Trusting And Loving

All is not lost when things go contrary to your wishes. You ought not judge according to present feelings, nor give in to any trouble whenever it comes, or take it as though all hope of escape were lost. And do not consider yourself forsaken if I send some temporary hardship, or withdraw the consolation you desire. For this is the way to the kingdom of heaven, and without doubt it is better for you and the rest of My servants to be tried in adversities than to have all things as you wish. I know your secret thoughts, and I know that it is profitable for your salvation to be left sometimes in despondency lest perhaps you be puffed up by success and fancy yourself to be what you are not. (From "Imitation of Christ," by Thomas A. Kempis)

"Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am-- a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me or those under my authority, my friends and my enemies. Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out towards others." (Prayer attributed to Clement XI of Rome)

Death And Disappointment

"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
(Jn 11:21)

Have you ever felt like God has let you down? Mary and Martha certainly did when their brother got sick and died. They could not understand why Jesus had let it happen. They had sent word to Him that Lazarus was sick and to come quickly. But He didn’t, and Lazarus died.

True knowledge of God comes experiencelly. We cannot have a theological relationship with God. We can know about Him theologically, but our relationship with Him must be personal, vibrant, and life changing.

God wanted to expand the understanding of Mary, Martha, the disciples, and the mourners.

Lets imagine a conversation between Jesus and Martha:

Jesus: Martha, I AM the Resurrection and the Life.
Martha: I know You are Lord.
Jesus: No Martha, I really Am the Resurrection and the Life
Martha: I know you really are Lord.
Jesus: No Martha, I Am the Resurrection and the Life right now
Martha: I know that Lord and that on the last day You are going to raise the dead.
Jesus: Martha, I am the Resurrection and the Life, I Am always the Resurrection and the Life, not just on a certain day, but all the time.

But Martha, focusing on Jesus as Healer, couldn’t seem to grasp the reality of Him also as the Resurrection and the Life in her right now everyday world. She knew He could have healed her brother if he had gotten there sooner, but the tomb was beyond her relational knowledge of and experience with Jesus.

The tomb of disappointment can become a womb of expanded understanding.

Sometimes we think the Lord has let us down, when in reality He is simply taking us to a larger place.

From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. (Ps 118:5)

Dead Dreams

One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. Elisha said to him, "Tell her, `You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?' " She replied, "I have a home among my own people." "What can be done for her?" Elisha asked. Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old." Then Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. "About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms." "No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!" But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. (2 Kings 4:11–17)

I am sure there was a time when the Shunammite dreamed of having a son. Year after year she probably hoped and prayed for one. Year after year there was no son. Finally a time came when the season had passed them by, her husband being old and decrepit. The dream died, it was no longer even something to be hoped for. When the man of God asked her what she wanted, she did not even mention a son. It was now impossible, she had given up hope, and her dream was dead.

As I read the scriptures above I asked God what He was saying to me. He said “I AM the God of dead dreams.” God resurrects dead dreams, He fulfills lost hope, He breaths life into what is old and decrepit, He makes the impossible to happen.

"About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms." What an unexpected promise! Her response was "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!" She thought he was teasing with her but the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

Talk about new life for an old dream! Now, if you have read the whole chapter, you know that after the child has grown he dies.

But this time it is different! This time her dream didn’t die, her hope did not diminish, her faith stayed strong. She went and got Elisha, he came back with her and raised her son from the dead.

Maybe you used to have a dream in your heart, but now it is dead, the season has passed, your hope is gone, and it seems so impossible you don’t even mention it any more. This God we are talking about, who did all this for the Shunammite, is our God also. Let God breath new life into your dream, fresh vision into your heart, listen as He says “ I AM the God of dead dreams.”

So what is God saying to you with these scriptures?

The LORD Keeps Faith Forever

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps faith forever;
Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry
The LORD sets the prisoners free.
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous;
The LORD protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
The LORD will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!
(Ps 146:5-10)

I have been thinking about these scriptures on and off for a couple of days. When I posted them this morning, I liked them, but did not have to hang on to them. Within a couple of hours I did.

