All in Faith/Trust
King David ran from his enemies more than once. Perhaps he wrote the words of Psalm 63 while running from an angry King Saul. Maybe, he wrote these thoughts while fleeing from his own son, Absalom. Both scenarios seem awful! I’ve driven through the Judean wilderness in an air-conditioned bus. I’ve also viewed it from the ruins of Masada, King Herod’s winter palace. Both times the wilderness appeared formidable. Thoughts of hiding there terrify me.
Jesus often said two words when calling His disciples: “Follow me.” Jesus emphasized that entering into a relationship with Him involved more than belief. It also involved commitment. Jesus said, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). Upon belief, you and I begin a journey with Jesus that lasts for eternity. He leads; we follow.
Endless summer days. Texas heat. Drought. We hadn’t seen rain for weeks. The grass struggled with its gray hue, and flowers remained wilted in spite of my effort of moving sprinklers around to keep them watered. I prayed daily for rain to come.
Between a pandemic and political and racial unrest, this past year created many opportunities for fear.
Recently, the Lord reminded me of King Jehoshaphat’s story in 2 Chronicles 20. Several countries came to fight against Judah. The king, in his fear, turned to the Lord and invited his country to do the same.
What are you waiting for right now? Your coffee to kick in? Your kids to finish their breakfast? The traffic light to turn green? We are always waiting for something. Life just kinda moves like that, doesn't it? It's such a "hurry up and wait" world.
Life’s difficult circumstances can turn peace into panic. Our survival may depend on living through complicated medical treatments, making difficult decisions about our children, struggling with financial hardships, providing care for a loved one, coping with unhealthy habits, or confronting generational family dysfunction. But “hopeless” situations are the perfect ground for God to show us His glory, as he did for Moses and the Israelites.
“God did this” begs the question from Paul’s debaters: God did what? God made the world and everything in it; God is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything; God determined the times set for (every man)and the exact places where they should live (Acts 17:24-26). God did this all for you, “Men of Athens!”(17:22). Pay attention to what I (Paul) am about to say next. And all ears pricked up for Paul’s so that!
Rules. Rules. Rules. Who wants rules?! But rules really aren’t all bad. Think of Henry Ford when he invented the Model T in 1908. Once he had his first car up and running he had to figure out how to keep it running, how to repair it when it broke down, how to manufacture more of these classics. In other words, he needed rules.
It is as Eugene Peterson says in the introduction to his Message translation: “Ours is not a neat and tidy world in which we are assured that we can get everything under our control…there is mystery everywhere.” Truth is though, we don’t need to be caught in the spin of uncertainty when we know the God who made the world and everything in it.
As I dropped my youngest son off at baseball practice, the rain pelted down. And the wind blew tree branches into the roadway.
The Magi saw the star and believed a king was born. Their belief was life changing. They left behind the familiar and began a journey to find and worship this king. Belief in Jesus is always life changing! That which is familiar pales in light of seeking and worshiping Jesus Christ. The Magi teach us about worship, but first, let’s look at what they teach us about life-changing belief in Jesus.
The story of Noah and the ark is well-known. Even after digging deeper into this story, the first picture that comes to my mind is one from a children’s book, portraying cute animals and smiling people. But what was the condition of the earth during Noah’s time?
Are these new verses to you? Not likely. Many of us have these verses memorized, and we even classify these as all-time favorites. These words are truth, but it is difficult for us to really live them out.
Is cross-country skiing on your bucket list by chance? Then the perfect place for you is in Stowe Vermont at the Trapp Family Lodge—yes, the Sound of Music von Trapps settled in Stowe in 1942, having fled Austria in 1938. Need I say—there is an art to cross-country skiing, and the surface of the skis is integral. If you don’t have the proper wax for the snow conditions, or that magic built-in fish scale grip pattern, you are in for a grueling workout. Our fearless leader set a good pace; the rest of us slipped as much back as forward, glad for the summit and the prize—a cookie.
As I sat on a bench at the end of the trail that beautiful summer morning, a distant hot air balloon floated into view over the Wasatch. The rays of sunrise capturing its brilliant colors penetrated my solitude. My spirit soared, just a little, above the mundane.
It astounds me that Apostle Peter wrote these words while in prison in Rome eighteen months before he was sentenced to be executed. The fifth ruler of the Roman Empire, Nero, was unsurpassed in his cruel behavior. Surely Peter knew his death was imminent when he wrote the New Testament letters.
Negative emotions are hard to shake off now. Impatience, worry, fear, fatigue, depression and anxiety are real. Many of us are starting to look inward too much.
I know this to be true because I am feeling these feelings right now!
Rahab the prostitute, seen in Joshua 2 and 6, is identified as a woman of faith in Hebrews 11:31. If Rahab were asked, “How would you define faith?” I think she might say something like this:
Faith comes from hearing about God and believing in Him. My people and I were told of how the God of Israel parted the Red Sea, delivering His people. We heard how Yahweh empowered His people to defeat mighty nations. When I heard these stories, I knew they were true. My faith was born. Later when two Israeli spies came to my door, I knew I had to act on my faith in God and protect them, even at risk to my own life. That’s what faith is. It’s acting upon your beliefs, it’s standing alone, and it’s moving forward as God leads, even when risks are involved. It’s being willing to lay down your life in order to follow the one true Lord.
My oldest daughter adopted a puppy a few weeks before her wedding. That puppy and I bonded during the weeks she stayed with us. When the newlyweds came back for their first visit, Darcy was beyond excited to see me. She ran around and around my feet, wrapping her retractable leash around my ankles. Before I could remove the leash, Darcy took off running, causing deep burns around both of my ankles. In time my ankles healed, but the scars remain. When I happen to focus on those scars, I think of “that day” and that dog.
The hospice nurse called. Mother was close to the end. In spite of Covid, I was allowed into the nursing home to be with her. My brother joined me, and for three days we sat with Mother. Initially, she responded with her eyes to our words, but soon, her eyes were set. She could hear us, but it seemed she saw nothing—until her final moments.
