Do not fear, for I am
with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
During the
advent season, many are looking forward to time shared with family and friends,
however, others of us may find that this time of year has more challenges than
pleasures. Gatherings present various
issues for me. The biggest challenge is
food. I have to navigate what is
available so that I eat enough without getting so sick that I can’t enjoy
myself. Clothing is another challenge as
I am very sensitive to both fabrics and temperature. What may work one day may not on
another. An additional hurdle is a
heightened “flight or fight” response.
Consequently, my physical response to uncomfortable social situations
and personality differences are often exacerbated. While I will enjoy those with whom I celebrate,
there are many others that I wish the celebrations would include, but will not;
they will be sorely missed. There are
also uncertainties in our life making this holiday season less than
carefree. I am not alone in any of this
as I recognize that many will find it difficult to enjoy the holidays this year
due to their own health issues, the rigors of travel, the loss of loved ones,
family conflicts, etc. Yet in our
trials, we should still seek to experience the peace, hope, and joy that our
Savior provides.
With all of
the activities of this year, I am already spent so I must admit that I am less
than enthused with respect to any more activities that make significant demands
of me. However, I realize that
celebrating the incarnation of Christ and the time spent with family will have
benefits both spiritually and emotionally.
I believe our ever gracious Savior understands my weakness and placed
Isaiah 41:10 before me in light of the advent season as a reminder of my true
source of peace, hope and joy.
His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:23
This past
weekend, my daughter and I performed the father daughter dance at her wedding
reception. It was not flawless, but it
was fun and was, by the accounts of others, beautiful and well done. However, those three minutes and thirty-one
seconds of dancing were the end result of hours of instruction and
practice. Throughout the last few months
there was a fair amount of perseverance for both of us. My daughter was juggling work, moving,
wedding planning, dance lessons with her husband, and at the end a sinus
infection in addition to lessons with me.
For my part, the normal responsibilities of life, the extra activity necessary
for the wedding preparations as well as getting our home ready for company and
the frequent dance lessons caused by body to get too run down. On one occasion my wife and our dance
instructor ended a dance lesson shortly after we began because I was too
fatigued to function well. The Monday
and Tuesday prior to the wedding, I was also struggling to do anything of
value. In short, the celebratory dance
that was enjoyed was culmination of a fair amount of graceful
perseverance. It was a series of choices
to take risks and rise above adversity to live well. It was choosing perseverance.
Listen, my son, and be
wise, and direct your heart in the way. Proverbs 23:19
I have just returned from a trip that included driving 2,000
miles. I was a bit apprehensive about
the traveling that far alone as I didn’t really feel well. This was compounded by the fact that recently
Satan seems to be raising many doubts and fears. However, as I look back, not only did God
sustain and protect me, but He was also speaking to me. Throughout the trip, He was working to reshape
my thinking through instruction, discipline and reassurance. The elements were all there, I just had to
listen. Most certainly I heard and
understood the messages provided through the sermons that I listened to while
driving; however, it took a near accident at the end of the trip to really get
me to notice how much God had been speaking to me throughout my travels. Honestly, I’m not sure I have gotten it all, however,
over the next three posts I’d like to share how God used each of these to
mature me in my faith.
We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. James 5:11
Yesterday was a beautiful day so I went for a run. While I managed to endure to the end, it wasn’t
easy for several reasons. In addition to my normal health concerns, a couple of
weeks ago, I had a respiratory infection that has left me with a nagging cough.
I have asthma and forgot to use my
inhaler before the run. I also have a
knee that isn’t always the most cooperative as well as a wart being treated on
one foot that can be uncomfortable. I
could go on, but you get the idea…there were obstacles that had to be endured
to finish running the course. Today it turned
cold and rainy causing my body to ache significantly. Further, it was one of those days when fatigue
and lethargy set in. Today’s form of
endurance had a different nature, but was endurance nonetheless. In fact, every day seems to require a fair
amount of patient endurance. I must
accept undesired changes in my lifestyle and abilities as my body often seems to
be my worst enemy. It can be rather
trying at times. However, each day I do
my best to: stand, run the race, endure with grace, and to live well. Some days that goes fairly well while others
see limited, if any, success. I struggle
daily to endure because of God’s involvement in my life. From my perspective, here are three of the
many encouragements to endure.
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.
For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.Mark 9:41
Our family spent the weekend with my aunt and uncle at their lake house. Saturday morning our older daughter asked if I would go running with her so I agreed. I can usually run a short distance without much problem, however, this time it seemed as if everything was against me. In the end it was a couple of miles of pure frustration. It left me unsettled with a few questions: is this an anomaly, will I no longer be able to enjoy a good run, or is this something that I will recover from? Further is it may be yet another loss that I must accept and another limitation to undermine how I feel about myself? In any event, I kept moving one small step at a time…sometimes running, but mostly walking. In the end it became an object lesson about living well and led to a conversation with God about life and faith.
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12
I’ve watched several people die…it’s not a particularly pleasant experience. The closer you are to them, the harder it is. The longer it takes, the more time you have to think. That time and that pondering offer an opportunity for personal reflection in a way that no other experience does. As someone you love is on the brink of entering eternity, what is important in life seems to be much clearer than when we are in the daily race meeting deadlines and running errands, etc. Knowing that a loved one will shortly meet their Lord and God allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us and apply God’s word to our lives in ways that drive home His message with more depth and understanding. In short, it is a wake-up call to pursue a life well lived…that is, to live intentionally rather than passively.
“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.
“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
Healthy relationships are built on knowledge, understanding and grace. Sharing a conversation with a person will, in most cases, allow one to get to know them. However, that does not necessarily mean that they have any kind of significant relationship…at this point they are, for the most part, acquaintances. Solid relationships are built when people share their lives. They celebrate the high points together, comfort at low points and offer aid, wisdom and guidance in the midst of struggles. Grace covers the gap between knowledge and understanding as well as when there is a need for forgiveness. Developing a strong relationship takes time and effort but yields a great reward.
Last week I was looking for scripture verses to post on social media and came across Psalm 119:43-44. Despite having read and sung it many times, this time it struck a nerve. The natural tendency of any human when faced with trouble that causes anguish is to seek understanding. The important question is: what kind of understanding?
