More than answers

“We need more than answers.  We need the love of God, no matter how awkward or fumbly.”- Matt Bays

“I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”- Isaiah 43:1 (ESV)

In Chapter 16 (“Melody Unchained- Finding Your Faith Again”) of Finding God in the Ruins, Matt Bays observes the hard truth is that God has  always has allowed for our pain.  That we don’t know why is harder still.

When we are in the middle of our pain, the answers won’t matter anyway.  We need something more- God’s love, affirming a Presence greater than ourselves.  God, the master conductor and composer, shapes each note in the space between our trials and triumphs.  Pastor Bays encourages:

“God knows your name.  And in the immense pain, he whispers it under his breath, sending it out as a love song- a melody of grace notes that in time will balance ever dissonant chord of your life.”

Trouble always will be with us.  When we come to the end of ourselves, we are ready for Someone greater.  Pastor Bays reflects on passing through darkness:

“Passing through darkness will always be a part of life because trouble will always be with us.  But as I strain my eyes amidst the shifting shadows, I find Jesus in silhouette.  Every detail of his face is not recognizable, but his form is unmistakable.”

Today’s question (from Matt): If there were a song that identified the essence of who you are, what would that song be?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The quiet hum”

More than answers

Z marks the spot

“No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket.  Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”- Matthew 5:15-16

“In the gospels the very first step a man must take is an act which radically affects his whole existence.”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

I settle in front of our vintage black and white television set, fortified with a Forever Yours (aka Milky Way Midnight) candy bar and a small glass of Coke.  The theme song strikes up:

“Out of the night,

When the full moon is bright,

Comes the horseman known as Zorro. . . .”

Mounted on his black steed Tornado, Zorro readies himself for another epic battle with the cruel, power-hungry Capitan Monastario- commander of the pueblo of Los Angeles.  The capitan and his men have no idea Zorro (Spanish for “fox”) is actually Don Diego de la Vega, who carries out his deception under the cover of his intellect and milquetoast personality.

The theme song continues: “This bold renegade carves a Z with his blade, a Z that stands for Zorro.”  The letter Z marks the spot, symbolizing that Zorro’s fully present, even though that may not be readily apparent.  For the invalid at the Jerusalem pool called Bethesda (John 5:1-9), Jesus was fully present.  Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be healed?”  To receive Jesus’ blessing and shine the light of Jesus on the world’s darkness, he had to give up his security mat.

Applying Jesus’ question to your ministry downsizing or vocation loss, how would you contemplatively craft your response?  An affirmative answer becomes the catalyst for a blessing from God that gives glory to the Father.  There’s only one true assumption: God is able!

A century ago, A. W. Milne was one of a band of brave souls known as one-way missionaries, because they purchased single tickets to the mission field and packed their belongings in a coffin.  The headhunters Milne ministered to had martyred all previous missionaries.  At Milne’s death thirty-five years later, they inscribed the following words on his tombstone.  May those words describe God’s presence in us:

“When he came there was no light.

When he left there was no darkness.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty3ywPVYP-U

 

 

 

 

 

Z marks the spot

The darkest of times

“The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”- Psalm 34:18

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”- 1 Samuel 16:6

As Charles Stanley continues Chapter 6 of Waiting on God, he notes that when we go through extended times of waiting, we often feel “alone and utterly rejected.”  That is why it is crucial for us to remember this encouragement from Dr. Stanley as our adversity persists:

“You can be courageous because the Lord is with you in the darkest of times and will see you through this.”

Perhaps a particular failing or a seemingly insurmountable event from our past makes us think the Father couldn’t possibly love or bless us.  Scripture, however, testifies that the Father is closest to us when we feel most unworthy and defeated.

Whether we sense God’s presence or not, we must be intentional in affirming the truth that God know exactly what we are facing during our time of darkness and is walking alongside us in that darkness.  The Lord is with us, He hasn’t deserted us, and He never will forsake us.  What matter is not who or what we know, how intelligent or strong we are, or how much we’ve achieved in life.  Rather, we are powered by the Spirit of the living God in us and His active influence in our life.

Today’s question: What has enabled you to experience God’s presence in the darkest of times?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The path for your victory”

 

The darkest of times