Yesterday, visiting with a new patient, a familiar question came up, "Why God?" The patient, experiencing a disease he never envisioned and facing on outcome he thought would be years down the road, openly wondered "Why me?" Or, in other words, "Why does God allow this to happen to me? What is his justification?" Do you see the real question here? What right does God have to bring this on me or to allow it to happen to me? Who does God think he is?
We don't say it quite in that way, but that is the implication of our asking, "Why me?" Job found himself in the middle of a world class personal crisis. He lost his children, his wealth and his health. He openly challenged God's choice to allow this to happen or his right to bring it upon him. At one point he said, "If only there was someone to mediatte between us...someone to remove God's rod from me...then I would speak up without fear of him..." (Job 9:33-34). Job thought that an umpire between him and God would rule in his favor against God.
Like so many today who are facing trials or calamities in their lives, Job wanted to know what God was thinking, what justification did he have, why me? God gave Job an anwer but it wasn't the answer to why, it was the answer of Who: "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge" (Job 38:2)? God's answer was, "Who do you think you are and who do you imagine I am?"
God put's Job in his place as a man, asking, "Where were you when I laid out the foundatin of the earth" (v. 4)? Job, just how do you imagine you can begin to question me? Do you really think you have a grasp of the cosmic level my decisions? Do you believe that you even have a clue of the spiritual battles that are in play? Do you, as a man, deign to sit in judgment of the Architect of the Universe, the One who exists before the universe was brought into being? Really?
My answer to my patient was that I haven't had any answers to why since I was in my mid-twenties or so. Back then, I had answers, or so I thought. Today, I don't know why but I do know Who. I know God and that God is good. I also know that God is right and that his will is to be desired, even when we don't enjoy the process or understand how good could come from it. I have learned to replace the question "Why God?" with the answer "God is!" God is in control. God is just. God is good. God is able. God is love. Jus' Sayn.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Monday, October 6, 2014
Living By Faith
Coming back from a vist with friends, I apparently took one switch-back curve a little too fast as the back tire slid out and I dropped to the ground. The drop itself was not bad, but that sudden stop on the bottom was not nearly as pleasant. It hurt a bit but I'm not really hurt other than a sore spot or two. I think I might have fractured my ego, however.
My bike, on the other hand, wasn't as well-protected as I with my leathers, helment, boots and gloves. It sustained a terrible crunch to the crash bar and the left foor board looked to be bent out of recognition. The floor board was not really hurt to speak of, it was mostly dirt jamed in between the rubber and the metal. The crash bar did it's job of absorbing the brunt of the crash while protecting the rest of the bike and it's rider's left leg.
It looked bad at first. I took it off, tried to bend it back into some kind of shape but simply didn't have the tools or the bronze by myself to effect much change. I made some progress but not enough so it would fit back on the bike. It didn't look good until I talked to my friend and brother in Christ, Martin. He invited me to come out to his home shop, where there was lots of space and lots of tools to hammer out the problem, and hammer we did.
Two men, one sledge hammer and an assortment of wooden block over the course of about an hour, and we had that bar looking near enough to normal to give it a try hanging it back on the bike. Much to our surprise, it fit back on with that first attempt. It isn't perfect but if you look close enough to tell, you're looking too close.
My point, beside recognizing the help Martin provided, is to point out a biblical truth. What appeared to be a real bummer and the end of my expensive crash bar turned out to be the beginning of an exceptional day. Martin and I had wonderful fun working together on the bar, we had a nice ride afterwards, great conversation over a terrible meal. Martin asked me, "Explain to me how that after taking 45 minutes to get the food to us, the burgers are cold." I couldn't imagine. But we both agreed that we enjoyed a warm conversation over a cold meal.
The way things looked to be and the way things turned out to be were quite different. That is why the Bible says, "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7). What is seen is the circumstances life brngs to bear but what God is doing in and through those circumstances is the unseen power that empowers our faith to fear not but trust in God to bring about good. Holding on to God in the middle of a storm, expecting him to bring us through it and even to prosper us in the process is faith. It is not having a blind eye to reality, it is having an open heart to providence. Jus' Sayn.
