“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.” Hebrews 11:1-2
Over the course of my life, I’ve encountered a wide variety of individuals. Most of these events are buried in the recesses of my mind as they had little noticeable impact. The encounters that I do remember are the ones that were: repetitive, damaging, unexpected, uplifting, or loving as they left a significant mark on my life. At the top of the list of memorable encounters are my encounters with God. Encounters with the Lord come in a wide variety and are perfectly tailored to the people involved as well as the need. They may be direct encounters as Noah, Abraham or Moses experienced; through His messengers as was the case with Mary and Joseph; through a grand event as Paul’s conversion or the more subtle work of the Holy Spirit. No matter what form our encounter takes, we can be certain of one thing: we will never be the same afterward for we will either trust the character of God and draw closer to Him or we will reject Him in disbelief and pull away.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.Hebrews 10:23
For several years after I became seriously ill, I didn’t plan any events in my life. I had no confidence that I would be around for the long haul, therefore, planning was out of the question. The problem was a lack of hope. While I still had the hope of eternity, I had no hope that God would sustain my body or that I could endure. Eventually, that lack of hope made my soul sick. Thankfully, God sustained me and slowly began to educate me on the finer points of living well before Him. One of those lessons was that there seem to be two kinds of hope: jubilant hope and steadfast hope. While I had witnessed plenty of examples of jubilant hope e.g. the hope that comes with: salvation, marriage, or a healthy newborn child, and the like, I had no living images of steadfast hope to lean on. The culture in which I was raised didn’t deal kindly with people who openly discussed their problems and therefore, was devoid of discussions regarding God’s use of trials to mold, shape and equip them. In that light, let’s consider a few images of steadfast hope, specifically hope that is: teachable, observant, patient, resilient, faithful trusting that God is enough.
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Hope is called the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19), because it gives stability to the Christian life. But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.
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 month has me taking three driving trips which, for me, is a bit aggressive. However, God has provided the grace to endure thus far. As I was driving alone last week, I spent a bit of time considering some similarities between taking a trip and living our lives. “A trip” is one of the many metaphors for life…and we only get one life to live. Consequently, we should do our best to live it well. The following are somewhat random musings linking the trips we take and the lives we live.
Beauty
For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Psalm 95:3-5
At the halfway point in my travels, the most recent excursion included the drive across upstate New York. I love this drive as the scenery is beautiful. As with all of creation, it is pleasing to the eye and the work of our Lord. We do well to appreciate and relish the beautiful things that this life has to offer. Dwell on them when times are hard as they are lovely and lighten the soul. Consider also that our Lord’s hand not only created the beauty of this world, but also directs the events of our lives.
Worship
And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. Deuteronomy 4:19
Since much of our world is populated, there are few places left that are devoid of man-made structures. No matter how lovely or complex they may be, I find them to be a distraction from the natural beauty created by God. They are, as it were, lesser things that pale in light of God’s creation. Similarly, God’s creation is the lesser thing when compared to Jehovah. So many religions worship idols, ancestors or nature. We must remain ever vigilant to worship God alone. In short, we are to worship the creator not the creation.
Focus
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1
To arrive safely, one needs to stay focused on both the destination and the route. Wrong turns, or worse leaving the road at a high rate of speed, likely leads to delay or a serious accident. To live life well, we must stay focused on eternity and Christ, our only path to heaven.
Delays
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
There are various reasons that our trip may be delayed. A few of those are: roadwork, accidents, or rush hour traffic. By slowing down, we protect road workers, victims, emergency technicians, policemen, and other travelers as well as ourselves. Be patient…the delay is justified. In life, God may put people or events in our lives that appear to slow us down. Our Lord always has a purpose; among them are instruction, correction and encouragement. All of these are to edify us and make us complete.
Correction
Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, but he who regards reproof will be honored. Proverbs 13:18
Driving too fast may lead to being stopped by the police. Their role is to maintain safety on the highways. The delay may be costly, but increased awareness of safety for yourself and others is valuable. The godly who lovingly rein us in spiritually are a blessing not a harm. Appreciate both their love and the hand of God directing them to us.
Arrival
When we arrive safely at our destination, we readily acknowledge God’s hand of protection. Even if we are delayed or have an accident, we may still acknowledge His protective hand at work. It is hard for us to say that God has protected one who does not survive a trip physically. However, He has brought them safely home to abide with Him; the place of utmost safety and their reward. Personally it has taken many years for me to recognize and accept that truth.
Almighty God is so creative. The beauty of the earth, the sky, the heavens and all that they contain are proof of that. Similarly, He has created each of us as unique individuals with unique gifts. The people that He directs into our lives and the events that He uses to mold and refine us are just as unique. For those who love Him, He has one goal: safe arrival in Heaven.
In our culture, it is common to separate our spiritual lives from our physical ones. However, as Christians, we should, as our Lord does, see them as one in the same with God directing us both physically and spiritually. Our physical circumstances help us to grow spiritually. Likewise, our spiritual growth teaches us to respond appropriately to our circumstances recognizing God’s hand in both. Praise God that He lovingly directs our lives at all times. His watchful care brings peace to turmoil of our lives.
The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
My wife and I went to a dinner theater last week with my aunt, uncle and a few of their friends. Shortly before the intermission, one of the ladies in our group collapsed into the lap of the woman sitting next to her. Admittedly, given her symptoms, most of us thought that she was dying. Thankfully, by the time the ambulance arrived, she had recovered enough to walk to the gurney. After spending the night in the hospital, she was released with a heart monitor. Aside from the obvious concerns for those involved, it raised a deeply rooted fear of my own. As much as I accept God’s will in my life, the thought of a public medical emergency still haunts me…and I’ve had a few. For many of us, it raises concerns about embarrassment, image, and acceptance. Ultimately, we cannot control the events of our lives, but we can control our response to them with a bit of truth.
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Our sorrows are all, like ourselves, mortal. There are no immortal sorrows for immortal souls. They come, but blessed be God, they also go. Like birds of the air, they fly over our heads. But they cannot make their abode in our souls. We suffer today, but we shall rejoice tomorrow.
“Trouble and anguish have come upon me, yet Your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.” Psalm 119:143-144
Anguish is the inward response to trouble. For those with a balanced perspective, anguish is reserved for extreme circumstances. The Hebrew word used is derived from the word for a narrow place. Therefore, in this context, the connotation is a place of confinement or disability. That’s exactly what anguish does to us mentally; it makes us feel hemmed in and incapacitated. It is both suffocating and immobilizing. Even so, the writer of Psalm 119 expresses delight in God’s commands when faced with trials. While at first blush it may seem odd to experience both anguish and delight in the same circumstance, as Christians, there are several reasons to be delighted in dire situations.
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Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you.
If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer – His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.
