When You Are Tired . . .

Yesterday I was tired;  The church’s budget is tight, people I care about are struggling, I had not slept well the night before, and yes;  it’s winter time. (When it is cold, icy, and skies are gray – every problem looks bigger to me.)  My fatigue led me to waste time in fantasy; “What if I were somewhere else, doing something else?” Yes, I admit it:  sometimes I slip into daydreams about an easier assignment in life. It is an escapist thing, and I don’t linger long in that fantasy land. It is a waste of time to do so!

Do you tire of the battle sometimes?  

Has some small problem come along  only to  become the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back?

Are you saying to yourself, “I’m fed up, done with this. I quit!”?

“I quit” is very tempting when we’re tired, when we have more problems than solutions, when too many things pile  up.  But, remember this – every quit must be followed by a ‘start’ and each time we start over, we have new mountains to climb. I suppose it is simplistic, but when I’m ready to throw in the towel I do a little self-talk and remind myself of two things:  problems are everywhere and it’s not heaven yet!

·         Marriages end sometimes because somebody get tired of dealing with all the little stuff.  It’s not some major failure like abuse or infidelity, it’s just battle fatigue that  breaks the covenant.  

·         People leave a promising career, not because their passion changes but because they find their supervisor intolerable, or they feel that they are not valued, or they get bored. “I quit,” sounds like a solution but on the other side of they find financial hardship or another situation with another set of challenges.  

·         Christian leave their church, not because there is heresy or major issues, but because they have a disagreement with a leader or their Pastor is going through a dry stretch and is boring to them.  They fail to think of the friendships they are leaving behind and the commitments to ministry they have made.

    

Perseverance is a quality of mature Christians. In my fatigue, the Spirit pointed me to this reminder- "Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:34-36, NIV)

The Bible speaks often about things such as patience, endurance, and longsuffering. Paul pushed through real hardship. Jesus got tired and so did His disciples. But, they did not quit. James says "Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail." (James 5:10-11, The Message)

The kingdom of God needs people who show up even when they don’t feel like it, who do what they’re called and equipped to do – faithfully and effectively - even when they’re bored or exhausted.  Christ needs steady men and women who are willing to say: “God called me. My feelings are secondary to my commitment. I’ll serve, I’ll stay, I’ll love – so help me God!” Those kind of disciples are key players, incredibly valuable, and the ones who get things done for God, often quietly and without accolades – but it matters little, for they serve for the joy of obedience, not for applause or even self-fulfillment.

Here’s some of the best encouragement you will ever get on the subject of commitment and endurance. "Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." (Hebrews 12:1-2, NLT)

Are you considering quitting-
your covenant with your spouse,
disciplining that teenage rebel who wears you down,

your ministry that seems to be fruitless right now,
a relationship that is hard,
your church?

Pray about it and tell the Lord how you feel. Your emotions are real, so don’t deny them. Then, listen carefully for the Spirit’s counsel. “Run with endurance!”

The word from the Word is an amazing promise for the weary, the battered, the bruised who remain faithful to the Lord: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:14-17, NIV)

____________

Am I a soldier of the cross,

A follower of the Lamb.

And shall I fear to own His cause,

Or blush to speak His name?

Sure I must fight if I would reign,

Increase my courage, Lord:

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,

Supported by Thy Word.

And when the battle's over
We shall wear a crown!

Yes, we shall wear a crown!
Yes, we shall wear a crown.

And when the battle's over,
We shall wear a crown

In the new Jerusalem.

When The Battle's Over

Watts, Isaac / Waters, Harriette / Lind, A.E.© Public Domain

When you pray for others

Back in 2010, when I was facing my first ever major surgery, several colleagues got together and came to pray for me.  I still ‘hear’ their voices raised in petition on my behalf and the memory  is a blessing. When my Mom was alive, I know she prayed for me everyday, too. Her prayer was not just a simple “Lord, bless Jerry today.”  She asked wisdom, favor, protection, and the Power of the Spirit for me. I miss her prayers. 

