Week Thirty-Five - Persevere

I keenly remember the drudgery of young motherhood. The constant scheduling of feeds and naps, the demands of expectations I put on myself, the constant laundry, housework, and meals. I thought it would never end. I remember being so very tired and even disillusioned as I tried to raise my little brood of five and do ministry. 

Thankfully, my grandmothers and friends would occasionally take the kids and give me a reprieve! But nothing changed the drudgery of keeping up with young children, except when I remembered my love for them and the blessedness of having a family.

Childrearing was only for a season, and I survived! You will, too! But drudgery isn't reserved only for the young mother. Life has a way of settling into ruts, and we get bored, disillusioned, and chained to our schedules until beauty seems to be squeezed out.

James 1:24 is the verse we will consider today in light of this idea of drudgery. It reads, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

Elizabeth Elliot tells of a visit to Dohnavar Fellowship India. "There, day after day, year in and year out, Indian women (most of them single) care for little children, handicapped children, infirm adults, old folks. They don't go anywhere. They have none of our usual forms of amusement and diversion. They work with extremely primitive equipment - there is no running water, for example, no stoves but wood-burning ones, and no washing machines. In one of the buildings, I saw this text: 'There they dwelt with the King for His work.' That's the secret. They do it for Him. They ask for and receive His grace to do it. I saw the joy in their lovely faces."

Why do we do what we do? If we do it for ourselves, it will become drudgery. If we do it only for the benefit of others, we will burn out with the sacrifice. But if we do it for Christ, we serve a higher purpose and have a richer resource.

In James, the phrase, "Let patience have her perfect work," points us to that purpose and source. There is an outcome, reward, measure of growth, and blessing to all we experience. 

So, how can I help myself rise above the drudgery of today and see the better purpose and source of life?

Let's look a bit more at James 1:24: "Count it all joy." Count your blessings. Look for the good things in your situation—even the tiny ones. You can live a long time on tiny blessings! They add up, and eventually, your perseverance and faith will reward you with greater patience and maturity.

"Let patience have her perfect work." You aren't going through what you're going through for nothing. Those little ones will grow up, and if you have done your part, they will be happy and productive, bringing you great joy and pride. You aren't working your job or doing your ministry for nothing. God will give the increase in every area of life when we persevere. Someone else said, "The glory of tomorrow is rooted in the drudgery of today."  So don't give up yet!

"Perfect and entire, wanting nothing." I love that phrase. You can't be mature, whole, and fulfilled at the beginning of any project. Those things are reserved for the ending. So, remaining steadfast and perseverant is the only way to reach this position. It's a great place to be when you can look back and see all God accomplished through your consistency and what you considered years of drudgery.

This is how we stay motivated - looking for the benefit ahead. I call it futurizing!

We do it for the King! We do it patiently and persistently, with the purpose of His glory, until we become "perfect, entire, wanting nothing" - or not lacking - in any grace!

Week Thirty-Four - How Was Your Sunday?

How was your Sunday? Did you go to church? Did you sing as unto the Lord? Did you have sweet fellowship with the family of God? Did the Word preached permeate your spirit? Or did you go expecting the music to lift you, others to listen to you, and the preacher to get it over with?

What a real challenge the minister faces each service. Folks come with burdens and resentments, and sometimes only out of duty. Others are out there singing their hearts out with the joy of the Lord written across their faces. How is he to meet the needs of such a variety?

S. Martin, speaking of the minister, wrote, "You expect the minister to confess, give thanks, and pray for you, and you do not so much join with him as listen to him. This ought not to be, for you yourselves are a priesthood. We are God's ministers, but we are not God's priests. Our great high priest is Jesus Christ, but as you are priests unto God, we want your sacrifice. Our desire is that you should pray with me, and give thanks with me, and confess with me. Allowing me to lead you, but not allowing my prayers to be substituted for your own - thoroughly congregational."

Thoroughly congregational. That means we all participate in the service, not just watching or listening but joining in as a part of the family. This joining in, this joying in, shows on your face. By the way, to be congregational necessitates attendance - you can't be congregational online!

