“For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44).

The Christmas story is so familiar to us that it’s extremely easy to miss the significance of the little things it contains. That’s what struck me as I read and meditated upon the words of Elizabeth recorded in Luke 1:44. Let me set the stage for you.

Both Mary and Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, had been visited by an angel informing them of an impending pregnancy. The news came as a shock to both, but for different reasons. Elizabeth was too old to have a baby, and Mary was an unmarried virgin. Nonetheless, both Elizabeth and Mary responded with faith to what appeared on the surface to be seemingly impossible.

Now as you know, shortly after Mary became pregnant, she visited Elizabeth. She remained with her for three months. When Mary initially entered Elizabeth’s house, that’s when the baby Elizabeth was carrying “leaped for joy.” The word “leaped” literally means to skip. The word “joy” means extreme gladness. Thus, the baby Elizabeth was carrying skipped with extreme gladness at the sound of Mary’s voice. I think that we might learn from that as the Christmas season approaches. Here is what I mean by that.

What is it that makes you “leap for joy” this Christmas season? Perhaps you are looking forward to a special time to relax (hope that happens for you); or perhaps special time with family is what brings you joy. Maybe you are looking forward to the expression on your kids’ faces as they decorate the tree or open presents. There is no shortage of things to be joyful about during the Christmas season. Yet the baby Elizabeth was carrying (John the Baptist) leaped in joy for no reason other than he sensed the presence of Jesus. That’s awesome, and something from which we can learn.

I know you’ve heard it a thousand times, but the fact is that the true meaning of this season gets lost by all the stuff that goes on. It’s not necessarily bad stuff, just too much of it. Would you agree? That’s where the simplicity of the story of the baby leaping touches me. John the Baptist was still a baby. Yet the presence of another baby, the one who would one day become his Savior, made him leap with exceeding gladness.

That’s the core of the Christmas message. The simple presence of the Christ is meant to serve as the source of our exceeding gladness. Is that the case for you right now? Is the presence of Christ the source of your joy? If not, you are likely looking for the wrong things this Christmas season. John leaped. We would do well to do the same. Leap with me, would you?

“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way” (Psalm 25:9).

There is no doubt; a teachable heart is a vital prerequisite to having a proper relationship with the Lord. Yet what is it that best describes a teachable heart? Well, I’ve come to see that one word best describes a teachable heart, and that word is humility. Is that not exactly what David had in mind as he wrote Psalm 25:9?

Take a close look at the verse again. It tells us that God does two things; he leads and he teaches. He leads us on the right path and he teaches us his way. But note as well the qualifier for such leading and teaching. In both instances, it’s humility. In other words, God’s leading and teaching are predicated upon our humility, the degree to which our hearts are teachable. Would you agree that this has enormous implications for how we structure our lives?

As you know, I spend a significant amount of time each week visiting with you, one on one. The issues we discuss, anguish over, and pray about are many and varied. In some instances, there is pain due to bad choices and the damage sin brings. It always catches my attention when I visit with an individual, young or old, who refuses to change their behavior and yet still wonders why their situation is not getting better. In other words, they lack a teachable spirit, which perpetuates the consequences of their bad choices. What accounts for the absence of a teachable spirit? Pride is the culprit in every instance.

I believe there is a simple lesson in this for each of us. Humility promotes a teachable heart, which in turn leads to an obedient life, which culminates in the blessings of God. Is there an area in your life in which you need divine leading? Check your humility. Are you waiting on God to teach you something? The place to start is to gauge the depth of your humility. Humility is the starting and ending point for God’s blessings in your life. Are you willing to accept that?

But there is more to the issue of humility. Humility also serves as the catalyst for serving others. Humble people serve. They serve in the unseen areas. They serve with joy, knowing no one else sees (except God of course). I am amazed how wonderful it is to humbly serve others when no one cares to receive the credit for the service rendered. Does that describe you?

God truly leads the humble and teaches them his ways. David understood that the way of humility is the path to God’s blessings and the service of others. It’s a lesson we would all benefit from.

“But now O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter. We are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8).

There are few passages in scripture that bring to me a greater sense of comfort and joy than what we read in Isaiah chapter sixty-four. Take a close look at it with me.

The first point Isaiah made is that God is indeed our Father. The image of God as Father is present throughout scripture. Now I don’t know what your relationship with your father was like, but I do know the incredible impact a father has on his children. Good fathers bring security, comfort, stability, safety, leadership, protection and strength to their homes. The absence of a father has the potential to stifle the health of the family and all its members. I had a good relationship with my father, but he died when I was thirteen years old. To this day, I lament not having a father during the years since his death.

But there’s more. Not only is God our father, Isaiah referred to him as the potter, with us being the clay. Once again I like that. It tells me that God shapes us into the people he wants us to be, provided we remain pliable in his hands. I take great comfort in knowing that he shapes us. It tells me that whatever he brings into our lives is for the greater purpose of making us vessels suitable for his use. The potter molds, shapes, forms, fashions and constructs the clay according to his wishes into whatever he desires.

God does the same thing in our lives. He takes an intimate interest in the clay (his children) for the purpose of making us into whatever his sovereign plan includes. In shaping the clay as he does, God is always at work for his glory and the good of the clay. After all, no potter makes a vessel that does not reflect the skill of the potter. God works in the same way. The truth of the matter is that we are the reflection of his skill as a potter. How and what he does in shaping us makes us the work of his hands meant to reflect his glory.

I am quite comfortable in embracing the reality that a good father is at work as a good potter in creating a good product, a vessel suitable for his use. Join me in embracing the gentle hand of the potter at work in our lives, would you?

“For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters and have hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
(Jeremiah 2:13)

It’s hard to miss the power of Jeremiah’s words, particularly when addressed to people living in a part of the world where water is scarce and its presence means life or death. The people of Jeremiah’s day would surely understand the link between forsaking the Lord, broken cisterns and the lack of water such cisterns bring about.

I’ve spent a good deal of time meditating on this passage over the past week. As a result, I’ve come to see that his words are quite applicable to us in our day, even though all we need to do is turn on the closest faucet for an endless supply of water. Here’s what I mean.

Jeremiah described two evils. He used the imagery of water to make his point. Their first evil was that of forsaking the Lord, the fountain of living water. Their second evil was seeking to quench their thirst from other sources, sources that were broken and held no water.

Now I think we’d all agree that forsaking the Lord inevitably leads to the pursuit of other things, broken things. So it’s clear that forsaking the Lord is the first step toward the pursuit of broken things. In that light, the word “forsake” is interesting. It means to neglect, abandon or to let go of something. Hence, as soon as we neglect, abandon or let go of the Lord, we start hewing out other cisterns. 

All of this leads me to ask a penetrating question. Is there any degree to which you are seeking to quench your thirst from a source other than the living water found only in the Lord? In other words, from what source are you finding your contentment, joy and satisfaction? If it is something other than the Lord, beware. The inevitable next step is that you will start to carve out substitute sources of satisfaction, broken sources that can never satisfy your deepest thirst. 

I see this process at work all the time. I speak with people almost daily who are in the midst of seeking joy in broken cisterns that “hold no water.” The result is that they are constantly thirsty, always seeking to quench their thirst with things that serve to make them even more thirsty. At that point, the cycle of thirst and broken cisterns becomes endless.

The only way to avoid being constantly thirsty is to constantly drink from the living water of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to the woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” There is never a shortage of living water when the source is Christ!

“What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it?”
(Isaiah 5:4)

In the above verse God, through the prophet Isaiah, asked each of us as Christians a very important question. What he asked is this: “I have blessed you in every imaginable way; what else can I do for you to show you my love?” Later in the same verse he said, “When I looked for it (my vineyard—the people of Israel) to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?” The Apostle Paul put it another way when he said in the first chapter of Ephesians, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Do you see it? There is literally nothing more God can do for us than what he has already done in sending Christ to the cross. 

Let me show you what Paul told the Colossian believers regarding what the cross brought to them. He said that they were “delivered from the domain of darkness, transferred to the kingdom of light, redeemed, forgiven, reconciled to God, presented holy and blameless before God, firmly rooted and grounded in him, built up in him, made complete in him, buried with him in baptism, and made alive in him, having the certificate of death cancelled.” Can you think of anything that is left out of the list of incredible things God has done for us?

Paul went on to pray that the Colossians would “be filled with the knowledge of his will, walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, bear fruit in good works, increase in the knowledge of God, receive strength with all power, and attain to all steadfastness.” I think it is clear that when God does something, he goes all the way and leaves nothing undone.

How does this apply in our day? I speak regularly with Christians who struggle in various areas of life; and in some measure they struggle because they are not familiar with all that God has already done for them, and lack thankfulness for his actions on their part. Can you imagine how different our lives would be if we lived in light of what God has already accomplished on our behalf, as well as if we demonstrated a continual spirit of thankfulness? We would focus on his greatness as opposed to our weakness, on his glory and not our sin, on his power and not our fear, on his sovereignty and not our selfishness, on his purposes and not our pride, on his security and not our uncertainties. A life that focuses on the cross represents a life that is lived above the trivial things that sap our vitality for Christ and his kingdom. Such a life is a continual concert of thanksgiving for God’s goodness and blessings.

When we understand that all the purposes of God were realized in his Son Jesus Christ, and live in light of his sufficiency in every area of life, we can answer Isaiah’s question with one word. “What more was there for me to do for you?” Nothing; absolutely nothing. Thank you, God for your indescribable gift!

“If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:92)

I am constantly amazed at the things people reach for when their world crashes in on them, when affliction comes through no fault of their own or otherwise. Sadly, all too often I see people reach for the wrong things. Now don’t get me wrong, there is indeed a place for many of the things people reach for, but in most instances such things bring surface and temporary relief. That’s certainly the lesson the psalmist learned.

As I’ve meditated on this verse over the past week, I’ve come to see that the exact words the psalmist used are instructive. Let me show you what I mean. There are three key words in the verse; delight, perished and affliction. Each is important.

The word “delight” means to take pleasure in; the word “perished” means to vanish or to be exterminated; and finally, the word “affliction” means misery. In total, the psalmist is saying that if it were not for taking delight and pleasure in the word of God during his season of misery, he would have vanished or been exterminated. He’s not referring to a literal extermination, but rather an extermination of his spirit in the midst of misery. Unless I’m wrong, some of us have been very close to such extermination. Am I right?

I am privileged to sit with you each week as you share your stories of “affliction.” God has graciously put me in such a position and I take it very seriously. Yet can I tell you that, in many instances, by the time you share your situation with me, you have explored other sources of relief, often at the expense of taking your delight in the word of God.

Here’s what I’ve learned in my own life. There is no substitute for the unchanging word of God to comfort, direct, calm, encourage, sooth and settle down my heart in the midst of affliction. There have been times when reading and memorizing a verse that I’ve come to believe that the passage was written specifically for me and my situation (which of course is true -- true for you as well). The psalmist learned that there was no substitute for the word of God in the midst of affliction. How does that apply to you?

Let me encourage you to do something this week. Be intentional about asking God to show you specific passages that speak to your specific situation. If the Holy Spirit does anything well, he brings us comfort through the word of God. The psalmist survived his affliction. You will as well as the law of God becomes your delight!

“But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (I Thessalonians 5:12-13).

As you are aware, October is designated as “Clergy Appreciation Month.” This is the time each year when local congregations are encouraged to show their appreciation for the shepherds God has set in their midst. Although such appreciation is not limited to a single month, October is special in that way.

