Category: Encouragement

Rescued!

The Bible is full of stories of God rescuing His people. He rescued Israel from Egypt, Daniel from the lions, Elijah from Jezebel… and on and on it goes. Psalm 107, tells us that God continues to rescue people from all sorts of circumstances.

The lost.

Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.

Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.

~Psalm 107:4-5

These represent people in dire straits. They are aimless and filled with despair. The drug-addict. The alcoholic. The destitute and broken. The people we are tempted to deem beyond all help.

But these are not beyond redemption. God loves them, and if they sincerely turn to God for help, He will answer.

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.

~Psalm 107:6

The rebel.

In Psalm 107:10-22 we read about those who have rebelled against God. These refuse to acknowledge their Creator. They mock, and curse, and blaspheme. They defy God to His face.

God knows this path ends in their destruction. Through hardship, He causes them to see the foolishness of their ways. For some, this takes the form of “iron chains of misery” (vs. 10) and “hard labor” (vs. 12). For others, severe illness (vs. 18).

The ultimate purpose of these hardships is not to punish, but to bring the rebel to repentance. And when the rebel turns to God for help, God is there to rescue them.

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

~Psalm 107:13 & 107:19

The self-sufficient.

Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.

~Psalm 107:23

These are rebels of a different sort. They might even pay lip service to God, acknowledging His authority, but their hearts are far from Him. As long as life is good, they are content to go about their business and leave God out of it.

But when trouble comes…

Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror.

~Psalm 107:26

You can probably guess their response:

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.

~Psalm 107:28-29

Thank God for difficulty.

We have a tendency (as a result of our sin-nature I believe) to misprioritize God. That is, we place Him somewhere other than first in our lives. God often uses trouble and pain to get our attention. Oh that He could get our attention as quickly with blessings, but we often take those for granted.

Trials and tribulations are an opportunity to refocus on God and His plan for your life. God doesn’t want to break you, He wants to mold you. In times of difficulty, you have two choices: harden your heart and resist God every step of the way, or surrender to Him and cry out, “Lord, help!”

If you haven’t already, read all of Psalm 107. How does it speak to you? Do you need rescuing? God is willing and able!

In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.

~Psalm 118:5

From Despair To Hope.

At one time or another, every believer struggles with the questions, “where is God when I’m hurting?” and “if God loves me, why does He allow me to suffer?” These are difficult questions. Thankfully, the Bible isn’t silent on this topic. God’s Word fully acknowledges human suffering, and doesn’t minimize it.

Let’s look at some examples of people in the Bible who suffered greatly, and see what we can learn from their experiences.

Utter despair.

In the book of Job, the following verse really grabbed my attention:

God hates me and angrily tears me apart. He snaps his teeth at me and pierces me with his eyes.

~Job 16:9

Wow, Job. Tell us how you really feel!

He goes on…

But it is God who has wronged me, capturing me in his net.

~Job 19:6

With a strong hand, God grabs my shirt. He grips me by the collar of my coat.

He has thrown me into the mud. I’m nothing more than dust and ashes.

~Job 30:18-19

Clearly Job felt unloved, abandoned, and abused by God. He had a valid reason for feeling this way. Virtually every good thing in his life had been taken from him in the blink of an eye.

King David also had times in his life when he felt that God had forsaken him.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.

~Psalm 22:1-2

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

~Psalm 13:1-2

Then there’s the Psalm writer, Asaph. He wondered why he had nothing but trouble and pain, while the wicked men around him prospered. Read Psalm 73:1-16, and you can feel how he struggled to make sense of his suffering.

Can you relate to these three guys? Has God ever seemed distant, cold, and uncaring? Have you felt abandoned or even mistreated by God? I have. But our perception of the situation isn’t the reality. As we’ll see shortly, God does care, and He has not abandoned you, nor me.

The importance of a proper perspective.

Before we look at how God ultimately dealt with the pain and suffering of Job, David, and Asaph, let me offer an important reminder concerning who we are in relation to God.

When we’re suffering, it’s tempting to think, “God, You’re not being fair!” But be careful. When Job voiced that complaint, “you forget your place.” was the essence of God’s reply (see Job 38-41).

We must recognize and acknowledge the absolute sovereignty of God. He is the Creator, we are merely His creation. His ways are higher than our ways; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

~Romans 11:33

We don’t always know why God allows us to suffer. When that’s the case, the smartest thing we can do is pray humbly, “God, I don’t like this, and I don’t understand it, but I trust that You know best. I trust that You will see me through.”

