Month: March 2020

Strength and Trust

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”

Even the strongest people get tired at times.  Tired of worrying.  Tired of feeling helpless.  Tired of isolation.  Tired of pretending everything is going to be okay.  Even though the trials and tribulations of our lives today may seem overwhelming, God’s power and strength never fails.  God is never too tired or too busy to help and listen.  His strength is our source of strength.  When you feel all of life crushing you and you cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”  It is hard to trust others right now.  Everything is changing so quickly, and it is difficult to put your faith in God.  But God knows what is best for you. He is a better judge of what you want than even you are.  Bring your decisions to God in prayer; use the Bible as your guide; and then follow God’s leading.  He will make your paths straight by both guiding and protecting you.

Your faith in God is not going to take you out of the problems you are facing, but your faith will take you through them.  For in Romans 8:28 it says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  This does not mean that all that happens to you is good.  The enemy is present in this fallen world, but God can turn every circumstance around for your long-range good.  So, turn to God for strength and trust Him with all your heart.

Dear God, you are the one who strengthens me and gives me hope.  Thank you for your everlasting love.  We trust you to bring us through this storm.

There Is a Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have more time on our hands than we’ve ever had before due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  As I’m writing this my children’s school has been postponed for 3 weeks. Restaurants, bars, clubs, and gyms have been shut down.  All elective surgery and dental procedures have been cancelled.  There are no live sporting events to go to or watch on TV, no nail salons or beauty parlors to visit and no movie theaters to go to.  What are you going to do with your time?

Here are a few suggestions from Ecclesiastes in the Bible.  Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 starts out by saying, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun.”  It goes on to say:

Verse 2: A time to plant and a time to uproot. (you could work on your lawn)

Verse 3: A time to tear down and a time to build. (you could start a project.  I had my son build this desk I’m using right now)

Verse 4: A time to weep and a time to laugh. (you could watch movies on the Hallmark channel)

Verse 5: A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them. (you could go to the park, find some rocks and skip them on the water)

Verse 6: A time to keep and a time to throw away. (you could go through the clothes in your closet and remove the ones you no longer wear)

Verse 7: A time to be silent and a time to speak. (you could call, Facetime or set up a free Zoom meeting with your family and friends to keep in touch)

Verse 8: A time for love and a time for hate. (you can show love to the people that are being most effected by this pandemic and you can hate what it is doing to our community)

There are more lines to this Bible passage, but I think you get where I am going with this.  This is the time and season for you to connect with your family and friends.  There are few distractions and you have lots of time.  Make the most out of your situation. 

And remember, in Psalm 133:1 it says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”  This might be the right time for you to take a lawn chair, sit in front of your home and say hello to people as they walk by.  Get to know your neighbor.  You can live in unity and still remain 6 feet apart. 

Dear Father, thank you for the opportunity to slow down and connect with my people.  Please give wisdom to our leaders, strength to our medical community, and grace to our neighbors that are frightened.  Our hope is in you.  Amen.

A Spirit of Fear

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

A spirit of fear has taken over our world because of COVID-19.  I have watched from the sidelines as neighbors and friends have panicked and ran to the store to buy up every last roll of toilet paper, can of Lysol and bottle of hand sanitizer.  But the Bible says that fear is not from God.  So, if it is not from God, who is it from?  Fear is from the enemy. 

Fear often brings on sleepless nights, short tempers and bad decisions.  You end up feeling helpless, overwhelmed and completely alone.  Fear is one of the enemy’s most popular weapons that he uses against us. The most common lie that the enemy uses to instill fear into us is that God is far away or absent from our presence.  God has given us the power to break away from fear.  In Joshua 1:9 it says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discourage, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

God has proven time and time again, both in the Bible and in our lives, that He loves us and is always with us.  In Romans 8:38-39 it says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  In a time like this, God’s love should overflow from you to the people around you.  You can show love by helping your neighbors, family and friends.  Check on people that may be vulnerable to illness.  Offer to pick up something from the store if you are going anyway. 

Fear is not a physical enemy; it is a spiritual enemy and a spiritual battle requires spiritual weapons.  So, what weapons do you bring to a spiritual battle?  The most powerful weapons of all.  Prayer and worship!  It is easy to forget to pray and worship in a time like this. You find yourself glued to the media to hear the latest news.  Don’t get me wrong, it is good to be informed, but God has given you self-discipline too.  Self-discipline to stay in prayer.  Self-discipline to stay in worship.  Self-discipline to follow the guidelines given to us by the authorities.  A sound mind in a time like this is a gift from God.  Slow down, pray and worship. God will bring you comfort.

Dear God, thank you for the power you give us to defeat the enemy. Thank you for your never-ending love.  Help us to linger in prayer and worship so that fear is whipped out.  Amen

Such a Time as This

Esther 4:14 “…Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Have you heard the story of Queen Esther?   It is full of drama, power, romance and intrigue.  Esther was a stunningly beautiful Jewish woman who became the queen of Persia around 480 years before Jesus walked on this earth.  If you don’t know much about Persia, don’t worry.  Neither did I.  All you need to know is that it was huge, and many Jews ended up there after they were exiled from Jerusalem more than 100 years before.

So, the story in a nutshell goes like this.  The king of Persia was named King Xerxes and when his first queen (not Esther) refused to make an appearance at a party he was throwing, he basically kicked her out.  Then he went on the hunt for a new queen.  This is when he met Esther.  She was beautiful and when presented to King Xerxes, he took a liking to her, so she became the next queen. 

How crazy was it that a simple Jewish woman would suddenly find herself the queen of the biggest empire in the world?  Why would God bless her like that?  Has this ever happened to you?  Do you ever wonder why God has blessed you with an amazing job, a beautiful home, spare time or creativity?  He didn’t place you where you are so you could lounge around all day with wine and cheese or post pictures on your social media pages.  He placed you there for a reason. 

While Queen Esther was living her best life in the palace, a scoundrel name Haman convinced the King to send out a decree that basically said all Jews should be killed on the 13th day of the 12th month.  Well Queen Esther was a Jew, but she hadn’t told the King about her heritage because her Uncle Mordecai had told her not to.  But now Mordecai sent her a message that said she needed to save her people by speaking to the King about the decree.  She needed to tell King Xerxes that she was Jewish.  Esther was scared.  She had a pretty comfy life and she didn’t even know if the King would speak to her.  But then Mordecai said the famous words from our Bible passage above, “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

It is God who has given you your job, your home, your time and your strengths.  God is giving you the opportunity to use these resources for his kingdom where he has placed you. So, speak up at work.  Tell your colleagues about the really cool story you heard during the sermon at church.  Invite your neighbors to your home and get to know them.  Use your spare time to volunteer at your child’s school so you can show them what a loving Christ centered parent looks like.  Don’t miss your kingdom assignment because you are too caught up in your comfy life.  Perhaps you were put in this place for just such a time as this.

Dear Jesus, open my eyes so I can see the people around me that need your kingdom. I know you have placed me here for a reason. I am ready to help. Amen.