Priorities: Figuring out what's real and worth it

Talked to Jimmy on the phone yesterday about some problems – the normal stuff like not enough money, not enough time, why won’t the kids behave, why so much stuff is falling apart. We wrapped up our conversation with our normal “good-bye” and “love you” but this time I also thought, “I’m so thankful he’s not part of the problems.” He’s what holds me up through the problems as he reminds me of important things like trust and faith. Hopefully I do the same for him when problems are firing at him.

I’ve also been acutely thankful for my girls over the last couple days – not for what they’ve done but because of who they are. They’re my daughters, my family. That’s enough to bind me to them forever.

I think that’s why this post by Glenn Beck on Facebook this morning struck something inside me.

What is real and worth it beside family?

You can see from my opening comments how important family is to me. Yes, it’s real and it’s so worth it but it’s not “the most important project of all.”

Here’s the rest of his list… Work, parenting, shopping, finances, outside activities, church work, spouse, friends, and extended family. And oh yeah, still find time to read Scripture and pray.

There it is – tacked on the end just in case we manage to find time – is the most important of all.

We may lose our job. Tragedy may strike our children, spouse, friends, or extended family; they may be gone in a heartbeat. The money may disappear completely. Outside activities and yes, even church work, can crumble away. Are we ready to say in those moments – when these horrors strike our own existence – that God is in control and that is enough?

Personal loss, natural disaster, economic failure, job markets, housing and community, and relationships will all come…and they will go. God doesn’t do that though.

He doesn’t “change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).

He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 21:6).

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

How do I do it?

That’s the next big question, isn’t it? I’m first to admit that sometimes it’s hard.

Those hard times prompt the phone calls to my husband like I talked about at the beginning of this article. Or a friend. But they also prompt me to fall to my knees in prayer. Scripture promises, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).

My husband is a great man who can point me to Christ but he can’t solve all my problems. I have some incredibly wonderful friends who have been there for me often over the years. They also can’t sustain me, though. It’s got to be God.

“I called to the Lord in my distress, and I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice and my cry to Him reached His ears. … He reached down from heaven and took hold of me; He pulled me out of deep waters. … The Lord was my support.” (Psalm 18:6, 16, 18; Hover here to read Psalm 18 to see the power of God’s deliverance when we cry for help.)

We can’t only cry to God when the problems hit, however. We endure the hard times because we walk in relationship with Him all the time. We read His Word… no, we study it. We know it. We allow it to transform us from the mess we used to be into the person He created us to be.

Seven Roles, One Woman talks about this quite a bit from a woman’s perspective. It’s hard to balance being a wife, mom, businesswoman, friend, servant, homemaker, and oh yeah, a child of God. We try to juggle all of them and keep everyone happy. In the end, though, balance starts to come when we realize that being a child of God isn’t an “oh yeah” that we tag on at the end.

It’s the foundation upon which all the others rest…

• It’s the love needed to be the wife (or husband).
• It’s the grace mandatory to being a mom (or dad).
• It’s the wisdom desired to be a business person.
• It’s the kindness essential to being a friend.
• It’s the compassion required to be a servant.
• It’s the sacrifice important to being a homemaker.

Being a child of God is the power to make it happen because “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

And if Glenn happens to read this - or anyone else trying to figure it out with very real scars in their own life - please know I didn't ignore that part of the original Facebook post. That's some hard stuff as well and maybe something to save for another time.

Find Hope in the Midst of Sorrow

On the day this article publishes, I’ll be attending a funeral for a friend of mine, the mother of one of my spiritual sisters. It’s going to be kind of a sad day but not nearly as sad as the last few weeks have been as she lay in a hospital bed, sometimes incoherent, always in pain, her body weakening by the day.

But it’s also going to be kind of a happy day, as well. We’ll talk about that more later, though.

My friend’s mom passed away a few days ago. That night, I took dinner to my friend and her extended family who had gathered at her dad’s house. As we sat – looking through old pictures and telling stories of favorite memories – my friend said something that resonated in my ears.

“I don’t know how people who have no hope do this.”