S. Martin says, "There is something in the effect of the human face which is not to be despised in worship. It awakens sympathy, and there is something pleasant in the idea of making others glad by one's countenance. Assist each other in the House of Prayer by the help of your countenance. Gladness, we say, will throw light into your countenance and will give a brilliant tone to all your utterances."

So here's your challenge for this coming Sunday. Show up! Show up with joy and anticipation on your face. Come expecting God to meet with you and expecting yourself to open your heart and voice to Him in praise through song and conversations. Don't just watch church take place; be a part of it. Be congregational!

Week Thirty-Three - God Is For Me

Psalm 56 is precious. Written when David fled to Gath to escape Saul, the psalm is full of phrases revealing David's precarious situation and solid expectation in God. Before discussing the phrase God is for me, let's read a few of these little verses.

You might already know verse 3, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." I taught that one to my children when they struggled to sleep, afraid of the dark. It is a verse we all need to memorize because fear comes too easily.

Verse 8 is comforting as well. "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" God is so attentive, even to our tears. Nothing escapes His attention.

One more verse, verse 13: "For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?" Our souls have been delivered from death by salvation and are protected by His Spirit as we walk in sanctification upon this earth. God watches and guides our every step.

Verse 9 is our focus for today. It reads, "When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me."

Spurgeon took the "for me" phrase and ran with it, saying, "He was for me before the worlds were made; He was for me, or He would not have given His well-beloved Son; He was for me when He struck the Only-begotten, and laid the full weight of His wrath upon Him. He was for me, though He was against Him; He was for me, when we were ruined in the fall. He loved me notwithstanding all; He was for me, when I was a rebel against Him, and with a high hand was bidding Him defiance. He was for me, or He wouldn't have brought me humbly to seek His face. He has been for me in many struggles; I have been summoned to encounter hosts of dangers; I have been assailed by temptations from without and within; how could I have remained unharmed to this hour if He had not been for me?

He is for me with all the infinity of His being; with all the omnipotence of His love; with all the infallibility of His wisdom; arrayed in all His divine attributes. He is for me - eternally and immutable for me; for me when those blue skies in the distance shall be rolled up like a worn out vesture; for me throughout eternity. And because He is for me, the voice of prayer will always ensure His help. This is no uncertain hope, but a well-grounded assurance - this I know!"

Oh, friend, do you have this assurance? God is for you in more ways than you can imagine. If you can grasp this truth, you can agree with David and Paul when he writes in Romans 8:31, "If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Week Thirty-Two - I'm Slipping

I found some notes the other day about Peter during Jesus' crucifixion. Peter slipped. He failed big time. We'd all agree, but some previous steps made him vulnerable when it came to the crunch.

The first indicator of trouble ahead is in Luke 22:33. Peter uses a dangerous pronoun, I. "I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death." Jesus knew they were boastful words. His next statement is that Peter will deny Him. In Matthew 26:33, Peter is recorded as saying, "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I not be offended." 

That dangerous I attitude is the first sign of a falling away from God. When we get into I-mode, we don't listen, think we are stronger, and believe ourselves better than others. That is pride. The book of Proverbs tells us pride goes before destruction. It also says pride will bring us low (Prov 29:23). So that first step is a dangerous one.

The second indicator is neglecting prayer. Remember the night in Gethsemane when Jesus took His closest men with Him as He agonized in prayer? What did they do? They slept. A lack of prayer is another sign of pride. It says I can do everything without talking to God or seeking His advice. But without prayer, Peter reacted wrongly and hurt others. He lost discernment. 

Without prayer, we fight the wrong enemy, use the wrong weapons, and have the wrong attitudes. Compare Peter's response as he roused from sleep and cut off the servant's ear to Jesus' response after a time of close communion with His Father: "Put up thy sword into the sheath:" Jesus said, "the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I drink it?" (John 18:11). Prayer keeps us prepared and submissive.

The third indicator is following at a distance. As Jesus was arrested and brought to the high priest's house, Peter followed afar off (Luke 22:54), Which shows his spiritual location. No longer was he close, but now he felt the distance and maintained his distance. 

The fourth indicator is hanging around with the wrong crowd. Where does Peter find himself? No longer with his fellow disciples but around the fire with the world. The world is ready to turn him over as an equal traitor like Jesus. And what is Peter's reaction? He denies his Lord, just as Jesus predicted, three times.

