If only?

Having a vivid imagination can be fruitful, but also annoying. I’ve imagined myself as many great things that I will never be, like a singer or an actress. Some of these roles show my pride and vanity. I’ve also imagined myself blind so I would know what it is like to walk around my house without knowing what was in front of me.
 
The most significant question about why God made me the way I am is this matter of being easily distracted. Never diagnosed as ADD, but with all the symptoms and a lifetime of trying to stay focused. This scattered mind struggled with sticking to homework, getting any project finished, and once into a task, stopping to make supper or answer the phone.

When asking God, “Why have you made me like this?” He has never given me an answer that fed my ego. Most of the time I hear Him saying, “So you will trust Me” or something like that. The best explanation finally came in a quilting class.

The instructor asked class members to share things about ourselves and when my turn came, I said something about the difficulties of focusing. It happened that this instructor had training in counseling and came to me later with excellent advice. She told me to stop fighting that ‘problem’ and work with it, applying it to quilting and to other activities of life.

From this, I began to understand that God made me the way I am so I could do the things He wanted me to do. In a nutshell, He says:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

Being easily distracted means I can drop whatever I’m doing to help someone in trouble, or to pray when prayer needs come to mind. It also gives me the ability to have many projects on the go. I can easily follow the thinking of others with the same problem.

The challenges have not gone away. For instance, the desire of my heart is always to pray after spending devotional time with Jesus. However, my to-do list or something else so easily distracts and pulls me away. I make excuses but know that this is vital and the rest of the day is filled with interruptions and so on — when I fail to focus on prayer. The worst part is that no matter how determined I might be even at this moment, in ten or fifteen minutes I could totally forget that resolve to talk to God.

My theology tells me this is a spiritual war. The enemy does not want me to pray so uses the way I think to take me into far less important activities. I could blame Satan, blame how I am made, but the Word of God persists in telling me to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) so those are excuses. Prayer is hard work. I’ve much else to do. Other excuses come to mind, but they are obviously not valid. The bottom line is:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10–20)

PRAY: This short prayer is not what You want from me, Jesus. There is so much need in the world, in our city, in our church and in family and friends. I cannot carry the burdens and know You want me to bring them to You. You are good and even though my mind is easily distracted, prayer lists, praying aloud, and walking while I pray do help me stay focused on this important task. Make me a prayer warrior that glorifies You, even though it seems this wandering mind is not capable to do any such thing.

Wait — there is more to the story

Being unwell gives me time to think. These devotions also prod thoughts. Yesterday I wondered about the promises of God’s goodness and blessing in contrast to this instruction from the NT:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

In most minds, trials and joy do not mix. Theologically they do. It makes sense that we learn most when most pressed to trust God, most pushed by difficulties that we no longer have any answers or ways to bring life back to normal or forward to better than it is with the trial. In other words, it is preferable to be comfortable rather than stressed, and when stressed it seems that our loving Father should remove the problem.

But what if He does not? Think of believers in places of persecution. Think of those whose children have incurable disease. Think of those who have lost everything. Even the Bible stories speak of unrelenting trials, like Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers and Job who lost his children and possessions as well as his health. In reading the total story, the good will of God shows up. Joseph seemed to wait for it. Job complained and questioned. Others suffered in silence.

Yesterday I thought about my lack of knowing what my suffering means, but one thing came out of the pondering; I may not know what God is doing with me or with my friends who are suffering, but I do know that He wants all of His children to be filled with His Spirit. This is where our joy comes from, not from the comforts of life. Today’s devotional says this:

The religion of the Lord Jesus Christ was meant to be full of comfort. Every newly converted soul, in the first joy of conversion, fully expects it. And yet it seems as if for a great number of Christians, their religious lives are the most uncomfortable part of their existence. Does the fault of this state of things lie with the Lord? Has He promised more than He is able to supply?

It goes on to say that we suffer from a great deal of over-advertisement and this tends to give many of God’s people the sense that Christ offered more in His gospel than He has to give. Why this? Has the kingdom of God been over-advertised, or is it only that it has been under-believed? Is part of our problem the fact that we have not arrived at the last chapter of our story and we are simply impatient? The Bible does say:

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— (1 Corinthians 2:9)

God took Joseph into slavery and eventually into leadership in Egypt where he was able to save his people during a famine. As he told his brothers, they meant it for evil but God used it for good.

God never did tell Job about the challenge of Satan and the proof that the faith He gave Job would hold firm, yet at the end of his story, Job humbly admitted his failures, prayed for his accusing friends, and was given back more than had been taken away.

