journey onWord with us

I think it’s a safe assumption that everyone reading this article is facing some faith adventures today. It could be a health journey, a job scenario, maybe a financial mountain or just an everyday “will I trust Him?” moment.  God, in His wisdom, uses these “refiners” to help us learn (and re-learn) dependence. As you read the next few paragraphs, let your mind travel back to a stormy day in the life of Christ and His disciples. Faith will rise to the forefront, and we can certainly relate to the dilemma.

Our context can be found in Mark 4:35-41. After a day of teaching, Christ gives His disciples an adventure in trusting Him. He informs the group that they’ll be heading across the Sea of Galilee. He is leading them into the storm! Sometimes storms result from our disobedience, but at other times the Father’s design is to send us headlong into troubled waters … yet, never without an anchor.

Scripture tells us that this was a furious squall.  The storm was so intense that the waves broke over the boat, and the disciples had some serious concerns about drowning. Can you believe that Jesus was sleeping while all that was going on?! You may not mouth words like those of the disciples (“Teacher, don’t you care that we drown?”), but you (and I) have had similar thoughts. They had waves, and we have our “storms.” As you view today’s faith adventure, are you looking with eyes of faith, or do you have that drowning feeling? Christ’s rebuke of the storm and His disciples is instructive.  What does the Master say?

With the words, “Quiet! Be still!” Christ calmed the wind. The Creator of the Universe was in control of nature. It’s amazing to me that Christ-followers accept His control over our eternal destiny, yet we struggle with His power in the daily storms. If you are anything like me, you have met some stormy days with strong faith, but in many others, sinking seemed inevitable. We should never doubt that He is in control. Preparation for the rough waters will determine how we respond when the storms come. Are you letting Him prepare you?

Christ also had strong words for his disciples after calming the storm. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” His rebuke gives us a strong indication that they were not responding with faith to His teaching and miracles. All of us have an opportunity today to respond with faith in the midst of our storms. I am often rebuked that even after so many wonderful faith builders, I still get that drowning feeling. But today is new; God is still in control; and you and I can choose to view our personal storms with eyes of faith. It is your choice!

If Christ is choosing a storm for you right now, what is He teaching, and how are you responding?

Two weeks ago today, I called a friend and asked him to meet me for lunch.  We just needed to touch base on a couple of items (no big deal).  When we sat down for lunch, it was obvious to me that my friend was in a bad mood (very rare).  It just so happens that I was in a less than stellar mood myself.  So there we sat – two supposedly spiritual guys blowing off steam, and lamenting about the way we have been treated.  Have you ever experienced the feelings of, “how could they have treated me like that?”  Now, it’s interesting that my friend and I could easily give you an eloquent presentation on how to handle hurts and how you should forgive everybody every time, but at that lunch, neither of us really seemed to be in a forgiving mood.  It was more like, “Oh yes, I’ll forgive, but I really would like to tell that person a thing or two.”  Hmm!

I’m sure that my friend has worked on forgiving over the last two weeks as I have, but it reminded me that it hurts.  It hurts, and if we’re not careful, the emotions of letting off steam become deep-seated feelings of anger that can cause us far greater pain than the original offense.  Fast forward almost two weeks to my Saturday morning Bible reading.  I was cruising through Matthew 6, when I read words that you and I have quoted, prayed, or recited literally hundreds of times.  Yet most of the time when these words are quoted, the deep meaning gets lost in the recitation.  Words from what we have grown to know as the Lord’s Prayer flow from our tongue with great ease.  And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.  When you say those words slowly and really think about them, there is no escape from the meaning.  If you are a Christ-follower, you know forgiveness, and you have the assurance of eternal life in heaven.  How then could you and I who have been forgiven by Christ, be unwilling to relationally forgive?  Hmm!

When we think about the profoundness of, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us, there is no getting around the context.  If we forgive, we will be forgiven! If we will not forgive, we will not be forgiven!  It is very interesting to me that the verse that follows our often quoted model for prayer contains these words … If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Hmm!

Have you ever noticed that it is relatively easy to request God’s forgiveness?  Then why is it so difficult to forgive the hurts — which do hurt — directed our way from others?  We could spend lots of time discussing the reasons, but the bottom line for all Christ-followers is that there is no excuse for not forgiving others when they hurt us.  I heard John Maxwell say once, “forgive everybody, every time, for everything.”  No one ever said forgiving others of hurts — that really do hurt — is easy, but that is God’s plan of all of us who know the forgiveness of Christ.  Hmm!