We don't know what a day may bring forth, but we know Who goes forth with us. It is the same God we read about in the scriptures above.

We can count on everything He has ever promised us. His Word is true and His promises sure. He is the LORD Who keeps faith forever!

Naked

“and they knew they were naked” (Gen 3:7)

We were having family devotions the other night out of Genesis chapter 3. As soon as my daughter heard “and they knew they were naked”, she let out an “Ouuuuuuu, they were naked?”, which was followed by a louder cry of “We’re not going to be naked in heaven are we?” closely followed by “I’m not, I’m bringing clothes!”

It kind of reminded me of that dream. You know the one, you’re at school and you are naked. You’re wandering around looking for something to put on, and nobody is really noticing you. Then you find a wash cloth, cover yourself with it, and everyone starts staring at you.

Genesis 3:7 is worded in the NASB “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” The NLT words the first part of that verse “At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. “ Biblically, shame and nakedness seems to go together, for instance, Isaiah 47:3 begins "Your nakedness will be uncovered, Your shame also will be exposed.” Gen 3:7 NLT says, “At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.”

We are ashamed of being seen as sinful as we really are. We do not want the things in our past or present that we are ashamed of to be exposed. We want those things covered. Praise God for the blood of Jesus!

Adam and Eve suddenly saw themselves as they really were. They knew they had sinned by being disobedient to God and they were ashamed. We all have to get to that point before God can cover us. Our eyes must be opened, we must know that we are naked, our sin bare before God, and we have only shame for our covering.

How awful the state is of the person who has had their conscience seared by sin to the point they no longer have opened eyes and no knowledge that they are naked.

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Rev 3:17-23 NIV)

A Big Blue Rubber Band

It was a really nice rubber band. It was blue, had about a six inch diameter, and was hanging off the pastor’s wrist … I wanted it.

My rubber band was beige, had about a two inch diameter, was squeezing my wrist, and slowing down the blood flow into my hand.

As we came into the service this AM, we were each given a rubber band. We didn’t get to choose which one we got. Some got big ones, some medium sized ones, and there were also different colors.

I had not realized that everyone had gotten one, so I was kind of proud that I had and wore it on my wrist even though it was a bit too tight. At a point in the service, the pastor asked if everyone had gotten a rubber band. He then held up his wrist, showing us his rubber band, and asked if anyone else had gotten one like his. Like I said, it was nice, it was blue, and it was big. There were about twenty people who had a rubber band like his and he had them stand up.

By now I was comparing my rubber band to theirs, and I was feeling slighted. I also noticed that there were nicer colors. I wasn’t as happy as I had been. I probably even asked myself “Why them? Why not me?“ The pastor then said some folks had a larger role to play than others, and that gave them more accountability. He then used “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” to try and make those of us who were immature enough to be jealous of the “big rubber band people” to feel better. I didn’t feel better.

I was thinking how proud I would have been if I had been given a big rubber band, how special I would have felt. That is when he told the “big rubber band people” they shouldn’t feel proud of having big rubber bands, because they didn’t pick them, but had arbitrarily been given them. Now I really didn’t feel better because I was proud just thinking about if I had gotten one. Now I’m thinking “I’m not good enough to have gotten a big rubber band, I didn’t deserve one, and God is giving me a secret message with this whole ordeal.” I guess some people can handle big rubber bands and some people can’t.

I quietly took the rubber band I had been given off and put it in my pocket. At least my hand began to feel better.

In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. (Ro 12:4-6 MSG)

God Is Light

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 Jn 1:5)

As soon as you see daylight, begin to pray in this manner: O Lord You are the greatest and most authentic Light. The light of this day comes from You. O Light, You lighten everyone in this world! O Light, You know no night or evening! It is always midday with You. Without You all is darkness. Enlighten my mind. Let me see only the things that please You. Blind me to all else. Grant that I may walk in Your ways and find light in nothing else. -John Bradford: Daily Meditations

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. (Prov 4:18)

For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. (Ps 18:28)