Why talk about Peter's steps away from the Lord? Why tell such a sad tale? Because we need to learn from Peter's indicators. We, too, can fall away. And when we do, these same four steps will mark our falling away. 

Pride, the I-mode, begins taking over our words, thoughts, and actions. We might not initially see it, but if we trace our words, we will hear the I-word becoming a major part of our conversation and inner justification. Our prayer life will diminish. A trickle of prayer will seem too much of a burden. Our pride feeds the idea that prayer is a waste of time, and soon, we find ourselves at a distance. We may notice something is wrong, but pride keeps us from turning around. We feel more comfortable at a distance, and before long, we look at the companions around us and realize we are in a desperate place. Too weak to take a stand, we warm our hands with the world and deny we are Christians. We are backslidden.

But let's not leave it there because Jesus didn't leave Peter there. In Luke 22:60-61 we read, "And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly."

That tender, precious gaze from the Saviour brings Peter back to reality. He knows he is in the wrong place. He sees where his decisions have taken him; the result is repentance, a broken acknowledgment of wrong. The last chapter of John records how Jesus came to Peter and restored him to fellowship and ministry, but this one significant moment was the spur that turned him around.

Friend, are you close to Jesus or far away? Do you think prayer is a waste of time? Is your conversation punctuated with too many I's? Is pride and self-serving your mode of life? Are you hanging around with a crowd that draws you away from close communion with the Lord? 

My prayer today is that one look at your Saviour will draw you back. He is willing and able to forgive and restore no matter how far you have slipped. He is the God who seeks, and He is seeking you today.

Week Thirty-One - It's Not Supposed to Be This Way

I want to share some thoughts from a book I enjoyed by Lysa TerKeurst: It's Not Supposed to Be This Way. It's well worth reading!

Here's what she writes,

"What makes paintings so delightful? We already know a painting isn't going to look like a photograph. And that's what makes it art. It's been touched by a human. It's been created by someone whose hands sweat and who can't possibly transfer divine perfection from what her corneas see to what her fingertips can create.

Even the best painters will get something off-scale, out of alignment, a shade too dark, or a hair too thick. It will be flawed. And that's why we must make a crucial decision: What will we do with the disappointment?

Will we see the human behind the work? The heart that dared to hold the brush dripping with color? Remember that she was the courageous one. She was the one who showed up and took the risk. She braved the disappointment of others. She lived. She made her mark.

I fear you have a picture of my messy that's way too tidy. Maybe you've looked straight on at my faith and made some fine-sounding assumptions and conclusions that are impressive but not true. If you do this, you may think that when things get messy in the process and progress of your journey, maybe your faith isn't strong enough. Dear one, that's not true.

Weak moments don't make weak faith. Weak moments make us even more aware of our need to press into faith. A faith in God that helps us know that what we see isn't all there is. Weak moments are also clues telling us what needs to be addressed right now in this part of the journey. Don't beat yourself up for weak moments. But don't ignore them, either."

I enjoyed those thoughts, and they left me with some questions. Are we guilty of looking at the faith of others and feeling we pale in comparison? Do we expect things to be perfect and fall into disappointment when reality hits? Do we judge our weak moments as defining instead of challenging us to greater growth? Do we give up too easily?

Then, she went on to talk a bit about dust.

"Dust is messy. We don't even like to touch dust, especially if it's made up of the shattered pieces of our own hearts.

Thankfully, we don't have to. We can hand it over to God, the One who forms our dust into something we want but never could have made for ourselves.

Jesus used the dust of the ground to restore a man's sight in John 9:5-6  When mixed with water, dust becomes clay. Clay, when placed in the potter's hand, can be formed into anything the potter dreams up. Isaiah 64:8 & John 18:6

Dust doesn't have to signify the end. Dust is often what must be present for the new to begin."

Friend, we are but dust, nothing very beautiful or valuable, but in the hands of the Potter, we are bound for new creation. 

So today, if your life isn't perfect, if it doesn't look like a fine work of art or a porcelain vase, don't be discouraged. God is the designer. He is the creator of beauty. Yield yourself to Him and in time, you will be amazed at what He can do!