Daniel prayed for the restoration of his people and the city of his birth. In chapter 9 of the book that bears his name, the old man has opened the scroll of Jeremiah, reading the words God inspired, that the exile of the Jews would end after 70 years.  The promise stirred him. He realized, as we all should, that that promises of God wait for our faith.  We are partners with the Lord in bringing Heaven’s declarations to earth. We own and express His will in this world. Jesus, in the disciple’s prayer, taught us to pray – “May your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”   His comes Kingdom in us and through us.

So, Daniel cries out to God with a heart that is passionate and broken: "O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” (Daniel 9:19, NIV)  The prayer is a beautiful lesson for every intercessor. There are two parts of his prayer worth noting. 

First is that his expectation is based on the faithfulness and justice of the Lord. “Lord, you are righteous … The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving … Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill.”   Do your prayers argue with God, accusing Him of failing to do what you think He should have done?  From our perspective, limited as it is, we can sometimes slip into a feeling that He is cruel, or that He ignores us, or that He simply failed to act.  God never fails. We pray best for others when we believe He is a good God, a faithful God.

Second, Daniel identified with those for whom he prayed.  Repeatedly, he includes himself in confession.  “We have rebelled… we have not obeyed … our sins have made us an object of scorn.”   True Intercessors stand between Heaven and Earth.  A man defined intercession as ‘having one hand on God’s shoulder and the other on your friend’s shoulder, making the connection.’  That’s a great image, isn’t it?  We will not pray well for those from whom we stand to one side pointing the finger of judgment!  “Get’em God,” is not the best intercession, is it?  Jesus saved us, not from some distant place, but by becoming fully Man, tasting every experience, and ultimately becoming sin for us that we might receive the righteousness of God through Him.  When you pray for others do your prayers judge or do you stand with those in need?

Our world needs intercessors! What if those trapped by sin, living in rebellion heard us praying for them with earnest tears instead of condemnation? Might that open their heart to God’s love?  Surely God loves this world.  Surely His desire is not to condemn but to save, not to destroy but to restore. Will we take hold of His promise and pray it into this world?

Christians, we are called to be a holy priesthood. Peter describes us as "a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9, NLT)  The primary function of a priest is to mediate the things of God to the people of his ministry.  Joel describes the ministry of intercession this way.  "The priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, will stand between the people and the altar, weeping. Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord! They belong to you, so don’t let them become an object of mockery. Don’t let their name become a proverb of unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Where is the God of Israel? He must be helpless!’ ” Then the Lord will pity his people and be indignant for the honor of his land!" (Joel 2:17-18, NLT)  

Let’s pray for others, our faith founded on God’s love and our hearts touched by the plight of those who are in desperate need. There is no greater work we can do for others than to pray fervently and faithfully for them.

Here’s the word from the Word, taken from Daniel’s prayer.  "We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—… The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. … The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath … “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name." (Daniel 9:5-19, NIV)

____________________

What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply “patched up.” We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God.

- Oswald Chambers

When You Are Hungry

In our land of plenty food is abundant, so much so that we are becoming a fat nation, with many health problems that are rooted in eating too much of the wrong kinds of food!  Cheap, fat-filled, sugary, and calorie-laden foods fill our stomachs but do not satisfy our hunger, causing us to eat more than we need.  Despite being 'full' we still 'feel' hungry.   It’s not just our bodies that can be fed junk food. Our souls go unsatisfied when we try to fill that longing for God with cheap substitutes.  Endless pleasure,  nights packed with entertainment,  houses full of things; even experiences for our physical desires cannot quiet the cry of a hungry heart.

In a great chapter, packed with promises first written to the people of ancient Jerusalem, now given to those who part of God’s covenant through Christ, we are given an invitation to a feast!   "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live."  (Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV)

Let’s be honest.  The cheap thrills of the devil’s table have an immediate appeal!  Sin is fun and full of allure.  It can difficult to understand that the hunger of our soul will be satisfied by knowing God, by opening our heart and mind to His Presence, by pursuing the way to which He points us.    It is much easier to get our kicks, to be emotionally stimulated, by the hype and fun of life in the fast lane. But, after feasting on the cheap stuff, the craving renews and, in addition to the hunger, we now have regrets.

