From Mess to Message

If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.  2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV)

I sat alone in my living room, recovering from the flu and a horrible lingering cough. While my body regained strength, my heart grew weary with regret. Christmas decorations still adorned my house. I couldn’t put them away because I wanted a do-over. 

The expectations of a joyful holiday had collided with disappointments: outdoor Christmas Eve service cancelled due to extreme weather conditions and our annual extended kinfolk gathering halted due to illness. Then the last day with our out-of-town daughter and her family concluded with misunderstandings and arguments. And yet, the hope of Christmas, Immanuel—God with us, abided with us. His faithfulness transcended all of our faithless uncertainties and divisiveness. 

Sitting solo in silence, I desired restoration with my people and forgiveness from God. I looked around the room and caught sight of the jumbled toy nativity set on a nearby shelf. It had provided entertainment for my two-year-old grandson. Tears fell as I stared at the jumbled mess. What a mishmash he had left. But what good news it now proclaimed!

God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to provide salvation for sinful mankind.* Jesus entered a broken world in desperate need of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. He exchanged heavenly royalty for earthly humility, giving up indescribable power to be born a babe in a manger. Jesus lived life with humanity, modeling the love of His Heavenly Father. He was Immanual—God with us.* Through His crucifixion, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ gained abundant life on earth and eternal life in heaven for whoever would believe in Him. 

What love the Heavenly Father lavished on His children.* He sent His Son Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners.* And He loved me enough to remind me of His marvelous message of salvation through a little messy manger scene.

God composes messages out of messes. They’re evident, if we’re paying attention. My soul despaired until God spoke and thankfully, I listened. He brought new life to the new year. 

How was your Christmas? Did you confront discouragement, division, disaster, or defeat? How about the new year? Do you already feel like a failure? Have you lost all hope?

Let the image of a messy manger remind you of God’s love. Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful. For He sent His Son Jesus into a wicked world, not to condemn us, but to save us. Now that’s a message this mess of a woman can take to heart.

*John 3:16

*Matthew 1:23

*1 John 3: 1

*Romans 5:8

20/20 Vision

“
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes.
Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored,
and he saw everything clearly.
Mark 8:25 (NIV)”

          Suppose you lived on a city street corner, a vagrant with no place to call home. The sounds of gathering crowds and the unpleasant smells of livestock daily pass you by. You begin to imagine what it would be like to take a look at your environment. But you know that will never happen because darkness engulfs you. You are blind.

          There was a blind man in Bethsaida. When news spread about the arrival of the Man who performed miracles, the blind man’s friends led Him to Jesus. The disciples and bystanders all watched as Jesus lay hands on the man’s eyes. Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

          The man said people appeared dim. He described them as trees walking around. Jesus again placed his hands on the man’s eyes. Immediately his sight was restored. His eyes were opened. He saw everything clearly. What a miracle to have experienced. 

          Earlier Jesus had initiated a tough discussion with His disciples after abundantly suppling bread and fish for a massive crowd of people. The bounty was so great that they had experienced an overflow. Following the massive meal, the disciples had picked up baskets full of leftover pieces. Jesus then warned the disciples of the yeast of religious leaders and the adherence to man’s ways. But they failed to understand Him. “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?” Jesus asked.

          Throughout His cross-examination, Jesus tried to enlighten His disciples about God’s ways. Jesus, the Bread of Life, had supplied the needs of a hungry crowd and the disciples had witnessed the miracle. But the Pharisees tried to deny the supernatural event with requests of more signs. Jesus recognized the dangers of the religious elite’s unbelief circulating among His followers. Though He reminded the disciples of His divine power, He knew they misunderstood.

          Like a loving teacher who desires for His students to learn, Jesus closed the discussion with another miracle. He healed the blind man brought to Him in Bethsaida. After placing His hands on the man’s eyes twice, his vision was restored. He saw everything clearly. Did the disciples now see and understand?

           Again, suppose you encountered vision problems and your world began to grow dark. Would you follow the ways of man and allow fear to consume you? Or would you cling to faith in God even though you couldn’t see what stood in front of you? 

