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Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. Psalm 27:10 (NLT)
There lies in the heart of each of us a desire to be loved and to be wanted. That inner confidence that we know we are needed and that if we were gone, someone would miss us. The peace of knowing someone cares and that when everyone else turns their back on us, there is at least one person we can turn to for a heartfelt hug, a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear.
For many of people that’s what family is for. Family is that one foundation, that one cornerstone that throughout history has proven itself to be the most consistent, reliable and faithful place to find love, acceptance and understanding.
Friends move or find other interests. Marriages, some of which have lasted almost half a century, end in divorce and send children of any age reeling and seeking answers. Illnesses, emotional distress, financial ruin, greed all take their toll. But family is always supposed to be there for us.
In David’s Psalm of praise (Psalm 27) he recounts the many ways that God can be trusted and praised. Friends can fail us. We have adversaries that seek our demise. Brothers can turn on you and tell you how embarrassed they are to have you as a sibling. Sometimes even parents can turn their backs on you when you don’t meet up to their own lofty expectations.
But God is there. Have you ever been in a crowd of people you know and still feel lonely? Have you ever reached out for someone to talk to and found everyone too busy to really listen? Have you ever made a decision that was so repulsive that even your family excludes you from their circle?
Know this. Your Heavenly Father hears your cries in the night even when it seems your prayers don’t go past the ceiling. During those lonely times He feels the same knot in your stomach. His heart sinks when He sees how you are treated. No one. Not friends, family, your lover, no one understands like Jesus. He is your friend in the midst of the darkest hour.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. There are times in my life when I’m so full of loneliness and despair that I’m not sure I can go on. No one seems to understand me or listen to me or care if I’m even around. There are times I confess I don’t even think you care. Help me this day to know that you love me with all the scars, with all the bruises, with all the issues that pull me down. I love you. Help me to feel your love. Amen.
So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Genesis 39:20-21 (NLT)
It’s the rallying cry of men and women, boys and girls from almost the time they can first utter words. “It’s not Fair!” You hear it in the voice of a two-year old when they want a certain toy, ice cream for breakfast or are unable to play in the middle of a busy street. You hear it from a teen-ager when the curfew is too early, homework is required to be done, and any rules are expected to be followed. You even hear it from Olympic athletes who are told that they are only second best in the world this time around, not first. You hear it when God doesn’t answer prayers in the time and fashion we desire.
Sometimes it seems like the events of life and the people around us are all stacked against us. We feel like even God Himself just “Isn’t that into us.” We read stories of how this person picked them up from failure to succeed, or how that prayer was answered miraculously by God, or families on the verge of breakup are saved, and we wonder, “What about me?”
The life of Joseph is a good example of someone whose life was anything but fair. He felt the rejection of family when his brothers sold him into slavery. He was wrongfully accused of rape and thrown into prison. Once there, he befriended a couple guys who said they’d speak up for him, but forgot.
It couldn’t have been easy for Joseph. There must have been many times when he could have grown bitter or angry at God or at the many people around him who let him down. But Joseph didn’t do that. Even in prison he was seen by the warden as being a man of character. The skills he learned while in captivity helped him later in life to be one the greatest leaders Egypt ever knew.
It’s hard to admit, but many times when life seems unfair, and we get angry or bitter, it’s because whatever the ‘unfairness’ is makes us feel bad about ourselves. We feel like failures. True, Godly character is seen in a person by how they react when the circumstances of their life are not fair.
When we realize who we are in Jesus the attacks of the enemy don’t affect us as easily. We can rise to the challenge and use the unfair events of life as stepping stones for later success. Starting today, look for ways to allow God to use you in whatever life is throwing at you. Trust Him to take care of the inequities you are being subjected to. Let Him direct your actions to change your world.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, right now there are so many things in life that are making me angry and keeping me from experiencing all you have for me in life. Please forgive me for the anger I have towards you and others. Empower me to use this trying time in my life to show others the great and loving God you are. Give me wisdom t know how to act with Godly Character like Joseph did. Amen.
That same night the LORD said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” Judges 6:25-26
Gideon was chosen by God to do mighty things for the people of Israel. God’s people were under constant attack from enemies that surrounded them. From time to time He chose common, ordinary, unsuspecting people to do courageous, heroic, acts of deliverance for his people. Often these people were not only unsuspecting but somewhat unwilling to do the task prepared for them.
Perhaps no one was more hesitant than Gideon. When he received God’s word that he was the new go-to guy for Israel’s deliverance he balked at the idea. He wasn’t strong enough, powerful enough or wise enough to be a hero. Besides, from Gideon’s perspective, his family tree was a mess. The backyard at home was strewn idols and altars to false gods.
God saw things differently that Gideon. Gideon measured the possibility of success according to his strength. God measured success by God’s ability and willingness to use Gideon for the purposes He had ordained. God did not wait for Gideon to become a spiritual role model. He didn’t choose him because of his standing among his people. God told him to simply “go in the strength you have”. He refused to let Gideon’s heritage be an excuse for God’s ability to use him in a mighty way. Gideon went on to lead the people of Israel to great victories over their enemies.
People still use the same excuse Gideon used when approaching life. We base our success ratio on the heritage handed down to us from our parents or those in our family tree. We measure our dreams according to ‘the cards we’ve had dealt to us’ without adding the ‘God factor.’ The only ones that should be tied to the family tree are monkeys. They were born there and will spend their entire lives there.
The mistakes, abuse and poverty of our youth should not keep us from living up to the potential we have through Christ. He isn’t interested in our past. He is only interested in how he can use us for his glory in the future. God can use us even if we are unsure, outnumbered or weak. He alone is our strength and our deliverer.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the fact that You can use me no matter how strong or weak I may feel. I thank you for Jesus and His forgiveness. Like Gideon, I have some idols in my yard, things that keep me from pursuing you. Please forgive me for not believing. Empower me through your Holy Spirit to remove those idols so that you can work through me in mighty ways. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 