Trust God in Difficult Times 

I was driving through downtown Atlanta on my way home after visiting my dad in the hospital. We had been experiencing a roller coaster ride of progress and setbacks over the previous ten days since my dad had broken his hip. That particular afternoon had been a very discouraging one due to my dad’s increased mental confusion that day. At one point on my drive, a vehicle from the next lane sharply cut over in front of me. It wasn’t a reckless or irritating maneuver as is sometimes the case, but simply one that caused me to pay greater attention to that car. As I did, I noticed two stickers on its back windows. One read “God is good.” The other one declared, “The Lord is my strength.” I immediately realized that those were truths I needed to be reminded of at that moment. I have never been one to put stickers on my car, but I am glad someone did. Neither am I claiming that an angel was driving that vehicle, but it certainly was a timely encounter. I continued to repeat those words to myself and find encouragement in them the remainder of my trip home.

When we are facing difficulties or going through other trying times in our lives, those are two truths we need to keep in mind. First of all, God is good. It doesn’t mean that whatever we are going through is good. However, it does serve as a reminder that God is not being mean to us, He is not getting any pleasure out of our sufferings, nor has He simply forgotten us or forsaken us. He is a good God who loves us and who cares about us. It is a part of His nature – it is who He is. Even when He doesn’t do what we might prefer to see happen in our situation, we can still trust that He is good and is working out what is best. We may not understand why, but we know we can trust our good God. Furthermore, we can stand on His well-known promise that He is working all things together for good to those who love Him (see Romans 8:28).

Likewise, in those times we need to remember that the Lord is our strength. Sometimes we feel like the trials are more than we can bear. Our hearts break and our physical strength is sapped from long hours of caregiving, daily drives through rush hour traffic, interruptions to our normal routines in life, uncertainties about the future, and all the emotional stresses that accompany such circumstances. We may try to make it through in our own strength, but we often find ourselves struggling to keep going. It can be exhausting physically, mentally, and spiritually. The good news is that we have Someone greater than ourselves on whom we can lean. The all-powerful God is holding us up. He can give us strength beyond our own capabilities. Another familiar promise lets us know that “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

When difficult times come your way, as they inevitably will, God may not send a car with stickers on its window to get your attention. Nevertheless, He wants us to remember these helpful truths. Don’t lose sight of His goodness, even when circumstances don’t look good. And don’t forget that your God is there to give you the strength you need to get through this. We can trust Him, and He can help us.

 

The Lord Can Keep Us from Falling 

My dad was in the hospital recently, recovering from surgery after having fallen and breaking his hip. I noticed outside his room was a brightly colored placard reading “Fall Risk.” It served as a reminder to everyone, especially the staff, that this patient had mobility issues and was susceptible to falling. He didn’t need to try to get out of bed in his current condition without the assistance of a nurse. Therefore he might need a little extra attention and to be watched more closely.

Let’s not forget that we all face a similar possibility when it comes to our spiritual health. No matter who we are or how long we have been following the Lord, there is always the possibility that we could stumble and fall. All of us are a “fall risk” during our days on this earth. Hopefully, we are growing and maturing in our faith so that the possibility of stumbling is lessened. However, we need to be careful in thinking that we are beyond the reach of temptation or that we are strong enough within ourselves to overcome the attacks of the enemy of our soul. We continually need to follow Jesus’ advice to His disciples to “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).

On the one hand, let’s not use Jesus’ observation as an excuse for our propensity to stumble. Let’s not blame it on our weak flesh and claim that we can’t help but constantly be giving in to temptations, making bad choices, and experiencing spiritual defeats in our daily lives. While it is true that we are able to stumble, the good news is that we don’t have to do so. The Bible declares that God “is able to keep you from stumbling” (Jude 24). Our flesh may indeed be weak, but if we are trusting Jesus as our Savior, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4). The Lord can give us strength and can enable us to keep standing, no matter what temptations or trials we may face.

On the other hand, let’s not get overly confident in ourselves. Let’s not start boasting like Peter did when Jesus warned His disciples that they would all stumble on the night of His arrest. Peter responded, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble” (Matthew 26:33). Jesus went on to reveal to Peter that he would go even further and would deny Jesus three times before morning. It is reminiscent of another scriptural admonition: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:12).

