Category Archives: Christian Living

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Get With It!

Just Do It Already

Synopsis: Proverbs reminds us that motivation is a holy thing; it is a state of being that will energize you to do the hard—but right—thing. And, as we see throughout Proverbs, the Lord highly values and honors it. One of my favorite motivational gurus, the late Zig Ziglar, said, “Motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis.” I agree: Just do it already! And Walt Disney gave us some free advice that we would do will to apply to our own lives: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” So, what is one area in your life in which you would need up your motivation game? Identify it, and my friend, just get after it! Again, quit talking and do it already!

Get With It

Moments With God // Proverbs 26:13-15

Loafers say, “It’s dangerous out there! Tigers are prowling the streets!” and then pull the covers back over their heads. Just as a door turns on its hinges, so a lazybones turns back over in bed. A shiftless sluggard puts his fork in the pie, but is too lazy to lift it to his mouth.

Motivation! It is one of the major themes in Proverbs—praising those who have it and admonishing those who do not. Proverbs does not offer an intricate explanation for why people are not motivated, or a detailed plan for how they can get motivated. It just says they need to build a fire in their life and get with it.

Speaking of motivation, I love the story of the guy who worked the swing shift in a factory, and every night when he walked home from work after dark, he would go a great distance out of the way just to avoid a cemetery that was smack dab in the middle of his route. One night, wanting to save some time, he worked up the courage to walk through the graveyard>. Well, lo and behold, it wasn’t so bad after all! So, he started walking right through the cemetery every day, to and from work.

However, on one of his walks home, a fresh grave had been dug right in the path he now walked by habit, and he fell into a deep, dark, damp open grave. For some time he scratched and clawed trying to climb out called—to no avail—so he then started calling out for help, but it became apparent that he was going to get neither help nor out of his tomb. So, he sank down into the bottom of this pit, pulled his coat up around his ears and prepared for a long night until the grave diggers came the next morning and could help him out.

After some time had passed, another man came down the same path, and he too, fell into the open grave. The first guy just sat there with a smile on his face watching this second guy, who was so preoccupied with getting out that he didn’t notice the first guy.

After a while, the second guy grew tired and he, too, gave up his clawing and scratching and yelling and sank down into the bottom of the grave. At that point, the first guy said, “You’ll never get out of here, boy!” Guess what? On hearing that eerie, disembodied voice from the other end of the grave, the second guy did! The disembodied voice from the grave was all the motivation he needed—and he was out in about two ticks.

Proverbs reminds us that motivation is a holy thing; it is a state of being that will energize you to do the hard—but right—thing. And, as we see throughout Proverbs, the Lord highly values and honors it. Consider these verses from this book of practical wisdom:

The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. (Prov 13:4)

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. (Prov 14:23)

The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. (Prov 15:19)

Speaking of motivation, one of my favorite motivational gurus, the late Zig Ziglar, said, “Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis.” I agree: Just do it already! And Walt Disney gave us some free advice that we would do will to apply to our own lives: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

So, quit talking and do it already!

Now if you are a committed Christ-follower, and if you are motivated, God has promised honor to you. If you are not, however, then you will get no psychological explanation or motivational pep talk from the Bible—only a swift kick to the seat of the pants and a warning: Get with it or get left in the dust of those in life who are motivated.

So, get with it already! God stands ready to bless you!

What is one area in your life in which you would need up your motivation game? Identify it, and my friend, just get after it!

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The Perfect Reflection Of Christ In Me

It Takes Fire To Burn Away Impurities

Synopsis: The prophet Malachi likened God to a refiner of silver. How comforting to know that God will never leave you in your furnace of affliction too long, but neither will he remove you from the fire too soon. You see, the Great Refiner knows just the right amount of time and heat you will need to endure in your furnace of affliction—your trials and tribulations—to burn out the dross and bring forth the reflection of his Son’s image in you. So, in light of that, here is your one assignment this week when you’re facing hardship: “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials.” (Jas 1:2)

Refiner's Fire

Moments With God // Proverbs 25:4

Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith.