          I recently discovered that three of my friends grappled with eye disease. Struggling with cataracts and glacoma, all three needed surgery. I could only imagine the uncertainty they faced. Asking for prayer, these ladies resisted fear and clung to faith. And praise God, they’ve all had successful surgeries. 

          Are you burdened with a bodily disease? Or are you overloaded with dis-ease and difficulty from work and finances? Most likely Covid and its ramifications have stressed you to a maximum level. Has your focus been faith or fear? Can you hear Jesus saying, “Do you still not understand?” 

          After Jesus gave sight to the blind man, He continued on with His instruction to His disciples as they traveled to neighboring villages. Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

          Several of them offered various answers, but Peter said, “You are the Messiah.”

          What a declaration. It seems the disciples were finally developing eyes to see and ears to hear. Was truth beginning to be revealed?           

          How about your eyes and ears? Have the happenings of the year 2020 distracted you with fear and terror? Or have you been awakened to God’s powerful presence and His promised faithfulness? Jesus is the Bread of life. Everyone who is spiritually hungry will be satisfied by belief and trust in Him. 

          Focus on Jesus, the Bread of Life, the spiritual staple that fills hearts and souls. Look to Him and know He is God. With clear vision and receptive ears, grasp the truth of His words. And He will supply all your needs abundantly, even to an overflow.

Seeing is Believing

          “Do you still not understand? Do your eyes fail to see and your ears fail to hear?” Jesus asked His disciples as He attempted to warn them of the corrupt religious elite. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod,” He declared. 

          Prior to that discussion, Jesus had miraculously fed 4000 people from several loaves of bread and some fish with an abundance of leftovers. The disciples were eye-witnesses to this supernatural event. After the miracle, Jesus began to speak about yeast. But the disciples became confused. They failed to notice the spiritual depth behind such a phenomenon. Have we too overlooked the wisdom God provides in His marvelous Word? Must it always be hindsight that clarifies God’s work in our lives? 

          Many years ago I sat alone on a back pew at a church concert. While enjoying the worship music, a Bible verse came to mind. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

          My daughter happened to be a senior when this seemingly overused Scripture verse became popular among high school graduates. I felt as if God had spoken it directly to me for my daughter. It brought me overwhelming peace. I left the concert joyfully trusting God’s promise for her life. 

          But when my daughter began making poor life choices, I forgot God’s words. I gave into fear. I shuddered with panic. Worry consumed me every single day month after month. When I finally regained my senses, I humbled myself in prayer before Almighty God. I cried out to Him in praise and He reminded me of our long-term relationship. He had proven Himself faithful throughout my entire life. He even miraculously restored me to health after a dangerous bout with clots in my lungs. How could I have allowed doubt to compromise my faith in Him? Why had I focused on life’s adversities instead of God’s victories?

          Hindsight is 20/20. Sometimes in our moment of discontent, we can’t see the forest for the trees. We get so wrapped up in the situations around us that we fail to see the bigger picture. We struggle in our troubles instead of first praying to an Omniscient God. El Roi, the God who sees, knows all about us, and yet we fail to see His power prevail over our suffering. We lose sight of Him until He’s all we have. When we return to Him in repentance, His light shines in the darkness and our vision clears. Finally we begin to acknowledge with clarity His faithful presence in our lives. 

          Have you found yourself riveted by fear this year? Have your eyes focused anywhere but God? There are certainly plenty of problems to pinpoint—pandemic, panic, isolation, violence, hatred, death, masks, cancel culture, personal struggles, no church gatherings. The problems of 2020 continue to intensify. Many of us are nearly undone with the weight of it all. And Jesus says to each of us, “Do your eyes fail to see and your ears fail to hear?”

          Just as Jesus warned His disciples of the yeast of the religious elite, I can hear Him questioning me for my lack of faith with the words of the apostle Paul. “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. A little yeast works though the whole batch of dough.”  (Galatians 5:7-9).

          The yeast of corruption has definitely escalated throughout our institutions. Control and overreach has restrained the lives of the masses while evil and lawlessness has flourished. Churches are shut down, fellowship and worship are frowned upon. And Jesus says, “Do you still not understand?”

          In this ninth month of the year 2020, where are our eyes focused? Are the maladies so tremendous that we fail to see what God is doing? Are we allowing our physical sight to outweigh our spiritual sight? 

