'til the storm passes by

A man visited our little church when I was a teen and the song he sang that day has stuck in my head. I can hear his gravely voice singing, “’Til the storm passes over, ‘til the thunder rolls no more … Hold me fast, let me stand- in the hollow of Thy hand. Keep me safe ’til the storm passes by.” Ted was not much of a singer, but I suppose it was his earnestness that made that old song so memorable for me. As he sang it, tears streamed down his face. Even though I was young, I knew that it more than a song to him. It was a desperate plea of his heart. Who knows what storm he was enduring?

Last night, as I waited for news from Florida where three of my four children live, the song looped in my mind, a prayer for their safety. Imagine my joy this morning when text messages announced that they are fine, their businesses intact!  The hurricane moved several miles to the east, sparing their area from devastation.

Storms are part of life, aren’t they? And they do not not always come as wind or rain!  Relationships become stormy, full of angry words and tempestuous emotions. 
Health fails and we go through the storm of pain and sometimes even death. 
Temptation comes, blowing over us. 
Doubt and fear comes like a tornado, ripping at everything we thought to be secure.

And, we are not always brave, are we? Jesus’ disciples experienced a storm even as He slept in the back of their boat. The real danger brought acute terror. "As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”  (Luke 8:23-25, NIV)  That storm story comforts me by reminding me that my Savior is the Lord of all the storms.

But, He does not always choose to calm the winds, does He?

Luke wrote of a storm that caught up another boat, this one carrying Paul to Rome for his trial. For days the storm raged, the ship driven by the winds, cargo jettisoned, sailors fearful. Finally, after two long weeks, the ship ran aground and the waves beat it to pieces on the shores of Malta. Paul survived the wreck. We might ask where the Lord was for him. Why did one storm hear the Lord’s voice and cease and another blow over one of His children for two weeks and destroy the ship? I wish I knew the answer!

The hurricane that shifted a few miles east  last night, leaving West Palm Beach without serious damage, also caused several hundreds of people to die a day earlier in the Caribbean islands. It continues to blow along the coasts of Florida with catastrophic damages still possible.  We tend to rush to judgment, forming quick opinions about the faith and/or prayers of those who are spared and those who suffer. Over two years that Bev and I lived in the tempest of her cancer that ultimately ended her life here on earth, my faith was battered. Why wasn’t she healed? Was my faith inadequate? Did we do something that caused the Lord to refuse our pleas?  Those questions are not the right ones for people in storms. Our focus in not on ourselves, but on Him. Our faith does not rest on ‘’faith” but on His Person.

And we hold onto hope – that He is the Lord who delivers some of us from the storm and walks with others through it. Sometimes He speaks to the wind – Be still! - and sometimes He speaks to our heart- Be still!

Will we trust Him ‘til the storm passes over? The word from the Word is a story about the purposes of God. If you are looking for simple answers, it is not a story you will like. If you want a faith that rests solidly on the Person and Purpose of God, then read on and let your heart be comforted.

"Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. 
His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?”

Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do.

We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s Light.”

He said this and then spit in the dust, made a clay paste with the saliva, rubbed the paste on the blind man’s eyes, and said, “Go, wash at the Pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “Sent”). The man went and washed—and saw. Soon the town was buzzing." (John 9:1-8, The Message)

“Look for what God can do!”  For some, He stills the storm. And some, He leads through the storm. Lord, find us faithful, wherever You may lead. Amen.

____________

'Til The Storm Passes By

'Til the storm passes over
'Til the thunder sounds no more
'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky
Hold me fast let me stand
In the hollow of Thy hand
Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by

In the dark of the midnight
Have I oft hid my face
While the storms howl above me
And there's no hiding place
'Mid the crash of the thunder
Precious Lord hear my cry
Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by

Many times Satan whispered
There is no use to try
For there's no end of sorrow
There's no hope by and by
But I know Thou art with me
And tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies

When the long night has ended
And the storms come no more
Let me stand in Thy presence
On that bright peaceful shore
In that land where the tempest never comes
Lord may I dwell with Thee
When the storm passes by

Mosie Lister © 1973 Mosie Lister Songs (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Southern Faith Songs (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) CCLI License # 810055

Those Muttered Prayers

“Oh, God.” The words were a sigh of my soul, yet they were a prayer from my heart that looked to Him for strength. Sometimes our deepest prayers are those that are simplest, almost wordless. Ever see two people deeply in love look at one another? As their eyes meet, a message transmits affirming, longing, loving. Bev and I communicated across crowded rooms that way.  When I was preaching, our gaze would meet and I could ‘hear’ her saying, “I believe in you!”  I would see her show up at an event and my look told her, “You’re my beautiful lady!”

