On Eagles' Wings

“’I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.”  Luke 1:38

            I was recently watching two of my favorite theologians, The Skit Guys, as they illuminated the happenings of the first Christmas in a skit called One Holy Night. One of them asked, “How did this happen?” and the response was, “She said yes.” That just keeps running through my mind and has made me look in scripture at Mary’s response to the news that she would have a baby. The angel had just appeared to her, which would have been frightening in itself. Then he gives her the astounding news that she is to be the mother of God’s Son. Of course, she has questions. Who wouldn’t? But her questions weren’t doubts or excuses. She knew God could do whatever needed to be done. I seriously doubt she understood the full ramifications of what lay ahead for her or for her Son, but she was ready and willing to do what God was asking of her.

            Mary doesn’t just say yes. She makes herself the Lord’s servant. Another possible translation would be “slave.” The JB Phillips translation says, “I belong to the Lord, body and soul.” She gives God full reign to do whatever He desires. Of course, He didn’t need her permission.After all, He’s God. He can do whatever He wants. But God has chosen to allow us the choice of joining Him in His work. I believe that Mary had the option of backing out of the deal and telling the angel that God had to find someone else. She wasn’t going to do it. But she didn’t. She humbled herself and allowed God to work a miracle in her and through her.

            Most scholars believe that Mary was a young teenager, maybe about 14 years old. I have to admit that my first reaction is that her response sounds like a 14 year old, not thinking through all the consequences and difficulties but just jumping in with both feet and figuring things out later. Then again, maybe that’s what God wants from us. Maybe our “adult” reasoning and planning keeps us from saying yes when God is wanting to involve us in His work. Maybe we miss the glory of God, the wonder of His miracles because we get all logical and “sensible.” Maybe, just maybe, this Christmas season, God is asking us to stop our doubting and our excusing and our reasoning and just say yes to Him.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14

            Don’t you just love hearing this verse? And we hear it so often this time of year. It evokes feelings of such serenity, such, well, peace. When I hear this verse, I also tend to imagine what it must have been like to see the glory of the angels when they appeared to the shepherds that holy night. Actually, I can’t imagine that scene. It’s beyond my comprehension. But it must have been incredible! When the first angel appeared God’s glory “shown all around.” So what must that glory have been like when there was a whole choir of angles? Have you ever been in the dark and suddenly had a light shine in your eyes? Sometimes it’s so bright it even hurts. That must pale in comparison to what the shepherds saw.

            However, there are a couple of things that used to bother me about this verse. The first is that it seems like a lie. Hang on! Don’t crucify me yet. I’m not saying it is a lie, but at first glance it seems like it. I recently heard of a Jewish man who believes that Jesus lived on this earth, that He did all the miracles, etc. But he doesn’t believe Jesus is the Messiah because the Messiah is supposed to bring peace on earth and we just don’t see that. Well, the Hebrew word used in the Old Testament for peace usually does mean an external, situational peace. But the Greek word used in the New Testament, including this verse, means an inner tranquility and reconciliation in relationships, especially our relationship with God. So when the angels spoke these words to the first century shepherds living in poverty under Roman oppression, they weren’t promising that their external situation would change. They were talking about something much greater, more important, longer lasting. They were talking about an eternal peace with the Almighty God.

            The other thing that used to bother me is that it seems unfair. Once I understand that God didn’t mean there would be peace on the whole earth, then I see that there is an inner peace, but not for everyone. It’s only for certain people. It kind of makes me think that God has “teacher’s pets.” If He likes you, if He picked you out of the lineup, then you get His peace. If not, well, tough luck. But this verse could also be worded, “in whom He takes pleasure.” Think of loving parents with two children. One is a loving, caring child who makes good choices. The other chooses a path of rebellion, wanting nothing to do with his parents unless he needs money. Which one will the parents love? Both, of course. But which one will receive their pleasure? The one with whom they have a true relationship. That’s what this verse is saying. When our relationship with God is reconciled through the sacrifice of Jesus, we will know a peace that the world cannot steal, or even dim. As we move toward Christmas, let’s live out of that inner peace and tranquility.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

            This verse is quoted more often than you may think. I bet you hear it all the time. The problem is, it’s usually misquoted. What we usually hear is, “God will never give you more than you can bear.” But that’snot what this says, is it? Go ahead. Check your own Bible. You won’t find that phrase in there, no matter what translation you use. I think that this misquote has caused more self-condemnation and guilt than any other. If we believe that God lovingly created us (which He did) and He knows us even better than we know ourselves (which He does), and He says we should be able to handle whatever comes our way (which He didn’t), then what does it say about us when we just can’t seem to handle the situations in our lives? That’s not who God is. He doesn’t want us to handle things on our own. The truth us, we can’t handle some things on our own. But God can. As we surrender to Him, the Holy Spirit gives us God’s power, strength, courage, patience, and whatever else we need.

