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How is your confidence level these days? Oil spills that cannot be stopped, countries that have obvious dislike for each other, jobless rates that are still very high, and personal circumstances that you cannot control are just a few of the clouds that hover over us. Troubling world events and personal struggles are part of our existence, and will be until our Father chooses to set all things right. Just reading these words may make you wonder  how you could possibly have any confidence. But think for a moment, isn’t it about where we place our confidence that gives us hope?

History has proven that the world is often in chaos, and individuals will struggle with the “issues” that are rooted in our being selfish, sinful beings. But God has boldly declared through Scripture, that in the midst of it all, we can have peace in chaos, and joy on the journey. His design is clear, however, only those who have a relationship with Christ can have a real and true, confident hope.

But I struggle with the fact that even Christ followers live too horizontally, and therefore forfeit God’s available peace. When we live horizontally, there will always be an issue in front of us that creates discouragement. But those who will focus on the vertical relationship (with the Father) will move beyond earthbound thinking. Colossians 3:2 says to “set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”.

In a hard to find portion of the Old Testament we are given some incredible insight into how a man called Habakkuk viewed his issues. He saw a world unsettled and had to make decisions for himself. He directed his confidence to someone who could control things. Not bad counsel for today!

Habakkuk 3:17-20
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

Habakkuk’s model of confidence will not solve all the political ills of our world, or make all of our personal circumstances magically disappear. But it will help us direct our faith to its only place of security, the LORD our strength. If those of us who say we are Christ followers live with earthbound doubt, discouragement and anxiety, are we giving those who view our lives the confidence that they need to see?

If you are anything like me, I am very aware of getting too earthbound. Praise gets dim, joy becomes just a cool word, and internally I lose confidence. But you, like me may have experienced deep confidence when praise flows, and seems to comes easily. “God moments” are real and tangible, and my confidence in God’s working becomes contagious. I choose the latter for today….How about you?

Have you ever put an item back on the shelf because you didn’t want to wait in a long check out line? Maybe you have even raced through a yellow light, rather than wait at an especially long red light. Illustrations are endless of how we seek to avoid “the wait”. It is not just in the inconvenient, “But, I’m in a hurry” moments when waiting tends to try our patience. Everyone reading this post is likely going through a waiting experience right now. In viewing some Old and New Testament passages recently, I was struck by the number of times that the issue of waiting was referenced. My natural conclusion is that God the Father uses waiting for His purpose in our lives.

Even those who know little of Scripture have heard about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. A careful reading of the events leading up to this miracle is instructive for anyone with a desire to understand the Father’s care. John chapter 11 tells us the story. The sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, sent word to Christ that their brother was sick. Instead of coming immediately or healing Lazarus from a distance, Christ waited….and his friend  died. He then arrives four days later. The pain of loss was real for both Mary and Martha. They both mentioned to Christ, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Was Christ cruel, too busy, insensitive, or did He have a greater plan in mind? God’s design was to raise Lazarus from the dead, use the event in the lives of the witnesses, and teach generations that followed. I wonder if His “waiting room” still has a purpose today? Of course it does!

If you follow the life of David from Scripture, you know that he had his share of struggles. But he also had a deep trust in God’s sovereignty. During some recent reading in the Psalms, I found David giving us the counsel of waiting. God is using David to pen the words of His heart for us.

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry our their wicked schemes.

Logic tells me that most individuals reading this, believe in God’s sovereignty for all of life. I am also aware that you struggle with seeing His control in the midst of your “waiting room” circumstances. Most of us don’t like to wait in lines, or at red lights. Truth be told, we also want answers from God right now! But if we really believe that He is in control (“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28), don’t we also have to accept that our current waiting is part of His design?

I have no way of knowing what kind of “wait” you are experiencing at this moment. But as your friend, let me challenge you to look at this circumstance as an opportunity to “wait for the Lord”. He knows you, cares for you, wants the best for you, and knows best when to provide the answers you desire. You won’t see Him raise the dead, but you can see Him build your life: Just be still and wait patiently.

a good friend was recently recounting the many ways his life has been touched by loss in the first half of this year.  one very dear friend, and several others who were family or friends of a close friend.  one who had lived a full life, and was blessed with a quantity and quality of time after diagnosis that allowed him to put all of his affairs in order, share significant time with his wife, children, brothers and sisters, and even plan his memorial service.  one who you could argue was just beginning her life, having a great impact for the kingdom educating and inspiring the next generation of school children, swept away in an instant in a tragic accident, missionary parents and brother in the field, far from her.  a dear friend losing a battle with cancer, that just a year ago was told she had won it.  a light-up-the-room sort of life in her prime years, leaving behind a devoted husband, an eldest son who will graduate from high school in a few more weeks, and two beautiful young girls, ages 8 and 10.  a father whose son dropped him at the hospital early in morning for a routine biopsy appointment.  His son saying “call me when you’re done”, not knowing that before lunch he would be making funeral arrangements.