David wrote of coming before the Lord in the early morning. He was beaten up by foes. Remember, he was a king and nobody leads without making some enemies along the way. The opening words of his morning prayer inspire me. "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray." (Psalm 5:1-2, NIV)  “Consider my sighing.”  David’s words in the Hebrew song were much richer than our English translation.  A more literal translation would be “Lord, understand the meaning of a my heart’s murmurs, my muttering about these things!”  Many enemies, many leadership challenges, many problems to solve left his soul heavy, his prayers more like quiet sighs!   Oh friend, I know that place, do you?

Paul assures us that the Holy Spirit is present in those moments. "Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God." (Romans 8:26-27, The Message)

Prayer is sometimes just that upward gaze that waits for His Presence with the sure knowledge that He is listening and that He knows us. What comfort there is in simply being known.  Many times what I desire of another more than a solution is to be ‘known,’ just accepted and loved. And, He offers that to us.

After David makes his entreaty for God’s ear, he remembers the sinfulness that surrounds him and probably even his own failures. He acknowledges the seriousness of sin, saying "You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell." (Psalm 5:4, NIV) So, how does he hope to enter His presence?  He knows the Father’s heart, the mercy that is available to those who repent, trust, and love!  "But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple." (Psalm 5:7, NIV)  Mercy – what a concept. It is grace in action. Grace is the impulse to love those underserving of it. Mercy is the act of forgiving, embracing, and extending a hand.  My God, ever gracious, mercifully offers an open door to me.

From those early morning prayers, David emerged with a whole new perspective, an eager anticipation of seeing God at work around Him. His sighs give way to celebration!  "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield." (Psalm 5:11-12, NIV)

Dear friend, are there things in you too deep to express in words? Are there frustrations that defy your best efforts? Is there some regret that reappears each morning to shame you? Is there an unfulfilled longing that darkens the dawn? Is there … yes, it is only too human to feel need.  But our Abba invites us to come and find mercies in His Presence, even in answer to a sigh that is directed heavenward.

Here is a word from the Word.  Let it inspire you to hang onto Jesus. "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord." (Lamentations 3:22-26, NLT)

____________

Mighty To Save

Ev’ryone needs compassion
Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Ev’ryone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

Saviour He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find meAll my fears and failuresFill my life againI give my life to followEv’rything I believe inNow I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King
Jesus
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King

Ben Fielding | Reuben Morgan © 2006 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) CCLI License # 810055

Stubborn or Committed? A little of both

“I’ll give you this,” he said to me, “you are a ‘finisher.’”  His words were a compliment, noting my willingness to hang with difficult tasks until I saw them to completion. Others have seen the same trait of determination in me through a different lens, less complimentary, and called me ‘stubborn.’  So which am I, stubborn or committed? I suppose I am a little of both. How about you?

In a culture where plot lines develop to a conclusion within an hour-long drama,  we look for quick solutions to our problems. For some, the idea that staying with a challenging situation to work for a solution through time measured in years rather than days is incomprehensible.  Yet, the core of the Christian experience is discipleship, following Jesus for a lifetime as the Holy Spirit creates the character of Christ in us. It is not a ‘once and done’ experience. It is not a Sunday only religion. It is a journey!

Eugene Peterson, translator of The Message, a beloved contemporary paraphrase of the Bible, published a little book in 1980 called A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.  Using the annual pilgrimage of the Jews to Jerusalem for Passover and the Psalms (120-134) called the songs of ascent. These songs were music for the road used by pilgrims as they went ‘up’ to the holy festival. They reflect on the nature of life – disappointment, anticipation, hope, failure, and the goodness of God.  Peterson launched the book from a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche: "The essential think 'in heaven and earth' is… that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living."  In his pastoral work, Peterson who served a congregation for decades, realized that God’s call was for the long haul, that preaching the Gospel and leading the people of the Lord involved seeing past next Sunday all the way to Heaven!  The work of turning saints into sinners was a long process involving multiple disciplines - repentance, providence, worship, service, help, security, joy, work, happiness, perseverance, hope, humility, obedience, community and blessing.

