Meditations

Genesis 28:1-31:55

Living The Dream

Jacob had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth,
with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it.
Genesis 28:12

Go Deep: Leo Burnett was an advertising executive named by Time magazine as one of the twenty most influential people of the twentieth century.  He created such memorable icons as the Jolly Green Giant, Tony the Tiger, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and my personal favorite, Charlie the Tuna.  Leo once said, “When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.”  I like that!

One of the delightful gifts God has given mankind is the ability to dream—to see into that which is not yet, to envision a brighter tomorrow, to reach for the stars.  And though our dreaming and our reaching may be perverted by human pride, selfishness and greed, even still, the very capacity to dream has been implanted in our DNA by the Creator to remind us of the kind of inexpressibly delightful world he once created for us, and will recreate for his redeemed children in the age to come.

And once in a while, God gives us a dream.  We have other dreams, of course, not from God but rather birthed out of our own life experience, recent (or even archived) sensory intake, or perhaps from too much pizza the night before.  But on occasion, God will allow our mind to slip into that unseen, spiritual dimension through a vision, or more likely, a dream, where we get a sneak peak into God’s reality.  Usually that experience will be a bit blurry, since human beings typically have a wee bit of trouble wrapping their minds around such infinite things, but our spirits are left uplifted by it nonetheless.

God gave Jacob quite a dream—one of heaven intersecting earth in which the angels of God traveled back and forth, presumably to ensure that God’s will would be carried out in Jacob’s life. (Genesis 28:12) The dream also included God himself promising to fulfill the Abrahamic covenant through Jacob as well as a reminder of God’s presence and protection for Jacob as he journeyed through life. (Genesis 28:13-15)

For Jacob, this dream became a truly defining moment.  He named the place of the dream Bethel—the house of God—and he built an altar of remembrance there. Later, after God had fulfilled many of the dream’s promises, Jacob returned to Bethel (Genesis 35), which now was a sort of spiritual touchstone, an ongoing reminder of God’s sovereign right to rule over Jacob’s life and his promise to graciously and generous provide Jacob with all he needed and desired. Bethel kept Jacob reaching for the stars even while he was trudging through the mud.

The whole point of this dream was to reveal to Jacob what God was already doing—guiding, providing and protecting Jacob on his journey, even when Jacob was unaware or unable to see the Invisible Hand.  So what does that mean for you and me?  Simply that God-inspired dreams might be nice, but our faith doesn’t need to rest on them.  What God might graciously reveal in a dream is simply what God is doing 24/7 in your life anyway.

Award-wining journalist Belva Davis said, “Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality.”  Even better, through Jacob, God’s word says to you, “Don’t fear the space between your reality and God’s promises.” You see, when you are walking with God, you are living the dream!

Just Saying… Don’t fear the space between your dreams and your reality—God is there.  Faith is not dependent on dreams, neither is it dissuaded by reality.  Faith trusts in the God who says, “Do not be afraid, I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Genesis 15:1)

Matthew 17:1-19:30

The Downside of a Spiritual High

“Now as they came down from the mountain,
Jesus commanded them …”
(Matthew 17:9)

Go Deep: We love mountaintop experiences; “spiritual highs” — experiences so wonderful that we never want to lose the good feeling of their warm afterglow.  Like the good feelings we had at the moment of salvation, or an ecstatic encounter with the Holy Spirit, or when we cried our eyes out at the altar during summer youth camp, or at a revival meeting when God’s presence seemed so thick you could slice it.

The problem with those kinds of experiences is that we tend to fixate on them, and then rate the rest of our Christian walk against them.  Unfortunately, nothing can quite live up to the warm fuzzies of a mountaintop high.

We love to stay on the mountaintop with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, don’t we?  That feels so good, and going back down to the valley where life is lived is so…well, so mundane.  But following Jesus always means we have to “come down from the mountain to do as he commands.”  We have to leave the sanctuary, the worship service, the warm incubator of our small group Bible study and get back into the game of extending the Kingdom to those who don’t know Jesus yet.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a high mountain where he was transfigured—literally, morphed—right before their eyes.  And not only that, two of Israel’s greatest prophets appeared before them—Moses and Elijah. Peter, predictably, suggested what the other two disciples were thinking:  “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, let us make here three [shelters]: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4)

Who wouldn’t want to stay there!  I would.  I would want to can that spiritual experience and pull it back out of the can everyone once in a while—okay, a lot—to enjoy the moment of that “spiritual high” all over again.

