WHEN SATAN ATTACKS

 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

               Murphy’s Law says this: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time." There is truth imbedded in that statement, especially when it comes to our spiritual journey. Satan is a master at throwing a monkey wrench into our plans at just the wrong time. Not every mishap is a direct act of Satan, but he knows how to use our missteps against us. There are times though when Satan definitely orchestrates things to cause the most damage to us as we seek to walk faithfully with the Lord.

               In the early 2000’s our church was on the rise. We were regularly topping 400 in average attendance in three Sunday worship services. Our Easter and Christmas service attendance was well over 500. We knew that it was time to make some strategic changes in order to break through the 400 barrier and move to the next level of ministry impact.

               With that in mind, we brought in an expert in church growth who met with our leaders and our congregation for a weekend of strategic planning. Two issues rose to the top that were keeping us from making further progress. We needed more space and we needed to expand our staff. The church embraced these recommendations and quickly moved forward. We started a building program to expand our facilities and we hired more staff. Then the bottom dropped out. The 2007-2008 financial crisis hit and derailed our plans.

               The global financial crisis was not directly related to our decisions, but Satan used it to attack our church. By that time there was nothing we could do about the building project; it was a done deal. As our income took a major hit, we found ourselves with a financial dilemma. As the crisis lingered our situation got worse. In the end we had to let one of our staff go. The outcome of that was that we lost people in the process, which only made the situation worse.

               In addition to the external issues, some internal issues arose that further destabilized our church. The result of those issues caused further exodus of people and staff. When the dust finally settled, we had dropped back to a church of about 250. People were discouraged and disoriented, including the senior pastor, me. It took several years to begin to rebuild a sense of direction and purpose.

               I share this now because the church I am currently serving is in the process of selecting a new senior pastor. Over the past 1 ½ years we have worked hard to heal wounds and to seek God’s direction for the church. Many good and encouraging things have happened during that time. We believe that God has brought us to the place where we can confidently move forward. Now is the time that we need to be on our guard. Satan would like nothing better than to sabotage the process. He wants to rekindle old hurts and open wounds that we have worked so hard to heal.

               Peter warned us that Satan is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Satan is always looking for a weak spot from which to attack. He wants to use circumstances and people to not just muddy the waters, but to stop positive progress. Now is the time to put on the full armor of God. We cannot afford to be complacent. We need to actively resist Satan.

               In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us that if we are going to be able to take our stand against Satan’s attacks, we need to be fully equipped.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

               We need to be fully aware of who our real enemy is, and it is not the culture or the people around us. We also need to be intentional about equipping ourselves with the resources that God has made available to us. In addition to this, we need to be confident in the power of God at work in us. As James says, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:7-8a (NIV)

               Satan wants to distract us and discourage us. He does that by getting our eyes off of Jesus and onto the things going on around us. Like Peter, walking on the water, when we take our eyes off of Jesus we begin to sink. But when we stay focused on Jesus, we can resist the attacks of Satan. Remember, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (NIV)

Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 

 

 

HIGH EXPECTATIONS, EXTRAVAGANT GRACE

 Matthew 5:48 (NIV)

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

               I just finished the first half of a woodworking project. It is a corner cupboard. It turned out okay, but it is not perfect. There are a few things that did not come out the way I wanted them to do. I have been doing woodworking for many years now, but I am still trying to perfect my workmanship. I expect perfection, but I have to give myself grace.

               The same is true in our walk with Christ. We should all have high expectations. In fact, Jesus set the bar very high. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus set an almost impossible standard for his followers. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (NIV) Jesus was making the point that righteousness is far more than a person’s outward actions. It also includes what’s going on inside of a person. At the end of that chapter, Jesus says that his followers must be perfect. WOW!

               Striving for perfection as a follower of Jesus is a real challenge. The reality is that we often fall far short of that goal. We are not alone in this. Paul struggled with not living up to such a high standard.

Romans 7:14-20 (NIV)
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

               There are those who say that Paul was describing his life before he became a believer, but I don’t agree. Paul was expressing the struggle we all safe, if we are honest with ourselves. In our heart, we really do want to live a righteous life, but our actions do not always match up. We would like to be perfect, but we fall far short of the goal. That is where grace comes in.

               John addresses this in his first letter. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1:8-10 (NIV)

               Jesus set a high standard knowing that we would not measure up. He gave us a way to bridge the gap. When we admit our failure and turn toward Him, He applies His righteousness to our account. He cleanses us from our sin and brings us back on track.

