"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come." (John 13:33)
It’s difficult to imagine what it must have been like to be alive and in the company of Jesus when He walked the earth. To see those gentle hands healing the sick, to hear that strong voice speaking God’s very own Word, to have those piercing eyes see all the way to one's soul with a love that surpasses understanding…it gives me chills. Sharing a meal and the very air we breathe with the Son of God – what could be more enthralling for a common man or woman?
It may be impossible for me to know how I would have felt to have been in the shoes of one of the disciples, but I can imagine reacting the way Peter did to the above words of Jesus. I’m certain most of the disciples felt a mixture of sadness, confusion and anxiety when Jesus told them that He would be leaving them to go to a place none of them could come. Being in the company of Jesus full-time was an experience that compared to nothing else. It was eye-opening and life-altering. Why was He going to be leaving soon? Where was He going? Why couldn’t they come along? What were they supposed to do in His absence? How could life ever be the same? He had taught them much about what it means to love one another, about trusting in God, but how could they carry on without Him there? Inquiring minds wanted to know, and Peter wasted no time in asking.
I see much of Peter’s human tendencies in myself. Like many of us, Peter sometimes got a little bit too big for his britches. I think he felt disappointed that Jesus didn’t trust him enough to share this "insider" information with him. I can almost picture Peter leaning close to Jesus and whispering, "Hey, it’s me, your best bud. I can see how you wouldn’t want the others to know, but you can tell me. Better yet, take me with you!" How deflated and even offended Peter must have felt when Jesus told him that he would deny Him three times. And how utterly devastated Peter later felt when it turned out to be true.
You and I understand that Jesus was speaking of His impending crucifixion and resurrection, something that He alone had to do in order to pave the way for us to eventually follow and have a home in heaven. Oh, but how hard it must have been for the disciples at that moment. I can imagine myself pleading, "Lord, please don’t leave us!" You and I have the Holy Spirit alive in us to guide our way, but we have never seen Jesus in the flesh. The disciples did not yet possess the Holy Spirit, but they experienced God incarnate, the Word breathing the very same air. I sympathize with the disciples: Sharing earthly space with the Lord Jesus is simply not something anyone would ever want to let go of.
I am so thankful that when I look for Jesus, I will always find Him, dwelling within me and preparing a place for me in Glory. I am thankful that He saved me from the eternal punishment of my sins, forever tearing the veil separating me from God. One day, we'll get to hold those gentle hands, to hear that strong voice, and to see those piercing eyes in the splendid glory of our Father's house...all because He chose the cross for us.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Doing What's Right
It’s not always easy to do the right thing, is it? Sometimes doing what’s right puts us at odds with influential people, it exposes us as being “different,” or it can even put us in danger. For most of us, hesitating or failing to do the right thing is not as much about being selfish as it is about being afraid. Peter was a faithful disciple of Christ, yet even he denied Jesus when his life was in danger. It’s very human of us to be persuaded by our fears.
In a previous job, I worked with an executive director who was misusing grant monies that funded the program of which I was in charge. When I confronted her about it, I was given a nickname that I cannot repeat here and I was frequently reminded that I was employed at will. In other words, I could be fired at any moment for no reason. I wrestled with my fear of losing my job and my obligation to do what was right – which were squarely at odds with one another. Finally, I chose to do what was right. I notified the office that administered the grant in question – none other than the Attorney General. I suddenly found myself in the unexpected and uncomfortable position of being a whistleblower. The ensuing weeks were tense to say the least, but in the end my program and my job survived, and the executive director was asked to leave. It was a powerful lesson for me. Unfortunately not all such stories have happy endings.
Whether it’s something as dramatic as confronting corruption in the workplace, or something as simple as refusing to allow someone to speak ill of another person in our presence, we are constantly presented with opportunities to do the right thing. Like anything in life, we grow more comfortable doing what’s right the more frequently we do it. The more we practice it, the more likely it is to become a habit. Yet unlike exercising, for example, which is a habit most folks think is admirable and worthwhile, we are not always supported or accepted when we get in the habit of doing the right thing. Sometimes such a habit puts a target on our backs.
