God, in real life

“God, in real life, is nothing like the God we’ve been taught about in church.”- Matt Bays

Matt Bays rivets your attention and at the same time sets the tone for Finding God in the Ruins: How God Redeems Pain with the opening sentence of his preface: “God, in real life, is nothing like the God we’ve been taught about in church.”  Or, as Jeff Manion (The Land Between) wrote in reference to the Israelites wandering in the wilderness: “They had known about God’s faithfulness in theory, but now they would be called upon to know through experience.”

Matt observes that anyone who has experienced pain or devastating loss knows that in the immediate moments- as well as the terrible aftermath- of that horrific experience “hell often feels more powerful than heaven.”  Pastor Bays explains how suffering and doubt are necessary components of faith:

“What if our sufferings and doubt are necessary components- or even the very essence of faith?  [I] was told to be careful, that my questions could drive me away from my faith altogether.  Doubt is a part of life, and our faith can be strengthened when we increase our understanding of who God really is by allowing ourselves to ask the difficult questions.”

Matt has written Finding God in the Ruins so that he can come alongside you in your troubles.  He ends his preface with this encouragement:

“Together, I want to see if we might find God sitting in the ruins of our lives, shaking his head, same as us, over all that has happened.”

Today’s question: Following your ministry downsizing or vocation loss, how has experiencing “God, in real life” strengthened your faith?  Please share.

Coming Monday: the new Short Meditation, “Every falling tear”

Tomorrow’s blog: “Simply being present”

God, in real life

If God had a refrigerator

Bill and Elinor Henning on their wedding day- February 5, 1949

“If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.  If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. . . . Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen.  He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart.”- Max Lucado

“For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; . . . Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”- Psalm 31:3 and 5

On February 5, 1949, the temperature in Chicago, Illinois, reached a chilly twenty-eight degrees.  Three inches of snow covered the ground.  For my parents, Bill and Elinor Henning, the snow and cold were incidental to the marital vows of love and faithfulness they pledged to each other in the presence of God, family, and friends.

Throughout more than fifty-five years of marriage and four years as a widower, Dad kept one constant remembrance of his beloved Elinor in his wallet- a wedding photograph of his beautiful bride.  Perhaps it kept in the forefront his  responsibilities to the family God had entrusted to Dad’s earthly care as well as his faithfulness to gladly carry out those duties.

Dad deliberately chose to spend his off-work hours with Mom and me because he viewed us through the eyes of a loving husband and father.  John Ortberg writes in God is Closer Than You Think that God wants to be with us each and every day:

“I am a child on God’s screen saver.  And so are you.  The tiniest details of our lives never grow old to him.  God himself is filled with wonder at our faltering steps and stammering words- not because we do them better than anyone else, but because he views them through the eyes of a loving Father.”

The central and most frequent promise of the Bible is “I will be with you.”   The Lord’s arm is not too short (Numbers 11:23).  When Jesus is in your heart, you are freed from living a life of troubled anxiety.  Theophan the Recluse, an ancient sage, described the heart as the Lord’s reception room.  May we have the childlike confidence and faith of this five-year-old girl:

“I know Jesus lives in my heart, because when I put my hand on my chest I can feel him walking around in there.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If God had a refrigerator

God"s definition of promotion

“I have come to see God’s definition of promotion: a promotion is not a move up the ladder; it is a move toward your call.”- Max Lucado

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given,, and then sink yourself into that.”- Galatians 6:4 (The Message)

As Max Lucado concludes Chapter 13 of Glory Days, he contrasts our inheritance and our assignments.  He states that while our inheritance is grace-based and equal, our assignments are tailor-made.  No two fingerprints are the same, nor are two skill sets the same.  Pastor Lucado notes how to define your skill set:

“Your skill set is your road map.  It leads you to your territory.  Take note of your strengths.  They are bread crumbs that will lead you out of the wilderness.  God loves you too much to give you a job and not the skills.  Identify yours.”

