KNOWING AND TRUSTING GOD

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Encouragement in Loss and Pain

Life can be very fickle or mercurial. One moment a bright and beautiful full of laughter day and the next moment filled with a sad, tearful, grievous dark sad day. Yes, all can change in seconds with just one phone call or text message.

This week, that sudden change happened to my family, and as mentioned, it was so quick when I received news of a loved one who died suddenly, at 54 years of age. A great husband and a Christian father. Known in the community as a good honest man.

Sorrow and grief hit me so deeply at that moment of hearing. No words or actions could penetrate my grief at that time.

We have all experienced the gut-wrenching sorrow that causes us to want to deny the pain and turn back the hands of time. Sometimes all we can do is utter the person’s name we lost.

(Job 1:20-21) Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.  He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

Imagine that your neighbor calls you at work, telling you the terrible news that your house and vehicles have been destroyed by fire, and while that person is still speaking to you, you learn that you’ve been fired from your job. While words are still coming out of your employer’s mouth, your husband calls your kids and all their families have been killed while they were vacationing together.

These are the unimaginable circumstances Job encountered, devastating messages assaulted him again and again, each one coming while the messenger “was still speaking”. Who can even begin to comprehend his sheer horror?

Important Reflection:

What did Job do? What was his initial response upon hearing, of the loss of all he owned and of all he held dear?

  • First, he grieved. He tore his robe and shaved his head to display his deep sorrow. No outward sign of grief could capture the inward torture Job felt.
  • Next, he demonstrates faithfulness toward God. He fell to the ground and worshiped. (He didn’t ask why me? Why them? Instead, he acknowledged that everything comes from God, and he praised the name of the Lord. Wow, Job!!

Envision that scene. It will take your breath away. Picture this man, deep in the throes of grief, praising God. In light of the horrific blows dealt to him, how did he do that?

Only the following answer will suffice: Job knew God. I mean, really knew him, through out-of-the-ordinary intimacy. His close communion with God had taught him that God was the only one who could give him any kind of real comfort.

Job’s knowledge yielded a deep trust in an infallible Lord, a trust, which enabled Job’s heart to keep beating even in the face of overwhelming heartbreak. Trust enabled him to respond to horrible pain with worship and praise. His initial response reflected a heart that knew and trusted God.

This is where God met me in my grief over the loss of my loved one. I must say, “It took me more than a whole minute”, but when I turned inward to the only one who could give me real comfort, the Prince of Peace rested on my heart.

What about you? How have you responded to bad news in the past? With Praise? Anger? Despair? Confusion?

In Summary:

Job knew God well enough to turn to him in grief. How deep does your knowledge of God go? How close is your heart attuned to his? Who is ruling your heart today? The extent of the rulership in your heart is up to you.

Faith In Action Steps: (Practice backing up what you say with actions.)

  1. Really get to know God intimately. (Spend intentional time with God. Listening and talking.)
  2. Trust God completely! (Trust comes after the first step is initiated_
  3. Daily invite God to rest, rule, reign, and abide in your heart. Try personal worship.
  4. Read Job 1:1-22

Remember, God understands human emotions because of Jesus Christ. The above action steps have helped me tremendously this week to handle my grief. I pray that others will be encouraged and blessed by following the plan God has for handling loss.

Pray: Dear Lord, Prince of Peace, rule my life today. Sit on the throne of my life and rule in Peace. Rule over my every emotion. I worship and praise your name, no matter what!

Share this encouraging word with someone you know who may be having a tough time due to a loss or experiencing pain life change.

Related Readings: Deuteronomy 32:36-39; Psalms 42: 1-11; 86:1-17

This Post is Dedicated to Marcus Calaham

WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE?

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Have you noticed how easily we excuse ourselves today? However, making excuses has been a go-to for humankind since the beginning of time. We even change the name of things as a cover for the reasons behind our actions, especially when we know they are sinful and offensive to God.

Some of our excuses sound like, “That’s the way I was raised”, “This is just the way I am”, “He started it”, “I was tired and having a bad day”, “Everyone else is doing it”, “The woman you put here with me gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” “It’s his fault.” “Maybe it’s even God’s fault but surely it’s not my fault!