As I was reading in John 8 early this week, I stopped after verse 20, struck by a phrase I had remembered from just a chapter earlier.  As Jesus is boldly confronting and exposing the Pharisees ignorance of the Father, verse 20 ends with … “Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come. ”  Just a chapter earlier, we find Jesus giving another very spirited discourse which ends with very similar words … “… but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.” (John 7:30).

Jesus’ earthly ministry was barely started when we first hear mention of this theme of His timing.  Mary “forces” Jesus into the spotlight at a wedding feast, to which He responds … “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” … “My time has not yet come.” (John 2:4)  And there are many other references throughout the remainder of Jesus’ ministry where he waits, or walks and speaks boldly, or chooses to go a different way, or slips away undetected.  All in His divine understanding of His timing.

What can all this mean to my friend?  How do I connect a text that speaks of Jesus’ time not having come, to people near and far to my friend whose time has already come?  The answer is simply this … so many times when facing loss, our minds and hearts go immediately to the question of “why?”.  And having all faced loss at one time or another in our lives, we know that answers to the “why?” questions almost never come.  I can reasonably presume that Jesus, being fully God, was aware of the number of His days.  And while we do not hold that same knowledge, we can rest in the assurance that this is already decided.  This assurance is not fatalistic, with a focus on some final event.  Rather, it is an assurance rooted in the truth that everything here is temporal, and this place is not our true home.

I rejoice with my friend that each person “lost” from his life, and that of his friends, was a believer.  And share in his joy that all are truly home now.  I also comfort my friend in that same way with the assurance I have spoken of.  And also offer it to each one of you who believe and have received Christ as your personal Savior.  And if you have not, I would love to talk with you and share how Christ has changed my life and given me this assurance.

To all within the “sound” of this post, I pray that you allow this assurance to inspire in you, the boldness to show Christ to everyone you come into contact with, every waking moment between each new morning He gifts, and every sunset He blesses you with.

As for the moment you are breathing this breath, your time has not yet come.  Live out loud the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21 … For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Have you ever been caught between a “rock and a hard place” or faced a “catch 22” situation? No matter which way you turned, things were not going to work out easily. And someone would not be happy with your choice. Part of life’s journey is navigating hard choices with seemingly no good alternatives.

On one particular day, Christ came face to face with a “rock and a hard place” confrontation. He used divine wisdom to navigate the moment, and showed great grace in the process. In the “catch 22” moments that we are sure to face, His pattern of confrontation and mercy give us insightful direction.

Even the secular world will use biblical words like: “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone …”. (John 8:7b) The scene that this phrase comes from is on the literal “rock and a hard place” day in the life of Christ that was mentioned above. Religious leaders were trying to trap Christ. While He was teaching they brought a woman caught in the act of adultery. Obviously she had sinned, but I believe just as obvious is the fact that she was little more than a tool to get at Christ. The leaders came and confronted Jesus with these words, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” (John 8:4b-5)

Humanly speaking, Christ was in a no-win situation. If He said “stone her”, then it would hinder His ministry as a “friend of publicans and sinners”. Would they then believe His message of grace and forgiveness? But if He said “No!” to the stoning, He would be in conflict with the Law of Moses. So what did He do? Christ, the Son of God, bent down and wrote on the ground with His finger. Great theories have been raised as to what He wrote. And I would love to know the answer! (a question for heaven, perhaps). After writing, the Lord straightened up and spoke the famous words, “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her”. After those words, He wrote again.

Great wisdom had won the day. And with those words being said, the “religious” crowd started leaving, one-by-one, with the oldest going first. He had confronted the “rock and hard place”, as well as the hypocrisy of the crowd of judges. But what happened to the woman caught in adultery? After all had parted and they stood alone, Christ asked her …

“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared.
“Go now and leave your life of sin.”
(John 10b-11)

So what can we take from the stoning that never happened? First of all, be careful of the condemning spirit that can easily rear its ugly head. None of us is without sin. I am also reminded that appropriate confrontation is often needed in our own difficult moments. Truth tellers sometimes have to confront. And although we would never be as masterful in the rocky places, God’s wisdom is absolutely available to all Christ followers.