That passage continues, after giving us the invitation, by urging us to take another look at how we are trying to satisfy our souls. "Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6, NLT)  His way is a wholly different way. “My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT)

Think of the lesson like this.  The flavors in a salty, fat-laden potato chip are not subtle. They are easily appreciated and consuming a bag of them demands little in the way of trained palate. But, they are largely empty calories and do not really satisfy hunger.  So a person living on them will eat way too much.  A balanced meal – with complex flavors and varying types of food – asks a little more of us.  A plate of greens, a serving of meat, a hearty full-grain bread does not disappear into our stomach as easily as those chips, but when we are finished with that meal, our hunger is satisfied.

How are you satisfying your soul's hunger?   
Are you stuffing yourself, spending your resources on one thing after another, only to find that the hunger persists?

Turn to God!  Receive Christ, and pursue His ways.    
Let the Holy Spirit give you an appetite for the Word and for worship (which by the way does not just happen in church buildings) so that you will eat and be satisfied.  The Spirit sums up His appeal in Isaiah 55 with a promise of JOY expressed in rich metaphor.  Yes, feasting at God’s table, living on His Word, brings a quality of life that extends to all things. "That’s how it is with my words. They don’t return to me without doing everything I send them to do.” When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace. Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by, and trees will clap." (Isaiah 55:11-12, CEV)

Here's a word from the Word, a prayer for those who hunger. 
"O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.My soul thirsts for you;my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

 I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!

I will praise you as long as I live,lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

You satisfy me more than the richest feast.I will praise you with songs of joy." (Psalm 63:1-5, NLT)

_____________________

 Hungry, I come to YouFor I know You satisfy.I am empty,But I know Your loveDoes not run dry.

And so I wait for You,So I wait for You.

I'm falling on my kneesOffering all of me.Jesus, You're allThis heart is living for.

Hungry

Kathryn Scott

© 1999 Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire) (Admin. by Mercy / Vineyard Publishing)

CCLI License No. 810055

Where is my peace?

Nothing could settle my mind.  Old thoughts swirled like muddy currents of a flooding stream.  I found myself inappropriately angry over a minor inconvenience. The words on the page of the book I held were just that – words. Thankfully, there was a driveway covered with ice and snow waiting to be cleared! The labor gave me a place to focus, a way to forget the inner storm, for a couple of hours while I prayed inwardly to find the peace of God once again.

Isaiah invites us to enter the promise of God. "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10, NIV)  The peace of which the Scripture speaks is not simply the absence of fighting, it is a state of being. 

“Shalom” is the Hebrew word and it is about being whole, made complete, having a tranquil mind, and enjoying a place of prosperity!  The context of the promise is about the restoration of Jerusalem after her destruction by invaders.  God speaks and says that though He allowed her to experience His anger, it was but a moment. Now she would be made whole.  She would rejoice like a woman abandoned by her husband who finds new love. “For your Maker is your bridegroom, his name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth. You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief, and God welcomed you back, like a woman married young and then left,” says your God.” (Isaiah 54:5-6 The Message)

Paul teaches Christians that they are brought into that promise, that the covenant of peace belongs to us through Christ, for we are brought into God’s favor by Him! "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise." (Galatians 4:28, ASV)

So let me ask it again – are you entering into the promise of God, living in His holy peace, the ‘shalom’ of holy covenant?

The ‘peace’ exists, but we must possess it!  When the affections of our heart are misplaced on the things of this earth, we become unsettled, confused, torn between two loves- Self and God. We need not be terrible sinners to find the peace of God lost.  When fatigue builds, when physical illness overtakes us, when pressures mount with multiple responsibilities, when disappointment finds us and hangs on doggedly – we may find ourselves in a storm.  But God is God and His holy Shalom is still real.  Will we enter into it?

