Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Most people are fairly comfortable being thankful for God’s provisions and for the people in their lives. While we may not feel that our circumstances are quite as perfect as those depicted in Norm Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want”, we can generally muster a fairly strong attitude of thankfulness. Certainly when we feel that things are going relatively well, we are filled with thankfulness, but what about when the times are tough. Thanksgiving of 1992 I woke up in the hospital after having an ERCP the previous day. I was in pain and groggy; I barely remember celebrating the holiday, let alone being thankful.
By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.Genesis 2:2-4
It is clear in scripture that we are to live our lives to the fullest in service to our Lord and fellow man. It is how we fulfill our responsibilities as good ambassadors, stewards and children of God. We are called to run with endurance as one striving to win the prize. Yet God also understands how He designed us and that part of living well is rest, respite and repose. In one sense these are all synonyms as reflected by the definitions of rest that I have found. However, they each carry a slightly different connotation.
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.Ephesians 5:15-16
Today has been a rough day. My symptoms have been flaring and I have found it difficult to keep moving and be productive. Fatigue and lack of focus are making it rough to think and to write let alone maintain a healthy attitude. That’s often the case for those of us struggling with illness. Whether it’s dealing with our infirmities in general or the various symptoms that present themselves, days are regularly difficult and require much effort to endure. Many trials offer similar effects. It may be grief, caring for a dying loved one, attempting to redirect a rebellious child or any of the other life traumas that completely overwhelm us, but whatever “it” is, we are easily shut down and find it difficult to manage the affairs of the day let alone be industrious or thrive.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”James 3:14-16
For the first few years of our marriage, my wife and I lived on Lookout Mountain. I loved the view that the mountain provided and the drive off of it was always beautiful. When storms rolled in, they might be above you, below you or surrounding you. The occasional snow storm added winter beauty, but ice storms made the mountain sparkle. My absolute favorite was the fog. I have never figured out the attraction, but I always loved it when the fog rolled in. Since we “lived in the clouds” it was rather frequent. However, one of the down sides of living there was the way it hampered contentment.
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”2 Corinthians 4:16-18
In 1996 I was evaluated for a pain management clinic. At the end of our meeting, the doctor stated that he thought that I was depressed. As my wife and I left his office, I looked at Marie and said something like “Do you think?” I had been struggling with severe pain for five years and seizures for two with no clear cause or treatment plan for either; eating was a struggle causing me to be significantly underweight; and a few months before, my mother had died. It was a bit much to handle all at once and I was more than a little depressed. A few years later as God began to educate me with respect to reconciling my illness to His promised love for me, I had a major hurdle. I had recently read that a woman with symptoms similar to mine had live to be 89 years old. I was only 39; the thought of living like this for another 50 years was overwhelming to say the least. I felt like I was being tortured. But when I yielded to God and began to open my heart to accept His plan for me, the weight of it all began to lighten.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4
I love our church body, our pastors and staff. There is a genuine desire to faithfully teach the word of God and to encourage godly living. That said, I do find holiday services to be a bit frustrating. As a Christian, I come to church to meet God through worship and instruction and feel short changed when a significant portion of the service is spent on special numbers by the choir, solos, and dramatic performances. I prefer to interact with God rather be entertained. This past Sunday I was really struggling with this as we celebrated Easter. Thankfully, God did not allow me to wallow long before He started to convict me to look at the broader picture.