            So what does this verse say? Well, it’s talking about temptation and it’s saying that you have never faced a temptation that’s any stronger or weaker than someone else’s. The words “common to mankind” are one word in the Greek and it simply means that all humanity face the same temptations. Some hit us harder than others. Some may struggle with the sin of drunkenness. Thank God, that’s not a temptation for me. But I don’t get off the hook! I am often very tempted by other sins that may not phase the alcoholic. But that temptation is never stronger than God can handle. Did you catch that? Not stronger than you or I can handle. God is the only one strong enough to help us bear up under the temptation. That’s why it’s so important to remember His faithfulness. He’s always there for us. He’ll never let us crash and burn. Oh, we may stumble and fall down, but even then, He’s there to pick us up. In fact, not only does He pick us up, He provides a way out. This version says the temptation has “overtaken” us, but others use the word “seized.” I like that better because doesn’t it sometimes feel as if we’ve been captured and are being held prisoner by a temptation? But God will show us a way out of that prison if we will just look to Him.

            The next time you hear someone say that God will never give you more than you can bear, gently remind them – and yourself – that God’s the One who can endure anything. Nothing is too strong for Him. It’s true that as long as we’re on this earth we will be bombarded by temptations, but not one of them will be too much for God. Which means that not one of them will be too strong for you or me, as long as we’re living in His strength.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  Psalm 139:23, 24

These verses are the conclusion of one of my favorite psalms. I find the whole chapter to be so encouraging! Just think of it: God knew you before He made you, He created you in detail, he had each one of your days planned before the beginning of time. That’s an incomprehensible love! I find great comfort in knowing my God loves me and cares for me that much! It’s in the context of that love that the psalmist asked God to search his heart and mind. Even knowing how much God loves me, I still find that I am hesitant to ask God to search me that deeply. What if He finds something He doesn’t like? Of course, that’s a ridiculous question, because earlier in the chapter He has told us that He knows our thoughts before we do. So the real problem isn’t if God finds out.The real issue is if I’m willing to admit to those thoughts and attitudes that are buried deep inside.

I’ve known for a long time that God doesn’t want us to be anxious. We’re to trust in Him and lay our cares at His feet. But I find it interesting that in these verses, God ties anxious thoughts with offensive ways. The Hebrew word translated “offensive” could also be translated “pain.” In other words, when we harbor anxious thoughts, we give God pain. It makes me wonder how I would feel about a loved one who treats me the way I sometimes treat God. I promise them I’ll do something, something that is a simple task for me, but they don’t believe that I’ll actually do it. They say they do, but they worry and fret about it. They ask me over and over again if I actually will. They even get others to ask me for them. They keep telling me how it should be done, giving me detailed instructions and even then, they don’t believe I really understand them. They may even try to find another way to get the job done, because I just might not come through. How would you feel in that situation? I would feel hurt, frustrated, troubled, and, well, offended.

Isn’t that exactly what we do to God? We ask God to take care of a situation, then continue to fret. We ask others to also pray about it, then continue to fret.We check in with God to make sure He heard us, then continue to fret. And it goes on and on. But what is this “way everlasting?” If it’s everlasting, that means it is a way that is from ancient times and a way that will last throughout all eternity. That way is trust. Trust in the one and only God, trust in His provision for forgiveness of our sins, trust in who He is and what He has done and will do for us. When you realize these verses are in the same psalm as the verses about God planning our days before one of them came to be, I think it’s saying that He created us to walk in this kind of trust. We knew this kind of trust before the first sin in the Garden of Eden, and we will know it again when we are with Him in heaven for eternity.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:4, 5

This year during Thanksgiving week, I’m going to try something a little different and invite you to join me. The majority of our country will take time to celebrate a holiday called Thanksgiving, but I’m not sure how many will use the time to give thanks. And of those who do, many will concentrate on the things for which they are thankful, which is what I’ve done in the past.  There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. I believe God loves it when we take delight in His gifts to us. After all, the Bible tells us that all good and perfect gifts come from above (James 1:17).

