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And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 (NLT)
“‘In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Benjamin Franklin (1789)
Funny how these words penned so long ago still ring true today. Maybe it’s not really so funny if you think about it. Nor really much to look forward to, is it? Unless you have your head in the sand, you, like the rest of us, have this uneasy feeling in the bottom of your stomach.
Perhaps you are going through some personal issue with your relationships, your job, your kids or your finances. Maybe your health isn’t what it used to be. Maybe you are looking back on life and wondering how you got where you are, and why you haven’t accomplished what you hoped to do.
It’s not hard to get discouraged with the way things are. Politically and economically the world seems on the brink of disaster. If that weren’t enough, if war or bankruptcy doesn’t get us, natural disasters and new disease outbreaks will!
Part of the problem we all have is that we see just a small slice of the pie, a tiny square of the jig-saw puzzle of life. Wouldn’t it be great if we could back up and get an eagle-eye view of the landscape of this journey we are on? To be able to get high enough to see what is on the other side of that mountainous obstacle that seems to be sapping your strength?
There are many reasons why that’s not possible. The obvious one is that we are finite beings only capable of understanding a small part of the dimension we are in. Looking beyond that would just be too much to take in.
The good news we need to be reminded of (constantly?) is that we have someone who sees the final curtain. He has the whole thing planned and when it’s done we’ll give him (and us) a standing ovation for making it through!
One of my best friends is a drama director at our local high school. I’ve watched him direct plays for years and have been involved in some community productions with him as well. It never ceases to amaze me how he puts certain changes in the script to match the cast and situation. There have been times I’ve thought he was crazy, only to watch the play in its finality and realize everything worked out just right.
When life seems to be out of control, remember this. We are not in a play where all the actors and actresses are going their own way, doing their own thing, using their own script and ideas to accomplish a stunning and understandable end!
Life is a play of sorts in which we have a small part to play. Our director has each scene precisely choreographed for a stunning and grand finale in which we will meet him face to face.
Paul says ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER, not just a few. Our part? Love God. Trust God. Do the work of grace, mercy and forgiveness.
PRAYER: Father God. Great Director. Even though I question and worry about what is going on around me, help me to remember that my part may be small, but you have assured me it will work exactly according to plan. Amen.
You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your care you watched over my life. Job 10:12
Ever said to yourself, “I wish God would just send me an email or text message and tell me what to do!”?
Some of our texts would go something like this: “So, how can I tell my mom and dad I’m [pregnant; gay; dropping out of school]” or “Where should I apply for a job?” or “What is going to happen with this relationship? Should I pursue it, or leave it alone?” or “I’m going to the doctor in an hour, can you heal me before I go? If not, what’s the report going to say about my cancer?” or “The bank just called, God. The house is being foreclosed on. Can you tell me what to do next?”
The list goes on and on of the questions that come across our minds. Questions about how we should act/react, searching for guidance, advice, direction, and information on how to trust God more, or make him more a part of your life. The God we believe in is not only loving, gracious and merciful, he’s mysterious. Sometimes our pursuit of him and of the best way to travel this journey we call life seems to find one detour and/or dead end after another.
Look at the life of Job. A man steeped in wisdom and understanding. A worshipper of the true God. A man of great wealth and generosity to the community and his family. Yet in spite of all the good things he had going for him, financial, physical and relational attack landed him in a pile of ashes and scraping open sores with a broken bowl. Even Job’s so-called friends could offer no comfort or no answers.
Yet in the midst of his agony Job gives this stirring testimony of God’s presence and love in his life. He says [my paraphrase] “I wish you’d talk to me and tell me why all this stuff is happening to me. I’ve lost my kids, I’ve lost my wealth, my wife has lost faith in you and me, and these great friends of mine keep telling me to suck it up because if I hadn’t sinned this wouldn’t be happening. I know better God. I’ve seen in my walk with you that you are a great and compassionate God who has watched over me all my life.”