Richard Foster teaches about ‘centering’ ourselves. When our situation in life appears to be careening towards disaster it is counter to every natural desire to step away, to take up the discipline of waiting on the Lord, but that is exactly where peace can be discovered.  We need to be re-centered on Jesus but the process can be so hard.  Though it may seem clichéd to say, we must be willing to ‘let go and let God be God.’ To be honest, when our minds are filled with tumbling thoughts and fears, being quiet and alone is probably the last thing we want to do.  Why? Because we have no distraction or sense of control.  We want to run to something, someone, somewhere that drowns out the noise of our fears.  God, the Holy Spirit, invites us to enter in, to stand before Him, and allow His peace to overtake us.  We may feel like Elijah who stood on the mountainside – through an earthquake and a tempest of wind- before he heard the ‘gentle whisper’  of the Lord.  (1 Kings 19:10-12)

Here’s the word from the Word. Meditate on it. If you are without peace today, spend time with Him, and quietly wait out the storm.  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:6-10, NIV)

Amen

When We Fail . . .

Sometimes big changes come on the heels of a single choice.  In the SuperBowl last night, with just seconds to go, it appeared almost certain that the Seahawks would be the champions. They were just a yard from the goal line. Their amazing running back, Marshawn Lynch, consistently ran through the Patriots defense.  A short run would have given them the winning touchdown.  Unbelievably, somebody called for a pass instead of a run. That pass that was intercepted by the Patriots and there went the championship!  The decision to pass the ball instead of running it will be debated and second-guessed for days. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

I have made a few of those kind of mistakes, big and life-altering, in my life.  How about you? Paul has wisdom we all need for times like that. “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:13)  His counsel is not that we forget the lessons of failure, but that we leave the regret behind and focus on present.  The past can, and often does, paralyze us.  Some become bitter, unable to forgive themselves or others.  Some become fearful, afraid of making the same mistake again. Others hide in shame, as if a singular choice is the total definition of who they are.  Leave it behind, the Word says, and look forward.

Jesus’ story about son who made a spectacular mistake (and that word is not nearly strong enough). He rejected his father’s love, took his inheritance and went off to party heartily. Broke, hungry, and full of shame he hatched a plan to go back home, but not to be a son.  “I’ll just ask Dad if I can work on the farm,” he thought, “because then at least I’ll be safe and fed.”  Off he went and when he approached home, he was shocked to find his dad waiting for his return.  The old man did not heap shame on the awful son.  I cannot read the next phrase without becoming full of emotion: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)  It’s Jesus’ everyman story…. For me, for you. God is not waiting to play a gotcha game with us. He’s longing for us to turn around and come home to His embrace – again and again, because His love is deeper than the ocean.

“God rewards failure,” You ask? No, but He responds with mercy and grace to humble confession and heart-felt repentance.  Paul, once known as Saul, persecuted Christians and vehemently rejected Christ Jesus. His past was ugly, his actions worse than regrettable.  Yet, he writes to us reminding us of God’s amazing grace and transformation that is possible to those who believe and receive:  "The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." (1 Timothy 1:14-16, NIV)

Stuck in the past?
Feeling disqualified and unworthy of God’s blessings?  

The scandalous grace of Christ offers a new start with a new heart.  Here’s the word from the Word. "I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength! " …  "We neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing" ((Ephesians 1:15-19, 2:10, The Message)

____________

 A New Name In Glory

I was once a sinner but I came

Pardon to receive from my Lord.

This was freely given and I found

That He always kept His word.

In the Book 'tis written,

“Saved by grace!”

O the joy that came to my soul.

Now I am forgiven and I know

By the blood I am made whole.

There's a new name

Written down in glory,

And it's mine,

O yes, it's mine.

And the white-robed

Angels sing the story,

“A sinner has come home.”

For there's a new name

Written down in glory,

And it's mine,

O yes, it's mine.

With my sins forgiven

I am bound for heaven,

Nevermore to roam!

Charles Austin Miles

© Words: Public Domain