Mystery to us, Purpose to Him

Mystery to us, Purpose to Him

"Well, God works in mysterious ways," she said as we talked about our present trials. I wondered how that was meant to be comforting. So, as I pondered the phrase, I came to see that it is REAL comfort for suffering saints.

Moses was living in the center of the will of God, and still he ran into situations that made little sense. Exodus 5 is like  tragic comedy! Moses and Aaron arrive in Egypt with great news for the Hebrew slaves, "The LORD God has sent us to lead you out of slavery, back to the Land of Promise." The people heard their message with great joy and they worshipped the Lord. Then, these two men went to Pharaoh to appeal for release of the Hebrews. He laughed at them and doubled the slaves' workload, making life even more miserable! "Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’" (Exodus 5:17, NIV) Moses and Aaron were no longer popular. Their promise was rather hollow!, "The foremen said to them, "May God see what you’ve done and judge you—you’ve made us stink before Pharaoh and his servants! You’ve put a weapon in his hand that’s going to kill us!"(Exodus 5:21, The Message)

Moses was as confused as anyone. He asked the Lord, "Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!" (Exodus 5:22-23, NLT) Yet, God was working! From our seat in the grandstand of history we look over the story and realize that the Lord was setting the stage for a confrontation with the gods of Egypt, in which He would show His mighty hand and reveal that they were no gods at all. Egypt was a wonder of the ancient world. God would bring her to her knees before He was finished, but nobody knew that in the moment. They only saw a greater workload with less resources, a situation that appeared to grow worse by the day. But, God planned a day of deliverance when all Egypt would say, “He is the Lord!”

Christian, "God works in mysterious ways!" Why? "His wonders to perform!"  This does not minimize our pain nor does it condemn us in our struggle to understand. It is a lifeline of truth thrown to us to pull us out of the murky waves of despair. He is sovereign, meaning that ultimately He rules without hindrance, His purpose always stand.  So, we can, we must, take great comfort in His mysterious ways, praying for faith to let the picture form, so that all we see it and say, “What a glorious God. I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights." (Habakkuk 3:18-19, NLT)

"God works in mysterious ways" is part of a hymn written by William Cowper in the 18th century. He struggled with depression for most of his life. In the depths of his pain, he wrote poems that were set to music, many becoming loved songs of the Church. One of the best known being There is A Fountain. The hymn from which this line is taken was his last. The story of the hymn's origin is fascinating though we cannot confirm it. "One night he de­cid­ed to com­mit su­i­cide by drown­ing him­self. He called a cab and told the driv­er to take him to the Thames Riv­er. How­ev­er, thick fog came down and pre­vent­ed them from find­ing the riv­er (ano­ther ver­sion of the story has the driv­er get­ting lost de­liber­ate­ly). After driv­ing around lost for a while, the cab­by fin­al­ly stopped and let Cow­per out. To Cowper’s sur­prise, he found him­self on his own door­step: God had sent the fog to keep him from kill­ing him­self. Even in our black­est mo­ments, God watch­es over us." – cyberhymnal.org

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

- Public Domain, William Cowper

Love Like Never Before

“I love you more than ever,” I tell Bev. Her illness draws us together. We cling to each other tightly.  Our prayers mingle along with our tears.  We are open, vulnerable, nothing between us, no hard words tolerated, no resentment left to simmer.  The adversity shifted other responsibilities to lesser levels and she is now my highest priority. She desires me to be there – in the morning when she wakens, through the night at her side. What a paradox that in our suffering and weakness we have found an even deeper love, a sweet tenderness. We cannot afford the luxury of independence from each other. My hope is that when this crisis is past, the new depth of love remains.

While pondering this, the Spirit whispered clearly into my heart: “That is one of the purposes of suffering in your life, Jerry. It allows Me to love you because you prioritize your relationship.”  How true! It is embarrassing to admit, but for these last three weeks, my prayers were much more fervent, my ears more attuned to His voice, my desire for His Presence more intense.  Oh, yes, I get angry, sad beyond words, and even fearful. However, instead of running from Him, in those times, I choose to cry out for Abba’s presence. As promised, there is an accompanying peace that settles over me.  Does God love me more today than He did three weeks ago?  No, but I am more open to Him, more reliant on Him.

The Psalm is my prayer. "Hurry with your answer, God! I’m nearly at the end of my rope. Don’t turn away; don’t ignore me! That would be certain death. If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice, I’ll go to sleep each night trusting in you. Point out the road I must travel; I’m all ears, all eyes before you." (Psalm 143:7-8, The Message) 

Paul found a deeper love for the Lord in times of trial, too. "We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us." (2 Corinthians 1:8-11, NLT)

Suffering can make us bitter or it can break our self-reliance, helping us to lean on the Lord and to love Him. Not every couple that hits a terrible time falls more deeply in love. Some blame, demand, accuse and their relationship fails. Not every Christian discovers a deeper grace. Some become angry with God.  That choice is our to make.  Will we trust and love? If so, we will find love in return.

