“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?