Here’s the deal: God never intends for us to fixate on “spiritual highs”; they are meant for fuel to empower us for some spiritual assignment.  Jesus didn’t have this encounter with Moses and Elijah just so he could feel special.  Luke 9:31 says that these two Old Testament prophets came to encourage him about his upcoming departure—literally, in the original text, his “exodus.”  Jesus was about to face the greatest assignment of all—the cross.  This mountaintop experience was meant as fuel for his impending death for the sins of the world.

Now don’t misunderstand, I am not down on “spiritual highs.”  They are wonderful, and necessary.  Just don’t fixate on them!  Resist the urge to erect a shelter just so you can bask in their warm afterglow.  Don’t rate the rest of your Christian experience against them.  Simply see them for what they are:  fuel for the assignment ahead.

Then get off the mountain and back in the game.  And while you’re at it, get out there and give ‘em some heaven!

Just Saying… Charles Spurgeon gave a good dose of spiritual reality to all of us mountaintop types:  “Serve God by doing common actions in a heavenly spirit, and then, if your daily calling only leaves you cracks and crevices of time, fill them up with holy service.”

Psalm 18:1-20:9

In God We Trust!

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 20:7

Go Deep: You would think by now we’d know how foolish it is to trust in anyone but the Lord for our safety and security.  That is not to say that we shouldn’t lock our doors at night, put our money on deposit with the banks, expect our leaders to provide a strong national defense, think through long-term investment strategies that will help us in our retirement years, and so on.

There is nothing wrong with that!  In fact, the Bible calls us “prudent” when we think in those terms.  But our first and fundamental trust needs to be in the Lord.  He is our source.  He is our provider.  He is our future.  In fact, Deuteronomy 30:20 says that the Lord is our very life! And when our primary trust for that which will bring us peace, joy and comfort begins to drift back to human beings and man-made institutions, we are on the road to eventual disappointment.  Just ask anyone who has lost a boatload of money in the sinking economy lately.

Here’s the deal:  Be wise, work hard, and do the things that will provide for both short and long term safety and security.  But make the primary and ongoing source of your wellbeing God. Rather than trusting in chariots and horses, look at the coin in your pocket and do what it says:  In God We Trust.

How can you do that?  I think prayer is one of the best ways.  Each and every single day, come before God and acknowledge your dependence on his provision.  Before every meal, return thanks for his goodness.  When you lay your head down on the pillow, review your day and ask yourself if you have honored God in everything you have thought, said and done.  At every decision, ask him for guidance.

Make God the critical part of your moment-by-moment life, keep him as the senior partner in every decision, and once in a while, look at all the broken down chariots that litter life’s highway as a reminder that trusting in the name of the Lord is better.

Just Saying… Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”

Judges 7:1-11:40

Love That Outweighs Wrath

Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord.
And he was grieved by their misery.
Judges 10:16 (NLT)

Go Deep: When you read the book of Judges, you quickly discover a pattern—a sad one.  It’s not limited to Judges—it’s the same cycle in the history of God’s people from creation to the present day.  In a nutshell, it is concisely illustrated in Judges 6:6-10, and it goes something like this:

God calls a people unto himself and blesses their obedience to his ways; God’s people wander from their calling and pursue gratification outside of God’s law; God sends warning after warning of the disastrous consequences of disobedience; God’s people continue in their rebellion; disaster strikes; the people repent; God relents and restores.

It would be so much easier if we would just stay under the umbrella of God’s blessing through our loving obedience, wouldn’t it?  And yet we don’t.  As the old hymn points out, we’re “prone to wander from the God we love”.  And how it grieves his heart when we do.  It grieves him that we would spurn his love—and the blessings that flow to us for our loving obedience—to swallow the sweet poison of the world’s enticements.  It grieves him that we would ignore the plentiful warnings, both throughout Scripture as well as through the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, to plunge knowingly into that which invites Divine judgment—the direct judgment of his punitive anger and the more familiar judgment of the consequences of going our own way.