Fortunately, we have a tried and true blueprint for what it means to do the right thing. This blueprint tells us exactly the things we should and should not do, including a wide variety of real-life examples. It tells us about the challenges we can expect to encounter along the way and how to overcome them. Best of all, it gives us a Teacher and Counselor to advise us and encourage us each step of the way, no matter what circumstances we may face. How fortunate we are to have God’s Word at our fingertips!
Like Peter, I have stumbled and fallen at critical moments, stifled by my fears. Sometimes I shrug off a “small” opportunity to do the right thing and later feel convicted by my guilt. Although we all fail at times, if we cling to God’s Word doing what’s right will eventually become a habit. We may not always be rewarded by earthly means. Sometimes we may even be punished, but we can have confidence that our Father is pleased with us. Besides, our ultimate reward is literally out of this world.
In a previous job, I worked with an executive director who was misusing grant monies that funded the program of which I was in charge. When I confronted her about it, I was given a nickname that I cannot repeat here and I was frequently reminded that I was employed at will. In other words, I could be fired at any moment for no reason. I wrestled with my fear of losing my job and my obligation to do what was right – which were squarely at odds with one another. Finally, I chose to do what was right. I notified the office that administered the grant in question – none other than the Attorney General. I suddenly found myself in the unexpected and uncomfortable position of being a whistleblower. The ensuing weeks were tense to say the least, but in the end my program and my job survived, and the executive director was asked to leave. It was a powerful lesson for me. Unfortunately not all such stories have happy endings.
Whether it’s something as dramatic as confronting corruption in the workplace, or something as simple as refusing to allow someone to speak ill of another person in our presence, we are constantly presented with opportunities to do the right thing. Like anything in life, we grow more comfortable doing what’s right the more frequently we do it. The more we practice it, the more likely it is to become a habit. Yet unlike exercising, for example, which is a habit most folks think is admirable and worthwhile, we are not always supported or accepted when we get in the habit of doing the right thing. Sometimes such a habit puts a target on our backs.
Fortunately, we have a tried and true blueprint for what it means to do the right thing. This blueprint tells us exactly the things we should and should not do, including a wide variety of real-life examples. It tells us about the challenges we can expect to encounter along the way and how to overcome them. Best of all, it gives us a Teacher and Counselor to advise us and encourage us each step of the way, no matter what circumstances we may face. How fortunate we are to have God’s Word at our fingertips!
Like Peter, I have stumbled and fallen at critical moments, stifled by my fears. Sometimes I shrug off a “small” opportunity to do the right thing and later feel convicted by my guilt. Although we all fail at times, if we cling to God’s Word doing what’s right will eventually become a habit. We may not always be rewarded by earthly means. Sometimes we may even be punished, but we can have confidence that our Father is pleased with us. Besides, our ultimate reward is literally out of this world.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Persecution We Face
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12)
As one who has never traveled to places where it is a serious crime to profess faith in Christ, it’s hard for me to imagine such surroundings. We all take for granted our ability to go to any church we please and to profess our faith openly. As much as we may decry the moral decay and the political polarization happening in our country, we need to remember just how good we have it. There are folks in our world who choose to daily practice their Christian faith under the continual threat of imprisonment or death. Such is a depth of dedication and courage I’m not sure I could muster under similar conditions.
Although we may not face such severe forms of persecution in the U.S., Christianity is nonetheless under attack here. God’s name has been systematically removed from all manner of public and even private functions. God’s expectations for how we should live our lives have gradually taken a backseat to the modern "virtues" of tolerance and political correctness. It’s a societal faux-pas and sometimes a civil crime to hold someone accountable for their actions, to offend their beliefs or sensibilities – unless that person happens to be a Christian. Such persecution is most often non-violent, but it is insidious and methodical. By comparison, this form of persecution has the capacity to do far more damage.
When I was in college, I took an elective course entitled "The Philosophy of Religion." I enjoy philosophy, so I was intrigued by the theories and discussions such a class would generate. I was dejected to find that the professor was highly intolerant of Christianity. He went so far as to say that Christians are "shallow" people. Others in the class argued with him while I sat in stunned silence, too timid and deflated to join the fight. The phrase "youth is wasted on the young" is the perfect application for this time in my life. If I were to take the same class today, I would have no problem standing up and articulating just how and why the professor is wrong. But this memory reminds me that there are many impressionable young people in our midst that are being poisoned by lies in the name of education. This is but one example of the insidious persecution daily occurring in the U.S.
