Week Thirty - Treasures in Darkness

Let's look today at Isaiah 45:2-3. It reads, "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel."

This was one of the verses I claimed when the dark night of the soul had me in its grip. My depression was almost tangible as I sat in fear wondering: What was going to happen to me? Where would I find release? Where could I place my hope? How long would this last? These unanswerable questions haunted my soul. Only God's Word could reach me, and even then, it often took a huge amount of blind faith to come to any rest.

This was the first place where I began noticing the I Will statements in the Bible. We've talked many times about David's I Wills - I will praise, I will sing, I will trust - but here in Isaiah, the I wills are promises directly from God. He says:

I will go before thee.
I will make crooked places straight.
I will break the gates of brass.
I will cut the bars of iron.
I will give you treasures in darkness.
I will give you hidden riches in secret places.

Treasures in darkness? Hidden riches in secret places? All the darkness I was experiencing held treasure? It seemed hard to believe back then, but today I can attest to the truth of this promise. Had I never experienced the darkness and the secret places, my walk with God would not be as close or as sweet as it is today. The depth of my relationship with God was hollowed out during those dark times. He went with me. He did make crooked places straight, and He did release me from the gates of brass and bars of iron. And He did it in His time - the time when He knew I had come to understand the value of my valley journey.

True riches and treasures are not those that shine openly, but those hidden in the soul: personal fellowship and intimate encounters with the God who knows our name. They are that calm assurance that comes when the soul rests in the Word and confidence built by knowing God is sovereign, loving, and wise. 

God's promises aren't reserved for the treasures that come after the darkness; they are also treasures IN darkness. When God's Word comes alive in your heart, when light shines into your soul, when you see Him at work on your behalf, these, too, are treasures of darkness. They shine, pointing us to continued hope on our journey.

So if you are walking in the shadows, remember there cannot be a shadow without light, and God is that light. He will keep His promises, and in His time, you will know the treasures of darkness, too. So lift your face toward Him, keep going, and trust that He is right beside you.

Week Twenty-Nine - Little Graces

We made it! Our Wednesday flight was delayed by an hour and a half, which meant we did not make the planned overseas flight out of Atlanta. But there were little graces planted throughout the trip. 

Grace One - they check all our bags straight through to Birmingham, UK, no extra charge, so all we had to deal with was our backpacks.

Grace Two - I overheard the attendant reserving a seat for another passenger in a similar situation, so I went up to check on our flight before we boarded and got the same assurance. We would be on the 10:41 flight Wednesday night, and when we got to Atlanta, they would sort the passes. So we boarded feeling assured.

Grace Three - Upon arrival in Atlanta, Tom was met with wheelchair assistance: something Miss Mary had advised due to the original anticipated short layover, but something we thought had been lost because of the changes. This little grace not only meant Tom didn't have to walk so far and so fast.

Grace Four - our little pusher girl knew where to take us to get the boarding passes for the next flight and she took us straight to the gate. 

Grace Five - We were booked to be seated on opposite sides of the plane, so I went to the attendant again, and he moved us to seats together for the long flight. 

Grace Six - Tom was met again in Amsterdam with a wheelchair and then boarded onto an electric trolley (and I rode too), which again took us straight to the gate for our final flight, Grace Seven -which had changed with no warning, but our driver knew. 

Grace Eight - We didn't have that panicked married-couple discussion about where to go or what to do next! We just knew God was taking care of us. 

Grace Nine - a wheelchair took us straight to customs and through immigration with no waiting, and then to the luggage carousel. Tom loved that! We assured the young man that we could take it from here and waited for our luggage, but it did not arrive. So after filling out the forms for lost luggage, we called for our pickup man. 

Grace Ten - We anticipated Bro McHenry arriving to collect us in our car, but he came in his, which would not have held all our luggage. (God knew!) 

We settled back for a nice drive home - he took the scenic route - and we got home about 24 hours after we had begun our journey in Springfield, knowing the grace of God had gone before us. 

Looking for graces in the midst of testing and turmoil is a valuable skill that helps you obey Scripture and keep your heart calm. 

"In everything give thanks" 1 Thessalonians 5:18. I'm thankful for the three extra days with my friend, and thankful for those wheelchairs! 

God's hand was all over last week, and His hand continues to grace us with blessings. "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits" Psalm 68:19.

Oh, and the luggage was delivered the next day - Grace Eleven!

Week Twenty-Eight - Stuck

I thought I'd be writing this blog in the air. We were to fly back to the UK on Monday, but our flight was canceled. We thought we would fly on Tuesday but arrived to find another cancellation. Now, I anticipate flying this afternoon. Time will tell. 

Meanwhile, we are stuck in the Ozarks. And that's not a bad thing. It has afforded time to spend with my precious friend, Mary. She is providing room, board, transport, and sweet fellowship while we wait and enjoy the Lord's gift of time together.