And of all that this real life moment teaches me, the most important truth is that people matter to God. The adulterer was shamed, but Christ forgave her, and I believe her heart was changed. It is easy to look outward with condemning eyes, but when we love like Christ, our words will be: neither do I condemn you.

Fascinating are the words by Soren Kierkegaard, “Now, with God’s help, I shall become myself”. Another insightful and thoughtful comment can be found in John Ortberg’s wonderful book, “The Life You’ve Always Wanted”. He states that “I am called to be the person God had in mind when he originally designed me.” Although the statements above are thought-provoking, are they true? Do you believe that Creator God is really that concerned about your unique design, and ultimate purpose? What would His design for you and me look like anyway?

Far from robotic followers, our Father has built us to be unique and diverse. If you are a Christ follower, I believe there is a you that God wants you to be. I am not sure how much he cares about bearded or clean-shaven, short or tall, green or blue-eyed, Caucasian or Asian. But He definitely cares about the role He wants us to play for His kingdom. And therefore, we are challenged to surrender our wills to His, and learn to live in His freedom. I can say with confidence that He wants you to be Spirit-filled, others-centered and willing to move from your comfort zone, for His purpose. But how do we begin to approach what He has in mind for us? Let’s take two verses as a starting point.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

It is important to understand that the verses above are speaking about individuals who have accepted the gift of salvation through faith. You have turned from darkness to light and now are secure in Christ. Note that we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works”. An evidence of your relationship with Christ is the good works that follow. Becoming the you of God’s design, will certainly include fruit from your relationship. Imperfect but forgiven, we have a role to play as ambassadors of Christ. God’s design for you was settled long before there was a you. He knows each of us intimately, and has a specific and unique plan for each of us to fulfill. Can you believe with me that the plan is His, and our submitted lives and resulting good works honor Him?

As I “become myself”, I will sense that God is working in me for His good purpose. And the energy to accomplish this purpose will come only from Him. So many true followers get caught up in trying to “act according to his good purpose”, without growing in their faith. Seek and submit to Him daily, and rest in the assurance that He will work in you. And when our Father is working in our lives, there is energy, and His results.

In Christ, you are unique, gifted, and built for His mission. If you really believe that you are called to be the person God had in mind when He originally designed you, then you must believe that God is on your side in directing you to good works, and His good purpose. As you move towards the next journey turn, be excited that the true and living God has some work for you to do just around the bend.  Eternal work!

It all seems so simple. Just believe what Scripture says, apply it, and trust God for the results. There is no doubt that most readers of this post believe Scripture. I am sure that you are willing to stand on the authority of God’s Word for life and eternal life.  But application of His truth, and “trusting in the moment” are often sources of conflict for all of us. Sourcing a simple, yet profound passage may give clarity to my premise. Wisdom from God is available for all Christ followers, but He gives conditions for “wisdom’s direction”. Easy-to-believe words, with capacity in Christ to apply them … so why don’t we trust?

Let’s begin with the Word(s):

James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Life was so simple when our daughter was small. Trust was easy, and she didn’t have a reason not to trust her dad. However, her trust for dad came into great conflict when I started teaching her to swim and ride a bike. She still believed me, but emotions fought against her trust for dad’s words. The good news is … Her trust finally overcame emotions.  And our quest for wisdom should be no different. It can be that simple.

Set in the context of trials, James tells us that when wisdom is lacking, we should simply ask God for direction. Stop for just a moment and think of some specific trials in front of you this week. James is telling you to simply ask God for wisdom. It may be difficult to wrap your arms around how God will choose to work in your particular circumstance, but that is not for you to worry about … just start asking. God desires to give you His wisdom without finding fault … so why hesitate to ask? It may be that letting circumstances and emotional distrust override simple faith is thwarting your wisdom connection.

The above-mentioned passage gives clear direction. If you are asking, believe that He will give you wisdom. No Doubting! It can be that simple. For most of us, the truth is that we have mastered the discipline of doubting. Satan will continue to attack your thoughts with sometimes subtle, yet always deadly doubt.  But by a choice to submit your will, determine to believe that wisdom is available for every circumstance. Our Father understands the attacks, and will honor your simple trust.

