The Comfort only God Can Give
(NIV) Isaiah 43:1 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
(NIV) 1 Cor 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
There is not one among us who has escaped suffering, but there is one thing I know, understand, and believe—the God Who gave His only son to redeem me loves me, He will never forsake me, and He will give me a supernatural peace in all things.
How can that be, you might ask. I am going through the worst time in my life and I feel God has abandoned me. Allow me to remind you we cannot rely on what we feel, but instead on “…every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” Matt 4:4.
We used to sing the following chorus:
“God is so good, God is so good. God is so good, He’s so good to me.”
I will tell you my voice is shot and I can no longer sing, yet I still sing praises to my Lord and Savior. Even if you cannot “carry a tune in a bucket” as they used to say, God loves to hear the praises of His children. And, my sisters and brothers in Christ, the more we praise Him, the more we want to praise Him.
May we focus not on the problem but the solution, having the confidence that even if we are not delivered from our present difficulties, God can and will lift our spirits and give us peace. And, we can then share the comfort we have received with others.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Four S’s
(NRSV) Judges 2:1 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done! 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”
It has been some time since I wrote about the four S’s. This is the cycle that enslaved Israel for more than 300 years. Seven times in the Book of Judges, Israel falls into this destructive pattern.
- Sin: First, the people fall into sin by serving foreign gods.
- Slavery: Second, God allows them to be enslaved by foreign nations.
- Supplication: They cry out to God, begging for deliverance. .
- Salvation: God sends them a judge to save them.
The cycle of sin repeats over and over again, demonstrating that the judges would never be sufficient to make a lasting impact on the people’s lives. What they needed was a Savior.
Have you found yourself making the same mistakes repeatedly and then wondering where is God? May I assure you that the God of Israel is the same yesterday, today and forever? Today we rely not on judges, but instead the Holy Spirit abides within us, leading us to repentance, bringing us redemption found only through Jesus Christ, and reconciling sinful man to a holy God.
May we submit ourselves to Jesus, knowing only He is enough, only He can satisfy, only He can save.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In What Do You Delight?
Psalms 1:1-3 (NRSV) 1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
How many times have you read this psalm? Have you ever noticed the progression of this man’s journey? Initially he was lingering in the presence of the wicked. He was not following their advice YET, but the longer we spend time with those who are absent morals, the less inhibited we are.
Then he was walking the pathway of sinners. I have encouraged people for years to walk on the pathway of holiness. Why? Because God said, “I am holy, be thou holy likewise.” It was not a suggestion.
Finally, the man in question sits with his wicked friends. We are not told how long the man remained in the company of these unjust people, just that he ultimately became comfortable enough to sit with them.
But the psalmist goes on to say that the person who delights in God’s law will be blessed and will even flourish. The person who makes right choices has a source of living water that never dries up.
May we choose to bypass the scoffers and the scorners, sitting instead with those who love the Lord with all of their heart.
In the name of the Father, and of m Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I
Till the Storm Passes By
(NRSV) TO THE LEADER: DO NOT DESTROY. OF DAVID. A MIKTAM, WHEN HE FLED FROM SAUL, IN THE CAVE.
Psalm 57:1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
until the destroying storms pass by.
(NRSV)Psalm 27:4 One thing I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the LORD,
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.
I wonder if people throughout the ages have believed they were living in unprecedented times. I know I have witnessed a lot in my 74 years, some triumphs and some tragedies.
Not even a year ago parts of North Carolina were washed away and close to 200 lives were lost. In Kerrville, TX the Guadalupe River swelled above its banks and over 100 fatalities occurred on the Fourth of July with more than 150 still missing. Tragic beyond our understanding, yet I know that our God reigns. How do I know? The Bible tells me so.
When life spins out of control, I am not one who hides in bed with my covers over my head. Nor do I shake my fist toward heaven, cursing God in anger. Instead, I turn to the comfort found in God’s Word. And I know, believe and understand that just as God is with us when we take our first breath, He is with us when we take our last breath.
May we grieve over lives impacted by disasters, praying for God’s supernatural peace and may we provide comfort to those in pain, using God’s Word as our source and the Holy Spirit as our guide.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
An Example for All
(NIV) 1Tim 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (NIV) 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners —of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
When we read this scripture we should receive so much comfort. After all, this is Paul’s testimony of his faith and his deliverance from sin. Read what he tells us:
- He was given strength
- Was considered trustworthy
- Was appointed to Christ’s service
- Received mercy because he was
- A blasphemer
- A persecutor
- A violent man
- Received grace that was poured out abundantly
Not only was Paul used in a mighty way during his lifetime, he became an example, particularly to those who believe they have done too much to be redeemed. When we believe our transgressions are too great to be covered by the blood of Jesus, we are saying that Jesus isn’t enough—God forbid.
May we not only receive assurance from these words, but may we, too, be a model of one who has been changed by Christ into a new creation.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 