          Mankind hungers for more than this world offers. Wandering souls long for the liberating authority of a Mighty God. And humanity desperately needs a Savior. I hope you’ll return next time to discover more of Him with me.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)”

When Clouds Gather, Eradicate Fear

“When we fear because our treasures have been stripped away, choose to treasure Jesus anyway.
~based on Matthew 6:19-34”

“Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.]  Matthew 6:9-13 (HCSB)

Several months have passed since a pandemic swept across our world. Has the disease been destroyed? Facts tell us no. Has fear been eradicated? Facts seem to say no. But hopefully you’ve had time to mull over your own worries and fears. Reading Jesus’ words from the sixth chapter of Matthew was a cure for my anxieties. It helped to calm my distress as I put it into practice. I pray my experience will encourage you as we continue together into the near future with uncertainty. 

Anxious emotions have materialized out of the social distancing directive. I can’t sleep. We’ve lost a lot of money in the stock market. Do we have enough food and supplies? What if I catch the virus? I sure hope no one in my family gets sick and dies. God, I am so afraid. 

My daughter immediately fretted over the delivery of her baby. My sister stressed about her job and began applying for another one. My nephews lost their jobs. My husband and his co-workers received pay cuts. Businesses shut down. Schools and universities shut down and resumed online. While grocery stores remained open, employees and customers exhibited apprehension. Quarantine changed our lives.

The initial fright of this pandemic caught everyone off guard. Panic seemed to escalate, as shock dissipated. Fear of the unknown now seems to multiply daily. Worry continues to prevent sleep. We are simply undone. 

And God says, “Do not fear. Don’t worry.”  

Is anyone listening? We’re trying desperately to fix our problems, find a cure, figure out a plan to survive instead of first following the instructions of God. We seem to have forgotten that He is God and we are not.

Through the years, people have been busily trying to achieve and receive more stuff all the while complaining of little time to accomplish everything. Priorities have become skewed. Modern norms have eclipsed the traditional family. Desire for possessions have exceeded desire for the One who supplies them. Churches have cruised into assimilation with culture instead of battling to stand firm on God’s truth. 

All of a sudden we have time. We have been forced to stop, to social distance, to stay inside, to settle into a new way of life for a while. And it’s tough. Many things of our lives have been stripped away while the beauty of nature has been brought to light. 

Daybreaks and twilights display designs of exquisite grandeur. Have you noticed them? Birds express melodious praises with warbles and trills day after day. Have you heard them? Spring has arrived and bounteous blooms of vivid splendor reveal new life. Have you seen them? Even though our human situation has drastically changed, nature presses on. All because Someone greater is in charge.

So Lord, give us this day our daily bread. Reciting this statement within the Lord’s Prayer may have become rote. Believing its truth requires trust. It’s evident from the sounds of chirping that God daily feeds the birds. Have you noticed their praise choruses rising up before dawn? Do we trust God for daily sustenance like the birds? Do we trust Him in the dark? 

And Jesus says, “You are worth more than the birds.”  

If God takes such good care of the birds, won’t He do the same for us? We are remarkably made, knit together since conception (Psalm 139). And throughout our lives, He offers provision. His Word assures us of His promises. So why worry? God knows what we need. 

God desires for us to seek first His righteousness and trust Him for our needs. If we worry about tomorrow instead of simply trusting for today, we create anxiety for ourselves. Daily troubles abound. Why add more to the day?

But do as I say, not as I do because honestly, I’m worried. My pregnant daughter lives in Southern California with her firefighter/paramedic husband. They are due to have their first baby in a few days. The “what ifs” keep welling up inside of us all. This virus has hindered my plans to meet my new grandson and help out my daughter as a new mother. I am mad. I am sad. I am fearful. 

And the Holy Spirit says to me, “Debbie, I offer perfect peace. Will you trust Me?”

As Jesus carried our sins to the cross, He also carried our worries. He put an end to fear. He destroyed those things that try to destroy us. He even defeated death. If He is so powerful and mighty over harmful things, why do we choose them over Him?