A few years ago a guest pastor was preaching at our church, and he shared one of the most compelling testimonies I’d ever heard of how God had used unusual hardship throughout his life to bring him to his current place of tremendous kingdom usefulness. He likened his experience to being put through a refiner’s fire, and since most of us had no real experience with the actual refining of precious metals, he shared these insightful and inspiring words about the process:

When a silversmith purifies silver, he never takes his eyes off the furnace, because the silver will be injured if the fire gets too hot, even to the slightest degree, or if it stays too long. But if he takes the silver out too early, it won’t be purified. So when the silver is in the fire, the smith stays totally focused so that nothing distracts him. He carefully watches the silver, waiting for the right moment to take it out. And how does he know when it is just the right moment? He knows the silver is pure when he can see his face reflected in it.

The Old Testament prophet Malachi likened God to a refiner of silver. How comforting to know that he will never leave us in our furnace of affliction too long, but neither will he remove us from the refiner’s fire too soon. You see, the Great Refiner knows just the right amount of time and heat we will need to endure in our furnace of affliction—our trials and tribulations—to burn out the dross and bring forth the reflection of his Son’s image in us.

I want to give you just one assignment this week for the challenges and hardships you will face. It comes from James 1:2-4, and it is simply this:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

“Consider it pure joy!” Now James was not talking about putting on a smiley face or finding the happy place or faking it ‘til you make it in the midst of your challenges. Those kinds of responses to hardship probably indicate that you have slipped into denial. When James says to “consider,” he means to take a deliberate look at the weird, disappointing and painful stuff that happens to you and intentionally rejoice because you know that God is at work!

You see, God has promised to use your problems, among other things, and best of all, to sanctify your character. He will use whatever is trying you as fuel for the refiner’s fire to burn out everything in you that doesn’t look like Jesus. That’s why James writes that in your trials, “the testing of your faith produces perseverance that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

So rejoice, my friend, even when it hurts—God is simply completing you! He will not let the heat get too hot nor will he leave you in it too long lest you get permanently injured. But neither will he take you out too soon. No, even right now, his watchful eye is trained on you, looking for that perfect moment when he sees the reflection of Jesus.

Reflect on Romans 8:28-29 each day this week: “We know that all things work together for good if we love God and are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow he did predestine to become conformed to the image of the Son of God.” Now, in each of your trials this week, make the connection: Why does God work all things together for good? The answer: to make you like Christ!

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Bible Idolatry

The Clear And Present Danger of Bibliolatry

SYNOPSIS: The goal of Bible study is not to gain greater knowledge of Scripture, grow spiritually, or simply be able to check off that item on your daily list of things to do. It is to know God and his Son, Jesus Christ. By “knowing” I am not referring to an intellectual event, but the intimate exchange of one’s life with the Almighty whereby love is deepened, obedience is practiced, faith is expanded, and our life reflects Jesus to those who experience us. That is when searching the Scripture leads to eternal life.

Bible Idolotray

Moments With God // John 5:39-40

You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

I can think of no simpler yet more powerful practice for greater spiritual growth and intimacy with God than daily Bible study. The truth is if you don’t have a regular quiet time with God—which would include not only reading but also meditation and prayer—you will fail to thrive spiritually. It is as simple as that.

Yet Bible reading, journaling, and Scripture memory alone aren’t enough. In fact, there is a very real danger lurking in the practice of a daily quiet time that will lead to an even greater distance from God than not reading at all: Love of Scripture without love of God. That is what we might call bibliolatry.

Bibliolatry occurs when we acquire biblical knowledge without spiritual discernment; when our study of the Word is not commensurate to our obedience of the Word; when our love for Scripture exceeds our love for God, and correspondingly, love for our fellow man; when pride in our methodology of Bible study leads to a false sense of righteousness; and when the spiritual discipline of quiet time becomes a work of law rather than an offering of grace. When that occurs, in effect, we are worshiping the Bible rather than the God of the Bible.