When you compare and compete, Max writes, nothing good happens.  God measures faithfulness by how faithful you are with your own gifts.  Max explains: “You are not responsible for the nature of your gift.  But you are responsible for how you use it.”

The devil is determined to linger in your territory, tempting you with thoughts of greed, power, or jealousy.  Drive him out and possess your land so you can receive what God so graciously gives you.

Today’s question (from the study guide): Imagine how those who love and appreciate you would describe your gifts.  What would they say is your strongest gift?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The God-drenched mind”

 

God"s definition of promotion

Small, quiet invitations

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the Lord . . .”- Jeremiah 35:1-2

In today’s blog John Ortberg discusses the fourth (of ten) common myths about doors in Chapter 4 of All the Places to Go.

4.  Open doors are about glamorous spiritual success for spiritual giants.  Open doors are not to be confused with spiritualized stories where we get what makes us the happiest.  On the contrary, Pastor Ortberg states:

” . . . open doors are mostly small, quiet invitations to do something humble for God and with God in a surprising moment.”

The author references the Rechabites, an obscure clan asked to play a special role by God- not to drink, plant vines, sow seeds, build houses, or settle down.  Centuries later, when Israel was on the brink of exile, Jeremiah invited the Rechabites to come to the house of the Lord.  God wanted the people of Israel to learn a lesson from these humble nomads- that God prizes faithfulness to humble tasks.

As John concludes, the attitude with which we do a task is important to God:

“Often an open door is as simple as a second thought: Do the right thing, no matter how small.  Do what any decent human being would do in this situation.  Honor a commitment when it would be easier to let it slide. . . . If the door is not marked ‘glamorous’ just settle for ‘obedient.’ ”

Today’s question: What recent small, quiet invitations from the Lord have you received?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Braced for the future”

Small, quiet invitations

You"re not done

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he later would receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country.”- Hebrews 11:8-9

“If you’re not dead, you’re not done.”- Pastor Craig Groeschel

As John Ortberg continues in Chapter 2 of All the Places to Go, he stresses that, despite extended periods of waiting, open door people resist becoming discouraged and persist in faithfulness to God’s calling.  Pastor Ortberg notes that when God promised Abram and Sarai a child, they had good reasons to be skeptical, for Sarai wasn’t able to conceive (Genesis 11:30).

This was a big deal in Abram’s day.  In the ancient world: (a) children meant financial security; (b) children were a continuance of your name, a form of immortality;  and (c) women were understood to exist on earth for the express purpose of having children.  The inability to bear a child was a stigma, a shame, and a disgrace.

God told Abram and Sarai He would make happen what they’d been waiting for.  But they had to go- by faith.  Yet, John reminds us, we always will find an excuse to hinder us.  But age never is a reason for us to say no when God says go.  John concludes:

“Sometimes it takes a while for God’s promises to be fulfilled.  But if your not dead, that’s the clue you’re not done.”

Today’s question: What Bible verses have strengthened your resolve to resist discouragement and persist in faithfulness?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Turn around”

You"re not done

My Lifesong

“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see what he has done and be amazed.  hey will put their trust in the Lord.”- Psalm 40:3 (NLT)

“God is never a God of discouragement.  When you have a discouraging spirit or train of thought in your mind, you can be sure it is not from God.”- John Ortberg

My seventh-grade teacher at Timothy Lutheran School in Chicago was Mr. Werner von Behren, who also ministered as Timothy’s organist and choir director.  One morning, quite unexpectedly, Mr. von Behren called me to his desk.  Knowing my piano-playing skills from school talent shows, he popped the question: “David, the school band needs a tuba player.  Are you interested?”  I eagerly accepted and was introduced to Mr. Richard Daugherty, the band director and expert “teach a seventh-grader how to tie a Windsor knot” instructor.  The anaconda-like sousaphone he brought in could’ve swallowed me whole!  Eventually he found a dented, E-flat tuba with a tarnished brass finish- case not included.  I dubbed it my “Civil War relic”.  After grade school I took a twenty-two year sabbatical, until I joined Divine Shepherd’s (Milwaukee) brass band.  The director opened the case to reveal a gleaming, silver tuba!