Have you ever sat at lunch with a friend and blown off steam about someone who has hurt you?  Have you ever been hurt deeply, and let that pain sink deep into the fiber of your being?  Have you ever said, “I will forgive, but I will never forget?”  Have you ever hurt someone, and wanted them to forgive you?  Have you ever called out to God, with a heart that wanted His cleansing for hurting someone else?  Is there someone right now — today — that you should release from the sin they have committed against you?  Hmm!

Forgiveness for me, my friend, and for you, is a big deal.  If you and I want to walk in a right relationship with our Lord, we must let go of hurts, and forgive.  My attitude two weeks ago got in the way of that relationship for me, and I needed to forgive. Who needs your forgiveness?  Hmm!

The year was 2000. Our daughter was heading off to college, and her parents were depressed by the thought of heading into unknown territory.  She had settled on the University of Toledo a little late, and was told that she would not be able to get into Park dormitory.  Those were not the words her protective father wanted to hear, and I set out to do something about it. Oh, not in the normal obsessive parent way.  No, I told our daughter that we would pray her into that dorm.  Sometimes I look back at brash statements and wonder if I was filled with faith or foolishness.  But in this particular scenario, I was determined to see God work, and use it as an example in our family of answered prayer.  My boldness was setting me up if I was wrong; but what a coincidence, she started the year in Park dormitory.  I wish it could be said of me that all my prayer requests are laced with that much boldness and faith.  In an obscure passage of Scripture that I read recently, I came upon great boldness in prayer.  You’ll find it in the book of Ezra.

Have you ever exhibited such confidence in God that your trust carried some risk; such as God not coming through for you?  At that moment you trusted Him for results that only He could accomplish; but what if He didn’t?  Would you be embarrassed?  Or worse yet, would onlookers doubt the sufficiency of your Father?   Make no mistake; God may not always come through in the manner that we would expect, but He will always do what is best for His children.  Now consider with me the human risk associated with Ezra’s trust in Ezra 8:21-23…

And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.  For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.”  So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.

Ezra was leading a second group of exiles back to Jerusalem.  He had let the king know that God’s hand of protection was on all who worship Him. But this was a dangerous journey. From my study, I believe Ezra was leading a large group of people.  He was ashamed to ask for protection — and there, humanly speaking, was the risk. But His faith was born in truth; God is a protector of those who worship Him. When they fasted and prayed, God heard their prayer. What a coincidence!

The depth of prayer, God’s sovereignty, and how He chooses to honor faith is beyond my (and your) comprehension.  However, there is a truth that I have learned from my early years.  God answers prayer, and you and I can depend on Him every day…for everything.  I read stories of George Mueller building a great orphanage trusting God to provide … entirely.  Others throughout history have lived with great faith, and saw great answers to prayer.  Interestingly, the text of John Robinson’s last sermon at Leiden, Netherlands, before the Pilgrims set sail for the New World in 1620 was from Ezra 8:21.

Was I silly to tell my daughter she would get into a particular dormitory? Maybe!  But I was convinced then, and I am now, that God can do what I can’t.  And when He does; He gets the glory.  Ezra was concerned about God’s reputation — and God came through!  My concern is that 21st century Christ-followers risk so little that we never put God’s reputation to the test.

Is there anything confronting you right now worthy of fasting and earnest prayer?

They were just like us – approachable, ordinary people with jobs, families … and faults.  There was not a scholar in the group.  No orator.  Not a single theologian to be found.  No rabbi in the bunch.  Some of them would have been considered “outsiders.”  One was a former zealot who had actually plotted to overthrow the Roman government!  Another was the dreaded tax man.  Four of them, maybe as many as seven, were fishermen.  There were close friends in the group, relatives, and even brothers.  They were perfectly ordinary in every way … except one.  They changed the world after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.  They were The Twelve … the disciples.

As their lives leap from the pages of Scripture, I challenge you to think about who these men were.  They are not just names on a page, but men who truly lived and worked, and were personally selected by Christ to become his apostles – “messengers, sent ones.”