I said almost the exact same words to my dad the day before we buried my mom.

We’ve all lost loved ones. Many of us have even done so prematurely. Sometimes death comes at the end of many years after a life fully lived. Sometimes the loss comes with the warning of disease and suffering; other times shock overwhelms us as accidents or tragic events cause the loss.

Early or late in life, with warning or sudden shock; such are only two examples of differences that define the last moments of our loved ones.

One more difference defines the passing of our loved ones. One more difference separates anguish from bittersweet sorrow. One more difference defines the moment as full or devoid of hope.

Jesus is that difference.

The triune God is the God of Hope because Jesus' death and resurrection made hope possible. He is the God of Hope because the Holy Spirit empowers us to overflow with hope. Hope - made possible by Jesus, given by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

This was the difference in my mom’s death and the death of my friend’s mom. This was the difference for a couple who taught me about Him when I was a teenager. This was the difference for a man who lived a testimony of Him every day of his life. The rejection of the God of Hope has also made a difference for some I know who’ve passed on without Him.

There’s something you need to know about hope that comes from Christ. We use the word hope for an event or item that we wish or desire might happen. We hope to go on vacation this summer. Or, we hope doctors find a cure for heart disease. These things may or may not happen; we just hope they do. Scripture removes the uncertainty of hope, however.

Jesus never taught on hope because for Him the reality of the future is as certain as the reality of this present moment. He doesn’t wish He could return for us someday. He doesn’t aspire to offer us the same resurrection from the dead that He Himself experienced. He doesn’t dream of a kingdom on earth where He reigns in peace and righteousness. He is the reality and the surety of each of those coming events. His life and death guarantee their future fulfillment. So, in a relationship with Christ, hope is absolute and certain. It isn’t a wish, aspiration, or fanciful daydream.

My friend has the certainty of that hope for her mom just as I did years ago. The reason I spend hours writing my books and articles is so you also can know the certainty of the hope of a relationship with Jesus. Click here to read more about a relationship with Him. Use the comment section below or contact me on Facebook or Twitter if you’d like to talk even more.

Consider the Why, Rebels of God

The people have suffered.

The Servant has suffered.

With this week we reach the middle – the pinnacle – of Isaiah’s Song of the Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). In the midst of this week’s stanza lies the point of the servant’s suffering; the “Why?” which we have all questioned.

The people and the city of God suffered under oppression and slavery just as the Servant would also have to suffer (Article one of this series – Wake Up, City of God).

God would have to become a man – forsaking all rights and entitlements – no matter how hard it might be to believe such a thing (Article two of this series – Believe It, People of God).

Why?

• Why did Israel suffer?
• Why did the Servant suffer?
• Why did He come as a man?

We may know the “what” of the Servant’s suffering – the characters, the details, the methods, the timing, and the place. All of that is worthless, though, unless we know the “why.” Why gives the suffering purpose.

“Why?” takes a random execution and gives it meaning. This execution held significance for all people for all time.

The Connection

A little Hebrew wordplay in Isaiah 53:3-4 ties together the suffering of the Servant Man with the reason for why He had to suffer. Verse three describes Him as “a man of suffering who knew what sickness was.” As is common in Hebrew poetry, Isaiah repeated these ideas – in reverse order and with more explanation – in verse four. “He Himself bore our sicknesses and He carried our pains.” In the pictures below, the words highlighted with the same color are the same word in Hebrew.

Yes, the Servant was a man. All men are familiar with suffering, sickness, and sorrow. The first line doesn’t tell us much that’s new. The connection between the first line and the second shows us the significance. The Servant knew pain and sickness because He knew OUR pain and sickness. Isaiah’s. The Jews’. The Gentile’s. Yours. Mine.

Another Hebrew repetition reveals even more significance to the Servant’s suffering. In verse three, when we thought the Servant was just some man who suffered, we couldn’t even be bothered with it; didn’t give it a second thought. “We didn’t value Him.” In verse four, Isaiah told us it’s our suffering that the Servant carried. And so our response changes – we do take the time to think about it. Our conclusion? We “regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.”