That’s what Job, David, and Asaph did.

Glorious hope.

We’ve looked at three men who endured great suffering. Now let’s look at how they went from despair to hope:

Job

Job ultimately accepted that he was ignorant and foolish to question God.

“I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

~Job 42:6

Job realized that God had reasons for allowing him to suffer that were beyond his ability to comprehend. Eventually, “the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning (Job 42:12).”

David

As for David, let’s revisit Psalm 22. It begins with, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” but ends this way:

Praise the Lord, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!

For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.

I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.

The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.

~Psalm 22:23-26

David realized that though he had felt abandoned, God had never left him. God had not ignored him, nor turned his back on him. As a result, he praised the Lord, and his heart rejoiced with everlasting joy.

Asaph

Finally, Asaph ended Psalm 73 this way:

Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.

I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.

But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

~Psalm 73:21-28

Here’s what we can learn from these three examples:

  • It’s ok to cry out to God when we are suffering and tell Him how we feel.
  • We should humble ourselves, and remember that our suffering has a purpose, even if we can’t see it.
  • We should trust that God is faithful and will see us through.

So, if you’re suffering right now, I encourage you to trust God, and lean on the following promises from His Word:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

~Deuteronomy 31:6

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

~Romans 8:18

God is with you. He’ll get you through it.

Process.

Most things in life require a process. For example, if you want to make a chocolate cake, you must go through a specific process. You have to gather the ingredients, properly mix and assemble them, and finally bake the mixture in an oven.

What would happen if you decided to leave some ingredients out, or add wrong ingredients in? What would happen if you didn’t mix the ingredients, and just threw everything into the oven? Would the end result be good? Of course not.

Like it or not, you have to follow the process or you won’t end up with a chocolate cake.

Instant gratification.

A lot of times we don’t like process. We want what we want… and we want it now! (Which is why many of us go to a bakery to buy our chocolate cake.) We’re always on the lookout for shortcuts. We like instant results. We want fast food, fast communication, fast travel… forget the process, just give me the end result! It’s the finished product I’m after.

Don’t get me wrong, I think modern conveniences are great, but I wonder if in our quest for instant gratification we haven’t lost something along the way. Sometimes the journey is as important as the destination.

Why does process matter?

Going through a process has many benefits. We gain knowledge, experience, and satisfaction that we just don’t get when we take shortcuts. Going back to the chocolate cake example, you can eat and enjoy a cake you buy from the bakery, but that won’t teach you anything about how to make a cake. To learn that, you’ve got to go through the process.

When we take too many shortcuts, we deprive ourselves of opportunities to learn and grow.

You’re probably wondering where I’m going with all this. It will hopefully make sense in just a moment, so bear with me.

At the bottom of my prayer list, there are five things I pray for everyday: wisdom, guidance, strength, patience, and courage. I thought the answer to my prayer was going to be something like: “**Poof!** Here you go, Seth!” Turns out, God had something else in mind. He’s answering my prayer through a process.

Process can be painful.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “no pain, no gain.” For our bodies to get stronger, muscles have to stretch and strain. It can be extremely uncomfortable.

Sometimes a process requires sacrifice. If you’ve ever gone through the process of losing weight, you’ve probably had to sacrifice some things (like chocolate cake).

The process I’m going through right now includes both pain and sacrifice. But God is helping me to develop strength, patience, and courage through it. As I trust in Him to guide me, He’s developing the very character traits I’ve been praying for! I wouldn’t say it’s a piece of cake (that’s my last cake reference, I promise), but I know that the end result will be worth it.

There is always hope!

Perhaps, like me, you’re in the middle of going through a difficult process. Don’t lose hope. Ask God what He’s trying to teach you through it. Trust that God can take your pain, your struggle, your difficult situation, whatever it is you’re going through, and use it for good.

I’ll leave you with five Bible verses that are helping me through my process. I pray they will encourage and inspire you as well:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

~Romans 8:28

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.

~Psalm 118:1

[God] You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

~Psalm 119:114

Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.

~Psalm 131:1

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

~Deuteronomy 31:6

Be Like Josiah.

You’ll find the story of king Josiah in II Kings 22 -23. Josiah was a good king. His story inspires me in many ways.

Josiah was his own man.

Josiah became king at just eight years old. If you look at his lineage, you will see that both his father and grandfather were wicked rulers. It would have been easy for Josiah to follow in their footsteps, but he chose a different path. He looked to his Godly ancestor David as an example, and did what was pleasing to God.

[Josiah] did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.