But this year I’d like to concentrate on the One who is worthy of receiving my thanks. The difference may seem minuscule. Do I thank Him for giving me life, or do I praise Him as the giver of life? It almost seems like splitting hairs, doesn’t it? The difference is our focus. Do I focus on me and what I’ve received, or do I focus on God? To put it another way, do I love God because He gives me awesome gifts,or do I love the gifts because they come from the heart of my Heavenly Father?

This week’s verse gives us a start on attributes of God. It says the Lord’s love lasts forever.  That’s a long time!  And His love is perfect, unconditional, complete and whole. This verse also reminds us that He will always be faithful.  This verse alone gives us plenty of reasons to praise our God. I plan to take this week thinking about God and all His attributes. Perhaps I’ll find some time to sit down and list as many attributes of God as I can think of. Or maybe I’ll grab a concordance and look up verses listing attributes of God. What are some other ways we can concentrate on the Giver instead of the gifts? May God richly bless you this Thanksgiving with all good and perfect gifts!

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9

            What’s it like to be in despair? The dictionary definition says that despair is to lose or be without hope. Sometimes there are situations that seem utterly hopeless. A loved one who will never change, or that habit we just can’t kick. Or maybe it’s a diagnosis we’ve received, or some shocking news that came our way, or someone who left us. Many times it’s being beaten down by the consistent pounding of a negative situation in which we find ourselves. In all of these cases, and many more, we may feel as if there’s no hope, that despair is our only option. If anyone had a right to feel despair, Paul did. He faced difficult situations wherever he went. He was ridiculed and beaten by those who hated him, and even had troubles with those who loved him. It seemed that he was met with difficulties at every turn. Yet he is the one that God used to write this verse.

            I love how Paul doesn’t try to gloss over the fact that there were hardships. In fact, he says those hardships came from every direction. But he didn’t let them get him down. It sounds as if he even had times when he wondered what in the world God was up to! Can you relate?  Even in the midst of being persecuted for his faith, Paul doesn’t give in, nor does he give up. He knows that God hasn’t left him and that even if his body is destroyed, He will never be destroyed. In fact, earlier in this same letter, Paul has told them that he had suffered such hardships that he was afraid they were not going to live through it.

            So how is it possible that none of this led Paul into despair? The word that is translated as “despair” appears only twice in the New Testament, and we’ve just talked about both of them. The first is when Paul “despaired even of life” from the intense persecutions. But he goes on to say that even then, God was using the circumstances to cause them to lean on Him. The second time is in this verse when it says that we are not in despair. We may be confused about what God’s doing, but we’re not hopeless. Now why do you think the word “despair” only appears twice in the New Testament? And both times it says that he didn’t despair? Do you think it may be because we now have the opportunity to have the Holy Spirit within us? That changes everything, doesn’t it? I don’t know if it’s possible to be hopeless when we have the God of hope living within our hearts. So if you’re feeling despair, ask God to show you the hope we have in Him.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

            What are you anxious about today? Just a quick glance at the news shows us how much there is to cause anxiety in our world. But let’s come a little closer to home. Sometimes we have little, tiny anxieties in our lives. And sometimes our anxieties threaten to overwhelm us. Even if, by some miracle, there’s nothing in your life causing anxiety, I’m guessing we all know people in anxiety-inducing situations. And yet scripture tells us to not be anxious. In fact, it says to not be anxious about anything. That means there is not one single thing or person you should be worrying about. Nope, not even that situation. No, not that person, either. We’re not to worry about anything.

            How is that even possible? How can we possibly keep from worrying? Well, this verse gives us the recipe for a worry-free life. First is prayer. And not just an infrequent rote prayer. God wants to have a real conversation with you. He wants to hear about what’s on your heart and mind. He wants to hear all of it. Pour out to Him the concerns you have, the anger you try to hide, the disappointment you’ve faced. Even if God is the main one you’re disappointed in. Tell Him that, too. He wants you to talk to Him about everything. After you’ve unburdened your heart and mind, tell Him your want list. Ask Him to work out complicated details, or seemingly impossible situations. Lay all of that before Him. Notice I didn’t say to pocket the list after showing it to Him. Lay those worries down. Give them to Him and leave them there.

