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.

What Does Math Have to do with Faith?

When I started college and had to take algebra, I dreaded it like a root canal. But God was so kind to me. He connected me with a retired teacher with three degrees in math. Mrs. Julia was #1 on my speed dial that whole year and spent many Sunday afternoons with me at my desk.

One day I asked her, “Why do I need to know this stuff?”

She answered, “You’re learning the basic steps and formulas so that you can work through the next levels.”

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Do you mean I am having to learn stuff I don’t want to learn so that I can do harder versions of it?”

“Yes, that’s pretty much how it works,” she answered.

“I’m going to write my congressman,” I muttered, “cause this ain’t right.”

For all my tears and protests, and because of Mrs. Julia’s patience and determination, I finished that algebra class with an “A.” It was a bloody, hard-fought victory, but a victory nonetheless.

A few days ago, I heard a D.J. talk about our struggles today being stepping stones to prepare us for the next struggle and the next, and on and on – each one more challenging than the last. The message reminded me of what James wrote: “Consider it pure Joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be perfect and complete, not lacking anything” (Jas 1:2-4).

In case you didn’t know it, life gets tougher, not easier as you go. Our difficulties stretch our faith and firm up our spiritual muscles for the harder battles ahead. The trials we face today are growing our confidence in the faithfulness and goodness of God.  When I look back over my life, I realize that the hard things I endured thirty years ago prepared and strengthened me for the battles that came ten years later, and those got me ready for the difficulties I faced five years ago which brought me into a deeper, wider faith that is carrying me through this current hard season.

To what end? To help me become perfect – mature – and complete. Or as Paul put it: “to be conformed to the likeness of [God’s] Son” (Rom 8:29). Our troubles are God’s tool of growth, transforming us from the inside out – making us more and more like Jesus. Beloved, you can trust God with your whole life – the good, the bad, and the heartbreaking. That’s where He does His best work.

One-Word Prayer

There is a page in my prayer journal with a one-word entry. It just says “Father.” That’s all I could manage. The pain and anxiety are deep and heavy in this season and this word nerd, Bible teacher, writer sometimes can’t find the words to convey what’s on my heart. I know I am not alone. I read your posts. I hear your sighs. And so does your Heavenly Father.

A dear friend reminded me recently of Romans 8:26-27: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

These verses are such a balm to my overwhelmed heart. When I cannot find the words, the Spirit is praying to the Father for me. He knows what’s on my heart, and even more importantly, He knows the Father’s heart. He knows the Father’s will in my situation and He prays to that end. The Greek word used here for “groans” comes from the root word meaning “narrow.” Picture it: the Spirit takes the jumbled, swirling cacophony of voices and hurts and issues and concerns and worries and anxieties and narrows them down to the core – and He takes that to the Father. It reminds me of when my mom would untangle the mess I made with my yarn, carefully working it through the wadded-up ball until she released the one loose end that freed the rest. The Spirit is our own personal interpreter, taking this gibberish language that we speak and translating it into the language of God’s perfect wisdom. And all the while He is speaking back into my heart the words of the Father – words of compassion, tenderness, encouragement, and hope. You know what this tells me? I don’t have to have the right words or to wax eloquent in speaking to my Father. God just wants me to tell Him whatever is on my heart in whatever way it comes out and then trust the Spirit to sift through it all and take the heart of my heart before the Father.

What’s on your heart today, Beloved? God is listening. Even if all that comes out is His Name – it is enough.

Even if . . .

 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive fails and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls . . .” (Habakkuk 3:17)

I confess this is not my favorite verse. Especially not right now. I want the fig tree to bud. I want grapes on the vine. I want olives and sheep and cattle. I want God to set things right. I want the huge hole in my heart to be filled with Joy again. Maybe you know where I’m coming from. Something has rocked your world and left you in pain. Someone walked away. Someone passed away. You received a scary diagnosis. Your workplace shut down. You got a foreclosure notice in the mail. And all you can do is beg God to fix it.

I’m not a Pollyanna by nature – I don’t gravitate toward optimism. Neither did Habakkuk. In the opening of the Old Testament book that bears his name, he said, “How long, O Lord . . .” (1:2). How long until you answer and rescue your people from their enemy? How long will you tolerate these wicked people? How long will you let us suffer? Sounds a lot like me right now – “How long God will you let this drag on?”

But somewhere along the way, something changed in Habakkuk’s message – and in his heart – and I think I know what it is. “The Lord is in His holy temple . . .” (2:20). God is still on His throne and very much in control. The Sovereign of the universe has not let anything – not figs or grapes or olives or sheep or cattle – or little girls – slip from His hands. And that is why, even when there is nothing in Jerusalem to rejoice over, Habakkuk can say, “ . . .yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be Joyful in God my Savior” (3:18). Because God is always God.

In this hard season of my life, I am learning that God is worth rejoicing over even when my heart is heavy. God is still good. He is still able. He is still faithful. He is still God. Beloved, that is something to rejoice about.

When You Pray

David was a King, and a gifted poet and writer. He was also a man with real hurts and real emotions. He expressed raw, deep, honest pain, wild, enthusiastic rejoicing, and the ebb and flow of faith and confidence we all experience.  Psalm 31 is one that covers the whole gamut. Take a moment and read this psalm and meet me back here.

