Yet for us there is but
one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one
Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 1 Corinthians 8:6
Yesterday was another rough day. I had a dentist appointment, met with my trainer briefly and went to the doctor. Prior to illness taking over my life, working these in around my job and responsibilities at home would have been nothing exceptional. They were minor adjustments to my normal routine. However, yesterday, they wiped me out and left me pretty useless. Some days, the thought of getting out of bed and simple routine tasks such as taking a shower can be daunting and insurmountable. While chronic illness seems to bring with it a regular cycle of pain and fatigue leaving one feeling alone, defeated, and useless, other trials in life like the death of a loved one or a job loss can do the same until they are resolved or the critical stage has passed. In an effort to combat those feelings consider the following passages about God and His perspective.
But he who listens to
me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil. Proverbs 1:33
Reassurance
is the act of removing doubts and fears.
Most people like reassurances. It
comes in many forms. At times it’s the
emotional reassurance of having a close relative or friend who walks with us in
difficult times. It may be a legal
document that spells out our rights or claims to anyone who needs to know. Another example is a simple receipt that we
hang on to as proof of sale. All of
these and many more offer some form of comfort that allow us to live, work,
own, or exchange without fear of being harmed or cheated. However, when it comes to true reassurance,
we look to our Sovereign Lord who is the ultimate authority in all matters of
faith and life.
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.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
Recently my wife and I attended church with my aunt and uncle. The service that they normally attend is more traditional and utilizes many hymns. On this particular Sunday, we sang “Fairest Lord Jesus”. It’s a beautiful hymn that both inspired praise and sent my mind racing in several directions about what it meant; whether those singing were engaged with message of the words; what does fair mean in this context; is the glory of Christ was still held above the glory of nature; and whether or not the nations, our nation, or even the body of Christ recognizes Christ as Lord.
“If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I should say, ‘My foot has slipped,’ Your lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.”Psalm 94:17-19
I was preparing to go to yet another funeral this morning and was looking for peace within my own heart. In this case, it was not a close friend, but rather the husband of someone I admire and have great affection for. His widow is a dear soul and a godly woman who has been so kind to me that I ache for her. We also have various connections with some of her children through church and business dealings. In fact, her son is one of the morticians that helped with both of my parents’ funerals. In short they are a family that I have great respect for as they regularly exhibit both kindness and integrity. With that on my mind as I spent time with God this morning, He brought Psalm 94 to me…or more specifically, verse 19 and reminded me that this is one of those times to trust Him to be all that we need. While the context of the psalm speaks to “evil doers”, the basic message still applies to all of our circumstances. Consider each verse carefully.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27
Life has a way of giving us unexpected events. Some are pleasant, some are trying and some can be terrifying. My wife and I have had a few of them lately and we had another one of those yesterday. Rather than the writing and the housekeeping that I intended to do, I spent the day in the Emergency Room with my older daughter who was in pain. The most obvious possibility of appendicitis was ruled out, so more tests which all came back negative. After roughly six hours, we left not knowing the origin of the pain. We knew several things that it wasn’t, but had no plan of action to relieve the symptoms or better, cure the problem. While the time spent yesterday was wearing, I can honestly say that I was not anxious. I was concerned as any good father would be, but I was not anxious. To some extent, I have learned not to let the “what if” scenarios rule my mind. However, and more importantly, I have learned that God is in control and He will see me through every situation as He always has. I have learned the truth and have matured enough in my faith to understand that I need to battle fear with trust in my Savior. While I haven’t perfected the skill, I am gaining strength and ability in that endeavor. John 14:27 gives a concise argument for putting our fears to rest.
“Peace I leave you.” It’s a gift with no strings attached. All we have to do is trust in our Savior and give our heart to Him. It’s always available when we need it and inexhaustible. Part of our sanctification process is learning to trust it and apply it as necessary, but it is always there for us. We can’t earn it, we don’t get extra, we don’t store it up, we just go to the source when we need it and apply it to the need at hand.
“My peace I give to you.” As I said, we know the source…it is God…God the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit working on our behalf to give us peace through the Son. 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Romans 11:33-36 remind us that everything in existence is from God, sustained by God and belongs to God. Psalm 86 adds to the picture. Verse seven reminds that when we call on Him “in the day of trouble” He will answer. Further verse 10 says: “For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.” God cares for us, He is able, everything in heaven and earth is available to Him and He will provide the peace that He promises. He is in complete control of every situation in our lives.