Yeah, we thought about it. We decided He’s just a man so God must have…

• Reached out to strike Him as a sinner
• Wounded and killed Him
• Brought Him down low

But we distort the truth

Whether or not we believe something doesn’t change whether or not it is true. Truth is truth regardless of whether we believe it or not. That’s the case here.

We may choose to believe that Jesus was just a man – brought low, wounded, and killed. But that doesn’t change the reality. Remember, it was our sickness which He bore and our pain which He carried. But there's more...

• Our rebellion pierced Him.
• Our distortion of the truth crushed Him.
• We needed discipline to restore our covenant relationship with God but the discipline fell upon the Servant.
• Every hit He received brought healing to us.

He never rebelled, He never distorted the truth, He never needed discipline to restore His relationship with the Father, and He never needed healing. If He was just a man He would have needed all of these things. But He’s more – He’s God. The Servant is a man; the Servant is God. Together in one.

There’s another reason

He carried our sickness and pain. He restored our relationship. In case that’s not enough, the Servant’s suffering is significant for one more reason in this stanza. God created us to go on a certain path but we wandered off it. We turned to our own path instead. We distort God’s truth as we wander aimlessly down our own chaotic path. The result of our wandering was punishment. 

But Love stepped in. The punishment that was supposed to fall on us – God made it fall on the Servant instead.

So the answer to "Why?" is this...

He did it so He could carry our sickness and pain instead of us.

He did it to restore our relationship with God, despite the rebellion and distortion of truth that is within us.

He did it to bring us back onto the right path – the path for which He created us.

Read about the fourth stanza, Isaiah 53:7-9, by clicking here: Behold the Lamb, Children of God.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Children of God.

Wake Up, City of God

Do you ever have one of those times when you hear a Bible passage repeated over and over in your life? Church, online, devotional reading, wherever.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 has been that way for me over the last few weeks. Even more, I felt God prompt me to study it in depth each time I heard it. I couldn’t let it merely go in one ear and out the other.

Passover and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection approach with each passing day. These words from Isaiah are the last of four passages referred to as the “Servant Songs.” They all prophesy the suffering of the coming Jewish Messiah. So with that divinely orchestrated coincidence, this post begins a series building up to Passover and the Resurrection in which we’ll consider this song of the servant. Today, let's only focus on the first stanza.

The Servant Jesus

When I first read through these verses something odd jumped out at me. I immediately circled it in my notes. As it turns out, the oddity would be the key to understanding this passage.

The oddity is this – the word “You.” Do you see it right there in the third line? Who is the “You” referring to since the Servant throughout the passage is referred to as “He” or “Him?”

As a Christian, I see Jesus throughout this passage – He is the Servant who will act wisely. Who else’s appearance would appall many? Could anything be as horrific as Jesus’ disfigured, mutilated body hanging on a Roman crucifixion stake?

The context for these verses helped enlighten me to whom the “You” refers. Back up to verses 1-12 of this chapter. “Wake up, wake up; put on your strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the Holy City! For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer enter you” (Isaiah 52:1). And so it continues throughout the chapter. “You” refers to Zion, the beautiful city of Jerusalem.

Why are many appalled at Jerusalem?
After all, Israel is God’s “treasured possession” (Psalm 135:4). Jerusalem is “the city of our God” (Psalm 48:1) and “the perfection of beauty” (Psalm 50:2). This is only a very brief, quick sampling of how God feels about Zion, Jerusalem, and Israel.

However, despite all of that, the first part of Isaiah 52 reminds us His treasured possession was enslaved in Egypt and oppressed by the Assyrians (Isaiah 52:4). The rulers of Jerusalem wail and men blaspheme the name of the Lord within her (Isaiah 52:5).

How could this happen to the city – the people – that the Lord loves?
Perhaps one reason God allowed it was to serve as a picture for how His Holy Servant would also be mistreated and reviled by the world. He also would endure the extreme of separation from God before the time of His exaltation.

