Christian Living

What do you see?

| lindamowles

It has become crystal clear that I need some new glasses!  (I use the “crystal clear” language advisedly!)  In short, I cannot see as well as I should.  I have gone to the eye doctor and am waiting for the new glasses, but in the meantime, I am struggling to see things clearly.

For example, the other day I thought I saw a hummingbird at the feeder.  I shrieked in delight when Bill said “Honey, it’s a bee.”  I wanted to see a hummingbird when, in reality, I saw a bee.

We enjoy playing rummy while we talk.  When we are playing, I have to have the “jumbo index” which means larger numbers and suit markers in order to see what is on the table.  Otherwise, I think I know what is on the table, but often it is not what I thought!

The long and short of it is that we often see what we want to see, rather than what is in front of us.  This is not a unique problem to 21st century folks.   It took place in the Bible too.

In fact, the priest Samuel had this problem.  He was told to go to Jesse’s house and select the next king of Israel, because Saul had lost favor of the Lord due to his transgressions.  Jesse brought his sons before Samuel and this is what transpired:

When they came, he (Samuel) looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.”  But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:6-7

As a result of this instruction, Samuel looked at each of Jesse’s sons and found none that the Lord accepted.  He asked Jesse if this was all of his sons and Jesse replied that there was still the youngest who was with the sheep.  Samuel asked for him to come to the tent and when he did, Samuel was confronted by David.

This is what the Lord said:

And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”

1 Samuel 16:12

So, who do you see?  Do you surround yourself with those like you so you see no one who is in need, who is disabled, who is one of the least of these?

Years ago, we were eating dinner when my young children said that there was a handicapped child at school and the other children (including them I expect) were laughing at him.  My children knew that I had spinal surgery when I was 9 years old which resulted in my returning to middle school in a body cast. They didn’t know the cruel taunts that I endured when I returned to school.  When they were telling me about this child, I became filled with wrath, and they both received a lecture (sometimes fairly loud and caustic) about caring for others.  I concluded with something like “if you don’t help this child, you will be sorely disciplined because when you look at this child, you are seeing your mother!”

I am glad to say that both the children have taught their children the importance of doing good to others, especially to those who are disabled. I guess my lecture took hold, praise the Lord.

The children’s disregard for those less fortunate is nothing new.  We read about the same thing in the Bible.

In our Old Testament reading we have been looking books of the Bible and reading of the Lord’s anger at people’s disregard for those who are poor and helpless.  Hear this from Psalms:

They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;  and they say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?  He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?

Psalms 94:6-10

Turn and look at those who are in need.  Don’t ignore them or cast them away because they are not like you.  The Lord cares for the widow, He cares for her children, He cares for the disabled, He cares for the downtrodden. 

So should we, the children of God.  Jesus healed and taught; He brought sight to the blind and strength to weakened bones; He brought hope and love to those around Him.  We, as His brothers and sisters, should do likewise.

Father, forgive us when we have failed to meet the needs of those around us.  Forgive us when we have turned a deaf ear to those who are desperate for friendship and hope.  Father, forgive us when we have been so consumed by our own misfortunes that we have failed to do all we can to attend to those who have their own misfortune.  Father, hear us as we pray for more compassion and caring for those in need.

Hummingbirds

| lindamowles

As I mentioned last month, I am having some health issues that are making doing the blog on a consistent basis difficult.  As I also mentioned, I am enjoying watching the wildlife in our backyard, especially the hummingbirds.

It occurred to me that they are a microcosm of Christian behavior, at least in one respect – their approach to and consumption of the sweet nectar in the feeder. 

Some of the birds swoop in, have a peek, and they fly off.

.Others approach the feeder cautiously, and dip their bill into the flower to get the sugar water they so dearly love, never stopping to sit on the perch.

Then there are those who sit on the perch and drink from the flower getting some more of the wonderful nectar in the feeder. But, they don’t hand around!

Others, will sit on the perch, take a drink,, look around, and then dip their bill back into the feeder to get more of the nectar that they dearly love. One drink simply is not enough for them.

As I watched the hummingbirds, I thought about how I go about receiving God’s Word. 

Do I hover around the Word, never getting into it or receiving it from His hands?

Do I get a taste of it from the sermon on Sunday morning but then never follow up on it or think about it until the next Sunday?

