“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even in earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.”
When I was in seventh grade, Iben Browning predicted a massive earthquake would hit the New Madrid fault line on or around December 2, 1990. My school was about an hour north of the epicenter, so to be cautious, the administration called off classes for two days like many other area schools. Those two days off were just a bonus for the 12-year-old me. Taking cues from my dad, who took my sister and I out for a hamburger lunch on the dreaded December 2, I scoffed at Browning’s predictions. Almost 19 years later, the New Madrid fault line has yet to be struck by a devastating earthquake. Though scientists still think a disaster is waiting to happen, no one has been bold enough to make predictions since Browning.
I wish I could always adopt that carefree 12-year-old attitude about portending troubles, but I don’t. It’s not as easy to laugh off things like a loss of income or marriage problems. However, it is human nature to be gripped by fear and worry when troubles come. For most of my life, I’ve been held back by fear—fear of social rejection, fear of conflict, fear of abandonment. Those fears are far more real than a predicted earthquake that doesn’t happen, and sometimes I let them become roadblocks to faith.
I listened to David Jeremiah’s radio sermon before I started writing today, and his message on fear couldn’t have been more timely. He referred to 1 John 4:16-18:
“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world. Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us.” (emphasis added)
David Jeremiah said that the opposite of fear is not trust or belief, but love, as this passage describes. If we focus on how much God loves us, our fears will diminish, because his perfect love casts out all our fears. Is there anything more fearful than wondering if our salvation is secure? I mean, the scariest thing on earth is death, but what about after death? This 1 John passage makes it clear; we don’t have to be afraid of the day of judgment (or anything else) if God, who is love, lives in us.
So, if you are fearful today, steep yourself in the truth of how much your Heavenly Father loves you, and put your trust in him. God is madly in love with you and wants you to fill your heart with his love. He truly is your refuge and strength, and he is ready to help in any kind of trouble you face now or in the future. Earthquake or not.
Copyright 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
2 Corinthians 5:14
"Whatever we do, it is because Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live."
If you are a believer, in what ways have you died to the old life you used to live?
As I’ve written before, becoming a parent changed what media influences I allow in my life. Since college, I’ve watched the local news at noon on the CBS affiliate to stay informed. About when my oldest child turned two, I realized that the police beat stories at the top of the news were too graphic for his wide blue eyes and eager ears, much less the commercials for CSI: Miami in between. Since we have Dish Network, I can hit “Info” and a blue box covers most of the screen. So I’ve learned to hit mute during the top of the news, and to block out commercials with the info screen. Now that I’ve practiced this for a few years, I know the graphic content isn’t necessary for me, either.
Dying to our old lives is a process, not a one-time shot. Maybe you or someone you knew had a dramatic, Saul-like conversion from a blatantly sinful lifestyle. Or maybe you’ve been a Christian all your life, but as you’ve grown in your faithwalk, your conscience has been pricked and you don’t do the same things anymore. Maybe you cut back on drinking or you gave up toxic friendships. Maybe you catch yourself before your conversation turns to gossip, or you skip the soap operas in favor of a non-racy novel.
Whatever it is, if you’re already doing something different and you’re a believer, it’s probably because you’re being made more like Christ. But if you’re resisting the temptation to return to your worldly lifestyle, you must rely on Jesus to provide the help you need…otherwise you’re on your own! It’s risky to rely on willpower, because we’re all naturally bent toward sin. So ask God to help you become less like the world and more like Jesus today. He will always answer that prayer in a practical way, if you are willing to accept his help.
The world needs to know more salty and bright-light Christians (see Matthew 5:13-16). It’s important that if you call yourself a follower of Jesus, your lifestyle is different from that of the world. If your lifestyle hasn’t become more holy as your faith has grown, ask God to examine your heart and show you ways that you can die to any habits that aren’t Christlike. Your lifestyle could have an eternal impact on the people who know you, so ask yourself again: in what ways have you died to the old life you used to live?
Copyright 2009
If you are a believer, in what ways have you died to the old life you used to live?
As I’ve written before, becoming a parent changed what media influences I allow in my life. Since college, I’ve watched the local news at noon on the CBS affiliate to stay informed. About when my oldest child turned two, I realized that the police beat stories at the top of the news were too graphic for his wide blue eyes and eager ears, much less the commercials for CSI: Miami in between. Since we have Dish Network, I can hit “Info” and a blue box covers most of the screen. So I’ve learned to hit mute during the top of the news, and to block out commercials with the info screen. Now that I’ve practiced this for a few years, I know the graphic content isn’t necessary for me, either.