Despite the slavery, oppression, and groaning, God exalts His holy city. “Remove the bonds from your neck, captive Daughter Zion” (Isaiah 52:2). God redeems her (verse 3), her watchman and her ruins will both shout for joy once again (verses 8-9), and God will reveal His salvation for all nations within her (verse 10).

God will do likewise for His Servant, the Messiah. Jesus also was disfigured and beyond human recognition, but “He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13).

Just like people were appalled with “You,” Israel, they also will be appalled with God’s Servant.

Just like God will restore and exalt His Holy City, He will restore and exalt His Servant.

And you know what? These two things are going to happen at the same time – when Jesus returns a second time.

In that moment, “all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10).

In that moment, “He will startle many nations” (Isaiah 52:15).

In that moment, “Kings will shut their mouths because of Him” (Isaiah 52:15).

Because they will see and understand what didn’t previously seem possible – that Jesus, the Servant, the Messiah, is the salvation of the world.

Read about the second stanza, Isaiah 53:1-3, by clicking here: Believe It, People of God.

Read about the third stanza, Isaiah 53:4-6, by clicking here: Consider the Why, Rebels of God.

Read about the fourth stanza, Isaiah 53:7-9, by clicking here: Behold the Lamb, Children of God.

Read about the fifth stanza, Isaiah 53:10-12, by clicking here: Receive the Victory, Chosen of God

Where is God in a Tragedy?

I've posted on peace the last two weeks; I thought this week would be different. Bombs in one of America's great cities - Boston, Massachusetts - changed that, however.

People are quick to ask, "Where is God in a tragedy like this?" The question has been asked and answered thousands if not millions of times throughout history.

If you know God, you know where He is in the midst of tragedy. If you have a true, intimate relationship with Him, you feel His pain sear through you while at the same time you feel His comfort envelop you.

Verses like these start populating your thoughts.

“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).

“Our comfort abounds through Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:5).

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18).

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him” (Romans 13:5).

In times of tragedy, God's Word pours out like cool water into a dry, parched mouth. His comfort overflows until it fills the very furthest recesses of your heart. He offers

Hope

Rest

Peace

He wraps our pain in the comfort of His Word.

Yet, this intimate phenomenon is available only for those who know Him – those who have willingly forsaken their trust in themselves and placed their trust in God. That’s why so many ask, “Where is God in a tragedy like this?” They don’t know because they haven’t experienced His presence during the pain.

That’s ok, though, because it doesn’t have to stay that way. Christ wants a relationship with all – including you, including them. He weeps over those who reject His comfort; if you don’t believe me then read Luke 19:41-42.

Click here to read more about starting that relationship.

UPDATE 04/16/13: News stories of a massive earthquake in Iran and the constant threat of a missile launch in North Korea are already mixing in with the news coverage of the Boston terror attack.

UPDATE 04/19/13: West, TX was suddenly leveled by a massive explosion. The city of Boston spent the night with terrorists racing through the streets, firing weapons, and throwing explosives. People are voluntarily confined to their homes.

Friends, that is the world we live in; tragedies will increase, horrors will continue. Now is the day to trust God, and if you already do trust Him, then tell someone else about your relationship with Him.

To read more about the peace available through Christ:

The God of Peace

My Peace I Give You

Click on the word Peace in the label section in the right sidebar to read even more articles on the peace of God.

My Peace I Give You

I don’t know about you, but I’m still coming down from the high of celebrating Jesus’ resurrection this past weekend. I know I’m not the only one based on some comments I read on an internet article today.

My focus this particular spring holiday season seemed to have a different dimension. I’ve been an eschatology (study of the end times) fan for several years. I won’t get into all the particular instances but every observance of Jesus’ resurrection this year also reinforced in me the certain hope of His Second Coming.