               We have a part to play in this. It is not automatic. Jesus expects us to put in the effort, to strive toward the goal of perfection. But He is there to help us move in the right direction. I think that is what Paul was getting at when he wrote these words. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

               I know what it is to beat myself up over my failure to be perfect. That is not where Jesus wants me or you to live. Instead, He calls us to bring our imperfection to Him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

               We should have high expectations of ourselves as we stive to be like Jesus. But we also need to tap into God’s extravagant grace. Jesus is not wringing His hands over our failures. He knows all about us, and He continues to extend His arms of love and grace in our direction.

Psalms 103:13-18 (NIV)
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

CHILDISH OR CHILD-LIKE

 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

               Birthdays are often a time for reflection. As we mark another year of life, we stop to think about where we have been and where we are headed. Today is that day for me.

               There have been many thoughts going through my mind the past week or so. As I can see the end of my current ministry as an interim pastor fast approaching, I have given much thought to what is next. I have also taken stock of my life up to this point. I am pleased with some of the things that are on my personal resume, and not pleased with some others. Above all, I have thought about where I am on my faith journey.

               When Jesus was teaching His disciples about what it means to be a follower of His, He told them that they needed to become like little children. On one occasion the disciples were discussing who was going to be the greatest in the coming kingdom. Jesus responded to them by introducing a radical idea to about what it means to be great.

Matthew 18:1-4 (NIV)
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

               Jesus’ words contrast to the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Jesus said that we are to be like little children and Paul tells us to put away childish things. This seems to be a contradiction, but it is not. There is difference a between being childish and child-like.

               One of the things I have come to grips with is that I still have some childish ideas rolling around in my head. A person who is childish is self-focused. They think more about themselves than about others. They tend to be demanding and impatient. Their focus tends to be on what makes them happy. As I look in the mirror, I can still see the vestiges of these things in my life. Although I have matured in years, there are times when I still think childish things and act in childish ways.

               On the other hand, to be child-like is very different. A person who is child-like is willing to trust others. He or she is humble, knowing that they can learn from those around them. A child-like person doesn’t over-think things. They tend to take each circumstance or each day as it comes.     

               Children are naturally spontaneous and creative. They use their imaginations. Children naturally want to learn, although not always in the way we want to teach them. Children love to explore and experience new things. As a person grows up something happens to these qualities in the majority of us. We become less spontaneous and more calculated. We become less creative and confine ourselves to coloring within the lines. We become less imaginative and start to conform to the current norm. We stop exploring and settle for the status quo.

               As we mature, some of us discover these child-like qualities all over again, but in a new way. We stop worrying about what others think and start expanding our world again. We stop feeling like we must conform and begin exploring life in new ways. I think this is what Jesus was talking about in a way.

               When we become followers of Jesus, our eyes are opened and we begin to experience life in new ways. We stop conforming to the world as the Holy Spirit begins to transform us from the inside out. That is what Paul was getting at in Romans 12:1-3.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

               Moving from being childish to being child-like doesn’t just happen automatically. It takes intentional effort on our part. As Paul said, we need to put away childish things. All of us have some childish things in our lives, vestiges of our old life. Part of maturing is recognizing these things and then taking steps to put them aside. We never want to lose a child-like spirit, but we do want to jettison childishness from our lives.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 

TIME TO SLOW DOWN

 Psalms 46:10 (NIV)

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

               I had an experience this morning that reawakened an old memory. I returned from a week of vacation last night and this morning I re-entered my work schedule. As I was driving into my office, I thought back to my experience of returning from a mission trip to Ukraine.

               For twelve years I led a mission trip to Ukraine each August. When we arrived in our sister village it was like stepping back 100 years in time. Everything slowed down to a walking pace. There were few cars in our village. The people who lived there moved at what to us seemed like a very leisurely pace. They were not in a hurry. They had the time to sit on a bench in their courtyard and talk. At the end of each day, after we had run our day-camp for the children of the village, we would take a walk out into the adjoining fields. It was refreshing to have the freedom to experience the countryside. We got used to living at a walking pace. Then, when our time in the village was over, we would make our way back to Kiev, board an airplane and head home. Every time we landed back in the States, I felt like someone had pushed the fast forward button on life. We instantly went from a walking pace to a running pace. For a few days it was disorienting.