This past Sunday, you as a congregation were faithful in fulfilling the words of Paul in I Thessalonians. You expressed your appreciation to your pastors. On behalf of Pastor Greg and Nicole, Pastor Nathanael and Miriam, Pastor Jivko and Julie, as well as Ruth and I, we want to express our deep thanks to you for your generosity. Yet having said that, can I tell you that what we are most thankful for is not the gifts you gave (although the books, cards, candy, baked goods, money [did I say candy?] and other gifts were awesome, too many to identify each giver individually). What we are most thankful for is the privilege we have of serving you as your pastors. Here’s why.

Who but God could take ordinary men and their wives and place them in the wonderful and blessed position of serving God’s people? The deepest of personal blessing comes to us as we serve you. So whereas you have expressed your appreciation to us, in reality it is we who must share our appreciation to you for allowing us to serve, to enter into your lives at the deepest level and watch God work for his glory and our good. We don’t consider what we do as “work,” but rather as the wonderful demonstration of God’s grace in our lives, allowing us to partner with you for the sake of the gospel.

In that light, there are two additional things that I am personally appreciative of. First, I deeply appreciate your responsiveness to the preached word of God week after week. Frankly, your hunger for the scriptures is what motivates me in large measure as I prepare to preach each week. You keep me focused in that regard. And second, I am deeply appreciative of the wonderful young men God has brought to our staff. I can’t imagine a more dedicated or self-sacrificing pastoral staff.

In another place, the Apostle Paul said, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” Although he was referring to the gift of salvation, it’s hard not to apply his words to our mutual spirit of thanksgiving; you for your pastors, and your pastors for you. Isn’t God good in that way?

“Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels” (Psalm 81:11-12).

I’m curious. Is there anyone reading this who would not admit to having a stubborn streak at times? You know what I mean. I’m referring to our tendency to do things our way, in our time and for our purposes. One of the primary characteristics of our sinful nature is that we are stubborn. Yet can I tell you that such an attitude toward the things of God can result in disaster?

This is where the words of the psalmist speak so directly to us. You see, there comes a time when our stubborn attitudes result in God giving us over to the obstinate and intractable desires we pursue. In other words, if we persist in being stubborn before God, we may very well be given over to our own counsels. That’s not a good place to be, by friend.

Let me be very direct with you in this regard. I speak with people on a regular basis who will not submit to what they know God is telling them. In other words, they are digging their feet in, remaining stubbornly opposed to what God is asking them to do. No doubt such an attitude manifests itself in a variety of ways. Perhaps God is telling you to flee from an area of sin, repair a broken relationship, apologize for an unkind word or action, or restore a regular pattern of fellowship and communion with God. The list is endless.

Further, even though you are aware that God impresses upon you the need to act in accordance with his will, you’re stubborn and have not yet done so. If that describes you to any degree, pay particular attention to what the psalmist said: “So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts.”

Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t ever want to be in a place where God “gives me over” to my stubborn heart. You see, once that happens, the reality is that we will be on the receiving end of exactly what we deserve. We will be left to “follow our own counsels.” I can’t think of a higher risk context in which to live, and for this reason; the Bible is clear in telling us that the heart of man is deceitful above all things. Thus, if God “gives us over” to our own counsels, there is nothing but chaos to follow. That’s what our own counsels produce.

Let me make this hurt a bit. Likely some of you reading this have been stubborn as it relates to something God is asking you to do. Am I right? If that describes you, there are two options. You can remain stubborn and follow your will with the resultant outcome. Or you can humbly submit to God’s leading and experience the blessings that come with obedience. I for one am not willing to follow my own counsels. The outcome is not good. How about you?

“’The time is coming to gather all the nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory… And they shall declare my glory among the nations. And all flesh shall come to worship before me,’ declares the Lord” (Isaiah 66:18-19, 23).

Regardless of one’s personal beliefs regarding the sequence of events that describe the “end times,” one thing is quite certain. According to the prophet Isaiah, there will come a day when all nations will be gathered; all nations will see and declare God’s glory; and all flesh will worship before the Lord. In total, those statements tell us that on a day of his choosing God will fulfill his purposes in demonstrating his glory before all creation. As I meditated on this passage, the thought struck me; we don’t we take enough time to consider the implications of what that means for us as we navigate our way through life.

Here’s what I mean by that. Life gets busy for each of us, no doubt. At times we feel so pressed by the immediate and daily responsibilities we bear that looking ahead, let alone looking way ahead to ponder the day when Isaiah’s words will be fulfilled is the last thing on our mind. Yet thinking deeply about Isaiah’s words has implications for how we structure our lives today and every day.

I believe Isaiah’s prophesy contains three key words that make what he said applicable to us. The words “see,” “declare” and “worship” have implications for us in this way. First, we have an opportunity to “see” God’s glory every day as we identify, ponder and acknowledge his work in our lives and all around us. Whether manifested in the beauty of creation, the cry of a newborn baby, an answer to prayer or an unexpected blessing, we have God’s glory all around us. The issue isn’t whether it’s there but rather whether we see it as we should.

Second, we have the privilege of “declaring” his glory. This can happen in the privacy of our home or in a more public context as we tell others of what God means to us and has done for us. My guess is that if we took the time to examine our daily conversations, we would easily identify numerous missed opportunities to “declare” his glory.

Finally, according to Isaiah, all flesh will come to “worship” before the Lord. Why wait till then? We can learn to have a worship-filled attitude throughout the day. Worship is simply telling God how worthy he is. We come together as a church to worship each Sunday, but why not worship throughout the week as you go through your normal activities? It’s not at all a difficult thing to learn.

Yes indeed, a day is coming when “all nations will see and declare his glory and all flesh will come to worship him.” Why wait? Start today!

“They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

I would be hard pressed to identity a more precious gift a congregation could give to a pastor than to model what we read in Acts 17:11. The text tells us that Paul and Silas traveled from Thessalonica to Berea. After they arrived, they went into the synagogue and began to preach. That’s when we see the response of the people: “They received the word with all eagerness.”

I’ve been reading a helpful little book recently. It deals with practical suggestions regarding how God’s people can prepare for and respond to the preached word of God.  The book lists six things to consider as a means of preparing oneself for the Sunday sermon. Let me list them for you.

• Expect God to speak.
• Admit God knows better than you.
• Check what the preacher says against what the passage says.
• Hear the sermon live in church (“electronic preaching” is not preferable).
• Be there week by week.
• Do what the Bible says today and rejoice as you do it.

Each of these suggestions would be valuable for any congregation to consider and take to heart. Would you agree?

Now the reason why I chose to list these for you is because they are entirely consistent with what we value as a church. The pastoral staff and the elders are of one mind in agreeing that it is the preached word of God that brings health to God’s people. It’s not by accident that we place such a high priority on preaching. God blesses his word.

Yet by the same standard, we must all take part in prioritizing our attitudes while on the receiving end of God’s word. That takes thought and preparation as we make our hearts and minds ready to receive it each week. In that light, let me ask you several simple questions. First, if it’s truly God’s word, then we should expect him to have something important to say to us each week. Is that your mindset? Second, if it’s truly God’s word, then he must know better than us. He’s God and we aren’t. Are you ready to admit that he knows better than you? And even more importantly, as we expect him to speak and admit it’s his word to us, are we prepared to obey what he says? For you see, not only does God bless his word, he especially blesses those who obey it.

I want you to know what a gift you are to me as you hunger after God’s word week in and week out. You model what Luke described in the book of Acts. You are indeed eager for God’s word. I see it in your faces every week. Take the time to consider the things listed above and let’s grow together in eagerness as I preach and you hear God’s word!

“Their children did likewise, and their children’s children - as their fathers did, so they do to this day” (II Kings 17:41).

As I’ve read and re-read this verse, I can’t help but notice that it has the potential to represent both good and bad news for us. What I mean by that is that a father’s life can impact his children in one of two ways. It can either promote or hinder the degree to which his sons and daughters become more Christ-like throughout their lives. I see this principle demonstrated almost weekly. Here’s what I mean by that.

All too frequently I hear a dad or mom say something like this: “My son or daughter has turned their back on the church and on God.” Why did this happen? Friends, although there is no sure and certain guarantee that any child will not turn their back on God, in the overwhelming number of instances when I hear parents express such things, there is at least a slight component of parental spiritual neglect in their history. Now don’t get me wrong. No mother or father should feel their child’s rejection of the things of God is their fault. Yet having said that, who can argue with the simple reality that our children have either been exposed to a healthy Christ-like faith or a watered down surface Christianity? Either way, they were affected by what they were exposed to; would you agree?

These principles are on my mind because of the overwhelming number of babies born to our church families over the past year or so. I see the excitement in the faces of our young mothers and fathers. I see their desire to raise their children to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, while at the same time I know how pressing life becomes and how easy it is to lose the early zeal new parents have to raise their children to be godly. All of us (and I mean all of us), no matter if we still have children in our home or if they are out from under our daily care, bear a responsibility to go to war on our knees for our children. Parents, is prayer your top priority for your children? Further, as a church are we making prayer for our little ones a major focus?

I’ve come to see that adopting a “wartime mentality” for our children is the only way to bring God’s resources to bear in our joint fight against the forces that seek to capture our children’s hearts and minds. Yes, we are at war! To think otherwise is foolish. Think about it in this manner. This past week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for Americans travelling abroad. The threat of violence is increased worldwide against Americans. Is the threat any less for our children? The passage I cited above is a warning we dare not miss for it has eternal implications. Fight with me in prayer for our kids, will you?

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all of our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment… There is no one who calls upon Your name, who rouses himself to take hold of You” (Isaiah 64:6-7).

The message of the Bible is clear and unmistakable. We have done nothing, and can do nothing, to merit the mercy and favor of God. All of our attempts to earn God’s favor in the performance of the flesh are as filthy rags in God’s sight. Hence, a radical understanding of the sinfulness of man calls for a radical plan of salvation; one that originates, is sustained, and is ultimately carried out by God.

This was Jesus’ message to Nicodemus. Listen to a sample of what He said: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” There is no way to mistake Jesus’ words. Salvation comes not through the effort of man, but through the gracious gift of God for those who place their faith in Him as their Savior.

This is the message of the gospel; and further, this is the message we are to proclaim as individuals and as a church. How are you doing in this regard? When is the last time you told someone about Jesus? I know of no more effective plan of evangelism than for God’s people to tell others about Jesus and God’s offer of salvation through His name.

Can I encourage you to be more intentional about sensing the opportunities God places before you to speak about Jesus? You don’t have to be a theologian to speak of what Jesus has done in your life. It’s your own personal story of salvation. No one knows it better than you; therefore no one can share it better than you. And the best part is that you don’t have to worry about the results. It’s God that provides new life to those who respond to His call as you tell them about Jesus. Our job is in the telling. His job is in the “saving”.

My guess is that each of us misses at least one opportunity per week to tell someone about what Jesus has done for us. The Apostle Paul put it well when he wrote, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” God calls your efforts to tell others about His Son “beautiful”. Join with me in seeking opportunities to speak of Jesus. He will care for the results as we faithfully bring “good news” to those we come in contact with each week.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (II Corinthians 1:3-4).

One of the most important lessons I learned from thirty-five years of working with families of infants and toddlers with special needs, is what to say and what not to say. For example, I learned early on never to say to the parents of a child with serious medical and developmental problems, “I know how you feel.” It would be dishonest for me to say so, simply because I’ve never been in their position. Yet, we are so accustomed to saying that to others, no matter whether we’ve known their particular circumstances of pain personally. This now is where the words of the Apostle Paul speak to us, I believe.