There are far too many “Christians” who read the Bible little, if at all. That is an unfortunate blight on the modern church. Yet there is another segment of believers, much smaller, but in deeper spiritual danger, who have been lulled into a sort of spiritual smugness because they fancy themselves as “people of the Word” or because, as they happily proclaim, the church they attend really “teaches” the Word.

Knowing the Bible isn’t enough. Satan knows the Bible as well as anyone. He can quote it at will. Daily reading and Scripture memory aren’t enough. Nicodemus (see John 3) had that down pat. The Pharisees knew the scriptures backward and forward, yet rather than being closer to God, they were quite far from him. Going to a church that prides itself in teaching the Word verse-by-verse isn’t enough. There are people in those churches who have developed a false sense of true righteousness.

Hearing, reading, and believing the Bible isn’t enough. Believing in Jesus is. Jesus said, “Whoever believes the Son has eternal life.” (John 3:36)

The goal of Bible study is not to gain greater knowledge of Scripture, grow spiritually, or simply be able to check off that item on your daily list of things to do. It is to know God and his Son, Jesus Christ. By “knowing” I am not referring to an intellectual event, but the intimate exchange of one’s life with the Almighty whereby love is deepened, obedience is practiced, and faith is expanded.

That is when searching the Scripture leads to eternal life.

Take A Moment: Offer this prayer today: Lord, may my study of your Word always lead me to greater intimacy, obedience, and love. May I not simply grow more knowledgeable of the Bible—may I grow more knowledgeable of you.

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Buck Up, Soldier!

Tough Faith Needs Tough Times

Synopsis: Scripture is quite clear: troubles are an unpleasant but essential part of the journey toward Christian maturity. Solomon said, “If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.” James said, “Consider it pure joy when you face various trials.” Hebrews said, “Others have suffered far worse than you… So don’t feel sorry for yourselves.” Tough but necessary words. The 17th-century French bishop Francois Fenelon offered this helpful perspective: “God is your Father, do you think he would ever hurt you? He just cuts you off from those things you love in the wrong way. You cry like a baby when God removes something or someone from your life, but you would cry a lot more if you saw the eternal damages your wrong attachments cause you.” That being true, I guess it’s time to buck up!

Buck Up Soldier

Moments With God // Proverbs 24:10

If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place. (The Message)

I read this morning in my daily quiet time how the apostle, beaten for preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus, rejoiced “because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:41) Now that is some tough, gritty faith. And we see that kind of thing repeated throughout scripture, reminding us that tough faith requires tough times.

When I was a little kid, I would usually run to my mom rather than my dad when I got hurt, frustrated, or felt picked on by my older siblings. Why? Because my mom would usually hug me, dry my tears, and baby me in all sorts of ways. My dad, on the other hand, would typically say, “buck up, bud,” or “walk it off, kid! Rub some dirt in it! Get over it!” or “dry it up, little man or I’ll give you something really to cry about!”

It’s not that my dad was uncaring; he just didn’t want me to be soft. He wanted to toughen me up for the day when I would really have something to cry about. Looking back, I am grateful for the balance that a tender mom and a tough dad brought into my life—but I am especially thankful for the grit my dad ground into me. It has served me well on the sometimes tough, unfriendly, and demanding path I have trod in my adult life.

But to be honest, there are times even now that I fall back into my whiny-kid mode. That happened recently when I complained to the Lord about some disappointments I thought were unfair for him to allow into my life. I suggested that if he didn’t start doing his job better, it might be time for me to scoop up my marbles and head home. And with typical timing, the Lord sent a reminder that, in essence, repeated the same fatherly admonition I heard so many times growing up: “Buck up, bud, this ain’t nutin!” This time it came in the form of an email from the East African coordinator of our church-planting ministry. My African friend shared the testimony of one of our church planters who just had a contract taken out on his life. Yea, that’s right, a guy with a gun was trying to kill him simply because he had come to a village to preach the Gospel—and our guy was rejoicing how the Lord was using him!