God keeps His promises. My problem is impatience and often the failure to remember that joy is not about circumstances but the fruit of the Spirit who will fill me with Himself no matter what is going on in my world. Yielding to Him and asking for that fullness is always the right choice. With Him in charge, the situation may not change, but I will stop feeling sorry for myself and experience His love and concern for others, expressed by: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22–24)

PRAY: Jesus, You used a dream last night to show me how to stop those coughing attacks. What a lovely surprise, totally unexpected even though I’d asked for sound sleep. While I still don’t know the purpose of this trial, I do know that You are enough to bring good out of it. Help me be content with the fruit of the Spirit and not try to figure out anything other than just trusting You to take care of me and those I’m concerned for as You work in our lives.

What about the last straw?

Sometimes we hear Christians in great trouble say, “There is nothing left for me now but to trust the Lord.” Others might respond with, “Oh dear, has come to that?”

Likely every believer has had moments like that, as if God is much less able to deliver us from trials than His promises would lead us to expect. It might even seems as if trusting Him means totally giving in to whatever has us in despair and never experiencing a return to ‘normal’ or seeing a change for the better.

To be honest, having this case of bacterial pneumonia sometimes has me feeling I will never get better and that trusting the Lord means living with fatigue and a continual cough for the rest of my life. Even verses like this one seem to add to my concerns at times, rather than encourage me:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us… (Ephesians 3:20)

I tend to think that instead of giving me a return to health, the “abundantly” of this verse means the ability to live with the problem. That means sleep much and not being able to spend much time with others. The Bible also reminds me:

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— (1 Corinthians 2:9)

However, that is not a promise that He will do what I want. It is a revelation that He is able to do what He wants for me without me being able to figure it out beforehand.

This should not bother me. I read fiction by Deborah Crombie, love being totally mystified, and feel great satisfaction when the end of the story comes and it makes complete sense. The trouble is, life is not like fiction and all trials do not end with “reader satisfaction” or happily ever after. I’ve a friend whose husband is dying of cancer, and another whose husband committed suicide. Certainly heaven will take away all pain, but right now, the only hope for inner peace is trusting the Lord — and for the two of them, that is one huge challenge.

It is for me too as I experience pain for them, a deep sorrow that makes my own situation seem small. Their struggles add to the helplessness of not being confident that God will ‘fix’ any of it. As already said this week, sometimes God doesn’t give us what we can handle, but helps us handle what we are given. Can I do that? Not without the Lord’s help.
 

PRAY: Jesus, again I think of what You said in the garden: “Not my will but thine be done” and while my situation is not even a tiny bit as horrid as what You faced, I understand the great challenge of yielding — no matter what. Grant me the ability to handle whatever You decide and do it with grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit — that You might be glorified.

Make No Assumptions…

Several new neighbors moved into our complex last year. While we hoped for the best, we had no idea what to expect from them — at least until we got to know them. Getting to know people means time spent, conversations, working through expectations, and having a mutual desire to know and be known.

On that note, those who do not know each other can develop suspicions and errors. They drive a beater so we assume they are not well off. They put potted plants on their front step so they must love gardening. They only nod when outside at the same time we are so we assume they are not friendly. Experience should teach us to not make assumptions, but they happen.

This happens in the lives of those who do not know God. He isn’t visible so some assume He does not exist. Life is hard so God does not care. Or He is an angry judge watching for our slightest faults, or a harsh taskmaster, or a self-absorbed deity demanding honor and glory, or a far-off sovereign concerned only with His own affairs and indifferent to our welfare. With such assumptions, loving God and trusting Him is impossible.

Sad but true, even Christians can make assumptions about God. We blame Him for our weaknesses and often assume that He does not really care about our well-being. With false ideas of who God is and what He is like, doubts and worries can make His people unhappy to say the least. Our only hope is to pay attention to what He says. Not listening to what He says about Himself is a recipe for disaster.

If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” (Proverbs 1:23–33)

This passage essentially says to listen to God, get to know Him and abandon any ideas other than what He reveals. The Bible is clear in saying that anyone who really knows God will not have uncomfortable thoughts about Him. There may be plenty of outward discomforts and many earthly sorrows and trials, but through them all, the soul who knows God will live in a fortress of inner peace. “Whoever listens to me shall dwell secure, and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

How can we question what God says about Himself? Dare we call Him a liar? To do so means missing the wonder of His love and care for us and that He want the very best for us, even in our darkest trials. His nature leaves me no loopholes, fears or worries — yet I need to realize the truth about who He is.