My bike, on the other hand, wasn't as well-protected as I with my leathers, helment, boots and gloves. It sustained a terrible crunch to the crash bar and the left foor board looked to be bent out of recognition. The floor board was not really hurt to speak of, it was mostly dirt jamed in between the rubber and the metal. The crash bar did it's job of absorbing the brunt of the crash while protecting the rest of the bike and it's rider's left leg.
It looked bad at first. I took it off, tried to bend it back into some kind of shape but simply didn't have the tools or the bronze by myself to effect much change. I made some progress but not enough so it would fit back on the bike. It didn't look good until I talked to my friend and brother in Christ, Martin. He invited me to come out to his home shop, where there was lots of space and lots of tools to hammer out the problem, and hammer we did.
Two men, one sledge hammer and an assortment of wooden block over the course of about an hour, and we had that bar looking near enough to normal to give it a try hanging it back on the bike. Much to our surprise, it fit back on with that first attempt. It isn't perfect but if you look close enough to tell, you're looking too close.
My point, beside recognizing the help Martin provided, is to point out a biblical truth. What appeared to be a real bummer and the end of my expensive crash bar turned out to be the beginning of an exceptional day. Martin and I had wonderful fun working together on the bar, we had a nice ride afterwards, great conversation over a terrible meal. Martin asked me, "Explain to me how that after taking 45 minutes to get the food to us, the burgers are cold." I couldn't imagine. But we both agreed that we enjoyed a warm conversation over a cold meal.
The way things looked to be and the way things turned out to be were quite different. That is why the Bible says, "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7). What is seen is the circumstances life brngs to bear but what God is doing in and through those circumstances is the unseen power that empowers our faith to fear not but trust in God to bring about good. Holding on to God in the middle of a storm, expecting him to bring us through it and even to prosper us in the process is faith. It is not having a blind eye to reality, it is having an open heart to providence. Jus' Sayn.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
In Palaces and Prisons
It stands to reason that someone living in a palace would be satisified, having everything the world has to offer, while someone in prison would be miserable, having everything the world has to offer taken away from them. And yet, it ain't necessarily so.
King Solomon lived in a palace and had everything that could have been imagined in the way of wealth, power, fame, etc. At the same time, he was the one who pinned the book of Ecclesiastes,which says in part, "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure...Yet when I surveyed all haty my hads had done...everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun" (Eccl 2:10-11).
The apostle Paul, on the other hand, while sitting in a prison, shackled and awaiting a very uncertain future - everything taken from him and the very real possibility that even his life was about to be taken as well, was "praying and singing hymns to God" (Acts 16:25). He was in a prison when he pinned the letter of Phillipians, which tells us to "rejoice always" (Phil 4:4).
How is it possible? How can one be depressed in a palace while another is rejoicing in a prison? Solomon and Paul give us the answer using both sides of the coin, negative and positive:
Solomon's negative spirit is found in the words "nothing was gained under the sun" (Eccl 2:11) or from a purely worldly vantage point. If our hope and our happiness is attached only to what the world can give us, we will not be ultimately happy because the world takes away everything it gives. You can gain nothing that you won't lose; not health, not wealth, not power - nothing. As you look down the road, everything spirals downhill.
Paul's positive spirit is given foundation later in Philippians chapter 4 when he says, "I have found the secret of being content in any circumstance...I can do [deal with or endure] all things through Christ who gives me strength" (vv. 11-13). Paul knew that our "light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since we know that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Cor 4:17-18). The glory we gain in Christ will never be taken away. It is truly gain. Jus' Sayn.
King Solomon lived in a palace and had everything that could have been imagined in the way of wealth, power, fame, etc. At the same time, he was the one who pinned the book of Ecclesiastes,which says in part, "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure...Yet when I surveyed all haty my hads had done...everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun" (Eccl 2:10-11).