God is a just God, and sin brings his justice.  But God’s redemptive love is more powerful than his righteous wrath!  That is not to lessen or negate the consequences of sin—the law of sowing and reaping is a universal law—but what we observe in the history of God’s dealing with his people is that his compassion outweighs his indignation…when there is repentance. Notice the interaction between God and his people in this section of Judges 10:

God:  “You have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” (Judges 10:13-14)

Israel:  “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. (Judges 10:15-16a)

God: And the Lord could bear Israel’s misery no longer. (Judges 10:16b)

Again I say, how about we skip the rebellion and it’s consequences by staying under the umbrella of blessing by loving and obeying the God who loves us.

Just Saying… Dutch Anabaptist reformer Menno Simons wrote in a letter, “Wherever there is a pulverized and penitent heart, there grace also is, and wherever there is a voluntary confession not gained by pressure, there love covereth a multitude of sins.”

Genesis 24:1-26:35

The Unintended Consequences of Divine Blessing

Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold,
because the LORD blessed him…[but] the Philistines envied him.
Genesis 26:12, 14

Go Deep: We all want to live in the zone of God’s blessings, but are we willing to pay the price for those blessings?  You see, sometimes—not always, but sometimes—those blessings bring unexpected and undesired consequences into our lives. Sometimes our blessings will arouse the envy of those who are not so blessed. Sometimes their envy will morph into open conflict with us. And sometimes, our success creates so much pain and discomfort for the non-blessed that it fundamentally changes the relationship.

That is not always the case, but sometimes it is, and we need to be ready for those unintended consequences if we desire to live under Divine blessing. It just might be that God’s favor upon your faithfulness will painfully expose a tender area in another’s life, and there will be a hurtful reaction toward you.  Some people won’t be able to handle your success, and will do everything they can to pull you down to their level of dissatisfaction. For those reasons, it could be that God’s favor will force you to leave your comfort zone. But fear not, for if that’s the case, that forced move will always be to a larger zone where greater blessing can be received.

That’s what happened to Isaac here in Genesis 26:12-32.  God’s hand of blessing was upon Isaac, and he began to prosper in ways that made others envious—and not in a complimentary way.  Isaac’s harvest that year was a hundredfold, and he “became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.” (Genesis 26:13) That didn’t sit well with the locals, whose lack of success was exacerbated by Isaac’s uncommon success.  As a result, Isaac was despised, and ultimately forced to leave the very land that had produced his blessing. But God was with Isaac, and continued to favor him exponentially until Isaac had far outgrown the small minds and petite faith of those who were envious of him.  God had a better place of greater blessing for Isaac, but it took those unintended consequences of blessing to get him there.

I suppose that is the kind of problem you want to have if you’re going to have a problem. Now I am in no way promoting arrogance toward those who are not as blessed as you.  If at all possible, you are called to leverage your blessings to bless others.  But sometimes—not always, but once in a while—your blessings may produce some unintended consequences.

If that’s the case, keep your eye on God—that’s what Isaac did. (Genesis 26:25) What you suspect are unintended consequences might just be intentional maneuvers on God’s part to make you even more blessable.

Just Saying… Eric Hoffer said, “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.” Is something forcing you out of your comfort zone? Take a second look at it—it may be a blessing in disguise, forcing you from the comfort zone to the blessing zone.

Matthew 14:1-16:28

Self Therapy of the Divine Kind

When Jesus heard [of John’s death], He departed from there by boat to a deserted place
by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from
the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and he
was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Matthew 14:13-14

Go Deep: Karl Menninger, founder of the famed psychiatric clinic in Topeka, Kansas that bears his name, was once asked, “What would you do if you thought you were going crazy?”  Without even having to think about it, he said, “I’d go out and find someone less fortunate to serve.”

