Tag Archives: faith

Jan 19 – What About Isaac?

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Genesis 22-24

We are well aware of Abraham’s faith that allowed him to stand over his son Isaac, knife raised, ready to sacrifice his son on an altar, because God told him to. But what of Isaac’s faith? The Bible doesn’t say anything about that.

It’s kind of a picture of Christ, isn’t it? The father’s son, who carried the wood for the sacrifice, like Jesus carried the wooden cross.

I wonder if Isaac went willingly. That must not really matter because the Bible isn’t clear concerning it. But Abraham had said something to Isaac I choose to believe the boy believed:

The Lord will provide a lamb.

And I believe Isaac’s own faith allowed him to crawl up on that altar in obedience.

Makes me wonder how far my faith would take me. Am I really ready to lay it all on the altar? My health? My family? My finances? My future? What about my pride, my thought-life, my self?

God, give me faith like Isaac’s.

Jan 12 – Questions Without Answers

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Job 32-34

Elihu asks a question worth considering:

Why do you complain against (God) that He does not give an account of all His doings? (Job 33:13)

The book of Job is filled with reminders that God is God and we are His creation. There is a hierarchy and we’re not on top.

Friend, God does not owe you an explanation.

God didn’t even owe it to us to inspire men to write His Words for us to read, for us to use to get to know Him. And just because God didn’t include every tiny bit of information you might think you need in Scripture, it doesn’t mean He’s done anything wrong. He, in His ultimate knowledge, just doesn’t think you happen to need to know that particular detail this side of heaven.

That’s where faith comes in. God wants us to trust Him. Satan, however, would have us disappointed in or angry at God for not giving us the answers we want.

But let’s focus on what He HAS given us, the answers to other, more important questions. Like how we can be forgiven. Like how we can be sure of our eternity. Like how to live our lives in service to this great God who doesn’t owe us anything…

yet gives us so much.

 

Jan 8 – A Statement Of Faith

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Job 17-20

Job is feeling insignificant, like what he is saying and experiencing isn’t important. His hopes and dreams are lost, and his friends seem to only want to explain it away. Job tells them there isn’t a wise man among them. (I smile)

In chapter 19 Job says even if he is suffering consequences for doing something wrong, like his friends suggest, “my error lodges with me.” Then he continues to try to explain to his friends what he is experiencing and feeling in the moment. I can almost hear him plead, “Just hear me.”

But then Job gives a powerful statement of faith, beginning in 19:25:

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!

Once again this man of God acknowledges that God is alive and well, and one day Job assures his friends he will see God. Job is absolutely sure that this life is just the opening act, that the heart of the matter lies beyond the grave.

And Job trusts God even during this difficult and confusing time of life. My prayer is that you, too, have the same resolve. Even if you never get the answers you think you deserve during this lifetime, I pray the thought of seeing your Redeemer face to face causes your heart to faint within you, too. I know for myself, just thinking about looking into Jesus’ eyes brings joy and anticipation.

And in a very real way, the promise of being in the presence of the One who loved me and gave Himself for me, makes the cares of this life a bit more bearable, a bit less consuming.

I know that my Redeemer lives!

 

I Forgive You

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When a hate-filled young white man walked into a church attended by Christians of color, they welcomed him. He sat with them for over an hour, heard them talk about their Savior, listened to their prayers, then pulled out a gun and killed nine of them, just because of the color of their skin. He may have wanted to start a civil war. What he got, instead, was something he never imagined.

At his bond hearing, several loved ones of his victims spoke to him. If you get a chance to hear their statements I hope you take the time to do so. Through their fresh and devastating grief, they forgave the killer. They asked him to repent, to turn to Christ. They refused to allow hatred into their souls.

In this day and age of Ferguson and Baltimore, these people have demonstrated what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ. They set aside their “right” to seek revenge, and held on to the One who is the final judge of us all.

If you don’t understand how these people can forgive, or if you don’t believe they really have forgiven this murderer, you don’t know their Savior. I invite you to read the book of John in the Bible and get to know Jesus, who forgave his own murderers.

