Keep the faith!

 

An article I read recently observed that a Christian faces a new kinds of spiritual challenges in their 50’s or 60’s that can provoke a loss of Christian practice and diminished faith. The writer surveyed 500 self-professed Christians of that age group about their church involvement. More than half reported that they were no longer involved regularly in church worship or service. For some the availability of more resources and increased recreation drew them away.  For others it was a general disillusionment that came from experiencing church dysfunction and politics. Some felt there was no place for them in a church often focused on families. For others it was dealing with sickness and/or the death of parents or more responsibilities at work.  

The fact is that all of us, regardless of age, struggle with seasons when faith wavers under the weight of loss or disappointment, but for mature Christians that doubt can be surprise, an unexpected development. 

In such times, we need to dig deep,  mining the confidence that was ours in days past, patiently waiting for the renewal of our heart by the Spirit.

The Old Testament book of Job tells us about his trials, horrific tragic losses of family, wealth, and health. The writer brings us Job’s conversations with God and three friends as they struggle to make sense of life and the will of God. As Job sat in agony of body and soul, he cursed the day he was born. “Obliterate the day I was born. Blank out the night I was conceived! Let it be a black hole in space. May God above forget it ever happened. Erase it from the books! " (Job 3:3-4, The Message)  I’d say that is good evidence of a man experiencing a crisis, wouldn’t you?

His friends often got it wrong, but following Job’s outburst of anger his friend Eliphaz the Temanite got this much right. He encouraged Job to recall times of the past when he had offered encouragement to others and to renew his hope in the Lord. “In the past you have encouraged many a troubled soul to trust in God; you have supported those who were weak. Your words have strengthened the fallen; you steadied those who wavered. But now when trouble strikes, you faint and are broken. Does your reverence for God give you no confidence? Shouldn’t you believe that God will care for those who are upright?" (Job 4:3-6, NLT)

Can you identify with that? Have you, once strong in faith, found yourself wavering, pulling back from worship, no longer engaging in serving others in His Name?
REMEMBER and REFOCUS! 

There is real joy to be rediscovered when we remember times that we were useful to God and others. Perhaps it was preparing a meal, or sitting with a broken-hearted friend, or offering a shoulder to cry on. Perhaps it was a time when we gave our time and effort to help in a specific mission. Maybe it was a hidden thing that we knew was the last push that brought success. Remember and give thanks! 

With mid-life comes a subtle temptation to think that we can manage life on our own. We tend to think that we need less counsel, that we are capable and experienced. In one sense that is true, but we never outgrow the need to rely on God with a child-like faith.  When the storms come, and they will; when faith is challenged and the things we thought we firmly believed come into question, and it will; it is time to go back to the core truth – God’s love shown us in Christ Jesus, the one thing that remains.

Paul, himself a mature Christian who experienced many difficulties, draws on the metaphor of the marathon runner urging steadiness, discipline, and eternal perspective. He says "Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NLT)

Here is a word from the Word. May it shoot some spiritual adrenaline into our souls today. "Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." (Hebrews 10:35-36, NLT)   Steady and faithful! Amen.

(Video of this blog at this link)

_______________

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

(Carrie Underwood will bless you with this hymn)

 

Great is Thy faithfulness

O God my Father

There is no shadow

Of turning with Thee

Thou changest not

Thy compassions they fail not

As Thou hast been

Thou forever wilt be

 

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness

Morning by morning

New mercies I see

All I have needed

Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness

Lord unto me

 

Summer and winter

And springtime and harvest

Sun moon and stars

In their courses above

Join with all nature

In manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness

Mercy and love

 

Pardon for sin

And a peace that endureth

Thy own dear presence

To cheer and to guide

Strength for today

And bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine

With ten thousand beside

 

Thomas Obediah Chisholm | William Marion Runyan

© Words: Public Domain

For God’s Sake

 

 

After being elected to head an organization, it came to my attention that some ‘insiders’ were using their positions to gain personal perks. It probably was not illegal, but it certainly was unethical. With that knowledge came a choice!  Do I change the ways things are being done and risk the wrath of those who were profiting or just ‘look the other way’ like others had done?  I took the matter to prayer and the Spirit impressed me with the story of Daniel whose integrity led him into some hard places. As you might expect, my choices did not win applause!  I was accused of being ‘such a Boy Scout,’ of being naïve, of ‘not understanding the way the game is played.’  Today I remember it with a smile, and thank God for His wisdom and courage.