“Not as the world gives do I give to you.” I fear that too often, this is the primary stumbling block to true peace within our souls. Instead of looking to what our savior offers, we look to what the world offers. God has given us many pleasant things on this earth that seem to provide a sense of tranquility. We have beautiful scenery and beautiful weather that can calm our souls. Most of us in the first world don’t have to be concerned with having food, clothing or shelter. Consequently we feel secure as all of these things provide some amount of tranquility and a sense of control. However, they can be removed in an instant. The stories of Job and Joseph are two great examples of how trials can come out of nowhere. Landscapes change with natural disasters, jobs end abruptly, the pleasure of food only lasts until we are hungry again, accidents as well as illness take loved ones from us and immediately our sense of peace and tranquility vanishes and we must readily admit that we are not self-sufficient as God is. Yet our faithful God is always at hand offering peace that is inexplicable in those trying moments (Philippians 4:7). It is peace that we not only enjoy when life is going well, but peace that stays with us in those stressful and terrifying moments of life. In short, the world offers a temporary and conditional peace while God offers us peace that is constant and unconditionally offered. It is peace that we can count on in every circumstance of our lives.
“Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” This is the choice. We can allow ourselves to look at the problem worrying, fretting and concerned with the lack of control or we can look to the peace that Christ offers knowing that our God is in control, loves us and is working for our good in all circumstances allowing His peace to provide divine calm in the midst of trials. It is a form of self-control that grows with maturity. At first it can be difficult, but the more we trust God and look for His hand at work in every situation, we more readily rely on Him for the peace and strength to be content in every circumstance of life. At the end of the matter, not only are we more at rest, but we also recognize God’s greatness and turn our thankfulness into worship to glorify our God as David did in Psalm 86.
As I left the hospital yesterday I was concerned for my daughter’s wellbeing. The scary “what ifs” kept trying to creep into my mind and take control. Yet God was at work before the situation arose. The previous night I had started exploring topics write about this week. I had settled on peace and had a few scriptures in my mind. Consequently, when fear tried to creep in, God had already set up the defenses and I was able to remain calm and peaceful remembering to choose His peace over worry. This morning I received a call from my daughter. She had seen her physician and the source of pain was a tear in an abdominal muscle. It will heal in time. There is no need for surgery and no lurking disease and certainly no need for fear as God is in control just as He always is. He was in control just as He has been with broken ankles, major illness, the care and death of parents, and job losses, etc. God has been in control of every event of our lives and His peace has been available as well, but it has been up to us to His consolation.
When we accept God’s gracious gift, we have the ability to patiently endure our circumstances and receive His consoling encouragement for our souls. Whatever you are facing today, turn to Christ and accept His peace. It is a gift, it is certain, it is lasting and it is lovingly offered.
May the lovingkindness of the Lord to lift you up and His consolations delight your soul driving out your anxious thoughts.
“‘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.
“Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. Surely every man walks about as a phantom; surely they make an uproar for nothing; he amasses riches and does not know who will gather them. And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.”Psalm 39:4-7
Last week I suggested to my wife that we go on a WaveRunner tour which we did. To understand the significance of that statement, you need to understand that while I love going to the ocean, I’m not a fan of venturing very far out into the ocean. When I do, I like it to be on a very large boat, e.g. cruise ships, ferries, etc. and I prefer to have land in sight at all times because, in a word, I’m fearful.
“For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth? Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?”Lamentations 3:32-33, 37-39
As I lay on the doctor’s exam table over 25 years ago, I was hard pressed to reconcile what I had been taught about the love of God with the extreme pain that I was experiencing with no definitive cause. The physical pain was intense, but the spiritual pain greatly exceeded it.
For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.Romans 8:24-25
I love music. One of my first memories is being cradled by my father as he sang me to sleep…something I would later do with my own children and occasionally with my grandchildren. Music energizes me. It helps me refocus when my thoughts start spiraling out of control. Aside from God’s handiwork that has brought to my knees in worship, few things stir my soul like great music. In that light, I’d like focus my discussion around “When My Heart is Torn Asunder” by Phil Wickham. It is a song that has blessed me on many occasions.
