Life Lessons in the School of Hard Knocks

I asked God to teach me how to love people as Jesus did. He brought people into my life who were hard to love. I asked Him to help me trust Him and He took away everything else I trusted in. I asked Him for peace and He set me in a storm – then sat with me as it raged. I asked for greater faith and He put mountains in my path. I asked Him for wisdom and He set challenges before me. I asked Him to give me a kind and gentle heart, and he allowed me to face heartbreak and disappointment. I asked Him for joy and – well – He sent Joy!

I thought He would just make my heart grow three sizes, and make trust and faith shoot up like a well-watered plant. I thought He would just infuse me with peace, and give me a shot of wisdom. I thought he would just change my nature from grumpy to kind and gentle. I thought it would be easy.

Maybe it’s been different for you, but God and I have always had to do things the hard way. I don’t think I’ve learned a single life-lesson without some blood, sweat, and tears along the way. Even the Joy in my life came with a struggle.

We love to quote Romans 8:28 in times of trial and trouble: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” But what is His purpose? Read on. “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son” (v. 29). Everything in your life is designed to make you more like Jesus. The writer of Hebrews said that God made Jesus “perfect through suffering” (Heb. 2:10). Why, Beloved, do you think becoming like Him would be any different?

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.

Jesus Saves!

I’ve seen a disturbing trend in the church that is evidence of the cultural influence infiltrating God’s people. It is the “victim mentality” which says I am not to blame for my mistakes and failures and it has made its way into the teaching of the church. We even have a Scripture to support us. Grab your Bible and read Romans 7:7-23. Paul confessed his struggle with sin in these verses.

He said that his sinful nature takes every opportunity to indulge itself – even the very commands of God intended to lead him away from sin become temptation instead. He wrote, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (v. 15). He lamented his sinful nature, saying he wanted to do good, but kept on doing evil. I can relate, and I am sure you can too.

Here is the verse that cultural Christianity has claimed as its own: “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (v. 20). There’s our excuse. “It’s not my fault.” “I was born this way.” “It’s just who I am.” “I can’t help myself.” We somehow separate our sinful nature from ourselves as if it is an entity all on its own and outside of our control. I am sure Paul would not be pleased with how we have twisted his words to approve of sin.

If you did read the passage I suggested, you will notice that I stopped you short of the end. That’s where cultural Christianity stops. But Paul continued and laid the blame squarely where it belongs: “What a wretched man I am!” It is all me. I am a sinner. I am responsible for the evil I keep doing. Paul owns it – but he doesn’t stay in his misery. First, he pleads for someone to rescue him “from this body of death” (v. 24) then breaks out in praise for the answer to his petition: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (v. 25).

Jesus is the answer to our miserable state! Jesus can rescue us from sin and our constant pull to evil. And above all, Jesus can rescue us from the condemnation that hangs over our sinful heads. Beloved, you do not have to give in to sin. Thanks be to God—Jesus will save you. Just as He saved a wretch like me.

In the Heat of the Battle

The Old Testament is filled with battle stories because God’s people were constantly under attack from every direction. There were rare seasons of peace in the land – but it wouldn’t be long before another enemy came at them and the fight was on again. The books of Kings and Chronicles chronicle many of those battles (did you see what I did there?). One of those stands out to me – in 2 Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat was king of Judah (the southern kingdom of what was once a united Israel) and their enemies, Moab and Ammon “came to make war” (v. 1) These were very powerful armies and as they drew near, the king went to God for help. He knew his nation was not able to fend off the “vast army that is attacking us” (v. 12). But he also knew that the Lord “ruled over all the kingdoms of the nations” and that “power and might are in Your hand” (v. 6). And he knew that they were God’s own precious possession and He would defend them.

I wonder if you, like me feel like you are constantly in a battle. It seems attacks come at us from every side. From the culture, from the forces of evil, from politics and human ideology, from the devil himself, from the stresses and strains of life, from people – sometimes from family, and from our own temptations and desires. What are we to do?

We do what Jehoshaphat did. We take it to our King and Defender, the Lord and we trust Him to fight our battles, just as He did for Judah. The prophet told the king, “Do not be afraid or discouraged . . . the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15). The king commanded the people to “have faith in the Lord your God” (v. 20). And there’s something else I saw in this story that will help us in our battles. Jehoshaphat “appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise Him” – and praise they did, “with a very loud voice” (vs. 21, 19). Beloved, when the battle is on, when the enemy is breathing down your neck, when the culture is trying to shut you up, when people are screaming in your face or scheming behind your back, when temptation is dangling a luscious apple in front of you, call on Jehovah Maginnenu – the Lord your Defender, pick up your shield of faith (Eph 6:16), and sing praises to God – with a very loud voice.

Stand Firm

This morning something caught my attention in 1 Corinthians, and when I turned the page to 2 Corinthians there it was again. I knew this was the word for today: “Stand firm.” Paul wrote, “Therefore, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58). “Stand firm” in the Greek means “to be settled.” It’s worth noting that we determine how we will respond before the battle, not in the middle – and we do not waver.

