Truth and Everlasting Joy

Yesterday was awful. Physical movement was difficult. Mentally, my thoughts were jumbled. It was not some sort of illness, more like a spiritual war in which the enemy had me in the dirt with his foot on my neck.

I wrote of despair and could not escape it. The words were true but so true also was human helplessness. Whatever God wanted me to learn also escaped me. I wanted to leave this place and go to the promised land of no more sorrow. When night fell, I took two Tylenol and fell asleep instantly. No crazy dreams. No trips to the bathroom. This morning, Monday seemed far away.

Today’s devotions are about enduring pain. It refers to the pain of a flawed marriage and how that endurance helped in other areas of life. But there are other kinds of pain. Loss of abilities. Loss of friends. Loved ones dying. Physical aches. Dementia. Feeling unwanted. A long list.
To His OT people who were barren in the fruit of their calling, God compares them to a widow who lost her partner. He says:

“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:4–8)

When despair hits, regardless of the reason or cause, God assured His people that His compassion would win over the horrid sense they had of being abandoned. He promised to “gather them” and this is affirmed even in the NT. God is not done with Israel, no matter how it seems in history and in current news.

In this, I can take comfort. Truth and trust does that. Truth gives me where to put my hope and in whom to put my trust. God has always kept His Word, so no despair can change that. It might knock me to the floor now and then, but the bottom line truth is this:

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 8:32–39)

My body still feels ‘not good’ but the truth lifts my spirits and tells me that my Maker can remake it. But if it stays like this, He can fill me with His joy anyway. My friends at church are proof of that!

PRAY: God, I thank You for examples of faith that give me hope when the enemy thinks he is winning, friends like BT, JM, L & A, and DD who ignore what their body yells at them and instead listen to the truth You have put deep into their hearts. That ‘surgery’ is not without pain, but it does the job of releasing Your everlasting joy.

When God seems far away…

 
There are times when it seems God is off somewhere and with His back turned. In reading about His great wisdom, it is obvious that He knows how I feel, why this is allowed, and what He wants from me in this time of feeling awry, even though I know that nothing has changed. I am His child, made righteous by faith in Christ, and able to live for Him because of Him.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction… (Romans 3:21–22)

He also knows that this righteousness is mine in that I don’t need to strive for it. It is the same as forgiveness. Confess sin and forgiveness is not only available on a sin-to-sin basis, but all taken care of more than two thousand years ago at Calvary. When He chose me, saved me, and gave me His Spirit, He also granted me His mind, gentleness, meekness, peace, love, joy, and all that I need to live for Him. His virtue is not a commodity in a cupboard that I have to go fetch; it is already mine. The only thing that prevents me from living like Christ is trying to do it without Him. Just as many try to be “Christian” in behavior, so also many of the OT people tried to do it, as Paul described:

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:2–4)

Jesus teaches me that He is my righteousness and trying to establish it on my own is folly. The OT tells me that:

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. (Isaiah 64:6–7)

This is not the only time that His face seems hidden, yet I’m getting a vague understanding that in His wisdom, there are times when it seems that He does it that I might remember how weak and blind I am without Him. I’m not aware of any particular sin that demands confession, only vague shadows flitting about. This is usually Satan who is up to one of his specialties. This is described:

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “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 they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:10–11)

The enemy accuses even as Jesus defends. I’m okay in Christ. His blood secured my victory. My testimony reinforces it. Having little concern for my life compared to dying is also part of that victory. It is easy to criticize others who seem more concerned for comfort than God’s will, yet I also need to pay attention to this myself. Do the discomforts and burdens of life pull me away from God and how He might want to use it to change me in some way? Is the sense of His absence part of an important test or lesson?

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! (Psalm 27:8–9)

PRAY: I’m glad that You know all things. I’m in the dark about my life all this week, a downer after weeks of a new blessing every day. Did I fall into loving the blessings more than I love you, or is that one of the devil’s accusations that is simply not true? May You make this plain, not so I am happier but that You are glorified and blessed. Thank You.

