Uncertain Faith?

The one common factor of this virus crisis is the uncertainty of it all. The guidelines change each week about who can gather, where we can go. We do not know if our children will be able to finish the school year, if we will get back to work anytime soon. I did an interview yesterday in which I was asked, “What does an extended shutdown mean for the future of your church?”  Honestly, I don’t know. Nobody does.

If you are feeling unsure, unsettled, uncertain – please do not think that your faith is faulty. Uncertainty can be a gift to us! How so, you ask?  As unpleasant as it may be to live with, uncertainty is a kind of suffering that reminds us of a simple truth- “I am not God!”  Recent events have shaken many of us to the core.  Our robust economy hit a brick wall and is crumbling before our eyes. Millions of us are staring into a thick fog that obscures the future. My prayer is that we will respond by looking to the Father, humbly willing to wait with trust.

Some of the most obnoxious Christians are those who claim to know every detail about what God is doing, about why things happen, and about just exactly how we can get Him to do what we want Him to do. I do believe that God speaks to us but I am deeply skeptical of that person who loudly announces, “I have a word from the Lord for you” without admitting that they are fallible, without allowing for the fact that they could be confusing their will with His.  A little modesty about our limits of knowledge goes a long way to creating credibility for our faith.

In reading the book of Job, a difficult book of the Bible, among the many lessons I find there is one about uncertainty. In case you’re not familiar with the outline of the story. Job was a great guy who really loved God. Satan appears before the Lord and says that Job only loves God because he is so blessed and prosperous. God knows Job’s heart and allows Satan to test the man to limits, taking everything but his life. In the middle of his suffering, three friends show up to offer comfort. They are absolutely certain about God’s ways, so they think,  and they tell Job that all of his pain and suffering must be the result of some hidden sin. “If you would just confess it, God will restore you,” they insist. They are full of certainty, and they are wrong!

Job, on the other hand, is full of uncertainty. He complains about the injustice, cries out to God about why He has hidden Himself, wonders why God has done him wrong.  When God finally speaks, He does NOT commend the absolute certainty of Job’s friends. In fact, He is angry with them for saying things about Him that are not true. It is Job’s faith, in the middle of his doubts, his willingness to keep on talking with God, that the Lord commends. God sees more faith in Job’s honest doubt than he does in the other men’s declarations of which they are so certain.

If you are struggling with uncertainty today, let it do the work of building character. Frederick Buechner offers this picture – “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don't have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving."  

We trust God even when we are confused by the things happening around us. Even when I am unable to see what He is up to, I am willing to commit myself, without any reservation, to His care.

John Ortberg writes “There are times when a decision will require a commitment when we don’t have total certainty. For the most important decisions in life, this is almost always the case.”  (Faith and Doubt) How true. We fall in love and marry a person – making unequivocal promises – “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness, in health; until death do us part.”  We pledge lifetime love having no idea what they may do, who we may become. Why do we do it? Because we love a person and our love inspires a faith for the future. (Another subject, but if we took those vows more seriously, understanding the real nature of love, we might slow down the trip to the altar, right?)

Knowing, serving, and loving God does not require us to have complete certainty about everything. Faith invites us to love a Person who has shown Himself trustworthy. Will we?

Here is a word from the Word.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn your back on evil.
Then you will gain renewed health and vitality." (Proverbs 3:5-8, NLT)

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One of my favorite worship songs from recent times. Enjoy.

Build My Life

(A great song that points us to real faith in the Builder)

Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

Jesus the name above ev’ry other name

Jesus the only one who could ever save

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

We live for You

Holy there is no one like You

There is none besides You

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are

And fill me with Your heart

And lead me in Your love to those around me

I will build my life upon Your love

It is a firm foundation

I will put my trust in You alone

And I will not be shaken

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

© 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew (Admin. by Arkyard Music Services Limited)

Kaple Music (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)

Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

Celebrating a beautiful woman

Good Monday morning!  This CoffeeBreak blog is a personal reflection, more so than most, as I celebrate a person today. Today, Bev would have been 66! Happy Birthday in Heaven.