Are you afraid of this pandemic? Has it created worry about your future? Maybe you’ve lost treasures—a job, a home, money, or even a loved one. Most likely all of your plans have changed. What is your response? Are you worrying about this worldly situation or are you trusting and treasuring the One who controls it all? 

When worry begins to creep up within our souls, remember Jesus who gave His life to save us from all that the enemy sends to destroy us. Be still. Have faith. Trust in the power of an Almighty God. Know He is in complete control. 

“Whenever I feel my foot slipping, your faithful love steadies me, Lord. When my anxieties multiply, your comforting calms me down.
Psalm 94:18-19”

When Clouds Gather, Remember the Rainbow

I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud….When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”  Genesis 9:13-14,16 (NASB)

An artist stands on the street before her easel, paintbrush in hand. Working with the colors from her palette, she applies paints to her canvas. Bystanders breathlessly wait for the finished product as spectacular scenery begins to take shape. Her vision fashions an incredible landscape. 

Now imagine our Creator God at work before His heavenly canvas. He designs His radiant rainbow in a cloud, the clouds that Scripture says are the dust of His feet (Nahum 1:3). If those massive billowy forms bear His footprints, how mighty is He, our Creator of the rainbow?

It staggers my mind to contemplate God’s magnificent grandeur. As I gaze into the heavens encircling me, I’m filled with awe and wonder. If my God is so big, surely I can trust Him to take care of me, my family, and our needs. The knowledge that I serve a majestic and powerful God comforts me until I notice dark clouds advancing. Then fear blows in with gale force winds and I start to doubt His faithfulness. 

Several years ago the southeastern coast of the United States experienced massive turbulence in the forms of Hurricanes Irma, Florence, and Michael. The states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina encountered extreme ruin. Those mighty clouds brought dangerous and destructive storms to the residents, including some of my family and friends. More recently Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas, leaving behind death and devastation.

How could this happen? Why did God allow such disaster? Did He walk away from His own creation?

When I see such destruction, I am plagued with doubt about a caring God. But then I take time to reread His Word, and He reminds me of His faithfulness. Over and over again, He confirms His steadfast love. He answers us when we seek Him (Psalm 34:4-6). He is available to all who call on His name (Psalm 116:3-6). He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Even though circumstances seem to tell a different story, Scripture promises us that we can count on God no matter what. 

Remember Noah in the ninth chapter of Genesis? Noah and his family experienced a catastrophic flood. God protected them in an ark while death swirled all around them. Except for the creatures they had gathered and led onto the boat, all else was gone. For forty days and nights, they endured confinement and uncertainty. Forty straight days and nights of rain and clouds! Imagine how much water surrounded their vessel. Were they frightened? Angry? Yearning for their old life? Did they complain? Did they forget God was near?  

I think I can answer all those questions with a resounding YES! If I had been on the ark or North Carolina’s coast or in the Bahamas, I would have been crying with fear. I probably would have screamed WHY while I wished for my old life back. Big billowy dark clouds would have depressed me. I surely would not have seen them as the dust of God’s feet. 

But then a rainbow appeared!

When God placed His rainbow in the clouds, it signified an everlasting covenant with all of God’s creatures, a solemn promise between God and all of earth. He promised never again to destroy all life in a flood.

Not only should the rainbow prompt us to recall God’s faithfulness, God declared the rainbow a sign of the covenant He made with all life on earth. Even to this day, the rainbow guarantees God’s promise. Its colorful array reminds us to hold onto hope and believe God is near to us whenever we need Him. 

Allow God’s words of truth to reside in your heart. Know He is faithful.

“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the Lord our God whenever we call on Him? 
(Deuteronomy 4:7)

”

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  (Psalm 34:18)”

““Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord, “And not a God far off? Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?” declares the Lord. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord. 
(Jeremiah 23:23-24)”

God’s rainbow is a sign of His covenant with man. Its appearance proclaims we are not forgotten. Its beauty awakens us to the presence of an Almighty God through His Holy Spirit. We can celebrate the presence of Immanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ. And Jesus promised He would never leave us or forsake us. He is faithful.

Suffering usually strips us of our pretenses. It brings us to our knees, down to the nitty-gritty. When we call out to Jesus, we find Him waiting on us. He lifts us up in times of sorrow, sickness, and sadness. He offers hope when life appears hopeless. He is faithful. 