PRAY: “For God so loved that He gave” and You want me secure and fearless in knowing and believing that. Keep revealing Yourself to me that I never forget or doubt the wonder of Your grace. I have no idea of the ‘why’ of my present trial, but do not let it change how I think about You.

He is my Father

Fiction in books or movies sometimes tells of a person who discovers they are not the natural child of their parents but were adopted. In most of these stories, that news is not welcome or at least very shocking. My imagination takes me there at times. Was I adopted? Did my parents pick me from a list of available infants? If that were true, how would I react? Would I be glad that I had been selected? Or dismayed that no one told me?

In the spiritual realm, the idea of adoption is good news. Scripture tells me that I have been taken from a life of bondage to sin and put into the household and family of God.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)

The question is: do I know it? Do I really understand the implications of being an adopted child of God? Or does that old spirit of bondage still rule my innermost attitudes? The change that comes to a person when they discover that they are adopted is often negative, at least at first. However, for a sinful person who cannot break free from the habits of sin and discovers that a spiritual adoption has taken place — this should be the greatest news, a news that brings great comfort and joy to the heart.

So the question is what idea rules? As today’s devotional says, no amount of wrestling or agonizing, no prayers and no effort, can bring comfort while the “spirit of adoption” is missing. Yet this is something to realize rather than receive. It is that discovery that God is my Father and I am His child. Whatever focus I have will be reflected in how I think about my relationship with Him. The emphasis for these past few days is that God is my Father beyond any other thought about Him. Yes, He is King, Judge, Lawgiver, Provider, and a host of other things, but that Father-child relationship puts all other notions about Him into perspective.

The great need for every soul is this supreme discovery. Read what Christ says about the Father and how the NT repeats that truth and believe it. How sad for anyone who will not:

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. (John 3:11)

The implication of not believing is serious business concerning the authority of Christ:

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. (1 John 5:10)

By not believing, I would be saying God is a liar. If that is so, where then is truth? Society says whatever each person believes is true is “true for them” causing all sorts of contradictions in theology, and life itself. A careful reading of today’s verses also shows that this rejection of God’s truth means the rule of a spirit of slavery (to sin and selfishness) and the rule of fear which is characteristic of that bondage.

PRAY: Our Father, my Father, how blessed to know that You adopted me and are setting me free from bondage and fear. I can trust You with all my heart for You are worthy and true. Thank You for the freedom that being adopted has given me.

Trust, really trust

It is easy to feel sorry for myself. I get over bacterial pneumonia and pick up what is being called the ‘coughing virus’ that some say can persist for several weeks. In contrast to that, my devotional reading tells me that God cares for me — because He is my Father and it is His business to meet all of my needs. 

I could use a break from this coughing. It is hard to sleep for more than a few hours at a time yet I’m told to let Him know when I need anything and then leave the supplying of that need to Him. 

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5–7)

I checked out the word “reasonableness” since it isn’t used much in my vocabulary. It is about being mild, gentle, moderate, patient, certainly not feeling sorry for myself but having a gracious attitude toward others, thinking of their needs instead of my own.

This reminds me of a truth that shows up in the book of Job. After a long revelation from God about what He does and His power, Job answered the Lord and said: 

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1–6)

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: 

“My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:7-10)

The point? Job was not healed and restored until he repented of his attitude — the questioning of what God was doing in his life — and prayed for his friends instead of being so focused on himself.

The devotional writer says the children of a good human father are at peace because they trust in their father’s care, but the children of the heavenly Father too often have no peace because they are afraid to trust in His care. They make their requests known to Him, but that is all they do, particularly if nothing changes. 

Prayer for others and prayer for my needs can be a mere exercise rather than actually believing that He will do it or is doing it. I can go on carrying my burdens, even questioning God’s care as if it is not a reality.

Like Job, this is folly. This man needed to realize the reality of God’s care, not just the theology of it, but a true belief that He is a good Father who is loving, tender, and full of kindness toward the helpless beings He has brought into existence. His fatherhood did not stop at creation. He cares for what happens to me, and like Job, I don’t know why I am suffering, but He is telling me that He cares and He is using this for my good, even though I am blind to what that means, at least right now.