I used to grow anxious when life stuck me in uncomfortable or unexpected spots. Like when I felt my little ones would never grow up and I was stuck as a young mother. Or when we were so poor we lived on hot dogs and pot pies. Or when I found myself begging for showers of blessing instead of appreciating each little drop of mercy falling around me. These places felt like they would never go away, like I'd never find release. But I've learned they are only seasons of time, each with its own challenges and lessons, helping me grow less anxious over time.

Are you stuck in a spot today? Does it seem the Lord has every door closed? Is every day dark? Every situation confining? That's not necessarily a bad thing. This is a tiny portion of life, a moment of time designed by God. It has a purpose, and your acceptance or rejection of it reveals your faith and often determines how long you remain stuck.

You can scream and cry, pout and feel sorry for yourself, shout in anger, and raise your fist, but that won't change anything. You are still grounded!

Or, you can look at the mercy drops around you and yield your spirit to the Word - your "times are in God's hand." The ebb and flow of life are in His control, and He "waters every moment." He knows exactly where you are and why. You aren't stuck - you are in a holding pattern.

The children do grow up, and you become a grandmother. You move on from hot dogs to steak, and the showers of blessing are an accumulation of little mercy drops that water your way to joy. So enjoy the stuck spot - it's God's doing. 

Take time to rest and appreciate where you are. Get in and learn the lesson designed for you, and let your faith grow. And when you get unstuck, remember to move forward with thankfulness and joy.

Hopefully, I'll write to you next week from over the pond and share the joy of my little stuck spot.

Week Twenty-Seven - Unmovable

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, it makes a good time to reflect on what made it great in the first place. She consists of a melting pot of people, a mix of cultures, and a variety of political persuasions. This was true from the beginning. 

As the founding fathers debated and scrutinized the guiding documents, they had one main point upon which they agreed: the nation would be built upon faith in God. This standard would be the guiding light for America.

In Psalm 62, David makes a corollary point. "I shall not be moved" (Psalm 62:6). This is a psalm of confidence. With men's vanity on one side and their deceit on the other, David positions himself squarely on God. He only is his rock and defence. With God by his side, David declares he shall not be moved. "Power," he says, "belongeth unto God." So, he places his full trust there.

Our world, just as David's, is full of vanity and deceit. Voices cry out, calling us to one side or the other, yet they sway back and forth like "a bowing wall" or a "tottering fence" (Psalm 62:3). These are not the voices that lead us to stability, nor are they the voices to which we should yield.

In Psalm 60:11 and 108:12, David says, "Vain is the help of men." Therefore, if we desire a stable life, our trust must be fully placed in God alone. He must be our source for all things - wisdom, direction, fulfillment, joy, comfort, assurance, peace, etc. "He only," David says. (Psalm 62:2, 6) Only He is our rock and defense.

If you are looking for anything other than God to meet your need, you are looking in the wrong place. If you are expecting any man or politician to correct the woes of our land or lead us into peace, you are trusting in an uncertain expectation. Only God can do these things. He puts up kings and takes them down. "Vain is the help of men," but "with God all things are possible."

Look again at these truths that made David unmovable. God only was his rock, defence, and salvation. All power belongs to God. And, as David closes the psalm, "Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy; for thou renderest to every man according to his work" (Psalm 62:12).

When we take hold of absolute truth in God's sovereignty and power and make ourselves accountable to it, we, too, will remain unmovable. This must be the standard and guiding light of our individual lives as well as of our country.

So as you celebrate this weekend, focus your thanksgiving, praise, and joy on God—the God in whom we trust—and pray that we remain unmovable in our faith.

Week Twenty-Six - Overwhelmed

Sometimes life seems like too much, doesn't it? If you are a young mother, you know the constant demands of parenting that drive you to exhaustion. If you are experiencing health issues, you know fear and doubt as you go from appointment to appointment and prognosis to prognosis with no end in sight. If you are facing financial strain, you know how it feels to receive yet another bill or unexpected expense that threatens to drive you to bankruptcy. There are so many things in life that overwhelm us.

In Psalm 61, David writes about his heart being overwhelmed. I think we'd all probably feel the same if we had spent years running and hiding from an enemy trying to kill us, trusted friends turning against us, and our children betraying us. His feeling of overwhelm was justified, but he didn't stay there. He says, "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

He knew he had another resource - the same resource available to us, the rock, shelter, and strong tower that takes our overwhelm and replaces it with quietness and rest.

David's reaction bears notice. When he is overwhelmed, he looks for help outside himself, help that is higher. He doesn't go into recluse mode, anger, fear, or a deep depression. He looks up for spiritual strength that only comes by a closer walk with God - the Rock.

We see David making three more choices. He says, "I will abide, I will trust, and I will sing praise" (vv. 4, 8). He makes a conscious choice not to dwell long on the overwhelming situation but to shift his thoughts and responses toward God's ability, adjusting his own reaction. This positions him for hope.

He chooses:

To abide - he focuses his thoughts and judges his steps, making sure he is obedient to God’s Word.
To trust -  he looks beyond the circumstance to a God who is fully able to conquer every circumstance.
To sing - he allows his heart and soul to sing and worship the Rock that is higher, to lift his voice up to God.