Christian, we need to pray to grasp that our calling is not to discover a wonderful flash of inspiration each Sunday or to chase down the ‘latest and greatest’ spiritual experience. We need to fall to our knees to declare our desperate need of salvation and rise to face Heaven while we ‘work out our salvation’ day by day, in times of celebration, through dark valleys, with victories and defeats. Along the way we will wrestle with temptation, discover joy unspeakable, become tired, retreat, advance, and always remain committed to a long obedience in the same direction. Sometimes the vision of Jesus and His Heaven will be crystal clear.  And, for days and even months, His face may be hidden by our doubts or fears. Yet, we press on!

The word from the Word today is from those songs of ascent.  Let the ancient voices of those pilgrims echo in your ears as you remember the faithfulness of the God who called you to follow Him to life.

" A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help.
Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer.
Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?

But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.

I am counting on the Lord;

yes, I am counting on him.

I have put my hope in his word.

I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn,

yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

O Israel, hope in the Lord;

for with the Lord there is unfailing love.

His redemption overflows.

He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin." (Psalm 130, NLT)

Be a finisher- for God’s sake!

______________

Counting On God

Well, I'm in a fight not physical

And I'm in a war, but not with this world.

And You are the light that's beautiful

And I want more, I want all that's Yours.

Joy unspeakable that won't go away

And just enough strength to live for today-

So I never have to worry

What tomorrow will bring

'Cause my faith is on solid rock;

I am counting on God!

I'm counting on, I'm counting on God!

I'm counting on, I'm counting on God!

I'm counting on, I'm counting on God!

I'm counting on, I'm counting on God!

And the miracle of Christ in me

Is the mystery that sets me free.

I'm nothing like I used to be.

Just open up your eyes you'll see.

Joy unspeakable that won't go away

And just enough strength to live for today-

So I never have to worry

What tomorrow will bring

'Cause my faith is on solid rock;

I am counting on God!

Jared Anderson

© 2007 Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (IMI))

CCLI License # 810055

Jerry D. Scott, Pastor

Faith Discovery Church

www.FaithDiscovery.com

"I Can't Do This Any Longer"

"I’m so done. I can’t do this any longer.”  Have you ever said those words – about a job, about a relationship? Me, too!  Situations come our way that test every bit of resolve in us. The high value on personal happiness that is so basic to our American way of life makes it difficult for us to understand that we need to stick with things, seeing them to completion.  Oh, yes there is a time to walk away, but that is for another blog post. Today I want us to think about pursuing God’s purposes through those tough times!

Joseph, whose story is told in the later chapters of Genesis, is a life lesson in “finishing through faith.” As a teenager, he heard a promise from the Lord about his future. He saw only the glory, without a clue about the suffering the 25 years, more or less, that stood between him and the fulfillment of his dream.  He went through slavery, false accusation of sexual assault, imprisonment, and being completely forgotten. But, he is a study in being the best he could be in each of those places. He endured, not just stubbornly, but hopefully and faithfully. I am sure that Joseph wept, he was not a machine. I know that the rejections he experienced hurt, yet he choose to look beyond those moments and to serve the Lord – in humble places, in hard places, in situations he would not have chosen for himself.  Many years later, he named his sons with Hebrew names that honored the Lord.  His first son, he called Manasseh, which means “Made to forget.” His second son, he called “Ephraim” which means, “Doubly fruitful.”  Every time he called those boys, he was thanking the Lord for bringing him through decades of difficulty!

Are you wrestling with obedience to God’s call today?
Are you ready to walk out of your marriage?
Are you in a dry time spiritually and thinking of just quitting your service, leaving church, and putting your Bible on the bookshelf to collect dust?

Have you said to yourself, “I can’t do this any longer”?

I understand that and so does the Lord! You are not the first to feel like you have exceeded all limits of endurance. Many have experienced the temptation to quit.

Before you do, would you be willing to commit yourself to Him again? Ask for His will, not yours. Like our Savior, tell the Lord about your pain, your sorrow, your disappointment and exhaustion.  Jesus said, “Father, let this cup pass from me.”  He was tempted to leave the mission of saving the world, but instead followed up with those famed words, “Not my will, but Yours.”  It is not an easy choice to lay down your own life and to embrace His will. There is grace to be found in there, strength to endure.  Do not think of endurance as gritted teeth and sheer determination.  Endurance can be based in faith and through that faith be a place of hope and expectation of a life that is “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Eph 3:20)

Here is a word from the Word. They were written by Paul, who stayed with his call, through persecution, rejection, and disappointing results.  May his courage and faith strengthen us today. “That’s why I stick it out here—so that everyone God calls will get in on the salvation of Christ in all its glory. This is a sure thing: If we die with him, we’ll live with him; If we stick it out with him, we’ll rule with him; If we turn our backs on him, he’ll turn his back on us; If we give up on him, he does not give up— for there’s no way he can be false to himself. ” (2 Timothy 2:10-13, The Message)