Wow—I guess my troubles are puny compared to that!

Hebrews 4:12 says, “In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don’t feel sorry for yourselves.” (The Message) What is the writer saying? If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!

So I am going to shelve the complaints until I shed the first drop of blood for the cause of Christ. And if you hear me whining between now and then, you have my permission to say, “Buck up, bud, or I’ll give you something to cry about.”

Now, what about you? Maybe it’s time for you to toughen up a bit, too!

Memorize James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The next time you are tempted to whine, quote this verse instead.

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The Whole Enchilada

Be A Grace Giver

SYNOPSIS: As we move along in our walk with Jesus, we are either moving into what we might call performance-based Christianity, or we’re moving toward grace-based faith. Performance-based people believe they deserve a full day’s pay based what they do. They act as if God is getting a good deal in getting them; that he couldn’t run his vineyard without them. But grace-based believers understand they did nothing except to show up and accept God’s generous offer. Their entire relationship with God is based on trust in his ridiculous generosity and gracious character. So, choose to be a grace-based believer, and whatever you do, don’t make it difficult for others like you once were who are now turning to God.

The Whole Enchilada

Moments With God // Matthew 20:16

Jesus said, “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

On its face, the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16 has to be one of the most unfair stories in the Bible. Come on—people who come to work just before quitting time and get paid the same as those who’ve put in a full day! You’ve got to be kidding! Since Jesus told parables to illustrate the Kingdom of God, how in the world does this story represent the Father’s righteous rule?

In this story, a landowner goes to the marketplace to hire temps at the beginning of the workday—a twelve-hour day that began at 6:00 AM—and contracts with the most suitable looking workers: a day’s work for a day’s wage—one denarius. Then, still needing help, he goes back at 9:00 AM, again at noon and at 3:00 PM to get more workers. Each additional time, however, there is no contract; he just says he’ll pay them whatever is right. Finally, at the eleventh hour—at 5:00 PM—he goes back and sees a few more workers hanging around. Now you’ve got to ask why haven’t they been hired yet…and how come they’re still here? Waiting to get hired with one hour left in the day is kind of like showing up at a pumpkin farm the day after Halloween looking for work selling pumpkins. Obviously, these guys are not your Stanford MBA types; they’re not the most employable people at the temp service. But help is needed, so they’re hired.

Then the owner blows them all away at the end of the workday by paying all the workers the same: One denarius—a full day’s wage! Imagine the surprise of the eleventh-hour workers when they realize they’ve just been paid the same as the all-day guys. I can imagine one of them saying, ”We didn’t really deserve this. Let’s get out of here before the payroll people realize their mistake and ask for the money back.” And the all-day workers—wow, are they mad at the ridiculous generosity of the owner!

So what is Jesus getting at in this parable? To begin with, understand that this is not a story about how corporations should draft compensation policy, so don’t get hung up over that. As a general rule, people who work twelve hours should get paid more than people who work one hour. Operate your HR department like this landowner and you’ll soon be out of business.

What Jesus is doing here is picturing the kingdom for us: Undeserving, unlikely desperate people trusting in the generosity of God to include them in his vineyard. The vineyard is a metaphor for coming into God’s kingdom, through Jesus. Who gets to be in God’s kingdom? Everyone—anyone who accepts Jesus’ offer, that’s who! And all kinds of sinful people are taking Jesus up on this offer: Prostitutes, tax collectors, and even Gentiles. They’re coming in at the eleventh hour and still getting the whole denarius.
But the pious Jews who’ve been in the vineyard all day long aren’t happy about this. They can’t grasp this thing called grace that Jesus is revealing; it’s nothing less than scandalous to them.

