live in this new reality. But I am in good company.
I’m reminded of the scene with Peter and several of the disciples. Uncertain of where their lives were going after Jesus’ death, they dejectedly went back to fishing (John 21). And then there are two of Jesus’ followers walking on the dusty road to Emmaus when they encounter a stranger. They tell him about Jesus (isn’t that a kick), sadly saying, “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). They saw their lives going in a completely different direction than they expected.
Part of the problem is our understanding of the word “hope.” We say, “I hope it doesn’t rain out the picnic today.” “I hope he asks me to the prom.” “I hope you feel better soon.” – but these are spoken like “wishful thinking.” The Bible portrays hope as “an attitude of confidently looking forward to what is good and beneficial.” It’s not a hope in circumstances. It’s a hope in God. A hope that we can carry with us no matter what twists and turns life takes. Better yet, it’s a hope that carries us no matter what. That’s the kind of hope you and I need.
Remember Peter and those disciples on the road to Emmaus – the ones who had lost hope? Their stories didn’t end there. At the end of that fishing trip was breakfast with the risen Jesus and restored hope for Peter. At the end of the Emmaus road was the joyful realization that the stranger in their midst was the resurrected Lord Himself.
Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true at last there is life and joy.” I believe this is an assurance that our God-given hopes don’t get cast aside when life takes an unexpected turn. Because God expected that turn, even if I didn’t, and somehow the desires He planted in my heart will make the turn too. And when He brings them to reality, they may not look exactly like I envisioned, but they will be full of life and hope. And Joy.