This is a Psalm of Lament, a song David wrote when he felt trapped by his enemy (v. 4), weak with sorrow and grief (v. 9), and consumed by anguish (v. 10). He was being slandered and terrorized (v. 13). In vivid imagery he said, “I have become like broken pottery” (v. 12). Useless and only good for scraping painful sores (Job 2:8). David was about a low as a man can go.

And yet . . .

David took refuge in the Lord (v. 1). He cried out for rescue (v. 2), mercy (v. 9), and deliverance (v. 15). And then he put his whole trust in God. He called God his Refuge (v. 4), and rejoiced in His faithfulness (v. 14), goodness (v. 19), and wonderful love (v. 21). He poured out his broken heart, and poured in the healing balm of faith.

There is something I saw in this Psalm, that I believe is the key to trusting God in these hard, painful seasons. In verse 2, David pleads, “Be my rock of refuge; a strong fortress to save me. Then he immediately says, “Since you are my Rock and my Fortress, for the sake of Your name, lead and guide me” (v. 3). Do you see it? “Be . . . Since you are . . .” David asked, and then he trusted.  

I confess, very often I have prayed and then still fretted. I have pleaded and continued to worry. That is not the way of faith. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours” (Mk 11:24). That’s NOT a “name it and claim it verse.” It is a “Be . . . Since you are . . .” verse.

I am praying over a very hard situation in my family right now. I trust that the Lord hears and cares and will act according to His wisdom and perfect will. You can too. You can be assured that He will hear and He will help (v. 22) “Be strong,” Beloved, “and take heart and hope in the Lord” (v. 24).

The Peace of God in the Storms of Life

I need a word from the Lord this morning. I need to hear from the God who watches over little girls who are not where they should be and comforts broken-hearted Nanas. I wanted something like: “Don’t you worry, I’ll fix this.” But that’s not the word I got. The Spirit led me to Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Rejoice. You’re kidding, right? No, He’s not. Rejoice. Not just when it’s all good and the sun is shining. Always. Now. When it hurts. When you don’t understand.

Be gentle. Actually, He’s not commanding an act on my part, He is reminding me to bear forth the fruit of His Spirit – gentleness – as I deal with the people and the situation. God knew when He gave me that word at the beginning of the year that I would need it right now.

Don’t be anxious. I need to tell that to my knotted-up stomach and my hammering heart. Literally.

Pray. I like the way The Message says it: “shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.” And petition Him. “Go boldly to the throne of grace” (Heb 4:16 emphasis added). ASK. “ASK and keep on asking, SEEK and keep on seeking, KNOCK and keep on knocking” (from Mat 7:7).

With thanksgiving. Yes, thanksgiving. Because God has been trustworthy in the past. Because He loves her more than I ever could. Because He can be where I cannot. Because He is still writing this story.

And because He plants four words in the middle of this passage that we often overlook but speak volumes: “The Lord is near.”

Rejoice–because the Lord is near. Be gentle—because the Lord is near. Don’t be anxious–because the Lord is near. Pray with thankfulness–because the Lord is near. I can have the peace of God that is unfathomable–because the Lord is near. My heart and my mind – and my stomach – need God’s peace.

I didn’t exactly write this one for you today, I wrote it for me. But I’ll share it with you because it’s His Word for us all. And because, Beloved, through it all—the Lord is near.

Hebrews: A Sacrifice of Praise

Several years ago I had a serious mental and emotional crash. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. I descended into a pit of depression and despair that was so deep I thought I would never see the sun again. Oh, I continued to go to church every Sunday and stood with the congregation during praise and worship. But I couldn’t sing. I wept. One day as I was driving, Crowder’s song, “Oh Praise Him” came on the radio. I felt a nudge in my spirit, “Sing child.” “I can’t” I replied, as tears began to burn my eyes. “Sing anyway.” So I choked out the first chorus, “Oh, praise Him. O praise Him. He is holy. He is holy.” I kept singing – or croaking – to be honest. But by the end of that song, I was singing clearly, “Oh, la, la, la, la, la, la” with tears streaming down my face. That was the day my healing began.

The author of Hebrews wrote, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name” (Heb 13:15). I understand this verse. Sometimes praise is the hardest thing you’ll ever do. Remember, this was written to Jewish believers in Christ who were facing extreme oppression and persecution for their faith. Many were turning away from Christ and abandoning the faith because it was just getting too hard. The author implored them to instead offer praise to God in their suffering, even if it came at a high cost.

I won’t deny that life is hard and pain is real. But God is still worthy of praise. He is still good. He is still sovereign. He is still awesome in power. He is still holy. And He is with us in our pain. David said, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted . . .” (Ps 34:18). If that’s you today, let me assure you that God is near. He has not abandoned you in your heartache. He has tenderly drawn you close. If you’re still you can feel His breath ruffling your hair. If you listen you can hear His heart beating. Then you may hear Him say, “Sing, child.” I know. It’s not easy. But sing anyway Beloved, even if all you can do is whisper through your tears. He’ll hear you. He’s not listening to your words; He’s listening to your heart.