The word from the Word today.  Meditate on it. "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do."
(Psalm 73:26-28, NLT)

_________________

How He Loves

He is jealous for me,
loves like a hurricane,

I am a tree

bending beneath

The weight of His wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden I am unaware of

These afflictions eclipsed by glory,

I realize just how beautiful You are,

And how great Your affections are for me.

He loves us!

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves.

We are His portion
and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption

by the grace in His eyes.

If grace is an ocean

we're all sinking,

So Heaven meets earth

Like a sloppy wet kiss,

And my heart turns

violently inside of my chest

I don't have time to

maintain these regrets

When I think about the way that

He loves us!

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us,

Oh, how He loves.

John Mark McMillan

© 2005 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing (IMI))

CCLI License # 810055

At the End of Optimism

“Think positive!” sounds good when a person is wrestling with some set of circumstances that can be changed with perseverance and courage. But, when the challenge is life and death, optimism has met its limit.  Death tosses aside our slogans and songs like a playful child throws a ragdoll. Bev and I wept together this morning as another long night ended with more weakness and pain.  It is cruel and unfair to ask her to ‘be brave,’ or to ‘be positive.’  We talked together about life and that eventually death comes to us all.  The fear of death cannot be overcome with a poem or an exhortation to positivity. 

Where optimism falls short, faith begins. Faith is greater because it is anchored to the word of God. (Just to be clear, she is not going to die right now. The context of our discussion was human mortality in general.)

What we need are ears that hear God’s Word!  At Judah’s darkest moment, when the armies surrounding Jerusalem were about to overwhelm the city’s defenses, we read that "King Zedekiah sent for him (Jeremiah, the prophet) and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there any word from the LORD?” (Jeremiah 37:17, NIV)  Spiritual deafness is an affliction in so many who want a God subservient to their desires.  From partial hearing comes false expectations.  When our expectations meet reality what results? We grow disillusioned and disappointed.  It is just a short hop from there to discouragement.  If we persist in holding onto our insistence that God must act in a way we desire, and we support that conclusion with select proof texts from the Bible,  we will form a ‘faith’ that is not real faith. What we have is presumption.  American Christians love this kind of religion.  God exists to make the outcomes they want happen.  Except that He does not!  When some challenge comes along that reveals the shallow ‘faith’ that is not truly anchored in His Person and Promise and they fall into despair.  

Job experienced a wonderful life in the blessing and favor of the LORD.  But, then came the days of loss.  He could not see the battle that raged in the spiritual realm around him.  Even when we read his story, we are aghast at the unfairness of it all when viewed from a purely human perspective. Even righteous Job comes to the end of his optimism and demands that God show up and explain Himself. 

Read the revelation of the Holy Word thoughtfully. "Then the Lord said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Then Job replied to the Lord, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand." (Job 40:1-4, NLT)   He learned that true faith is informed by knowing God in His fullness, in surrender that loves Him equally in life and death, times of great sorrow and triumph.

Are you merely optimistic about life, fond of saying “Jesus loves me” and confident that in that confession you will find only days of sunshine?

You are a great risk of disappointment, disillusionment, discouragement, and despair.

Worship Him in the beauty of His holiness. Seek to know Him fully, richly, faith-fully.  Go beyond knowing how quote the Bible to knowing the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ.  Listen to His word which never passes away.  “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, NIV) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." (John 14:1, NIV)

May we hear the whole Word of the Lord.

________________

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.

On Christ, the Solid Rock, I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

Edward Mote
Public domain

Be Patient With Me

The pain, stress, uncertainty of the last few days came calling for payment yesterday ‘round 5.  A tray in Bev’s hospital room jammed and that tiny ‘crisis’ triggered a flood of emotion in both of us.  A spark of impatience turned into some harsh words that led to silence;   then came the tears.  As we talked through our tears, I had a revelation of the importance of patience with others.  It’s not just us that are having a hard time. 

Thanks to the Curse of Sin there is an abundance of pain in this world, much of it carried by people who are alone, afraid, and crushed.  I am understanding Jesus’ description of the crowds who He said were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36, NIV)  Sometimes that sense of helplessness makes people difficult. Love’em anyway!

About a half hour after our tears in our room, I went to the cafeteria in the hospital. The girl at the register saw my red eyes and asked if was a hard day. When I said yes, she suddenly teared up and said, “Me, too.”  Then, she told me that her grandfather had died the week before.  She cried as she showed me pictures on her cell phone.  I asked if I could give her a hug and there we stood – embracing, two people in pain.  She took time to notice a man with red eyes! I took time to listen.  That interaction – perhaps no more than 2 minutes in time – left both of us richer.