Do I read the Bible sometimes during the week, getting something from it but not meditating on it or really understanding what I am reading?

Or, do I sit on the porch (or perch), reading the Word each day and meditating on what it says?  Do I think about it and talk about it with other Christians?  Do I then go back to the Word for more because I can’t get enough of God and His promises, His covenants, His blessing, His instruction?

What about you?

Perhaps we can learn from our tiny friends that drinking deeply the sweet nectar from the Spirit is the best way to learn God’s Word.

Lord, forgive me when I have given Your Word a passing glance, the minimal attention or the momentary response when hearing a sermon.  May I meditate on Your Word daily, not just because You tell me to but because I long to be close to You, because You are my God!

OBEDIENCE IS BEST!

| lindamowles

We want our pets to be obedient.

We want our children to be obedient.

But we, ourselves, are seldom obedient!

We have been reading 1 Samuel and specifically the downfall of Saul as the first human king of Israel.  Saul became pompous and disobeyed God’s command, resulting in God taking the kingdom away from Saul and, ultimately, giving it to David.

Here is what Samuel said to Saul:

And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.”

1 Samuel 15:22-23

Talk about speaking truth to power!  That was the unenviable job of the prophets, telling the people and those in power when they were in violation of their covenant with the Lord, prophesying about the coming judgment for their disobedience, and then giving them hope for the future if they repented of their sins.

For Saul, the Lord rejected him as king because Saul rejected the word of the Lord.

The words of Samuel have something to say even to 21st century folk.  Do we listen to the Lord?  Do we obey what we hear? 

I remember when I was young my mother would say that the words she spoke to me went in one ear and out the other! 

Is that what we do with the message from God?  Do we let it go in one ear and not take root but just slip out the other ear without any change in our mind, heart or actions?  

If we don’t pay attention to God’s words, Samuel says it is rebellion and presumption.  Notice, presumption is “as iniquity and idolatry”.  Why is this true?  Because when we presume that we know best, we are setting ourselves up as our own idol.  We say that we don’t need God … we know what is best for us and we will do it.

Anything that takes the place of God in our heart, mind and soul is an idol, and God will not tolerate it. 

We read in Exodus 34:14:

(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)

Exodus 34:14

The sin of idolatry is a direct affront to God and He will not be put aside.  He will not be numbered among the various gods that you worship … He must be supreme because He is the only real God of heaven and earth.  All other “gods” are the invention of mankind, made of wood or stone, unable to breathe or hear or speak.  In contrast, God has made all things, even us.  He will not be mocked.

Beloved, read the Word of God and take it to heart. Think about it, meditate on it and let it sink into your heart, mind and soul.  Don’t reject it as old school, out of date or irrelevant … it is as relevant to our 21st century world as it was 4000 years ago. 

Don’t become your own idol.  You are finite, you are not in control, you will ultimately die.  At that time, you will face God and He will judge you.  Oh, Beloved, trust in the Lord Jesus for your salvation.  Repent of your sins and accept Him as Lord and Savior.  You won’t be perfect, far from it; but in Christ Jesus you will have an advocate with the Father and you will be clothed in Christ’s righteousness. 

Blessings to you.  I pray that you will not reject the words of Christ Jesus but that you will read the Bible, even the Old Testament because even there you will find words to live by and guidance for your life as it points forward to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, I pray that Your words in scripture would be soothing to readers and that they would enlighten the heard and mind of those who come to You in faith.  Bless the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart that they might be pleasing to You.

Do you have power?

| lindamowles

This morning I put my bagel in the toaster and walked away to get the juice from the refrigerator.  As I moved across the kitchen, I thought something was wrong, but couldn’t put my finger on it.  I turned to look at the toaster and the bagel was still sticking out of the toaster’s top.  Interesting, I thought.  I walked back and realized that I failed to plug the toaster into the wall socket. 

The toaster’s source of power was right there, waiting to be used, almost willing that the plug would come over and move into the socket.  But it wasn’t until I plugged the toaster into the power source that it became a useful kitchen tool, toasting my bagel for my breakfast.

I returned to the refrigerator to get the juice and I thought how much like the toaster I was.  When I’m sitting in my chair, and I haven’t spoken to my Lord at all, I haven’t read His Word at all, I haven’t prayed to Him at all … I am not plugged into my power Source.  I can do a lot of things in that condition, but none of them will be what the Lord has asked of me. 