There are several things to note. First is Paul’s identification of God as “the God of all comfort.” All means all, does it not? That tells me that he’s fully able to identify with our pain no matter the source, intensity or duration. He possesses all the ability needed to comfort us in all our afflictions and trials. His comfort has no limit or boundary. He’s simply the God of all comfort.

But there’s more. Not only is he the God of all comfort, Paul went on to say that he “comforts us in all our affliction.” From that we can surmise that he not only possesses all the comfort we might ever need, but that he takes the initiative in comforting us in “all our affliction.” I’ve known such limitless comfort from God, and it’s likely you have too. But there’s still more to observe.

Paul makes it clear that once we are on the receiving end of God’s comfort, we are expected to “comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” In other words, Paul wants us to funnel God’s comfort to others in their afflictions. This now becomes very practical for each of us. Here’s what I mean by that. No single person has experienced all the afflictions that are represented in a group of God’s people. No one person can say to everyone, “I know how you feel.” Nonetheless, when God’s people gather, it’s likely that there is at least one other person who has indeed felt God’s comfort in a situation similar to another person, and to whom one might honestly say, “I know how you feel.”

This is where you and I can be very intentional about how God might use us in sharing the comfort we have known with another person. Let me encourage you to be alert to how God might direct you to another individual who is facing something you have faced, something God has comforted you in. When you sense God’s leading, take the initiative in sharing God’s comfort with them as you say, “I know how you feel.” It’s amazing how God uses us in that manner. He does so because he is "the God of all comfort.”

“In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith…“ (Ephesians 6:16).

It’s not too hard to understand what’s expected of us as Christians when big and unexpected events bring us to our knees. During such times, we are called on by the Apostle Paul to “take up the shield of faith.” But what about those times when we feel overwhelmed by a barrage of lesser events? That’s been the case for me this past week.

Over the course of the past week, my computer has twice been infected with a serious virus, one daughter’s car is in need of repairs plus her computer is not functioning properly, my grandson became ill, an additional vehicle needs new brakes, and I felt ill earlier in the week with no opportunity to stay home to rest. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining (even though it sounds like it). What I’m saying is that according to Paul we are to take up the shield of faith “in all circumstances,” which certainly includes major faith-stretching events; but in particular, it includes the ongoing presence of lesser things as well. I’m certain you know exactly what I mean.

Here’s what I learned over the past seven days. Each time something new cropped up, I told God the following: “I don’t like this. It gets in the way of what I had planned. Yet I know you are in control and oversee my life. I trust you for _____.” Frankly, I found myself saying that on multiple occasions throughout the week.

As I did so, here’s what was reinforced for me as I sought to take up the shield of faith. God is so very good to us when we make an attempt to heed Paul’s words. Each time something new cropped up, God provided me with a renewed sense of peace. Frankly, it was a very good feeling to be on the receiving end of his generous and continuous peace. It’s a lesson I hope to carry through as I continue to learn to exercise faith in all circumstances.

Now how does this apply to you? Well, for many of us, it’s not the huge wound that hurts the most, but rather the multiple paper cuts that tend to bleed us of faith. At times, it seems as though they just keep coming. Now there’s no way I can know all the faith challenges you have faced this past week, or will face in the week ahead. Some may be huge, while others may be less so, but many in number.

Here’s what I continue to learn, and trust you will learn as well. God expects us to trust him in all circumstances. All means all, no matter their nature, frequency or magnitude. It’s only as we take up the shield of faith that the “flaming darts of the evil one” are extinguished. Make no mistake. Flaming darts are on their way, aimed directly at you. God asks us to do something as they arrive. We are to take something up. Would you join with me in taking up the shield of faith in all circumstances?

“So with yourselves since you are eager… strive to excel in
building up the church” (I Corinthians 14:12).

One of the things I enjoy the most about reading the Bible is the wonderful manner in which God brings passages to light that I’ve never noticed before. Such is the case with the verse cited above. It comes from the pen of Paul in the midst of a lengthy section where he instructed the Corinthians regarding the proper functioning of the church.

Now as you know, the church in Corinth was not functioning in a way Paul approved of. Spiritual gifts were abused, people were selfish in sharing meals together, and in general their worship was confusing and disordered. Yet after admonishing and instructing them in these things, Paul left them with a very simple formula for proper church functioning. He wrote, “Strive to excel in building up the church.” You see, it was not their eagerness that was the problem, but rather the way in which they misinterpreted the best way to build up the church.

As I’ve reviewed the things Paul was concerned about, what I noted was that they were selfish toward one another in meeting physical needs, misguided about the proper use of spiritual gifts, intent on making something of themselves, and in general dysfunctional and ineffective in their witness for Christ. Sounds like much of the church scene today, would you agree?

What does it mean to “strive to excel in building up the church”? Well, as I’ve thought about that, several things came to mind. First, our lives should be such that we bring no reproach to the church. That means that when outsiders see how we live, they think well of the church we identify with. Second, it means that no one in the church has any personal agendas. As a body, we must strive to be unified in purpose and desires, doing as Paul said: “putting the needs of others above our own.”

Third, we should be passionate about serving the needs of the church. Fourth, we serve the church well when we worship wholeheartedly. Yes, worship is a form of serving the church because it puts God where he belongs, fully deserving of our worship. And finally, we serve the church when we honor the scriptures, allowing God’s word to penetrate our hearts and change our behavior.

We are blessed as a congregation to see these things in our midst. Yet for God’s glory and our good, I am jealous for more. Paul said, “Strive to excel in building up the church.” The word strive means to “crave.” By God’s grace, let’s join together and crave to honor Christ as we excel in building up his church!

“And the Lord added to their numbers day by day…” (Acts 2:47).

Every time I read the above passage, I am reminded of the power of the word of God, and for this reason. The early church had no understanding of or gimmicks for church growth. They did not have a library of church growth books or materials. They did not have church health or church growth seminars to attend, no church growth experts to consult, no DVD’s on how to grow a church. They had no such things. In light of that, how do we best understand Luke’s words, “And the Lord added to their numbers”? I see two things that account for their growth.

First, note the phrase, “the Lord added.” The right type of church growth is always of God, never of men. O yes, men can design programs, produce music, schedule activities, and in general, make growth happen. The right person, gimmick, location and music will generally result in growth. But is such growth of the Lord? In many instances the answer to that question is no.

Frankly, as a pastor, I am not interested in growing simply for the sake of growing or growing as a result of what men can do. Not interested now nor ever have been. So the first thing to understand as it relates to the growth of the early church is contained in the phrase, “And the Lord added to their numbers.” But there’s more to observe.

Earlier in the chapter we read, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” Later in chapter six, as their numbers grew and the work load on the apostles became quite heavy, they said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” Those two passages contain the second reason for their growth. Simply put, they grew because the word of God has power. As the apostles preached and the people devoted themselves to their teaching, many people came to faith in Christ, Christians grew in their faith, and the church became healthy and a powerful witness to the reality of Jesus Christ.

There is a simple principle in this. Not all growing churches are healthy; yet all healthy churches grow. That’s how God honors the faithful teaching of his word. There has never been a single instance in church history when God has not honored his word by bringing health and growth to his church. Never!

Our goal at Wausau Alliance Church is to bring God’s word to God’s people. Growth and health is his business. Our mandate is to stay committed to the faithful communication of His word. Pray for your pastors and leaders in this regard. Hold us accountable. That way, as God brings health and growth, he gets all the glory. That’s the way it’s supposed to be!

“The Lord of hosts has sworn. As I have planned so shall it be, as I have purposed so shall it stand. For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:24, 27).

Who amongst us is not naturally wired to resist the sovereignty of God? It’s in our DNA to want to believe that we are in control over every facet of our lives. Am I right? Why do you think that’s the case?

Well, as I’ve considered that, I’ve come to see something unpleasant about us.  First, it’s hard for us to trust anyone, especially when unpleasant things come our way. We like to think we’re in control, thereby able to solve our problems on our own, using our abilities. And second, at the core, at the very center of our lives, is us. We have a natural bent to worship ourselves, part of which is the assumed idea that we are in control.  Hence, anyone or anything that threatens that becomes an enemy. Yes, for some the thought of God’s sovereign control over everything becomes an enemy to be fought against. How foolish!

This is where the words of Isaiah speak to us. Isaiah’s words shatter any idea that we are in control over the events of our lives. Here is what Isaiah wants us to be very clear about. The purposes, providence and plans of God will stand; not to be turned back by our false assumption that we are the ruling force in our lives. For some that represents a source of deep discouragement. For others it brings deep peace and confidence.

The more I meditate on this, the more I’ve come to see that the sovereignty of God is not a source of discouragement, but rather a fountain of great blessing, peace, and security. It boils down to this. He is in control; he always seeks my best. When unpleasant things come upon us, either suddenly or gradually, there is great peace in repeating that phrase; He is in control; He always seeks my best.

Make this very personal. What situations are you facing right now that stretch your ability to trust God? I speak with people every week who are fighting for faith in the midst of unpleasant and unexpected things. It does not matter what form it takes; we all know what it means to feel powerless in the face of life circumstances. It can cripple us in a moment or discourage us over time.  Does that describe you? If so, I have a word from Isaiah; “As I have planned so shall it be…His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” At such times, the simple reality is that He is in control; He always seeks my best. Can you say that with deepening faith and trust?

“Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen. Let them save you in the time of your distress” (Judges 10:14).

The above passage represents something God said to the people of Israel after they had been sold into the hands of the Philistines. The people rebelled against the Lord. He delivered them into captivity for 18 years as judgment against them. As a result of 18 years of harsh treatment, they did what most people do when calamity and distress come. They cried out to the Lord saying, “We have sinned against you because we have forsaken our God.” That’s when God said, “Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen. Let them save you.”

As I’ve meditated on this passage, I’ve come to see that we are not much different than they. The sad truth is that we have many “gods” we cry out to. Further, much of the calamity that enters our lives is as the result of the “gods” we have cried out to. There is a very important point of application in this observation, and it’s this. Any “gods” we cry out to can never satisfy, deliver, or substitute for the one and true God.

As I’ve interacted with people over the years, I’ve come to see that the “gods” that enter our lives come in a variety of forms. For some, it’s money. For others, it’s position and prestige. Still others look to the “gods” of pleasure, leisure, possessions or other dangerously addictive things. Can I tell you quite honestly, I’ve never seen any of these other “gods” bring true and lasting satisfaction into the lives of those who cry out to them? What’s even worse is that the pursuit of these “gods” generally brings calamity and distress; emptiness and despair; pain and confusion; hopelessness and gloom. There’s a reason for that. These other “gods” are not gods at all. They are the passions of the flesh that never bring satisfaction or contentment. They do the opposite; they rob us of it.

Here’s now where this becomes personal for each of us. Are there other “gods” in your life? What have you been pursuing; what have you been crying out to? Are you satisfied by these “gods”? Of course you’re not! They can’t bring satisfaction, only a brief and deluding sense of pleasure.

What’s the solution? There is only one solution to the mistaken pursuit of other “gods”. Later in the same chapter we read, “So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord.” There’s the answer we need. We must put away our “foreign gods” and serve the Lord. Ask God to show you if there are any other “gods” in your life. If so, do what the people of Israel ultimately did. They “put away” their foreign “gods”. Some of us may need to do the same.

“Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” (Deuteronomy 29:18).