There is just something so self-healing about serving somebody else—especially if they are worse off than you. When you are going through your own hardship, whatever that may be—sickness, loss, disappointment, depression—God’s therapy is to find those who cannot help themselves, somebody who cannot pay back your kindness, and minister God’s love to them.

Don’t get me wrong—I am not suggesting denial or avoidance as it relates to your own hurt. Not at all! But to love, serve, and bless the less fortunate is to initiate a spiritual law that we find in Acts 20:35, “And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Jesus said it another way in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

In other words, when you are the conduit of God’s love and grace, and when heaven’s generosity is being poured through you to those in need, on the way through you, that same flood of love, grace and generosity will leave the Divine touch in your own life.

Jesus is practicing his own preaching here in Matthew 14. King Herod had just beheaded Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist. When Jesus heard the news, he was deeply affected with unbearable sorrow over the loss of a loved one. And he did what most of us would do: He got away from the crowd for some time alone to pour out his grief before God.

But Jesus didn’t stay there long. He didn’t make the retreat into isolation his permanent address; he didn’t accept the paralysis of grief; he didn’t allow loss to define him. Rather, as other people who were hurting for reasons different than his own found him, he allowed compassion to flow, and out of that, he began to minister to their needs.

Jesus was setting a pattern for us, don’t you think? Not to minimize the pain that we experience from loss, but to turn it into a productive force that initiates God’s healing therapy in our own lives as we become the conduit of Divine love and grace to hurting people.

Perhaps you are licking your wounds today from the loss of something dear and near to your heart—maybe even the death of a loved one. If that is the case, try doing what Jesus did. See the needs of other hurting people around you and love them.

You probably won’t feel like doing it, but do it anyway. It won’t take away your own pain, but it will unleash God’s healing therapy for you. And at the end of the day, you will find that your journey through grief will be a lot healthier and a whole lot more productive.

One More Thing… Sir Thomas Browne put it well: “By compassion we make others’ misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also.”

Psalm 15:1-17:15

The Apple Of God’s Eye

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 17:8

Go Deep: Did you know that God has favorites?  The Bible tells us that he held the nation of Israel as the apple of his eye.  Really—you can read that in Deuteronomy 32:9-11 and Zechariah 2:7-9.

The good news is that God not only played favorites with Israel, he holds you as the apple of his eye, too. How so?  Through Christ’s blood!  You see, when you came to Christ, God took all the love he displayed for Israel, and for his Son, and he placed it on you.  Now you are the one he loves.

An inspiring writer by the name of Brennan Manning tells the story of an Irish priest who was on a walking tour of his rural parish one day.  And there by the roadside he found an old man, a peasant, kneeling in prayer. The priest was quite impressed, so he walked over and interrupted the man: “You must be very close to God.”

The peasant looked up from his prayers, thought for a moment, smiled and said, “Yes, he’s very fond of me.”

This simple man had a simple faith that revealed a profound self-awareness of his true identity—he knew he was loved by God, and that was all that mattered! Manning developed his own personal declaration from that touching story.  He would say of himself, “I am the one Jesus loves.”

It sounds a little arrogant, but he’s actually quoting Scripture.  Jesus’ closest friend, John, identified himself in his Gospel as, “the one Jesus loved.” If you were to ask John, “What is your primary identity in life?” he wouldn’t reply, ‘I’m one of Jesus’ disciples—actually one of the three in his inner circle!”  He wouldn’t say, “I’m one of the twelve apostles.” Nor would he identify himself as “the author of the Gospel that bears my name.  As a matter of fact, I wrote the original ‘Left Behind’ book—Revelation.”  Rather, John would simply say, “I am the one Jesus loves.”

I hope that you, too, will take to saying that.  More importantly, I pray that you will start believing it in your heart, because when you truly grasp how great the Father’s love for you really is, it will change your entire life!  Peter Kreeft insightfully wrote, “Sin comes from not realizing God’s love. Sin comes from thinking ourselves only as sinners, while overcoming sin comes from thinking ourselves as overcomers. We act our perceived identities.”

Friend, your identity is the “one Jesus loves”. Now start perceiving it. You are the apple of God’s eye—that is who you are. In fact, your Father is watching over you at this very moment with great delight.

