You are currently browsing the monthly archive for September 2010.
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36
During New Testament times the most cherished and protected item of a soldier’s armor was his shield. Those who lost their shield, and survived, were humiliated and at times killed by their own men. In fact, it was nobler to be carried home dead on your shield than to return home healthy and minus the shield. The shield was more important than life itself!
The word picture that the writer to the Hebrews gives us of confidence is likened to the shield of battle. The faith we have in God should be the most important thing we possess. Our faith in Jesus should be so important that we are willing to set aside our own personal reputation and safety to protect it. Jesus was humiliated, rejected by family and friends, wrongfully accused and eventually murdered by the very people He came to save. In spite of all that pain, He believes in you!
To many people their faith is an add-on to life. Faith is fine to have when times are tough, but when times are good it’s not necessary. To some it’s even confining. When faith is nothing more than an add-on and adversity comes we’re faced with a dilemma. We blame ourselves and try harder to ‘be good’ but this leads to frustration because we aren’t perfect no matter how hard we try.
We blame others and become angry and bitter, but that really only leads to our own emotional prison. Anger and bitterness robs our joy and our strength and keeps us from experiencing the joy and freedom only Jesus can give.
We blame God when our prayers aren’t answered the way we want or ask. But God isn’t a vending machine. His promises aren’t for an easy life here on earth. Jesus warns us repeatedly that we will be faced with tribulation and pain throughout our lives.
When you encounter battles and trials in life, learn a lesson from the admonition of Hebrews. Don’t throw away your faith! It doesn’t matter who is at fault in the trials you are enduring. If it’s your past you can be forgiven. If you’ve suffered evil at the hands of others God can help you recover from the wounds. But if you lose your faith in God, then you are truly without hope. Faith in God through Jesus Christ is the only way we can endure the attacks that others put in our way.
Persevere. Be strong. Guard your heart from the enemy. Never grow tired in your quest to follow Christ. Trust Jesus to empower you through His Holy Spirit to work in your life for good. Regardless of how things look around you Jesus is in control and madly in love with you!
PRAYER: Father God, I praise You for the protection and strength You have promised through Jesus Christ. I confess to you that I’m struggling with the things that are going on around me. There are times when I feel completely overwhelmed by enemy attack. Help me to hold fast to the confidence I have that You are an all-powerful, loving God. Empower me by Your Holy Spirit to live a life of faith in the midst of struggle. Amen.
David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6
Imagine what it would be like to come home to find your home nothing more than a pile of smoldering rubble. Upon questioning neighbors you learn that your family has been kidnapped as well! In those few short moments you have lost everything that was once near and dear to you. Then, as though part of a horrible nightmare, people around you accuse you of being at fault for all of this tragedy!
This was the situation that King David faced in 1 Samuel 30:6. This was a time in David’s career when he was very popular among the people. He was just returning with his men from helping a neighboring King fight a battle. As the warriors came over the final hill they saw what was left of their city. It was nothing more than a pile of smoldering rubble.
The good news, if you can call it that, is that no one was killed. But where were the wives, the sons, the daughters? How many enemies had taken them? Then there was the sheer fatigue and anguish. The Bible says that the men cried until they could cry no more. In the midst of their anguish the men started to murmur against their leader. IF he hadn’t taken all of them off to battle this wouldn’t have happened. IF he’d left some men behind to guard the city they’d be sitting down to supper with their little boys and girls and getting a good night sleep in their own beds with the women they loved.
Their murmuring grew into threats and David soon heard that they were about to stone him! It’s hard to imagine what made David feel worse. Was it the fact that his own two wives were among the missing? Was it the fact that his own life was still in danger from Saul? Was it seeing these men, whom he loved in such anguish? Was it the ruins of his city? Perhaps it was the fact that these men, whom he loved dearly and whom he’d done so much for had now turned on him. All his training and protection and provision for them didn’t matter. In this time of crisis they turned their backs on the one that had done so much for them.
There are times in each of our lives when we may feel like David. We pour ourselves into the lives of others. We try to help them through times of need and struggle. It could be a friend, a child, a parent, or even a total stranger. But then something goes wrong and all of the sudden we are the ones to be blamed.
