Living In The Desert

 

          Right now, I'm living in a season of adversity, and it's like I'm living out in the desert.  I feel alone at times, but truthfully I'm never really alone.  God is always with me and I've never been alone once in my life.  I may not can see him now, but He has always had a bigger picture for my life.  Not only that, but He has a bigger plan set in place to redeem me. I may face trials that shake me to my core, but I will never be separated from Him—not if I keep my eyes fixed firmly on Jesus.

          If you ask anyone who's dealt with their fair share of valleys in their life with chaos and heartbreak, then they'll probably tell you that while it was a difficult chapter, they saw God moving in their hearts and in their character more than ever.  I can say that's true for the two years it took for me to find a job after college graduation.  I sent out countless resumes and went on interview after interview but I didn't give up on God's plan for me or on myself.  He came through with the perfect job for me that was right for those 5 years of my life.

          So, now God's plan for me involves 'waiting'.  Anyone who knows me knows that waiting is not my strong suit.  I'm impatient, to say it mildly.  When we go through a long, hard season where we feel like God is distant, we don't know what His big-picture plan is. We simply have to trust and move forward the best we can.   God knows what He was doing back then, so why don't I trust in His plan for me now?  Because, I have to be still and know that He is God, not I.

          "It's often those moments of obscurity and doubt that we come face to face with God Himself."

     "If we've learned anything about God, is that He makes beauty out of our brokenness."

     "When God makes a promise, He never forgets."

         After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision,“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” ~ Genesis 15:1-3

Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. ~ Genesis 15:4-6

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking fire-pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadiof Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” ~ Genesis 15:17-19

"If we remember the story of Abraham and Sarah, this is the perfect example of a couple navigating the "desert" of life. They had previously been promised by God that they would be fruitful and blessed. After years and years of infertility, Abraham and Sarah must have been wrestling with all those tough emotions. Guilt, doubt, despair, anger, loneliness. Still, they continued to hold on to hope and wait on the Lord."

          What a great story of waiting and a promise fulfilled.  When my time 'in the desert' is over, I will come out stronger and He will have blessed me beyond my imagination.  I just have to cling to my faith, my hope and my trust in Him.  Whether I'm on a mountain or in a valley, God is worthy of my praise in every season of this life.  God always knows what He is doing and God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good.

 

Responding to the World, Like a Christian

 

          I've been struggling the past few months, so today I decided to turn to the Book of James.  James is actually a letter to believers that can be read in about 20 minutes.  It's short and that's what I need right now to stay focused.  Maybe you're at that point in your life right now too.

          James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

         This verse grabbed me by the shoulders because it says "when" you encounter various trials, not "if".   Christians need to expect trials in their lives and see it from a godly perspective.  That's where I'm at and I needed to know what the purpose of it all is.  Well, it says my faith is being tested to produce endurance.  My faith is being tested to trust God completely in His will for me in this trial and in my life.  When James says "Count it all joy", he wants us to see the bigger picture in our trials, as opportunities to grow and joyfully mature into Christ-likeness.

          "James encourages Christians to embrace trials not for what they presently are, but for the outcome God will accomplish through them. James 1:12 promises, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” [gotquestions.org]

          The "crown of life" is a gift from God that will be awarded to those who, because of their love for Him, faithfully endured trials and tests on earth:  "The crown of life is not an actual ornamental headdress but a symbolic representation of God’s recognition for having spiritually triumphed in this life. Jesus assured the church in Smyrna, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown" [gotquestions.org]  

          When James talks of being 'perfect', it doesn't mean being sinless, it means growing in  spiritual development and maturity.   I know for myself, I can look back on past surgeries, past school experiences, and how I've responded to worldly things and have seen how my faith grew and I matured as a believer. 

          " But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But he must ask in faith without any doubting".   We must ask God first for wisdom in our trials and God is not an option.  We can't be double-minded by having God as a choice, no, He is the only way.  Ask Him, Seek His Word, and Trust Him.

          As for myself, I've been in this trial since March.  I faced a worldly decision to protect my friends from a wrong in this world.  I don't regret it, even tho it's cost me.  I have felt imprisoned these past few months but it is nothing compared to the glory Jesus received.  I've asked for wisdom and I think that's why God led me to the Book of James.  Responding to the things of this world takes the armor of God.