Combine that with the high level of turmoil in our world right now. Some days I think I’m about ready to cancel my Facebook account because it’s often heart-wrenching to read through my newsfeed. Let me go check my feed right now and I’ll let you know what I see…

• Threat of North Korea attack
• Another shooting on an army base
• Death of a 17 year old kid
• Death of a legendary music composer
• Israel launches airstrike on Gaza
• West Coast newborns face thyroid problems due to Fukushima nuclear disaster
• The impact of media deception on our culture

That was in my first 30 news items. Yes, good stories mixed in with the bad; friends’ vacations, adorable pictures of little ones all dressed up for Easter, a Chick-fil-a picture, and high school kids having fun together. But I don’t think my point here is lost – we are in need of comfort and peace.

I pondered and prayed about these things earlier tonight; God reminded me of this passage. 

Let me give you a little context first; it’s so appropriate for this week. John chapters 14-17 are the most detailed account of Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples. If you took all of my Bible and I could keep only a few chapters – these are the ones I would keep.

Here’s the thing – we are living in this passage. We are living in the time between His first coming and His second coming. Jesus left these final words for us - you and me.

He gave us His peace.

He left it here. He left us the peace of God that passes all understanding. He left it via the Holy Spirit that dwells within each and every believer. If I’m not at peace, something is wrong. Something in my life is squelching the peace available through the Spirit.

God’s peace isn’t like the world’s peace. 

God gives us peace “at all times and in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Any source of peace offered by the world will come and go. The world’s peace may be here today but it won’t last. It’ll be gone tomorrow.

Don’t be troubled. 

Don’t be agitated or stirred up. I wrote about this before in We've Got Troubles.

Don’t be afraid.

Don’t be timid. The same Spirit that gives you peace also gives you power. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

He’s coming back. 

My list from my Facebook news feed reminds me that someday Jesus will abolish death, war, disease, and lies. That’s all I need to know. That’s enough to get me through.

Through the Eyes of a Child: Growing up in a Post 9/11 World

On September 11, 2001, my second daughter was only four days away from her first birthday.

This coming Saturday she will celebrate her twelfth birthday. This tragic event has shaped reality her entire life.

In honor of the anniversary, I decided to ask her some questions about the event.

Q: What do you know about the 9/11 attacks?

A: I know the south tower was hit first and later the north. The first plane hit the top and the second hit around the middle. The Pentagon was also hit. That plane went through the first three rings of it. When the first tower fell, even though they were hit within minutes of each other, the second tower stayed up twice as long. I know Building 7 fell because of debris from the other buildings.

I know the people who did it are terrorists.

I know a lot of people were hurt in the towers and from debris falling from the towers. They continued to search for people for days afterwards. After three or four days they were looking for remains more than people who had survived.

I know heroes saved dozens of people but died in the process.

Q: How do you think the attacks changed our country?

A: The attacks changed us because now we are a lot more cautious in what we do government-wise. The government doesn’t want something like that to happen again so they are more careful.

We changed because now we know what people can and will do to get revenge and stuff like that. Even though we didn't know anyone in the attacks, we still have a lot of sorrow and pain for those who did. I'm very sensitive for people who have gone through death.

Q: How important are the 9/11 attacks in the world you are growing up in?

A: Well, to a child’s point of view they aren’t very significant. But as I get older and understand more things like that, I realize how much people were hurt from losing their friends and family.

I think we need to teach our children about things like this so they don't repeat these kinds of things in the future. We don't want kids to grow up and be seriously mad at something and choose to deal with it in these kinds of ways.

Q: How should we feel about the terrorists now – eleven years later?

A: It is still a big deal for those who did and didn’t lose people in the attacks. Sometimes I wonder how the people who planned the attack felt on 9/11. Did they feel proud? Or, maybe they regret what happened. Are they embarrassed now because it didn't destroy us? What do you think?

"Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation."
Joel 1:2-3

Fire Brings Out the Flavor

Not much compares to the ooey-gooey blend of textures and flavors in a s’more.

My husband arrived home one Friday night with a plastic grocery bag in hand. The bag’s contents revealed a bag of marshmallows, a box of graham crackers, and two packages of Hershey's chocolate bars. Milk chocolate for him and three of the girls; Special Dark for one of our daughters and myself. Later that night, as the sun was setting and temperatures were dropping, we threw some logs in the fire pit. We gathered our supplies, pulled up some chairs, and settled in for a sweet evening. 