In the midst of his personal despair, at a time when he’d lost everything of physical value and now his closest friends had turned against him, David did what each of us must do when we are attacked. David turned to God. He got alone in a quiet place and asked God what he should do. He didn’t lash out at his attackers. He didn’t defend himself. He didn’t try to place the blame on God, the men themselves, or even the enemy. He met with God and formulated a plan to rescue the women, children and material possessions that had been taken.
When things go horribly wrong in your life, follow David’s example. First of all, don’t give up. Don’t let yourself get sucked into the ‘poor little old me’ mindset. Then, like David, pick yourself up and go to the one that will never leave you, never forsake you and always be a loyal, trusted friend. God allows adversity and tragedy in our lives in order to teach us to trust him and not men. He alone can bring you through whatever you are facing today. You may be betrayed by your closest friends, but God will never ever forsake you.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the story of David. Thank you for the reminder that when those I thought were my closest allies fail me; I can always turn to you. Show me how I can trust you to resolve conflicts. Give me strength to pick myself up and move on. Empower me with your Holy Spirit to trust you in all things. Amen.
Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight.” 2 Samuel 10:12
One day while David was King he heard that a King in a nearby country had died. He decided to show a ‘random act of kindness’ by sending a group of men to the funeral on his behalf. However, once there, the motives of David’s men were misunderstood. Rather than appreciating the gesture of condolences, the men were treated as spies. They were humiliated in front of the entire nation and sent back to David.
Not only were the men sent back humiliated, the country that humiliated them hired a group of fighting men to attack David because they suspected that he would be angry and attack them soon.
David rallied his troops and prepared for battle. In the course of battle, Joab, David’s head military guy, found himself surrounded by the enemy. He drew up a plan for attack by dividing his army in two divisions. One division would fight the group in the back and one division would fight the group in front. Joab’s final words to the other commander were basically this, “Fight hard. Fight bravely. Defend the honor of our God. But remember, God will be the one that really fights the battle.
As it was, the enemy saw they were no match for David. Both groups turned and ran! Eventually both armies were defeated by David’s men.
There are times in each of our lives when we try to do something kind for others and our motives and/or actions are misinterpreted. What we mean for good is taken as evil. No matter what we do to try to resolve the misunderstanding, it seems there is no peaceful resolution. During those times it’s important to take a look at how David handled the situation.
First of all, we should never hesitate to show kindness to people when the opportunity arises. It’s important, however to realize that when we do that there may be risk involved. While that should never stop us from acting, it should cause us to be wise in how and when we show kindness.
The second lesson we learn is that when we are misunderstood we should seek God’s wisdom in resolving the conflict. Obviously that doesn’t mean we hire armies to beat up the person who misunderstood us! It simply means that we should take whatever measures are appropriate to try to explain the situation while, at the same time realizing that resolution may not be possible. We are only responsible for how we handle the misunderstanding.
Lastly, remember that resolution is ultimately the work of God. We take risks to show kindness to those around us even when they are ‘enemies’. If our acts are accepted we have won our brother. But if our actions are misunderstood and conflict arises we must remember that God is the one that must remember that only God can change a persons heart. Trust God to reconcile each conflict in your life. Live wisely, grace-fully and, as much as possible, at peace with all men.
PRAYER: Holy God. I thank you today for the fact that you have shown me the ultimate kindness in forgiving me through Jesus Christ. I confess to you that I get angry when my acts of kindness are misunderstood. I’m hurt because often those misunderstandings are among friends of mine. Give me strength to be kind, wisdom in resolving misunderstandings and trust in letting you change all of us involved in this conflict. Let me live at peace with those around me so that I can show Christ’s love. Amen.
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4
There are times in each of our lives when we feel like we can’t go on. It could be after the death of a loved one; when we face financial ruin; when relationships go bad; when our health fails or we find ourselves growing older.
During those times of weakness we seek things that will either make us stronger or help us hide the pain. We look to relationships to help us feel good about ourselves. We look for a different job so we can have a life of comfort. We surround ourselves with friends and toys so we feel valuable. If the pain gets to great, we seek drugs, alcohol or even religion to help us try to forget the pain.