The power to do what He asks is from Him, not from me.  He asks me to love others.  I can do that without His power, but it will be a selfish love, a love that says “I’m doing this for you but I would like for you to do something for me, too”.  Or, “I hope you realize all that I am doing for you!  Give me some credit for being so nice!”

The love from Jesus, however, is a self-sacrificing love.  It is love for the enemy, for the one who has harmed us, for the one who detests us … we are to love even them.  The love from Jesus is love that has no self interest at heart; it is love that is pure and centered on the one we are serving in love.  It is not mushy, heart-warming love, it is hard and difficult to do and it cannot be done in our own power.  The power must come from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus said:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

John 13:34

Again Jesus said:

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, … But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Luk 6:27.35-36

We are to love others for a multitude of reasons, but here are just a few:

  1. We are to love others because it is a command from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 6:27)
  2. We are to love others because we are to be the kind of person He is, and He loved others expressing that love even when He was on the cross. (Luke 23:34. “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.”)
  3. We are to love others because God loved us when we were still sinners, having compassion on us and being merciful to us.  (1 John 4:10-11  “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.)

Beloved, rely on the Lord Jesus Christ to give you the power to love as you should love.  Do not rely on your own strength, will-power, or determination.  Let the love of the Lord Jesus Christ flow through you to others.  Then it will be the love that goes beyond all limits and boundaries.  It will be divine love that comes from God, the Father and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Have power?  Oh yes you do, through the Lord Jesus Christ!

Father, thank You for giving Your Son to be our Savior.  Thank You for loving us even when we were sinners and when we were running away from You as fast as we could, doing evil and hating others all the while.  Thank You for bringing us to Your Son, our Lord, and for His atoning work on the cross on our behalf, for the Lord taking our sins upon Himself and giving us His righteousness in exchange for our sins.  What a marvelous blessing You have given us.  Thank You Father.  Thank You Son, Redeemer and Savior.  Thank You Holy Spirit. Amen.

FAMILIES

| lindamowles

I am an only child.  Therefore, my family is quite small … my Father, Mother and me and my dog Tippy.  (The picture was taken before we obtained Tippy!)   While I have several cousins, we probably couldn’t fill up a large SUV! 

We have some friends in our church who have 10 grandchildren, all in one family.  The eldest granddaughter recently married a man who also was from a family of 10 children, and they are already expecting their first child.  I simply cannot comprehend that large a family!

Families are complex entities, subject at any moment to be loving and forgiving and then turning on a dime to be condemning and hateful.  Since I don’t have any siblings, I can’t emphasize with those who have struggles with their siblings.  I certainly know that such difficulties exist, however.

One thing I do understand — the church family.  The people my parents worshipped with at the time I was born prayed for me, as I weighed only 3 pounds 10 ounces, not a survivable weight in the 1940s.  But my Father called the church and they prayed for both me and my Mother.

I contracted polio and required experimental back surgery when I was 9, a surgery that required being in a body cast for a year.  The church family surrounded me with love, prayers and well-wishes, their helping gestures were too numerous for me to comprehend.

Years later, when I was a single parent attending law school, a different church family came to my rescue on numerous occasions as they took care of my young children, brought food, and prayed for me, among other things.

Now my children have children of their own and my husband and I enjoy the marvels of a loving family as we gather to celebrate various occasions, such as my husband’s birthday yesterday. 

But our nuclear family is not the only family the Christian has — the obligation to participate in the church family’s health and safety looms large as we remember Jesus’s admonition to care for each other.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

John 13:34

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:34-36

The Apostle Paul, writing in the book of Romans, said this about our love for each other:

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12:10

In John’s first epistle, he reiterated the place that love should have in our lives.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 

1 John 4:7

The church family – it is much like our earthly families.  There are those we love to get together with and there are some we would more than likely shy away from.   Some folks are easy to get along with and others are more difficult.  Then there are those who are beset with dementia, and other mental disorders, and they often are unaware of the difficulties that they create on a daily basis.

But, we are called to love and care for them. 

Why? 

Because we are just as unlovely as the other folks in the church family.

Why?

Because God loves us and gave His Son for us. 

Why? 

