TerryLema

I often hear people cry out in pain, “Oh God, I don’t deserve this!”  There are things in this world that can cause the most excruciating hurts.  At those times we look around and we see people who live far worse lives than we do, lives that ignore or openly defy God.  These people appear to have no problems and no pain, and we wonder “why?”  We serve God and this has happened to us.  They ignore God and live seemingly carefree lives.  We struggle; they abide in ease.  And we shout to the heavens, “God, I don’t deserve this!”

But that begs the question, what do we deserve? Ezekiel tells us just what we deserve, death.  “For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son—both alike belong to me.  The soul who sins is the one who will die.”  [18:4]

That’s not an easy concept to absorb, and when we do, we will find ourselves crying out like Isaiah, “I am undone!” But just as God did not leave Isaiah undone, neither does he leave us undone. For “God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  [Romans 5:8 NIV]

God did not give me the justice I so richly deserved, instead, while I was a sinner, He poured out his mercy upon me.

When I look with my heart at Jesus, I find myself crying out “Oh God, I don’t deserve this!  I was Your enemy, a lawbreaker deserving justice.  That You would send the most precious gift of Your Only Son to a Roman cross to die for me is almost too unbelievable to contemplate.  Instead of punishment as Your enemy, Your Son paid for my sins.”

Instead of an outcast lawbreaker, I am adopted into the family of God.  I am a child of God.  No longer estranged from my Father and deserving death, now I reside in God’s heart and one day I will reside in His house.  “Oh God, I truly don’t deserve this!”

There are times when I just want to cringe at what Christians post on social media. It seems that we are developing the ‘Chicken Little’ syndrome.  We post rumors and respond to tales and fables as if they are Gospel.  We often fail to check facts. We perceive threats where there are none, and often ignore the very real threats that are out there!

Paul in 2Timothy 4:3-5 foretold about our times: “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation….”

The NIV translates the beginning of verse 5 as “But you, keep your head in all situations …” and the NKJV says, “be watchful in all things….” 

The Greek word there is nepho (nay’-fo), and it simply means to abstain from wine or be sober. Translating it that way doesn’t make me smile as much as keep a clear mind or keep your head in all situations.

If there was ever a time to keep our heads, it is today.  Our world is much more dangerous, our culture is shifting, and the church has hit a crossroads where it must determine if it is going to embrace the times or the truth.

We are, as Peter said in 1 Peter 3, supposed to be prepared to give an answer when people see the hope in us … but if we continue to act like fools no one is going to see anything in us they want!

Remember – keep a clear mind, keep your head in all situations!

I was reading something the other day when all of a sudden my mind went in a totally different direction. I heard the LORD whisper … “all things work together ….”

How often have we read, quoted, or heard that Scripture out of Romans 8.  “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” [v28 NLT]

How often have we thought of that scripture when things are tough and circumstances are difficult, “Really, God, this is going to turn out for good? Really?”

As I sat there, I heard the LORD whisper again … “Why do you only think of this in the tough and difficult? Why are you not thinking of this in the beautiful and gracious? Read on child.”

So I did. “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[supreme] among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” [v29-32 NLT]

God knew us, chose us, makes us like Jesus, gives us right standing, glory. God is for us, protects us, gives us salvation and everything else!

Everything, the tough and difficult AND the beautiful and gracious, works out for our good. Thank you, LORD!

I receive a daily Medical Newsletter. Not sure how I signed up for it originally, but I often find it interesting. That was the case recently when it referenced a study about old people! Since I qualify as one, it caught my attention.  The study was: “Folks Who Cope, Adapt Do Well in Old Age: Study” (The new study was published Sept. 3 in the journal BMJ Mental Health.)

I really zeroed in on one paragraph toward the end of the article.  “The findings indicate that having a purpose and remaining optimistic in the face of uncertainty can help a person persevere in circumstances that might otherwise lower life expectancy, researchers concluded.”

One of the things about the principles of God is that they work all the time. They work when applied to all areas of life. They work whether we believe in them or not. As I read that article, I thought about all the Scriptures that tell us about our purpose, how to respond to uncertainty, how to persevere in circumstances … all the things this article found to be true!

Rejoicing/Thanksgiving: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” [Philippians 4:4-9 NLT]

Purpose: “…you who have been called by God to be his own holy people.” [1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT]

Perseverance:  “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” [1 Peter 5:10 NLT]

Recently our son married a lovely woman with four children. We were so excited for him! We absolutely love her. She welcomed us into her home, her family, her heart. With that marriage we were blessed with four more grandchildren to love. I know technically, we are “step” grandparents, but there is no “step” in the way we feel about them.

This week, my son and daughter-in-love became grandparents, and we became “greats.” A beautiful little boy.

I remember years ago seeing an illustration about love. One candle, representing “LOVE” was lit, then that flame was used to light another candle, and another candle and another. After lighting all the other candles, the flame on the original one was just as bright as when it was first lit.

Love is like that. You can love more and more and more, and still love remains strong. You cannot diminish love by sharing it with more and more people.

Before Jesus went to the cross, He gave us (His disciples) a great command: “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” [John 13:34-35 NLT]

Love is our greatest testimony in this world—not our words, our love seen in action. And like that candle flame, we can never diminish our love by giving it away, we can only create more light.

Zechariah 4:6:  “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”  [NIV]

I remember something Lloyd John Ogilvie said of this Scripture, “If we are not now in situations in which we are forced to say, ‘Lord, not by might nor by power, but by Your Spirit,” then we probably have settled for a safe but unadventuresome life.”