~II Kings 22:2

Josiah’s story reminds us that no matter what circumstances we’re born into, no matter how bad the influences around us, we can still choose to do what is right.

Josiah had a tender heart.

In his mid twenty’s, king Josiah decided to restore the Lord’s Temple, which had been neglected for decades. During the restoration, the high priest, Hilkiah, found the Book of the Law (i.e. the first five books of The Old Testament).

Look at how Josiah responded when the scripture was read to him:

When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair.

Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: 

“Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in this scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing everything it says we must do.”

~II Kings 22: 11-13

Josiah didn’t ignore God’s Word. He listened intently and took it to heart. We ought to do the same. We should let God’s Word convict us, guide us, and shape us.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

Hebrews 4:12

Josiah took action.

James 1:22 says, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

Josiah was a doer. When he realized that he and the nation of Israel were not following God’s law, he made sweeping changes. Much of what he did is recorded in II Kings 23, but here’s a summary:

  • He read the scripture to the people, and reaffirmed the covenant between God and Israel.
  • He had all pagan articles in the Temple removed and destroyed.
  • He got rid of all the pagan priests appointed by his predecessors.
  • He got rid of the shrine prostitutes at the Temple.
  • He banned priests who had served at pagan shrines from serving at the Temple.
  • He destroyed numerous altars and shrines to false gods.
  • He got rid of mediums, psychics, and household idols.
  • He reinstituted the Passover celebration.

That’s a pretty impressive list, no!?


I’m motivated to be more like Josiah. I want to be focused on God, even when the people around me are not. I want to listen carefully when God speaks to me through His Word, and let it transform me. Lastly, I want to be a “doer”, not a “hearer only.”

Four Promises In Romans 8.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been reading and meditating on Romans chapter 8. For those who know Jesus as Lord and Savior, there are at least four, wonderful promises of God in this passage of scripture.

1) Freedom.

We are all born with a sin nature. Sin enslaves us (John 8:34), and damns us (Romans 6:23), but there is freedom for those who come to Jesus.

In Romans 8 we see God’s promise that through Christ we are free from sin in two ways. First, we are free from the penalty of sin. Second, we are free from the power of sin.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

~Romans 8: 1-2

Christians no longer stand condemned before God because Christ took our punishment upon Himself. We are no longer slaves to our sinful desires because we have the Holy Spirit within us. We are truly free!

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you…

~Romans 8: 9a

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

~Romans 8: 12

2) Life.

Worldwide, it’s estimated that two to three people die every second! Death is inevitable. One day, it will be your turn. Are you ready?

The Bible tells us that death is not the end. After death, we face judgement (Hebrews 9:27). Those who reject Christ will be condemned (John 3:18), but those who trust in Christ as their Savior will enjoy eternal life (John 3:16).

This brings us to the second promise found in Romans 8: Those who know Jesus will be resurrected with incorruptible bodies, never to die again.

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

~Romans 8: 10-11

the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.

~Romans 8:21

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

~Romans 8:23

3) Relief.

Suffering is a part of life. The Bible never says that we won’t suffer (in fact, there are many places where it says we will suffer), but Christians are promised that our suffering is temporary, and that it pales in comparison to the glory that awaits us.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

~Romans 8: 17-18

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

…

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

~Romans 8: 35 & 37

God also promises that He will take all things (including our suffering) and work them together for our good.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

~Romans 8: 28

Are you a Christian that’s suffering right now? Hold on! Relief is coming.

4) Security.

This fourth promise from Romans 8 is one of my favorites. Most things in life are fleeting. Youth, health, success, money, fame… all of these things eventually slip away or get taken from us. But there is one thing a Christian can always count on, and that is God’s love.

When you become a child of God you are forever secure in His love.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Through Christ we are promised freedom from sin, life everlasting, an end to suffering, and love that’s unshakable. Set aside some time a few days from now to read Romans 8 again, and reflect on these amazing promises.

Faith Misplaced.

People put their faith in lots of different things. Some put their faith in money, believing that wealth provides security. Others put their faith in charismatic leaders, trusting them to have all the answers. Many put their faith in science and technology. The list could go on and on, but the point is, we all put our faith in something. The question is, when that moment of crisis hits, will the thing(s) you have placed your faith in actually deliver?

A hard lesson.

In I Samuel 4:1-10 the Israelites learn the hard way what happens when you put your faith in the wrong things.

Israel is at war, and it’s not going well:

The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men.

~I Samuel 4:2

After this crushing defeat they asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?”