My husband is the master of the roasted marshmallow. His instinct seems to know just the right height to hold the marshmallow above the flames so it turns an even golden brown without becoming a sugary torch. He even knows just the right moment to pull the marshmallow from the flame; the moment after it is all melted but before it slides off the stick and plops in the glowing embers. With the marshmallow roasted over the open flames until it was just perfect, we squished it between two crackers and a piece of chocolate. It may be a sticky, ooey-gooey mess but oh, it tastes good.

Some marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars were leftover the next day. We decided to make s'mores in the microwave after lunch. They were ooey. They were even gooey, but they weren't as good as the fire-roasted treats the night before.

Roasting in the fire dramatically improved the flavor of the marshmallow, and therefore, the whole s'more.

In the days since our s'more experience, a couple of times I've encountered the writings of one of my heroes of the faith. Although not Jewish, Corrie ten Boom endured time in a Nazi concentration camp for having aided the Jews. She survived and dedicated her life to teaching forgiveness rather than vengeance, grace over hatred. As I read one of her quotes, I thought, "I'd love to write and think like she did." My next thought stopped me, though, "But look at the fire she went through to get there."

In our crazy, mixed-up world, many of us are going through fires. My husband may know exactly how long to hold the marshmallow over the embers, but God even knows how to bring us through the fire. Even more, He knows that when He pulls us from the fire, we will be stronger, wiser, and more beautiful for His service.

As I look back over the years, I have many good memories. However, the fires are what molded me into who I am today. The fires of today are shaping me for His work in the future. The fire makes the marshmallow irresistible, the gold beautiful, and the child of God precious and pure.

"But now, this is what the LORD says--he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior'" (Isaiah 43:1-3).

Restoration: Satan doesn't win

Last Saturday, my husband stuck his head in from the garage and yelled, “I’m getting ready to fix the bird feeder if you want to come take pictures.”

I believe he is also starting to see this ongoing saga of the bird feeder as a tool through which God can teach us.

As I watched him skillfully put the feeder back together, many thoughts wandered through my head. No wonder Jesus used parables to teach His followers; we can learn so much from the world around us!

When the raccoon attacked the bird feeder it fell apart. When Satan attacks our church – or any other aspect of our lives – we fall apart. But God’s got it under control. Consider these outcomes with me…

God knows what to do

It may seem simple to some, but I wouldn’t know the best way to put the feeder back together. My husband, on the other hand, didn’t think twice. Knowing what to do, he just did it. Likewise, God “understands how weak we are; He knows we are only dust” (Psalm 103:14 NLT).

God can bring out the power tools

If I tried to fix the bird feeder myself, I would have painstakingly tried to nail the pieces back together with a hammer and small nails. I would have smashed my thumb a few times. I probably would’ve split the wood when I did get the nail in. My husband didn’t even mess with a hammer. He pulled out the power tools and got the job done. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).

God can rebuild stronger that before

Some factory poorly constructed the bird feeder; they fastened it together with short, weak pins that easily bend and don’t have a head to hold them in. When my husband reconstructed the birdhouse, he used longer, thicker, and stronger nails that will hold it together much better. “My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word” (Psalm 119:28).

God restores what was lost through the hard times

Do you remember the pictures of the shattered bird feeder in the last article? You might have noticed that no food was scattered among the crash. When I first noticed the lack of food in the mess, I thought, “The bird feeder must have been empty when the raccoon got it.” Then, I realized that was kind of an, uh, not so bright thought. There was no birdseed in the mess because the raccoon had eaten it.

Satan doesn’t go after an empty church. He only attacks churches filled with seeds of life! “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him” (Romans 15:13). “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again” (Psalm 71:20).