Jesus commanded us to love each other.

Showing kindness and mercy is hard when we are pressed about with other things that call for our attention.  Showing love is hard when the person to whom it is extended does not want it or will not remember it moments later.   But that is exactly what Jesus commands that we do.  Further, it is what He did when He died on the cross for us.  He gave us love when we did not deserve it and when we didn’t even know it existed. 

Praise His holy name for all the wondrous works that He has blessed us with on a moment-by-moment basis!

Even if your family is not exactly as you would have wanted, love them.  Show Christ’s love to them.   And extend that same love to those who are in your church family.  We are called to do so.  Don’t ignore a command of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Follow Him and He will give you the grace and patience, the wisdom and courage to undertake the task, even if it is difficult.  After all, He promises that He will be with you all the way!

Lord, there are often times when I don’t think I can do it.  Help me to remember that my family and my church family both need my care and concern for them.  They may need food and clothing, a ride to the doctor or an appointment for a haircut.  Help me to be sensitive to their needs as we go through the days waiting for Your return.

Doggie Nose Smudges

| lindamowles

If you follow The Ruminant Scribe regularly, you are probably tired of hearing about our two miniature pinschers, Cuddles and Snickers.  Their antics are legendary, well, not legendary but to us they are terribly funny! 

At times other than during the Christmas season, we have a sofa that is in the living room under the picture window.  The “girls” love to sit on the top of the sofa and look out the window, scanning the street for anyone who would dare walk in front of the house.  Indeed, one of the things we love is coming up the drive and into the carport while we see their faces watching for us from the back of the sofa. Of course, they are barking little dogs.  Thus, they sit on their perch and bark like banshees when someone walks along the road, only to be quiet when the person is out of their view.  

While we are eating in the dining room, we have this view of them!  It is humorous because they are always in the same relative position.  Cuddles on the left and Snickers on the right.

The last couple of days, however, we have had rain and extreme fog.  So much so that we could not even see the house across the street, and the canine banter was severely hampered (praise the Lord)!  They still watched outside but they couldn’t see anything!

This morning, however, the girls were, again, sitting on the sofa while we were having breakfast and the sun was shining outside.  All at once I saw it.

!!!! Doggie Nose Smudges !!!!

Their nose marks were all across the front window.  As long as the fog and clouds were around, I did not notice them.  But when the sun hit the window, the smudges were clearly in view.

That started me thinking. 

When we are not walking in the Lord’s will, when we have intentionally failed to help others, when we ignored the cries of the widow, or when we have stubbornly refused to share our funds with those less fortunate than we, we are tempted to think that God is not paying attention.  Or, perhaps we think that God does not see what we are doing.  Or, perhaps we think we are immune to such actions because we pay our money to the church!

But, when the light of His Word shines in our heart’s window, we see clearly and it is not a pretty picture.  We see the ugly, sinful smudges we have made on the window of our heart, and we need to repent and confess our sin. 

Jesus said:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:37-39

Do we do this?  Do we honor God and love Him with all our heart, mind and soul?  Do we love our neighbor as ourselves?  What would our life look like if we obeyed these two commandments?

Regarding the ten Commandments, do we follow them?  I dare say that most of us have not committed adultery or murdered anyone.  But what about worshipping anything other than God?  Have we made money, fame, family, status, profession, … more important than God?  Have we become our own idol, putting ourselves in the place of God?  All these idols can supplant the place appropriately reserved for God, the Father Almighty.

Or consider coveting.  That is not a term that is in high use and demand these days, and probably for an amazingly simple reason – it is not something we want to be condemned for.  We lust after other people, we crave attention, we covet the possessions others have that we do not.  Coveting is something that is so common in our society that we don’t recognize it, but it is pervasive and it is sin.

What about the Sabbath day?   I remember when the blue laws prohibited the sale of anything on Sunday; not so now. Everything can be sold on Sunday. Or what about taking the name of the Lord in vain? I remember when there were certain words that were banned from music and television, not so now.  Anything goes, even to the point where many of us blush and change channels because of the language, sex and violence portrayed.

Does the Christian have to follow these “old” laws?  I answer that question with a question – Does the character of God change from age to age? 

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

Psalm 90:4

 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

Perhaps we need to refocus and remember that the Old Testament is the basis for the New Testament.  We may be in the post-resurrection period of time, but what God detests in the Old Testament He still detests today.  His character does not change. 