            If you’re like me, the hardest part is leaving them there. How in the world do we do that? He even answers that question. With thanksgiving. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to worry when you’re being thankful? If you want to be able to lay your concerns and anxieties at the feet of Jesus – and leave them there, learn to develop an attitude of continual thanksgiving. Of course, it won’t start out as continual. You’ll give thanks for one or two things, then go right back to worrying. But try it again. The next time you may be able to give thanks for five things before the worry bug bites. Then maybe seven. Before you know it, you’ll realize that you’ve gone several hours without worrying. Then maybe a whole day. That’s when you know you’re well on the way to living a life free from anxiety!

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Ephesians 5:19, 20

In this letter to the Christians at Ephesus, Paul is encouraging them to live in such a way that others can see the difference in them. He compares the light they have in their hearts with the darkness of their culture. He describes the sinfulness of society in a way that shows its filth and sordidness. He talks about the foolishness of living a life of drunkenness, and the futility of seeking joy in the partying lifestyle. He explains that such people will not find the kingdom of God using those paths and means. Then he holds up the Christians as beacons of light and love, a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere stifled with the stench of sin.

            That’s when he begins to tell them how to live so their goodness and righteousness will not only grow, but will be evident to all around them. He begins by encouraging them to sing. Why do you think he says that? Well, I think there are two reasons. First, he’s just been talking about drunkenness. So instead of singing drinking songs, let’s sing songs of praise. Singing is not a sin, but our reason and purpose for singing may be. Too often, the culture thinks the Christian life is dull and boring. We know that’s not true, so why not show that to the world? Show them that we have as much or more excitement in our singing as you’ll find at any secular concert. And better yet, our singing comes from deep inside us and goes deep into the heart of God. And that’s the other reason to sing songs of praise. It’s one of the best ways to lift us above the sin and filth around us and bring us right into the throne room of God!

           Then Paul gets to the part that I struggle with by talking about giving thanks.I don’t struggle with giving thanks. I’ve seen the power of an attitude of gratitude. Nothing lifts me out of a funk quicker than giving thanks. Nothing is better at shutting down the devil’s schemes. There are so many times when giving thanks is a game-changer. For example, when you’re overwhelmed, or discouraged, or sad, or lonely, or frustrated. The list goes on and on. So even if scripture didn’t tell me to give thanks, I would still be a big believer in the power of gratitude. The part I struggle with is giving thanks for everything. If it said to give thanks in everything, I could live with that. But for? I have to admit that I don’t get that. It seems impossible, illogical, and unreasonable. But that’s my human brain talking.While I don’t understand how this is feasible or why God would ask it of us, I do know that God only asks us to do what is for our best. I trust Him and I trust His word. Even the parts that seem as if they can’t be done. I know that when the time comes, God will give each of us all we need to be able to do what needs to be done. That’s when we’ll know a joy and peace the world can’t even imagine!

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

I have often heard this verse quoted to remind us to always be on our guard against Satan. After all, he never takes a holiday. Our adversary is always on the look-out for the slightest opportunity to bring us down. The original Greek word that is translated here as “prowls” can also be translated “walking” or “living life.” In other words, Satan doesn’t prowl around sometimes. It’s what he does all the time. It’s just how he is. If he’s capable of loving anything, he loves to see us fall away from God. He stops at nothing to bring us to eternal destruction. The moment we let down our guard, he pounces!

When we realize that about Satan, we see how important it is to be self-controlled and alert. We need to be thinking clearly about God, and about ourselves, and about our relationship with God. It’s also important that we are alert to the devil’s schemes, and just as alert to the help God offers us to combat those schemes. So that raises the question of how to always be alert. I don’t know about you, but just the thought of having to be alert at all times makes me tired. How can we possibly do that? Paul also talks about being alert in First Thessalonians where he explains that we are to put on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Hmmm. Breastplate and helmet. That says to me that we are to guard our heart and our mind.

Now we get to the core of the matter. What are you allowing into your heart and your mind? Let’s start with the mind. What are you allowing your eyes to see? Your ears to hear? Is it pleasing to God? What about that song, that oldie with the snappy beat? It may be fun to listen to, but what are the lyrics being allowed into your mind? What books are you reading, what shows are you watching? The heart can be a little bit trickier but it pretty much boils down to attitude. Are you living in an attitude of gratitude? Remember that scripture tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people, so if your heart is praising God, you can be assured that He’s in the middle of your heart. And we praise Him best when we’re thanking Him for His many blessings. When we’re protecting our hearts and our minds, that’s when we’re most alert. That prowling lion won’t be able to get one single nibble on someone like that!