The apostle Paul, on the other hand, while sitting in a prison, shackled and awaiting a very uncertain future - everything taken from him and the very real possibility that even his life was about to be taken as well, was "praying and singing hymns to God" (Acts 16:25). He was in a prison when he pinned the letter of Phillipians, which tells us to "rejoice always" (Phil 4:4).
How is it possible? How can one be depressed in a palace while another is rejoicing in a prison? Solomon and Paul give us the answer using both sides of the coin, negative and positive:
Solomon's negative spirit is found in the words "nothing was gained under the sun" (Eccl 2:11) or from a purely worldly vantage point. If our hope and our happiness is attached only to what the world can give us, we will not be ultimately happy because the world takes away everything it gives. You can gain nothing that you won't lose; not health, not wealth, not power - nothing. As you look down the road, everything spirals downhill.
Paul's positive spirit is given foundation later in Philippians chapter 4 when he says, "I have found the secret of being content in any circumstance...I can do [deal with or endure] all things through Christ who gives me strength" (vv. 11-13). Paul knew that our "light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since we know that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Cor 4:17-18). The glory we gain in Christ will never be taken away. It is truly gain. Jus' Sayn.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
What's In Your Wallet?
Have you seen those Capital One ads, where someone asks, "What's in your wallet?" The premise is that each of us steps into the fiscal world daily facing financial opportunities and challenges, which require a credit card to master. In order to come out a winner, you need to be carrying their card with it's particular benefits and services.
Well, I can't speak for Capital One and don't have a lot of faith in credit cards in general when it comes to helping most people get a financial advantage. For most folks, credit cards work to increase the debt burden, not increase their financial well-being.
But I can speak with confidence about the One, whom you should never leave home without - no, not American Express - rather, the Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am! It is the Spirit of God himself that you should carry into the daily fray that will allow you to be victorious over whatever you must face in life, financial or otherwise.
This is the truth revealed in the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The little shepherd boy steps into the battle field against the battle-seasoned giant warrior. Goliath was the odds on favorite. David did not appear to have any chance at victory at all. But David knew something that Goliath had no clue about:
"[45] David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands..." (1 Sam 17:45-46). David appeared to have just five smooth stones in his sling pouch, but what he actually had was the very Sprit of God in his heart.
As you go out each day, it matters little what's in your wallet if God's not in your heart. And if God is in your heart, it matters little what's in your wallet. Jus' Sayn.
Well, I can't speak for Capital One and don't have a lot of faith in credit cards in general when it comes to helping most people get a financial advantage. For most folks, credit cards work to increase the debt burden, not increase their financial well-being.
But I can speak with confidence about the One, whom you should never leave home without - no, not American Express - rather, the Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Alpha and Omega, the Great I Am! It is the Spirit of God himself that you should carry into the daily fray that will allow you to be victorious over whatever you must face in life, financial or otherwise.
This is the truth revealed in the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The little shepherd boy steps into the battle field against the battle-seasoned giant warrior. Goliath was the odds on favorite. David did not appear to have any chance at victory at all. But David knew something that Goliath had no clue about:
"[45] David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands..." (1 Sam 17:45-46). David appeared to have just five smooth stones in his sling pouch, but what he actually had was the very Sprit of God in his heart.
As you go out each day, it matters little what's in your wallet if God's not in your heart. And if God is in your heart, it matters little what's in your wallet. Jus' Sayn.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Singing in the Rain
In 1952, Gene Kelly starred in the block-buster romantic comedy, "Singing in the Rain." The scene that captured the heart of the movie was Gene Kelly's famous dance routine in the rain. The notion advanced was that of finding joy in an otherwise damping situation.
There is a very similar passage in the Bible, which reads, "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?" (Job 35:10). The biblical author advances the truth that God gives us reasons for singing even in our dark moments.
