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Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:4
It wasn’t enough to watch from heaven. Your car died. Your kids have just told you that they don’t believe in God. You just lost your job. You can’t sing in church anymore. It’s not that the music is bad. In fact you like the music. You just can’t sing the words anymore. They’ve become hollow syllables, empty letters, and meaningless chatter.
You’ve tried to get the feeling back. You’ve prayed. You think about reading the Bible every day. It’s hard to know if it’s your own failure that has driven you to this point, or if it’s the pain that others have inflicted on you. You’ve been scolded one too many times. You’ve been reminded once too often that you’ve failed.
“Is it worth another try?” you ask yourself as you lay on your back staring at the ceiling and hoping that sleep will come soon to give your mind some rest. The same situations keep replaying themselves over and over in your head. What if you’d made a different choice? What if he didn’t hit you that last time? What if you’d told her she couldn’t go to the party? What if…?
The loneliness and despair surround you like the darkness of your night. You hope sleep comes but fear the dawn because you know the problems will still be there and you aren’t sure where you will get the courage and strength to go one more day.
Then a still small voice comes from the dark corners of your troubled mind. It’s a verse…no a phrase really. You don’t remember where it’s from. It was part of a Sunday School lesson years ago. “I’ll never leave you or forsake you.” That was it, right. He’ll never leave. He promised to be with me…always.
As sleep finally begins to creep in the words keep reminding you, consoling you, healing you. It wasn’t enough for him to watch from heaven. It wasn’t enough for him to ‘understand’ your plight. He knew that the best way he could help you was to come to live with you.
Jesus has felt the pain of every broken relationship. He’s cried with you each time you’ve been lied to. He’s worked through the feelings you have had of failure even though he himself never failed.
That’s what grace is about. It’s about the son of God coming to earth to feel your pain. To endure your failures. To feel your loneliness. He did all of this because he loves you and desperately yearns for a relationship with you. Jesus is passionate about you! It wasn’t enough to watch with sympathy from heaven. Jesus loves you so much he came to earth to experience the pain you feel in life.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. I don’t understand how you, as the Son of God, can feel all the feelings I feel. I don’t understand how you can love someone like me who seems to find new ways to fail every day. I don’t understand it. But I like it! Thank you for understanding me. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for loving me so much that you came to earth to show me how to live in the midst of this struggle we call life. Amen.
LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells. Psalm 26:8
Shortly after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 there was a huge spike in church attendance. People that hadn’t been to church in years walked through the doors to heal, to comfort one another, to pray for our nation.
When the earthquake hit Haiti, the hurricanes hit New Orleans, the Tsunami hit Southeast Asia people sent food, money and teams to the affected areas to heal (emotionally and medically) comfort one another and provide housing or whatever else was needed to lift the survivors of these natural disasters to their feet again.
Throughout history the ravages of war and the pain of natural disasters has awakened in us the desire to help. Our hearts melt at the sight of starving orphans. Suddenly we find an extra $10.00 to send through our cell phone bill to help people we never have met.
What is it within us that drives those feelings of compassion and assistance? It’s the realization that we are needed and that we need each other. Deep inside each of us there is a desire to feel like the action you take, no matter how small, will somehow make a difference in the lives of others. Suddenly it doesn’t matter what social class you are in or what the color of your skin is. Sexual orientation isn’t as important as making sure a cardboard shack is replaced by suitable housing and clean water. Enemies set aside their differences at least long enough to meet the needs of those affected by the disaster.
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that success in meeting these challenges requires teamwork. One person going to Haiti would have accomplished nothing. One fireman going into the flaming towers would have been fruitless. One $10.00 gift to help the famine ravaged parts of the world would be a ridiculous attempt to help.
Why is it then that when it comes to Spiritual warfare we Christ-followers think we can wage battle alone? We divide ourselves according to denominational affiliation. We camp out on issues about how to worship or how and when to baptize. Some of us are so tired of the bickering that we give up on getting together with other Christ-followers all together. The statement, “I can be a Christian without going to church” is absolutely correct. You can also go to battle alone, but you won’t last long.