When clouds gather, remember His rainbow. He is faithful. 

Fan into Flame the Gift of God

          It was the thirtieth day of May in the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred fifty-four. According to the Order of the Church, pastors and elders ordained and consecrated my father as a minister by the laying on of hands. I can only imagine his mother’s delight—my grandmother who watched many Billy Graham crusades on TV. As I now held the certificate of ordination in my hand, I recall precious memories of a faith passed down from generation to generation. 

          Born a preacher’s kid, I attended church every time the doors were open. Sundays and Wednesdays especially found us all at church, even when snow kept everyone else away. My Dad made sure of our presence. While my upbringing has instilled regular church attendance, it’s my dad’s faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that I cherish most. What a blessing to grow up in a household that celebrated the gift of salvation through Jesus. To be taught how to grow in faith through Him. 

          But faith-building isn’t always easy, especially when life appears hopeless. Ironically, learning to trust God emerges out of difficulties. Why does it seem we lean in and learn more when hardship hits or when death strikes? Living through adversity tends to shape our lives. Walking through tribulations with the Savior transforms life. 

          My dad’s death shook me to my core. How would I live without him? Along with grief, a broken relationship with my daughter brought me to my knees. I agonized over the discord and disassociation with her. I couldn’t dam my tears. They flowed like rushing water. Despite the misery, God continually reminded me of the blessed assurance handed down by parents and grandparents. Eventually I held on to salvation in Jesus and experienced peace through the Holy Spirit. 

          Day by day I encountered this peace, but pain came alongside. It’s as if I walked in between railroad tracks with Jesus on one side and agony on the other—peace paralleled pain. Such a bittersweet existence. 

          Over time I became receptive to the revelation of other wounded people, especially mothers with prodigals. I believe God steered them in my direction, and I identified with them—their tears were my tears, their heartache my heartache. Seeing them took my eyes off my own suffering. They needed to experience the peace I had discovered, the resolve in my heart that God guarded our lives. But how would I tell them? What would I say? I felt so uneducated when sharing the gospel. 

“So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord,” Paul told Timothy. (1 Timothy 1:8)

          Paul considered Timothy his true son in the faith, bonded by the blood of Jesus. Because he recognized Timothy’s youth and lack of confidence, Paul reminded him of the faith that lived in his mother and grandmother. And he prompted Timothy to recall the prophecies made over him at the time of his ordination. (1 Timothy 1:18-19)

          “Fan into flame the gift of God,” Paul said. “And know that “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline,” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

          Paul didn’t want Timothy to be afraid to share the gospel. He encouraged his spiritual son to join in his suffering, to fight the good fight, to guard the good deposit entrusted to him through the Holy Spirit. With honest eloquence, Paul motivated Timothy to keep the faith by saying, “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.” (1 Timothy 6:20)

          God used Paul’s words to speak to me. Being afraid to share the gospel was not an option. I needed to hold tightly to the words of the Lord, reject fearful thoughts, and intercede for my child. With more strength than I could have imagined, God galvanized a fight within me—a fight of faith, the faith of my fathers. He formed our group of mothers with prodigals and gave us a Scripture verse to sustain us, Isaiah 43:5-7. Together we determined to humbly pray for our children, believing God’s truth.     

          We refused to allow anxiety over choices made by our children to squelch the fire. The embers in our troubled hearts had been deposited by our Heavenly Father. The power of the Holy Spirit fanned them into flame. In unity but with distinct voices, we cried out to the True and Faithful One, Jesus Christ. And He strengthened us. 

          Timothy came from a line of faithful believers. I learned of faith from my parents and grandparents. Standing on a firm foundation, I’m compelled to fan into flame this precious gift of God, passing it on to my children and grandchildren. 

          With power, love, and sound minds, my prayer group and I will continue to keep the faith and share the gospel with a lost and hurting world. For the sake of our children, for the next generation, we yearn to set ablaze the gift of God. We believe our prayers will ignite the flame. 

“So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord.
(1 Timothy 1:8). ”

Oh the joy of future generations living in the truth.