               Coming back from my vacation I felt a little of that old disorientation. For the past week I had the privilege of sleeping in past 6:00 AM and having a leisurely breakfast at 9:00 AM. Then, as we spent time with my Dad, we were able to really slow down. We played some games, went out to eat, attended a couple of family events. Even on our drive home we took our time, stopping to see some friends and stopping at a couple of interesting places along the way. Then this morning I re-entered the traffic that was not content to drive the speed limit but was compelled to push, push, push well beyond it. Everyone (almost) seemed to be in a big hurry. I felt swept along.

               Many people live hurried lives. They fill every minute with some activity. They race from one obligation to another. And when they don’t have an obligation, they schedule something to fill the time. It is rare for people to build down-time into their life. Dr. Richard Swenson masterfully talked about this in his book “The Overload Syndrome.” He made the point that most of us have no margin on our lives. When unexpected things happen to us, they cause an overload that can cause us to crash and burn.

               I heard a speaker recently who made an interesting point. He said, in order to be excellent at something we have to be willing to be average at most things. Every time we say yes to one thing we are saying no to a number of other things. If we are going to have some margin in our lives, we need to be willing to say no to a great number of things. The idea that we have to be busy all of the time is a fallacy that will run us ragged, sap our energy, and actually hinder us from thriving in life.

               I have been reading two books lately that have raised the issue of slowing down. In both books, the authors make the point that hurry and busyness are often a smokescreen that keep us from dealing with the real issues in our lives. If we can fill every minute with busyness, then we don’t have to stop and examine what is going in under the surface. In order for us to be truly healthy emotionally, spiritually, and physically we need to learn to slow down.

               When God gave the people of Israel the ten commandments, He instructed them to take time to stop once a week. He called it sabbath. They were to do all of their work for six days, then on the seventh day they were to rest. God expanded this concept to include everyone in the community as well as the animals and ultimately the land itself. God did not design humanity to run at full speed seven days a week, 24 hours a day. God called for time to stop and reflect. To give their body, mind, and spirit time to rest.

               In our 24/7 culture we have lost our bearings. We wonder why we are exhausted all of the time. We wonder why our health continues to deteriorate even though we try to eat healthy and exercise. We wonder why our relationships are superficial and often fractured. It is time to slow down.

               The Psalmist penned God’s word to us in Psalm 46:10. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." If we are going to reorient our lives and get them back into balance, it will begin by being still before the Lord. We need to stop and listen to the One who created us and who loves us. The One who promised us life to the full, not a full to overflowing life. We need to stop and let God renew our soul. We need to stop trying to be God and let God be God.

               Life is busy and fast paced, there is not escaping that reality. But we do not have to live at an exhausting pace. It is okay to slow down. It is okay to say no. It is okay to take the time to do nothing for a while. Too often we let the world tell us what we should do. We need to be still before God and allow Him to tell us what He designed us to do. Near the end of Jesus’ life, He prayed and told God He had accomplished everything the Father had commanded Him to do. Jesus did not heal every sick person. He did not feed every hungry person. He did not cast out every demon. But Jesus did do everything the Father had called Him to do.

               Too often we fall into the trap of thinking we have to do everything. We fill every waking moment with activity because we are afraid of being still. Unconsciously, we are trying to outdo Jesus. What has God gifted you to do? What has the Father called you to do? If you will do those things, it will be enough. There will be time to be still and know God and know yourself.

               One of my favorite passages of scripture is Hebrews 12:1-3. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. There is much to glean from these three verses, but let me point out just a couple of thoughts.

               We are called to run our race, not someone else’s race. Too often I have tried to run a race that was not mine. It never goes very well. Each of us needs to ask God to show us the race that is marked out for us.

               We are to take our lead from Jesus. Jesus lived a full life, but not a frantic life. Jesus freely gave Himself away to others, yet was willing to pull away and spend time alone with the Father.

               When we follow Jesus’ example, we can live full lives without becoming weary and giving up. Those times when we feel like we want to give up are usually the times we have taken on more than we should. So we need to be willing to throw off everything that entangles us, even good things, so that we can run our race with godly perseverance.

Deuteronomy 5:12-14 (NIV)
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.

JESUS’ UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD

 Matthew 5:5 (NIV)

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

               Recently I was reminded of the biblical truth that God uses the weak things of the world to confound the strong. On the surface, this doesn’t look possible. It seems that those who are strong, from a worldly point of view, are the ones who win. If I may be bold, it seems like the bullies are the ones who get what they want and the rest of us just have to accept it. But I was reminded that God has a different economy and that those who play by His rules will ultimately win.