There are a number of interesting points of similarity between plants and sin. Here’s what I mean. Plants can’t survive without roots. Neither can sin.   Plants and weeds don’t grow from the top down. They grow from the root up. Sin works the same way. Some plants are capable of fast growth, taking over a garden or yard. Sin has the potential of taking over as well. Further, the only way I know to permanently kill weeds is to kill them at the root. To do otherwise invites their return. It works the same way with sin.

Take a close look at the above verse spoken by Moses to the entire nation of Israel. He was reminding them of the blessings and curses present in their covenant with God. Moses’ point was clear. Even the smallest root can result in a poisonous and bitter fruit.

Can you see how this principle comes to bear in your life? The smallest inroad of sin has the potential, if not killed at the root, to overtake your life. I’ve seen this at work far too many times not to know the danger inherent in a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.

Let’s make this personal. Is there a root, however small, of sin in your life right now? Is there a hint of dishonesty, pride, lust, lying, anger, selfishness or some other sin buried deep in your heart? Has the root taken hold, thereby increasing the danger of poisonous fruit? Be brutally honest with yourself in this regard. If what I’ve just described is true for you, I have a three-word piece of advice; kill the root. Once the root is killed, the likelihood of the poisonous root returning is greatly lessened.

Now, to be sure, there are some roots that die hard. Old thought patterns, recurring struggles with sin, or harboring difficult thoughts or desires can take time to die, but die they must. I don’t know your situation, but I do know that killing the root takes work.

In that light, here are some helpful suggestions. First, stop secretly watering the root. Plants die without nourishment; so does sin in large measure. Whatever poisonous root you may find in your heart, one helpful suggestion is to starve it to death. The presence of the Holy Spirit will enable you to starve it.

Second, once it’s dead, be careful not to replant it. By God’s grace, never go back to it, never.

Third, make yourself accountable to another person. Roots need other roots to gain strength. That applies to our battle against sin. We need others to fight.

Finally, confess, confess, confess! As soon as a root appears, speak of it to God, asking for his forgiveness and power to deal with it.

I see the bitter fruit of poisonous roots in people’s lives. It doesn’t have to be that way. By God’s grace, you and I can eradicate the poisonous roots and bitter the fruit that typifies sin. Start now!

“For He satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul He fills with good things.”
(Psalm 107:9)

There is a significant difference between being satisfied with God and being satisfied with the good things he gives. Far too many of us are satisfied only when he gives us good things.  As John Piper said, “The weakness of our hunger for God is not because he is unsavory, but because we keep ourselves stuffed with so many other things.” I am learning that the greatest enemy of our hunger for God is not his enemies, but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. Good things can do great damage. The greatest competitors for our hunger for God are some of his most precious gifts.

All of us know what it means to be hungry.  For the vast majority of Americans, hunger is something that we do not worry about on a daily basis. When we are hungry we eat; simple. Yet, what is the status of our hunger for the Lord? The Psalmist learned a significant truth that many of us would benefit from as well. He learned that the longing and hungry soul is always filled, filled with the only thing that truly satisfies the deepest hunger of our souls, with the Lord.

Yet how do we best determine the degree of our hunger for the Lord? Well, for me it relates to a simple examination of the things that I submit to again and again. I have learned that the things I submit to on a regular basis are an accurate barometer of my hunger for God. What are some of the things we submit to? For some it is leisure activities, television, lack of personal discipline, worry, self-pity, discouragement, or any number of things. If we find ourselves succumbing to these things again and again, it is certain that our hunger for God is far too small.

The strongest and the most mature Christians I have met are the hungriest for God. And the more deeply we walk with Jesus Christ, the hungrier we get for him.  If we do not feel hunger for God, it is because we have snacked on the things of this life in place of filling ourselves full of him.  We nibble on small things at the expense of the one great thing that will fully satisfy our soul – God himself.

I believe with all my heart that God is committed to rewarding our hunger for him. The Psalmist said that “He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills. . .”  Join with me in asking God to fill us with the only thing our souls are truly satisfied with - God, not simply his gifts. There is a difference, and it will make all the difference our lives.

“Take off your sandals from your feet,
for the place where you are standing is holy” (Joshua 5:15).

There are only two instances in all of scripture where someone was commanded to take off their sandals. The first is recorded in Exodus 3:5 when Moses met God at the burning bush. The second is in Joshua 5:15. In this instance, the nation of Israel had just crossed the Jordan River after wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Moses was dead and God had just set Joshua apart to take his place. The people were about to begin the process of conquering the land God promised to Abraham, Jacob and Joseph. As Joshua surveyed the city of Jericho, he met the “Commander of the Lord’s army.” At that point, he was ordered to remove his sandals.

As I’ve considered the Lord’s command to Moses and Joshua to remove their sandals, the thought struck me that there was nothing special about the actual spot where they were standing that made it holy. For Moses it was on top of a mountain; for Joshua it was a random spot outside the city of Jericho. So, what was it about each place that made it holy, thereby requiring the removal of their sandals? Two things strike me in that regard.

First, each man was in the presence of the Lord. That fact alone makes any place holy. God’s presence makes it holy. But second, in each instance both men were on the verge of being used by God in a very unique way; Moses in leading the people out of Egypt, and Joshua in conquering the land.

That thought leads me to this observation. Any time we are about to be used by God in a special way constitutes holy work. As such, it becomes a time and a place to remove our sandals as a show of humility and obedience. Moses and Joshua had been prepared by the Lord for something special. Now it was time for each of them to act in accomplishing a God-sized task. You see, God always equips his leaders and asks them to move out in faith. In that sense, such activity on God’s part is holy. He puts his leaders on holy ground.

Can you see how this may apply to you? Here’s what I mean. Are you sensing that God is preparing you for something? You may not know what it is right now, but the time will come when you will. Further, can you faithfully view the process of preparing you as a holy process, one that will require you to move out with courage when God determines that the time is right? You see, there will come a time when God will make his plans plain. That’s holy ground! At such times, your response must be one of obedience, humility and faith.

Many have experienced such “holy ground”. It is both an exciting and scary place to be. Nonetheless, it’s the pattern whereby God uses his chosen people for his special purposes. Take off your sandals as you watch God at work!

Can I encourage you to read, re-read and read again the words of an anonymous Puritan writer? His prayer speaks to my heart and I trust to yours as well.

A Puritan Prayer 

“O God of grace, Thou hast imputed my sin to my substitute, and hast imputed his righteousness to my soul, clothing me with the bridegroom’s robe, decking me with jewels of holiness.

But in my Christian walk I am still in rags; my best prayers are stained with sin; my penitential tears are so much impurity; my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin; my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance; I need my tears to be washed; I have no robe to bring to cover my sins, no loom to weave my own righteousness; I am always standing clothed in filthy garments, and by grace am always receiving change of raiment, for thou dost always justify the ungodly.

I am always going into the far country, and am always returning home as a prodigal, always saying Father, forgive me, and thou art always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it, every evening return to it, go out to the day’s work in it, be married in it, be wound in death in it, stand before the great white throne in it, enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the exceeding righteousness of salvation, the exceeding glory of Christ, the exceeding beauty of holiness, the exceeding wonder of grace.”

 (Valley of Vision, p. 136)

“But he knows the way that I take; and when he has tried me,
I shall come out as gold” (Job 23:10).

The above passage caught my attention recently as I was reading “Streams in the Desert.” The author focused on the sovereign manner in which God uses the storms of life to refine us like gold. As I thought about that, it struck me anew that faith truly grows during the storms of life.

Faith is that God-given ability, when properly exercised that brings the unseen into plain view. Faith makes impossible things possible. It grows during the storms of life. It finds good soil and grows most rapidly to maturity during storms. For example, the strongest trees are found not in the thick shelter of the forest, but out in the open where they are buffeted from every direction by the elements. These are the trees that produce wood with the greatest strength.

And so it is in spiritual things. When you see a person of great spiritual strength and maturity, consider that their walk with the Lord most assuredly included storms that produced the strength and maturity we seek after and admire. Such people have learned that the path of faith is one of sorrow and joy, suffering and healing, comfort, tears and smiles, trials and victories, conflicts and triumphs, and also hardships, dangers, persecutions, misunderstanding, troubles and distress. These are the elements, the fertilizer, that make us grow in faith.

There is a deep lesson in this for each of us. You see, our natural response is to run from the storms as if they are bad. That’s not the way it works in God’s economy. Storms are not bad things from God’s perspective. It’s his way of producing gold. As contrary to human nature as it sounds, instead of running from the storm, we must (by faith) come to see that God does his best work when we run right into them. God promises to be there to meet us in the center of the storm.

I know you well enough to understand that there are storms in your life. Although the storms take a variety of forms, they are storms nonetheless. The winds are howling, the foundations are shaking, the windows are rattling, the water is rising, the sky is dark and the lightning is flashing. If that describes your situation, please understand that Job’s words speak to the depth of your heart. He wrote, “He knows the way I take.” That tells me that God is right there in the midst of the storm alongside of you. He’s there to strengthen, encourage, support and buttress your heart. If that describes you, embrace what God is doing for his glory and your good. The soil of your heart will never be the same. 

“Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have

mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but

do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not

feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in

their throat. Those who make them become like them;

so do all who trust in them” (Psalm 115:4-8).

One of the things I am learning about people in general (including myself) is that we become what we pursue. The Psalmist understood that quite well, hence the passage cited above. In this passage, the Psalmist lamented the many ways in which the people of his day created and pursued idols, what he called “the work of human hands.” In a devastating fashion, he made it a point to list the foolishness of setting up idols that can never speak, see, hear, smell, feel, or walk. In other words, their idols were worthless, utterly unable to bring deep and lasting pleasure to those who pursue them. And even worse, those who pursue them become unable to do any of the things the Psalmist listed.

Can you see how this leads to a question each of us must consider? The question is this: “What idols have you set up in your life?” And further, can you see how you are becoming like them?

We live in a culture that craves idols of one sort or another. I’m convinced that God has created us to worship something. Yet are any of the idols we create or worship able to bring us true joy or lasting happiness. I think you know the answer to that. And further, can you see how our quest for idols makes us shallow and exhausted as we pursue such worthless things?

In sharp contrast, the pursuit of God’s things, his word, his person, his people, his grace and prayer serve to make us more like him. In other words, becoming what we pursue works both ways, both for good and for bad.

Let me suggest something that might prove helpful as you examine whether you have established idols in your life. Ask yourself this question: “How do I spend my time, and what am I pursuing?” This is a practical as well as a heart exercise. How we spend our time and resources is a good barometer of what we worship. Further, what motivates us at a heart level likewise reveals what we worship.

If your time is spent pursuing worthless things, or if what motivates you is shallow and fleeting, be aware that over time you will become worthless and shallow as well. Those are strong words. Nonetheless, the psalmist made it clear that the pursuit of worthless things renders us worthless as well. By God’s grace, I don’t want to become shallow and worthless. How about you?

So after a very long car ride with excess July 4th traffic we finally made it to our hotel in Indiana. The students had great attitudes despite the fact that our drive took an extra 2 hours because of traffic. Our hope was to arrive to our hotel by 7:30 or so, but ended up here at 9:30.

Our plan is to get going by 7:00 in the morning so that we can arrive to Louisville by lunch. 

For me personally, I am very excited to see our students be impacted by the conference as a whole and to see what God has for them. As I have mentioned before, the national youth conferences that I attended in High School were some of the most significant times of growth for me personally. Interacting with a few of the students even today helps me to see that their intentions are in the right place. One of the things that a few of the students verbalized to me that I know will be a source of encouragement is the opportunity to worship our great God with 6500 other students!