Playing the tuba created a Lifesong that led to many joyful experiences, like being in the kid’s band in Luther South’s production of “The Music Man” as an eighth-grader.  Yet this pales in comparison to God’s joy.  John Ortberg (The Life You’ve Always Wanted) writes that God’s basic character is joy.  He is the happiest being in the universe- and since we are made in His image, we are to reflect that “fierce joy” in our life.

Satan, however, desires that we live in sorrow and despondency, a state he’ll live in for all eternity.  Misery loves company.  We cannot buy into the deception that our joy is dependent on your circumstances.  We must take responsibility for our joyfulness, exulting in monotony:

” . . . perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. . . . It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike, it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.”- G. K. Chesterton (Orthodoxy)

May we sign Jesus’ name to the end of each day, knowing that we’ve been faithful to Him, trusting in His promises and provision.  Let my Lifesong sing to you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEwB0pkes7U

 

 

 

My Lifesong

Walking in obedience

Today Charles Stanley concludes his presentation of seven questions designed to give us the criteria for confidently taking hold of a promise from God.

3.  Does the fulfillment of this promise glorify Him?  God’s fulfilled promises are part of our testimony.  In this way God makes Himself known to those around us.  Our request must benefit others, honor God and fit His character, and encourage others to seek Him.

4.  Is this promise consistent with His will for your life?  If we’re walking in the center of God’s path for us, generally His assurances will support what He is calling us to accomplish.  God’s purposes for us will take precedence over our expectations of His timing and methods.  When we obey God, He assumes full responsibility for our needs.

5.  Are you walking in obedience to Him?  Willfully choosing to go outside God’s will and meet our needs on our own means we intentionally deny His power and wisdom to help us.  God won’t contribute to our disobedience.  Dr. Stanley states:

“God’s promises are meant to bolster our trust in Him, not undermine it.  He will not sanction disobedience.”

6.  Is the fulfillment of this promise in your life encouraging to others?  We’ve been able to persevere because we see how God worked through the lives of the biblical saints.  We need to be that encouragement to others.

7.  Does the Holy Spirit witness with your spirit that God is pleased?  When the Holy Spirit confirms for us that this promise is for us deep within our soul, we’ll sense profound confidence and calm in our heart.  Although we’ll still face doubts and fears, the Father will restore tranquility to our heart by reminding us of His faithfulness.

Today’s question: Which of Dr. Stanley’s seven questions resonate most with you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Faith, patience, and obedience”

Walking in obedience

Perfect, unconditional love

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”- 1 John 4:8

Charles Stanley concludes Chapter 2 of Waiting on God by stating that we can be certain God will help us because of His perfect, unconditional love.  Dr. Stanley contrasts God’s love and human love:

“. . . God’s love for you is not like most human love- moody, unpredictable, self-serving, and contingent upon your response.  His tenderness toward you is based on His holy character- which is unwavering, sacrificial, unchanging, completely trustworthy, and committed to providing the very best for you.”

The author describes ten powerful assurances we can count on God to give us every day of our life.  The first four assurances are discussed today.

1.  His lovingkindness and compassion are yours every day.  God never will leave or forsake us.  We can know with certainty that He is always working on our behalf.

2.  He is a solid, unshakable foundation for you.  The Lord is not given to sudden or volatile alterations in His behavior.  He operates on fixed, timeless principles that we can count on.  The Lord will hold us steady and secure if we focus on Him.

3.  He will guide you in the way you should go.  God faithfully leads us on the best path for our life or to what we are waiting for.  As long as we keep our eyes on Him, we are assured we’re on the right track.

4.  Whatever He requires of you, He will enable you to accomplish.  Dr. Stanley states the Lord has a supernatural way of “multiplying your time, talents, strength, wisdom, and supply when you trust in Him.”