PRAY: Jesus, forgive me for doubting your care and Your wisdom. Help me to pray for others, resist the doubts that yell at me, and keep on learning about You and Your loving care. This is a difficult test of faith, yet I know that You are at work to help me pass the test and simply trust You.

Proud of my humility?

Today’s devotional brings out an issue I’ve never thought about before. It is the notion that piety is fraught with doubt and fears, and when we feel that sort of weakness, we are pleasing God.

The writer goes on to compare this ‘piety’ with a child’s relationship with earthly parents. If the child thinks their parents will fail them, would that please mom or dad? If my parents thought I worried that they would let me down, would they rejoice in my ‘weakness’ and be pleased?

True piety means to be devoted to God. It is not about fear that He will fail but about knowing that He will not fail because I am the weak one, not God. Yes, this humility can be faked, even be about a false pretense of devotion that talks faithfulness but does not live it, but it cannot be applied to God.

Perhaps the opposite of true humility is a persistent trust in myself. I recall going for a walk and praying about problems and how I thought God should solve them. I clearly heard His response to my ideas: “Elsie, get out of my to-do list.”

At the time, I laughed at my arrogance and His reminder that I cannot do what He does. Now I’ve reached a deeper understanding of what it means to be weak. It can be physical, but much more. Paul had a ‘thorn in the flesh’ — perhaps an eyesight problem. Whatever it was, he felt this weakness hindered his ministry. So he prayed:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8–10)

Piety is not doubt and fear regarding God but the realization that I am unable and have no options but to trust the power of God to enable me with whatever I need to serve Him.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6–7)

This is what pleases God! It could be any act of serving or obedience, even about what I eat:

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

Note that “whatever does not proceed from faith” includes doubts and fears, so to say these ‘weaknesses’ please God is an error because doubt and fear is sin — and sin does not please God.

So what is the point? I could compare my sense of being unable with those who trust the flesh and be proud of my weaknesses, proud of my humility? Sounds stupid in black and white, but it can happen. Far better to stick to true piety which is total devotion to God and not use my weaknesses as an ego trip. The best I can do is be content that these inabilities are what God wants for me.

PRAY: Jesus, You choose weakness and God used that submission to bring salvation to a sin-sick world. In Your weakness, it was not Yourself and Your weakness that took center-stage. Instead, You said, “Not my will but Thine be done” reflecting total trust and dependence on Your Heavenly Father and giving up every other thought or idea in order that His will would be done. Your piety changed the world. Enable me to be weak with that same attitude of not having my way but trusting Your way — totally.

A Family Matter

Yesterday was not a perfect day. I slept for most of it, then had trouble sleeping at night. However, something good happened; Christian friends brought over soup, bread, and muffins. This is one of the blessings of being in the family of God.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. (Ephesians 2:19)

My theology says that our Heavenly Father takes care of us, yet the thoughtfulness of others in His household makes His care tangible, far more than a matter of faith. We are told to care for one another and when it happens. This visible expression is not only the action of an obedient and caring family member, but God expressing His love through their obedience.

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)

Today’s devotional points out the opposite by reference to this verse;

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

Since I am a member of the “household of God,” this applies to God. He is the Father, the head of His family. If He should fail to provide for me, His own words would condemn Him. While many who suffer think that God has forgotten them, that cannot be true. He provides, not only soup and bread but all that I need. I cannot say otherwise for if I think He has abandoned me, then I am saying He is worse that an unbeliever. This is so wrong. I may not understand the purpose for my suffering, but to even think that He is not providing for me shows a complete misunderstanding of who He is and how He cares for His people.

As the devotional writer says, knowing this lifts the burdens of life from my shoulders and lays them on His. My fears, anxieties, and questionings are His concern, not mine. Just as humanity demands that parents care for and protect their children, this is my Father’s care and protection, even His divinely implanted instinct put into the heart of of those with children. It displays that my Creator, who made human parents responsible toward their children, is himself equally responsible toward His children.

Knowing this means I can rest in the care of my Father. I don’t need to listen to temptations that cause doubt or anxiety or fear because if I did listen, I would be saying that my Heavenly Father is not worthy of my trust.

PRAY: Jesus, with this illness, I’ve not prayed much and felt guilty for this focus on how I’m feeling. Yet that is a plus in that I’m trusting You with all the matters at hand. I can rest in Your care knowing that You are faithful and that I need not worry or fret about anything. Thank You!

Not well

 Slept all day. Not fun. Thankful for the Lord’s presence.