The Bible tells us that as the time draws nearer for Christ’s return, society will become more and more immoral and people will become crueler toward one another. But the Bible also tells us that the Church will grow stronger. We already know how the story ends – our Lord wins. (He has already won). If we grow despondent in the face of our modern-day persecution as Christians, we can take heart in the fact that "one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord." Until that blessed time, we have a duty to help strengthen the Church, and we have the privilege of rejoicing in the truth of God, no matter what it costs us.
You and I may not be chained in a prison cell for professing faith in Christ, but we face daily restraints in a society that largely does not recognize the sovereign Lord. We can choose not to be closet Christians. We can choose to be like Daniel, facing the furnace and the lions if need be. We can choose to rejoice when our faith is assailed, for the simple reason that we have Truth on our side. All other ground is sinking sand.
As one who has never traveled to places where it is a serious crime to profess faith in Christ, it’s hard for me to imagine such surroundings. We all take for granted our ability to go to any church we please and to profess our faith openly. As much as we may decry the moral decay and the political polarization happening in our country, we need to remember just how good we have it. There are folks in our world who choose to daily practice their Christian faith under the continual threat of imprisonment or death. Such is a depth of dedication and courage I’m not sure I could muster under similar conditions.
Although we may not face such severe forms of persecution in the U.S., Christianity is nonetheless under attack here. God’s name has been systematically removed from all manner of public and even private functions. God’s expectations for how we should live our lives have gradually taken a backseat to the modern "virtues" of tolerance and political correctness. It’s a societal faux-pas and sometimes a civil crime to hold someone accountable for their actions, to offend their beliefs or sensibilities – unless that person happens to be a Christian. Such persecution is most often non-violent, but it is insidious and methodical. By comparison, this form of persecution has the capacity to do far more damage.
When I was in college, I took an elective course entitled "The Philosophy of Religion." I enjoy philosophy, so I was intrigued by the theories and discussions such a class would generate. I was dejected to find that the professor was highly intolerant of Christianity. He went so far as to say that Christians are "shallow" people. Others in the class argued with him while I sat in stunned silence, too timid and deflated to join the fight. The phrase "youth is wasted on the young" is the perfect application for this time in my life. If I were to take the same class today, I would have no problem standing up and articulating just how and why the professor is wrong. But this memory reminds me that there are many impressionable young people in our midst that are being poisoned by lies in the name of education. This is but one example of the insidious persecution daily occurring in the U.S.
The Bible tells us that as the time draws nearer for Christ’s return, society will become more and more immoral and people will become crueler toward one another. But the Bible also tells us that the Church will grow stronger. We already know how the story ends – our Lord wins. (He has already won). If we grow despondent in the face of our modern-day persecution as Christians, we can take heart in the fact that "one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord." Until that blessed time, we have a duty to help strengthen the Church, and we have the privilege of rejoicing in the truth of God, no matter what it costs us.
You and I may not be chained in a prison cell for professing faith in Christ, but we face daily restraints in a society that largely does not recognize the sovereign Lord. We can choose not to be closet Christians. We can choose to be like Daniel, facing the furnace and the lions if need be. We can choose to rejoice when our faith is assailed, for the simple reason that we have Truth on our side. All other ground is sinking sand.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Influential Travelers
"So comfort each other and make each other strong as you are already doing." (Thessalonians 5:11)
In all that we do and experience as followers of Christ, I think we often tend to underestimate our influence on others. Not only are we ambassadors for Christ in a world that includes many non-believers in our midst, but we also have enormous bearing on the lives of fellow Christians.
The very first Bible study I attended was held in the home of a wonderful, intelligent, godly woman. As time passed, her living room swelled with women, both young and old, hungry to share in the wisdom of God’s Word. As a relatively new Christian, I felt inspired but also woefully inadequate. Most of the other women had such intelligent, insightful things to say about God, while I was lucky just to form a coherent thought. Most days, I never uttered a word, too afraid to sound as dumb as I felt. When we were to read a particular verse, I fumbled through my crisp Bible in vain, while others seemed to turn to the appropriate book and chapter in their well-worn Bibles with virtually no effort. Our host had a full arsenal of different Bibles and commentaries at her fingertips, each of them bookmarked in countless places. It was humbling to say the least.