This is a big one today, sometimes we change the name to cover our sins: It’s not gossip; it’s sharing; it’s not coveting, it’s admiring, it’s not lying; it’s explaining; it’s not homosexuality; it’s trans, LGBTQ alphabet; it’s not cheating; it’s swinging; it’s not man and woman; it’s gender based on how you feel on the inside. No matter the label you wear God love all people and welcome each one to his table of cleansing, restoration and renewal.

What excuses have you made recently to God, others, and yourself for sin? How have you renamed your sin to make it sound better?

“If we cover our sin, God will expose it. If we expose our sin, God will cover it.” The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of not coming to God for forgiveness.” God doesn’t overlook or forgive excuses, but He does offer forgiveness for sin. He patiently waits for us to confront our wrongdoing and label it for what it is: sin.

Psalm 51: 1, “O God have Mercy on Me!, O God according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”

When we:
  • Confess our sins
  • Seek repentance,
  • God removes them as far as the east is from the west.

Envision a globe in your mind – no matter how far you travel, you will never encounter the west by heading east. This illustrates the extent to which God is willing to cleanse, forgive and make us new.

(Read the previous post “Never Forget Clean Hands”)

A. Repentance frees us.

B. Honesty renews us.

C. God’s mercy cleanses us.

When there is something in your life that isn’t right, you need to get it out. Your behavior changes when you repent because you’ve changed the way you think about your choices and behaviors.

Until we stop making excuses we are not ready to be forgiven. Whether we think we are above the law, (as David apparently thought when he chose to send for the married Bathsheba) or that our action is okay if others started it (as Adam thought in the Garden) Our excuses cover us as poorly as the Adam and Eve’s fig leaves in the Garden of Eden.

(Add Psalm 51: 1-19 to your daily prayer time.) Share this commitment with those you love. Because God loves them more.

Lord, give me the courage to be honest with myself and to be honest with you. Holy Spirit, I invite you to search my heart and point out anything that offends you. I’m not going to make excuses. I’m not going to try to defend myself. I invite you to bring anything else to light that I’m not aware of and I will confess it so that you can cleanse me anew. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

NEVER FORGET, CLEAN HANDS!

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Just a few years ago, although it seems like yesterday, nations were thrust into an environmental COVID-19 battle that required strict cleanliness rules of engagement. Many unity-sounding slogans were circulating: “Apart We Stand Together”, “It Takes All of Us to Save Lives”, “Keep Hands Clean and disinfected” as often as possible” We cannot leave out “Social Distancing”, Do Your Part to Keep fellow Texans (or whatever state you lived in) Safe.

As a former educator, there were more healthy hand hygiene rules than we could count: Clean hands coming in upon arrival, after each break, before and after eating or drinking, and everything else done during the day. Handling books, pencils, paper, everything had to be wiped clean. Handwashing rules included: using soap and water for no less than 20 seconds and/or using 60% alcohol sanitizer.

The greatest battle we face is an ongoing spiritual battle. External cleanliness promotes physical health, but having “clean hands” before God promotes spiritual health. Washing and sanitizing spiritually involves repentance, confessing our sins, and coming clean before God to experience spiritual well-being.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, (Psalm 24:3-4)

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8)

Repentance is more than feeling sorry or remorse. It involves recognizing one’s sin, feeling godly sorrow, making a commitment to change and experiencing a genuine change of mind, heart, direction, and behavior.

For unbelievers, repentance is for salvation. While for believers, it is for restored fellowship and maintaining a clean life before God. God is calling the world (unbelievers and believers) to repentance, unto faith in Jesus Christ and to walk in a changed lifestyle, according to the Word of God. Because genuine belief in Christ equals genuine change in lifestyle.

Question 1: When was the last time you washed your spiritual hands by spending time in confession and repentance to God?

Confession: Is agreement with God about his viewpoint of sin. God’s viewpoint of sin, “It’s against me (God), it has devastating consequences, sin grieves me.” This is how God views your sins. Confession is much more than just telling God what you did. Does your confession of sin get to the heartfelt level?

