Wait and be Still

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." 

- Exodus 14:14

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Have you ever been wronged by someone in your life, and you feel like you have to make it right, you have to have the other person suffer like they made you suffer, or you feel like you have to win? 

I've felt this way a few times in my life. Where I've rolled up my sleeves, plotted my attack, carefully outlined my points of defense, and went forward guns blazing. It's always been my personality to attack things head on, not to mince words, or shy away from a confrontation. You may say it's the Irish and Italian in me, an unusual mix of fight and passion. 

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But as a Christian, I've learned that this approach, is not was pleases God. Though He made me with a strong personality, fight and passion, He requires us to control ourselves, and trust in Him to do our fighting. It wouldn't be right for me, to raise my fists and fight for myself, no matter how much I want to. 

Instead, scripture tells us we need to be meek, gentle, forgiving, compassionate, full of grace, patient, humble, and loving. God tells us that vengeance is His (Romans 12:19) and it's not for us to seek revenge ourselves. We are told not to fight, and to trust in God to make all things right in the end. 

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In Exodus 14, Moses is leading the people of Israel out of Egypt, and they are being pursued by Pharaoh, and all of his army.  The Israelites, as usual, are complaining and yelling at Moses for taking them out into the wilderness where they will surely die. But God has already told Moses to the plan, and Moses obediently moves forward, and tells the Israelites: "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today." (v. 13) And much to the surprise of all the grumbling Israelites, they watch and see Moses raise his staff, they watch the Red Sea divide before them, a dry path provided under their feet, they cross over to land, and watch as the Egyptians who are close behind begin to cross as well. But instead of finding a safe, dry path, God releases the water, and it washes over the Egyptians and wipes them all out. And the Israelites, who were required to do nothing but obey, stood in awe of the work God had just done for them. 

"The LORD will fight for you, you need only to be still."

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There are going to be times in our life when we feel like there's nothing we can do but turn and fight. There are going to be times when we feel pushed up against a wall, and there's no way out but to make our point known. But God shows us here, that it's not up to us to fight. We need to just be silent. We need to just be still. 

We need to trust in The God of Israel, to be the same God for us, that He was that day for the Israelites. We need to trust that He is working in our lives, and that in the end, He will make all wrongs right. 

We are children of The Most High God, The Almighty, and He will always have victory, He will always win, and because He has made us heirs, His victory becomes our victory, and through Him, we will win. 

We can rest in our LORD today, knowing that He is at work, and all we are required to do is wait, and be still. 

Withdrawing to Lonely Places

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

- Luke 5:16

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As I was putting the girls to bed tonight, we talked about the importance of honest prayer, verses routine prayer, and how God doesn't require ritual, but instead, our hearts. 

I think, in the case of my girls, and even many adults that I've heard pray, certain words become key words, phrases become key phrases, and once a prayer is thought up, they feel there's no need to expound upon, or change it up, because the prayer is being prayed, and that's what matters. 

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We are given many examples of prayer throughout scripture, but one I want to focus on tonight is that of Jesus, as He is in full-time ministry. In Luke 5, we see Jesus healing many people, crowds demanding His attention, and people questioning His teachings. Jesus' life here is busy, and in Luke 5:16, we are told that Jesus "often withdrew" to pray. 

This is written here to show us an example, of how we ought to pray, and how important quiet, thoughtful prayer is in our lives. 

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This example of Jesus' prayer life has a few different points to note for me. 

First being, that Jesus withdrew to pray. Why did He withdraw, instead of staying in the hustle & bustle and praying "when He had the time"? 

He withdraws, because uninterrupted time with His Father is important to Him. Jesus knows that His Father is only a word away, and connecting with Him, and coming before God's throne is an important part of Jesus' life. Jesus withdraws, because He doesn't want any distractions, and He doesn't want to miss out on time talking to God. He withdraws because His relationship with His Father is so important. 

Secondly, I think Jesus withdraws to give us an example of what we ought to do in our busy lives. Not only does Jesus show us that our relationship with God should be top priority, but He tells us how to make it so. Jesus shows us here, we need to create separate time for God. We need to create space, quiet, peace, in order to fully connect our hearts with God. 

We live hectic, busy lives, and Jesus' example here for us, is to stop, and purposefully create space and time to commune with God. Our relationship with God needs to be intentional, and withdrawing is one of the best ways to do that. 

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The second part of this verse says that the places Jesus withdrew to were "lonely." Why is this important for us? Why is it important for us to understand that Jesus was praying alone?