Without saying it, you may be thinking, “you don’t know what I am up against!”  And in that, you are likely whole-heartedly right.  And if this was about my words, or my encouragement/challenge to you, then your thought might end the discussion.  But praise God, He does know exactly what you are up against (Isaiah 53:3)!  And He wants to give you wisdom. He gives us a simple pattern, and wants us to simply trust Him. There will always be a new circumstance to confront, and wisdom will always be available to Christ followers who ask and don’t doubt. It can be that simple!

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault….

Anyone looking back at the seasons of their life will certainly find some high points, and also times of discouragement and defeat. Often the times of defeat are due to our own selfishness and sin. God gives us a glimpse of real life through the pages of His Word. One of the most referenced real life heroes is David. Tracking the events of his life helps us relate our high points, discouraging moments and devastating defeats to those of a “man after God’s own heart.” He went from a shepherd, to battle hero, then to a fugitive and eventually a King. He committed adultery, had a man murdered, and lived with pain. Although our issues may not be like his, we all know the peaks and valleys of real life. One particular high point for David is often overlooked but gives us great lessons.

David the king was a man of power. In II Samuel 9, we find an event that clearly shows him also to be a man of grace and kindness. To me, this event shows the heart of a man who loved God and converted that love to others. It is well-known that David had a special relationship with Saul’s (former King) son Jonathon. David lived as a fugitive from Saul, and over the course of that time, both Saul and Jonathon died. When news of their death came, another tragedy happened.

II Samuel 4:4
Jonathon son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathon came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.

Dad and grandfather are dead and this child is crippled for life. You can imagine the heartbreak and life struggles that ensued. But fast-forward about twenty years. Mephibosheth is a crippled young man in his middle twenties, and David is on top militarily, spiritually and financially.  One day David asks, “ Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathon’s sake?”(II Samuel 9:1)

David had earlier agreed to not destroy Saul’s family. But think about this for a moment – it is now many years after Saul’s death, and David is looking to show kindness. Sounds like a “man after God’s own heart” to me.

As the events unfold, we find David showing great grace and kindness to Mephibosheth. He restores the land that had belonged to his grandfather Saul. And committed that Mephibosheth would always eat at his (David’s) table. David may have been honoring Jonathon’s legacy, but to me there is more. A man at the top, reaching out to the hopeless! I believe that he was being sensitive to His Father’s leading. What a significant example to us as we daily strive to follow our Father’s leading.  If we look outward, and submit to the Spirit, we too can be used to show kindness to a crippled Mephibosheth in our own real life.

During my college years, I played a lot of intramural basketball. It was a big deal at my school and a very big deal to me. Before games I would whisper a prayer from John 3:30. The words from this verse were easy to remember and made me feel like I was on the right track. There is no doubt that during the games I struggled with living up to the lofty prayer. It’s been 30 years since those pre-game basketball prayers, but the words are still as easy to remember.  And possess the same power to keep me (and you) focused in the “game” we are all in the midst of now … life. So what are those words?  John 3:30 …

He must increase, but I must decrease. (KJV)

He must become greater; I must become less. (NIV)

This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines. (MSG)

Stepping into the scene in which these words were written gives us great insight into the heart of John the Baptist. He was a forerunner of Christ and the man who baptized the Savior. Humanly speaking, he could have developed an inflated ego of his spiritual role and accomplishments. A disagreement developed over the issue of purification, and John’s disciples were involved. His disciples were putting John in a competitive situation with his Lord. John the Baptist showed his humility with the words above. There was no doubt for him, Christ was to be exalted.

If we are to accept the intent of the words, “He must increase“, then there can be no doubt about today’s focus. It is certainly easy to look back and see our failures. It goes against our nature to decrease or become less. Did 10 points and His glory mean more to me than 20 points and my glory back then?  Even if it didn’t, what is behind me, and in the larger sense us, cannot be changed. The key question is: will the next stride, or mile marker on our journey see Him increasing?

If you and I are focused on the fact that Christ must increase, our lives will exalt Him. Christ followers, however, struggle with a conflict between must and should. We know that we should follow the pattern of Christ, and live with His purpose in mind, and live as forgivers, etc…  But when the intention of should, changes to the action of must, He will increase.

No reason to kid ourselves, this tension between Him increasing and us promoting our own agenda, will always be a battle. But for just today, and maybe even tomorrow, decide that Christ must be exalted in your life. And when He wins, so do you!

It was one of the favorite Bible stories of my Sunday school years.  I even loved the little song that we sang.