Before he went to the cross to die for you Jesus only asked his Father for one thing: UNITY. He knew that in order for us to live strong lives that withstand the forces of evil we would need each other. The body of Christ isn’t a building or a denomination or a set of rules. The body of Christ is a living organism that needs the nourishment of fellowshipping with each other to grow strong.
As Christ-followers we need to make sure that our ‘churches’ show the grace and love of our Lord Jesus to every person that enters our doors. We need to be an active part of our community by being a ‘church without walls’ and doing all we do in the name of Christ (not our church!).
We need each other. We need each other for our own physical, emotional and spiritual strength. The people around us need to see the love of Jesus by the things we do and say to draw them into relationship with the one who can comfort and heal for eternity.
PRAYER: Father, I love to come to your house to worship and learn from your word. I confess to you that often times I look more for what I can gain from the experience that what I can do for others and for you. Forgive me for selfishly looking for my own comfort at the expense of others. Empower me with your Spirit to begin today to make my church a place where all people feel welcome. I need you and they need me. In your name I pray, Amen.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18
Moses and the Israelites were trapped. Ahead of them lay the Red Sea. Behind them, the Egyptian army was closing in fast. It was a hopeless and fearful situation. The Bible says that they cried out to the Lord in their fear. The answer they got was (my paraphrase) “Why are you standing here crying and whining to me about such a small matter? Put your staff up, split the sea and cross! Then turn around and watch how I will deliver you.”
They did just that, and, as we know, the sea parted, the Israelites crossed, and the elite Egyptian army was destroyed! The prayers of God’s people were answered but only after THEY took action. Sometimes it’s not enough just to pray, we need to act.
If God is speaking to you about an enemy that you need to stop hating and start loving, don’t just pray about it, pray sincerely asking God to show you ways to mend the relationship. Then…DO SOMETHING! That something may just mean forgiving them and moving on. That something may mean doing some tangible act to mend the relationship. Sincere prayer often requires action on our part to see God act.
There are times, of course when God will provide answers without a physical action on our part, but even then we must be openly seeking guidance from our Father to know how to act. Do we wait, or is he giving us direction? The closer we are to him in relationship the easier it will be to discern his plan for our lives.
Many times, when Jesus healed someone it required some action on their part to be healed. For example, was there something magical in the mud that Jesus put on the blind man’s eyes so he could see? No, but the act of faith to go to the pool and wash was proof of his sincerity! Was Jesus’ robe ‘magic’ when the woman touched it? No. It was her act of faith the provided the avenue of Jesus’ power to heal her.
What are you seeking God for today? Have you come to him with a pure and sincere heart? Have you come believing that he is willing and able to save? Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and do something ‘spiritually risky’ in order to open and avenue for his power to flow through you?
When you come before your Heavenly Father with a sincere and pure heart he draws close to you as well. He crosses the room to meet you as you enter. He gives you his full attention. He may not give you the answer you were hoping for, but he always gives you the answer you need.
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many times I’ve prayed and felt like you didn’t answer. So many times my prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and fall harmlessly to the floor. Help me to pray with a sincere heart and a willingness to take any action that you may ask of me so that your power can flow freely through me. Forgive me for my doubt, rebellion and selfishness. Help me grow in relationship to you. In Jesus name, Amen.
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Revelation 3:11
Few of us will ever experience the excitement of winning a gold medal in the Olympics or having a Super Bowl ring of our very own. For most of us, our recognitions come on a far smaller scale. We were hall monitor in fifth grade once. We received a blue ribbon at the county fair for having the cutest puppy. But for a vast majority of us, that’s about it in the rewards department.
To this day, somewhere in the boxes in the attic there’s a crumpled up ribbon or a tattered certificate acknowledging the fact that we were hall monitor. And of course there’s the picture of the puppy that you have long ago forgotten the name of! Nothing more now than memories. Someday, when you are gone, those who come after you may hold on to these trinkets for short time, but eventually they’ll be part of some landfill somewhere.