And then he says, "that I may daily perform my vows" (v. 8). He makes a conscious decision to continue his daily tasks and remain faithful to his life's calling. He isn't pulling himself up by his bootstraps but choosing to move forward; all the while trusting, abiding, and singing praise as he leans on the higher Rock. His circumstances may not have changed, but his attitude and focus have. His overwhelm subsides as he places his thoughts and understanding on higher things. 

So today, if overwhelm nips at your heels or even if you are deep in its throes, look up. God is above all these things. He sees you. Put your thoughts and "I wills" solely upon Him and let your heart sing. Then, pick up your task and keep going. God hears you and sees your need. His strength is available - tap into it.

Week Twenty-Five - No, Not One

 

"No, not one," God's Word says. Not one does good. Not one accepts the fact that God is always watching, so they act in evil and corrupt ways. Not one seeks Him or even considers Him in decisions or actions. Therefore, God is against them. That is the bleak message of Psalm 53.

As I joined the Lord for my devotions, I wasn't expecting such a harsh psalm. I was looking for comfort after receiving troubling news the previous evening. The enemy is attacking my grandchildren, tempting them to follow the world and accept ungodly ways. I watch my children trying to wisely navigate parenting in a world that screams against God and lives like Psalm 53. 

All around us, and ever more evident every day, are people whose eyes are blinded, and hearts are hardened to truth and the ways of God. They cannot see Him, so they live without Him and mock those who stand for righteousness. The book of Romans reveals that the knowledge of impending judgment is in their heart, but they ignore it and "not only do the same (live and act in evil) but have pleasure in them that do them." They love to sin and drag others along. God's Word tells us they are under condemnation and that not one will escape God.

Such is the world in which we live. So, what are we to do? What should be our response? As I prayed for my grandchildren's protection and for truth to reign in their hearts, God gave me three things to do.

1) Do not join in their ways. As children of God, we are to live differently - not oddly, but with a purity and consideration that honors God as we walk in light and exhibit His love to those who ignore Him. Their ways should not be our ways.

2) Pray for the light of God's Word to open their eyes and soften their hearts. Who else will pray for them unless God's children do? Jesus had compassion on them; how could we do less? 

3) Stand as a beacon and ambassador ready to rescue those who come to Him. Jude 23 says, "others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." How can they be saved unless we are willing to put forth a hand to receive them? These are those for whom Christ died; it is our job to be His witness and point them to Him. We can't do that if our light is hidden, our hearts are cold against them, and the door is closed.

So as I pray for God's protection and direction over my grandchildren, I will also pray that those living around them see Christ and come to Him.

He is "not willing that any (no, not one) should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). 

Week Twenty-Four - Hold Yourself Accountable

Citizenship, along with the responsibility and accountability it holds, is a rare yet valuable commodity these days. We say that we expect moral and honest leadership from those to whom we entrust our government, but sadly, these qualities seem to be missing in so many. 

We should not be too quick to condemn politicians when we ourselves often fail in the same qualities. We speed, fudge on our taxes, litter, gossip, and think no one should say anything to us about it. But good citizenship requires us to hold ourselves accountable for how we live, how we respect the laws of the land, and how we treat other people.

Citizenship, as defined by Google, "is the legal relationship between an individual and a state, granting the person specific rights, such as voting and legal protection, in exchange for duties, like obeying laws and paying taxes.  It also refers to membership and active participation in any community."

I see citizenship as a privilege. It means I have an invested interest in my community, a voice, and a part in what happens to the whole.

As I was reading Psalm 50, I noticed a stark description of citizenship gone awry and leadership that did not hold itself accountable. From verses 16-22, God's Word describes it this way: they hate and ignore God's Word and instruction. They allow theft and adultery to go unpunished, even taking part in it. Their mouths are full of evil and deceit. They sit and speak against other citizens, even slandering each other. Then, God warns them that He sees and hears their deeds, and they will not go unpunished.

Good citizenship means we, too, address such issues because the leadership we put in place reflects who we are as a people. What a sad state of affairs when we devalue our citizenship by not participating in voting and maintaining the laws of our land. But I'm not trying to make a political statement. I'm trying to call us to individual accountability, for that is what will make the difference.

God closes this psalm with exactly the same call for accountability when He says, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God."

We are to order our conversation. It isn't simply our words, but every area of our lives. We are to live by order - the order of God's Word. And to do so "aright" means we hold ourselves accountable for our words and actions. We aren't two-faced or hypocritical. We don't speak evil or slander others. We don't have secret sins. We don't ignore God's Word, but rather, we use it to judge ourselves and keep our lives clean and acceptable before God and man.

When every citizen does his or her part in living aright, things around us will shape up. We may hold different political views, but we can all live under God's law - "for against such there is no law." And what does God's law require of a citizen? Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are a few things. (Galatians 5:22-23) And Micah 6:8 gives this instruction, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

These are some of the qualities of good citizenship, and they are things to which we must hold ourselves accountable. Let's rise to the challenge!