Broken

 

      I begin this blog with the acknowledgement that I've reached the end of myself.  There is a blessing from Jesus that comes from that, which is Him meeting me there in my brokenness.  The first beattitude that Jesus talks about on The Sermon on the Mount is in Matthew 5:3  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  He redefines what happiness truly means.  We can chase after our desires but real happiness comes in pleasing Jesus.  Right now I feel bummed because I'm not getting to do what I want without an aide to help me, but when I finish this blog on my own then I will be truly happy that I did something pleasing for the Lord.

Psalm 14:18 "The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit."

     We need to be beautifully broken before the Lord.  When we are, He will draw us nearer to Him and put us back together as He sees fit.  We first have to trust Him with our brokenness, then we can be restored thru Him to be what He wants us to be and do what is pleasing in His sight.

Psalm 37:4   "Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart."

     How many people confuse 'the desires of their heart' with what God really means, is in the verse is 'a relationship with Jesus Christ"?  "That verse does not say “God will give you the desires of your heart because you delight in Him”. Instead, the verse commands us to “Delight yourself in the Lord” and then He will fulfill your desires because He is the only One who can satisfy your heart." [gracecalling.com]

     How many of us would like an easy life?  Jesus promised that we would suffer in our trials, but that He would also give us peace in them.  John 16:33  "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

     In all of our found brokenness, God's love for us never decreases.  He will never forsake His children.  Even tho we may struggle through our trials, would we not give up our desires, if it's not Jesus' will?

John 1:24  "Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

     When we willingly submit our lives to Christ, then we glorify Him with our testimonies and bear fruit in this broken world.  Even if our life isn’t what we hoped for, God will not abandon us or leave us in tribulation. Isaiah 29:11 states “‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

     As for myself, I built my life on dreams and desires of my own. Now that all of that has left me, I've concentrated my life more on what God wants from me.  This will be my 1356th blog since 2011.  These are more important to God, than any number of tests I took in school or lab tests I ran at work.  These blogs have also drawn me nearer to Christ , than anything I've ever done.  My blog collection has truly been a source of happiness for me.

Remember, in all of our pain and sufferings, it is Christ who calls us and in Him are our desires truly satisfied.

Our Silent Example

 Isaiah 53

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of dry ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we would look at Him,
Nor an appearance that we would take pleasure in Him.
3 He was despised and abandoned by men,
A man of great pain and familiar with sickness;
And like one from whom people hide their faces,
He was despised, and we had no regard for Him.

4 However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore,
And our pains that He carried;
Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted,
Struck down by God, and humiliated.
5 But He was pierced for our offenses,
He was crushed for our wrongdoings;
The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all
To fall on Him.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off from the land of the living
For the wrongdoing of my people, to whom the blow was due?
9 And His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

10 But the Lord desired
To crush Him, causing Him grief;
If He renders Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
For He will bear their wrongdoings.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the plunder with the strong,
Because He poured out His life unto death,
And was counted with wrongdoers;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the wrongdoers.

     I'm starting this blog with Isaiah 53, also known as 'The Suffering Servant'.  It is the Old Testament's account of Isaiah's prophecy of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. In the following other verses I list below, we see also how Jesus was willing and without complaint in following His Father's will.  No other could die for our sins, and rise again for our justification.

     

Mark 15:4-5 " But Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You offer nothing in answer? See how many charges they are bringing against You!”  But Jesus said nothing further in answer, so Pilate was amazed."

Matthew 27:14 "And still He did not answer him in regard to even a single charge, so the governor was greatly amazed."

Luke 23:9 "And he questioned Him at some length; but He offered him no answer at all."

     The point of this blog is that we should follow Jesus' example in not complaining when trials become part of the Lord's will for us.  Why do we question 'Why me?'  Why not us?   Jesus was a willing sacrifice and paid our sin debt, while He knew no sin of his own.

    Ecclesiastes tells us that there is time to speak and a time to keep silent. , When is there a fitting time? When is it better to speak? And when is it better to stay quiet? This is practical wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7 " There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven—; A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak".

     The silence of Jesus reminds us that silent suffering was necessary for Jesus. We are taught that sometimes being quiet takes more strength than talking. Isaiah 53:10 "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. "

Silence allows us to refocus and redirect our thoughts on what is truly important, which is to think about the things God desires us to think about.

John 10:27-29
"My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand."

     We follow Jesus' example by knowing; Jesus did not plead His own case, Jesus wad patient under affliction, and Jesus was oppressed, yet did not open His mouth.  Haven't we all felt all of these 3 ways and a need to tell our side?  There is power in silence and a comfort in knowing God is on your side.