Repentance is agreement with God that the sin was against him and a commitment to turn away, turn back and walk away from the sin. Agree with God that you have departed from his ways and fallen short of his standards.

God is not disappointed, but grieved and you will feel a lot worse when you see sin from God’s perspective. It does not mean you won’t sin again, but each time the approach must be genuine repentance, complete repentance.

Start now!

(1) Ask God to bring sins to mind you need to confess to him, today.

(2) Spend some time asking God to forgive you for those things that offended or displeased him.

(3) Thank God that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Unbelievers: Confess to God that Jesus is Lord, and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. You are saved. Now, step 1-3.

If you long for greater intimacy with God, ask him to examine your heart to see if there are any areas in which you need to come clean before him. Admit to him and to yourself, that you are in need of a spiritual bath. Be prepared like a little child, to squirm a little when he reminds you to wash behind your ears, or clean the matter from your eyes. But, oh, the joy of coming clean!

FAITH vs FOOLISH

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What’s up? What do you have going on in your walk of faith right now? Is it bigger than you? Is it something you can do or does it require God’s miraculous power? Check your spiritual pulse! Don’t box God in based on the natural. God is God of impossibilities. When God speaks embrace it by faith and act and watch God validate what you thought was just crazy or foolish.

(I Corinthians 1:25-27) The foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

No one says it better than Mark Mattheson, “Faith is the willingness to look foolish. Noah looked foolish building a boat in the middle of a desert. Noah was saved from the flood. The Israelites marched around Jericho blowing trumpets seven times. The walls came tumbling down. A shepherd boy named David, looked foolish charging a giant with a sling-shot. David defeated Goliath; Peter looked foolish jumping out of a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Peter walked on water. And Jesus looked foolish wearing a crown of thorns. Jesus was crowned “King of Kings!” The results speak for itself.”

Is the risk of looking foolish worth it? Yes, because “He is worthy of it all!” Does faith seem like a foolish act sometimes? Yes, God has documented history of the foolish becoming the miraculous. As did the Great crowd of witnesses, build God’s reputation at the risk of your own. Be encouraged no matter what it looks like in the natural.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I want to serve you with my whole heart. Holy Spirit lead me and guide me to move in the faith that God has miraculous power, no matter the risk. Help me to prayerfully move in action when my head says it’s too risky. Amen!

FOLLOW THE PEACE!

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Have you ever been bombarded by life? Maybe your day is filled with more bad news and less good news? Especially, when the barge of life requires you to make tough decisions, life-changing with few choices. In the beginning of creation, the first lesson we as Christians learned when it comes to choices, there are two choices, “Tree of Good” and “Tree of Evil”. So, even today we must examine the fruit to determine which tree do your choices align with, all the way to the root level.

Secondly, when we have unexpected situations and circumstances to appear we see no way out of a no-way situation. Go to the Lord in prayer and “Listen” for His direction. Stop being “Chatty Kathy or Chatty Karl” and try some listening prayer. In my personal no-way situation, first the enemy tried to bombard my mind with a mirage of defeating thoughts. That brain confusion led me to get quiet before the Lord and listen to what He has to say. I heard in my spirit, “Follow the Peace, my daughter!, Do you trust me, the Prince of Peace?”

Moreover, the Son of God has become the Prince of Peace so that we, the children of God, may become the peacemakers. (Matthew 5:9)

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) 

Immediately as I was reminded of who Jesus is to me, Peace enlarged my heart, and though my situation was the same, I am at peace knowing that God has a plan. I trust the Lord, leaning not to my own understanding. (Prov. 3:6) I am standing on the promise that “He will supply every need of mine according to His riches in glory, (Phil. 4:19)

Be encouraged today and everyday! Follow Jesus, the Peace, and stand on his promise, for “He who promised is faithful!” (Heb. 10:23)

Prayer:

Lord, today I choose the tree of life. I thank you that Life in Christ is abundant and sure. No worries will fill my heart about my life situations again, for my heart is filled with you, “Peace” because I recognize that you are well able to take care of all of my needs. In Jesus Name, Prince of Peace, “Today, I follow the Peace!” Amen.