I have often wondered, “Why Peter, who was so rough around the edges?  Why John, who was practically still a boy?  Why Matthew, who was despised as a tax collector?”  And perhaps most perplexing, “Why Judas, when Jesus already knew the end of that story?”  I will never understand in this life, but I do know that Jesus toiled in prayer for these men.  Scripture tells us that he went to a place alone, as was His habit, and prayed from 7 or 8 pm, through the night until 6 am for The Twelve.  Many mistakenly believe he was praying about whom to choose, but that had already been decided by the Father long before.  Jesus was praying for these men, for their protection against the forces of Satan and the challenges the rest of their lives would bring.

Luke 5:16
He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 6:12
He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. (for the disciples)

These twelve ordinary men were called to carry out four tasks in their earthly life:

• They were called to salvation
• They were called to minister with Jesus
• They were called to become apostles, official representatives of Christ
• They were called to martyrdom; Judas hung himself, but 10 others were murdered.

These twelve simple men taught others, performed miracles and became the source, through God, of our church doctrine.  They were uneducated, humble men that God exalted for His glory.  After only 18 months of “training,” Christ transformed these men in such a way that they were able to spread the Gospel to every corner of the known world.

Hmmm, makes you wonder what He could possibly do with you and me?

It was one of the most unusual requests I have ever received. Six years ago this month, I had the opportunity to participate in the funeral of a dear friend. Her faith was deep.  She was ready to meet her Lord, and she was firm on the passage of Scripture to be read at her service. Her request was not unusual, but the passage was. It was her desire for those at her service to hear the most familiar passage in the Bible on worry. I pondered why that would be her choice, and admittedly I was a bit confused. Her desired passage has great value as all of us struggle with the issues of life, and was a wise choice at her celebration service.

It is now the last quarter of 2013 year. Have you worried yet this year? Has work consumed your thoughts during the weekends? Could it be that you have financial concerns, family struggles, etc…? Frankly, there will always be plenty to worry about. None of us are exempt from the circumstances of life that try to steal our joy and occupy our minds. God already knows what those circumstances will be, and He is not shy about giving us counsel on worry. His truth for all Christ followers is this: don’t do it! Is it possible to live out God’s design? Yes, but can it really happen for you?

Worry can be conquered (even for you), but most people don’t live like they believe it. Why do we act like it’s easier to carry our burdens than to release them to our all-sufficient Lord? His strong words on worry in Matthew chapter six are the words my friend wanted me to read. You’ve probably read them yourself, or at least heard them read. To help you gain fresh perspective on what God wants for you, I offer part of this pertinent passage taken from The Message.

Matthew 6:30-34 (MSG)
If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers-most of which are never seen-don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Even when it seems that our world is falling apart around us, the principles in this passage give us hope. It is not our role to figure out how God will do His best for us, just believe that He will. I am convinced that if we don’t steep ourselves in God-reality, God-initiatives and God’s provisions, it will be impossible to overcome those issues that tend to steal our joy and occupy our minds. But today is a new day, God’s Word is true and we can live life His way.

Could it be that my friend was not giving me an unusual request, but great counsel? She was finishing her earthly journey, and had raised three daughters that loved God and married Christ-followers. Maybe she wanted all who would gather and celebrate her life to realize that all the stuff that weighs us down is not what really matters.

While I may still have questions as to why my friend had me read a passage on worry at her memorial service, the truth and impact of her request still endures.  And, I believe, possesses special significance in all our lives six years later (and counting).  ”… Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.“

I am a bit of a TV junkie.  It’s not a source of pride, but it’s the truth.  And right about now is the “best time” for people such as myself.  There are new shows to get completely invested in, only to watch them not make it to mid-season renewal, and there are favorites that pick up where last season’s cliffhanger finale left off.

With TV and actors on my mind, I ran across a few verses today that speak truth no matter what season of life we find ourselves in.  The following verses are from the sermon on the mount.  The words of Jesus in The Message translation from Matthew chapter 6, verses 1-5…

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.

When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

I’ve been taught the biblical principles found in this passage from a very young age, and I say “Amen” to everything Jesus is teaching.  And while I believe it’s true of me that I don’t major in drama, I have certainly been guilty before of being a ‘playactor.’  In following Jesus, I desire to live and serve humbly, speak softly, love fully, and reject the temptation to “take the stage.”  I desire to know God, reach people, and hear the words “well done, good and faithful servant,” not have man hand me a shiny trophy for best performance in a leading role.

