Month: March 2019

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.’”  Matthew 25:21

            This verse is part of a parable Jesus told to explain what heaven will be like. For that reason, it is often used at funerals or when we express what we are longing to hear when we get to heaven. Both uses are completely legitimate, but I began to think about what these servants had done to receive such praise. After all, if you’re reading this then you’re not yet to the point of hearing this in heaven. You, like me, are still in the “working it out” phase. First, let’s think about what it was like to be a servant in the time of Jesus. Very probably, these were actually slaves, owned by their master. If they were Hebrew slaves, then they would have had the opportunity to buy their freedom. Put yourself in their shoes. The master gives them money and then leaves town. How tempting would it have been to hide away some or all of the profits in order to buy their own freedom? How often do we do the same thing? God gives us something and instead of using that gift for His kingdom, we use it for our own pleasure?

            That brings us to the next point, which is that everything they had was from the master. They weren’t asked to invest their own money. The master gave them everything they needed to make investments and do the work he had asked of them. The same is true for us. Is God asking you to do something? In case you’re wondering, the answer is yes. He has something for each and every one of us to do. Be assured that He will supply whatever you need to complete that task.

            But let’s look at it from another angle. Has God given you anything? Again, the answer is yes. He has given us every good and perfect gift. That includes everything from the house you live in to the personality you have. Your family, your possessions, your talents, your smarts, your experiences – they’re all gifts from God. So how are you using those for Him? I remember when I was going through a season of grieving and I heard a sermon about being a good steward of our grief so we could use it for God’s glory. Everything single thing we have can be used by and for God. Or we can choose to hoard it and use it only for our own pleasure and comfort.

            I hope you’re still with me here. I hope you’re not going to stop reading because that’s just too much to ask of any one person. I’m not suggesting that we are all to be Billy Grahams or whatever other Christian “superhero” you can think of. Well, unless those are the gifts God gave you. But notice in the parable that the one given one talent was not expected to make five more. Only the one who had been given five to begin with was expected to make five more. So don’t beat yourself up because you’re not doing as much or as well as someone else. The reason you’re not doing what they’re doing is because you’re not them. Comparing ourselves with other human beings is a completely human thing. God doesn’t do that. The question is not if we’re doing as well or as much as someone else. The question is if I am doing what God wants me to do with what He has given me. If I am, then I can look forward to hearing these words someday. And what a glorious day that will be!

The Lord your God, who is going before you will fight for you. Deuteronomy 1:30

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. Deuteronomy 20:4

One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. Joshua 23:10

Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. 2 Chronicles 20:17

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Romans 16:20

           Do you see a theme in these verses? If you said the theme is that God fights for us, you’re partly right. Granted, that’s a very important part. We’re all in a battle every single day. Sometimes we can see and hear our enemy. We may be facing ridicule or harassment from someone who doesn’t believe in God and makes it their mission to let you know how ridiculous they think it is to have faith in an unseen God. Perhaps your enemy is within. There may be a smoldering anger, a reluctance to forgive, an impatient spirit. There are many ways in which we fight the enemy of our own flesh. And then of course, there’s the universal enemy, Satan. He’s the one who uses the world and our flesh against us, the ultimate tempter. He wants to see us angry with God, or hopeless, or even slowly drifting away from God. Any of those things would be victories to him. When we realize that we are continually surrounded by enemies, that Satan never sleeps, that there is a non-stop offensive against us, it can be pretty debilitating. What human has the strength and energy to maintain a constant defense for long?

           That’s when it can be very comforting to realize that God fights for us. I’m so glad He does! Just thinking of a constant, never-ending battle until we leave this earth is exhausting! I’m so thankful to have a heavenly Father who fights for me. So does that means that I can relax and take it easy? After all, if God’s doing the fighting, I can lay in the proverbial hammock and let Him do all the hard stuff. Right? If you think that’s what these verses are saying, you missed the other theme that runs through them. That theme is that we are still in the battle. The first one says that God will go before us. That indicates that we’re going. But we have a God who enters the fray before we do.  The second one says that He goes with us and the third shows us fighting, too. Not only do we have to do all we can to fight our enemy, we need to stand firm. Even the verse in Romans shows our participation. God is the One crushing Satan, but whose feet will Satan be crushed under? It will be ours.

            What is the battle you’re fighting? Is it mostly against another person or people? Is it mostly within yourself? Or is it mostly against the attacks of the enemy? Whatever and whomever you’re battling, these verses are both comforting and motivating. I take great comfort in knowing it’s not all up to me. I would feel pretty hopeless about the whole thing if I could only rely on my puny efforts. I’m so thankful to have the all-powerful God of the universe fighting for me. I can’t lose! In fact, He’s already won! But that doesn’t mean I can sit back with a relaxing cup of tea and expect God to take care of everything. Not that He couldn’t. He certainly could. But He invites me to be a part of the battle, to do all I can. What He’s really inviting us to be a part of is the victory celebration. Like I said (actually, He said it), He’s already won. He could leave you and me out of the whole thing.  But just think how sweet victory is going to be when we get to heaven! And how exciting it will be to know that we did our part. I know that ours is a very small part compared to what He has done, which makes it all the more amazing that He invites us to join Him in the battle and in the victory. What a great God we serve!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19.