What Satan intended for evil, God will use to bring about good. You see, the people who died that day closed their eyes in prayer, and opened them face to face with Jesus Himself. Do not grieve for the lost lives. Rather pray for those who are left to live with the void their deaths bring, until the day they are reunited. And they will be reunited because of their faith in Jesus.

Dear Comforter, I pray that you will wrap your arms around those who mourn in Charleston today. I pray for that church. May the members stand together and strong in their obedience to you. I pray for the shooter, that he will humble himself and accept what Jesus died to give him – forgiveness. And I pray for everyone who reads this blog or hears the testimony of the grieving loved ones. May hearts turn to you by the thousands. Maybe this will spark the revival we so need in this country. May we not be overcome by the evil played out here, but overcome the evil that led this man to commit this crime, with good, with love, with faith, and following the example of the people in Charleston, with forgiveness.

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled

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Sometimes when I watch the news and am faced with the way Satan’s power seems to be getting stronger in ISIS, in American politics, in our courts and on our streets, when I see flagrant sin proclaimed as the “new normal”, and people who call themselves Christian accept sin and tolerate multiple avenues to God, I get anxious. I find myself worrying about what’s ahead for us in this country, what kind of world my great-nieces and nephews will inherit from us.

Then I read what Jesus said to his disciples right before he was arrested: Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in me. (John 14)

History tells us these same disciples endured persecution like most of us have never seen. They watched Jesus die. They fled for their lives. Some were tortured and killed because they did believe in Jesus. But Jesus told them, let not your hearts be troubled.

I don’t know what lies ahead. I can guess according to what I read in the Bible. And the thought of what will probably be makes me sad. I want the babies in my life, their mothers and dads, to be grounded in the Truth of Scripture, to believe in Jesus. Because then I can face the future knowing Jesus is preparing a place for us, to be with him where he is. I can choose to not let my heart be troubled because I believe in Jesus and trust what he says.

I pray the same for you.

Dear God, it sounds like I’m throwing in the towel, and really I’m not. I will continue to pray, to stand for the Truth revealed in your Holy Word, and live my life to reveal you to those who don’t know you. I believe you will continue to bless those who call on you in Spirit and Truth, that your Holy Spirit will continue to draw all men to you as long as there is life. But I also know, Lord, you are coming again. This life on planet Earth is not all there is, and one day that angel will blow that trumpet, and everything will change. And unless your children hold strong, things will continue to decline. So keep us strong, Father. Give us courage and confidence and purpose. Thank you for telling us it’s possible to face the future without troubled hearts because we believe in Jesus. Be with our children and may we raise them to honor and fear you. Prepare them for battle, Lord. Prepare us all. And may you find us faithful.

Elijah Makes Me Smile

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I love Elijah. (I Kings 17&18) First, it was ok with him when God told him ravens would supply his food for a while. Ravens are scavengers. Yuck! But because God said it, Elijah looked forward to his next meal. (the ravens brought him bread and meat, and I believe they came straight from heaven’s kitchen)

When Ahab meets Elijah on the street, the king accused the prophet of being Israel’s trouble-maker. Elijah didn’t get angry, or pout. He simply replied: HA! You are!

Gotta love his spunk.

Elijah took care of a widow and her son, and God supplied enough flour and oil for them to live on during the famine. Elijah even prayed for God to revive the dead boy. I love how Elijah was quick to see a need and go to God about it.

Every time I read the account about the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, I get a tickle. I mean, the prophets were making fools of themselves and old Elijah just encouraged them to make bigger fools of themselves, to show everybody that there is one God. And Baal wasn’t it.

But here’s what spoke to me this morning. The land was suffering from that long drought. People were desperate. And God pretty much left it up to Elijah as to when the drought would end. So Elijah went up into the mountain to pray for rain. After he says, “Amen”, he tells his servant to run up to the top of the mountain and check the skies. The servant returns to report the skies are clear. So Elijah gets back on his knees and prays again, then sends the servant back to look for storm clouds. Nothing. Elijah continued to pray and look for the answer to his prayer seven times.

After the seventh time Elijah prayed for rain, the servant came back and, probably a little timidly reported that he might have seen a teeny tiny little white cloud on the horizon. And this is what I love:

Elijah jumped up and said: Yes! Get the umbrellas!