I hasten to add that we are in the season of grace because of the salvation we have been given through Christ’s death on the cross.  Forgiveness for sins is available to us in a way that the Old Testament folks could not imagine.  But, sin is still sin and we must confess it and repent.

Jesus said:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

John 10:27

Be guided by the Good Shepherd and follow Him all your days.  Confess where we have gone astray, ask for forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ, and redirect your attention to what God says in both the Testaments of the Bible. 

Ask God to cleanse the smudges from your heart and rejoice again in the clear, clean joy of God’s salvation. 

Father, I pray that You would forgive me when I have disobeyed Your commands.  Increase my love for You Lord and guide me all my days.

SPEAK NOW!

| lindamowles

We have had several deaths in our church family recently, and their absence from our presence is a heavy burden.  I realize that they no longer have pain and they no longer are suffering from a variety of illnesses and ailments.  I also realize that, as Christians, they are in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  What glorious blessings they are experiencing every moment.

David said in Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”  While we may grieve the loss of friends and family, we have to remember that we are not designed for this world … our death and transfer from this world to the next is precious in the Lord’s sight. 

But, in the here and now, God is with us and leads us as we seek out His will and as we are obedient to His direction.  David said it this way in Psalm 71:17-20:

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.  So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.  Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?   You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.

Psalm 71:17-20

David says that God taught him from his youth, and that he is still proclaiming God’s wondrous deeds.  Even when he is old and has gray hair, David is asking God not to forsake him but, rather, to let him tell the next generation about God’s power and the wondrous deeds that He has done.

In Psalm 30, David speaks of death and the reality that one cannot praise God on this earth if they have died.

“What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?”

Psalm 30:9

Of course, the answer to David’s question is “No!”  The time for praise and telling others of God’s faithfulness is NOW. 

We should make this a focal point of our lives, telling others of the goodness, mercy, and faithfulness of God.  Telling others of the wondrous love of the Lord and His sacrifice for us, while we were sinners and His enemies!  Telling others of the salvation that is ours through faith in Jesus Christ, and of the marvelous relief from the power of sin that this salvation works in us. 

Do this in such a way that it is embedded in your actions and speech.  You don’t need to give a sermon!  Fly a kite with your grandson and tell Him of the God that sends the wind at His word.    

Flying a kite, Grandfather and Grandson.

Take care of the animals and tell how God has taken care of you through the years.

Interact with the grandchildren and weave the story of your walk with the Lord into the conversation.  Let your life do the talking and then be ready to answer questions that may arise.

Have gray hair?  Are you aged?  Remember all the times that God preserved your during your youth.  Remember the times that God led you even when you had no idea where you were going.  Remember the times He protected you, aided you, healed you, loved you!  Remember the years gone by, and then thank Him for His faithfulness to you.  Do this by telling others of His great power and love, grace and mercy, and do it NOW!

Father, we get distracted by things in the world and we lose sight of what is truly important.  Help me to tell others of the mighty works that You have done in my life as I tell of Your glory and majesty, Your saving grace and mercy.  Give me boldness as I go about Your business today, so that my voice may be heard to Your glory now!

A PICTURE OF GOD’S GOODNESS

| lindamowles

Scripture talks about God’s goodness to us in multiple places, but Psalm 65 is particularly detailed.  David, the shepherd boy who became King and was beloved by God, describes God’s care for His creation like this in Psalm 65:9-13:

You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.  You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.  You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

Psalm 65:9-13
Farm with mountains in the background

The picture above is the very essence of peace and tranquility.  The field is prepared and is surrounded by beautiful trees with the mountains in the distance, and the unseen farmer waits for the rain to fall, to water his field and to bring forth the harvest.

Sheep in a field adjacent to Stonehenge in England

Flocks filling up the fields and meadows indicate blessing and abundance from God.  According to the Psalm, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks!

Rapeseed fields in bloom in England

We were in England when the rapeseed plants were in full bloom.  The “yellow fields” were beautiful, especially from higher elevations when the scope of the fields were apparent.  The beauty of these fields spoke of the beauty that God gives to us if we only were to open our eyes to see it.  They also foretold of the anticipated harvest when the plants would potentially become a cash crop for the farmer.