Today’s question: Which of the first four assurances are most meaningful to you?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Our great potential”

Perfect, unconditional love

Refining your faith

“Be still, and know that I am God.”- Psalm 46:10 (emphasis added)

As Charles Stanley continues Chapter 2 of Waiting on God, he urges us not to read past, but stop and reflect on the following statement: “You must fully accept that He is God.”  Saying we believe in Him, or that He is God, is not enough.  We have to know.  We must be aware of God’s constant and loving presence- then live in the light of that truth.

Dr. Stanley encourages us to remember that the Lord is committed to seeing us through every trial we face.  We can rely on Him and rest in His faithfulness.  Because God is omniscient, knowing everything about us, He lovingly trains and prepares us for what lies ahead, as Dr. Stanley explains:

“Knowing so much about you, the Father lovingly trains and prepares you for what is ahead- refining your faith and teaching you lessons that will eventually lead to your success.  He directs you wisely, helping your avoid the pitfalls and embrace opportunities that are important for your future.”

God has not forgotten us.  He has allowed our season of delay for a reason.  The Lord knows about issues that we cannot see.  He will lead us on the right path in His perfect wisdom and time.

Today’s question: How has the Lord been refining your faith during your desert, land between time?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “God’s omnipresence and omniscience”

Refining your faith

Directed toward God

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”- Isaiah 41:30

Charles Stanley begins Chapter 2 (“Assured in God’s Character: The Wisdom of Directing Your Focus to Him”) of Waiting on God by asking this question: “Do you know who it is you are waiting for?”  Dr. Stanley notes that our natural tendency is to focus on the object of our desire rather than God- the Provider.  But the bottom line is, no matter what we petition God for, God is the One we’re really waiting for.

That’s why Dr. Stanley’s first characteristic of godly prayer in waiting- being directed toward God- is of paramount importance.  While it may appear difficult for us to shift our thoughts to God, Dr. Stanley states “without a shadow of a doubt that with the help and power of the Holy Spirit and some godly principles to live by, [we] can do it.”  God may not provide according to our expectations, but Psalm 91:10 reminds us that God never will forsake the person who seeks Him.

We have no reason to fear because God is unaffected by obstacles that limit and intimidate us.  It is the Holy Spirit who prompts us to remember God’s promises and faithfulness.  The Holy Spirit gives us the capacity to remain faithful during times of waiting.

Today’s question: What Bible verses have helped you deal with your fears following your vocation loss?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog”: “Refining your faith”

Directed toward God

How Can I Possibly Forgive?

How Can I Possibly Forgive? (Harvest House, 2014)

How Can I Possibly Forgive? Rescuing Your Heart from Resentment and Regret is that latest book by Sara Horn.  Sara begins by stating that in order for us to appreciate the unconditional love God gives us and in turn asks us o give others, we need a better understanding of forgiveness.  To achieve that understanding we need to identify  the white noise in our life drowning out that the Lord wants us to hear.  As Sara notes, “what distracts our hearts distracts our souls.”  When we only see our pain, we cannot see God’s plan.  Focusing on our pain leads to bitterness.  We quickly can move from sadness to resentment and from denial to anger.

Bitterness, though, is not easy to hide.  Eventually we expose ourselves and our soul feelings come out.  Although we have big hurts, we have a bigger God.  People and situations fail us, but God never fails us.  Healing is a process, and forgiveness aids in that process.  Forgiveness involves dealing with the really hard stuff that is more difficult to forgive, let go, or even think about and discuss.  However, we are not left alone to figure out what to do- we have the Holy Spirit.  With God’s help and grace, we can see His righteousness in our hearts and lives.