Josh Schmidt reminded me of something that I would encourage you all to pray for our students about. He mentioned that he is excited for Life because he knows it will be a spiritual high for him that will last. But as we know, those spiritual mountain tops cannot last forever! So as you think about the students, pray that the spiritual high will last, and they will remember the experiences they have for their lifetime!

We will continue to keep you updated as the week unfolds!

For a full schedule of the week click on the following link. life-schedule.pdf

Greg

“And after the fire the sound of a low whisper… and behold there came a voice to Elijah…” (I Kings 19:12).

God is most assuredly able to get his message to us in any way he chooses. He has given us his Word and the Holy Spirit as his main means of speaking to his children. How has God spoken to you lately? My guess is that if you can’t answer that question, it’s not because he’s not speaking, but rather because you’re not listening. Would you agree?

The passage quoted above contains some important lessons for us in our day. You see, we live in an age where we’re bombarded with messages of all types. From the moment we get up till we fall asleep at night, it seems as though someone wants our attention. It appears as though the louder the message the better. Yet God often chooses to speak to us in soft, almost imperceptible ways. The problem is that we’re often too busy to hear what he is saying. 

Think of it this way. As Christians, we’re certainly attuned to God’s voice when our world falls apart unexpectedly. There is not one person among us this morning who has not wondered what God might be saying when difficult circumstances enter our lives. As Christians, we’re committed to the truth that God is in all the events of our lives and may choose to use unexpected and even unpleasant things to get our attention. Yet I wonder if we’re attuned to God’s voice in the “sound of a low whisper.” 

Let me ask you this question. When is the last time you’ve heard God speak to you in a whisper? He uses his Word, the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, as well as the wisdom of others to communicate his will to us. My experience is that when I don’t hear or heed the “low whisper,” he may use other means to get my attention. In other words, it’s better to tune our ears to the “low whisper” as opposed to God using other means to get our attention.

Here’s what I suggest you consider. Each day during your time of personal devotions, spend 3-5 minutes in complete silence. Either immediately before or after reading the scriptures, make it a habit to be silent and listen for the “whisper” of God’s voice. It may feel awkward at first, but trust me; it will yield wonderful blessings in your life.

Understand at the outset that it will be a fight to cultivate such a time of silence. Be assured, the enemy will fill your mind will all manner of distractions. Let me encourage you to fight for it. The most wonderful lessons of life come to us from the Lord when we are silent before him and cultivate the ability to hear the “low whisper.” Once it becomes a daily habit, we’ll be able to identify with Elijah as he “heard the voice of the Lord.”

“For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you'” (Isaiah 41:13).

One of my most treasured memories as the father of young children (repeated now with my grandchildren) is the wonderful way in which the kids instinctively reached up to take my hand whenever they sensed the need to do so. Perhaps on a walk or in the presence of strangers, when crossing the street or climbing the stairs, they knew when they needed assurance and help. At such times, they reached to take my hand in a natural and easy manner. That’s the picture I have in mind each time I read Isaiah’s words. With that in mind, let me ask you this question as you consider the passage quoted above. What do you reach for when you sense the need for help?

I’ve come to see that far too many people reach for the wrong thing. At times we reach for things that in retrospect we know would be of little or no help. At other times, we reach for other people to assist us. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. However, I wonder how many of us instinctively reach for God’s hand when fear threatens us.

In that light, I am reminded of the story of Peter when he saw Jesus walking on the water towards the disciples. In Matthew we read, “Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord save me!’” In that passage, we see that Peter’s sight was actually a hindrance to him, and for this reason. Once he had stepped out of the boat, the waves were none of his business. His only concern should have been maintaining his focus on Christ. In Peter’s case, he let go of God’s hand and began to sink.

There is a huge lesson in this for each of us. You see, there are times when we should maintain a tight grip on God’s hand as opposed to gauging the danger we’re facing. Gauging the danger can be a danger in and of itself. That does not mean that we should be unaware of the danger we face. It does mean however that, as soon as we focus on the threat at the expense of gripping tightly to God’s hand, it’s only a matter of time before we begin to sink just as Peter did.

Are you in need of someone to hold your hand right now? Is there a measure of fear surrounding a situation you are facing and about which you feel powerless? God’s hand is always extended to us. He extends it, but we must reach for it. As you reach for God’s hand, would you do what Peter did not do; leave the waves to God and grip tightly?

“Listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them…  Watch yourselves very carefully… Keep these statutes, which I command you today, that it may go well with you… You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you.” (Deuteronomy 4:1, 15, 40; 5:32).

An old preacher once made the following statement: “It’s not what I don’t know about the Bible that bothers me. What bothers me about the Bible is what I do know yet fail to obey.” Does that statement ring true with you?

My guess is that most of us know far much more about the Bible than we incorporate into our lives on a daily basis. That’s not good. What it signifies is that there is a measure of disobedience in our lives. That’s where the above passage impacts each of us.

The words cited above were spoken by Moses as part of his instructions to the Hebrew people just prior to their entering the Promised Land. The people had witnessed the judgment of God upon them for the past forty years. They did not trust the Lord, thus an entire generation passed away before they were ready to possess the land that God promised them. Moses’ instructions to them were prompted by a very certain reality. God expects obedience. When we obey, God blesses. When we disobey, we will always experience the consequences; always.  At one point in his discourse, he said, “If you act corruptly, you will be utterly destroyed.”

Here now is where Moses’ words apply to our lives these many centuries later. There are most likely things we know the Bible teaches, things we know God expects from us as it relates to obedience, yet things that we ignore or flatly refuse to submit to. Frankly, that’s a scary place to be. It signifies our awareness of what God expects, but at the same time our refusal to act accordingly. Let me make this hurt a little more.

Let me ask you to do something this week. Ask God to show you an area in your life in which you are not acting in obedience to what you know is right. I’m guessing that will take a fraction of a second before you become aware of something. That’s not the hard part. The hard part is making up your mind to start obeying, immediately. Delayed obedience is the same as disobedience in God’s eyes. Don’t be discouraged if several examples come to mind as is likely the case. Start with the single thing that most directly reflects your awareness of what God expects. There are two phrases in Moses’ words that caught my attention. He said, “Listen and do them… you shall do as the Lord your God has commanded.”

God expects us to obey him. Excuses are not acceptable. To paraphrase Moses, just do it!!

“Yet in spite of this, you did not believe the Lord your God, who went before you…
to show you by what way you should go” (Deuteronomy 1:32-33).

I am continually amazed at how blunt Moses was with the people of Israel during their wanderings. If you read the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, you’ll find numerous statements that will make you wince. The passage cited above is such a passage. Let me set the stage for you.

After the Lord commanded the people to leave Mount Horeb, Moses recounted the wanderings of the Hebrew people up to that point in time. This is just prior to the people entering the land that God promised to give them when they left Egypt. There’s a sense in which the entire Book of Deuteronomy sets the stage for the people entering the Promised Land. If you recall, at the end of the book Moses died, and Joshua replaced him as God’s chosen leader. 

Now Moses had a definite purpose in saying what he did. He knew that the people had faced many challenges during their years of wandering. Further, he knew that more challenges lie ahead for them. He wanted them to know that God had been faithful to them in the past and that his record of faithfulness was his guarantee of future faithfulness. That’s when he reminded them of their unbelief and God’s goodness to them in spite of their disobedience.

There are truths we can take from this. Even in spite of our lack of faith, God is faithful. His faithfulness is independent of our wavering. There is never a time when God does not keep his promises, no matter how much we waver from his plans. No doubt there may be consequences to our lack of obedience (after all the people wandered in the desert for 40 years). Yet, we must never forget that his glory is linked to his promises. Thus, he is always faithful. Truly, his past faithfulness is his guarantee of future faithfulness. That truth brings comfort to me.

When we face the challenges of life, no matter what form they take, I wonder how many of us look back first, instead of looking ahead in fear or anxiety. It’s so easy to assume the worst during difficult circumstances. Yet I am learning that the best thing to do is to look back at God’s faithfulness to me. Whenever I do that, I see that what he has done for me in the past is his way of assuring me that he will work for my good in the future as well. That’s what Moses was doing. He wanted the people to know that God keeps his promises, even if they had not trusted him years previously. As such, they could count on God working for their good through all the challenges that lie ahead as they entered the Promised Land.

What does that mean for you? Well, that depends on the struggles and challenges you are facing right now. You see, if you fixate on your current situation, you will be less able to recall what God has done for you in the past. At that point, it’s easy to get stuck at the expense of sensing God’s ongoing promise to work for your good in all situations. Think back. It’s a good thing to do!

“Would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.”
(Psalm 44:21).

The dictionary defines the word secret as “something that is kept from knowledge or view.” It’s not a hard concept to understand. We’ve all kept secrets at one time or another. Sometimes the secrets we keep are quite harmless, whereas at other times the secrets we keep have much darker implications and consequences. Keeping secrets isn’t all that hard when it comes to people. But isn’t it funny how we think we can keep secrets from God?

This is where the words of the Psalmist caught my attention this past week. I know of far too many people who think and act in a manner that they know is inappropriate for a Christian. They’ve kept it a secret from their family, their friends and others close to them. There’s a reason why they’ve kept this thing a secret. For one reason or another, they don’t want to be discovered. Perhaps they feel guilty. Perhaps they would be embarrassed or shamed. Perhaps they have crafted an image that would be tarnished if their “secret” became known. No doubt there are a number of reasons why people keep secrets.

Yet, as it relates to God, the simple truth is that “He knows the secrets of the heart.” There are no secrets from God. He knows our secret actions, thoughts, motivations, desires, struggles, values and failings. He knows it all! There is both comfort and a warning in the simple truth that there are no secrets from God.

I am comforted to know that God is intimately familiar with the struggles of my life. He knows my fears, shortcomings, inadequacies, discouragement and faults. I am blessed to know that God knows me better than I know myself. But there is also a warning inherent in the Psalmist’s words. We dare not think that we can keep our sins a secret from God.

Job wrote; “For his eyes are on the ways of a man and he sees all his steps. There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.” The prophet Jeremiah put it this way: “’Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord.”

Do you find yourself trying to keep something secret? Further, who do you think you are keeping your secret from? If you assume that you are keeping something secret from God, think again! Please consider this; there is health and healing when we keep no secrets whatsoever, not from men and not from God. There may be something you need to speak to another person, letting go of your secret. Further, there may be something you need to say to God, voicing your desire to no longer seek to be secretive before him. Whichever is the case, would you consider bringing all things into the open for God’s glory and for your good? You will be blessed as you do so.

“This day shall be for you a memorial day and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout all your generations as a statute forever” (Exodus 12:14).

As a nation, we celebrate a very important holiday this weekend. Instituted in May of 1868, Memorial Day was initially intended to honor soldiers who died during the Civil War. Since that time, it has come to be our most solemn American holiday as we remember the sacrifices of the men and women who died in the defense of our freedoms. We owe those who have served our country a tremendous debt of gratitude, a debt we can never fully repay.

Although Memorial Day has been an official American holiday for 142 years, the concept of memorializing is not new. In fact, it was instituted by God on the evening of the first Passover just prior to God delivering his people from captivity in Egypt. After God gave his people specific directions regarding how they were to celebrate the first Passover meal, he told them that they were to remember (to memorialize) the Passover “throughout all generations.” God did not want them to minimize or forget his work in freeing them from bondage. To this day, the Passover is celebrated by Jews throughout the world.