Consider it All Joy (part 2)

Yesterday’s devotional started a conversation about God’s purposes in our suffering. We’re going to continue today in part two. I’ll post a link to part one in the comments.

Sometimes trials are a means of discipline in our lives – I know this one well.  The psalmist declared, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your Word” (Psalm 119:67).  Hebrews adds, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).  Trials that come as a consequence of our sinful and foolish behavior are meant to teach us valuable life lessons.  Or as my mother said, “Bought lessons stay with you longer than taught lessons.”  If you can connect your trial to your actions, take that as a means of discipline and training. The writer of Hebrews also said that discipline identifies us as God’s true children. “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” (See Hebrews 12:5-10). Discipline means that God is being a good Father to you.

Our trials reveal God to the world.  When Jesus and His disciples encountered a man who had been blind from birth, He said, “This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3). When the Lord healed this man everyone knew it, and he became a living testimony to the power of God.  You and I are the canvas on which God paints His own portrait for the world to see.  Just as silver and gold show up most brilliantly against a dark backdrop, the power and glory of God are on vivid display in our trials.  Our difficulties become the means by which God shows up and shows off.

Beloved, I don’t know what trial you are facing today, but I know that God has brought you to it for a good purpose.  He is at work in your life, stretching your faith, moving you into His will, preparing you to minister to someone else, teaching you discipline, and making your life a display of His glory.  Every trial is an opportunity for you and me to draw closer to our Father, to walk by faith, and to point others to Him.  Yes, we can count it all Joy when trials come, because we know God has a purpose and a plan – and we will be the richer for it.

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

God is For You

“It’ll all be made right in heaven.”

I remember so well the sweet lady who spoke those words to me at my mom’s funeral. She followed a theme that many others had said to comfort me and my family in our grief. And they are right. God will set all wrong things right one day. All the hard things. All the sad things. All the things that were unfair and unkind. Even all the things that were caused by evil. Paul assures us: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18). All our tears will be replaced with shouts of Joy.

But in your present moment of pain, heaven seems pretty far away, doesn’t it? Is there any hope for you now? I believe there is. Listen to what David said when he was in a difficult place: “How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You” (Ps 31:19). In the sight of men. Men here on earth. God’s goodness, David said, is not just for the hereafter; it’s for the here and now. It’s for today.

How can I be so sure? Because, in Paul’s words, “God is for us” (Rom 8:31). No, I don’t think you get the whole gest of that phrase. “For us” means on our side, but not just on our side; He is, in the Greek, exceedingly, abundantly on our side. Now take that personally and say with me, “The God of heaven and earth is exceedingly, abundantly on my side.” I can also be sure because I have seen Him at work many times in the hard places in my life. He has taken what others have done against me and brought something good out of it.  He has taken the unexpected trials in my life and blessed me in awesome ways.  He has even taken my sin and foolishness and brought wisdom and ministry out of them. That’s how I can be so sure.

Another verse is marked in my Bible with dates and memories of a time that was so hard I honestly thought it was going to kill me. “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Ps 27:13). I clung to those words like a man in an ocean clings to a life preserver. And I did see the goodness of the Lord. And many years later I can testify that I still see His goodness every day. So will you, Beloved. God is for you. Right here in the land of the living.

The Way of Wisdom

I am not a young chick anymore – I’m nearing #62 at the end of the year. I know some of you are well ahead of me, but this number has really caught my attention. What have I done with those 62 years? Did I do anything I set out to do with my life? The truth is, I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a very long time. I thought life would just unfold before me and the choices would make themselves. I never knew that my life had a purpose. I wish someone had told me that when I was younger. It would have changed everything for me. What I studied in school, the people I hung out with, and especially the choices I made. You can bet I will tell my granddaughter.

I came across Moses’ Psalm and one verse, in particular, that is highlighted in my Bible. “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Wisdom. I’ve been told that I am wise (that’s a shock to me!). I wish I could say it was because I numbered my days and carefully evaluated my life with every decision. The truth is, any wisdom I’ve gained has come through blood, sweat, and tears (No not, the 60’s rock group). It has come with scars and pain. I often quote my mom who said: “Bought lessons stay with you longer than taught lessons.” I have paid dearly for any small measure of wisdom I have. But I’ve learned some valuable life lessons this way. I’ve learned there are some things that I don’t want to ever do again because the cost was way too high. If that’s wisdom then, I guess I am wise.

Maybe you, like me, look back over years of mistakes and failures and self-destructive behavior. We did more wrong than we did right. We made some truly bad choices. But here’s a choice we can make today that can affect the poor choices of the past. We can wise up. If we wallow in our misery then we learned nothing from it. But if those hard lessons brought about good changes and especially brought us to the cross of Christ, then we’ve invested well.

Here’s where I hang my hope: God can take every mistake I’ve made, every failure, and every sin and teach me more than I could learn in scholarly books and classrooms. And they become common ground to reach out to other mistake-prone souls. Beloved, will you put your mistakes and scars in the hands of your good and loving Father? They tell a powerful story the world needs to hear.