     As for myself, this is a new challenge for me.  Silence is not my strength.  When I am hurt, mistreated, or felt wronged, then I want to speak up and let the other party know how I feel.  Jesus is letting me know, that its not always necessary.  Silence can bring on a time of reflection, not only for myself but for the other side as well.  It's hard to be slow to speak and quick to listen, but it is possible.  With my mask, it's kind of been forced upon me to wait for someone else to take the mask off before I can talk.  Sometimes I'm just chomping at the bit.  The term 'Silence is golden' is really determined by who is having to be silent.  Personally, I need my quiet time with myself and with the Lord.

You Are

 

          This morning I am sharing a devotional I got through my email, that you are enough.  Through your faith in Christ, don't doubt yourself.  2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (New American Standard Bible)  "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf."  Matthew 19:26 reminds us "with God all things are possible."  Don't give up on yourself, God is still at work on you.

You are enough, just as you are. God created you with a purpose and a plan, and He equipped you with the abilities and gifts you need to fulfill it.

You are capable of overcoming any obstacle that comes your way, because God's strength is made perfect in your weakness.

You are strong, because the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of you.

You are beautiful, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.

You are chosen, set apart for a special purpose and called to make a difference in this world.

You are never alone, for God is always with you, guiding and comforting you every step of the way.

So go forth with confidence, knowing that you were created for greatness in Christ.

You are enough, friend.

Just For Now

 Romans 8:18  "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

          Today's blog is going to be a little different.  I'm going to talk about one of my current challenges with my disease, CMT, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.  I'm not going back to the beginning of my diagnosis with it in this blog, but just talk about my swallowing struggles at this time.  I'm not looking for sympathy, sorrow, or a pity party but just a sense of understanding of what it's like.

          Dysphagia is the term for difficulty with swallowing.  Mine began with just eliminating foods that caused me to choke easily with.  It progressed to having to lay down off the end of the bed and cough upside down to help me get food up that was causing me to choke.  A lot of my pneumonia cases were due to aspiration during the time I worked.  After retiring at some point, I was prescribed a cough assist machine that has literally been a life saver and cut my pneumonia cases way down.  Later, I got a feeding tube to help me take medicines and help increase my caloric intake.

          Because my disease is progressive, I now no longer eat by mouth.  I am having my doctor check on a  medicine, riluzole, that helps ALS patients with swallowing.  The medicine provides a little hope, but that's not where my true hope lies.  James 4:7 says "Submit to God."  There is comfort in knowing that God is working all things for my good, because I love Him.

          From Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life", the heart of worship is surrender.  I want to lead and live a life surrendered to God.  I want to say,  'If my illness of CMT,  and all of its detrimental problems that go with it, are needed to fulfill your purpose in my life and bring you glory, then don't take it away.'  I quit praying a long time ago for God to send a cure for CMT for me, instead I've prayed for God to give me strength and endurance for whatever I have to go through with CMT.  

          The Bible tells of the certain benefits of a life that's truly surrendered to God.  First, I have experienced peace.  I have found this true in wearing my braces and my face mask.  I didn't really find it hard to accept in wearing either of them, they were just needed blessings.  Second, I  have found freedom.  While living under God's commands, I have found a freedom from sin's prison walls.  Thirdly, I've experienced God's power in my life.  I truly believe that I've found favor with God and He has provided me with the best doctors at just the right times.

          I can tell you that life without the pleasure of eating by mouth is not easy.  I notice people talking about food, restaurants and how good different foods taste more and more.  I still go to the grocery store and buy food for others and it's more temptation aisles, rather than grocery aisles to me anymore.  I know that all of my struggles are only temporary and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow."   We must remember that whatever we go through, that it is temporary and this world is not our home.  We are just passing through and life is just our practice ground. 

          I can relate to Paul's message in Philippians 4:10-13  "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.  Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

          Romans 8:35-39  "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

         Ten Insights on Sovereignty and Suffering  [desiringgod.com]

1. Embracing the sovereignty of God brings strength and hope.

2. Don’t presume to know better than God how to run the world. It is pride.

3.  God has a good purpose in all the hard things that happen to his people.

4. Death and suffering press in on us the perspective of eternity.

5. God’s distribution of suffering is not equal, and one hard thing may prepare for another.

6. God’s love takes care of us right now in our suffering, not just later.

7.  Calamity calls for quick practical love 

8. Quiet confidence in God’s power and goodness through suffering creates occasions for witness.

9.  Trusting in God’s sovereign care in all circumstances frees you from greed and releases love for others.

10. Without God, the world is hopeless.

Making God Smile

 

         What is a smile?  A smile is simply, a frown turned upside down.  Smiling is such an easy way to make yourself and others feel good.  Don't we all want to make God smile and feel good about us?  Pleasing God is the most effective way to make God smile.  When we trust, obey, honor, follow and serve God; God is pleased with us.