Jesus’ words are true for all of us, whether we battle regularly with those temptations or not.  The world is not a stage for us to stand upon.  It’s a field in which we are given the opportunity daily to labor and participate in the work He is doing.  Are you a laborer, or do you just play one on TV?

I do not only mean to encourage you with the truth that I see you as primarily possessing a magna soul, but also with the truth that you can be driven to pusilla by a “world” that returns pain and sorrow.  …  Continue to live dangerously open, my sweet sister!  It is His design for your life, and it is where you draw people to Him.

I wonder if it was you also, who those words were intended for.  Or maybe you know someone in your own life that really needs to hear them.  If it’s the former, praise God, and take heart!  If it’s the latter, praise God and don’t hesitate, even for a second, before forwarding them on!

An “open soul that has space for the world to enter and find Jesus.”  I so firmly believe that is what God desires for us … a magna animi.  Don’t allow the world’s RSVP of pain and sorrow to create a fortress around your heart.  Live dangerously open my brothers and sisters, and allow the world to enter and find Jesus.

Today is a cloudy day in Ohio, and it almost looks like it could snow! Our state seems to have very few days of full sun (I pout a lot), and our fair share of snow (in its season). Have you ever had a month where it seemed that every day was full of pain and stress? I can remember a month like that a few years ago, and a very specific and vivid memory of the last day of that dreadful thirty-one days.  I was eating at my favorite Chinese restaurant and I received a fortune cookie with no fortune inside! (I refer back to the “…pout a lot” comment earlier)

Cloudy days and months are part of the human condition, but they should never dim the brightness of the Son in our lives. My personal experience is that when clouds hover, the Son’s presence can be easily obscured. I’d say it’s very likely you’ve experienced some of those very same feelings. We must (especially in the response to those times) accept that when the Father allows the clouds, He wants us to reflect the Son.

A review of history will show that mankind has always had cloudy seasons. Over my years of reading Scripture, I have witnessed great examples of how to live under the clouds. Peter and John didn’t have all sunny days, but were used of the Lord even when facing persecution.  On one particular “cloudy” day, Peter communicated words that left no doubt about real salvation.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.   Acts 4:12

The clouds (persecution) that Peter and John faced could have caused them to be timid about Christ. In his proclamation, Peter reflected the Son as the only way to heaven. Religion may debate it, but the Bible is clear.

In the very next chapter in Acts, the apostles were called in and flogged. They were ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus. How would you and I respond to an order like that?  But hear how they responded …

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  Acts 5:41

I would classify getting flogged as a cloudy day, but the apostles continued to reflect the good news of the Son.

Persecution has never really been a part of my life.  Does your life story resonate with that? But we have certainly seen cloudy days and months. In those times, the pain is real and the stress is palpable. I am convinced that those cloudy times are invaluable moments and opportunities for reflecting the Son. There is a world of people around us that need the Light of the world … Jesus! What better time to reflect the Son’s love, grace and mercy than during times when we are overshadowed by pain and stress. People need the Lord and they need to see Him reflected in our lives.

If you are a Christ-follower, there are people around you who need to see His reflection. Don’t let the clouds dim the truth of His love. The examples that we found in Acts should give us all courage to be appropriately bold about our faith, especially in the shadow of our own clouds. When you are faced with that seemingly impossible task (that actually is impossible in your own power), try speaking the words of Ephesians 3:20-21…

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Last night, I was the driver as my wife made a mad dash to several places. She was on a mission to find just the right wall hangings for a new Assisted Living facility. Since I had no skills to offer, I just walked around and looked at interesting items.  It was intriguing to read some of the cute sayings on knickknacks and plaques. One made me laugh and another made me think.  Gone Crazy, back in a moment made me pause and enjoy a good laugh after a long day.  I was forced to think as I read the words of another wall hanging that went something like this: The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you.  I believe the statement, but do I really accept its meaning for my life? How about you?

