Renewed Faith, Joyful Heart

The ultimate resurrection—Jesus rose from the dead! Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!* Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!* Yes and Amen!* 

With Jesus we can face anything. He died on a cross, carrying every evil scheme of the devil to defeat us. Jesus triumphed over sin, physical ailment, mental anguish, death, and even coronavirus. We too can conquer life’s miseries through Jesus our Savior. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.* Through Scripture and song, we can shout for joy to a God who saves. 

Experiencing a resurrection, revitalization, or revival of anything yields joy, jubilation, triumph. Renewed faith, revived flowers/plants, reconstructed churches/houses, restored souls, returned prodigals, resuscitated lives, rekindled relationships—sorrow usually precedes life’s refreshment and reawakening. God breathes new life into our situations when we draw close to Him, when we humble ourselves and pray. 

I’ve prayed for my children since their birth. My prayers increased as they grew. Heart-felt prayers wrapped in tears poured from my lips when my daughter lost her way in life. I joined my prayers with other mournful mothers to set captives free. And we waited for God to work. 

God answers our prayers in His way and in His time. Some remedies are instantaneous and others evolve—all are reasons to rejoice. He turns tears of sadness into rivers of joy. 

I wept this holy week for me, my family, and this dying world. I pondered the pains my Savior endured for us all. And then I sobbed for joy over a Facebook post by my daughter. She has granted me permission to share her words, poignant and unedited. If you are suffering in any way, I pray you find comfort through her words of hope because of Jesus Christ. 

There are only a few more weeks of Randy and I being a family of two (well 3 including Goose, our dog). Jackson Lee will be here in no time and our little family will grow a little more. To bring a child into this world during this time with Coronavirus has been overwhelming! The things we have looked forward to, planned for during our first pregnancy is not working out the way we wanted. It’s sad to think that our families and friends will not be able to meet our lil man for a while. It’s devastating us! But I can’t wait to tell our little fighter what was happening in our world when he made his appearance. I can’t wait to tell him that his Daddy, my sweet husband was/is working the front lines as a paramedic firefighter serving his community and world, risking his life. The stress I know my husband is under has been unimaginable. I see it on his face, I feel it in his touch, but without fail he does it for our family and those he is helping. He goes to work for days with little sleep and helps those in need. Then comes home to me hoping and praying that he wasn’t exposed so that he doesn’t expose anything to us. The idea that he might not be able to be in the delivery room for the birth of our first child has been piercing. He is my person, my quiet storm, my peace, the good good thing my Lord brought into my life. During this time it has been disheartening to think about the future and condition our world is in. There is so much division, loneliness, depression, heartache, evil, disease, etc. It can weigh heavily on us at times and it can seem so dark, but I am constantly reminded of the brightest thing in my life….that is my Heavenly Father! He calms the storm in my heart, floods my mind with peace, gives me incredible strength. This world has so many beautiful things that we don’t see sometimes because it’s clouded by darkness, but I promise you Jesus shines brighter! Our faith and prayer through God has and will carry us through this time and every time after that. We will get through this and anything with the Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the darkness! This has been on my heart for a while now. Stay safe!

May you experience a resurrection of sorts as you draw close to our Savior Jesus Christ. He died for us all. May we live everyday for Him. 

They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will be radiant with joy
because of the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,
and because of the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like an irrigated garden,
and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
Then the young woman will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
I will refresh the priests with an abundance,
and My people will be satisfied with My goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.  Jeremiah 31:12-14 (HCSB)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

*footnotes

1. Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!  Hymn lyrics written by Charles Wesley

2. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!  Hymn lyrics written by Bill and Gloria Gaither

3. Yes and Amen!  2 Corinthians 1:20

4. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

When Clouds Gather, Humble Yourself and Pray

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  James 4:10 (NIV)”

Prayer expresses faith in an Almighty God. Earnest prayer connects us to our Heavenly Father where communication transpires with One more powerful than ourselves. It’s a liberating conversation. So why does it seem we seldom pray until trouble besieges us? Are our prayers only pleas for help? Is our communion with God merely requests for needs and wants?

At times our long lists of petitions trivialize prayer. Have you ever repeated the same prayer over and over again, as if babbling repetitively? Believe it or not, God already knows our needs. Scripture tells us He knows us by name (Isaiah 43:1) as well as the exact count of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). He even knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8). 

Since God has full knowledge of you and me, we ought to take time to be still and get to know Him (Psalm 46:10). Instead of routine words expressed as prayers, humbly bow before Him with joyful expressions of thanks for who He is and what He’s already done for us.

God loves us more than a parent adores her own child. With sacrificial love, He surrendered His Son to die in our place in order for us to gain eternal life with Him (John 3:16). He yearns for a relationship with us like parents long for loving bonds with their offspring. 

Genuine, loving relationships are full of grace. However, imagine the sound of repetitious entreaties from a child to a parent. Yes, parents wish to please their children. But constant pleading? Sooner or later the demands sound like clanging cymbals. Being a parent myself, I understand the simple delight of being loved for who I am, not for what I can do for my child.

Years ago my family learned a valuable lesson about treasuring the person and not his handouts. My husband’s job required him to journey out of town every week for a year and a half except on Saturdays. Because of his travels, we decided I would be a stay-at-home mom for our two preschool children. Even though it was the best plan for us at the time, our family dynamics suffered because of stress. 

While he faithfully provided for us, my husband experienced extreme guilt because of his absence. He began bringing home gifts for our children to appease his conscience. Before long, they anticipated his presents to the point of neglecting him. His dejected countenance pained me. We knew immediately what must happen or not happen—no more goody bags filled with toys. Oh the tears and tantrums that materialized. Eventually our children forgot about what dad brought home and instead squealed with delight when he entered the door. Oh to be appreciated for who you are!

How often do we neglect adoration for our Savior and instead seek what He can give us? Are we as selfish as little children? Doesn’t the God of the universe also deserve to be loved and appreciated simply for who He is? Remember—His love is greater than that of a human parent. And He desires a loving relationship with each of us. Knowing of His sacrificial love for us should shift our prayers from self-serving to God-honoring. Pride out—humility in. 

Humility? How do we pray with humility? Does kneeling help? Or is it a heart issue? Jesus once said to a crowd on a mountainside, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.” 

His statement is included in the list of blessings or beatitudes from His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). These beatitudes speak to the acceptable attitudes humbly displayed before a supreme being, and Jesus modeled them perfectly. So how do we follow Him?

While teaching His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about prayer, explaining the essence of pride and humility (Matthew 6:5-15). He detailed how people stand in the synagogues and street corners to pray. They desire to be seen. He told his audience to go where no one sees and then pray. Standing alone with a pliable heart before Almighty God dissolves self-absorption. It transforms a selfish human heart into a humble one. 

Do you have needs to bring before your Heavenly Father? Have you examined your heart before going to Him in prayer? Start with the perfect prayer modeled by His perfect Son, Jesus. He said, “This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”  Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)

Following Jesus’ example takes our eyes off of our issues and turns them toward God. Recognizing His power and authority exposes our inability to control anything in our lives. Simply gazing at the heavens He created should cause us to say with the psalmist, “Who am I that you are aware of me?” (Psalm 8:3-4). 

Truly understanding God’s majesty increases wisdom. Daily walking in that knowledge inevitably leads to humility. And God shows favor to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).

“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.  Psalm 66:18-19 (NIV)”

“Before we can pray “Thy kingdom come,” we must be willing to pray, “My kingdom go.”
~Alan Redpath”