I think it's noted because Jesus wanted us to see how important it is for us to have an individual prayer life, just between us and God. Jesus doesn't show us here, an example of praying with all of His disciples or family members, because He knew He needed time with just God, and no one else. 

Group prayer & congregational prayer all have a special place, but here Jesus just wants us to see how sometimes, we just need to be alone with God, and allow the quiet to sink in, in order to really focus on God. 

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Jesus wants us to get it, to understand what true, worshipful, honest, heart-tugging prayer really looks like, and how we should model our own prayer life. 

I think it's in understanding this model, and understanding how important it is to withdraw, set time aside, and have individual prayer; that true, worshipful prayers are able to flow out of our hearts. 

It's in breaking the habit, and ritual words, that we are able to present our true heart to God. 

And this, I think, is what should be our goal:

True, honest, worshipful prayer.

I want to challenge you tonight, to not get stuck in routine or ritual, but instead to offer your heart up to God, and lay yourself down at His thrown, and see how much your prayer life changes. 

Our Refuge in a Land of Trouble

"I am the LORD, and I do not change." 

- Malachi 3:6

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I turned on the news tonight, and saw tragic story after tragic story. If you haven't noticed, our world is a mess. Our nation is being run by a man who doesn't honor The LORD or the fundamental truths that our nation was founded on, our economy is tanked, there are wars and rumors of wars, murderers are living high off the hog in tax-payer-funded facilities, precious babies are being killed in their Momma's womb hourly, divorce now outnumbers marriage, and perverseness is now accepted over God's law. In short, our world is falling apart. 

In all the changes around us, and the failing world we're raising our kids in, it's scary to think where we'll be as a nation in 5 years, 10 years, 100 years. We have gone so far away from tradition, from true right and wrong, and demanding accountability. We have lost sight of truth, and our nation continues daily to fall down a slippery slope to complete depravation. 

It's easy to become consumed, but take heart, believer, our refuge does not change.

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 "I am the LORD, and I do not change."  

This promise for us is so concrete, so final. God declares that He is LORD, and He doesn't change! He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The faithful God that He has always been, is Who He always will be, and the help He has always given in the past, will always be available for us in the future. 

In the middle of an always changing, down-spiraling world, our God does not change.

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This should encourage you, because while the outside world is sad and broken, we know that our God is constant and true, and He becomes a safe place for us to rest our hearts. He becomes our refuge in a world that would rather tear us apart. God is our safety, God is our rest, God is our peace.  

"This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him."

 - Psalm 91:2

When your world is crashing in around you, and you find yourself afraid of current events, transfer your attention to God. Take your eyes off of the world, and place them on your Refuge, and trust that He is still in control, despite what you hear on CNN.

Our good God does not change, and He is our safe place in a land of trouble. 

 

 

 

The Cure For Fear

For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, 

and allows rain on the just and on the unjust. 

- Matthew 5:45

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Fear can be a very real part of life, a personal struggle, even for the most steadfast Christian. We live in a fallen world, and though we know that God doesn't send us trials, He does allow them to happen, and this unknown can be hard to live with. There is a struggle for the Christian, because we know God is good, and with us everywhere we go, but we also know that bad things happen in this life.

"The rain falls on the just and the unjust."

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I don't think I've ever been more aware of this struggle until I had Katelyn. Every night when I lay my baby girl in her crib, shut off her light, and have to walk away and leave her there alone, I feel the struggle. When I snuggle her close, and feel as if my heart is bursting with love and the need to protect her, I feel the struggle. When I try to shut my mind off, and fall asleep myself, I feel the struggle.

I don't struggle because of an unbelief that God is with her. I don't struggle because of an unbelief that God is good. I don't struggle due to lack of scripture meditation or prayer. I struggle because I know I live in a fallen world, and bad things happen, even when I believe in my good God with my whole heart.

Bad things happen, even when we have faith.

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So how do we live with the struggle? What do we do in order to not be overcome by fear?

God never promised that the Christian life would be easy, He never promised a trial-free, pain-free life. But what God did promise, was to be with us, and to give us victory, even in the face of heartache.

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 

- 1 Corinthians 15:55

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!" 

- John 16:33

"For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” 

- Isaiah 41:17

"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” 

- Deuteronomy 31:8

We are able to overcome the fear, and the pain that we face, because our ultimate hope is in Christ, and we know He is going before us, and will be with us through every trial. 