______________

Trust In You (Listen to the song at this link)

Letting go of every single dreamI lay each one down at Your feetEvery moment of my wonderingNever changes what You see

 I’ve tried to win this war I confessMy hands are weary I need Your restMighty warrior King of the fightNo matter what I face You’re by my side

 When You don’t move the mountainsI’m needing You to moveWhen You don’t part the watersI wish I could walk throughWhen You don’t give the answersAs I cry out to YouI will trust I will trustI will trust in You

 Truth is You know what tomorrow bringsThere’s not a day ahead You have not seenSo in all things be my life and breathI want what You want Lord and nothing less

 You are my strength and comfortYou are my steady handYou are my firm foundationThe Rock on which I standYour ways are always higherYour plans are always goodThere’s not a place where I’ll goYou’ve not already stood

Lauren Ashley Daigle | Michael Farren | Paul Mabury© 2014 Farren Love And War Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (IMI)) Integrity’s Alleluia! Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (IMI)) Flychild Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC) CentricSongs (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

A Monday morning ‘to do’ list

A few moments ago, while my coffee brewed, I took out a pad of notepaper labeled “To do.”   In about 30 seconds, I made a list of things that need to be done on this ‘day off’ and then I put some numbers beside each task so I would do the most important things first. It includes getting an oil change for the Jeep, making an important phone call, grocery shopping, and doing laundry (washing machine growling in background as I type).  I live on the wild side, don’t I?   (smile)  As much as we are tempted to let it all go sometimes, the best life is the result of being responsible, choosing the right priorities for the day.  I am thankful for notepads, smartphones, and calendars that help me to sort out my life into the ‘must do,’ ‘should do,’ ‘could do,’ and ‘someday I hope to do’ categories.

This first day of a new week brings one universal reminder for us all!  Peter writes “Now, don’t forget the most important thing” in chapter 3 of his second letter, he reminds us to always keep the promise of the Coming of the Lord in mind. "You must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment." (2 Peter 3:8-10, NLT)

Let’s not be tricked by that delusion that tells us our present life is endless. Spiritual matters are easily pushed down the list of priorities, aren’t they?  But the Word assures us that God will wrap up history – perhaps in our death, perhaps by the Return of His Son in glorious power. One way or another, each of us faces a finish line and a moment of accountability. This fact is equally  awful and awesome. It is awful for those who have delayed obedience to the will of God, thinking that there will always be a tomorrow to get things in order. It is awesome for those who have looked forward and lived faithfully, responsibly with Christ and His rule a first-line priority.  At that moment, every expectation will be met, every hope fulfilled, the rich reward of the righteousness realized in full!

Many a sinful decision, many regrettable acts, occur because someone has forgotten that they will be held accountable, that the circumstances of this moment will change. If we fail to calculate the consequences of today’s choices, we will live as fools! Wisdom is born in the realization that what we do today plants the seeds from which tomorrow grows! Peter asks, "Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life?" (2 Peter 3:11, The Message)

Remember this, dear Christian. There is no need to live in terror over the brief nature of this earthly life. Jesus has prepared us an eternal home. A profound understanding of that destiny will be an empowering thought today, pushing us to live well, to leave behind the sinful, the silly, the superficial and to embrace the treasure that cannot be lost or corrupted by time’s passing. A person who knows his mortality goes deeper in the pursuit of Christ.

Why wait for a dramatic event to make better choices? Take the wisdom of the Word to heart and start to live with the end in sight, not fearfully but hopefully! "And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved." (2 Peter 3:14-15, NLT)

Here is a word from the Word. They were penned by Paul just before his life ended in Rome.  May they be words we can say when our race is nearly over, because we have made the best choices each day because we have an eternal point of view. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NKJV)

______________

Here's My Heart (click to listen)

Here's my heart Lord

Here's my heart Lord

Here's my heart Lord

Speak what is true

'Cause I am found I am Yours

I am loved I'm made pure

I have life I can breathe

I am healed I am free

'Cause You are strong You are sure

You are life You endure

You are good always true

You are light breaking through

Here's my heart Lord

Here's my heart Lord

Here's my heart Lord

Speak what is true

Here's my life Lord

Here's my life Lord

Here's my life Lord

Speak what is true

Speak what is true

Speak what is true

You are more than enough

You are here You are love

You are hope You are grace

You're all I have You're everything

Chris Tomlin | Jason Ingram | Louie Giglio © S. D. G. Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Sixsteps Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055