I’m not sure how many other folks can relate, but as one new to faith in Christ at the time, I viewed the Bible in much the same way as I thought of God – holy and to be revered, yet also distant and untouchable. Imagine my horror when our Bible study leader asked us to underline a passage in our Bibles. Mark in my Bible, are you kidding? It’s God’s Word! Isn’t that like a divine form of vandalism? I couldn’t seem to bring myself to do it, even in pencil to be erased the moment I got home. It didn’t seem to matter that the most insightful women in the group had dog-eared pages and verses highlighted in neon pink throughout their Bibles. I couldn’t bring myself to "deface" my Bible in such a way.
On another day, our leader was discussing how she talked to Jesus on the way to and from work each day, as though He were riding shotgun next to her. Talking to Jesus in my car? Aren’t you supposed to pray to God on your knees, in the pew at church, or beside your bed at night? Is it really okay to just have a chat with God whenever you feel like it? The thought of Jesus taking a ride in my car was an image that both thrilled and haunted me. Everything I thought I knew about the practices of a faithful Christian was being challenged with each Bible study session. I kept coming back week after week, eager to learn what more I had been missing out on.
Fortunately, the wonderful women from those early studies in my walk of faith never judged me for my lack of knowledge or experience. They simply shared their hearts each week, influencing me in ways most of them will never realize. They, and the smaller group I now study with, serve as humble, faithful ambassadors for Christ. They remind me that at any given moment, we are all at different points in our walk with God. How we treat each other can influence a fellow believer’s commitment to that walk. It’s a responsibility we tend to forget, but it’s also an incredible privilege. I would not be where I am today without the loving, patient brothers and sisters in Christ that God so graciously placed in my path.
Today, my Bible has a few marks in it here and there, although I tend to make notes about particular passages in my journal. (I don’t trust that I’ll remember why I highlighted a specific verse months after the fact). But more importantly, the spine has developed a few small cracks from being opened repeatedly, and the pages don't stick together any longer as if fresh off the presses. I’ve also learned to speak with God in places and at times I would have once thought inappropriate. It's never perfect. It's a process.
Like everyone else, my walk with God is an ongoing adventure, a journey that includes miles behind me and many miles yet to travel. I’ve come to celebrate the fact that wherever each of us is on that journey, it’s exactly where we’re supposed to be. Let us always remember to join hands and support each other, no matter where we are. You never know when you might encourage a timid young believer or reinvigorate the seasoned traveler - even within the confines of Bible study. As long as we always keep Jesus as our tour guide, then it’s a trip well worth taking together.
In all that we do and experience as followers of Christ, I think we often tend to underestimate our influence on others. Not only are we ambassadors for Christ in a world that includes many non-believers in our midst, but we also have enormous bearing on the lives of fellow Christians.
The very first Bible study I attended was held in the home of a wonderful, intelligent, godly woman. As time passed, her living room swelled with women, both young and old, hungry to share in the wisdom of God’s Word. As a relatively new Christian, I felt inspired but also woefully inadequate. Most of the other women had such intelligent, insightful things to say about God, while I was lucky just to form a coherent thought. Most days, I never uttered a word, too afraid to sound as dumb as I felt. When we were to read a particular verse, I fumbled through my crisp Bible in vain, while others seemed to turn to the appropriate book and chapter in their well-worn Bibles with virtually no effort. Our host had a full arsenal of different Bibles and commentaries at her fingertips, each of them bookmarked in countless places. It was humbling to say the least.
I’m not sure how many other folks can relate, but as one new to faith in Christ at the time, I viewed the Bible in much the same way as I thought of God – holy and to be revered, yet also distant and untouchable. Imagine my horror when our Bible study leader asked us to underline a passage in our Bibles. Mark in my Bible, are you kidding? It’s God’s Word! Isn’t that like a divine form of vandalism? I couldn’t seem to bring myself to do it, even in pencil to be erased the moment I got home. It didn’t seem to matter that the most insightful women in the group had dog-eared pages and verses highlighted in neon pink throughout their Bibles. I couldn’t bring myself to "deface" my Bible in such a way.