Dying to our old lives is a process, not a one-time shot. Maybe you or someone you knew had a dramatic, Saul-like conversion from a blatantly sinful lifestyle. Or maybe you’ve been a Christian all your life, but as you’ve grown in your faithwalk, your conscience has been pricked and you don’t do the same things anymore. Maybe you cut back on drinking or you gave up toxic friendships. Maybe you catch yourself before your conversation turns to gossip, or you skip the soap operas in favor of a non-racy novel.
Whatever it is, if you’re already doing something different and you’re a believer, it’s probably because you’re being made more like Christ. But if you’re resisting the temptation to return to your worldly lifestyle, you must rely on Jesus to provide the help you need…otherwise you’re on your own! It’s risky to rely on willpower, because we’re all naturally bent toward sin. So ask God to help you become less like the world and more like Jesus today. He will always answer that prayer in a practical way, if you are willing to accept his help.
The world needs to know more salty and bright-light Christians (see Matthew 5:13-16). It’s important that if you call yourself a follower of Jesus, your lifestyle is different from that of the world. If your lifestyle hasn’t become more holy as your faith has grown, ask God to examine your heart and show you ways that you can die to any habits that aren’t Christlike. Your lifestyle could have an eternal impact on the people who know you, so ask yourself again: in what ways have you died to the old life you used to live?
Copyright 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
“For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”
If any of us think we have major problems, we can gain perspective when we read about the troubles that Paul faced. In chapter 6 of this letter, Paul says he and his companions “have been beaten, put in jail, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food” (vs. 5). They were also called impostors, treated as unknowns, beaten within an inch of their lives, poor, and heart-aching (vss. 9-10). In chapter 11, Paul lists other trials: whippings, lashings, beatings with rods, a stoning, shipwrecked three times, left out in the elements, robbers, danger from all kinds of people, pain, sleeplessness, hunger and thirst, and lack of clothing—not to mention the burden of how the churches were getting along (vss. 23-28)!
No one I know personally has ever suffered that much. That being said, we have all faced difficult problems at one time or another—and some of you are in the middle of a heartbreaking problem. No matter what kind of problem we may face, today’s verses give perspective and a breath of fresh air.
If you take a moment now and imagine yourself in heaven, in the presence of your Creator and Savior and with other believing loved ones who died before you, in a perfectly beautiful and holy place prepared just for you with no pain, tears, or sorrows…how does your current list of problems impact that scene?
Your problems just don’t exist there!
As comforting as these verses are, a warning casts a shadow on them from my point of view. This is not a promise for unbelievers. Only believers in the one true God will experience the joys of heaven and the relief from all their troubles. If we look at just a few verses before in 13-15, it’s clear that Paul is writing specifically to those who believe in Jesus as their personal Savior.
So, ask yourself…can you gain comfort from today’s verses because your salvation is secure based on your belief in Jesus Christ?
Copyright 2009
If any of us think we have major problems, we can gain perspective when we read about the troubles that Paul faced. In chapter 6 of this letter, Paul says he and his companions “have been beaten, put in jail, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food” (vs. 5). They were also called impostors, treated as unknowns, beaten within an inch of their lives, poor, and heart-aching (vss. 9-10). In chapter 11, Paul lists other trials: whippings, lashings, beatings with rods, a stoning, shipwrecked three times, left out in the elements, robbers, danger from all kinds of people, pain, sleeplessness, hunger and thirst, and lack of clothing—not to mention the burden of how the churches were getting along (vss. 23-28)!
No one I know personally has ever suffered that much. That being said, we have all faced difficult problems at one time or another—and some of you are in the middle of a heartbreaking problem. No matter what kind of problem we may face, today’s verses give perspective and a breath of fresh air.
If you take a moment now and imagine yourself in heaven, in the presence of your Creator and Savior and with other believing loved ones who died before you, in a perfectly beautiful and holy place prepared just for you with no pain, tears, or sorrows…how does your current list of problems impact that scene?
Your problems just don’t exist there!
