The Lord’s
lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your
faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
As we study scripture, we learn about God. It is one thing
to intellectually understand God’s faithfulness, His promises, His character, the
sacrifice and intercession of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, etc.; however,
it is something altogether different to experience them. Knowing that Christ died for our sins does
not save us…it is accepting His atoning work on our behalf that provides
salvation. Similarly, knowing about God
intellectually does not develop a relationship with Him. Rather, it is through reliance on Him throughout
our life experiences, recognizing His work in our lives, and seeking to live
for Him alone that we develop a relationship.
It is experiencing God that takes us from an intellectual understanding
to a relationship that allows us to mature in faith. Further, when we acknowledge God at work in
our own lives, we provide edification and encouragement to others. To experience
God and not share that fact with fellow believers would be remiss. Consequently this week’s post is about
testifying to God’s faithfulness as an experience.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10
Merriam-Webster defines encumbered as impeded, hampered or
hindered with respect to functions or activities. A reality of my life and the lives of others
dealing with chronic illness and pain is that we are encumbered in everything
we do. Those of us are encumbered with
respect to our ability to function are also, by definition, encumbered in our
activities. Often it’s not just the
physical issues but also the mental ones.
It takes so much energy to accept and manage our physical problems and
limitations that we are also mentally encumbered. Further, the problem is not limited to those
with physical or mental problems, but also extends to those who are grieving,
have relationship problems or are enduring some other trial. These may also find themselves encumbered as
they attempt to accomplish the tasks set before them. Despite our struggles, God still calls us to
complete tasks for Him. It is not ours
to question or deny but rather to complete with aide of our Heavenly Father.
Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Reasonableness is a common thread of our culture. In law, the reasonable man is used as a
starting point to determine negligence and liability. In accounting, a reasonableness test is used to
evaluate the various line items of the financial statements to determine how
much needs to be reviewed or tested. In
culture, we use “average behaviors” to determine what is reasonable. Christ tells us to lay all of our concerns
before our Lord and Paul adds that we should come boldly before God. While our church culture or past experiences
may encourage us to be reasonable or polite in our prayers, scripture dictates
both by instruction and example that we should, in fact, take a bold approach.
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Whether alone or in a crowd, have you ever wondered where God is? Despite God reminding us throughout scripture that He is in fact with us and will never leave us, we still have our doubts. I’m not sure how it came about, but during a recent worship service I started thinking about the presence of God. If I had to guess, I would assume that Matthew 28:20 was one of the texts used in the sermon. In any event, I’ve been pondering our failure to recognize the presence of God in our lives. I don’t know about you but, I certainly have a tendency to take it for granted and, therefore, fail to recognize it or rely on it when I should. As I’ve considered this problem, there seem to be four primary reasons that we fail to recognize God’s presence in our lives: ignorance, immaturity, impediments and refusal.
“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.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Psalm 105:1
As it is Thanksgiving in the United States, please join me in refection upon Psalm 136 which is a beautiful model for being truly thankful. As this Psalm states, no matter what God is doing, His love for us is everlasting. It starts with who God is, moves through various things that He has done and finishes with how He is ever mindful of us.
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26
Trust is a fairly basic concept as it rests solely on confidence. That confidence relies on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of some entity or object. In contrast, what we consider valuable in our lives and how much we fear losing those things varies from person to person due to maturity, faith, relationships, life experiences, etc. Another contrast between the two is the impact on our well-being. Trust provides calm, healing and peace while fear brings distraction, stress and destruction. Fear comes in varying degrees and for various reasons but consider the following factors of fear: the object, the measurement, the security and the trustee.
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.
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.