On another day, our leader was discussing how she talked to Jesus on the way to and from work each day, as though He were riding shotgun next to her. Talking to Jesus in my car? Aren’t you supposed to pray to God on your knees, in the pew at church, or beside your bed at night? Is it really okay to just have a chat with God whenever you feel like it? The thought of Jesus taking a ride in my car was an image that both thrilled and haunted me. Everything I thought I knew about the practices of a faithful Christian was being challenged with each Bible study session. I kept coming back week after week, eager to learn what more I had been missing out on.
Fortunately, the wonderful women from those early studies in my walk of faith never judged me for my lack of knowledge or experience. They simply shared their hearts each week, influencing me in ways most of them will never realize. They, and the smaller group I now study with, serve as humble, faithful ambassadors for Christ. They remind me that at any given moment, we are all at different points in our walk with God. How we treat each other can influence a fellow believer’s commitment to that walk. It’s a responsibility we tend to forget, but it’s also an incredible privilege. I would not be where I am today without the loving, patient brothers and sisters in Christ that God so graciously placed in my path.
Today, my Bible has a few marks in it here and there, although I tend to make notes about particular passages in my journal. (I don’t trust that I’ll remember why I highlighted a specific verse months after the fact). But more importantly, the spine has developed a few small cracks from being opened repeatedly, and the pages don't stick together any longer as if fresh off the presses. I’ve also learned to speak with God in places and at times I would have once thought inappropriate. It's never perfect. It's a process.
Like everyone else, my walk with God is an ongoing adventure, a journey that includes miles behind me and many miles yet to travel. I’ve come to celebrate the fact that wherever each of us is on that journey, it’s exactly where we’re supposed to be. Let us always remember to join hands and support each other, no matter where we are. You never know when you might encourage a timid young believer or reinvigorate the seasoned traveler - even within the confines of Bible study. As long as we always keep Jesus as our tour guide, then it’s a trip well worth taking together.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Making Molehills
We’ve all heard the expression "making mountains out of molehills." In other words, we make small problems into momentous challenges for no good reason. All of us are guilty of this at one time or another. Often our expectations, our emotions, and/or our tendency to complicate the simple are what create those insurmountable peaks. We find ourselves scaling jagged cliffs, holding on for dear life, when we started out on a simple stroll through the woods.
Some of the "mountains" in our lives emerge by surprise overnight, bursting through the surface like hungry lava from a dormant volcano. Loss of loved ones, loss of employment, and serious health issues come to mind. Other times, we create the mountains ourselves by pushing the snowball up the slope until it’s so thick and heavy, it threatens to flatten us at a moment’s notice. Sin in which we’ve become ensnared, resentments that have festered, and guilt that has piled up over the years are examples familiar to me in my own life. Regardless of the cause, a giant obstacle stands between us and freedom.
There is an ample supply of "self-help" books and so-called experts out there with an arsenal of ideas about how to deal with the mountains in our lives. A former colleague of mine was particularly fond of these resources. She would often listen to them on tape in her car, temporarily energized by the latest fad to ease what troubled her. One of her favorite books used this very same mountain analogy. The expert’s advice was to scale that mountain full speed ahead and not stop until you’ve conquered it, planting your flag of dominance firmly at the summit. Mastery and self-control are the only acceptable solutions. Show that problem who’s boss!
Of course, what the self-help books fail to address is what happens once we scale the mountain and plant our flag. Assuming we’ve had the strength to make it there, is it really habitable at the top? Are we to pitch a tent at the summit of our problems, setting up residence on the very source of what plagues us, cut off from all the good in our lives that still dwells like a speck at the bottom? When the rains come – and they will – won’t we be battered more severely with no one and nothing to provide us shelter?
Our God has conquered all this world has to offer, all the mud it has to sling, and all the mountains we create for ourselves. God is capable of parting the waters of the seas and reducing the highest peaks to a pile of pebbles. But more importantly, God has given us the perfect expert to advise us, and His words of wisdom are found in a well-known and accessible book – you can even get it on tape, if you wish. His plan is tried and true, guaranteed to work.
Jesus alone can conquer all the mountains that form in our midst, all the insurmountable peaks we place in our own paths. He does not conquer them by encouraging us to scale them – it is a waste of our time and energy. Nor does He conquer them by removing them completely – all our struggles serve a purpose in our lives. He carefully and deliberately deconstructs them, sifting through the rubble of sin and suffering to leave a meaningful, manageable molehill from which we may grow and fertilize our faith. You see, He climbed all our mountains for us long before they were formed. The spikes that pierced His precious flesh created fissures in the rock of our sin. His cleansing blood left a flat, fruit-filled foundation from which we may build our lives. Here is where we should plant our flag of freedom and faithfulness.
