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No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalms 147:11
God loves when we can’t.
A young man came home from school one day full of anger, defeat and rejection. When his dad asked him what was wrong he shared, in tears, that he was about to be cut from his high school basketball team. He would be evaluated the next day and the coaches would decide.
His dad, a former coach himself, took him outside and played basketball with him for a couple hours. They talked. They laughed and in between times the father shared pointers on basketball…and life.
Later, as the son headed off to bed, the father put his arm around him and told him, “Son, tomorrow is a big day for you, but not the biggest challenge you’ll face in life. Know this, I don’t love you because of your basketball skills. I don’t love you because of your grades. I don’t love you because of your popularity. I love you because you are my child and nothing will ever change that.”
The next day, the son returned home in a good mood.
The father looked at him and said, “You must have made the team?”
“No,” the son replied, “But I know now that my value isn’t caught up in who I am, but in whose I am.”
And so it is in life. Don’t allow the expectations and circumstances that surround you to define you. Your worth isn’t in what you do, or your accomplishments or your status. God takes value in you because you are first and foremost of all made in his image. His love never fails.
Fearing the Lord isn’t being afraid of his judgment, fearing the Lord is being in awe of his love and grace.
Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud. Proverbs 16:19
It always amazes me when I hear about a celebrity of some sort that makes the news because of some tragedy. Drug abuse, poor financial decisions, physical abuse and robbery are just a few that come to mind.
What happens in the human mind that does that to a person. They have it all! Fame, power, money and a huge social media following, yet they throw it all away for what seem like momentary and insignificant enjoyment.
On the other hand you will hear of people of lesser means who spend their entire lives helping others, encouraging the weak, providing for others no better off than themselves.
Power and fame often lead to pride and pride destroys a person. The prideful person doesn’t always have a clear view of life. They see things from a perspective of invincibility.
The humble person sees life from a perspective of need. Pride drives us to always want more. Humility instills in us a feeling of contentment. Prideful people live a life of entitlement, humble people live a life of gratitude. Pride can put us in a mindset of always wanting more, humility reminds us we have all we need. Prideful people are often critical, humble people tend to o be more understanding.
Proverbs 16:19 has it right. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard successful people say their best years were the years of humility and poverty. Stop striving for what you don’t have, start giving from what you do have and you’ll find life is better.
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. Deuteronomy 31:8
One night I got a phone call from my father. He told me that my brother had been killed in a tragic accident. I was 600 miles from home. That call came over 40 years ago and I still remember the feeling today as though it were yesterday. He’d died too soon in my book. While I know I’ll see him again someday in heaven, it still hurts that I never got to say goodbye.
The more I travel this journey called life, the more I’m made aware of its uncertainty. My story is repeated thousands, perhaps millions of times throughout the day. Pain and discouragement can come from a variety of situations. Spouses served divorce papers. Doctors delivering bad news. Dad’s not returning home from work. Life is fragile.
The loss of a loved one through death is painful to be sure, perhaps the most painful thing many of us will go through. But sometimes I think the loss of someone emotionally is even more painful. We all know (and may have experienced) the pain of people we thought loved us suddenly leaving us.
Relationship is replaced by rejection. Support is replaced by criticism. Trust is replaced with finding out you’ve been attacked behind your back and thrown under the next bus.
Some friends of mine were foster parents for years to many children of various ages. Some stayed a day or two. Others stayed for a couple months. They ended up adopting one girl at the age of seven. They loved her as their own. Yet ten years later she robbed them and ran away, never to be heard from again.
For ten years they gave her their heart. The stealing of personal possessions hurt to be sure, but the pain of stealing their heart was far more painful.
Deuteronomy 31:8 gives us an amazing and comforting promise. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Here is reality. People will leave you one way or the other. Relationships will be broken. Deception will happen. Abandonment will attack your soul.
We have a Heavenly Father who promises to always love us. We have a Savior who calls us ‘friend’. We have access to the Spirit of God who promises to lead, guide and comfort us. Don’t allow the temporary attacks of fickle relationships detract from the everlasting love God has for you!
How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! Psalms 133:1
I love watching sports and will often cheer for the underdog, unless my team is playing of course. After a big game, sportscasters will often interview coaches and star players to get their take on the win.
In all the post-game shows I’ve watched, I’ve yet to hear a player say something like, “I’m amazing. You know, the guys all know they can’t win without me on their side. I’m truly a hero!”
The old cliché, ‘there is no I in team’ is true. Each person plays their part. In fact, sometimes the winning team may have less talent than the team they beat but pulled off the win because of tenacity and teamwork.
David begins Psalm 133 with praise for teamwork. He calls it harmony, but harmony is really about working together as a team, whether it be in a family, the workplace, the playing field or church. Harmony brings victory, division brings discord and defeat.
There are four things living in harmony can do for us. First of all, living in harmony shows strength in Solidarity. Harmony provides strength that becomes a source of hope for everyone involved. It helps us to believe that challenges can be overcome and goals and dreams can be achieved together.
Secondly, living in harmony distributes the weight of the burden and lightens the load. Shared responsibility makes the journey we are on easier to bear because we know we have mutual support.
The third thing living in harmony can offer us is connection. Harmony provides a source of encouragement and a sense of belonging. The bonds that form through harmony reinforce our sense of value. We realize we aren’t alone.
Lastly, living in harmony can be a source of inspiration an motivation. When we know we have a team behind us we can be motivated to perform above the level of our ability. We begin to believe in ourselves and each other.
The early Christian church was devoted to one another. They operated in harmony and changed the world. Think of ways you can join with others to make a difference for Jesus.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
Growing old physically is somewhat natural. We don’t have to think about it. It just happens. We can help it along of course with healthy habits, but we can’t stop the aging process.
Spiritual and emotional growth is different. Spiritual and emotional growth is often a matter of choice. We all know the stories of those who have gone through adversity, rejection, and disaster. Some have lived the rest of their lives as victims. Their bodies may have healed. Their situation may have improved, but they remain a slave to the effects of the situation that wounded them.
Others seem to take the negative and turn it into a positive; to take the problem and see the possibilities. Their attitude isn’t affected by the attacks. The hardest attacks to endure are the attacks others level against you. The words they speak echo in our minds even though facts prove them wrong. The expectations they have of you are unrealistic and perhaps not even verbalized until it’s too late.
What’s the difference in being a victim and being victorious? For the believer in Jesus it’s a matter of choice. We choose to listen to what God says about us, not the critical voices. We choose to evaluate our actions according to what the Holy Spirit tells us about ourselves.
While our bodies may grow weary, with Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, our outlook on life is constantly refreshed. It’s his Spirit within us that gives us the strength to move forward when our bodies and mind say to stop.
Never give up. Compare the accusations you may be going through to what the word of God says. Be open to the need to improve, but close your mind to human fickleness. Remember, every day is a new day. Every ‘problem’ is a possibility. Every attack is an opportunity to validate who you are in Jesus. Be refreshed. It’s a new day!
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 