Tucked away in the corner of your mind there may be other things you did. Things that to you anyway, seemed like quite an accomplishment, but went unrewarded, even unnoticed. You put his/her clothes in the hamper again…this time without mentioning it. You started the car early this morning so she wouldn’t have to get into a cold car. Ever noticed how many times you’ve given the kids a ride without so much as a thank-you?
We all feel unappreciated at times. We can feel like we do all this…stuff for people and it goes completely unnoticed. It doesn’t. There’s one who sees every act of kindness. One who applauds your every act of kindness and knows the motives behind your actions. Someday, you will be rewarded for all the things you did. The things you thought went unnoticed.
Jesus says, persevere. Keep going. Keep doing the things you do for the good of those around you. The medals and ribbons and accolades and trophies of today will soon fade away. But the rewards he has for you will last for eternity.
Looking for rewards here on earth can lead to anger, resentment and disappointment. It can rob us of our feelings of self worth, steal our confidence, and put a strain on our relationships at home and work and with our friends. That’s when the joy of our relationship with Jesus is buried in a pile of hurt feelings and despair.
Remember to do the things you do for Jesus. Whether it be picking up the dirty socks, or the unappreciative teenager. Even if it’s yielding the right of way at a four-way stop when it’s obviously your turn. Let all the things you do be done for Jesus. He never misses a thing you do and someday you will be rewarded! And this time, the reward will last for eternity!
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many times when I do things for others and feel completely forgotten. I feel like I have gifts, talents and abilities that can benefit others, but no one sees them or appreciates them. I’ve even given up on doing things for others and given up on myself. I ask that you would empower me to do the things I do for you, knowing that you see and appreciate every one of them. In your name I pray, Amen.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
When the Lord came to a young man named Gideon he wasn’t approaching someone who we’d see as ‘hero’ material. By his own admission he wasn’t someone who’d stand out in a crowd. No six-pack abs. No fancy car. No mile long resume describing all the people he’d saved. He was just a simple farmer from an obscure family.
In fact, when the angel of the Lord came to Gideon he was threshing wheat in a winepress so he could hide from the enemy! Hardly a sign of courage and valor. Certainly not the way you’d expect a national hero to act. We’d rather see our hero standing atop a hillside announcing to the enemy hidden among the rocks that he was going to thresh wheat as well as anyone who tried to interrupt him!
But, that wasn’t Gideon. At least that’s not the Gideon at the beginning of the story. But then God came along and changed everything. He told Gideon that he was going to be someone great. He, Gideon, was going to be a national hero. Gideon, like any of us, doubted God’s word. Some chastise Gideon for putting God through a series of tests to see if the message was truly of God. I don’t. I see the fleece idea Gideon had as a sign of cautious wisdom. “Okay God, if it’s you make the fleece wet and the ground dry.” [done!] “Okay, God, one more test. Make the fleece dry and the ground wet. [done again.]
From that point on, it doesn’t seem like Gideon has much doubt of his capabilities. Not with the God of peace at his side. Not when he tore down the idols of his neighbors. Not when God told him to whittle down his army to 32,000 to 300!
What was it that gave this simple farmer the courage to conquer his enemies? Peace. Not peace in his own abilities to get the job done. Peace in his God. Gideon learned that when a person has God at his side there doesn’t need to be any worry or fear. Even in the most overwhelming situation God will find a way of deliverance.
That’s grace. Grace says that even though I don’t deserve it, God will walk with me and give me the strength to overcome whatever is before me. Peace is the result of trusting in God’s power, not our own.
PRAYER: Father God, there are so many times when I struggle and fail. I worry about the future. I worry about my ability to overcome the stuff that lies ahead of me. Thank you that success in my life isn’t based on my ability, but on your power. Empower me by your Spirit to grow in relationship with Jesus so that I can experience the power you have for me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 