Is a mountain of pain or an insurmountable challenge standing in your path? Join me in putting down that climbing gear, picking up God’s Word, and consulting the ultimate expert. Jesus is ready to make a molehill out of that mountain. Are you ready to let Him? I know I am.
Some of the "mountains" in our lives emerge by surprise overnight, bursting through the surface like hungry lava from a dormant volcano. Loss of loved ones, loss of employment, and serious health issues come to mind. Other times, we create the mountains ourselves by pushing the snowball up the slope until it’s so thick and heavy, it threatens to flatten us at a moment’s notice. Sin in which we’ve become ensnared, resentments that have festered, and guilt that has piled up over the years are examples familiar to me in my own life. Regardless of the cause, a giant obstacle stands between us and freedom.
There is an ample supply of "self-help" books and so-called experts out there with an arsenal of ideas about how to deal with the mountains in our lives. A former colleague of mine was particularly fond of these resources. She would often listen to them on tape in her car, temporarily energized by the latest fad to ease what troubled her. One of her favorite books used this very same mountain analogy. The expert’s advice was to scale that mountain full speed ahead and not stop until you’ve conquered it, planting your flag of dominance firmly at the summit. Mastery and self-control are the only acceptable solutions. Show that problem who’s boss!
Of course, what the self-help books fail to address is what happens once we scale the mountain and plant our flag. Assuming we’ve had the strength to make it there, is it really habitable at the top? Are we to pitch a tent at the summit of our problems, setting up residence on the very source of what plagues us, cut off from all the good in our lives that still dwells like a speck at the bottom? When the rains come – and they will – won’t we be battered more severely with no one and nothing to provide us shelter?
Our God has conquered all this world has to offer, all the mud it has to sling, and all the mountains we create for ourselves. God is capable of parting the waters of the seas and reducing the highest peaks to a pile of pebbles. But more importantly, God has given us the perfect expert to advise us, and His words of wisdom are found in a well-known and accessible book – you can even get it on tape, if you wish. His plan is tried and true, guaranteed to work.
Jesus alone can conquer all the mountains that form in our midst, all the insurmountable peaks we place in our own paths. He does not conquer them by encouraging us to scale them – it is a waste of our time and energy. Nor does He conquer them by removing them completely – all our struggles serve a purpose in our lives. He carefully and deliberately deconstructs them, sifting through the rubble of sin and suffering to leave a meaningful, manageable molehill from which we may grow and fertilize our faith. You see, He climbed all our mountains for us long before they were formed. The spikes that pierced His precious flesh created fissures in the rock of our sin. His cleansing blood left a flat, fruit-filled foundation from which we may build our lives. Here is where we should plant our flag of freedom and faithfulness.
Is a mountain of pain or an insurmountable challenge standing in your path? Join me in putting down that climbing gear, picking up God’s Word, and consulting the ultimate expert. Jesus is ready to make a molehill out of that mountain. Are you ready to let Him? I know I am.
Monday, March 5, 2012
In the Palm of His Hand
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." (John 10:28)
In my years working as a crisis counselor, it took me a long time to get used to ministering to folks in intense circumstances, only to send them on their way and never see or hear from them again. I wanted to know how their lives turned out, and in my own prideful heart, I wanted to know if my presence had made any difference. The majority of the time, I never found answers to those questions. Instead, I learned to turn their care over to God, who would minister to them more fully than I ever could. When my work was finished, I would simply envision these wounded souls enveloped in the strong, warm, comforting palm of God’s immense and loving hand. Knowing that He was in control of their healing and protection was what allowed me to sleep in peace, to let go and move on to the next person in need.
It’s easy for us to see the wisdom of turning to and relying on God on the mountain tops and in the deep valleys of our lives, but what about all the many other points along the slope of life? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been guilty of falling into the trap of believing that my joys and sorrows are not important or urgent enough to bring before a God who hears the anguished cries of so many of His children. How dare I come to God with concerns about work or relationship issues when there are people who have lost loved ones, homes, and their entire livelihoods to tornadoes? How can I voice a prayer about responsibly rearing my child, when folks on the other side of the world lose children daily to AIDS and starvation? I can’t count how many times I’ve prayed openly for others, only to stop short of praying to God about the struggles in my own life, silenced by a faulty feeling of selfishness.