The Israelites had expected to win. Instead they were soundly beaten, losing thousands of soldiers. Why? Because they weren’t trusting in God to give them the victory, they were trusting in their own strength.

An incorrect correction.

The Israelite leaders realize they need a new approach. But rather than turn to God for help, they put their faith in an object: the Ark of the Covenant. At first it seems to work! When the Ark arrives on the scene, the Israelites are inspired, and the Philistines are terrified. The Israelites march forward, confident that this time they will be victorious. But things do not go according to plan.

So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents.

~I Samuel 4:10

Once again, the Israelites had misplaced their faith. They failed to realize that without God, the Ark of the Covenant is nothing more than a fancy box. Israel paid a heavy price: tens-of-thousands dead, and the loss of the Ark of the Covenant.

The details about what happens to the Ark of the Covenant are found in I Samuel 5-6, but the short version is that God forces the Philistines to return it to Israel.

It then takes twenty years before Israel is finally ready to acknowledge and remedy their mistakes.

The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the Lord had abandoned them.

~I Samuel 7:2

Getting it right.

Finally, when the Israelites are ready to listen, Samuel instructs them:

Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”

~I Samuel 7:3

Samuel issues a challenge and a promise to the people of Israel.
The challenge: put your faith in God alone.
The promise: God will rescue you.

Now read I Samuel 7:4-11 and see what happens when the Israelites turn back to God and put their faith in Him.

How about you?

Take a few moments to examine your own life. What are you putting your faith in?

Put your faith in God alone. Trust that He will keep the promises in His Word. When that moment of crisis hits, you can count on Him to deliver.

New Life.

Read Colossians 3: 1 – 16.

This is both an encouraging and challenging text. It focuses on what it means to have new life in Christ, and how we ought to conduct ourselves as a result. Here’s some of what I gleaned from this passage:

New focus.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

~Colossians 3:1-2

One of the greatest blessings we have as Christians is a hope that lies beyond this world. This earth will pass away, but that needn’t concern us if our eyes are fixed on heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal (Mathew 6:20).

As you go through life, with all its trials, remember that this world is temporary, and think about the wonderful future God has prepared you. That shift in focus should put things in perspective and give you comfort and peace.

New habits.

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

~Colossians 3:5a

I love the way that Paul phrases this. As Christians, sinful urges still lurk within us, but thankfully we are no longer slaves to them. With God’s help, we can put them to death, and live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Paul gives a list of things that have no place in our new lives, including: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

These are old, sinful habits that need to be eliminated. How? Paul gives us the answer in verse 10:

Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

~Colossians 3:10

The key is to put on your new nature. Study the Bible daily, get to know God better and become more like Him. As a result, those old habits get replaced with new ones.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

~Colossians 3:12-14

When you compare the list of things associated with our old lives to the things that make up our new lives in Christ, it’s a night and day difference, is it not?

Take a moment and self assess. How much of the old life do you still struggle with? What areas of the new life do you need to manifest more? Continually ask God to help you shake off the old, put on the new, and become more like Christ.

New future.

What an amazing thing it is to have new life in Christ! What a future we have to look forward to! One day, Jesus will come back, and those of us who have found new life in Him will not be disappointed.

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 

And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

~Colossians 3:3-4

“Lord, help me to keep my focus on things above. Help me to put away the old nature and to put on the new. Thank you for the promise that one day you will renew all things and that I will share in your glory. Amen.”

Lead With Love.

There is a lot of division in our country right now. There are two political factions with radically different ideas about what the USA is, and what it should become in the future. Whichever camp you’re in, you probably find it difficult to get along with people in the other camp.

This division has led to a lot of anger, strife… even hatred. It has torn families apart and damaged friendships. It’s ugly.

As Christians, how should we navigate this hostile landscape? What should our guiding principle be? In a word: love.

Commanded to love.

In Mathew 22, an unnamed Pharisee asks Jesus an important question:

[A Pharisee], an expert in religious law, tried to trap [Jesus] with this question: 

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

This is the first and greatest commandment. 

A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.“

Notice that the two greatest commandments both involve love. Love for God; love for people.

In John 15:12 Jesus says: This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 

In John 13:35 we’re told that by our love that people will know we are followers of Christ.

I John 4:7 says: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

No matter the circumstances, no matter how unlovable the people around us become, we Christians are commanded to love.

The importance of love.

If we act without love, we act in vain. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this in I Corinthians 13.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

I Corinthians 13:1-3

It’s not enough to go through the motions. You can do all the right things, but if you don’t do them with love in your heart, you’re wasting your time and energy.