Now go act like that’s true, because it is!

Just saying… Blaise Pascal, the brilliant 17^th century French mathematician and philosopher, wrote: “Not only do we only know God through Jesus Christ, but we only know ourselves through Jesus Christ; we only know life and death through Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ we cannot know the meaning of our life or our death, of God or of ourselves.”

Judges 1:1-6:40

The Power of a Proper Baton Pass

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation
grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.
Judges 2:10

Go Deep: Is there anything sadder, or scarier, than the failure of a parent or a pastor or a leader to properly pass the baton of vision, purpose and calling to the next generation.  The book of Judges is the classic case study of how a once great and godly nation quickly lost its way after the death of Joshua, and never really found it, not consistently at least, for the 400 years between the departure of Joshua and the arrival of Israel’s greatest prophet, Samuel.

Who was to blame for Israel’s demise?  Judges doesn’t really assign blame to any particular person.  And to be certain, each generation has to make its own decision to wholeheartedly follow the Lord.   Scripture makes this abundantly clear in Joshua 24:15 (NLT),

“But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

“But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord!”  Joshua didn’t have the ultimate power to determine how his descendents would live, but he was going do everything in his power to make sure they had a compelling vision of what God had already planted in their hearts—a lifetime of love for and service to God.

That is job number one for a Christian parent, isn’t it! It is not to ensure their child will have nice things, make all the latest techno-gadgets available to them, get them into all the cool activities available to kids these days, make sure they’re in the best school, buy them a hot little car when they come of age, or even leave them a nice nest egg for an inheritance.  Those are all secondary, at best.  The best gift dad and mom can give their child is an active and intelligent faith in God.  When a generation of parents neglects to pass the baton of faith to their children, you get what happened in Israel.  It’s describe in the very last verse of Judges, which I’ll paraphrase:

“Israel had no moral compass, so everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)

I don’t want that to be true of my family, or my church, or even of my nation.  You don’t either.  So let’s recommit to Joshua’s bold pledge today: “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  And if nothing else, let’s make sure there is a smooth and solid baton pass of active, intelligent faith to the next generation.

In my case, I’d just as soon skip Judges and pass the baton directly from Joshua to Samuel!

Just Saying… Dr. Larry Crabb writes, “A vision we give to others of who and what they could become has power when it echoes what the spirit has already spoken into their souls.”  Parents, make sure you give your child a compelling vision of what God has already embedded in their DNA!

Genesis 20:1-23:20

When God Tests

Some time later God tested Abraham … “Take your son, your only son, Isaac,
whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a
burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
Genesis 22:1

Go Deep: I’m guessing this story in Genesis 22 raises a few questions for you.  I mean doesn’t this “Divine ask” violate everything we know and trust about the character of God?  How could a loving God ask such a cruel thing of Abraham?  And if God did that to Abraham, what kind of tests will he put me through?

If you’re feeling a little upset with “the God who tests” about now, here is my advice:  Relax, take a deep breath, and step back for a broader view of God.  Once you go a little deeper into this story, and look at it through the lens of the entire Bible, here is what you will come to understand about Divine tests:

First of all, God’s tests are never without preparation.

Notice the very first line of this story: “Some time later…”  With God, time comes before testing. Typically, the word “test” conjures up negative images. Tests are the enemy; they are set-ups for failure; the harder the test, the more unfair the teacher.  But those kinds of tests and that kind of teacher have no place in an accurate theology of God. This test came only after the events of Abraham’s life that we have been reading about since Genesis 12.

God didn’t suddenly spring this test on Abraham—and he’ll never spring one on you.  This is no pop quiz; it is not without context.  Abraham has now walked with God for about 30 or 40 years, and God has been preparing him through lesser tests all along the way.  God didn’t test him like this until he knew Abraham was equipped for it.  And God will never give you a test that you cannot pass.

Divine tests only come when you are prepared!

Second, God’s tests are never without purpose.