I am able to kiss Katelyn goodnight, swallow the pit in my throat, and trust that the God who does not sleep is watching my baby girl when I can't, and He loves her, and is her God too. These promises in scripture for me, are for her too, and she will be safe in His arms, whatever may come. 

We live in a scary world, and if I think about it for too long, or dwell on the problems knocking at my door, it is easy to be overwhelmed. But as a Christian, I am able to live in security, because I know that in the end, Christ already won, and there is nothing on this earth that can truly break me, because my salvation is secure, and the salvation of those I love. 

Any pain we experience here on earth is but momentary, in comparison to eternity, and the hope we have waiting for us. 

God does allow pain, suffering, death, and heartache to enter our lives. But even through those times His love for us does not fail. 

We are able to overcome the fear, place it in the back of our minds, knowing that God is with us, and whatever comes, He will see us through. 

He is our hope. He is our comfort. He is the cure for fear. 

Faith

"...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…" 

- Hebrews 11:1

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Parker: "How does she know her Mother is at peace?"
Nate: "...Faith, Parker...Faith."

This conversation was in a TV episode I watched tonight, and it really struck me as soon as I heard it. Parker, a woman I'd guess to be in her 30's is struggling with the the death of her parents, and wondering, how anyone comes to peace after losing someone they love.

How do we know for sure, that our loved ones are at peace?

Nate, the deep thinker of the group, answers: "Faith."

Such a simple word, such a simple answer, but faith is anything but simple.

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Faith is defined in scripture as: "...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…" 

Faith is what the Christian life is all about, what our hope hangs on. It is our faith that keeps us going. 

Faith that Christ was Who He said He was, Faith that He really did die for us & rise again to give us victory over the grave, Faith that He did ascend to Heaven & now sits at the right hand of God. Faith that Heaven is a real place, and faith that He did build us a mansion in Glory, faith that He is coming again for us, and faith that our eternity will be with Him, not only mine, but all those who have put their faith in Jesus.

Our faith is our life, there is nothing simple about it. 

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Maybe you can identify with Parker here. Maybe your faith is weak, or maybe you have none at all. Maybe you've never come to the feet of Jesus, and understood completely what putting your hope in Him is. Maybe no one has ever explained it to you, or maybe you've never asked. 

Don't you think the time has come? 

Because, like Parker, one day you're going to experience the death of someone you love, and you yourself will die someday too. Don't you want to know where you're going? Don't you want to have the security of knowing, that even in death, you will be ok? That your loved ones will be ok?

We all die, and so we all need this hope. Faith in Jesus will give you that. Because faith is the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the proof that my God is real, He lived and died, and rose again, and offers peace to us freely, without condition and without prejudice. 

Jesus says: "...Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!" - John 20:27. 

These words were written for Thomas, who was labeled "doubting Thomas" in scripture, because He had to see the proof of Jesus' death & resurrection before He would believe. But Jesus doesn't turn Thomas away because of his unbelief, Jesus is not afraid of the doubt, instead He calls Thomas in, tells him, "put your hand in my wounds", see for yourself, Thomas, I was pierced, they killed me, but I'm alive! 

And though these words were said to Thomas, they are just as much spoken for you & I as they were for him. Jesus knows your doubt, He knows the pain you've been through, and He is calling you in. 

Look, examine, see for yourself, and believe. 

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This is our faith, this is our hope. 

I Remembered My Good God

"And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' 

In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'" 

- Luke 22:19 & 20

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I sat there in the back pew, my sweet baby girl sleeping peacefully in my arms, with tears streaming down my face. My oldest daughters looked over at me concerned, but I had no words to tell them I was alright. In that moment, all I needed was my Father whispering to my heart, telling me that He forgave me, telling me that He would bring justice one day, and that His death had already given me victory. 

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This last year, I've suffered a betrayal and pain that has worn heavy on my heart for months. There have been times when anger and pain have mixed freely in my heart, turning into bitterness, allowing me to loose sight of the joy I have in Christ, and in the beautiful life He has given me. This betrayal cut deep, and because of the scars it left, I've suffered with an unforgiving heart. 

I say suffer, because all the while, I have known better. I knew in my heart what God required of me, I knew the scriptures telling me to forgive, but I confess that this forgiveness has not come easily. I have battled with myself over this for months, torn between The Word of God, and my own broken heart. That battle is hard, when you know what you need to do, but have such a hard time doing it... 