I first read that comment in the early 1990’s, and it has remained with me.  If we choose to walk with God, I guarantee our lives will be anything but unadventuresome.

Every day with God is an adventure if we allow Him to guide it.

He took Gideon from hiding in the winepress to the battlefield.  He stripped him of all his warriors except 300, and Gideon and those 300 warriors went into battle carrying only trumpets and torches. And God gave the victory!

Adventuresome!

That is what God truly wants to do with us.  Don’t settle for less!

Gideon was hiding in the winepress threshing wheat out of sight of the enemies of Israel, the Midianites.  While he was there an angel of the Lord appeared to him and addressed him as “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

Gideon’s response was to remind the angel that it sure didn’t look like God was with him. It looked as if God had abandoned them. What followed is an exchange between Gideon and the angel of the Lord where Gideon seeks to prove that what the angel is saying really is true, that God is going to use Gideon to defeat the Midianites.  When the exchange is over, Gideon builds an altar to the Lord [Judges 6:13-24]

However, before God sends Gideon out into battle with the Midianites, Gideon must battle something in his own backyard.  “That same night the LORD said to him, ‘Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.’”  [Judges 6:25, NIV]

Remember all those problems that seem to beset us at times?  Well before God will use us, He often requires us to take care of problems of our own creation, problems that have grown up in our own “backyards.”

Sometimes we put things between Him and us, and for the strength of God to flow into us to be used of Him, we must remove the things that hamper the flow of His strength. Gideon had to tear down an altar his family had made to a pagan idol, Baal.  In its place the angel tells him to “build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God.”

God gives us the strength and the wisdom to recognize those things in our own “backyard,” those things of our own making that hinder His life in us.  He helps us to find and to tear them down so that He can use us.

One of my favorite OT heroes is Gideon. The Midianites had oppressed the Israelites for seven years.  It was so bad they were living in the mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.  Whenever harvest came, the Midianites invaded the country and ravaged the land.  One day an angel of the Lord appeared to a man named Gideon and addressed him with a strange proclamation, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

That proclamation of mighty warrior was given while Gideon was hiding in the winepress threshing his grain out of sight of the Midianites. I love Gideon’s response: “But sir, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?” [Judges 6:1-13]

Oh my, ever uttered those words?  I have.  Maybe not using the exact same words, but definitely using the exact same meaning.  How come if God is with me all this is happening to me?  If God loves me, why is He allowing me to have all these problems?

Some people think God causes problems. I don’t. (But I think He’ll use the ones that are plentiful around us.) There are enough problems to go around all by themselves—circumstances, other people’s choices, our own rebellious ways, and bad choices, in other words, life. If God gave us free will, we are certainly going to experience the problems free will brings.

To get a correct answer, you must ask a correct question.  The question really is not “if God loves me, why do I have all these problems?”  The correct question is, “Can God see me through my problems?”

And the correct answer is, “yes.”  How do I know that is the right answer?  Because God already took care of our biggest problem, the problem of sin and separation from Him.  Romans 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  [NIV]

If He resolved the biggest, He is certainly able to help us resolve the rest.

I could watch birds all day! When I see a bird flying in the sky, I just want to raise my voice in praise to God. I especially love the hawks in our area.

I remember being on a walk one morning and a hawk was making those “lazy circles in the sky.” (As the song goes!) I heard the LORD whisper to me in that moment that He loved me and was near to me and that everything would be all right. Shortly after I was diagnosed with two auto-immune diseases. Now each time I see a hawk, I remember His promise and I praise Him.

I was driving to an appointment recently, thinking about a couple conversations I had just had with my two closest friends. I was crying and praying about some of the things they were going through. When I got home, I found a bird, a wild juvenile peahen tucked away in the corner of our patio. She stayed all day, sometimes looking in our patio window, or sleeping on the door mat, wandering around the yard and into the garden. Even when I went into the backyard, she did not fly away but simply walked to a different part of the yard.

I heard God whisper to me that He was close, He heard the despair and the cry of my heart. I realized that He brought His comfort right to my doorstep! And I praised Him.

 Job told his comforters: “Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you….For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being.” [Job 12: 7, 10 NLT]

I love to read. I have always loved to read. I remember as a child sitting at the breakfast table and reading the cereal box. I have Bibles with various translations, both hardcopy and on my Kindle. Same with books. While I love hardcopy books, I find they often have print that is too small for me. I can adjust the print size on my Kindle, so most often, you will see me reading on my Kindle.

I am currently reading a series by Linda J. White. In the book the main character is a woman who works with a dog doing K-9 search and rescue. In the series, she finds a faith in Christ despite multiple traumas. She is led to faith by a friend who not only speaks words of faith but displays the character of Christ Jesus.

At one point, the characters are faced with the concept of evil. What the author wrote as a response touched my soul … “It’s a crazy world, but I believe. Terrible things happen, but I believe. Death may come, but I believe.” [From “When Evil Finds Us: K-9 Search and Rescue Book 3” by Linda J. White]

How often when we face the evil and wickedness in this world, we ask the question, “Why?”  Habakkuk went round and round with God over that question. He came to the same conclusion as the young woman in the book. He said it a bit differently, but the conclusion is the same. “…but I believe.”

Habakkuk 3: 17-19: “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” [NLT]

“…but I believe.”