Jesus said, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." (Matthew 5:10, NLT)  From where we sit it looks like the ‘bad guys’ win sometimes, doesn’t it?  Our brave and faithful prayers do not always produce an immediate victory or the appearance of positive change.  

 Daniel’s choice got him thrown into the lion’s den. When I first heard that dramatic story in my Sunday School class as a little boy, gazing on those cut-out pictures pressed onto a flannel board in a little church in Iowa, I was wowed. Her voice earnestly told us about Daniel’s faithfulness to God, about his prayers, and the terrible people who hated him so much that they conspired to have him tossed to the lions.   She told it with such passion that my little heart pounded and I wondered if “that good man was eaten up?”   The Sunday School version has God showing up to shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel emerging from the danger like a conquering hero.  “Yea!” I cheered.  Faith grew in me and I learned to trust the Lord.

With maturity, there is another lesson that emerges from the story too subtle for a little child.  God allowed Daniel to enter the lion’s den for a greater purpose. Temporarily, evil seemed to win. He spent a long night alone with lion’s snarling and snapping an arm’s length away!  But, Daniel’s integrity was so notable, his faith so unquestionable, that even the pagan king shared his hope of ultimate salvation!   Key verses summarize the story -  "So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” (Daniel 6:16, NIV)   "At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:19-20, NIV)

The Almighty God reveals Himself to a pagan king through the suffering of Daniel!

Are you living in the lion’s den of life right now?  

Has the Lord, your loving Father, allowed you to live with suffering, or defeat, or circumstances that defy your best efforts to turn them around?

Pray for rescue! He is a good God and He weeps with us in our hard times. But, also remember that it may be His will to leave you there for a long night, for His own purposes.  “Come on, Jerry, that is not fair.”  Yes, I understand that and I weep with you. I have known life close to sorrow, in the presence of pain, too.  In those dark days, my preference would have been that He would show up with a miracle and make it all right. But, the greater thing is that through trust and faith, He will always be able to use me to reveal Himself as the Lord of all through my steady faith, my hope, and my obedience.

Peter introduces a key thought about being persecuted that we do well to keep forefront in our minds. "Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler." (1 Peter 4:13-15, NIV)  In short he reminds us that if we finding life a tough go, we need to do a check and make sure we are not bringing the hardships with others on ourselves with bad behavior or foolish choices. We can assume that we are being sidelined because of Christ when in fact it our own ineptness or lack of grace that is causing our problems.

Here is a word from the Word. Let it inspire you to hold onto God even through the night in the lion’s den. "Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. … God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:2-4, 12, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

______________

True-Hearted Whole-Hearted

True-hearted whole-hearted faithful and loyal
King of our lives by Your grace we'll stay true
Under Your standard exalted and royal
Strong in Your strength we will battle for You

Peal out the watchword and silence it never
Song of our spirits rejoicing and free
Peal out the watchword Loyal forever
King of our lives by Your grace we will be

True-hearted whole-hearted fullest allegiance
Yielding each day to our glorious King
Valiant endeavour and loving obedience
Freely and joyously now would we bring

True-hearted whole-hearted Saviour all glorious
Take Your great power and You reign alone
Over our wills and affections victorious
Freely surrendered and wholly Your own

 

Frances Ridley Havergal

The Path of Peace

 

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Matthew 5:9, NIV)  Do you know peace, live in peace, and bring peace?