In God’s eyes, these things are all blessings from Him to us.  Where would we be without the freshwater of rainfall?  Where would we be without the sunshine causing growth in the grain?  Where would we be without God’s unfailing love and watchfulness over us?

Beloved, don’t keep your eyes focused on the pavement beneath your feet!  Don’t keep your thoughts trained upon yourself and the problems that confront you.  Step out of the problems and hardships and drink of the peace and comfort God provides to you.  I don’t mean that all the hard things will disappear, but I can say, speaking from experience, that God’s comfort and blessing will overshadow the difficulties that you are experiencing. 

Remember Psalm 65 – the valleys and fields, the meadows and pastures, all God’s creation shouts and sings for joy.  What about joining them in the symphony of love to the Lord?!

Father, forgive me when I am so focused on my own problems that I forget to praise You.  Through the Lord Jesus Christ You have given me all that I need, on earth and in heaven.  Salvation through faith in Christ, forgiveness of my sins, fellowship with other believers through the Church, resurrection from the dead and life everlasting.  On top of all those blessings, You provide comfort and Your Holy Spirit for guidance and a sure guarantee of salvation.  Father, thank You for blessing me so very much!

Joy and Sorrow

| lindamowles

In the book of Isaiah we hear God telling the prophet how He is different than the humans He created:

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9 [New Living Translation]

It will be no surprise when I say that we live in a world beset with difficulties, anxiety, fear, and sorrow.  There are people who are frustrated and tired of being in lock-down status in their own homes.  There are people who are terrified of contracting COVID-19, many for good reasons if they suffer from compromised respiratory issues, and other health maladies.   There are people who are grieving  the death of loved ones from the virus, and there are family members whose grief is aggravated by the fact that they could not have a funeral during lock=down days.  There are many who have become unemployed as businesses shut down and terminate or furlough employees.  No paychecks mean hard times for the finances in the household.

Sorrows and fears, anxiety and frustration.  Many people are suffering, and the writer of Ecclesiastes understands this.   We read in Ecclesiastes 7:14: 

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.  [ESV]

Here is this verse in the New King James Translation:

In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other,
So that man can find out nothing that will come after him. [NKJV]

And here it is in the New Living Translation:

Enjoy prosperity while you can,
but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.
Remember that nothing is certain in this life.  [NLT]

I tend to accept joy and will completely immerse myself in the enjoyment of happiness, often forgetting to thank the Lord for the blessing of joyful events.  

Cruise -Raft captain and river flora
Rafting down the Martha Brae River in Jamaica with beautiful flora all along the riverbank

But, then there are times when I feel like I am being inexorably pulled to the precipice and am certain to go over the edge, plummeting down the waterfall.  Rather like this video from Canada and Horseshoe Falls in Ontario.

When those hard times hit, i am the first one to ask God why this has happened to me.  What is the purpose of this, why did you allow this?   

I am ashamed to admit that often this questioning is tinged with anger and accusatory finger-pointing toward God.  

Jesus said:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.“

Matthew 5:43-45 [ESV]

The blessing and the difficulty — the writer of Ecclesiastes is spot on when he says that God sends them both.   Both the evil and the good receive the benefit of God’s sun shining down on them.  Both the just and the unjust receive the rain that God sends to the earth.  Likewise,  the pandemic the world is experiencing does not distinguish between the just and the unjust.

The difference, Beloved, is that those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ are assured that, whatever difficulties we experience here, we will be united with our Savior for all eternity.  This is not wishful thinking; rather it is a Biblical certainty.  Jesus said that His disciples would be with Him in heaven, and He was not just talking about those in the room at that moment!  

In the book of Revelation we read: 

Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,

Revelation 5:9 [ESV]

Jesus ransomed His people from “every tribe and language and people and nation.”  

So, lean on Jesus.  Come to Him through faith and keep your focus on Him, rather than on the problems of the day.  He is powerful enough to save you to eternal life.  The problems here are temporal, temporary and virtually irrelevant.  Look to Jesus!

Father, I pray that I will keep my eyes focused on You rather than on what is going on around me in this trouble ridden world.  I praise Your Name for the gift of salvation through JEsus Christ, Your Son.  And I look forward to being with people who love you from every tribe, language, people and nation.  Praise Your Holy Name.