“The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
This year has been as season of challenges and unplanned events. While on vacation in July, my wife broke her ankle which led to surgery and several weeks of not bearing weight on her left leg. Needless to say, it has caused challenges of various sorts for both of us. Additionally, we’ve just returned for a trip that was to be a relaxing time at the beach. Given the recent surgery, we considered canceling; however, as the trip included our aunt and uncle, we chose to proceed as planned desiring to take advantage of every opportunity that we have to spend time with them. What was not planned was a hurricane Irma heading straight toward our chosen location.
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Let God’s promises shine on your problems.
“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” – Proverbs 19:21
A frustrated woman, that’s what I was one day not long ago as I tried diligently to wrap and fold neatly, a pack of crackers. Sounds like a simple task, right? Try it sometime, and really pay attention to what happens. I found a few interesting tidbits that day that I could relate to life.
A pack of crackers, first pulled out of the box, is a beautiful thing, especially for a mind like mine that craves order. The package is crisp and smooth. The crackers are lined up neatly in a row, no breaks or crumbs in sight. The seam opens smoothly and they are crisp in your mouth. Then comes the trouble… how to return the package to a decent-looking state without losing your mind.
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They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:8
Sometimes when our grandsons come to our house, they like to play hide and seek. It is such a different game than when I was a kid. As children, they have not yet learned how many clues they may give away in the process of hiding nor have they learned to listen for clues that I may offer. As an adult, I’ve learned to listen for those clues. Fairly certain of their hiding places, I usually take extra the time to “search” rather than going directly to them which allows for more enjoyment of the game on their part.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, I believe that we often try to hide from God. Three common reasons we do this are: like Adam and Eve, it may be due to sin; there may be trials in our lives that cause us to doubt God’s goodness and love for us; or it may be as simple as lack of engagement in our spiritual life. Pulling away from God is exactly where Satan wants us as it leaves us open to temptation. Through his lies, he seeks to either turn us from God or at least immobilize us and lose our passion for God and engaging in the work that Lord may have planned for us.
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There is no one who is insignificant in the purpose of God.
“‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:4-6
Most mornings, the pain in my body wakes me before the alarm goes off. Laying there a bit irritated that my body has deprived me of sleep, the morning inventory and ponderings begin. How much pain is there and is it the kind can it be ignored? How much energy is available and will it improve as I start moving or quickly fade? How angry is my gut and how well will it cooperate with eating throughout the day? What is planned for today and will it have to be adjusted due to the responses to the prior queries? At best, I will encourage my body to get moving and function relatively normally (for me) throughout the day. At worst, I’ll end up more like a slug accomplishing the bare minimum. More often than not, it will be somewhere in the middle of the two. Notice that there is no “This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”, nor is there a mental or spiritual inventory. In those early moments of the day, it’s usually all about the body. Short sighted, focused and exhausting. I long for days when I awaken refreshed and alive. Whether or not one is ill, this life can be wearying. Trials and illness most certainly sap the strength from us on every level encouraging us to withdraw and become self-focused. However, jobs, family, relationships and social obligations are just as capable of draining us of physical, emotional and spiritual strength. Without attention to our souls, we become like the bones in Ezekiel’s vision: dried up, hopeless and cut off. In those times it’s important to remember who we are, where our strength comes from and where or hope lies.
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Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Romans 8:5-9
When I was in college, I took a chapel class that discussed controversial social issues. Two of those were suicide and euthanasia. Since my time in college and in the context of chronic illness, both of these choices have been gaining acceptance in our culture. The basic premise in their justification is that the person dying is ending their life with greater dignity and grace. To be sure, the aging process and health concerns such as dementia, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, strokes, cancer, etc. often bring on many indignities before finally ending life. However, to take matters into our own hands rather than relying on God’s timing is willful and contrary to God’s precepts. Rather than providing dignified death, it is either giving up or a defiant act in that it denies God’s goodness, wisdom, love and purposes. A death that is truly dignified is much more graceful and determined than suicide or euthanasia.
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“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
Last weekend I went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. While there are a variety of reasons why people go to museums, I go purely to enjoy the beautiful objects. My favorites are the paintings by the old masters and the bronze pieces. On this trip I focused on the paintings, especially those with rich color and depth. It was relaxing and rewarding. However, no matter how much I appreciate fine art, architecture, or any other work created by mankind, they all pale when compared to the works of God.
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Let God’s promises shine on your problems.
Corrie ten Boom
http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/30-inspiring-christian-quotes.html