It may be that the person who is hardest to get along with at work, your spouse who is quick to say hard words, your child who acts out – might be saying, “Be patient with me, life hurts right now.” The Word says that “Love is patient, love is kind. … it is not easily angered.” (1 Cor. 13:4)  Could it be that we are not patient with each other in part because we feel some need to fix things instead of listening?  We want to rush to set things right, to explain what ought to change. Perhaps we even presume to tell another why they are hurting so badly.  Yes, there is a time to correct; but love begins with listening, entering deeply into the heart of the other person. 

People are more than their problems or their production!  We are complex creatures – full of feelings, dreams, hopes – capable of love and hate, able to feel great joy and crushing sorrow.  No one can be understood in a few moments. We need to receive and to give patience that seeks to understand.  That kind of listening says, “I love YOU, not just what you can do for me.”  Perhaps I am just late to this party.  But, I am learning from my pain. I don’t want someone to ‘fix’ my problems.  They cannot.  But, I want to be heard, for that affirms my value as a person.  I pray that I will listen better in the future.

Listen, patiently, today!  Look that person in the eye and give them the time they need.  May our actions, more than our words, cause others to see the love of Jesus.

"I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.

Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me.
Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes." (Psalm 69:13-18, NIV)

Still my Abba after all these years

My kids (yes, the youngest is 32 so they are not really kids) have blessed their Mom and me in this time of illness.  They call, encourage, re-arrange schedules to help care for her.  Through sentimental tears I remember when they thought their Dad was the smartest guy in the world. They believed I could make anything better! They trusted me with their lives. It was my God-given responsibility (and privilege) to teach them about the world they lived in, how to interact with other people, the meaning of life, and even about God Himself.  Now they know, better than ever, that Dad is just an ordinary guy. They ask for advice but realize I’m not a god. (smile) They still trust me, but not in the same way they did when they were 5; and that is a very good thing!

I am Abba’s child and, unlike an earthly father-child relationship, never outgrew my faith in His omnipotence or omniscience.  Some Christians become more “sophisticated” in wisdom and knowledge and learn to 'explain away' the promises of God.  Certainly faith matures, but it should grow stronger, more central to our daily lives, not less.  Still, there is no denying that  our experiences in life require that we work at trusting Him, don't they?  His ways can be hard to understand, even more difficult to accept. 

King David wanted to do a good thing and bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. (The Ark was the symbolic dwelling place of God among His people.) His enthusiasm outran his knowledge and he failed to do it in the way God prescribed. Instead of putting the Ark on poles, carried on the shoulders of priests,  David put the Ark in a cart. When the cart shook on the bumpy road, Uzzah reached out to steady it and as he touched it, he died! Take note of how David reacted to this tragedy - "Then David got angry because of God’s deadly outburst against Uzzah. . . .David became fearful of God that day and said, "This Chest is too hot to handle. How can I ever get it back to the City of David?" (2 Samuel 6:8-9, The Message)  I know that fear. When I focus on my own needs, diminishing the wisdom of my Father, He terrifies me!

And, yes, too - when God acts in ways I cannot understand and/or allows things to happen that do not make sense, I can become angry, too. Yes, I will admit to asking, (not so humbly)  "Is this the way You treat those who love and serve You? Who will ever trust You if you let things like this happen to people who give themselves wholeheartedly to You?"   He is patient and His Holy Spirit gently tugs me back to trust. I hear Him urging,  "Jerry, let your mind and heart become child-like. I know what I am doing! Pray in faith. Take new solace from my promise of eternal life."

So, I will! The sorrow I feel is relieved when I choose to trust Abba’s wisdom and providence in a situation that appears to have no 'up' side, at all. On this side of Eternity our 'why questions' will have no apparent answers. We can demand that God give us a reason, and remain furious with Him, cutting ourselves off from knowing His peace and comfort. Or, we can pray for a child-like trust. That kind of no reservation trust is the road to maturity.  There is a childish, chirpy kind 'faith' chatter that some misunderstand for trusting God. That is just a cover for great insecurity, a way to get God to do what we want Him to do by saying things we don't really believe. I will settle myself as I hear His Word tell me again - “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think." (Isaiah 55:8-9, The Message)

Jesus urges us to become child-like in faith. "Unless you become like a little child, you will not enter the Kingdom of God." (Mark 10:15) How I pray for a heart that comes to my Lord with child-like simplicity, that trusts Him without arguing, that accepts each day from Him without demanding that He act differently! Child-like faith admits anger and frustration with His ways, but steps over the barrier of 'why' and trusts Him anyway and shows that trust with total obedience! Do you trust Him today? Really trust Him in a way that causes you to obey Him completely, even when the sinful nature screams to do things differently?

Here's a passage for your meditation today. May the Word inform your faith and make it strong today. "We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose, and he has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son, so that his Son would be the first of many children. God then accepted the people he had already decided to choose, and he has shared his glory with them. What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us?" (Romans 8:28-31, CEV) Amen.

_______

My faith has found a resting place,

Not in device nor creed.

I trust the Ever-living One,

His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument,

I need no other plea,

It is enough that Jesus died,

And that He died for me.

-          Public domain