When Things are Going Badly

Sometimes life is just hard. David had some great strategies to follow when he was in difficult circumstances

Ps 37:1-7
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;do not fret when men succeed in their ways,when they carry out their wicked schemes. NIV

Here are his ideas. Don't get wrapped up in worrying. Keep at faithfully doing good.

Take time to get to know God and learn to trust him.

What I love is the promise that he will bring forth your righteousness as the dawn. Through problems God is doing something. He is building your character. As you let him lead your life he will establish your character.

After developing your character he will give you an impact in others lives.

David finishes with encouraging us to be patient. God's ways are usually not quickly accomplished. He works thoroughtly though not quickly. Ultimately the righteous are blessed.

Motivated by Love

Bill Bright, the leader of Campus Crusade for Christ, used to tell this story.

A husband had a grading sheet for his wife. At the end of each day, depending on how good a wife she was, he would give her a grade. She hated this pressure.

Thankfully that husband died. She married a new husband. The new husband was amazing. He just loved her, not requiring anything in response. She was warmed by his consistant kindness, compassion, and loving care.

About 5 years later she was rumaging through the attic and came across one of the old grading lists of the first husband. Her first response was anger, just remembering the pain of that relationship. But then she laughed. As she looked at the list she was now doing all the things on the list for her new husband without being asked.

Our relationship with God is like being married to the second husband. God loves us. The great love he has given us causes us to just obey God naturally in response to his love. That obedience to God is not a burden.

In my walk with God I do not think about all the things I cannot do and all the things I have to do as a Christian. I am so greatful to be loved that obeying God is the most natural thing in the world.

Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea

We were hanging out as a family. We agreed how much more fulfilling life is when we are ministering to others. I know that when I am teaching others I grow.

While we were talking I was reminded of an illustration. "What is the difference between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea?" The sea of Galilee is beautiful and clear. The Dead sea is putrid and ugly.

The Sea of Galilee has water flowing in and out. The Dead Sea only has water flowing in, with no outlet of the water. Many times our lives can be filled with input. We can become spiritually stagnant. But if we apply what we learn, and we pass what we learn on to others our spiritual lives tend to thrive. Ministering to others brings freshness and vitality to our walk with God.

Steve and Comfort, our son-in-law and daughter, teach a college age Sunday school class that has brought them a lot of joy. I love teaching and sharing with our foster children and have loved leading a Bible study at work.

The Smartest Man in the World

Read a great joke in Faith and Doubt by Ortberg: A plane was going down. On board were the smartest man in the world, a boy scout, and the pilot. There were only two parachutes. The smartest man in the world grabbed one and yelled as he dove out of the plane that he was doing this for the world--it needed him. The pilot told the boyscout that he had lived a full and satisfying life, and the he wanted to boyscout to be able to have the parachute since he had his whole life ahead of him. The boyscout said, "Relax, the smartest man in the world just jumped out of the plane with my backpack."

God's Refining Fire

Today I watched the amazing inaguration and the massive sense of good will in the country. I pray that we not just follow Obama as our president, but really follow God with a full heart. As seen in the verses below God is always refining us into his pure Gold.

Mal 3:1-3
3 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. NIV

When Gold is brought out of the mountain it is filled with impurities. The gold is put on a fire. The impurities rise to the surface. The impuities are skimmed off the top. How can you tell when the gold is pure? When the refiner sees his reflection in the gold.

The troubles we have right now as a country can be our refining fire. We can, under the leadership of our new president, let God's refining fire create in us a passion for doing what is right. I hope we can see Christ's attitude, beliefs, and actions reflected in all we do as individuals in this great nation. Then our nation can be truly great.

But if we reject God's truth even a great leader like President Obama can not save us.

Many Times a Much

Having our daughter Sara home has reminded me of how hard parting has been over the years. We left my mom and dad in 1979. They accepted that graciously. God later blessed them with years with their grandchildren that they never expected.

It was hard for us to see Sara go to Kazhakstan. The separation has made the reunion sweet. We are with a young lady who is united with us in purpose and we are having a great time together. We are able to share at such a deep and real level.

It was hard for us to leave DC. But another way I have felt blessed this week is to get started on facebook. I have loved being on contact with so many old friends that have resulted from years of life and ministry.

Matt 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.NASU

When we choose to run after God with abandon, He has ways of surprising us and blessing our lives so deeply.

Never fear obeying him and loving him. It is worth the journey now, and is really worth it in eternity!

Joy vs. Happiness

There is a difference between happiness and joy. I heard a simple little thought that I liked. Happiness depends on "happenings", joy does not.

When things are going well it is fairly easy to be happy. When I get an A on a test, I have a new friend, someone gets married or has a baby, it is easy to be happy. But what sustains me when a friend dies, I get overlooked for a promotion, or I have bad news financially?

Joy is deeper and more foundational. God is fundamentally joyful. Galatians 5: 22,23 gives joy as one of the fruit of the Spirit. Joy is knowing that I am loved (by God). It is an underlying sense that everything will ultimately be worked out by God for my good. It is a deep and abiding belief in the goodness of God.

Joy remains even when I am not happy. Jesus wept. He felt deep emotion of pain for his friends. He was brutally killed. But at a deep level he felt the joy of the Father's love, had a sense of destiny, knew he was doing what was right.

We can claim His joy as our own if we have Jesus as our Savior. He lives inside of us.

There are days where I am not happy, but I sometimes have to ask God "Please give me your joy today." Even in my sadness I am given a foundation of God's joyful presence.

Today I am happy and joyful. Sofia is the first follower of my blog. That alone makes writing this blog worth the effort :-)