Are we willing to gladly accept the will of God, and trust His sovereignty over every aspect of our lives?  Intellectually, yes! But in the everyday struggles of life, we all battle with our own goals and desires for happiness versus what God ordains for us.  Quite frankly, the hurried pace at which we all live can cause us to spend very little time actually listening to hear the will of God. And therefore, most of the Christian living I see is people doing the best they can, yet never really feeling comfortable that they are hearing the will of God. How about you?

In my own life, I am convinced that changing to better fulfill the will of God is an adventure worth striving for.  In the process of really trying to ratchet back the pace of my external and internal life (work in progress), I stumbled upon a book titled An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling.  In reading, I found another quote that made me pause and take note. Take a moment yourself to read the larger context, and then zero in on the bolded words…

When I found myself slowing down inside, the Lord seemed to say, “Don’t talk trust and live worry.” As a pastor, I often recommended truths that I was not practicing. Anxiety drove a lot of what I said and did. And Jesus was inviting me to live with trust in Him instead of worry.

Don’t talk trust and live worry!  It seems to me that talking trust and living worry is the 21^st century Christian way. Talking about trusting God is easy to do. Living without worry? … that’s an entirely different story. But wait a minute; if it’s God’s will for us to trust (in every situation), and if worry is a sin, can’t you and I begin to talk trust and live trust.  Absolutely, but it will never happen without a strong conviction of His sovereignty, and a consistent intake of His Word.  I am convinced that Christ-followers can live trust-filled lives with a strong sense of God’s protection. How about you?

I am realistic enough to know that you and I will always battle with some tension in knowing the will of God, then talking trust and walking in worry.

As I close, I’d like to share one last statement. It changed the life of Hudson Taylor (a great missionary of years ago) and can certainly benefit you and me. It was said of Hudson that he came to a place where … he stopped striving to be faithful and started trusting the Faithful One.  Could it be that you and I carry our burdens (trying to be faithful), when we should be shifting the weight of our  every care to our Sovereign Lord, Protector and Provider? Sounds good to me! How about you?

Do you ever feel like life is just one confusing event after another? There is so much that happens and we are left wondering, “why?”  Daniel was a man who did right, honored God and still had some really confusing times. Just this morning I was again impressed with his ability to live out his difficulties with great faith.  On this side of eternity, there will be countless confusing circumstances and equally as many un-answered questions. Often, there is a sense of feeling disobedient or “unspiritual” when we think or voice honest questions about the tough issues we face. But believe me, God can handle our honesty. Look with me at a few examples that will resonate with all of us. I present these words not to prompt answers, but to remind us all of His sovereignty in our confusion.

– I prayed so hard about it, but things still didn’t turn out well.
– Why did such a godly person pass away so young?
– Why do some of the people I care for have so much pain?  It seems unfair.
– Parents walk with God in front of their children, and then their children go a different direction.
– Does all of this praying we do really matter?

In your silent moments, I’d guess some of those very thoughts have passed through your mind. A godly relative told me once, “faith is great … after the fact”. Even though I gave him a good spiritual lecture, I am not naïve of the fact that most of us have experienced similar feelings. So how do we balance our confidence in the sovereignty and sufficiency of our Lord with the constant messages of life that attack our faith? We must choose to live by trusting in the absolute truth of God’s Word, and the power of its Author. Agreeing with the Word intellectually may be a given in your life, but battles still rage in the practice of truth.

In his great work, (that I quote often), My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers gives insight into the confusion(s) of life. He said, “You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey”. Isn’t it true that in our quest to make sense of this life, we far too often use our own reasoning to make everything fit? Unfortunately for us, even our best reasoning falls short in the simplest of life’s quandaries.  We will never conquer the bigger questions like why some get cancer, or why the wicked strike it rich. Our best choice is to follow the logic of Oswald Chambers. Obeying the truth of Scripture and the prompting of the Spirit will help make things clear. Clarity will come in gaining His perspective, and not by having all of our questions answered.

We all face tough issues and experience suffering, some of it may even be devastating. Pull no punches with God; cry out to Him! There is no one more acquainted with your grief. And then accept that He will choose what He wants to reveal to us. He is God!

It is not His design to answer all of our questions on this side of eternity.  But He has given us His Word and His promise of peace. If you are a Christ follower, don’t worry about what you can’t figure out or fix. Just obey what you know to be true, and accept that in deep confusion, His perspective can come!  His peace that passes understanding can be yours!