Times of Trouble

Have you ever wondered why you were going through a time of trouble only to realize on the other side that it enabled you to minister to those who were now going through something very similar? I remember a dear friend, who has since gone to be with the Lord, losing her son years ago to a drunk driver. The storm of questions that followed that tragedy were impossible to answer; all I could say was that God was still in control and could use this tragedy for good somehow. Not long after, there were a string of kids who passed away unexpectedly for some reason or another; some sickness, others accidents. My friend was able to minister to many parents and friends because of the strength she had gained in going through her own loss and resultant growth in leaning on the Lord.

Paul shares something akin to this in 1 Cor. 1: 3-7. He says (roughly) that God comforts us in all our troubles so when may, in turn, comfort those who are in trouble as well. As a matter of fact he goes on to say that "the sufferings of Christ overflow into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." That's awesome. What we read here is real body ministry happening. As we go through struggles and come out stronger, we are able to then encourage those going through similar trials and/our struggles. (And so on, and so on)

So take heart, if we trust the Lord, lean on Him, and grow in Him, as we come through the fire we can then be used by Him. It's the economy of God - no bailout needed, just perseverance.

Misunderstood?

I don't know if non-believers can grasp a believers thoughts. Before I became a Christian at age 20, I couldn't understand the ways "religious" people thought. It never made sense to me to worship an unseen God, give 10% of my income to a church, serve people I didn't know on my day off - no, I didn't get any of it.

In 2 Kings 18:22 we see that the Assyrians couldn't either. They ask how the Judeans could depend on a God whose high places the king had torn down. They didn't understand that those high places were an abomination to the Lord. It was right to tear down those altars - but the ungodly didn't get it.

Ever felt like King Hezekiah? Your non-believing friends not getting you or the things you do? "How many nights you at that church?" "You're going on a missions what this summer?" "How much did it cost?" "Why?", etc., etc.

God doesn't ask us to be sure we're understood. He only wants our obedience and our passion for Him and His kingdom. Jesus was surely often not understood, can we expect any less? However, it is in the uniqueness of our lives that we make people become aware and wonder what it is that makes us so. Our "odd-ness" is our best evangelistic tool. So, be odd today. Make your life one of uniqueness and watch the door open to some pretty interesting conversations.

Evil in the World

It's hard to open up any news page today without being inundated with the amount of evil in the world. For example, I just left Fox News where these headlines begged my attention:

Trucker shot to death

Four gunman shoot man

Mother kills son

Man kills wife

etc., etc., etc.

It goes on and on. One must wonder as the stories get more heinous every year, where will it stop? Can it get any worse? However, Scripture says without the Holy Spirit it would be a lot worse.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 we read about the "man of lawlessness" and that he is currently being restrained. It's interesting to me that soon after reading of the atrocities that happen in our world today, I turn to see that they would actually be much worse and more common if not for the restraint of the Holy Spirit. I'm so thankful for the Spirit's work in my life; encouraging me ever nearer to Christ, but never gave much thought to His work in our world on a daily basis.

Imagine the world without the Spirit of God restraining it. Imagine the world without the Spirit of God instigating good in it. We have much to be thankful for; thank you Holy Spirit for every child's smile, every good deed done, every kind word spoken...and thank you for keeping the enemy at bay.

With Whom I'm Well Pleased

It's amazing how fast years go by in retrospect. My middle child just celebrated her 17th birthday yesterday. When did THAT happen? It got me thinking about fatherhood and what kind of dad I've been. It made me think too about how blessed I am to have such wonderful God-loving children. Now don't get me wrong, I don't love them because they're good, I love just because they are.

I read in Mark 1: 9-11 tonight the account of Jesus' baptism again. What struck me was that God said "...with whom I'm well pleased" before Jesus had DONE ANYTHING! God was pleased with His Son just because He was. As that struck me, I sensed the Holy Spirit apply that to my heart as well. God is pleased with me (and you) not because I run around DOING ministry, but because I am His and let His Spirit minister to me. Too cool.