Made me stop and think about how often I might have missed recognizing an answer to prayer because it wasn’t the answer I was looking for. I think Elijah was imagining dark, rolling clouds, thunder and lightning as an answer to his prayer. But Elijah recognized that that little white cloud was, indeed, God’s answer.

Elijah’s story also challenges me about my faith. He was so sure God was going to answer his prayer immediately, he sent his servant to go look for the evidence as soon as he was done praying. Then, when the answer wasn’t immediate, Elijah didn’t give up. He dropped to his knees in prayer, and looked expectantly for the answer, again and again. His faith didn’t waver. In fact, the waiting may have prepared him to recognize God’s answer in the form of a little white cloud in the distance.

Father, I thank you for answered prayer. I believe you hear and answer every request that is asked by your children. Forgive us if we miss your answers because we are looking for something else. Help us to bow before your Sovereignty and trust you to answer our prayers according to what you know is best. And may we recognize your hand at work in our lives for our good and your glory.

Our God is a Devouring Fire

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Fire fascinated my dad. When we were little girls, our family would drop everything and jump in the car almost every time we heard the fire trucks’ sirens. We’d search the sky for smoke and rush to the scene to watch the brave firemen battle the dangerous blazes.

Fire takes on a life of its own as it devours its prey. I remember watching a garage burn a block away from our home. A big department store and a lumber company both burned while we watched from safe distances. I can almost hear the snap crackle of the burning wood, smell the acrid odor of smoking embers, feel the heat from dancing flames.

Hebrews 11 lists men and women of faith, people who believed God, and looked to him in spite of circumstances. Then Hebrews 12 begins with the word, “Therefore” and challenges us to have the same kind of faith as those listed in chapter 11, because God has proven himself to be faithful. The writer points us to God’s spiritual kingdom, as sure and real as the physical city of Jerusalem. But now God promises that one day, we who know him will live with him, while the rest of creation will be removed.

Hebrews 12:28 says, “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.” It’s followed by verse 29, a verse that jumped out at me as I read this morning: “For our God is a devouring fire.” (NLT)

Fire is welcome at a campsite, melting marshmallows for s’mores, heating hotdogs, warming fingers and toes. But campers know to enjoy the fire with fear and awe, knowing fire can also unleash its destructive power.

Those of us who know Jesus as our Savior can enjoy God like a camper by a fire pit. We benefit from God’s very being, we enjoy his fellowship, we are safe in his presence. But we must not take his power too lightly, or misuse his blessings. We must not forget that he is that devouring fire. That’s where worshiping him with holy fear and awe comes into play.

My prayer is that all who read this blog will know the warmth, the peace, the safety God provides to those who call on the name of Jesus. The alternative is frightening. Those who reject the Savior will only know the devouring fire of his wrath, his anger and punishment, and be separated from him forever.

May we worship God with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.

Stormy Seas

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I’ve never been in a storm at sea. I don’t even want to imagine the fear of being that exposed to danger out there surrounded by water miles deep. I’ve never been in a tropical storm or lived through a tornado. In fact, there have been only a few times I’ve even come close.

But as I read about the terror the passengers and crew experienced in the ship carrying Paul to Rome, I can relate. (Acts 27) Not because I’ve been there, but because I know to an extent, what it’s like to face storms of life.

Getting laid off from my job, Mom’s cancer, financial struggles, my sister’s cancer, my nephew Geoff’s death, Dad’s death. I can’t hold my storms up next to anyone else’s and say mine were harder or that mine were less significant. I only know there have been times that I felt hopeless and lost, when I found it hard to breathe, when fear of the future (or present) caused me sleepless nights.

The account of Paul’s storm at sea reminds me that, no matter how bad the circumstances, no matter how hopeless the future appears, when I am tossed about and can’t find the sun, God is standing next to me.

My only hope is to stay in the boat, holding on to my Savior, riding out the storm together. In this account in the book of Acts, God didn’t calm the storm. But the people on board made it safely to shore. This tells me that my circumstances might not change. The cancer diagnosis might not be a mistake. A broken relationship might not heal. Whatever the cause of my anxiety, depression, fear, might not magically disappear.