               The Bible Project is doing a year-long, intensive study in the Sermon on the Mount. The first part of their study has been focused on the Beatitudes. In the Beatitudes, Jesus turned the world upside-down. He told the marinized, the powerless, and the forgotten that in God’s world they are the winners. This was true not because they were going to turn the tables on the bullies of their day. Instead, as they began to live out Kingdom values, they would transform their world. The first step to this radical transformation was to recognize their need and to turn to the only one who could meet that need.

               The Apostle John put it this way. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:16-21 (NIV)

               Those who refuse to acknowledge who Jesus is and turn toward Him will continue to live in darkness. But those who turn toward Jesus in faith will live a new life in the light of God. Their entire world will be transformed. They will be given a strength that comes, not from themselves, but from God. This new strength will actually give them the upper hand in the world. It doesn’t mean that they will not have troubles, but that they will face those troubles with confidence and courage. As Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)

               Paul picked up on this idea in his letter to the church at Corinth. They were struggling with the idea of power and influence. They were tempted to fall back into the old power struggles of their old life. Paul reminded them that the Kingdom of God works differently. God’s power is revealed not in our human strength, but in our human weakness.

               Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV)

               There is no doubt that we are in a spiritual battle, with very physical manifestations. But we cannot give in to the temptation to fight fire with fire, so to speak. We have been called to wage a very different kind of battle, one that relies totally on the power of God. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he again had to address the issue of power.

               By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 (NIV)

               When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, those listening must have felt that what Jesus said was unrealistic and too good to be true. Yet the early church turned its world upside-down and eventually transformed the culture of the day. It seems like the things of the world are winning the day today. The words of Jesus seem unrealistic in our caustic and combative world. But as I was reminded recently, God often uses the weak to confound the strong. He stands against the proud and the arrogant and He will bring them down.

               Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is strength under control. The truly meek person understands that their strength comes from God. They can stand firm even in difficult situations and trust God to empower them. When we play by Jesus’ rules, we too can turn our world upside-down.

               But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
               Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 16-18 (NIV)

WHEN YOU FEEL INVISIBLE

 John 10:3

    The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

                I do not presume that everyone has had this experience, but it is one that many of us can relate to. It is the feeling of being invisible, unseen, unacknowledged. I have experienced this feeling in several different ways throughout my life.

                When I was a boy at school, I often felt invisible to my classmates. I often felt like an outsider looking in. When I got to jr. high I intentionally tried to be invisible to certain people, i.e. the class bullies. At the same time, I felt invisible to the students who coursed around me. In high school, I was actively involved in choir. Each year our school would put on a musical. Each year I would audition and each year I would be placed in the choir. Both my older and younger brothers had been given speaking roles at different times. This made me feel even more invisible when I was denied the same experience.

                There have been many times in ministry when I have felt invisible. When I have watched colleagues of mine recognized for their ministry efforts, I often felt left out. Out of curiosity, I recently looked up how old Rick Warren and Max Lucado are. They are both my age. When I look at what they have accomplished, I think, what happened to me?

                There have been many times when I have attended a gathering of pastors and ministry leaders when I have felt invisible in the crowd. I have never been the kind of person who can command a room. I have often found myself hanging out on the fringes of the crowd, sometimes even hiding in the shadows.

                Why do I bring all of this up? It was prompted by a TV show we have been watching lately called MONK. It is the story of a brilliant detective who is plagued by countless obsessions and a low self-esteem. Recently, the episode we watched had several flashbacks to when Mr. Monk was in jr. high. As I watched his experience, I found myself transported back to my own experience.

                You can write off my ramblings as venting or complaining or even feeling sorry for myself, and you may be right. But that does not negate the genuine feeling of being invisible. It is a real experience and many people live in those feelings every day of their lives.

                The danger for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus is that we may begin to feel that we are invisible to God. God seems to care about other people, but we feel left out. If you have ever felt that way, welcome to the club. It is essential that we recognize our feeling of invisibility and counter it with the reality of our relationship with Christ. We are never invisible to Him. We are never insignificant to Him. And what we do in His name is always noticed by Him, whether or not anyone else pays attention.

                One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 139. David may have been feeling invisible when he wrote this psalm, but he took his feelings and aligned them with the reality of who God is.

Psalm 139:1-12

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

O Lord, you have searched me

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you know it completely, O Lord. 

You hem me in--behind and before;

you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain. 

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast. 

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

for darkness is as light to you.