I am not suggesting that we need to walk through life tiptoeing around in fear of falling. We can make this journey with boldness and assurance of our relationship with the Lord. However, it is not with confidence in ourselves or in our spiritual strength. It is confidence in the great God who is able to uphold us. We have to keep standing on the solid Rock of faith in Jesus. We have to keep watching and praying so that we don’t fall into temptation. We must keep leaning on the Lord while depending on His strong arms to uphold us, not simply relying on our own strength.  

Yes, we are at risk of falling. And if we do, there is forgiveness available to the repentant. Nevertheless, we don’t have to stumble and fall. Let’s trust the Lord not only to forgive us and restore us when we fall, but to give us strength to keep us from falling in the first place.

 

Be Willing to Listen to God’s Voice 

As we get older, some of us develop hearing problems. I know a number of people who make use of hearing aids in order to assist them with this issue. I am aware of one person who recently struggled with being able to understand what was being said to her over the phone due to her hearing aid not functioning well. It was a call from a doctor’s office with important instructions about a prescription she was taking. However, she wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly what they were saying. Some things we hear can be more significant than others. It may not matter if I hear some trivial comment made by someone on a game show on TV. However, it can be vital that I hear what a physician is trying to communicate to me about my personal health.

It is even more important that we hear what God says to us. His words affect not only the quality of our present lives but also the state of our existence in eternity. Nevertheless, I am afraid that many of us aren’t hearing Him. It has nothing to do with our capability of hearing. It has more to do with our willingness. Jesus proclaimed, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11:15). He was not simply saying, “Listen! Pay attention to what I am saying!” He was also pointing out that even though we all have ears, we may choose not to use them. We can refuse to listen. Jesus had preceded that statement about ears with the clarifying phrase, “If you are willing to receive it” (11:14). He was telling them truth, but they had to be willing to open their ears, minds, and hearts in order to receive it.

 Do we have ears to hear what the Lord says to us? The opportunity is abundantly there for most of us. Jesus has spoken to us. We have the Bible to faithfully communicate God’s will to us. We have the Holy Spirit to apply those truths to our lives. We can hear preachers proclaim it. We can read it for ourselves. While it is true that there are many other voices that would seek to drown out what God is saying, most of us have access to hearing what He wants to communicate to us – especially the wonderful good news about salvation in Jesus. But are we willing to listen?

Many people are refusing to hear what the Lord is saying to them. They don’t want to hear that they are sinners who are on the wrong road in life. They don’t want to hear that they need to change. They don’t want to listen to the call to submit to the will of God. They want to keep doing what they want to do. Even those who profess to be Christians and Christian ministers can be guilty of this. We can get so set in our beliefs that we have been taught or opinions we have developed that we aren’t open to any contradictory truth, even when it is clearly revealed in God’s Word. I know people who follow Jesus who adamantly declare that they will change their views and alter their lives if they are shown a truth in the Bible that would suggest they need to do so. However, when confronted by such truth, they often still refuse to listen.

Let’s make sure we have ears to hear the word of the Lord to us. Don’t shut His voice out when it isn’t what you want to hear or when what He says goes against your preferred view. Let’s be willing to receive the truth from God, no matter what it is.  

 

Will We Be Able to Gladly Welcome Jesus’ Return? 

On our way to our church association’s Annual Meeting in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, we decided to make a brief stop to see our son and his family in the Chattanooga area. Although we had been invited to do so, we weren’t sure if it was going to work out until the morning of our departure from home. We confirmed our last-minute plans with our son, but he and our daughter-in-law decided not to inform our little grandson that we were coming. So when he came to the door and saw us standing there, he excitedly shouted our names and welcomed us with big hugs. We were glad that he considered our unexpected visit to be such a good surprise.

One day Jesus is going to come knocking on the door of this world again. It will be an unexpected visit for many people. When He shows up, what will our reaction be? Will it be the delight and joy of seeing our Savior whom we love? Or will it be dread and fear such as a teenager might feel when his parents unexpectedly return home and catch him seriously misbehaving?  

In relation to His second coming, Jesus told a parable to His followers about a servant who was left in charge of his master’s household while the master was away (see Matthew 24:45-51). When the master returns, if that servant is wise and faithful, he will be found doing the work that the master had given him the responsibility to do. And as a result, he will be rewarded. However, the servant is described as being evil if he doesn’t take care of the duties with which he had been entrusted and even abuses his authority that he had been given. In that case, he will face the wrath of his master.  