Sara emphasizes that full satisfaction cannot be reached when our goal ends in us.  “What about me?” needs to change to “What about Him?”.  While forgiveness is not easy for us,  forgiveness is possible with God.  When we forgive, we make room for what God wants to do.  Forgiveness means giving up our claim for justice and our need to be right.  And sometimes we must recognize that we have to move on. Through it all, it is essential for us to rely on God’s forgiveness, faithfulness, and favor.

Sara cautions us that it is futile to stay angry with God- nothing good comes of it.  Yet, when our little bit of faith intersects with God’s faithfulness, God can do amazing things in us and through us.  We struggle most with hurt when we seek love from other people rather than Jesus.  We can choose to let it go.  Sara concludes:

“There is no sweeter sound than the exhale of release.  Forgiveness is possible when we give it all to God.”

 

 

How Can I Possibly Forgive?

Faith intersects with his faithfulness

In Chapter 9 of How Can I Possibly Forgive?, author Sara Horn states that it is futile to remain angry with God because nothing good comes from it.  Sara relates a story she heard about a pregnant woman who was run off the road and killed when a firefighter who had just finished his shift fell asleep at the wheel.

The woman left behind her husband, a pastor, and a little girl- a toddler who would never know her mother.  Yet, a few years after the accident, the husband and the firefighter had become friends.  Reflecting on the experience, the husband offered these words of insight and encouragement:

“I never would have wanted to endure what I went through, and I never want to feel that way again, but I am who I am today because of what God has done in me through these circumstances, and for that I’m grateful.  God is faithful- when our little bit of faith intersects with his faithfulness, God shows up big and does some amazing things in us and through us.”

As Sara explains, it’s not so much about our story as it is about God’s story.  We’re part of the narrative.  Our life is not our own.  God is the Lord of our life.

Today’s question: What Bible verses have enabled you to center your thoughts on God’s faithfulness?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Let go of your anger”

 

Faith intersects with his faithfulness

Anger toward God

As Sara Horn continues Chapter 9 of How Can I Possibly Forgive?, she points out that the mistake we make in getting angry with God is that He is our only true source for receiving he help and peace we need.  We are implicitly saying that God is worse for us than better, that He is doing more damage than good in our life.  We place ourselves in a difficult position.

Sara explicitly states that our anger toward God is wrong.  However, it’s not wrong to ask God questions or to look, expect, and wonder- because this draws us closer to Him.

Why is it a bad idea to be angry with God in the first place?  Sara noes that when we allow ourselves to be angry with God:

1.  we ignore Scriptural truth that God desires our best, that He wants us not only to be happy, but holy.

2.  we deny that God works all things together for our good, believing God does not work through the bad things in life.  We limit God.

Manipulation, Sara observes, is what other people do.  God is holy and good.  He’s our Creator and our Lord.  God always is present with us.  He is faithful.  Only God can walk us through the storms of life.  He keeps His promises.

Today’s question: How has God demonstrated His faithfulness during your desert, transitional journey?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “Faith intersecting with faithfulness”

 

Anger toward God

Faithfulness and favor

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.”- Psalm 103:8

“The one who searches for what is good finds favor, but if someone looks for trouble, it will come to him.”- Proverbs 11:27

Sara Horn concludes Chapter 8 of How Can I Possibly Forgive? by encouraging us to remember God’s faithfulness and favor when we are having trouble forgiving ourselves.  As we are intentional in reflecting on the many seasons of our life where we have seen God’s fingerprints touching and surrounding us, we can be confident that God will continue to strengthen us on our transformational journey in the Land Between.

God not only uses difficult moments in our life for teaching and correction, but He also uses these moments as a reminder that life simply is better when we put Him first.  Our thoughts and feelings help us move in one of two ways: they either help us move forward or they hold us in place.  What we think has a direct impact on how we feel.  When we sense that our feelings are holding us back, we need to concentrate on the good things about God and the good things in our life.

Today’s question: As you reflect on the various seasons in your life, what specific examples of God’s faithfulness and favor come to mind?  Please share.

Tomorrow’s blog: “The hearing test”

 

 

 

 

 

Faithfulness and favor