Only a boy named David
Only a little sling …
And the sling went round and round …

There are those who believe it is the greatest Bible story ever. But reading it again, as an adult this time, I saw the story in a whole new light.  David had been relegated back to shepherd boy – from court musician to the king’s armor bearer. . . back to shepherd.  He must have been so disappointed.  A young man of 19 who thought he was going to experience the excitement of the battlefield only to be sent back to the lonely pasture with the silent sheep.  But God’s timing and placement is always perfect because David needed a little bit more training.  It was during this time that David killed a bear and a lion with not much more than his bare hands.

I Samuel 17:34-37 (NIV)
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.  Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Grabbing a wild animal by its hair?! God was teaching this young man courage, confidence and warfare. But the most important principle learned was that God would give the victory. In situations most perilous, God would give the victory.  In impossible predicaments, God would give the victory.  When the odds were all against him, God would give the victory.   When the giant, Goliath, blasphemed the name of David’s God, he was unafraid.  And when the two of them had a shouting match on the battlefield, David answered all the questions for Goliath:

WHY?       Your daily ranting is actually an offense to my God.
WHO?       I will slay you.
WHAT?     Complete victory
HOW?       Not by human might, but by the power of my God.
WHEN?      Now
WHERE?    Here

David had gathered 5 stones, but it took only one.  We truly can do all things through Christ; He strengthens us beyond human understanding.  Even if we have to go back to the pasture, when we thought we would be traveling with the king!  Maybe we’re still in training – we just don’t know it yet.  I love this Bible story!

I get chills when I read I Samuel 17:45-47 as David tells Goliath what he is going to do and why.  This is undeniably one of the greatest military victories in history – a combination of man and God.  David practicing countless hours with his sling as he fought boredom out in the pasture, and God enabling his servant.  Great spiritual victories come from a scenario like this.  Keith Kaynor, in his book When God Chooses, says, “If a believer can totally explain his successes, there isn’t much God in them!”  And who wants limitations like that?!

He faced huge problems.  He made right choices; He made wrong choices.  He overcame difficulty; He floundered in times of difficulty.  He was lonely, He was humbled.  He was the baby in a large family.  He sometimes felt forgotten.  He had huge responsibilities in his life.  He was betrayed by those closest to him.  He was in a troubled marriage; he had a troubled child.  I am referring to the David of Scripture, and the study of his life is as relevant in our life today as reading today’s paper or listening to the evening news.

God must have felt that David was significant enough for us to study in depth, for consider other Bible heroes.  There are 13 chapters of Scripture devoted to Abraham, and 14 that speak of Joseph.  The story of David’s life spans 54 chapters.  Only Moses and Paul could be compared in the amount of coverage in the Bible, yet Paul’s name is mentioned only 163 times in Scripture as compared to 1,127 times that David’s name appears.  I think I may understand a little bit of the reason why.  Not only does David’s life and challenges mirror ours today, but God was also always gracious to David, even when he did not deserve God’s grace – Just Like Us!

The historical setting is 1075 B.C.  Israel had suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Philistines.  They had captured the Ark of the Covenant, and this led to the death of Israel’s leader, Eli.  Samuel succeeded Eli as prophet and judge, and would be the last such leader before God would bring a king back to the nation of Israel.  It took 20 years, but Samuel revived the nation spiritually, and God began to bless Israel militarily once again.  But now they wanted a king.  Saul was chosen, but he proved to be unsuitable.  He made many mistakes and lost faith in his Lord.  Finally, God tells Samuel there will be a new king, one of the sons of Jesse of Bethlehem.  Samuel had been told that the new king would be a “captain over his people,” so he was looking for an adult, strong, tall – someone who looked like a king, of course.

I Samuel 16: 10 – 11
Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.”  So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”  There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered, “but he is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

Every one at this meeting stood until David, the youngest, arrived in from the pastures where he tended the family’s sheep.  The moment he arrived, God told Samuel he’s the one, and Samuel anointed him with oil as the future king.

David was all of 15 years old.

David returned to the pastures, and his sheep, where he must have spent many hours pondering what all this meant.  He also practiced his harp and became an excellent musician (which took him to the court of King Saul).  He also wrote beautiful poetry about his Lord, and His creation (ever read a Psalm?).  He also learned how to fight while defending the sheep from bears and lions, (ever read the greatest Bible story ever told?)

Have you ever been lonely?  Have you ever been overlooked?  How about, forgotten?  Have you ever wondered about the direction of your life?  Then be encouraged by the life of David – and know He can use you too.