As comforting as these verses are, a warning casts a shadow on them from my point of view. This is not a promise for unbelievers. Only believers in the one true God will experience the joys of heaven and the relief from all their troubles. If we look at just a few verses before in 13-15, it’s clear that Paul is writing specifically to those who believe in Jesus as their personal Savior.
So, ask yourself…can you gain comfort from today’s verses because your salvation is secure based on your belief in Jesus Christ?
Copyright 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
2 Corinthians 4:7
“But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.”
What a comfort this verse provides to me on a day like today. You see, I have naturally low energy, and I often struggle with feeling weak or tired. Today is a tired day, but at least it’s Sunday so I can get extra rest. I’m encouraged that the times when I’m weakest can show God’s power the most. Here’s my story…
Ever since I was a child, I’ve felt more tired than my peers. I’ve always been a light sleeper and prone to waking up several times during the night from vivid dreams. In college I got very sick, and the doctors suspected mononucleosis and/or Epstein-Barr virus. They prescribed rest, so for a week I skipped class and slept up to 16 hours a day. The fatigue I experienced during that time was so debilitating, nothing I experienced during my pregnancies or early weeks with my newborn babies even came close. I really haven’t been the same since that sickness; even now I’m more susceptible to getting colds and viruses when I lose sleep just two nights in a row.
A couple years ago I asked my doctor to run some tests for my chronic fatigue. All results came back negative, which she said was good, but it was just the way I was made and I would have to learn to cope. Not long after that, I was lamenting my diagnosis with a family friend. She surprised me when she said, “God created you this way, Sarah. You are so intuitive that you notice things on a deeper level than other people. That takes a different kind of mental energy which exhausts you. What you don’t have in physical energy is made up in the other unique ways God has gifted you.”
Since that conversation, I’ve chosen to see my low-energy weakness as a gift rather than a burden. It’s still very challenging to deal with my weakness as a work-from-home mom of three little ones. But God is glorified when I ask him to help me be the best mom I can be on the tired days, and he comes through. He also comes through for me by helping me get up early to exercise, and he provides time for me to nap when I really need it. Of course, I can also glorify God by using my creative energy on projects such as writing or painting, and trust him to make up the difference for lost physical energy.
I often turn to 2 Corinthians 12:9 for encouragement on difficult days:
“Each time [the Lord] said, ‘My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.”
If I take the time to tell others how God works through me in spite of my weakness of low energy, they can see God’s power in my life. How can you put God’s power on display through your particular weakness?
Copyright 2009
What a comfort this verse provides to me on a day like today. You see, I have naturally low energy, and I often struggle with feeling weak or tired. Today is a tired day, but at least it’s Sunday so I can get extra rest. I’m encouraged that the times when I’m weakest can show God’s power the most. Here’s my story…
Ever since I was a child, I’ve felt more tired than my peers. I’ve always been a light sleeper and prone to waking up several times during the night from vivid dreams. In college I got very sick, and the doctors suspected mononucleosis and/or Epstein-Barr virus. They prescribed rest, so for a week I skipped class and slept up to 16 hours a day. The fatigue I experienced during that time was so debilitating, nothing I experienced during my pregnancies or early weeks with my newborn babies even came close. I really haven’t been the same since that sickness; even now I’m more susceptible to getting colds and viruses when I lose sleep just two nights in a row.
A couple years ago I asked my doctor to run some tests for my chronic fatigue. All results came back negative, which she said was good, but it was just the way I was made and I would have to learn to cope. Not long after that, I was lamenting my diagnosis with a family friend. She surprised me when she said, “God created you this way, Sarah. You are so intuitive that you notice things on a deeper level than other people. That takes a different kind of mental energy which exhausts you. What you don’t have in physical energy is made up in the other unique ways God has gifted you.”
Since that conversation, I’ve chosen to see my low-energy weakness as a gift rather than a burden. It’s still very challenging to deal with my weakness as a work-from-home mom of three little ones. But God is glorified when I ask him to help me be the best mom I can be on the tired days, and he comes through. He also comes through for me by helping me get up early to exercise, and he provides time for me to nap when I really need it. Of course, I can also glorify God by using my creative energy on projects such as writing or painting, and trust him to make up the difference for lost physical energy.
I often turn to 2 Corinthians 12:9 for encouragement on difficult days:
“Each time [the Lord] said, ‘My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.”