But life is hard, the evil world is cruel, and the devil is always on the attack. How can we stand firm when everything thing around us is against us? That’s where 2 Corinthians comes in: “Now it is God who makes us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (1:21-22). Oh, thanks be – God Himself enables and empowers us to stand firm through His Holy Spirit.

But we do have a responsibility in this as Paul added, “It is by faith that you stand firm” (v. 24). Peter said that “God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him . . . [and] through His very great and precious promises” (2 Pet 1:3-4). Knowing God makes the decision to stand firm, and faith plants our feet on the solid rock of what – and Whom – we know.

One more point. Did you notice the “Therefore . . .” in the first verse? What’s it there for? Throughout the entire 15^th chapter Paul focused on the resurrection – specifically the resurrection of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of the body. This is our guarantee (2 Cor 1:22) that all who are in Christ will also be resurrected at His return (vv. 20-21) and we will be given perfect heavenly, eternal bodies (vv. 42-44). Peter said these are God’s “very great and precious promises” (v. 1) Each of these verses tied the ability to stand firm with the hope of eternal life with Christ. “Therefore,” the hope of eternity is our motivation for standing firm in our faith in Christ.

I know, it’s not easy. I know you have wounds and battle scars inside and out. But the promise of eternity is your impetus for faithfulness. Stand firm, Beloved. It will be worth it in the end – because in Christ, there is no end.

A Snack and a Nap Does a Body Good

I am a firm believer in never giving up. I’ve written about it many times. I take my cue from Eleazar who was one of David’s “three mighty men.” He fought at David’s side in the fiercest battles the king faced. The Scripture highlighted one in particular – the battle at Pas Dammim. The men of Israel were confronted with the dreaded Philistines and they were terrified, so much so that they retreated. But not Eleazar. “He stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword” (2 Sam 23:10). That’s some perseverance!

I told my best friend yesterday that I have hit that wall of being so overwhelmed that I am exhausted. Her advice: you need some rest. And she’s right. I’ve been caught up in a long, intense season of warfare and it’s wearing me down. I told her I don’t know how to rest anymore because my hand has frozen to the sword. Maybe you can relate. Some battles seem to never end. And some of us are very tired.

Later, while listening to the radio, the DJ relayed the story of Elijah who, after an intense showdown with the prophets of Baal, went on the run from the evil queen Jezebel. He was afraid for his life and he was exhausted. He just wanted God to take him out. He finally did the only sensible thing a body can do: “he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.”  And God sent angels to minister to the weary prophet. “An angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat,” and he found bread and water. He ate and rested again. Then the angel returned and encouraged him to eat some more “for the journey is too much for you” (1 Ki 19:5-7).

Sometimes, fellow weary soul, it’s all too much. Sometimes you just need a snack and a nap. You need to let the Lord refresh you. You need to lay down your weapons and your body and trust God to hold the world together while you rest. You need to peel your fingers from the hilt because it’s hard to rest with a sword in your hand. That doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It means you are recharging so you can keep going. After your nap. Remember, “The battle is the Lord’s” (1 Sam 17:47). Eat your snack, turn off the light, Beloved, and rest.

Joy and Love

I love Saturday mornings. I am an early riser, and my house is quiet so I get to sit at my desk drinking coffee and reading Scripture. This morning I’m reading through some of the Psalms. That’s my favorite place to hang out. The Psalmists often write what is on my heart. Human nature is pretty much the same from generation to generation. They had burdens and so do I. They needed hope and so do I. I’m pretty sure you do too. This morning two hopeful words stand out as I read: Joy and love.  

Joy stands out to me for obvious reasons; I may have mentioned a time or two that my precious granddaughter’s name is Joy. Everywhere I see her name in the Bible, I mark it. As you can imagine that’s a lot because Joy is one of the most consistent themes in Scripture. Psalm 126 has four “Joys,” The Psalmist is celebrating the return of God’s people from captivity. He said they “are filled with Joy” (v. 3) which comes forth in “songs of Joy” (vs. 2, 5, 6) because “the Lord has done great things for us” (v. 2,3). 

Love is the most frequent expression in the Bible, and the two – Joy and love – are intertwined. The love of God brings us great Joy. Psalm 136 repeats the refrain: “His love endures forever” twenty-six times as the Psalmist praises God for who He is, for His great wonders, for rescuing His people, for fighting on their behalf, for remembering them in their struggles, and for meeting their needs. In all of Israel’s highs and lows, God’s love was with them.

Maybe you don’t feel joyful today. Things in your life are heavy and hard. I get it. And maybe you’re having a difficult time believing God loves you. You’ve made some pretty big messes that you think make you unlovable. I want to assure you, on the authority of God’s Word and my own experience, Joy and love are for you too. This Joy isn’t dependent on your circumstances. It is the by-product of a relationship with God. And the love of God has nothing to do with who you are or how well you behave. God loves you because it’s who He is.

Beloved, if you need a word of hope today, rest your weary heart in this: you are dearly loved and that is cause for Joy.

Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual battles are part of the Christian life, and they come in many forms, but always with the same purpose – to destroy God’s mission. Satan is the hand behind spiritual warfare and his chief battle plan is to make God’s servants back down from Kingdom work. He has a great variety of weapons. He frequently uses fear and sin. But his favorite fiery dart is discouragement. And he will often use people close to you. I know this one personally.

After the Israelites were granted their freedom from Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah lead the people to rebuild the walls that protected Jerusalem. But Israel’s enemy (led by Sanballat and Tobiah) did not want those walls back up. They started their opposition with ridicule (Neh. 4:1-3). But Nehemiah and the people called on God to “Turn their insults back on their own heads” (v. 4) and they continued the good work. “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height,” and I love this part, “for the people worked with all their heart” (v. 6). The Israelites were not discouraged or distracted.

But neither were Sanballat and Tobiah. They attacked with more anger and “plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it” (v. 8).  The Israelites still did not lay down and quit. “But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat” (v. 9).

Even the neighboring Jews warned them that the attacks would continue and the persecution did begin to wear on them, (v. 12). Nehemiah told them, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your homes” (v. 14). And so “we all returned to the wall, each to his own work” (v. 15) with building materials in one hand, weapons in the other, and a sword at their side (v. 17-18), and the assurance that “Our God will fight for us” (v. 20).

Five times Sanballat tried to stop the work, even writing blatant lies, “trying to intimidate me” (6:19). But Nehemiah knew “They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.’” So he prayed, “Now strengthen my hands” (6:5-9). The wall was completed in fifty-two days (v.15) and the enemies “were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God” (v. 16).

Spiritual warfare is real and it’s ugly, but do not be afraid of the enemy or anything or anyone he uses. Pray for strength. Keep your hand to the work and your Sword at your side. Beloved, God will help you. He will fight for you, and the enemy – and his weapons – will lose. “No weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me.” (Is 54:17).

Hebrews: Kill That Sin!

Last week as I was driving I spied something in the road up ahead. When I got closer I realized it was a vulture enjoying his road kill. I thought he would fly away when I got closer but all he did was take two hops to the other side of the road until I passed by and then he hopped back to his feast. I guess his appetite was greater than his sense of danger. Or he was just a fool.

The writer of Hebrews warned them about the dangers of ignoring the gospel, rejecting Jesus, and falling into apostasy and unbelief. Now he warns them about becoming lax about sin. He said, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:4). The fight against sin is a life-long struggle. We cannot let our guard down, even for a moment. We must remain diligent and ready for battle. Armor on. Sword and shield in hand.

In context, the writer was speaking against the sin of apostasy, of walking away from Jesus. His readers were facing persecution and even death for their faith in Christ. Many would sin by turning away from Christianity. They chose not to struggle with the temptation of apostasy, they just abandoned Jesus. They loved their lives more than they loved the Lord. But most of us (at least in the west) do not face the prospect of death for being a Christian – yet. But we do face sinful desires.

And let’s be honest. We don’t really struggle with our sin, do we? Oh, we may give a wimpy word of protest, but we still give in to it more often than we want to admit.  We call it a “stronghold” a “lifestyle” or even a “right.” David called it cherishing sin in our hearts (Ps 66:18). We also don’t look for “the way out” that God provides, because we don’t want to escape it (1 Corinthians 10:13).  Like the vulture on the road, we want to stay close by. And that’s dangerous. Deadly even.

It is time to be brutally honest about your pet sin.  It is not your friend.  Paul said we must, “put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed” (Col 3:5). You need to kill it, Beloved, before it kills you.

Hebrews: The Faith of Abraham

I prayed for seven years for a baby. Seven long, lonely, heartbreaking years of expensive fertility drugs and tears on Mother’s Day, hosting baby showers for my friends and making baby blankets to give away. I clung to one verse: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true at last, there is life and Joy” (Pvb 13:12). And then it happened. To say that I was overjoyed would be a huge understatement.

Abraham and Sarah could relate. They waited a lot longer than I did, and did some pretty drastic things to fulfill their desire. Things that are still rocking our world today. But in his heart, Abraham never gave up. “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise” (Heb 11:11). Did you see it? The key to faith is knowing that God is faithful.

Faith isn’t some mystical quality that we conjure up within ourselves. In fact, faith has little to do with us. It has everything to do with God. The writer of Hebrews said, “[Abraham] considered God . . .” The word “considered” means to think and esteem. Abraham’s faith was built on thinking about God. And his thoughts naturally led him to esteem God – to see Him as great and mighty and thus, believe Him to be trustworthy.  Abraham heard the promise of God and, after thinking about the character of God, determined that God would do what He had promised. That is faith in a nutshell.

I’ve been told I am a woman of “great faith.” I don’t agree. What I am is a woman with a great God. Any ounce of faith I have is because God has proven Himself trustworthy in situations that demanded I either trust Him or get devoured by the enemy. He has never let me down. Not. One. Time. I’m in another one of those battles right now. I will either trust Him or I will be one more bleached skeleton in the desert. I’m putting my confidence in the one who has been faithful again and again and again. Beloved, whatever your circumstances I encourage you to have faith. Put your hope in the One who is forever faithful. The one who brings life and Joy.