If our Master were to unexpectedly show up today, would He find us to be faithful servants who are doing His will, or would He discover that we were neglecting those duties He had given us, maybe even doing harm instead of good? When we think about being ready for Jesus’ return, we often focus only on making sure we have trusted Jesus for salvation. And certainly, that is the main factor in our preparedness. Nevertheless, this parable reminds us that we also need to be faithful in doing the work our Master has left us to do. So what are those responsibilities Jesus has entrusted us with?

Some of the specific duties He has given us may vary from person to person. However, there are some general tasks that apply to all of us who are following Him. We are to be loving Him with all our hearts and loving others as ourselves. We are to be making disciples. We are to be sharing His Word. We are to be His witnesses. We are to be light and salt in this world. We are to be His ambassadors. We are to be laborers in the harvest field of souls. We are to be using our abilities and spiritual gifts for the work of His kingdom. We are to be a holy people who are becoming more like Jesus. We are to be students of His Word and faithful in prayer. We are to be fulfilling our unique role in the church and helping it to become the glorious Bride He calls it to be.   

Jesus has left us with plenty to do until His return. So let’s be faithful in doing it. Then when He does come back, we won’t be ashamed or afraid to see Him. We will gladly welcome Him, knowing that we will be greeted with His smile of pleasure and approval.

 

We Should Be Bearing Much Fruit 

One of our daughters has several blueberry bushes in her yard. They often welcome us and others to come by and pick some of the delicious fruit when it is in season. I took them up on the offer recently, coming away with a small container full of those berries that I like to include in my morning cereal. One day I asked my son-in-law if another member of the family had come over to get some blueberries as she had told me she might do. He responded that he didn’t know. The bushes are so full of the ripened fruit that he can’t tell when others have been there to take some. There are so many berries that it takes a lot of picking to make a noticeable dent in the abundant supply.

Jesus suggested that the life of someone who follows Him should be filled with fruit too. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). What was he talking about? Some people connect the idea of fruit with the results of our service to the Lord and the effectiveness of the ministries He gives us to do. That is certainly one of the ways we bear fruit for Him. However, this concept also has to do with the Christlike qualities that crop up in our lives. The Bible refers to such characteristics as the fruit of the Spirit. If we have the Holy Spirit living in us and transforming us into people who are more like Jesus, then these qualities will increasingly be evident in us. The list includes such traits as love, joy, peace, kindness, and self-control.

When Jesus pictured Himself as the vine and His followers as being branches, He didn’t say that they should just bear some fruit. He talked about them bearing much fruit. Too many of us are settling for a life that only sporadically bears fruit for the Lord, or one that only bears a little fruit. We should be seeking to stay so closely connected to the Lord our vine that an abundance of fruit is produced in our lives. It isn’t enough simply to be a branch on the vine. We need to be a fruit-bearing branch.

How important is it? Jesus said that every branch that doesn’t bear fruit is taken away. Lack of fruit might indicate that there is something wrong with our connection to the life-giving vine. Maybe we aren’t abiding in Him. Furthermore, Jesus went on to declare, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). Fruitlessness has its consequences.

But we should desire to be fruitful not just to avoid the negative consequences. We should do it because it honors God. Jesus said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8). The more fruit we bear, the more we glorify the Lord and the more we show ourselves to be true followers of Jesus.

So what can we do to be more fruitful? We can’t produce these qualities in our own strength. It isn’t about trying harder to bear more fruit. It is about abiding in Jesus – staying so closely connected to Him that His life-giving energy will work in us to produce more or a greater degree of these characteristics in our lives. Cling to the vine. Strengthen your connection with Him. Then you will find yourself full of fruit that will bring glory to the Lord.  

 

Dealing with Life’s Puzzling Questions 

Recently my wife gave me a book of various types of word puzzles. I have enjoyed spending some of my leisure time working through its pages, finding some of the puzzles more challenging than others. There have been a few occasions where I have gotten stuck or simply gave up on completing one of the puzzles. I simply couldn’t come up with the solution. Fortunately, this is one of those volumes that gives answers at the back of the book. I have made use of that resource a few times to peek at one small part of the puzzle in order to get over a hump so that I could continue on to complete the rest of the puzzle. Or in a couple of cases, I had to look up the complete answer. I just couldn’t figure it out on my own.