But God can see me safely to the other side. I can trust him. And I will.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your Presence. You are stronger than any storm I have to face. And I find comfort in knowing that… knowing You. I pray for those reading this today who are being bounced around in a frightening storm. I pray your strength, your comfort, your direction will be evident in the midst. I pray they will hold on, that they will trust you to see them through. Thank you in advance for what you are going to do in the lives of those of us who are facing stormy seas.

Priorities

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The men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus because they had faith Jesus could heal him. When the crowd was so large they couldn’t get inside to where Jesus was, they cut a hole in the ceiling and lowered their friend right in front of Jesus. (Matt 9, Mark 2, Luke 5)

What did Jesus do? He forgave the crippled man’s sins. In this act, we see where Jesus places his priorities.

It reminded me of the prayer boards in many Sunday School rooms, and prayer lines active in many churches. They are full of requests for God’s intervention for every ailment known to man:

Pray for Susie’s sinus problems. Bill’s cancer, Clyde’s cough, June’s surgery, Donna’s new job.

God wants us to bring our requests to him and I am not criticizing anyone for praying for another. It’s our responsibility and our privilege to bring our requests to the Lord. But if our priorities were the same as Jesus, wouldn’t our prayer boards be at least equally filled with requests for the salvation of souls:

Pray for Sandy as she has lunch with her cousin on Tuesday, pray for the cousin that her heart would be open and she would be willing to listen. For Chuck as he goes fishing with his coworker. For Laura as she witnesses to her husband.

Oh, Jesus healed the crippled man. And he still answers our prayers for physical needs. But physical healing is still a temporary fix. A repentant heart is a healing that is eternal.

Let’s pray. Pray for the health and physical healing of our loved ones. Jesus reveals himself through those answered prayers. But let’s not neglect the more important thing: the salvation of souls.

Father, I pray for those in my life who are facing physical challenges, emotional problems, relationship difficulties. Reveal yourself in their healing and may Jesus be praised. But I would pray for those who don’t know you. I pray for broken hearts when faced with the reality of sin, I pray for the softening of hardened hearts, for ears that will listen. May your Holy Spirit have free reign in the hearts of…. and …. today and may they come to the Savior to receive the healing that will last eternally. Show me what role I can play in their salvation, and may you find me faithful for Jesus’ sake.

God Loves The Impossible

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Joshua 10 records a pretty amazing event. From a human perspective, Joshua took quite a leap of faith when he prayed a public prayer asking God to stop the sun dead in its tracks. Even if prompted by God, saying something so outrageous would have sounded insane. We know scientifically that if the sun stands still it’s because the earth quit spinning and if that’s the case there would be no gravity and… well… it’s impossible.

But we have a God who loves the impossible! The sun stood still and Israel’s army defeated the enemy.

God loves the impossible.

Including each of us. No one is too far gone for his love and grace to penetrate a heart still beating. The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

And just as God revealed his power that day in what we read in the book of Joshua, he reveals that same power in a changed life today. Nothing is impossible for God. When I read this portion of Joshua I don’t see God asking us to pray for material signs of his power. Moving mountains into the sea or stopping the earth from spinning isn’t the point. I see God telling us to pray for the souls of those we think are too far gone.

President Obama? John Travolta or Tom Cruze? That neighbor down the street or that rebellious person who lives in your home?

God loves the impossible. Let’s pray believing. He can do it.

Dear God, I would ask you to forgive me for not praying like I should. I think way too small for a God as powerful as you. I do pray for our President. Father, even now I would ask that you would bring yourself to his mind, that you would touch his heart, that you would find him ready to give his life to you. I pray for public figures like those who are caught in the lies of Scientology. I pray that they will find Jesus as Savior and would use their celebrity to point others to him, too. I pray for those people close to me who are living ungodly lives, who have drifted from you or denied you. I pray believing that you are able to break through the hardest heart and I’m asking you to do that. Thank you for loving the impossible. Show me what you would have me do to accomplish these things in Jesus’ name.