Hope When We Need It

There is a big difference between power and influence. Power comes from a position we have in a group or organization. We gain influence by what we know or are able to do. In our relationship with God, He has all the power, and He uses it to shape us into the plan He has for us. But we can go to Him in prayer and ask Him to grant us His power to overcome some sin or problem in our life and bring His hope, help, healing, and wholeness to us or our loved ones when we are sick or broken.

Our Psalmist reminds us of this important fact. When we feel alone or abandoned, depressed or have doubts about God’s care or concern for us, he reminds us to look to God for help: “Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.”

Unfortunately, we do not know what was going on in the life of this writer. He may have been facing a life-threatening illness, grieving over the loss of a loved one, or perhaps facing financial disaster. He reminds us that “it” made no difference. Whatever problem he was facing or whatever disaster may have been on the horizon or whatever sickness may have stricken him, no one could have made a difference in his life but God.

“Unless the Lord...,” he wrote. Not “unless I find someone” or “a friend helps me find” the right physician or the right attorney or the right banker. No. He realized his limitations and knew that it was beyond his power or ability to influence or change the situation.  But he knew from experience that only God’s hand could rescue him.

Prayer:  What a blessed reality it is, Lord, to know that You have the power to solve any problem we have. But first, we must go to You for help. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. Psalm 94:17

When Does "Never" End?

Can you remember a time in your life when you thought, “God has abandoned me! I can’t find Him anywhere! When I pray, my words bounce back from the sky, and when I cry, God won’t wipe away my tears. What did I do to deserve this?”

Often in our journey to become disciples of Christ, we resent the discipline that comes with our calling. We want the journey to be sunshine and flowers and not lightning and thunderstorms. Yet, in the midst of those times of struggle, we do indeed wonder. No doubt that’s why the Psalmist gave us some choice words of comfort: “The Lord will not abandon or reject His people, He will never forsake His inheritance.”

The Bible tells us of two men who “went out from the presence of the Lord.” One was Cain and the other Jonah. When Cain went out, the Lord left Him alone. He chose not to go after him and bring him back into His presence. But when Jonah went out, the Lord did not choose to leave him alone. Why the difference? Cain was not one of the Lord’s - but Jonah was.

Jonah was disobedient to the calling of God but was finally willing to accept God’s discipline. He had a terrible time surrendering to God, but God never left him because he did want God’s will for his life. God stayed with Jonah and disciplined him because he accepted God’s plan for his life. Cain was different. He refused to honor God and do what was right. And God rejected him because he would not give God his best. What about you? Are you willing to become like Jonah? The results are amazing.

Prayer:  Father, may our hearts always be open to hear Your voice and answer You in sincerity and love. May we be accepting to obey Your call. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: The Lord will not abandon or reject His people, He will never forsake His inheritance. Psalm 94:14

Pain Management

“This is going to hurt me more than it does you,” said the father to his young son as he took him from the family room for interrupting our conversation. I’d heard that statement many times and always wondered what the parent wanted the child to understand when it was used. If it was used to redirect a child’s behavior and teach him or her an important lesson about life, why not say so? That’s what the author of Psalm 94 meant when he wrote, “If God disciplines you, consider yourself blessed” or “full of blessings!”

To “discipline” in Scripture means “to teach.” Discipline is not punishment as we understand it - though it may involve suffering and loss, disappointment and feelings of rejection. When God disciplines us, it is His method to bring us back to live within His commandments and laws and the teachings of Jesus. It is about “getting our attention” when we are overcome by temptation and fall into sin. It’s about being confronted by God when He corrects us for allowing the “things or the people or the attractions of this world” to take His place. It is about worshiping those things rather than the Creator of those things. It’s about bringing us back to reality – God’s reality

One of the blessings of discipline is that it has long term benefits for the Christian. If, in His mercy, He brings loss or suffering to teach us a lesson today, and if we are willing to learn from the loss or suffering when it happens, then we will be spared from greater losses or more suffering in the future - and bring more honor to Him.

Prayer:  May we understand, Father, that when You discipline us, it is a sign of Your love and care for us. May we learn from You to live for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; Psalm 94:12

The Eyes Have It!

Returning to earth after several orbital circles in outer space, a Russian cosmonaut proudly boasted, “I looked everywhere, but I didn’t see God.” That statement made me wonder what evidence would have been acceptable to him to prove that there is a God. Paul once wrote, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen.”

The eye, our “window to the world,” seems to be a very special part of God’s creation. But before the eye was formed, in His unfathomable wisdom, a process was set in motion: “Let there be light!” He ordered. For us to see anything light must be reflected off an object to form a “picture” or the eye is useless.

Before God created our eyes, He prepared a special place for them: He formed the bones of the skull to give them a safe place to do their work. He then fashioned our eyelids to keep out dirt and dust and made eyebrows to keep glaring light from damaging them. Finally, He developed a lubricating process to keep our eyes moist and clean by causing tears to flow.

Finally, there is the cornea. It allows rays of light to pass through the iris and form a scene in our brain. And here the process becomes complete: Our brain takes what we see and enables us to make sense of God’s creation, love, and salvation through His word.

“Seeing” God, however, takes more than the eye. “If you search for Me with all your heart, you’ll find Me.”  What are you looking for?  

Prayer:  Open our hearts, Father, as well as our eyes to discover Your beauty and majesty, love and salvation. Thank You for giving us eyes to see! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Does he who formed the eye not see? Psalm 94:9

Does God Really Care?

“You know, Larry,” he began in a soft voice, “I’m troubled by the fact that all of the horrible things I see on TV or hear over the radio when I travel don’t bother me as much as they once did. What’s happening to me?” he asked.

We all wonder, at one time or another, how a group of people can watch a person being beaten or robbed or fall ill in a crowded mall or on a busy street corner, and no one responds and gives help. We see the ravages of war, watch people die on a battlefield, see disabled veterans trying to adjust to life with artificial limbs, and seem to accept it as “normal” in today’s culture. It seems as though the pain and suffering of others matter little to anyone except the one enduring the hardships.

The Psalmist who wrote Psalm 94 was troubled by the evil in the world. He looked around and saw people oppressed. He was aware of calloused leaders whose only concern was for themselves. He was troubled by the lack of concern for widows and children, and asked, “God, if You created ears for people to hear, and eyes for people to see, why don’t You hear the cries and see the suffering of those whom You created?” Where are You, God? Do something, God!

So, has God, like us, become insensitive to the needs of people and the condition of the world? Does He not care about what is happening to His creation? Indeed, He does. That is why He has entrusted the care of His creation to us!

“He will repay them and destroy them for their wickedness,” says the Psalmist. But until He does, we are responsible to bring His hope and healing to those suffering.

Prayer:  Please, Lord, soften our hardened hearts and open our calloused minds to see, reach out, and help those who are suffering. It’s our duty! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant? He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them. Psalm 94:3 and 23