If I take the time to tell others how God works through me in spite of my weakness of low energy, they can see God’s power in my life. How can you put God’s power on display through your particular weakness?
Copyright 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Job 32:8-9
“Surely it is God’s Spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent. But sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice.”
Job’s friends were trying to help him after he suffered immeasurable loss, but their words were spoken without wisdom. They didn’t help Job at all! What they shared based on intelligence was far from the insight and understanding Job really needed.
This reminds me of the Pharisees in the New Testament. They were careful students of the law, knowing it backwards and forwards, even adding many restrictions that God didn’t put there. Their know-it-all nature was a huge roadblock in their understanding of who Jesus was. The Pharisees knew the prophecies better than anyone else, yet they didn’t recognize the Messiah right in front of them. They knew the Law but missed the Gospel, and you can’t have one without the other.
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve acted like a Pharisee before. I have always been academically gifted and my learning skills transferred to religious and spiritual studies in high school and college. For various reasons, though, I used my knowledge to shut people out—exactly opposite of what the Gospel teaches. Gradually I learned to open myself up to others so I could give and receive love the way God intended, especially as I became a mother.
In mothering I’ve also learned the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Before I was pregnant I read every book I could get my hands on about caring for a newborn. The books were very helpful for preparation, but I learned the most through the experience. Now that I’ve been a mother for 5+ years of three children, I’ve had many opportunities to grow in wisdom.
So, how does your “head knowledge” about God enhance or hinder your relationship with him or others? And how can you grow in wisdom where God has placed you now?
Copyright 2009
Job’s friends were trying to help him after he suffered immeasurable loss, but their words were spoken without wisdom. They didn’t help Job at all! What they shared based on intelligence was far from the insight and understanding Job really needed.
This reminds me of the Pharisees in the New Testament. They were careful students of the law, knowing it backwards and forwards, even adding many restrictions that God didn’t put there. Their know-it-all nature was a huge roadblock in their understanding of who Jesus was. The Pharisees knew the prophecies better than anyone else, yet they didn’t recognize the Messiah right in front of them. They knew the Law but missed the Gospel, and you can’t have one without the other.
I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve acted like a Pharisee before. I have always been academically gifted and my learning skills transferred to religious and spiritual studies in high school and college. For various reasons, though, I used my knowledge to shut people out—exactly opposite of what the Gospel teaches. Gradually I learned to open myself up to others so I could give and receive love the way God intended, especially as I became a mother.
In mothering I’ve also learned the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Before I was pregnant I read every book I could get my hands on about caring for a newborn. The books were very helpful for preparation, but I learned the most through the experience. Now that I’ve been a mother for 5+ years of three children, I’ve had many opportunities to grow in wisdom.
So, how does your “head knowledge” about God enhance or hinder your relationship with him or others? And how can you grow in wisdom where God has placed you now?
Copyright 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
2 Corinthians 2:14
“But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume.”
Today’s reading makes me think of another scripture about perfume. In Matthew 26:6-12 and John 12:1-8, we read how Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, took a jar of expensive perfume and anointed Jesus with it, wiping his feet with her hair, and the fragrance filled the house. The disciples thought the act was wasteful, but Jesus praised the act as a preparation for his burial.
If you read on in 2 Corinthians 2, you find that Paul says our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God, and this fragrance is perceived differently by believers and unbelievers. To unbelievers the scent is putrid because it portends doom. But to those being saved the scent is a life-giving perfume. If I relate that to the anointing story: the scent was repulsive to the disciples because they didn’t yet believe Jesus meant what he said, that he would die and be raised on the third day. However, to Mary and Jesus, the scent evidenced faith that Jesus was who he said he was—the Messiah.
One of my friends commented on the Mary story once, saying that if the scientists are correct that our sense of smell is the most powerful connection to memories, the disciples must have recalled that moment every time they smelled essence of nard again. As soon as they got a whiff, immediately their thoughts returned to Mary’s beautiful act of faith contrasted by their lack of faith. More than anything, the scent would remind them that Jesus kept his promises.
If our lives are a fragrance to others and to God, what kind of fragrance is your life sending out? It may be stale if you’ve become too casual in your faith. It could even be rotten if you’re living in sin. But it will be sweet if you are bearing spiritual fruit and you’re a living example of Christ. What scent-memory do you want others to have of you when you’re gone?