Later: God is amazing. Big prayers answered. He turns me around and then smiles at me!

Experiencing God’s presence . . .

 

I usually forget what time my hubby leaves to have breakfast with a friend or to go golfing, but I always know he has gone — there is no sense of his presence. It’s the same if he steps out for a walk, to water the yard, or to talk to a neighbor. I’m not sure why I know he is away.

On the other hand, when it comes to God, I cannot see Him yet am usually intensely aware of His presence. In one author’s book (It may have been Andrew Murray) I read that the presence of God is like the air around us, unseen yet always there. Since that, it takes very little to sense He is with me.

Sometimes knowing God is near makes me tremble. The psalmist wrote: “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.” (Psalm 114:7) At times His presence is a great comfort, or a delight, or a reassurance. Whatever my reaction, it is seldom that He just shows up but that wonderful sense that He is always here, always with me. He knows what I am doing, even what I am thinking.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139:1–10)

At times, my husband or other people can be right beside me, but I am not thinking about them and may not be consciously aware of their physical presence. It is not the same as God. I can think about other things (sometimes to my shame) but when I think about God, that sense of Him being with Him increases and my heart rejoices. Praise comes, or prayers about needs, or that wonder of Him being near and no words need to be said.

Years ago, I read about a spiritual exercise that changed my life. Because I was sick as a child and often alone in a hospital room, I grew up with the fear of being abandoned. Then God had me reading Henri Nouwen. He suggested to go into a room where I would not be disturbed and think about whatever I feared the most. Let that fear wash over me and experience it fully. I did that, and the sense of being abandoned was so strong that I felt empty. This was painful, even terrible. Nouwen said this would happen and I should make no effort to avoid it, but let those emotions have control. I felt as if I would die and, in a sense, I did.

Then the surprise — a powerful sense of God’s presence came into that room, as if He were physically present and completely there — with me, never to go away or abandon me.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5–6)

That experience of God’s promise stuck. He is here. I’ve no need to pray, “God, be with me” either for His presence or the sense of His presence. I might not think about it at times, but usually do, and in all kinds of situations. Not focusing on His presence is dangerous and can ruin my life!

PRAY: Lord Jesus, even knowing You are always with me, I’ve still not reached the perfection of making You an integral part of my daily decisions and activities. However, I love You and long to see You even though I know that You are as close to me as anyone can be. You are teaching me to talk to You easily and often, and You are answering prayer in surprising and delightful ways. Keep my heart focused on the reality that You are walking with me and holding my hand all the time, no matter what else is happening. What great delight in knowing You are with me, always!

READ John 14:1–31. What did Jesus say about my part in how He manifests Himself to His people? What does the Holy Spirit do for God’s people now that Jesus is physically absent?

 

 

Universal loneliness has a universal solution . . .

Billy Graham is reported to have said that when a person feels lonely in a crowd, that is God whispering, “Come to Me.”

Every person experiences loneliness, regardless of culture, social standing, and even if people are all around us. Yes, I can be alone for days and be content, but I can be in a room full of people as well — and feel alone.

Regardless of that feeling, sometimes we are literally alone. It was true for Paul who experienced desertion, opposition, and rejection, but he knew that he was never alone. He wrote to a young pastor named Timothy:

“Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:9–18)

The Lord promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Paul knew this. He had been abandoned, but he knew that he was never alone.

I know it too. Someone wrote that God can be compared to the atmosphere around us. It is always there, as is the God who promises to be always there. When I think about the presence of the Lord in that way, I feel the slight pressure of Him near me, all around me. He stands by me and knowing He is here is a source of strength and comfort that even the closest of friends cannot give.

He makes other promises too. He is for me — always on my side. He takes care of my needs, defends me, and prays for me . . .

“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? . . . 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)

^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, nothing can separate me from Your love, and nothing can separate me from You. You are always with me, through good times and trials. I can depend on You when everyone and everything else proves unreliable. You are my hiding place, filling me with songs of deliverance whenever I am afraid, or lonely, or alone. Nothing can take You away from me!