In the late 19^th century the Colt Arms company issued a revolver that came to be called ‘the Peacemaker.’ The .45 caliber handgun packed a deadly punch and could be accurate to 100 yards. It was the favorite of Old West sheriffs as well as the US Cavalry. Strange, isn’t it, that a deadly weapon was associated with ‘peace’?  But overwhelming force is often the route taken to create public order, to quell dissent, and to make ‘the peace.’  During the Cold War there was an aptly named policy that created a standoff between nuclear powers. It was called “M.A.D,” Mutual Assured Destruction. The Americans and Soviets could not opt to use a nuke knowing the response would wipe out much of the world.

Christian, we are called to be peacemakers but in an entirely different manner than the natural world. We do not use guns and bombs, or threats of destruction, we follow the Way of Jesus who brought us peace. How did He do it? With sacrificial love, offering Himself to bear the sins of others!  He broke down the old way that taught reciprocity – eye for eye, tooth for tooth – and told us to forgive radically, to build bridges not walls.

How can we be peacemakers in this world?

Remember Who you are ultimately serving!

Jesus said “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:40, NIV) When reach out to someone we do not understand or who is reviled, we create a connection.  Jesus said that even simple acts of kindness that are done in His Name are, in truth, a way of serving Him.  Because He sees deep into our hearts, He knows exactly why we did what we did and never misunderstands or forgets. This sobering fact has often encouraged me to do good.

One night many years ago a man I had loved and trusted leveled harsh charges against me he honestly believed to be true. He saw only a part of what was going on, his judgment was clouded by other associations and his own past hurts. The wounds of his words went deep. After meeting concluded, I walked behind the church building, alone in the darkness, with tears streaming down my face. A chaotic storm of sorrow and anger blew through my mind. 

My first response was to think – “how can neutralize him, cut him off at the knees?”  There was also a temptation to just walk away, to quit on my calling. But, the Spirit clearly said, “What does the Lord know about this situation? Has He released you from your calling?”  He knew all about me! The Word says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13)  Holding onto that truth, I was able to pursue forgiveness and reconciliation. It was not simple, nor was it easy!  Bridges were rebuilt with grace.

We must not return fire, when others fire on us.

Now, that’s a tough call, isn’t it? I admit it’s easier to write about it than to live it. Our Savior is our example. Peter tells us “If you’re treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. … He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss. They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right.” (1 Peter 2:20-23, The Message) When we are misjudged in motives, often the best defense is silence.

We actively seek the good of those who seek our harm.  

We are not just passive in the face of those who oppose us. Going beyond mere non-response supernaturally we move to bless them, Jesus taught. His counsel is that we “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” (Luke 6:28, NLT)

All of this rests on the secure foundation of the Lord’s love for us and His keen insight. When your soul is battered, your heart is broken, your mind cries out for vindication – go to Jesus –  in prayer, quiet, waiting; sometimes crying, prayer! He knows the Truth and even if all Hell accuses, He alone justifies. Oh, blessed thought.

The curious truth, my friend, is that active peacemaking is a true pathway to happiness, one that frees us from old grudges, lets us hope for the best in others, and live in peace with ourselves. How about it?  Will you take Jesus’ wisdom to heart? "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God

Here’s a word from the Word. Make it your prayerful meditation today.

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;  
He is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,  
Just as we hope in You.”   Amen   (Psalm 33:18-23, NKJV

(Video of this blog at this link)

_______________

Prayer Of St. Francis

Lord make me an instrument of Your peace
Lord make me an instrument of Your peace
Of Your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is injury pardon
Where there is doubt let me sow faith
Lord make me an instrument of Your peace

Lord make me an instrument of Your peace
Of Your peace
Where there's despair let me sow hope
Where there is darkness light
Where there is sadness let me sow joy
Lord make me an instrument of Your peace
An instrument of Your peace

Lord grant that I not seek so much to be consoled
As to console
Nor to be understood as much as to understand
Oh Lord oh Lord my Lord
Lord grant that I not seek so much to be loved
As to love
For it is by giving that we receive
It is by pardoning that we are pardoned
It is by dying that we are born
To eternal life
Lord make me an instrument of Your peace
An instrument of Your peace

 

St. Francis of Assisi