What are you doing to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume?
Copyright 2009
Today’s reading makes me think of another scripture about perfume. In Matthew 26:6-12 and John 12:1-8, we read how Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, took a jar of expensive perfume and anointed Jesus with it, wiping his feet with her hair, and the fragrance filled the house. The disciples thought the act was wasteful, but Jesus praised the act as a preparation for his burial.
If you read on in 2 Corinthians 2, you find that Paul says our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God, and this fragrance is perceived differently by believers and unbelievers. To unbelievers the scent is putrid because it portends doom. But to those being saved the scent is a life-giving perfume. If I relate that to the anointing story: the scent was repulsive to the disciples because they didn’t yet believe Jesus meant what he said, that he would die and be raised on the third day. However, to Mary and Jesus, the scent evidenced faith that Jesus was who he said he was—the Messiah.
One of my friends commented on the Mary story once, saying that if the scientists are correct that our sense of smell is the most powerful connection to memories, the disciples must have recalled that moment every time they smelled essence of nard again. As soon as they got a whiff, immediately their thoughts returned to Mary’s beautiful act of faith contrasted by their lack of faith. More than anything, the scent would remind them that Jesus kept his promises.
If our lives are a fragrance to others and to God, what kind of fragrance is your life sending out? It may be stale if you’ve become too casual in your faith. It could even be rotten if you’re living in sin. But it will be sweet if you are bearing spiritual fruit and you’re a living example of Christ. What scent-memory do you want others to have of you when you’re gone?
What are you doing to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume?
Copyright 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
“It is God who gives us, along with you, the ability to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us.”
How are you standing firm for Christ? It takes courage and God’s power to stand firm for your Christian beliefs, especially when you may face rejection or criticism. Once I found myself in a conversation when everyone else was okay with software piracy, and I was not. I said a quick prayer, then shared my views on why that is actually stealing, and how it violates my principles as a believer. I know God empowered me to share my opinion in a loving, respectful way while still upholding what is true in his law.
What is your unique commission for the Lord? Paul and his friends were commissioned to spread the Gospel to first-century Gentiles. You may feel that your own commission or calling isn’t as important, but God has called each of us to make an eternal impact upon our own spheres of influence. Think about your talents, abilities, and experience, and how you can use them to lead people to Christ.
How do you know if the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart? One way to tell is if you are bearing the fruits of the spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23 for a list). I’ve noticed that as my faithwalk has grown, my amount of spiritual fruit has increased in proportion, especially during trials. Even as my trials increase, I can bear more love, joy, peace, and the like because the Holy Spirit enables the growth.
What other things do you imagine is included in “everything” he will give us? As I’ve posted before, I am just amazed that a person of the Trinity dwells in my heart to empower me every day! If I have that now on earth, as a finite, weak creature, how much more will I experience in heaven someday when my life is restored to God’s perfect design! Does knowing this spur you to praise God and lift your thoughts beyond this temporal world?
Copyright 2009
How are you standing firm for Christ? It takes courage and God’s power to stand firm for your Christian beliefs, especially when you may face rejection or criticism. Once I found myself in a conversation when everyone else was okay with software piracy, and I was not. I said a quick prayer, then shared my views on why that is actually stealing, and how it violates my principles as a believer. I know God empowered me to share my opinion in a loving, respectful way while still upholding what is true in his law.
What is your unique commission for the Lord? Paul and his friends were commissioned to spread the Gospel to first-century Gentiles. You may feel that your own commission or calling isn’t as important, but God has called each of us to make an eternal impact upon our own spheres of influence. Think about your talents, abilities, and experience, and how you can use them to lead people to Christ.
How do you know if the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart? One way to tell is if you are bearing the fruits of the spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23 for a list). I’ve noticed that as my faithwalk has grown, my amount of spiritual fruit has increased in proportion, especially during trials. Even as my trials increase, I can bear more love, joy, peace, and the like because the Holy Spirit enables the growth.
What other things do you imagine is included in “everything” he will give us? As I’ve posted before, I am just amazed that a person of the Trinity dwells in my heart to empower me every day! If I have that now on earth, as a finite, weak creature, how much more will I experience in heaven someday when my life is restored to God’s perfect design! Does knowing this spur you to praise God and lift your thoughts beyond this temporal world?
Copyright 2009
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