As I’ve thought about the principle of memorializing, I couldn’t help but wonder whether we as Christians take sufficient time to meditate upon the incredible gift of salvation we have in Jesus Christ. After all, God wanted his people to remember forever their deliverance from Egypt. Should we not also remember how God freed us from bondage to sin through Christ?

In that light, let me ask you something. Do you have a regular pattern of recalling how God saved you? Further, have you made it a regular habit to thank God for his faithfulness in your life? If not, why not? I think you will derive great blessing from intentionally recalling the events of your salvation, as well as memorializing God’s faithfulness in your life. Here’s a simple way to get started.

Each time you drive into the church parking lot, thank God for sending Christ to save you. Every time you pick up your Bible, try to recall at least one example of God’s faithfulness to you. Further, as part of your regular prayer routine, set aside time for the express purpose of thanksgiving (no petitions, just thanks). My conviction is that we should take seriously the memorializing of God’s goodness to us. As Americans, we celebrate Memorial Day once per year. Yet, if we incorporate these simple suggestions into our daily routine, every day becomes a memorial day. Would you agree?

“Godliness consists not in a heart which intends to do the will of God, but in a heart which does it” (Jonathan Edwards, 1756).

One of the most frequent observations I make about people, including myself, is that we often have good intentions to live in a particular way, but lack the will to follow through with our intentions. Make it personal. How many times in the past month have you determined that you would do something that never got done? We all know what it’s like to have good intentions, don’t we?

The words of Jonathan Edwards speak to me on this point. He knew people well enough to know that many have great intentions to have a soft heart toward God, while they still live a life devoid of God’s influence. Good intentions in spiritual matters mean nothing. It’s only as we act in faith upon what God is asking us to do that his leading results in our intentions and actions coming together in a way that honors God and blesses us.

The New Testament is filled with examples of our need to act upon our intentions. For example, Paul said in Ephesians 6:6, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter ten, “For you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.” Further, the Apostle John wrote in I John 2:17, “And the world is passing away with all its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” It’s clear, is it not? God places a premium on “doing” as opposed to good intentions. 

There is a very practical point of application for each of us in this. The Christian life is a life of continual growth in personal godliness. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us in this. He is continually showing us how we might reflect his presence in our lives. That’s what he does.  In speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” What this means is that when we feel a “good intention” regarding spiritual things, it’s the Holy Spirit bringing it to us. That’s his ministry. However, he does not force us to follow through; that’s where “doing the will of God” comes into play. That’s our part.

I would be willing to guess that you can identify at least one “spiritual intention” the Holy Spirit has brought to you recently. How did you respond? Did you act on it or simply intend to act on it?

Listen again to Jonathan Edwards. He wrote, “It is therefore exceedingly absurd, and even ridiculous, for any to pretend that they have a good heart (good intentions) while they do not bring forth the fruit of holiness into practice.” His words speak to me. How about you?

“The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11).

The words “pride” or “proud” appear in excess of 85 times throughout the scriptures. In every instance, the meaning of the words is essentially the same. The words mean “lifted up, exalted, or lofty.”  Would you agree that there is something in the DNA of all men that seeks to be lifted up and exalted?  No doubt pride takes many forms, but its desire is always the same, to exalt the creature above the Creator. In that light, can you see why God said that he hates pride?

This now is where the words of the prophet Isaiah speak powerfully against pride. Note how Isaiah worded his warnings. He said that the “haughty looks of men will be brought low” and that the “lofty pride of men will be humbled.” Friends, that’s God speaking. When God speaks against something, he means what he says; and further, it’s always for our good.

Here’s what I mean by that. God knows that at the root of all sin is pride. Pride seeks its own way instead of God’s way; pride ignores the counsel of God in favor of the counsel of men; pride places value on the wrong things; pride pursues the wrong goals; and finally, pride looks to this life for fulfillment and nowhere else. God has so much more for us than our counsel, our values, our goals, and our happiness. God knows that none of these things can bring us the inner joy and peace that come from Him alone.

But there’s more. God knows that, when left unchecked, pride can lead us into all types of sinful behavior. The end result is generally pain and loss. God wants to spare us from the painful and devastating consequences of sin fueled by pride. Take a look again at Isaiah’s words: “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low…the lofty pride of men shall be humbled…the Lord alone will be exalted.” 

In that light, let me ask you a very penetrating question. Do you want to be brought low? Do you want to be humbled by God? My answer to that is NO! When God chooses to bring us low and humble us, the pain is far more than we might have ever anticipated. Simply put, you don’t want to go there. It’s not worth it, no matter how enticing prideful actions might appear. My prayer for myself and for you is that God would keep us humble so that he does not have to humble us. There’s a difference. Would you ask God to help you identify the roots of pride in your heart? And further, would you ask him to gently remove it before he sees the need to humble you?

“When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him” (Psalm 39:11).

I am constantly amazed at the contrasts that are present in the book of Psalms. There are passages that cause our hearts to soar, as well as other passages that cause our spirits to tremble. The verse cited above causes my spirit to tremble. Let me explain what I mean.

There are few weeks that pass by without my spending time with people who are struggling with the consequences of their sin. One the one hand, they know that their sin is forgiven in Christ. That’s the power of the cross. That’s the good news. But just as surely, forgiveness does not necessarily guarantee freedom from the consequences of their sin. You see, in God’s way of dealing with us, we must realize that sin always has consequences. There are times when, because of our sin, God “consumes like a moth what is dear.”

One of the most frequent things I hear from those who are dealing with the consequences of their sin is this: “If only I knew how much this would cost, how much I would lose.” One of the primary things sin does is to blind us from what it may cost us. Yes, sin may truly cost us “what is dear.” I’ve seen this happen in the lives of far too many people not to tremble in light of David’s words. Sin may cost us our health, our job, our family, our friends, our reputation and even our life. Sin is quite good at consuming what’s dear to us.

What’s the solution to the devastating impact of God’s rebuke? The Apostle Peter put it well when he said, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against your soul.” Peter knew that the way to avoid the high cost of sin is not to engage in it. As Christians we must embrace the fact that we are at war. There’s a never-ending inner battle constantly raging in our hearts. Our flesh wants its way, even when we know what we want is wrong. That’s the basic nature of the inner war we engage in daily. 

This is a good news/bad news situation. The bad news is that in our own power we are doomed to fail, thereby suffering the inevitable consequences of sin. The good news is that, through the power of Jesus Christ, we can have victory over the sin that seeks to hide itself from us so that it might cost us everything. My prayer for myself and for each of you is that God will never need to “consume like a moth” what is dear to us. David’s words cause my spirit to tremble. How about you?

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved… the Lord is patient toward you” (2 Peter 3:9).

Is there anyone here this morning who cannot benefit from greater patience? I know I can. In our “hurry up” world we frequently find ourselves in situations when our patience is stretched. It happens while driving, in the check-out line, with our kids, at work, when depending on others for help, and on and on. No doubt, we regularly find ourselves in circumstances when greater patience is needed. It’s a daily occurrence, is it not?

With that in mind, the words of Peter convicted me greatly this past week. Simply put, God has been, and continues to be, incredibly patient with me. He sees my shortcomings and struggles. Yet he never gives up, because in Peter’s words, “The Lord is patient towards you.”

In that light, I wonder if you’ve ever stopped to consider the specific areas in your life in which God has demonstrated his patience with you. Each of us can identify (likely in an instant) the character issues we struggle with. Perhaps for some of us, the main issue we struggle with is our lack of patience. Yet when we consider God’s patience toward us, how dare we be impatient with others? This is a very practical matter for each of us to consider. In that light, here’s what I suggest you do.

Each time you feel impatient toward others, would you be intentional in bringing to mind an area in your life where God continues to be patient with you? For example, the next time your son or daughter “tries your patience,” thereby making you frustrated or angry, simply think of the last time you “messed up” and how God demonstrated his patience toward you. The next time you choose the wrong line in the supermarket, the slow moving line, recall how long God waited for you to sense his call to return to daily prayer and Bible reading. The next time something unexpected interrupts what you planned on, think of the many times you pulled something unexpected, necessitating God’s ongoing patience and longsuffering toward you.

Think of it this way. God’s patience toward us is intended for us to demonstrate the same attitude toward others. In other words, our impatience toward others is a sure sign that we’ve lost sight of God’s patience toward us. This is a tough one for us to work on. But I believe we can grow in our patience as we intentionally recall that “The Lord is patient toward you.” Start now, will you?

“What do you want me to do for you?” (Matthew 20:32)
 
My guess is that at one time or another each of us has had a clerk in a store or someone on the other end of the phone say something like this: “How may I help you?” Businesses must be customer friendly or else they lose business. While attending two different pastor conferences over the past two weeks, I spent a total of five nights in two different motels. Each went out of its way to determine if my needs were met. On more than one occasion, motel employees asked if there was anything they could do for me. That’s good customer service, is it not? That’s what makes the question I cited above very interesting. Let me set the context for you.

Jesus had just completed several rigorous days of healing, teaching, travelling and meeting with people. At this point in the narrative, there had been absolutely no break in his hectic schedule. In addition, he had just reminded the disciples of his impending death (for the third time). I’d say he had a lot on his mind, wouldn’t you?

Now on top of all that, he was on the verge of returning to Jerusalem, an event that would set in motion the circumstances surrounding the last few days of his life. At that precise moment, two blind men were setting along the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David.” They were rebuked by the crowd, only to cry out a second time, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David.” It was at that moment Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” You know their response. They said, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” The text tells us that “immediately they received their sight.”

As I’ve meditated on this passage, and Jesus’ response to the cries of the blind men, it struck me that meeting the needs of others, no matter what form it takes, rarely comes at a convenient time. How many times has someone asked for your assistance and, at least in your mind you’ve thought, “Not now-I can’t-I’m too busy-This is not a good time.” We’re all guilty of that, are we not?

Jesus’ response shows us that there’s never a time when busyness or inconvenience should prevent us from acting to serve others. Jesus himself said that “the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve.” Jesus consistently demonstrated a servant’s heart. He put the needs of others above his own, even to the point of going to the cross to help those who could never help themselves.

Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” No matter how busy or inconvenienced we may be, that’s not a bad question for us to ask of others. Would you agree?

“Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16).

Would you believe that the tattoo industry is the 6th fastest growing industry in the United States today? Current statistics point out that 36% of adults between 18-25 years of age; and 40% between 26-40 years of age have at least one tattoo. In 2008, the American Academy of Dermatology reported that roughly one quarter of the American population has at least one tattoo. Yes indeed, tattooing is big business.
 
In that light, are you surprised to learn that God has a tattoo? According to Isaiah, God has your name and mine engraved on the palm of his hand. The word “engraved” means to inscribe or to mark out. God has the names of his children marked out and inscribed on His palm.

How many of you have written a phone number on your palm? We do that so we won’t forget. Well, although it’s impossible for God to forget anything, I derive great comfort from knowing that He cares about me so much that my name is written on His palm.

The above passage particularly caught my attention this past week as I listened to several friends share the trials and pain they were experiencing; some due to wounds inflicted through past events, others through current circumstances that seem overwhelmingly painful. On more than one occasion, I’ve heard people say, “I feel as if God has forgotten me.” Likely we’ve all felt that way at one time or another.