Week Thirty - The Spiral Staircase

God's Word holds the idea of rising higher and higher, like climbing a spiral staircase, always returning to the same standpoint but from a higher position on the circling circle. This is especially true when we consider our position in Christ and the growth of understanding that comes to the Christian.

The first step is salvation, the blessedness of knowing we belong to an invisible, heavenly family. Psalm 32:1 reads, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."

Another step leads us to recognize the blessedness of being comforted with the comfort only God can give. Assurance and peace become our companions as we continue to climb."

The steps of understanding our privileged position in Christ, that we are complete in Him, and that we serve the Lord Christ compels us to strive for greater heights. 

The higher we climb, the more we appreciate the blessed work of the Spirit. His guidance, conviction, and instruction help us make steady progress. 

Humbled, we rejoice in the blessed knowledge that we are recipients of mercy, undeserved yet dearly beloved. 

And as we behold the vision of God - His majesty, power, and great love with which He has loved us - we are compelled to hold on more tightly as we breathe heavenly air. 

This cycle continues as we grasp more of the spiritual blessings bestowed upon us and begin to see ourselves as saints and children of God whose sins are forgiven.

Note the rising circle pattern of Ephesians 2:6-10

Step One: Salvation - But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 

Step Two: Learning our Position in Christ - "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" 

Step Three: Learning more of Grace -  "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. "

Step Four: Humble Understanding - "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." 

Step Five: Heartfelt Service - "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

As we grow in Christ, we learn more about grace and begin serving with a pure and genuine heart. God repeatedly assures us of His love, and we grow in confidence and humility each time we consider His grace applied to our lives. 

Where are you on this learning curve? Are you growing in Christ? 

If you don't know Him, it's time to get on the ladder! The first step is to believe in Jesus, trust Him, and accept His gift of salvation.

Why not join me on the staircase, and let's learn more about what it means to "sit together in heavenly places in Christ."

Week Twenty-Nine - Finding Your Feet!

This past year, we enjoyed spending time with our grandkids. Several of them are at the point where they are ready to leave home. They are testing out their wings, learning to drive, finding jobs, heading to college, and looking to see where life will take them as they try to find their feet. We've had some long conversations and shared stories about ourselves and their parents launching into life.

Finding their feet can take some time. Unless they know their goal, they may wander around for a while, making parents and grandparents nervous. However, finding our feet is not a challenge reserved for teenagers. Even adults can find it difficult. Why? 

Maybe you are standing on slippery rocks. Like those moss-covered ones by the riverbank, you slip before noticing the danger. Slippery rocks are those where we are taking risks. Risks that involve lies or cheating. Risks of being found out or getting caught. Slippery rocks will trip us up every time. 

Or maybe you are afraid to put your feet in the water. You've been hurt, failed before, or don't know if you have what it takes. You'll never know what God has for you until you wade out into the deep.  Faith calls for us to get our feet wet; to walk on water, you must get out of the boat!

If you are standing on the shore with only your toes in the stream, you'll never know the thrill of the ride. You might enjoy a measure of refreshing, but you'll never reach your full potential. 

Are you afraid you can't stand against the current? That might be a concern, especially if your faith is only in yourself. Getting into the river of life with God will hurl you down fantastic plunges, but you'll never regret taking the opportunity to know His power. 

Finding your feet in a stream requires getting onto solid rock, anchoring deep, and adjusting to the current. It is similar in life. You need to be on that solid rock. 1 Samuel 2:2 reads, "There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none beside thee; neither is there any rock like our God." He is solid. When we place our faith in God, He gives us footing.

1 Corinthians 10:4 gives us a couple more assurances about the Rock. It speaks of the children of Israel and the great exodus: "And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ."

Let's focus on two words. The first one is drank. When we drink the water of life, we never thirst again. He becomes our source; that spiritual water gives us the power to stand and adjust to the current of life. And the second word is followed. The spiritual Rock followed them in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. They were never outside His view or out of reach. You, too, are never out of His view or reach. You can launch yourself into life because you are covered! You will find your feet because He is leading, He is following your every step, and He is in control.

As I pray for my grandchildren to find their feet in life, I'm excited to see where God will take them. They may hit some slippery spots and face fears and disappointments, but I know they are cared for by the Rock because they are His.

The same is true for you if you are in Christ. So, get out there and find your feet!