Jesus warn us that "the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be filled with darkness" (Mattt 6:22-23). Jesus reveals to us that we control the impact our environment or circumstances have on us by how we choose to focus. We can focus on the problems or the solutions, what we are lacking or what we possess, the positive or the negative.
What we choose does not change the circumstance, it does not stop the rain. But it does change our attitude, it does change our circumspect, which can change how we feel. Whether we are dark and depressed or light and hopeful depends on how we choose to look at things, upon what we choose to focus.
We can allow ourselves to be mired down with the questions of life: "Why me? How could this happen?" Or, we could focus on the Answer to all life's questions and circumstances, we can "set y[our] sights on things above, not on earthly things" (Col 3:2). We should "sing and make music from y[our] heart[s] to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Fatherr for everything..." (Eph 5:20). We could be "singing in the rain." Jus' Sayn.
There is a very similar passage in the Bible, which reads, "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night?" (Job 35:10). The biblical author advances the truth that God gives us reasons for singing even in our dark moments.
Jesus warn us that "the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be filled with darkness" (Mattt 6:22-23). Jesus reveals to us that we control the impact our environment or circumstances have on us by how we choose to focus. We can focus on the problems or the solutions, what we are lacking or what we possess, the positive or the negative.
What we choose does not change the circumstance, it does not stop the rain. But it does change our attitude, it does change our circumspect, which can change how we feel. Whether we are dark and depressed or light and hopeful depends on how we choose to look at things, upon what we choose to focus.
We can allow ourselves to be mired down with the questions of life: "Why me? How could this happen?" Or, we could focus on the Answer to all life's questions and circumstances, we can "set y[our] sights on things above, not on earthly things" (Col 3:2). We should "sing and make music from y[our] heart[s] to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Fatherr for everything..." (Eph 5:20). We could be "singing in the rain." Jus' Sayn.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Numbering Hairs
I talked with a woman yesterday who told me that when she was born that her father, having no money, gave the doctor a ham for his services. While it may seem that he had gotten a bargain or cheaped out, the fact is that a ham to a poor farmer during the Great Depression was extremely valuable. It was perhaps the mostt valuable thing he had to offer at the time, cerrtainly something that would make a true impact on his family.
In Luke 12:7b, when Jesus says, "you are worth many sparrows," it may not seem like a lot of value is placed on us. Really? I'm worth a bunch of birds? Wow! Yes really. You are worth a bunch of birds that God created out of love and "not one of them is forgotten by God" (v. 6). God cares deeply for all his creation, but nothing compares with man. Do you recall the Creation Narrative in Genesis? Godd speaks the universe and every living thing into existence, except man. With man, God scoops up clay, forms it with his hands and breathes his breath of life into it. Mankind alone was fashioned in God's image.
That special relationship and value is seen in the statment fournd in verse 7a, "Even the very hairs on our head are numbered." The image is that of a new mother counting fingers and toes of her newborn, checking closely to make sure everything is OK with her baby. But God doesn't just count them, he numbers them. When a hair falls our of your head, he knows which one - "There goes hair number 3,412. That beautiful scalp I gave you is so much easier to see now."
Do you get the picture of how much God cares for you, how intimately concerned he is with your welfare, how much of himself he invest into your life? You, like a newborn infant in in the arms of its mother, are loved deeply and affectionately to a degree that is impossible to quantify. Jesus really really loves you, this I know. Jus' Sayn.
In Luke 12:7b, when Jesus says, "you are worth many sparrows," it may not seem like a lot of value is placed on us. Really? I'm worth a bunch of birds? Wow! Yes really. You are worth a bunch of birds that God created out of love and "not one of them is forgotten by God" (v. 6). God cares deeply for all his creation, but nothing compares with man. Do you recall the Creation Narrative in Genesis? Godd speaks the universe and every living thing into existence, except man. With man, God scoops up clay, forms it with his hands and breathes his breath of life into it. Mankind alone was fashioned in God's image.