Many Names but still Father…

In my mind, my dad has only one title — dad or father. I’d never call him ‘the old man’ or by any other term, derogatory or affectionately. However, today’s devotional asks: But what about the other names of God; do they not convey other and more terrifying ideas?

Yesterday it mentioned three: judge, king, and lawgiver. I cannot remember my father every judging me, putting me in a rare group. He evaluated things, but never made me feel as if I was under his scrutiny.
Of course my heavenly Father is a judge, yet in judging me He finds me totally wanting. As with everyone else, I fall short of the glory of God, missing the mark and having no merit or legal right to stand before Him. Yet all is not lost.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17–21)

This is an incredible reality. God judged me, found me guilty, put my guilt on Christ trading it for His righteousness that I might be justified. No guilt. No condemnation. This is the love and grace of my Father the Judge.

He is also my King. That is, He rules over me. My life is not my own. Yet He is not a despot king nor one who rules with an iron fist. He rules the universe yet somehow governs it so all things are for me, not against me.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

How does God do that? We often say in our church, “Only God” for we know the power of this King who is also our Father.

As for Lawgiver, I remember this word by Watchman Nee. He said, “The Lawgiver on the throne has become the Law-keeper in our hearts.” Again, this is the mighty love of my Heavenly Father. He does for me what I could never do apart from Him.

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:13)

I’m to always think of Him as my Heavenly Father. All He does is what a good, good Father would do. Christ declares Him that I might know God’s love and never have any anxious or rebellious thoughts. The NT puts it this way:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31–39)

PRAY: Jesus, You took my sin and shame that I might know the wonder of being loved by God. Indeed, what can I say to these things! All that I have needed, You have provided. How wonderful is Your love for me.

Our Perfect Father

In Bible times, the father of the home was responsible to provide and care for his family. He was the source of life for the children and their protector as well as the main authority figure. He was expected to discipline (and forgive) when necessary and educate the children in both ordinary and spiritual matters. He was to be honored and any abuse toward him was considered shameful and punished severely.

When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He told them:

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9)

In thinking about the role of fathers in those days compared to what happens in family life in our culture, this concept of God being Father can be confusing for some. Think of those whose fathers were abusive, or absent, or dead-beats. How difficult to relate to God as a loving, heavenly Father without having a loving earthly father.

My dad was none of the negatives. He may have been working more than many fathers, but he was there for us, being the father he should be with the addition of a wonderful sense of humor. There was a lot of laughter in our home. He was not a spiritual man until later in life, but mother and grandmother’s prayers filled in.

Millions of God’s children call Him Father. Had every Christian known the depth of what that means, His nature and care would never be doubted. Unfortunately, the other titles for God sometimes put connotations in our hearts and minds and bring misunderstanding and uncertainty.

For instance, God is also known as a king, judge, and lawgiver. Those words can confuse His children about what He is like. The devotional writer says, “It is inconceivable that a good father could forget or neglect or be unfair to his children. A savage or wicked father might, but a good father never! In calling our God by the blessed name of Father, we ought to know that if He is a father at all, He must be the very best of fathers, and His fatherhood must be the highest ideal of fatherhood we can conceive.”

As already said, God combines the best of both father and mother, which includes all  the love, tenderness, compassion, yearning, and self-sacrifice that we recognize to be at the heart of great parenting, even though it is not always seen in earthly parents.

PRAY: Jesus, You came to reveal God to us. I’m so thankful for the word ‘father’ and that You gave me a great example, yet realize that as wonderful as my own father was, he does not compare to the wonder of having a heavenly Father who is utterly perfect and who is always enough — meeting all my needs and loving me with such amazing patience and grace.

Perfect Care

This week seems as if it did not happen. Admitted to the hospital with bacterial pneumonia was not in my mind at all on Monday and now it seems a remote thing — because I was sent home last night! The doctor was amazed at my recovery. So are a few others, but the people who prayed all know the power of God.

What many of them do not know is what I am eager to tell them: God had me there for His reasons. One is that I have never experienced His kindness from literally dozens of people like it was poured out during these few days. The medical staff all have that attitude from the Holy Spirit and it was utterly amazing. I have been blessed.

Second, but it should be first, is that getting well is nothing compared to experiencing God in sickness. Today’s devotions compare that to the care of a mother for her hungry and needy child. For her, the child comes first. She would starve herself before allowing the child to starve. Not only that, she wisely chooses the most nutritious food, not candy or junk food. She wants the best for the child, and that may not seem the best according to the child. This is what the NT says:

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11–13)

What our Father gives may look to us like a serpent or a scorpion, but since He gives it, we may be sure it cannot be anything but the best thing for us. For if parents know how to give good gifts, how much more must He.