She’s been gone a little over 4 years now and today I am remembering her, not sadly, but with joy.  Dr. Suess allegedly wrote “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened!”  I had 41 years of joy with a woman that God gave to me. We were a team, inseparable, and so much stronger because of each other.  How I thank God for her legacy. She left me with four beautiful children, with memories of godliness. Was she a saint? Yes and no. She was a real human being, who had something of a stubborn streak, and whose Sicilian heritage could find its way to the surface when she was provoked. But, she also loved God. From the first day of our relationship to the last, her highest priority was serving Him.

One of my great joys in life was watching her in her work as a teacher. She loved those first graders – giving them discipline and love in equal measures. Every class learned her philosophy early in the school years – “Obedience equals fun.” She was great with kid’s ministries whether leading a chapel worship session or on the stage at Vacation Bible School. Seeing her standing on the church’s platform during worship or watching her leading a woman’s Bible study was to see grace in action. She claimed not to be a ‘counselor’ yet over our pastoral life together, she mentored many, quietly, as much be example as by word.

She was incredibly disciplined, taking care of herself, her home, her family, her work – without slacking off or excuse. She loved me quietly with steady affection. My overt affection in public was a constant irritation to her. She wouldn’t hang all over me in a crowd, but she would, when she thought it needed, rise to my defense like a lioness. She prayed for her family and was my daily advocate before the Lord.

My Bev was tough and tender.  She could fall apart when she felt overwhelmed by life’s sorrows. She did not quit, ever, in the face of critics and the stormy times that come to us all. Tiny in stature, some thought she was fragile, but she was not. She knew the importance of relying on the Lord, on gathering her resources, and putting first things first.

So, today, I celebrate her memory - thankful that the Lord gave this gift to our world. Remembering her I say, “Happy Birthday. The world was blessed when you were born!”   And, yes, of course, Babe, you are missed still.

This morning her oldest son posted this Scripture on Facebook in tribute to his Mom, words that say it best. "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise." (Proverbs 31:25-32, NLT)

Thanks for letting me remember. My prayer is that we all live in a way that when we are called home, we leave a memory that is a benediction, that inspires others to reach higher.

__________

Lord, save us!

Each day we learn of more about the spread of the virus and none of us has the faintest idea how this story ends. The uncertainty wears on us if we dwell on it, so let’s make a radical choice of faith.

There is a story about Jesus’ power that Matthew tells from his own experience. "Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27, NIV)

Here is a suggestion for you today. Find a piece of paper or a journal and write down what is making you fearful. You do not have to write a book – a simple list will do. Then, holding it in your hands, pray “Lord, save us!”  Even if you don’t ‘feel it’ make the choice to turn to Jesus!  You don’t have to tell Him what to do, how to do it, or make a legal case.  Just place yourself, your needs, your family, your friends, your community, your nation, our world before and ask Him to save. 

Jesus told that storm to settle and it did. He will calm the fears in you and in me IF we will choose faith.

Remember He promises this - “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  

What comes from that assurance? “So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV)

Sometimes it may seem to you that God is not there. Words like I have shared above may seem to be written in a foreign language, all but incomprehensible. Choose faith anyway! Faith does not rest on our experience or emotion. We choose to pray for faith, to live IN faith, and our intimacy with God will grow. 
If we will choose to take God at His Word, which means accepting what He says as true and shaping our choices around the Truth, the Holy Spirit will strengthen us. Yes, and our experience will be shaped by the outcomes of our faith response.  Let’s not base our ongoing faith in results that we demand of God. Instead, let’s trust the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus.

The word from the Word today is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians “that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:16–17).

Pray with me, the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray-

”‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’"

For Yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen

 (Matthew 6:9-13, NIV)

__________

This is my song for this season …

Stand In Your Love

When darkness tries to roll over my bones

When sorrow comes to steal the joy I own

When brokenness and pain is all I know

I won't be shaken I won't be shaken

My fear doesn't stand a chance

When I stand in Your love (repeat)

Shame no longer has a place to hide

I am not a captive to the lies

I'm not afraid to leave my past behind

I won't be shaken I won't be shaken

There's power that can break off every chain

There's power that can empty out a grave

There's resurrection power that can save

There's power in Your name power in Your name

Standing in Your love

Ethan Hulse | Josh Baldwin | Mark Harris | Rita Springer

© 2018 Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)

EGH Music Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)

Gateway Create Publishing (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

CCLI License # 810055