          What does psychology have to say about smiling? Whether your smile is genuine or not, it can act on your body and mind in a variety of positive ways, offering benefits for your health, your mood, and even the moods of people around you. 

          5 Acts of Worship That Make God Smile [Purpose Driven Life, R. Warren]

1] God wants us to love him supremely.

     God loves us more than anyone else ever will.  The greatest commandment comes from when a Pharisee lawyer asked Jesus a question in Matthew 22:36-38  " “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment."  So, when we love God with all of our being, He surely smiles on us.

2]  God wants us to completely trust in Him.

     Psalms 147:11  "The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."  God smiles when our faith is in Him.  Hebrews 11:6  "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  Noah's trust in God went above and beyond a normal sense of trust in building the ark; trust without knowing of what rain was b/c God irrigated the earth from the ground up before the Flood, trust because he lived hundreds of miles from an ocean and had no way to transport the ark, and trust in gathering and caring for all the animals that went on the ark.

3] God wants full obedience from us.

     John 14:15  "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."  God wants complete obedience, not partial or delayed obedience.  God wants us to follow all of the Bible, not pick and choose the verses we like.

4] God wants continual praise and thanks given from us.

     Hebrews 13:15 "Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name."  Like all of us, God likes adoration and appreciation for all He has done, is doing, and will do for us.

5] God wants us to use our abilities.

     2 Corinthians 5:9 "Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him."  God enjoys all aspects of us, except sin.  He created us for His will and purposes.

            

          "God has given his church this great dignity now, and in the days to come: We are the smile of God to one another, that we might know, and the world might see, that even in our suffering and pain, “it is good to be near God”"  [desiringgod.org]

 Psalm 73:28  "But for me it is good to be near God;  I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works." 

          As for myself, sometimes I just have to do as the old cliche says and 'grin and bear it' or smile through the pain.  Yes, I want God to say to me with a smile at the end of my life's race, "Good job, my faithful servant!"  I think some people expect me to be all smiles all the time and life just isn't like that.  Heaven is the place of no more sorrow, not Earth.  “Smiling doesn’t always mean you’re happy. The most beautiful Smile is the one that struggles through Tears.” [unknown]  I hear at some funerals, "oh, they never complained or fussed about anything", well I know that won't be said of me.  I know I don't smile as much as I used to, but that doesn't mean I don't have much to smile about because I do.  I think God is smiling more about me now, because I know He is first in my life now and my choices reflect Him more and more.

Wisdom in the New Year

 Proverbs 8:11 "“For wisdom is better than jewels;  And all desirable things cannot compare with her."

          Is having or seeking 'wisdom', a part of your New Year's resolutions?  Wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true or right.  You can have knowledge--information gained, without wisdom.  Knowledge can be knowing about something, whereas wisdom is knowing it's proper usage.

          Wisdom is a gift from God.  James 1:5  "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."  "God blesses us with wisdom in order for us to glorify Him and use the knowledge we have of Him." [gotquestions.org]

           We learn of  'the fear of the Lord being the beginning of knowledge' in the book of Proverbs and that 'fools despise wisdom and instruction'.  " To fear the Lord is to start on the path to knowledge, and God can then begin to provide us with wisdom through Christ, who the Bible says is wisdom itself.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption”  [gotquestions.org]   1 Corinthians 1:30  " And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,"

          " Wisdom is the fitting application of knowledge. Knowledge memorizes the Ten Commandments; wisdom obeys them. Knowledge learns of God; wisdom loves Him."

           Wisdom changes the course of your life, from the world's destructive path to Jesus' freedom giving path.  Psalms 16:11  "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."

6 Characteristics of a Wisdom Driven Life

1] Joy-- the gladness you have from knowing God has given you meaning and purpose in your life.

2] Confidence-- the strength you have from knowing God is with you and by your side at all times.

3] Worth-- the value you have by knowing God's love for you is everlasting and unconditional, as your Lord and Savior.

4] Peace-- the serenity that comes from knowing God is working all things out for your good, as a believer in Jesus Christ.

5] Maturity-- based on the Lord's transformational work of forgiveness, renewal, and growth.

6]Blessing-- God pours out all of his grace and goodness into your life.