That said, for many Christians, sickness looks more like a scorpion than a steak. We want to be healthy. However, this week had I been healthy I would have missed the most precious experiences with my heavenly Father.

Relying on God is like being in the hospital. Nice room. No need to supply or prepare my own food. All I needed to do was eat and live, without care or cost and surrounded by kindness and love. No worries and total trust that He was giving me His best. Now that I am home, I need to plan and prepare meals, clean up after myself, and make do without a servant in sight. Yet this is not about being pampered. It is about the wonder of His love, whether I am needy or not. If God is only as good as the mothers He has made, where can there be any room left for a thought of care or of fear? And if He is as much truer to the ideal of motherhood than an earthly mother can be, as His infiniteness is above hers, then what great joy and confidence in Him can fill my heart!

PRAY: Again I say, no matter what life brings, God is in it and when I yield to His wisdom instead of fret to have my own way, I discover again and again that God is enough. Jesus, You have opened the windows of glory again to me. I want all Christians to know that being sick is not our biggest threat — but being fearful that it is the worst that can happen is far worse — because that fear keeps me from being mothered by Him.

God’s Great Love

When I became a single mom with two preschoolers living on a farm not far from my parents, my mom phoned me everyday. If I was not home, she would call the neighbors looking for me. It made me feel as if she thought I was helpless — not a great confidence builder.

However, this came to mind today. I’m in the hospital on heavy IV meds and can’t do much for myself, yet gloriously aware of the presence and care of God and how much my earthly mother was like my Heavenly Father. She was always there, even when I didn’t think I needed her.

Not only that, the kindness in the medical staff here is doing the same. For example, at 3am I needed help and when the nurse came, I grumbled about the problem—first time since admitted. She said, “We need to be positive” then talked me there — using a Bible verse and a ton of kindness. In no time, God’s joy returned.

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. (1 Thessalonians 2:7)

I've met dozens of kind people here. Their attitude is not learned or put on, but from the heart. How wonderful! To praise this staff of the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, AB, as I am able to praise my mom and others is okay. Yet in reality, they know as I know, all kindness such as this is from the Holy Spirit given to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. 

 

How much the world needs to know the wonder of God’s loving kindness and how much His kindness shows that He is enough — even when we feel crappy and helpless — and even when we don't think we need Him. It is a great blessing that God, like a loving mom, is always watching over me in great kindness.

Missing Days, yet God is enough

 In our record-breaking cold spell last week, I went out twice, once to pass the medical for renewing my driver’s license and the next day for a few groceries. The rest of that time was warm and at home. Then the odd symptoms stared.. a loose cough but no tickle in my throat, feeling weak but not being hungry. I felt fine but my blood oxygen level was enough below normal to be life-threatening. My hubby called 911 far an ambulance.

To make a long story short, I am in the hospital with dozens of tests to tell what this not and to confirm the one thing it is:pneumonia . That is also contrary since it seems most cases happen as a result of other illness. Yet in this, there both sorrow and joy. Sorrow for hundreds of really ill people —many who do not know God and joy that God is enough, that I can say with Psalm141:8, But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; do not pour out my life!”

Our Main Caregiver…

Most of us played ‘doctor’ when we were young. In those days, a doctor had a higher reputation. Same with fathers. When we played ‘house’ we were happy if any boy in the group was willing to be the father. Nowadays, the role of father like the role of a doctor has lost more of its sparkle.

That does not negate the importance of a father’s role. This is illustrated in the NT where the term is used for God more than two hundred times, sometimes with great affection. These three use the term “Abba” which similar to our word “Daddy.”

And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36)
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6)

Yesterday and today I missed my daddy. Mom worried and stewed taking care of me, but he was able to ‘care with confidence’. However, my hubby took that role. A few times I looked at him and thought of how my dad ministered to me.
All this is to say that our Great Physician needs no stethoscope or pills. He is still able to just say a word bring healing, yet if for reasons I do not understand, I’m to suffer a bit more, He is still caring for me as my loving Father.

Leaping like a calf?

Yesterday was not the best day of life. I had a loose cough and no energy at all, laying in on the sofa and feeling sorry for myself. Didn’t even go online but God gave me encouragement anyway. My hubby went to church and I planned to watch the service alive on YouTube. There was nearly an hour of wait time so I selected a Christian music video that posted Scripture. All the verses were about God’s power and promises to heal His people. I soon noticed that I didn’t feel as if I were dying!