It was exactly seven months ago today that I wrote on these very verses. At that time I talked about changes that were coming at my job. Those changes did, in fact, come. They were exciting changes and they were expected. But there have been other changes that weren’t so expected. I ended up leaving that job, saying goodbye to people who have become very dear to me. Then I had one of those milestone birthdays, which was actually pretty anti-climactic because it came the day after my sister began her battle with stage four cancer. I sure didn’t see that change coming! Then I started a new job, one that I love at least as much as the old one but for very different reasons. I’m working a different schedule and trying hard to adjust to that schedule. So some of the changes are good and exciting, some bring tears and fears. But all are change.

Did God see any of those changes coming? Of course He did. He saw every one of them and knew every minute detail. I didn’t realize it at the time, but He prepared me for every one of those changes. I have to admit that in the past, I have read these verses with the idea that I will eventually like every change God brings my way. If by “eventually,” I mean when I get to heaven, then yes, I will. But on this side of heaven, there are some changes I’ll never like. Besides, I no longer think that’s what God is talking about here. If you read these verses in context, He reminds the Israelites about how He saved them at the Red Sea. Then the very next verse says to “forget the former things.” If they’re supposed to forget them, why did He just remind them of it? I don’t think God means to forget them, as in have no memory of them. I think this verse is saying to not live in the past. The Israelites were depending on what God had done in the past to prove they were still living in favor with God when, in fact, they were practicing idolatry and had fallen far from God. So God is basically saying to not rest on your laurels. Keep seeking Him.

Too often we view the past with rose colored glasses. We look back on pleasant times in our life and wish we were back there again. We forget that there were difficulties then, too. It wasn’t all fun and games. Besides, we’ve changed since then. If we were put back into that exact same situation, it would no longer be so pleasant because it would no longer be a good fit for the person God has made us to be today. God isn’t saying to not take pleasure in memories of that time. What He is saying is to spend the majority of our time being mentally present in the present.

This passage goes on to say that wild animals do a better job of honoring God than His own chosen people were doing at that time. Ouch! But the wild animals knew that when water was provided, it was God who did the providing. People, on the other hand, had stopped calling on God. You know, I wonder if that’s why God brings change into our lives sometimes. I think there are times when I need a little shaking up to remind me to hang onto something, and that Something needs to be God. Other times change just happens. But no matter the reason for change, or even if you’re living in one of those rare seasons where change doesn’t seem to be happening for you, remember to continue to seek God. Continue to honor Him and praise Him. Thank Him for every good and perfect gift He has sent your way. And know that the One thing that never changes is our unchangeable, loving, caring God.

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”   Romans 5:5

            I recently began a new job in an industry where I have never worked before. I spent the first few weeks completely overwhelmed! I don’t remember ever feeling quite this overwhelmed when starting something new. Each day I struggled to grasp all the new concepts that were coming my way. Just when I understood one, five more would be presented. I went home each evening feeling as if I had been drinking from a fire hose. I’m sure there were many times when someone spoke to me and I responded with a blank stare. Here’s the thing about being overwhelmed: when you’re in that state you can’t really think about anything else. Your brain continues to ruminate on the issue and you try to see it from every conceivable angle until it makes sense to you. Even when you’re doing something else, it’s still there. Part of your brain is always on that topic. That’s what makes it so overwhelming.

           Recently in church, we sang about the overwhelming love of God. I’ve sung that song many times but this time it caught me up short and caused me to try to define what it means to be overwhelmed. My recent experience with it was not a pleasant one so I would hesitate to use that word to describe any part of my relationship with God. But really, shouldn’t we be at least that overwhelmed by Him? Shouldn’t our every waking thought be amazed at the love of God? Shouldn’t it be difficult to even think of anything else because of the enormity of His love? Shouldn’t we try to look at it from every angle, ruminate on it, revel in it? Look at this verse. It says God poured out His love. Not a drop here and there, not even a trickle. He poured it. His love is so great that it is definitely a fire hose experience.

            At my job I was trying to get concepts into my brain. But God is pouring His love into the core of my being, not just my thoughts but also my emotions. And that word for love, agape, means an active love. In other words, it’s not just an emotion. It’s an action. Of course, the greatest action was when Christ died on the cross for us. But there are so many actions God has taken out of His love for us. He created us. He formed us in our mother’s womb. He knows a thought before it’s on our lips. He pursues us, even when we ignore Him. He prepares the way for us. He prepares us for the way ahead. He is always and constantly acting out of His great love for us. I want to be overwhelmed by that.