Now here is one of the things I’d like for you to consider in this story: You are an eleventh-hour person—me, too—but the longer we are in the kingdom, the more we become like the all-day people. Every time someone new comes into the vineyard, they become the eleventh-hour worker and we move back down the line to ninth-hour workers, to noon people, to the nine o’clock crowd, until finally, we are sitting with the all-day folks. And the real danger we face is taking on the attitude of these all-day workers.

As we move along in our walk with Jesus, we are either moving into what we might call performance-based Christianity, or we’re moving toward grace-based faith. Performance-based people believe they deserve a full day’s pay based on what they do. They act as if God is getting a good deal in getting them; that he couldn’t run his vineyard without them. But grace-based believers understand they did nothing except show up and accept God’s offer. Their entire relationship with God is based on trust in his ridiculous generosity and gracious character.

Don’t slide into an all-day spirit. Rather—perhaps you should do this on a regular basis—simply recount the gracious goodness of God that invited you into his vineyard when you did nothing to deserve it at all. Take a moment to absorb what Philip Yancey wrote so insightfully about this in his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace:

Many Christians who study this parable identify with the employees who put in a full day’s work rather than with the add-ons at the end of the day. We like to think of ourselves as responsible workers, and the employer’s strange behavior baffles us as it did the original hearers. But we risk missing the story’s point: that God dispenses gifts, not wages. None of us gets paid according to merit like these early workers, none of us, for none of us comes close to satisfying God’s requirement for a perfect life. If paid on the basis of merit, we would all end up in hell.

Good point—none of us gets paid according to merit. And aren’t you glad about that? If we did, we would all—both all-day and eleventh-hour workers alike—end up in a Christ-less eternity.

Listen, friend, you received the whole grace enchilada when you didn’t even deserve a nibble of the beans and rice. So be grateful—be very grateful! And don’t ever stop!

Take A Moment: Quit trying to control how others come to God, or worship, or serve or grow in their faith. Just release them to God’s grace, because his grace will do a much better job conforming them to his image than your griping.

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Getting Unstuck From Relational Kindergarten

Social Intelligence

Synopsis: Do you lack emotional and social intelligence? Most people who do are usually not curious enough to even wonder. That is why they are stuck in relational and professional awkwardness. But if you do, then why not just go to some straight-shooter in your world and ask them what they think. And let me add a good rule of thumb: if they are honest enough to talk about your elephant in the room, and even if they don’t do it with a lot of grace and tact, “take it like a grown-up!” Then do something about it. Don’t stay stuck in emotional kindergarten or remedial manners class. With God’s help and good friends, you can develop self-awareness and get on the path to becoming a winsome person.

Moments With God // Proverbs 23:1-2

When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.

Some people just don’t get it! They are relatively attractive in their physical presentation, they are reasonably intelligent, and they have skill sets that should allow them to be successful. For all intents and purposes, they should be flourishing vocationally and relationally.

The problem is, that they have gaping deficits when it comes to emotional intelligence and social awareness. When it comes to knowing how to interact with people and act in certain settings, they are unaware, detached and we might even say, totally clueless. The light bulb is in the socket, but it ain’t burnin’ too bright if you know what I mean.

That’s the kind of person this proverb is describing. Although the particular emphasis here is on table manners, the greater thought has to do with both the kind of self and social awareness that will allow a person to have friends, move up the ladder of success in their career, get the kind of traction that allows them to make an impact in the world, and enjoy the life-long love a spouse who just flat out adores them and children who admire them into their own well-adjusted adulthood.

I’ve run into people like that occasionally, and invariably they will complain that they have no close friends, or that they just can’t seem to catch a break at work, or question why God doesn’t seem to provide them a serious love interest even though they’ve prayed about it. Even if they are aware of their shortcomings, some will even say, “Well, people ought to just accept me…I am what I am.”