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. (Malachi 4:2)

I’m not yet leaping -- hopefully soon.

Ask better questions

The past day or so a loose cough seemed harmless, but it kept me awake all last night and I woke up with a dry, sore throat and feeling weak. Tested. It is not Covid, but it is not pleasant either. After more sleep, a bite of food and lots of water, I still feel yucky. This does not happen very often so my tendency is to feel sorry for myself.

Charnock uses this verse to combat my self-centered whimpering:

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

He goes on to point out that believing God exists is not enough. I must also believe that He rewards those who seek Him. After all, even the demons believe and tremble. (James 2:19) and the whole world knows that God exists:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19–20)

The problem is not believing in the existence of God. Denying it makes such a person a fool. The problem is denying God’s goodness.

In God’s strange way of revealing truth, He uses today’s devotional to back up what Charnock wrote about more than one hundred years before. The devotional says if I want to see God, my inner questioning must be not about me, or why am I sick, but about Him. How does God feel toward me? Is His love for me warm enough? Has He enough zeal? Does He feel my need deeply enough? Is He sufficiently in earnest? 

These questions reflect anxiety in the human heart, yet by asking them, they expose the irreverence in my heart also. By asking them, I know the answers. Just as I know God exists, I also know that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. My doubts and disappointments at having a miserable day are silenced by turning my focus on who God is and what He has revealed to me. Truth about God grants a profound and absolute conviction that God is and must be enough.

Because God is, all must go right for us, even if I don’t understand it or don’t like it. God lives; His children must be cared for as well. What else could He do, being what He is? Neglect, indifference, forgetfulness, ignorance, are all impossible to God. He knows everything, He cares about everything, He can manage everything, and He loves us. What more could I ask?

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:21–26)

PRAY: Lord, the cough is less yet the sense of weakness increases. But these wise writers know the truth, the value and benefit, even the reward of seeking You. You don’t always change my situation, but You do change my heart so that I can rejoice in trials and remember that You use all things for my good. Just asking the right questions enables me to rest in Your love and wisdom. Amen!

Pride is a huge turn-off

Every now and then I get upset when it seems someone is telling others they need Jesus with the underlining message that the other person is not acceptable unless they are a Christian. The other person seems resentful of this put-down and less interested in hearing more.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit’s task is to convict sinners about their unbelief. This does not mean that I should merely pray and never tell others the good news of the gospel. It does mean that my attitude should never be one of superiority because I am saved and considered righeous in God’s sight but that other person is still in sin and not acceptable.  

The Bible is full of instruction on the attitudes God wants in my life. They are summed up in loving Him and loving others. That love for others is exemplified in Jesus Christ. He told His disciples:

Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13)

This means Jesus came into the world to save sinners, not to save the righteous, the fervent, and the earnest workers, but simply and only to save sinners. Some will say they are too far gone to save. At the other end of the spectrum are those who boast that God saved them, as if they somehow deserved it. Besides…

By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

This means that no one, even the most pious of God’s children, can lord it over others as if their position in Christ makes them superior. Jesus came to save sinners and that attitude is contrary to the reason Jesus saved me! Pride has no place in why He did it.

Perhaps one of the reasons that the Apostle Paul was mightily used by God is about his attitude. He said this:

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Instead of putting himself on a pedestal, this man of God identified with those Jesus came to save. He was merciful and even though he led a sacrificial life, it was not characterized by a self-righteous attitude nor did he use his position in Christ to manipulate others. He wrote about his attitude:

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away! (2 Corinthians 10:1)
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (Galatians 6:1)
But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. (1 Thessalonians 2:7)
In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

Today’s devotional warns me not to fix my eyes on myself or wonder if I am ‘good enough’ because I cannot answer these questions for myself, never mind impose such questions to others in the hope that they will be convicted of their sin and want to know Christ and salvation. All that would do is exalt self and fill me with self-congratulation and pride… and turn off the other person.

PRAY: Lord, in this I realize that exalting myself for not exalting myself is a form of pride too. Enable humility that shows up in all my interactions with others, even in my interactions with those who are filled with pride at being saved from sin. They don’t deserve even the least of Your mercies — and neither do I.
 

Use it or Lose it…

Along with Smith’s devotional, I’m reading Stephen Charnock’s amazing “Existence and Attributes of God” — a definite faith-builder and classic written in 1853. Today’s reading says reason shows there is a God yet as Scripture says, this knowledge is suppressed by doing evil.