What is love?

Scripture makes it clear that love is not optional for the Christian, but what does the word ‘love’ really mean? We return to I Corinthians 13 for the answer:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 

It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

I Corinthians 13: 4-7

So if you’re feeling angry and bitter, ask God to fill you with His love. Show love even to those you disagree with, and remember that God loves them as much as He loves you. In all you do, lead with love.

Great Or Small.

Last week I read through the book of Acts, and there were two stories that jumped out at me.

Dorcas.

In Acts 9:36-42 we read about a woman named Dorcas who had become ill and died. As far as we know, this woman never did anything extraordinary. She wasn’t a prophet or teacher. She didn’t make the lame walk or the blind see. But the Bible tells us that she had a kind heart, and she used her time and energy helping others in whatever way she could.

Apparently she had a great impact on the people she helped. Acts 9:39 tells us that widows filled the room where Dorcas had died. They wept as they clung to the precious coats and clothes that Dorcas had made for them.

God performed a miracle through Peter and brought Dorcas back to life, and as a result, many people become believers in Christ.

As I read the story, I was struck by the way God uses ordinary people. Dorcas reminds us that we don’t have to have exceptional skills or talents to make an impact for Christ. She was kind to the poor. She made clothes for widows. That’s it. But because of her faithful service, she touched the lives of many, and her story encourages us today.

Paul.

The Apostle Paul, by contrast, stands out as a truly extraordinary individual. His missionary journeys were epic, and he authored a good chunk of The New Testament.

In Acts 20:22-24 Paul exemplifies true courage. God has directed him to go to Jerusalem. God has also made Paul aware that pain and suffering await. As you read through Acts, there are several times where Paul’s friends try to persuade him not to go. But Paul will not be deterred. His answer is simply:

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” ~Acts 20:24

How many of us would be able to do what Paul did, I wonder? Knowing that hardship is ahead, and press on anyway? Let Paul’s example inspire you to do what you know God wants you to do, even when the cost is great.

You.

It doesn’t matter if you’re more like Paul or more like Dorcas. Great or small, we all have a role to play. Use the talents God has given you, and trust Him with the results.

Nowhere To Hide.

I’ve been thinking about God’s omnipresence lately. This is the idea that God is everywhere; that there is no place you can go where God is not there. Since God is spirit and not material in nature, it’s probably more accurate to say that “everywhere is in God.” In other words, our material reality is encompassed by and permeated by God. But this is a semantic difference. The point is simply this: wherever you go in the universe, God is there.

There are some beautiful scriptures that illustrate this attribute of God.

…though he is not far from any one of us. 

For in him we live and move and exist…

~Acts 17: 27b-28a

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

~Psalm 139: 7-10

The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping His eye on both the evil and the good.

~Proverbs 15:3

Both disturbing and comforting.

The disconcerting thing about this is that God sees us at our absolute worst. Every time I’ve lost my temper, acted selfishly, or committed some shameful act, God has been witness to it. And there’s no way to fool or manipulate Him about what happened. He knows my innermost thoughts and motives. I don’t know about you, but when I contemplate God having intimate knowledge of my every thought and deed, I cringe.

The good news is, in spite of my flaws, in spite of my sinful nature, God loves me. Remember, He died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8).

God knows every bad thing you and I have ever done, and He loves us anyway. He wants to help us through this life, and promises eternal life and peace if we repent of our sins and follow Him (John 3:14-16 | Revelation 21:4).

The pride problem.

Our culture today preaches a message directly contrary to scripture. The world says not to be ashamed of anything! If it feels good, do it. Embrace who you are, do what you want. Your personal pleasure and happiness are all that matter. Nothing is really right or wrong, it’s all relative.

And so many people have become blinded to their own sin. Their pride won’t allow them to admit they’ve ever done anything wrong.

I’m convinced that pride will keep more people out of Heaven than anything else. Pride says, “I’m my own judge, and I’m fine just the way I am.” Humility says, “God is judge, and I’m a sinner in need of forgiveness.”

If you want God’s grace, humility is key.

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.”

~James 4:6

Loving and merciful.

God is everywhere, sees all things, and knows all things. But this needn’t fill us with dread. In fact, it should fill us with awe that God knows us so intimately and loves us in spite of our sinfulness.

The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

~Psalm 145:8

You can’t hide from God. But how sweet it is to know that God, who sees you at your best and at your worst, loves you, cares for you, and gave His life for you.

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