Sometimes life can be similarly puzzling. We have questions for which there aren’t any easy answers. For example, just this past week the tragic, deadly floods in Texas can raise all kinds of questions. Why didn’t God keep something so terrible from happening? Why did it involve all those innocent children? Why did it happen to a Christian camp? Why didn’t God protect those involved? Such questions can sometimes stop us in our tracks for a while as we reexamine our faith and remind ourselves of the truths we know about God. In some cases, struggles over such puzzling tragedies have resulted in people giving up on God altogether. They don’t get the answer they are looking for, so they close the book and quit trying.

The truth is that we may not always get our questions answered, at least not now. There are some answers available, although they may be limited. However, we also have a book that helps us out with these conundrums in life. God has given some degree of answers in His Word, the Bible. And interestingly enough, like my puzzle book, many of those answers can be found in the back of the book. In that enigmatic book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, there are truths that help us with some of our questions. It lets us know that in the end good and God will triumph over evil and what is bad. It shows us that there is life after death, a glorious life for those who are trusting Jesus. It informs us that one day God will make all things right. Even when there isn’t justice and fairness in this life, it will all be straightened out in eternity. There is a judgment in which evil and ungodliness will face the consequences of their actions. There is a day when the good will be rewarded. There is a time when there will be no more suffering, pain, and death. Tears will give way to joy. There is a time coming that will be so wonderful and so glorious that the tragedies and sufferings in this life will seem miniscule in comparison. And there is coming a day when we will be reunited with loved ones who have gone to be with the Lord.

There are additional truths in the rest of the Bible that help provide some answers. Truths about living in a fallen world. Truths about a loving and holy God who sees the bigger picture and is working out His wise purposes. Truths about a great God who can even turn tragedies into triumphs.

We will have questions at times, especially when facing difficulties and loss. We may not always have answers this side of eternity. However, we know God is good, faithful, and true. So even when we don’t get all our questions answered, we know that we can trust Him. He Himself is our answer.

 

Be More Intent on Loving Your Neighbor 

During a recent late-night storm, the power went off in our neighborhood. We remained without electricity and all its benefits until close to lunchtime the next day. Early that morning I, along with other neighbors, ventured outside to assess the damage. We discovered that there were a few trees down in our area, along with a number of large limbs, as well as the typical smaller debris of twigs and pine cones littering the yards and streets. We had one of those huge branches sprawled across our driveway, but thankfully it missed our house.

It was interesting to see so many of our neighbors getting outside, interacting with one another, assisting with the removal of limbs, and sharing about our mutual experience of surviving the storm and dealing with the power outage. A few new acquaintances were made. For others of us who already knew each other, it may have been the most we had talked in a long time. Race, political preferences, and other factors that often separate us didn’t matter. The storm and its aftermath brought us together to support and encourage one another. It is a shame that it often brings a hardship of some kind to pull us out of our shells of isolation and self-absorption to interact with others and to help a neighbor.

 It reminds me of the story Jesus told when He stressed the importance of loving our neighbor. Many of us know it as the Parable of the Good Samaritan. You are probably familiar with the account of the man who was robbed, beaten, and left injured lying on the road. A priest and Levite, both considered to be good religious people, saw the man but passed right on by without stopping to help. However, a Samaritan, someone different racially and culturally, showed compassion on the man by tending to his wounds, personally taking care of him, and then making sure upon his departure that others would continue to look after the man.

We don’t know what was going through the minds of the priest and Levite that day causing them to pass by this man without offering any assistance. Maybe they were concerned about their own safety since it appeared that violent robbers were in the area. Maybe they had urgent duties to attend to, even religious responsibilities to fulfill, and didn’t feel like they could take the time to help. I don’t know. But it seems that they were more focused on themselves, their welfare, and their personal interests rather than on the man who was hurting.

I am afraid that too many of us tend to be like the priest and Levite in the story. And certain factors in our culture encourage us to go that direction. It is easy to stay closed up in our houses with our air conditioning running rather than to get outside to interact with others. It is easy to walk around listening to our earbuds or looking at our phone rather than talking to or even noticing the people around us. It is safer to stay wrapped in our own little world and not get involved in the messy lives of other people.

I heard someone put it this way recently. He suggested that we need to quit looking in mirrors so much and look through windows instead. In other words, we need to quit being so focused on ourselves and our interests and see the people around us and their needs. If we are going to love our neighbor as Jesus taught, we need to be more intentional about getting outside our walls and reaching out to others. And it shouldn’t take a storm to get us to do it.