In a similar way, Smith’s devotional says that the NT believers had no doubt about God and there would be no growth of the Christian faith if they were filled with the doubts and questions of the modern church. From this readings, I see two things.

One, the modern Christian is not reading and being informed by the Bible as those early believers  were relying on the Scriptures that they had.

Two, the modern Christian is not in the Word of God and not obedient to it, however many profess faith but suppress the truth they do know by living unrighteous lives. Too many Christians are behaving as worldly people and their behavior is ruining their faith.

Charnock points to the “atheistical bubblings” in human hearts and his observations could apply to Christians. We, at times, live by our own thoughts and ideas, denying God simply by ignoring His will and instead doing our own thing. Practical atheism, if it becomes a habit of life, is a faith-killer. It fits those described as people who: “profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:16)

This is not to say these people actually do know God but that they are professing faith, which is distinct from a true knowledge of God. Today’s churches are occupied by many who profess faith but it is not real. It means they live a secret atheism and that failure to trust God is the root of all the wickedness in our world. It is also the root of all powerless in the church.

Charnock also says that by reason, God is known to exist. The Bible says it also:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:19–21)

The prior verse explains what happens: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18)

Whatever else people might know about God, all people know He exists. Yet if that understanding is suppressed by sin, then evil begins to win the human heart. Charnock puts it this way:

The existence of God is the foundation of all religion.We cannot pay God a due and regular homage unless we understand him in his perfections, what he is; and we can pay him no homage at all, unless we believe that he is.

His words fit with this NT truth: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Popular thought has kicked God out of schools, public and political activities, and much of life. Unlike the NT days where no one doubted that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him, we live in a world where evil is suppressing righteousness and that doubt about God is affecting Christians and the church. It has become very necessary to urge God’s people to daily consider God and His nature lest that wickedness which overflows in the world also overflows in the lives of God’s people.

PRAY: Jesus, I am so very thankful that You said You would build Your church and the gates of hell could not prevent it. As I listen to world news and as I talk with other Christians, I can see how the evil that is outside is a threat to those of us who have been saved from it. We put ourselves in danger by not clinging to what we know, and by not seeking and obeying You. Most important is reading, studying, meditating on and doing what Your Word says, telling others about You, and being willing to die rather than deny the truth You have given us. We can overcome because:

Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And we have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony, for they love not their lives even unto death. (Revelation 12:10–11, slightly personalized)

Asking the best question…

Today’s devotional offers a statement that I’ve never thought about before. It says:

Nowhere in the Bible are we given the slightest intimation that God’s children were to be anything but perfectly sure of their relationship to Him as children and of His relationship to them as Father. The flood of doubt and questioning that so often overwhelms Christian hearts in these days was apparently never so much as conceived of in Bible times nor by Bible Christians, and consequently it was nowhere definitely provided against. The foundation on which all commands and exhortations were based was that those to whom the commands and exhortations were addressed knew without question that they were God’s children and that He was their Father.

This statement does not consider any of those “if you believe” suggestions because those who believe know that they believe. Consider this:

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:10–11)

Those who believe know it. Oh, there are times when we get our eyes off Jesus and look at our performance — seeing it as totally puny and wondering if we have any right or reason to call ourselves Christians, but that is contrary to what God keeps telling us. Our faith is not in ourselves. Only sometimes we just want it to be!

The passage above is followed by this statement:

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:12–13)

This is so simple. If Jesus is in my life, He makes Himself known. How can He not? He is so obvious, so different from all other, so incredible, that nothing can erase the sense of Him. Sin mars our vision, but does not remove Jesus. This is backed up in other places.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:9–11)

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Do you know Jesus? should be the question, not “Are you a Christian?” For those who know Jesus are Christians. It is as simple as that.
It is also helpful to remember that those who respond with an answer that the Bible is not true, Jesus does not exist, and so on, are saying that God is a liar. This puts them in greater danger than merely not yet knowing or having a personal relationship with the Christ.

PRAY: Jesus, the next time I wonder about the salvation of a person and have opportunity to speak to that person about their spiritual state, remind me that this is the question to ask; Do you know Jesus? If they do, they will know it, just as if I asked them if they their spouse or if they know their children. If they do not, it will be as if I asked them if they know someone who lives on the other side of the world with a strange name and of a different nationality. The next question could easily be: May I introduce you?