"The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" - Matthew 26:41

I knew what God required of me, and I found myself broken often, knowing that I was failing Him. My Jesus, who has given His life for me, and requires so little…yet, I couldn't do it. I couldn't forgive, I couldn't forget. 

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Today, in that back pew I was hit hard by The Holy Spirit, poking and prodding me to do in my heart what I knew I needed to do. Forgive, forgive, forgive…

I sat there completely aware and overcome with the knowledge that I was remembering my Savior's sacrifice for me, and how He had forgiven me and everything I've ever done and ever will do. And that's when the tears started to fall. 

When I came face to face with my Holy and Good God, with His crucifixion and death, and with His grace, when I remembered…

This is our God, The God Who forgave us of our sins, and died in our place…

The God Who gave up His life…

For me. 

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If He could do that for me, wouldn't He also help me extend that same grace and forgiveness to those in my own life? 

I sat there, heart exposed, and told God He needed to help me, because there was no way I could do it myself. 

And once I had prayed that prayer, I took the cube of bread, and I drank the juice, and I swallowed down the knowledge that my God had suffered and died, for me. I swallowed down the truth that God sacrificed His life, so that I could live. I swallowed down the grace that He had shown me, and the forgiveness that I knew was mine. And I swallowed down His peace, knowing that healing had begun in my heart. 

I ate of the bread, and I drank of the wine, and I remembered my good God. 

The God Who is Present

I've talked a lot about the different attributes of God, and how they help us understand Who He is more, revealing more of His character, and what that means for us as Christians. Tonight, I am thinking about God's presence in our lives, and the assurance that He never leaves us.

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When The Angel of The LORD appeared to Joseph, and told him Mary would give birth to a son, the angel said His name would be Jesus, or Immanuel, which translated: "God with us." (Matthew 1:23) This was the Hebrew understanding of God coming to earth in human form, and dwelling among men. Jesus was "God with us."

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Jesus no longer dwells among us here on earth, but we do have the promise of Him coming again. In Revelation 21 & 22, when talking about the new Jereusalem, and Christ's return, we are shown a new name of God: El Shammah, which translates: "The God Who is there." God is given this name here, because it is understood that in the New Jerusalem, God will reign among His people, and we will be in His presence forever.

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So we have proof of Christ being God among us, and we have the promise that God will return for us one day and we will be in His presence forever, but what about right now? Where is our hope and security now?

The Bible tells us: "For The LORD your God goes with you, He will never leave you, nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6 This is a continual promise for us, through the ages, that never goes away.

God is with us.

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God being present with us, everywhere we go, and in everything we do, is called Omipresent. This attribute of God means that He is: "Present at all times." And this is where our hope lies now, this is the assurance given to us while we wait for Christ to return for His church. Though He has left our physical presence, He has left His Spirit with us always, and we are never alone.

Often times I've thought to myself: 'I wish I could have lived in Bible times, and had the chance to be with Jesus. I'd live my life different if He was right next to me, I'd understand things more, and things would be easier.' I don't think I'm alone in this thought.

But you know what? When Jesus was walking around this earth, He could only be in one place at one time, meaning that, even though He was here with us, He couldn't be with all of us, all at once. He could only physically be with a few people at a single time, which meant that many people missed out.

But the great thing about living in the time that we do, is that Christ has returned to Heaven, and He has left with us His Spirit, which is Omnipresent, present at all times. And we know that once we are saved, The Holy Spirit dwells inside of us, which means that for every Christian walking this earth, God is with us, wherever we go.

Doesn't that make you feel less jipped on not living in Bible times?

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All kidding aside, this attribute for God is huge for us, as Christians. Our daily security hangs on the promise that we are never alone. This trait of God further proves His love for us, in that He chooses to give us His Spirit, and chooses to never leave our side. He chooses to be with us, protecting us, caring for us, providing for us, loving us, every single minute of every singe day, wherever we go.

Isn't that an amazing promise?

This is our God, our God Who is present at all times. 

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How will you let this truth change your life tonight? Will it help you lie down in peace, knowing that The God Who is present is with you while you sleep? Will it help you live in freedom, knowing that The God Who is present goes before you, preparing your way? Will it help you live in faith, knowing that whatever comes, The God Who is present will be with you, and helping you through it?

It should.

This is why God promises to be with us, to give us these things, to make our life in Him richer.

Our God is The God Who is present, let that sink into your heart tonight, and let it bring you comfort.