                 When we feel invisible, we need to come back to this Psalm and be reminded that we are never invisible to God. God is watching with keen interest what is going on in our lives. God is watching with love and compassion, desiring for us to experience His unbounded care. God is watching and He delights in us.

                Years ago, I made a conscious choice to let go of the comparison game. I decided that all that really mattered was what God thinks about me. I do not have to compete with others to feel valued and appreciated, because the creator of the universe has shown His light of love into my life. In the end, the only opinion that will really matter is His.

Matthew 25:21

    "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

      

CAN I BE HONEST?

 Psalms 6:3 (NIV)

My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?

               If you were angry at God, would you tell him? If you were frustrated with God, would you express your feelings honestly?

               I have been reading Tim Keller’s book on prayer and this morning I read a section about intercession. Most often, much of the content of our prayers falls into this category. We ask God for things we need or want. We pray for others, asking for healing or a job or the reconciliation of a relationship. All of these things are acceptable. Jesus invites us to make our requests to God.

               Keller points out that there is an aspect of intercession that we often omit; complaint. Not only are we uncomfortable with complaining to God, we feel it is inappropriate. We have been taught to pray in the most positive terms possible, even when we feel anything but positive. We are afraid God will be angry with us if we express our doubts, frustrations, and anger. Yet, God already knows all about these feelings. Still, we find it hard to express them directly to God, even though we might verbalize them to others.

               In the book of Psalms, there are at least 42 Psalms of lament. King David, in particular, was not afraid to express his deepest emotions to God in prayer. What we often miss as we read the Psalms is that they were intended to be used in public worship. These were not just the private musing of David and others. These were to be sung as a corporate act of worship.

               The Psalms can teach us much about expressing our emotions honestly before God. The first thing that we must grasp is that it is okay! God is not threatened by our complaints. God is not put off when we express anger or frustration. God’s love for us is not diminished in any way when we are openly honest with Him. We know that in a human relationship, trying to hide our anger or frustration is destructive. As hard as it is at times to be honest with our emotions, it is the only way to really deal with them. Once they are out in the open, we can address the root cause and move forward. What is true in our relationships with others is true in our relationship with God.

               Not only is it okay for us to express our emotions before God, He invites us to do just that. God wants us to be honest with Him about how we feel, even if those emotions are negative. By expressing our deep emotions to God, we open the door for God to answer our complaints. In the process, we can gain a better understanding of why we feel the way we do. We can begin to put our emotions into perspective. In the vast majority of lament Psalms the author ends with a new or clearer understanding of who God is and that He can be trusted.

               Somewhere along the line I was taught that the only question that God will not answer is the question why. I think that this is only partially true. Some of the ultimate questions, such as why God allowed a certain tragedy to occur, will probably remain a mystery to us. But on the other hand, there are many occasions when God is more than ready to answer our why questions. When we ask why we feel a certain way or act in a certain way, God will lead us to understand more about who we are and the motives that are hidden even from us. Not only will God give us a better understanding of ourselves, He will also give us a deeper understanding of who He is.

               In 2 Corinthians, Paul relates his struggle with what he called his thorn in the flesh. Three times he prayed and asked God to take it away, but God did not. Then, in an implied why question, God revealed to Paul that He would give Paul the strength and the grace to endure his affliction. God had not abandoned Paul, but was calling Paul to a deeper level of trust and reliance upon God.

               When we have the courage to honestly express our emotions to God, we open the door for God to do a work in our lives that goes far deeper than the presenting issues. God is in the process of shaping our character so that we might be transformed into the image of Christ. That journey often leads us through some dark valleys where it is hard for us to see the light. As we openly express what we are feeling, we invite God to shine His light into our situation. Like Paul, God is calling us to learn to trust Him at a much deeper level.

               On Sunday, we sung the hymn, It Is Well with My Soul. It is a powerful and challenging hymn that encourages us to rest in the loving arms of Jesus even when our world seems to be in chaos. But before we can truly rest in Jesus’ loving arms, we need to be honest with ourselves and with God that from our perspective it does not feel like it is well with my soul.

               In the book of Job, Job openly complains to God about his situation. God never let’s Job in on the secret behind why all this was happening to him. But in the end, God calls Job a righteous person. Job was honest with God and God honored him for it.

               Job and the Psalms teach us that God wants us to honestly express our emotions to Him. By releasing our anger and frustration to God we open the door for God to replace them with His peace and assurance.

Psalms 42:11 (NIV)
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.