Week Thirty-Four - Where Are You Headed?

A common question when meeting new people is, "Where did you come from?" The answer can be very telling because we tend to emulate our background through our accent, food preferences, and even our worldview.

For example, I don't have to talk long here in England before they know I'm not native to the island. Nearly always, they pin me as American or Canadian. 

Next, they ask where I am from, and most of them have never heard of my little hometown of Marshfield, Missouri. Some don't even know where Missouri is, so I mention Kansas City and St. Louis, and they nod like they understand. Then, they will ask why I am here. That gives me a good chance to speak for the Lord. 

This all helps to give context and open conversation, but as I was reading Psalm 87, I thought of a better question. Before I give it to you, this little Psalm is one of the songs for the sons of Korah. It is short and a bit hard to understand, but it is basically a psalm about Zion. Verse two reads, "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob."

Zion originally referred to a specific hill - the Temple Mount - but it became a poetic name for Jerusalem. It is also sometimes used for the whole land of Israel. The psalm sings that to have been born there, to be a citizen of Zion, is a great blessing. It appears to be the hometown of the psalmist. This psalm would have been sung as a foregoing psalm, one they sang as they journeyed to Jerusalem for special days.

So the better question would be not, "Where did you come from?" but "Where are you going?"

Oh, friend, where we came from matters little compared to where we are heading. The city of God is our destination, the city where glorious things are spoken and the love of God abides, where our Saviour awaits, and our mansion stands ready. Where we are headed is what really matters, and it determines so much about how we walk and what we expect. 

In our Wednesday night Bible study, Bro. McHenry expounded on 1 John 3:1-3, noting the deep love of our Father, the privilege of being called sons, and the hope we have of being like Him, with all sin and pain gone from our lives. That is where we are heading. Verse three makes this point, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 

We have the hope of meeting our Lord in the heavenly Zion, so preparedness must be our focus. 

Just as the pilgrims journeyed toward Jerusalem for the feast days, they sang songs, cleansed themselves, and prepared for the sacrifices; we, too, have a forward expectation and reason for rejoicing.

Let's not focus on where we came from, but turn our eyes to where we are going and be ready to enter the city the Lord loves and has prepared for us- Zion, the city of our God!

Week Thirty-Three - The Enemy of Jehovah

Psalm 83 is one of those "kill 'em, Lord" psalms, psalms where the writer is asking God to annihilate the enemy with the harshest of means. 

Asaph cries out for God not to be silent, not to hold His peace, because the enemy is lifting his head against Jehovah. By crafty counsel, the enemy seeks to remove Israel until it is remembered no more. They have joined forces with enemies of old, and even distant relatives, who desire to take the house of God.

Asaph pours out instruction for God to make them like stubble, burn them like wood or wild fires on the mountain, to persecute them by the tempest and frighten them by storms until their faces are ashamed. He's serious about their removal.

Then, Asaph makes two merciful requests. 

1. That they might seek God's face (vs 16).
2. That they might honor Jehovah as supreme (vs 18).

So, Asaph's prayer has two parts. First, he prays that the enemy would be stopped.

Many of us are praying similar prayers today. The enemy of Jehovah is raging. Fear does grip our hearts, and we may feel helpless to calm the situation, but prayer is never wasted. We know the prayers of God's people will be answered. They rise to Heaven with a special scent when God's people are persecuted.  So keep praying for God to intervene.

Then, Asaph inserts the two merciful requests - 1. That they might seek God's face and, 2. That they would recognize God as supreme.

Our prayers, like those of Asaph, can get focused on praying that the enemy would be thwarted because we want the fear and struggle to stop. But equally important is this second point - that they would seek God and recognize Him as supreme. And how would they?

God may reveal Himself to them in power, or even through dreams, as we read in the Bible. He may use the testimonies of God's people, but most often, He is revealed through our reaction to persecution and by answer to our prayers. 

Think about this in light of your prayer life. Are you praying for the enemy to seek and see God as sincerely and urgently as you are praying for them to be removed? Would God's mercy and Holy Spirit conviction channel to them through your behavior toward your enemy?

Those who oppose God are out there, and as much as we should resist them through prayer and legal means, we should equally be praying for God to intervene in their lives. Why? Because God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) to all who call upon Him. (Romans 10:12). He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9) - not even our enemies.

Week Thirty-One - Not Set Aright

I was a rebellious teenager. I won't go into great detail, but suffice it to say I was a grief of mind to my parents and wound up being a grief of mind to myself in the end. Had the Lord not stepped into my life, I'm sure I would have continued down the path to my own destruction.

I was reading Psalm 78 today, and the writer, Asaph, states that the hearts of the children of Israel were not set aright. They were rebellious. He recounts their failings before God, saying they refused, forgot, spoke again, believed not, lied unto him, turned back, tempted, provoked, dealt unfaithfully, and limited God. Sounds like a rebellious heart to me.

But God? He continued leading them safely to the Promised Land, forgave, was compassionate, remembered they were only flesh, showed His strength, provided flesh and water for them, and in verse 72 we read, "fed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands."

When our hearts are not set aright, we rebel, biting even the hand that feeds us. Thinking we have the right to complain about our situation, we act like Israel and forget God. But He never forgets us. Even in our rebellion, He works to draw us home through kind compassion and just punishments. He is a faithful Father who works with His children through love and integrity.

Rebellion is stubbornness. It is saying you are right and must have things done your way. There seems to be no place in the rebellious heart for obedience unless it is profitable to the desired outcome. No amount of lying, deceit, or conniving is beyond the use of the rebellious heart. And when caught, more lies and more deceit are used in an attempt to cover guilt. It is a vicious circle that leads to a hardness of heart; a heart not set aright. And rebellion isn't reserved for teenagers!

But when God enters, when His compassion and love shine, the hardness melts away, and the first part of this long chapter becomes the new reality. People whose hearts are set aright are described this way - they hear the words of God, wisdom proceeds from their mouths, they care for the next generation, teaching them the ways of God and uplifting Him because of "the wonderful works that he hath done" (Vs. 4). (These are the same works, by the way, that produced rebellion in the heart not set aright.)

But the heart set aright declares God's glory to the children and points them to hope - "that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments" (Vs 7).

Hope or destruction are derived by the set of your heart. So today's question is: Where is your heart set? What work is God doing in your life, and how are you responding?

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.