I think God knew I needed this tonight. I've been SO busy lately I can't even relax on a night off. Lord, help me get busy about slowing down...

Show me the Money

Some think I have a pretty weird sense of humor when it comes to reading the Bible. I don't know about that, but I do find myself laughing more times than not when I read about the things Jesus did. Here's one for you: In Mark 12:41-44 Jesus is sitting across from the temple treasury watching people put money (offerings) in. Now, before we jump to the poor widow who gave all she had and assume we get the whole "it's not about the amount, but the percentage" or "attitude" thing, let's just look at the first line. Can't you just imagine Jesus passing the time by watching people give. Please bear with me as I imagine His thoughts:

Well here comes Jonadab, I really blessed him last week with some great furniture sales. Do what? What is that pathetic amount he's dropping in?

Ah, Bracius, he's always giving more than he can afford. Yep, there he goes again...that'll make it tough to live this week. Well, I'll stretch the oil and bread for him again.

Oh this ought to be good, here comes that skin-flint Ezekiel. The more I give him the less he gives Me back. Sure enough...and what's with the trumpet blowing?

I can't say that's what Jesus was thinking. But one thing for sure. He WAS watching and thinking and knew the amount that everyone gave. He watches a poor widow give everything she had to live on (let that sink in in today's terms) while others gave a portion of their surplus. (please note - he didn't criticize the rich, he just commended the widow)

So is Jesus still watching today? I wonder, as the human rat race starts hitting the full swing Christmas season, if Jesus is sitting and watching how we give back this time of year? Do we pass the red bucket at Walmart with eyes turned aside, or do we give from a sacrificial heart? After all, it is Jesus who said, "as you have done unto the least of these My brethren, you have done unto Me". Let's give Him something to smile at while He sits there.

Painting Lessons

O.K., so I'm squeezing a couple of hours of painting in this evening at an apartment. I walk into the bathroom and notice the walls have streaks on them. The reason was obvious to me as I have seen it time and time again. The previous painter used flat paint - a major dumb move in an area that will experience lots of moisture. A little Kilz and semi-gloss later and we have a bath ready for hot showers. "So what?" you might ask.

As I fixed the paint problem it reminded me of the Scripture that speaks of the "building materials" we use in the formation of our spiritual walk. Wrong materials, bad outcome. God doesn't make it difficult or hard to understand. Romans 8:5-8 basically says what we put into our minds results in how we live our lives. Want a life nearer and more obedient to the Lord?Feed the brain scripture and fertilize it with prayer. Want a life of pestering sin, guilt and depression? Feed the brain sit-coms, headline news, and pay-per-view fertilized with with an Eeyore attitude.

See, just like paint.

Obedience and Faithfulness

Reading today about our obedience and God's faithfulness. An account is found in 2 Kings 8:1-6 about a woman whom God told to uproot and leave her home to avoid famine. When she returns she not only gets her land back, but also all the monies made from her land while she was gone. A few things spoke to me in this passage:

1. She obeyed immediately and without seeing the famine first. How many of us obey without delay versus wait to "see" if we heard God correctly.

2. Her obedience initially caused her sacrifice. She must have known that abandoning her land would mean someone else claiming it. Sometimes our obedience will require sacrifice - making the decision even tougher.

3. God really does have everything under control. What are the odds that the moment she returns and visits the king, he is being told of her story and her healed son? We must believe God can orchestrate all things to come together for good for His children.

4. Restitution - Not only did the woman get back everything she lost, but even the profits for the last seven years! (Notice, a govt. official was ordered to see she got all she deserved!)

As I read the scriptures I am always reminded of the faithfulness of the Lord. I've never seen His children abandoned, never seen them forgotten. What an encouragement that God knew and cared for this poor woman, and He cares for each of us as well.