Well, if that’s your attitude, good luck. You’ll probably be saying that to the very end when you are old, lonely, and miserable!

Here’s the deal: If perhaps after reading this you’re wondering if you lack emotional and social intelligence, why not just go to some straight shooter in your world and ask them what they think. And let me add a good rule of thumb: if they are honest enough to talk about your elephant in the room, and even if they don’t do it with a lot of grace and tact, “take it like a grown-up!”

And then do something about it. Don’t stay stuck in emotional kindergarten or remedial manners class. You can develop self-awareness, you know. How?

One, ask God. He is in the business of answering prayer. His indwelling Spirit wants to have more control of you, and as you yield to him, good stuff will start to happen. James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” In fact, this entire book of Proverbs was written to “impart shrewdness to the morally naive, and a discerning plan to the young person.” (Prov 1:4)

Two, ask someone who seems to be socially skilled and relationally successful for a few pointers—then start implementing their interpersonal tips in a way that is appropriate for you. The Apostle Paul exhorted his disciples, “Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (Phil 4:9)

And three, look around. Watch people. See how others behave in social settings. That should give you a clue as to what is appropriate or not. And just a caveat here: Make sure you are in proper social settings. Be smart about it, because you’re probably not going to pick any redeeming social graces in some of the questionable places that now seem to be acceptable in our unguarded age. Again, taking our cue from Paul, “pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.” (Phil 3:17)

You may never be the slickest person in the bunch or have the smoothness of some people—and that’s okay. But God does want you to be a person of grace—and he’s got plenty of that to give you, free of charge. No matter where you are on the emotional-social continuum, I hope you will access his unlimited supply.

Much of the book of Proverbs has to do with our personal development, and the truth is, not too many people have the personal fortitude and self-awareness to pull off growth in these areas on their own. Most of us need a partner to hold our feet to the fire for personal growth. So I challenge you to not let another week go by without bringing someone onto your personal development team.

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Disappointed With God?

Now’s A Good Time To Tell Him—He Can Handle It

SYNOPSIS: It is easy to believe in God in the good times—when things are going great, prayers are getting answered, and the Almighty is obviously on our team. But just cut off the flow of blessing, squeeze our faith a little, push us out of the comfort zone, let God get outside of that nice, neat theological box we like to keep him in—then take our spiritual temperature and see if we’re still aflame with faith. Listen up, my friend: at the end at the end of the day, you’ll never be disappointed when you trust God.

Disappointed with God?

Moments With God // Matthew 11:2-3

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

Let’s be honest—we’ve all been deeply disappointed with God. Sometimes he doesn’t live up to our expectations: a prayer didn’t get answered the way we wanted, when we wanted, a healing didn’t occur, a job was lost, a relationship went sour, a marriage wasn’t saved, a loved one refused salvation, a child died…

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 the comfort zone, let God get outside of that nice, neat theological box we like to keep him in—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 browbeating, 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 happen, he questioned. So Jesus redirected John’s faith—he encouraged him to take his eyes off circumstances and put them back where they belonged:

Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, “God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.” (John 11:4-6)

Jesus is inviting John to keep his eye on the undeniable evidence of God’s activity; to stand firm in the unshakeable hope of God’s Kingdom; to lean into the unbreakable promise of God’s Word; to never let go of the irrefutable goodness of God’s character. And then, when it’s all said and done, John is just to fiercely trust!

We’ve all had those kinds of doubts, questions, disappointments, and perhaps even anger with God when he doesn’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: Own up to your upset. God won’t give you a holy 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 invite you to trust.

And at the end of the day, you’ll never be disappointed when you trust God. The Apostle Paul, who knew a fair amount about suffering, wrote these encouraging words 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.

Fiercely trust—that is how you practice hope!

Take A Moment: Have you been honest with God about the doubts you are having—especially when they concern your confidence in him? He invites your thoughts, worries, and concerns—so right now is a great time to talk to him. And to listen. And then, to fiercely trust!