God’s timing is perfect in putting our mess back together

My husband rebuilt the bird feeder on a sunny, warm day. My daughter took this picture this morning – only two days after my husband hung the feeder. Everything may be going great but we never know when the next storm is going to come. God prepares us to be ready at exactly the right time. “He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Click here to read the first parts of the bird feeder saga:

This is for the Birds(Part 1)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner(Part 2)

I Don't Want to Eat Like a Bird(Part 3)

Looking for Someone to Devour(Part 4)

Together Again

Nearly eleven years ago I sat at a funeral service for a friend, teacher, and mentor who had passed away. I just came home from the funeral for her husband. Both fought losing battles to cancer and left this life well before their time. 

Despite their early deaths, they both left behind a testimony of love, service and devotion, not only to each other, but first and foremost to Jesus. I nearly wept when I looked at the cover of the memorial leaflet. I saw a picture of them as a young and happy couple, with the words “Together Again” below.  They are together again, but greater still, they are together in the presence of Almighty God and in the presence of His Son, Jesus Christ. Chemotherapy isn’t there. Radiation isn’t there. Injections aren’t there. Pain isn’t there. 

Now, I grant you, neither are their children and grandchildren, siblings, and many of their other loved ones. But you know what? They will be. By the testimony lived by this godly couple, all of those people will one day join them in that joyous and holy presence of the Savior. When all is said and done, that is all that matters. Our careers, houses, and possessions won’t matter. Even precious photos and special memories won’t matter. All that will matter is that we are standing before the throne of God and those that we love will be there with us.

How do I know? Ten years ago this month, I sat in another service. Before that service, during a private family viewing, I sat in the front pew beside my father as the casket of my mother lay in front of us. I remember asking my dad, “How do people do it? How do people do it who have no hope?” Taken suddenly and at a young age, my mother’s death the day after Christmas came as a shock to our family. I learned during that time that anyone of us can be taken by death at any time. Will those you leave behind have the hope of seeing you again in heaven? Have you made that decision to follow Christ as your Lord and Savior? Have you been a witness to your loved ones of that lifestyle so that they will someday join you?

“If the only home I hope for is the grave,

if I spread out my bed in darkness,...

where then is my hope?

Who can see any hope for me?”

(Job 17:13,15 NIV)

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

(Titus 3:4-7 NIV)

Sister Time

Over the last two weeks I have had different opportunities to visit with several old friends. Oops! Did I say they were old? Well, I meant our friendship is old. To look at these beautiful spiritual sisters you would think that to go back nearly 20 years together, we must have been friends in the cradle, although that is far from the case. 

Careers and callings have taken us apart from each other's daily lives but summer vacations brought each of them back into my life for a short season. They each have children the same age as mine; we joyously discovered time has brought us to a point where the little ones don't require constant supervision. They are more than happy to run and play uninterrupted. That left us with time to talk and reconnect on a more adult level than we knew decades ago.

My first sister and I sat at the kitchen table in the mornings, each with coffee in hand. Another sister and I shared across the front seat of a minivan while our husbands piloted another minivan behind us. (At least it started that way - you know men, they had to pass us at the first opportunity.) A third sister and I caught up with each other late into the night, curled up in the living room, her in an overstuffed chair and me at one end of a couch. A fourth sister and I even stood under the back hatch of her mini-van, in the middle of a rainstorm, while my daughter played softball in the mud a few yards away.

War - physical and spiritual. Drug lords. Violent crimes. Generational bondage. Societal deterioration. Corporate buy-outs. Job layoffs. Intercontinental job transfers. Childhood behavioral disorders. Alcoholism. Homosexuality.

As each shared her heart with me, I began to wonder if God was trying to teach me something by bringing each of these women into my life over such a short amount of time. I've never lived in a war-torn country or helped fight a battle of alcoholism. I've encountered the effects of a deteriorating society and coped with childhood behavioral problems but I'm not sure I was successful with either.

The thing about God, though, is His principles are timeless and boundless. Go beyond the cliché and listen to the truth of God's words -

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 
Hebrews 13:5

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
2 Corinthians 12:9

“Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” 
Proverbs 1:33

These and many other verses from Scripture remind us that God is powerful, eternal, constant, and gracious. Those are life-altering truths in this tumultuous, shifting world.

What promises of Scripture do you cling to when life gets hard? Please share your favorites in the comment section below!