In Genesis 22:12, the Lord stops Abraham from slaying Isaac, and says, “Now I know that you fear God.” This word “test” is used eight times in the Old Testament when God does the testing and each time it is used in the Old English sense of the word: “to prove.”  God’s testing is not to expose, but to prove.  When God says, “now I know”, that wasn’t for God’s benefit, it was to give Abraham confidence that his faith in God was no foolish faith. You see, Abraham’s faith was tested, God’s faithfulness was tested, and both were proven trustworthy in Abraham’s mind.

Divine tests will always prove that your faith in God is never misplaced.

And third, God’s tests are never without provision.

Genesis 22:14 says, “So Abraham called the place ‘The LORD will provide.” The emphasis here is not on the provision, but “the Lord who provides.” The most important provision here for Abraham is a prophetic revelation of the person and his plan of God. The physical provision, whatever that might be, is always secondary to a deeper revelation of the One who provided it!  Through this test, Abraham learned what God wants you to learn: He is the Lord who provides!

Divine tests always result in a deeper revelation of God to you.

Now that you know about divine test, dare you say, “bring it on!”?

Just Saying… Oswald Chambers wrote, “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the One who is leading.”

Matthew 11:1-13:58

When God Doesn’t Live Up To Billing

“Are you the one who was to come, or should
we expect someone else?”
Matthew 11:3

Go Deep: Let’s be honest—we’ve all been deeply disappointed with God. Sometimes He doesn’t live up to our expectations. A prayer doesn’t get answered the way we want, when we want: a healing doesn’t occur, a job is lost, a relationship goes sour, a marriage isn’t saved, a loved one refuses salvation, a child dies…

That’s when faith really gets tested. It is easy to believe in the good times—when things are going great, prayers are getting answered, and God is obviously on our team. But just cut off the flow of blessing, squeeze our faith a little, push us out of our comfort zone—then take our spiritual temperature and see if we’re still aflame with faith.

John the Baptist was there. He had obeyed the call of God early in his life as the forerunner of the Messiah. He had arranged his whole world around announcing Jesus as Israel’s Messiah. He had lived an austere life, preached his heart out, courageously confronted the religious establishment, boldly challenged sinful hearts, and called Israel to national repentance, all to prepare the way for Jesus. He expected his faithfulness to God and obedience to the call would usher in the Kingdom of God when Jesus showed up and launched his messianic ministry.

But now he was in jail. He was in a pretty serious situation that in a few days would lead to his beheading. And Jesus was out there preaching to small crowds, doing a few miracles here and there, and not taking this Messiah thing very seriously. John was disappointed, to say the least.

Did you notice how Jesus handled John’s disappointment and doubt? Not with a brow beating, not with a rebuke, not with anger, Jesus simply reaffirmed John and spoke about his value in God’s eyes. Jesus understood where John was coming from.

Jesus also understood that God’s timing was way different than John’s. John wanted the Kingdom now, and when it didn’t happened, he questioned. So Jesus redirected John’s faith—he encouraged him to take his eyes off circumstances and put them back where they belonged: On the undeniable evidence of God’s activity; on the unshakable hope of God’s Kingdom; on the unbreakable promise of God’s Word; on the irrefutable goodness of God’s character. And then to trust!

We’ve all had similar doubts, questions, disappointment and perhaps even anger with God when he didn’t live up to billing. Maybe that’s where you are today. That’s okay—God is big enough to handle your upset—provided you do as John did and be honest about it. God won’t give you a beat down if you’ll come to him with a humble and honest heart. He’ll simply reaffirm your inestimable value and remind you of his everlasting love—and then he’ll invite you to trust.

And at the end of the day, you’ll never be disappointed when you trust God. Take to heart what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5,

“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 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.”

Just Saying…“Bless your uneasiness as a sign that there is still life in you.”  That’s from Dag Hammarskjöld, the Swedish-born Secretary-General of the United Nations, whom President Kennedy called “the greatest statesman of our century.” Not only sign of life, your uneasiness may in fact be the pre-evidence that God is doing a great work in you.  Missionary Frank Laubach wrote, “There is a deep peace that grows out of illness and loneliness and a sense of failure. God cannot get close when everything is delightful. He seems to need these darker hours, these empty-hearted hours, to mean the most to people.”