Is it not of great comfort to know that no matter how difficult, unexpected, troublesome and painful our circumstances might be at any given moment, God does not forget us because our names are tattooed on his hand? That speaks of his concern, care and interest in every event that enters our lives. Further, given his sovereignty over everything that enters our lives, the things that cause us uncertainty and pain have already crossed through his hands, the very palms that have our names engraved upon them.

Do you find yourself in a troubling season of life at present? Is there a degree of uncertainty and doubt regarding whether God cares about you and your circumstances? Does your future look uncertain and your past bring only painful memories? Trust me in this. God knows. He knows because your name is tattooed on his palm. He has not and will not forget you and your circumstances. That’s how much He is interested in you!

“Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (Proverbs 18:1).

I’m certain that over the course of your life experience you’ve known people who you would identify as “loners” versus those who prefer to be around other people. Which category do you fit into? Are you a “loner” or a “people person”?

Well, would it surprise you to learn that God does not approve of “loners” as it relates to the Christian experience? In fact, I think the scriptures go so far as to show us that being a “loner” as a Christian displeases God and is dangerous to one’s spiritual health. Take a careful look at the passage cited above to see what I mean.

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, expressed how God views those who isolate themselves from other followers of God. He accused them of being selfish and of lacking good judgment. Would you agree that a good definition of selfishness is seeking one’s own desires as opposed to submitting to what God tells us is best for us. It may be hard to hear, but it’s true nonetheless. Those who call themselves Christians and stay away from the gathering of God’s people are selfish; selfish in that they are doing what they want as opposed to what God wants for them (which is always for their good).

But there’s more. Sound judgment tells us that in order to grow more like Jesus Christ in the way we live, regular contact with other Christians is important. There is indeed a special mechanism that surrounds the gathering of God’s people. It can’t be duplicated no matter how much time one spends alone reading the Bible or praying. The writer of Hebrews put it this way: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more…” Notice the phrase “one another”? It occurs twice in the passage. It implies spending time with other Christians in the context of “meeting together.”

Can you see how practical this becomes for us? How are you doing as it relates to spending time with God’s people? Is church a regular habit or an occasional event for you? Are you a loner or part of the “meeting together” that the writer of Hebrews made reference to?

Let me be direct with you. God does not approve of, nor will he bless, those who isolate themselves and seek their own desires; and further, He does not bless loners who “break out against all sound judgment.” Being part of God’s community of believers is not an option for us. For our own good, we are to fight the desire to be a loner and pursue instead regular association with God’s people. Hard words, but healthy; would you agree?

“Touch me and see” (Luke 24:39).

A number of years ago, there was a very popular sports program on television.  For all I know it may still be on the air. What I do recall however is one regular segment the program contained. It was called, “Up Close and Personal.”  The purpose was to provide viewers with a more personal and intimate portrayal of prominent sports figures. Featured athletes were shown in a light that the typical sports fan would not regularly see. Athletes were shown in their homes, during leisure time, as well as during the difficult and hard preparation that made them successful in sports. The “Up Close and Personal” aspect of the program gave viewers a sense of knowing the athletes in a more intimate manner. After all, it’s one thing to watch an athlete compete and another thing altogether to see them in their homes with their families.
 
It is with that thought in mind that Luke 24:39 caught my attention this past week. Let me set the context for you. The entire chapter deals with the initial events surrounding Jesus’ resurrection. According to Luke, Jesus unexpected appearance in the midst of the disciples caused them to be “startled and frightened.” Luke further clarified their response when he said, “They thought they saw a spirit.” They were started, frightened and disbelieving. That’s when Jesus said, “Touch me and see.” His goal was to prove to them the reality of his resurrection and set their fears to rest.

Think with me now. Can you see how that applies to our lives, as well as the world in which we live? I speak to people frequently who know Jesus only from afar. They know his name and they may have some rough idea of what the Bible teaches about him. But they do not know him “Up Close and Personal.” I also interact with Christians who have never come to the point of interacting with Jesus on a deep and personal level. That’s too bad.

If there is one thing that the gospels teach us about Christ it’s this: He wants to be known. He consistently made himself available to his disciples and those who sought him out. He continually interacted with people who wanted to get up close and personal. And further, there were instances when he took the initiative to seek out individuals who might otherwise have been on the fringe of getting close to him.

I think you get my point. Jesus wants to be known, which leads to a simple question. Do you know him, “Up Close and Personal?” Have you touched him and seen him in the way he invited the disciples to do after his resurrection? Jesus said, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your mind? Touch me and see.”

“I will not drive them out from before you in one year… Little by little I will drive them out from before you until you have increased” (Exodus 23:29-30).

Exodus chapter twenty-three describes several of the initial experiences the Hebrew people had with God following their departure from Egypt. As you know, Moses was God’s spokesman, delivering to the people God’s laws. After Moses relayed God’s commands, the people said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

Little did they (or Moses) know the challenges that lie ahead for them. Certainly one of their most daunting challenges was the defeat of the people living in the lands that God pledged to give to them in fulfillment of his promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Frankly, if they knew ahead of time all that the next forty-plus years would bring, they may have rebelled against Moses and the Lord. Would you agree that God is good in not revealing all of his plans to us, including how he intends to bring us through the trials and difficulties we will face?

This now is where the passage cited above becomes quite instructive for us, I believe. Here’s what I mean. We all know what it’s like to face trials, difficulties and hard times. Sometimes we see them coming, while at other times they catch us by complete surprise. When trials come, we want out; and we want it now! Yet in God’s way of working, there are few instances when deliverance from difficulty comes immediately. You see, God has a plan and it may not include release from difficulties according to our timetable or preferences. That’s hard to accept, is it not?

In that light, note carefully what God said in Exodus 23:30.  He told the Hebrews that he would not give them immediate victory over the peoples of the land. He told them that their victory would take place “little by little.” Further, his purpose in working little by little was so that they might “increase.” In other words, what appeared to be God’s slowness in coming to their relief was intentional on his part. It was for a purpose, that they might increase.

The Hebrew word “increase” in verse thirty means to “bear fruit.” Do you catch the significance of that? God’s purpose in working little by little had a greater goal than simply giving them release from the trials they would encounter. His desire was that they bear fruit.

Can you see that’s always God’s purpose in the trials he allows to enter our lives? Quick escape from trials stunts the growth of fruit; whereas “little by little” fertilizes the fruit God wants to produce in the hearts of his people. Make no mistake, Christian friend. God may appear to be working little by little; but in his timing, the fruit will be sweet indeed.

“For I will satisfy the weary soul and every languishing soul I will replenish” (Jeremiah 31:25).

My guess is that each person reading this knows what it’s like to have a weary and languishing soul. Am I right? Well, if it’s any comfort to you, you are not alone. Jeremiah knew what it was like to be completely devoid of energy, spark and passion. You’ve known such times as well. Life has a way of depleting our endurance, which often translates into weariness of spirit. Even the actual words Jeremiah used to describe the condition of his soul speak of tiredness. For example, the word “weary” means thirsty; and the word “languish” means mournful or sorrowful. Now, as I’ve read and re-read Jeremiah’s words throughout this chapter, I note several things he made reference to as a means of rectifying the weariness of his soul. Let me show you what I mean.

In verse three, he made reference to God’s faithfulness. In verse fourteen, he spoke of being satisfied with God’s goodness. In verse sixteen, he reminded himself of a coming reward for his activities as God’s servant. In verse twenty-six, he made reference to pleasant sleep. In verse thirty-one, he reminded himself of God’s promises. In verse thirty-three, he filled his heart with the truth that he was God’s child. In verse thirty-four, he comforted himself with God’s forgiveness. And finally, in verse thirty six, he made reference to God’s sovereign control, his fixed order over everything.

I am convinced there is an important lesson for us to learn from Jeremiah. Yes, weariness of soul comes to everyone, even faithful servants such as Jeremiah. No one is immune from the “languishing soul.” But can you see that in the midst of his weariness, Jeremiah mustered the internal strength to remind himself of a number of things? He recalled God’s faithfulness and goodness. He found hope in a coming reward for faithful service. He made it a point to rest his body. He told himself that nothing could change the fact that he was God’s child. He rested safely in God’s forgiveness. And finally, he derived comfort and strength from recalling that God is the one who ultimately oversees the events of life.

Jeremiah’s response represents a potent antidote to the weary soul and the languishing spirit, don’t you think? Can you see how these things apply to your situation? Some of you have tired, weary and languishing souls right now. Yet Jeremiah shows us how God uses our actions to replenish us during the dry seasons of life. Would you take the time to think deeply about how Jeremiah responded and consider how you might imitate his actions. What God promised Jeremiah he will also do for you; “For I will satisfy…I will replenish.”

“Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”
(Genesis 40:23)

One of the things I appreciate about the Bible is the way in which we can read and re-read something, only to discover a verse or passage that we did not notice before. Such was the case for me recently as I was working my way through the book of Genesis. I know I’ve read Genesis chapter forty many times previously. But this time, the verse I quoted above caught my attention as never before. Let me set the stage for you.

As you know, Joseph was the youngest of twelve brothers. Their father, Jacob favored Joseph. This made his brothers jealous of him, so jealous that they considered killing him. God intervened. Instead of killing him, they sold him into slavery in Egypt. Shortly after arriving in Egypt, he refused to compromise his morals with his master’s wife. He was falsely accused by her and thrown into prison for an extended period of time. It was during his time in prison that he correctly interpreted the dreams of two other prisoners, Pharaoh’s baker and his cupbearer. When the cupbearer was released from prison, Joseph asked that he remember him before Pharaoh. That’s when we read, “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”
 
Now put yourself in Joseph’s position. He was falsely imprisoned for an extended period of time. On top of all of that, he was forgotten by one whom he assisted in a major way. Think with me now about this. My guess is that none of us have been falsely imprisoned. Yet just as surely, I think I’m safe in assuming that each of us knows what it’s like to be forgotten.  Yet as I’ve meditated on this passage, my thoughts did not focus on the times we’ve been forgotten, but rather on the times we’ve forgotten others who have been used by God in our lives. In other words, the cupbearer forgot Joseph. Who have you forgotten?
 
It’s hard for me to imagine that you cannot identify individuals whom God brought into your life at a crucial time. I know I can think of such people. Would you agree that God has a special way of bring special people to us during the stretching seasons of life?

It’s in that light that I want to ask you if you’ve forgotten them, just as the cupbearer forgot Joseph. Here’s what I would ask you to do. Ask God to help you think of someone who has been instrumental in your life. Determine if you’ve adequately expressed your appreciation to them. If not, then act on it. Call them, send them a note, or speak to them face to face. Express how God used them in your life. You will be blessed as you do so. Your expression of thanksgiving is another way of not forgetting God’s goodness to you.

“If you lay gold in the dust… then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God” (Job 22:24).

 In the midst of Job’s suffering and pain, Eliphaz, one of his friends, uttered the words quoted above. Strange words for someone in the most intense pain of his life, don’t you think? Yet on careful examination, Eliphaz’s words are just what we all need to hear during trying times.

If you’re like most people, you’ll readily admit that it’s easy to feel good about life when things are going well. Now don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing inappropriate about feeling good about life when life is good. Yet at the time these words were spoken, Job’s life was anything but good. He had lost his wealth, his family, his health and the closeness of friends. Even his wife encouraged him to “curse God and die.”
Then came the counsel of Eliphaz. His words were intended to point Job to the only lasting source of goodness - God. He wanted to be certain that Job knew that God was good even if life wasn’t. There’s an important lesson for us in these words. It comes in the form of a question: “Where is your gold?”