That’s real faith! Faith says that even though God seems a million miles away from me and my situation, I know I can trust Him to see me through. You see, no one who has ever sought grace and forgiveness has ever been denied. No one who has called out to Jesus in true repentance and faith has been ignored.
Remember Lazarus who lay on his death bed, looking down the street for his friend Jesus to come. He knew healing was in reach but it never came…until after he died. Think of the woman caught in adultery. Guilty? Yes. Ready to be stoned? You bet. But one by one her accusers left because of Jesus. Think of the thief on the cross. Moments from death and eternity in hell, yet in his last gasp he calls on Jesus and is ushered into eternal life with the Messiah.
Need a message from God? Look to his son Jesus for compassion and strength. Remind yourself of the great promises he gave you in his love letter we call the Bible. In your deepest need don’t forget that he is with you and waits to deliver you from whatever is keeping you from seeing his face.
PRAYER: Father God. Even though I believe in you and your Son Jesus, I confess that I often wonder where you are in the struggles of my life. Forgive me for the doubt. Remind me of the great promises you’ve given. Empower me to live in the grace only you can give. In Jesus name, Amen.
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:15-17
Imagine I gave you a gift and told you it was a jig-saw puzzle and I wanted you to put it together. You unwrap the gift and find nothing but a plain brown box. Inside are several hundred (by your guess anyway) small pieces of weirdly shaped puzzle pieces. No doubt your first question would be, ‘Where’s the picture?’ My response would be, ‘Oh, there’s no picture. Just work at it awhile. It will come to you.’
I’d then go on to tell you that I have no idea how many pieces are in the puzzle or what the picture will be when you get finished. BUT, you must do the puzzle and each piece must fit exactly right or it won’t work.
Even if you were a master puzzle assembler, the task would be immense and frustrating. Most of us have a hard time putting together puzzles even if we have the picture and I would guess a fairly large number of puzzles are never finished do to lost pieces or lost interest.
One day Jesus had just finished washing the feet of His disciples. This was an act of huge humility, especially for a respected teacher such as Jesus. The washing of the feet was the dirtiest and lowest of all jobs during Jesus’ time.
He dried his hands with the towel around His waste and looked at His disciples. All of them with clean feet and, no doubt, confused looks on their faces. None of them that day sensed the significance of the act just performed.
I’d like to make an analogy that may be a bit of a stretch, but bear with me. In a sense Jesus said this to His disciples. “Life is like a jig-saw puzzle with thousands of pieces, each designed to fit perfectly together. I’m the picture on the box. If you look at me and all the things I’ve done with you, the pieces will fit together perfectly. It won’t be an easy task. Life is made up of many little pieces that come together to make a complete picture. I have your picture all completed. The pieces are there. You must find how they fit together. I’ll send my Holy Spirit to help you, but the responsibility is yours to put them together.”
Too many times we look at the big picture and try to get there without putting in place all the little things that make life complete. Too many times we struggle to find pieces that will interlock without looking at the picture that Jesus has for us.
Jesus didn’t give us rules to follow for that would be nothing more than religion and people had enough of religion in His day. He gave principles of living because relationships aren’t built on rules, they are built on principles, on love.
My silly little analogy of life falls short in one way. Remember the gift I gave you? Theoretically, if you tried hard enough and had a mind for puzzles and unlimited time, you could assemble that puzzle. Without Jesus as our example, the pieces of life will never fit together perfectly. Oh, people have tried through out time. They’ve tried science, they’ve tried social awareness, they’ve tried ‘new, improved, people friendly religions’, but all those things are like putting a puzzle together with a hammer. If you hit hard enough the pieces will fit together to form….’something’. Maybe even something that looks half-way acceptable. But nothing can match the picture Jesus has in mind for the puzzle pieces He’s given you. Follow His example in making your live complete.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, sometimes life is as confusing as a puzzle with no picture. Seems I’ve spent my life trying to make pieces fit together that have no business fitting where I’ve put them. Forgive me for not looking to you. Empower me with your Spirit to see how to put my life together in the way you want. In Your name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 