That special relationship and value is seen in the statment fournd in verse 7a, "Even the very hairs on our head are numbered." The image is that of a new mother counting fingers and toes of her newborn, checking closely to make sure everything is OK with her baby. But God doesn't just count them, he numbers them. When a hair falls our of your head, he knows which one - "There goes hair number 3,412. That beautiful scalp I gave you is so much easier to see now."
Do you get the picture of how much God cares for you, how intimately concerned he is with your welfare, how much of himself he invest into your life? You, like a newborn infant in in the arms of its mother, are loved deeply and affectionately to a degree that is impossible to quantify. Jesus really really loves you, this I know. Jus' Sayn.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Effective Faith
Regarding the faitth of his audience, James wrote, "You believe in God? Good! Even the demons believe and shutter" (James 2:19).
In stark contrast to that, Paul looks at a lame man in the city of Lystra and "saw that he had faith to be healed" (Acts 14:9).
Two faiths in the same God but only one was effective, the other had no teeth - nothing with which to hold on to the object of faith. So what was the difference?
Perhaps a couple of stories may shed some light. The story is told of a woman who very much wanted the tree in her back yard to be gone but didn't have the money to have it taken out. So she decidedd to pray one night that God would remove it for her. The next morning, seeing the tree still standing said, "Just like I thought, it's still there." See any problem with this faith?
Another story from the pages of my own life experience is of a woman whose husband I baptized after 30 years of marriage. For all that time, she served God faithfully and faithfully prayed for her husband's salvation. For 30 years, she continued trusting in God's power to change him. Do you see the difference in this kind of faith?
Effective faith in God has two very critical components: 1)"Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see" (Heb 11:1) - Trust; and 2) "Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17) - Investment.
Effective faith trusts in God to act and itself begins to move in that direction. The wife continued going to church and continued praying for her husband. Effective faith doesn't wait to see results, it acts on the premise that the results are forthcoming. I watched a movie recently that protrayed this effective faith. It was entitled, "Faith Like a Potato." During a drought, a preacher/potato farmer prayed to God and then planted his potatoes, believing that God would provide. Despite all evidence to the contrary and all of hell's attempts to destroy his faith, he held fast and the potato harvest was bountiful.
Effetive faith is not just believing that God exists or that he could accomplish something. It is not even simply a leap of faith but it is a walk of faith with confidence that God will be faithful, that he will provide. Jus' Sayn.
In stark contrast to that, Paul looks at a lame man in the city of Lystra and "saw that he had faith to be healed" (Acts 14:9).
Two faiths in the same God but only one was effective, the other had no teeth - nothing with which to hold on to the object of faith. So what was the difference?
Perhaps a couple of stories may shed some light. The story is told of a woman who very much wanted the tree in her back yard to be gone but didn't have the money to have it taken out. So she decidedd to pray one night that God would remove it for her. The next morning, seeing the tree still standing said, "Just like I thought, it's still there." See any problem with this faith?
Another story from the pages of my own life experience is of a woman whose husband I baptized after 30 years of marriage. For all that time, she served God faithfully and faithfully prayed for her husband's salvation. For 30 years, she continued trusting in God's power to change him. Do you see the difference in this kind of faith?
Effective faith in God has two very critical components: 1)"Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see" (Heb 11:1) - Trust; and 2) "Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17) - Investment.
Effective faith trusts in God to act and itself begins to move in that direction. The wife continued going to church and continued praying for her husband. Effective faith doesn't wait to see results, it acts on the premise that the results are forthcoming. I watched a movie recently that protrayed this effective faith. It was entitled, "Faith Like a Potato." During a drought, a preacher/potato farmer prayed to God and then planted his potatoes, believing that God would provide. Despite all evidence to the contrary and all of hell's attempts to destroy his faith, he held fast and the potato harvest was bountiful.
Effetive faith is not just believing that God exists or that he could accomplish something. It is not even simply a leap of faith but it is a walk of faith with confidence that God will be faithful, that he will provide. Jus' Sayn.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)