You see, if your “gold” comes in the form of a trouble-free life, then you’re looking to the wrong source. A trouble-free life is more difficult to find than the tiny specks of gold a prospector seeks in a mountain stream. Life comes destined for trouble; you won’t have to find it because it will find you.

Eliphaz is telling Job that the entire universe exists to display the greatness of the glory of God, even pain and suffering. The glory of God shines most brightly, most fully, most beautifully in the manifestation of the glory of His grace in the midst of pain.  When do we need grace? Job needed grace (gold) in the midst of suffering. Job came to the point where he defined gold and precious silver as God, and God alone.

One of my favorite authors, John Piper, in his book “Suffering and the Sovereignty of God” puts it this way: “The ultimate reason that suffering exists in the universe is so that Christ might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God.” The “greatness of the glory of the grace of God” is the “gold” Eliphaz was speaking about. So my earlier question stands.  “Where is your gold?”

God’s grace is manifested in a person, Jesus Christ. It is Christ who will be our “gold” during the dark days of life. It is Jesus who will be our “precious silver” when the gold of this life becomes scarce and hard to find. The message to Job was simple. Turn to a Person, not external things, as the source of gold.

The lesson for us is just as clear. Jesus Christ promises to be our “gold and precious silver” at all times. Our responsibility is to pursue wealth in Him and not other things. Delight yourself in gold. Become wealthy in precious silver, all found in Christ.

“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” (Genesis 28:16).

Have you ever had the experience of waking up in the middle of the night, not knowing where you are? I have. There has been a time or two when I had to sit up in bed and get my bearings before I realized where I was. It can be a strange experience when it happens. Well, would it surprise you to know that one of the most familiar characters in the Bible had a somewhat similar experience? I’m speaking of Jacob. Let me set the stage for you.

As you know, Jacob conspired with his mother, Rebekah to steal his brother, Esau’s birthright. As you might expect, Esau was very angry and planned to kill Jacob. Jacob was forced to flee. His father Isaac made him promise to go to his uncle Laban to seek a wife for himself. While on the journey, Jacob had a dream. In the dream, God told him that he would become a great nation, that his offspring would be a blessing to all the families of the earth. It’s at that point that Jacob woke from his dream and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

As I’ve thought about Jacob’s words, it struck me that he had much more in mind than the actual location, the place where he had his dream. There was nothing special about where he was, where he chose to spend the night. All the text tells us is that he “came to a certain place and stayed there that night.”  There has to be more to it than that.

Well, as I’ve considered Jacob’s words, I’ve come to see a principle that applies to each of us in various ways. Here’s what I mean. Inherent in Jacob’s statement was his realization that the events that put him in the desert fleeing for his life were being used by God as part of his overall plan for Jacob and his offspring. In other words, God was part of all that had transpired up to that point, including Jacob’s deception of his father and stealing Esau’s birthright.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not condoning Jacob’s deception of his Father. What I am suggesting, however, is that God is sovereign over our actions, no matter how right or wrong they appear. Jacob came to see that God had been active, very active in everything that preceded him being in the desert, fleeing to his uncle in search of a wife. He was not able to see God at work as the events unfolded. Yet on a special night alone in the desert, while fleeing from his brother, he suddenly arose from sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

Have you had similar experiences, when in quiet reflection you’ve come to see that God has been with you all along; you just didn’t know it? Are you in such a place right now? Immediately after Jacob said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it” he went on to say, “How awesome is this place.” Yes, it is truly awesome to see how God is at work in our lives, even when we wake up in the middle of the night not knowing where we are.

“It is in quiet solitude that we catch the deep and mysterious truths that flow from the soul of the things God allows to enter our lives.”
(Streams in the Desert, October 26th)

I don’t think it would take much for me to convince you that a significant percentage of my time week in and week out involves speaking, praying, counseling and crying with those in pain. There is literally not a day that goes by when I don’t have the opportunity to interact with someone who is experiencing trials and suffering of one form or another. Now please don’t misunderstand me on this. I am not complaining at all. I take my responsibility to minister to those who are suffering very seriously. I pray daily for the wisdom to bring God’s comfort and grace to each situation.

Nonetheless, I have learned some things from the experience of being close to those who are suffering. It has afforded me the opportunity to make some personal observations that I trust will be beneficial to me when my time of trial comes, as it surely will one day. Here are a few of the things I’ve learned.

First, God is in the details. No matter how intense the trials and suffering, the amount of grief encountered, fear engendered, or uncertainty, God is in the details. We may not clearly see his hand at the outset, but by faith we can trust that he is the controlling force sovereignly at work in the midst of our trials. God knows how to lead us to the point of crisis, and he knows how to lead us through it as well. It is as Jacob said: “Surely God is in this place, and I did not know it.”

Second, God’s promises and his providence do not lift us from the world of common sense and everyday trials. It is through these very things that our character is built and our faith is perfected. Growth in character takes place not through an easy life but through trials and suffering. As one author stated, “Suffering is a wonderful fertilizer for the roots of character.”  By God’s grace, each of us, as a result of our suffering, will come to the place of knowing that God’s most exquisite work in our hearts was done during the darkest of our days.

Finally, God usually steps forward to save us when we least expect it, and often in a most unexpected manner. Thus, the very time (the most important time) for faith to work is when our sight begins to fail.

Now if I were to put all of that together, I would state it in this manner. In the midst of the dark hours that suffering and trials bring, our task is to wait in prayer; wait in patience and wait in faith. Such a response on our part acknowledges God as sovereign over our circumstances; and further, it serves to deepen our humility, thereby giving us the opportunity to bring the ministry of joy to other fellow sufferers. In Peter’s words, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you have been grieved by various trials…”
 

“Arise for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it” (Ezra 10:4).

As you know I spent last weekend in Orlando, Florida attending the Crown College Board of Trustees meeting. It was an enriching time filled with energy, excitement and vision for the future of the College. The Board of Trustees is filled with very impressive people (with one exception). The group includes business men and women, various ministry leaders as well as a variety of influential people from around the country. I am impressed with their humility, self sacrifice and passion for what they do. 

In quiet moments of interaction with them, they often seek time with a pastor (that’s me). I am continually blessed by my private interactions with them. Yet one thing that comes across fairly consistently is their need for others to encourage them in their roles as leaders. In other words, leadership is lonely. I can speak to that first hand. 

In that light, the words of Ezra 10:4 spoke to me. Let me set the context for you. Ezra was a contemporary of Nehemiah. God charged them both with overseeing the construction of the wall surrounding Jerusalem. Ezra tended to the priestly aspects of the job, Nehemiah the actual construction. Ezra was a very impressive individual. Earlier in the book we read this about him; “Ezra was skilled in the Law of Moses. . for Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” 

At a very strategic moment Ezra became aware of the degree to which the people had transgressed the Law of Moses through intermarriage with the pagan peoples of the Land. At one point he said, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my fact to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.” As priest he knew what he had to do. He had to call the people together to confront them and call them to repentance. Earlier in chapter ten we read that he “prayed and made confession weeping and casting himself down.” He was overcome by the enormity of what he knew he had to do. This is where the verse at the top of the page comes into play. God sent a man Shecaniah, to speak to Ezra. He said, “Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.”

There is a significant lesson in this for all of us. Those who are in positions of leadership need others, men and women of faith, to provide encouragement, motivation and courage during the difficult and stretching times of leadership activity. God gave Ezra Shecaniah. I’ve had such people in my life as well. Would you pray that God would bring such people into your life? Even better, perhaps you are that person, directed by God, to speak the right words into the life of a “weeping leader.”

“And after the fire the sound of a low whisper… and behold there came a voice to Elijah…” (I Kings 19:12).

     God is most assuredly able to get His message to us in any way He chooses. He has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit as His main means of speaking to His children. How has God spoken to you lately? My guess is that if you can’t answer that question, it’s not because He’s not speaking, but rather because you’re not listening. Would you agree?

     The passage quoted above contains some important lessons for us in our day. You see, we live in an age where we’re bombarded with messages of all types. From the moment we get up till we fall asleep at night, it seems as though someone wants our attention. It appears as though the louder the message the better. Yet God often chooses to speak to us in soft, almost imperceptible ways. The problem is that we’re often too busy to hear what He is saying. 

     Think of it this way. As Christians, we’re certainly attuned to God’s voice when our world falls apart unexpectedly. There is not one person among us this morning who has not wondered what God might be saying when difficult circumstances enter our lives. As Christians, we’re committed to the truth that God is in all the events of our lives and may choose to use unexpected and even unpleasant things to get our attention. Yet I wonder if we’re attuned to God’s voice in the “sound of a low whisper.” 

     Let me ask you this question. When is the last time you’ve heard God speak to you in a whisper? He uses His Word, the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, as well as the wisdom of others, to communicate His will to us. My experience is that when I don’t hear or heed the “low whisper,” He may use other means to get my attention. In other words, it’s better to tune our ears to the “low whisper” as opposed to God using other means to get our attention.

     Here’s what I suggest you consider. Each day during your time of personal devotions, spend 3-5 minutes in complete silence. Either immediately before or after reading the scriptures make it a habit to be silent and listen for the “whisper” of God’s voice. It may feel awkward at first, but trust me; it will yield wonderful blessings in your life. Understand at the outset that it will be a fight to cultivate such a time of silence. Be assured, the enemy will fill your mind will all manner of distractions. Let me encourage you to fight for it. The most wonderful lessons of life come to us from the Lord when we are silent before Him and cultivate the ability to hear the “low whisper.” Once it becomes a daily habit, we’ll be able to identify with Elijah as he “heard the voice of the Lord.”

 “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you. . .” (2 Peter:3:9).

I for one am exceedingly glad that God is patient with me. How about you? You see, no one knows how frequently I fall short of what I know God desires of me. Day in and day out I mess up, yet God remains patient with me. Sound familiar?

There are two words in the above passage that caught my attention; “overlook” and “patience.” Each word is instructive for us. The word “overlook” implies that something is not hidden or secret. In using the word, Peter wants us to know that what follows is something that’s not to be hidden or secret. We are to think about it! In other words, we are to be aware of what follows. The word “patience” literally means to be of long spirit, not to lose heart in bearing the offenses and injuries others bring upon us, to be slow to anger and slow to punish. Put that all together now. Peter’s intent is clear; he wants us to be aware that God does not lose heart when we fall short of what he desires of us. He does not act quickly to punish. He is slow to anger.  

Here’s my point in bringing this passage to your attention. I’ve come to see in my own life as well as in the life of others that an important gauge of our growth in the Lord is an increasing awareness of our shortcomings. There’s both good and bad news in that. The good news is that awareness of our failings is reflective of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. That’s good. The bad news is that our enemy (Satan) seeks to make us focus on how frequently we fall short of what we know to be right. He does not want us to be aware of and praise God for his patience with us. He would much prefer that we become frustrated with ourselves and give up. 

Now don’t get me wrong. We must not to take advantage of God’s patience. Instead, we should be comforted in considering God’s desire for us to submit to an ever greater degree to what we know to be right. He understands our flesh and longs for us to surrender more and more to his control. That’s the purpose of his patience with us. This now is where Peter’s words speak to the depth of our need. 

Simply put; we mess up. Yet God is patient so that we might be aware of our shortcomings, rest safely in his patience, while at the same time learning more and more of what it means to repent and yield to his oversight and control. That’s what growing as a Christian means. I for one am glad that God has been and continues to be patient with me. How about you?