No matter what you are looking for to dull the pain, there is nothing that will do that outside of a relationship with God. A relationship with God is NOT religion. Religion is a set of rules, do’s and don’ts and warnings about how to behave ‘or else’.
A relationship is uplifting, loving, compassionate and grace-ful. Relationship with God is found through faith in His Son Jesus and forgiveness for our failures because of His death and resurrection.
Not only does a relationship with God free us from the guilt and shame of a life that hasn’t met up to our expectations, a relationship with God gives us strength. Strength to endure life and its troubles can only come from God. He has promised that we can rely on His almighty power because of His love for us, not because of our ability to love Him back.
Regardless of the trials that lie ahead of you, seek to worship the only one who can bring true comfort into your life. The more you get to know Him through His Word (the Bible) and prayer, the more He will be able to help you endure what life has in store for you. There will be times He seems distant. That is a lie of the enemy. God is always near you and because of that we can live in assurance of His love for us.
The Psalmist encourages us to remember all that God has done for us and to earnestly seek Him throughout your life. There is no time when He is absent or unconcerned. There is nothing that comes your way that He can’t give you the strength to endure.
God never intended for you to do life alone. He never expects you to make all the right choices all the time. In spite of our failings He promises to love, forgive and strengthen us for the road ahead.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. I praise you and worship you for being the creator and sustainer of the universe. I thank you for your Son Jesus and all that He has done for me. I feel weak today. I’m facing challenges and struggles that seem insurmountable. I ask for your strength to seek you and your strength to endure all that I have before me. Help me to remember your love as I face today’s challenges. Amen.
If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. Psalm 37:23-24
When I was young I used to dream of being a famous athlete. I imagined myself being in position to win the big game. Sometimes it was the winning basket at the buzzer in the championship game. Sometimes it was hitting a homerun with bases loaded, two out, behind by three and a 3 ball, two strike count. Other times it was breaking free for the winning touchdown.
There were several things that kept those dreams from becoming a reality. The major one is that while I love sports of all kinds, I’m really not very athletic! So no matter how much I’d like to make any of those achievements, it just wasn’t going to happen!
Sometimes we feel that way about our walk with Jesus. We get up in the morning feeling like we can tackle any challenge before us. Then we burn the toast, remember that we forgot to buy milk and find a flat tire on our car! Things tend to go downhill from there and at the end of the day we realize that our thoughts, actions and words haven’t made us the spiritual champion we hoped we would be.
To make matters worse, it seems like people who could care less about living for Jesus seem to be prosperous, happy, successful people. We look at others and wonder what we are doing wrong and if God even notices that we are doing our best.
Psalm 37 has good news for us. Even though it seems that people who are evil are winning, they aren’t. God doesn’t look on a person’s actions. He measures us by our heart, our desires, our yearning to follow Him.
I like the way the message phrases Psalm 37:23-24, “Stalwart walks in step with GOD; his path blazed by GOD, he’s happy. If he stumbles, he’s not down for long; GOD has a grip on his hand”
These verses remind me of a small child walking on ice. No matter how hard they try to walk, they will slip and fall. But, if a loving parent is holding their hand, even if they do fall, the fall will be temporary and relatively painless. Mom or dad will lift them back to their feet. That’s what Jesus does for us. We try to live for him. We fail by the words we speak or the thoughts we think. We do things we’ve promised ourselves we’ll never do (and do them again!). Still, because of His love, forgiveness and grace, He picks us up and helps us continue on our way.
There are three promises of God in these verses. First, God delights in our attempts at living for Him. Second, we will fail at times. Third (and I like this best), He’ll help us get back on our feet!
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I come to you today feeling like a complete failure. There are so many times I’ve tried to live for you. So many times I’ve tried to break the bad habits I’ve formed, said words I didn’t mean and had thoughts that are displeasing to you. Forgive me for my failures. Help me back to my feet so I can walk closely with you. Most of all, thank you for loving me so much! In Your name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 