Thought processes like this come from the erroneous practice of applying human terms to a divine God. He is everywhere at all times, a living, breathing part of each of His created children. There is more than "enough" of Him – more than we can fathom – to be fully and lovingly with each of us every moment of every day. We don’t have to put our joys and concerns on a divine waiting list, to be tended to after more pressing concerns are dealt with. In fact, God knows every song in our hearts, every pain carried in our bodies and souls, long before we ever form the words to express them. The only delay occurs when we hesitate to bring it all to Him. No matter what is happening in the world, no matter what time of day or night, God hears us. He hears us even if all we can do is fall to our knees in silence before Him.
If God’s presence is hard for we humans to understand, so too is His love for us. How could He love us so much that He sacrificed His Son for us? Such love may be difficult to comprehend, but it is very real. It is perfect and utterly complete. By hesitating to bring my "insignificant" joys and concerns to God, I forget that if it’s important to me, it’s important to God. To withhold myself from Him in any way is an affront to a love so fierce that it was nailed to a cross for me over two thousand years before I even drew my first breath. Why would He go to such dramatic lengths for me if He had no interest in a relationship with me?
In her revised study "Breaking Free," Beth Moore states, "No matter what time of night you roll over in the bed and become conscious, you will catch God in the middle of a thought about you." What a beautiful and woundrous image. But then... how could He not be thinking of one He loves so much?
In my years working as a crisis counselor, it took me a long time to get used to ministering to folks in intense circumstances, only to send them on their way and never see or hear from them again. I wanted to know how their lives turned out, and in my own prideful heart, I wanted to know if my presence had made any difference. The majority of the time, I never found answers to those questions. Instead, I learned to turn their care over to God, who would minister to them more fully than I ever could. When my work was finished, I would simply envision these wounded souls enveloped in the strong, warm, comforting palm of God’s immense and loving hand. Knowing that He was in control of their healing and protection was what allowed me to sleep in peace, to let go and move on to the next person in need.
It’s easy for us to see the wisdom of turning to and relying on God on the mountain tops and in the deep valleys of our lives, but what about all the many other points along the slope of life? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been guilty of falling into the trap of believing that my joys and sorrows are not important or urgent enough to bring before a God who hears the anguished cries of so many of His children. How dare I come to God with concerns about work or relationship issues when there are people who have lost loved ones, homes, and their entire livelihoods to tornadoes? How can I voice a prayer about responsibly rearing my child, when folks on the other side of the world lose children daily to AIDS and starvation? I can’t count how many times I’ve prayed openly for others, only to stop short of praying to God about the struggles in my own life, silenced by a faulty feeling of selfishness.
Thought processes like this come from the erroneous practice of applying human terms to a divine God. He is everywhere at all times, a living, breathing part of each of His created children. There is more than "enough" of Him – more than we can fathom – to be fully and lovingly with each of us every moment of every day. We don’t have to put our joys and concerns on a divine waiting list, to be tended to after more pressing concerns are dealt with. In fact, God knows every song in our hearts, every pain carried in our bodies and souls, long before we ever form the words to express them. The only delay occurs when we hesitate to bring it all to Him. No matter what is happening in the world, no matter what time of day or night, God hears us. He hears us even if all we can do is fall to our knees in silence before Him.
If God’s presence is hard for we humans to understand, so too is His love for us. How could He love us so much that He sacrificed His Son for us? Such love may be difficult to comprehend, but it is very real. It is perfect and utterly complete. By hesitating to bring my "insignificant" joys and concerns to God, I forget that if it’s important to me, it’s important to God. To withhold myself from Him in any way is an affront to a love so fierce that it was nailed to a cross for me over two thousand years before I even drew my first breath. Why would He go to such dramatic lengths for me if He had no interest in a relationship with me?
In her revised study "Breaking Free," Beth Moore states, "No matter what time of night you roll over in the bed and become conscious, you will catch God in the middle of a thought about you." What a beautiful and woundrous image. But then... how could He not be thinking of one He loves so much?
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