Endurance

Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,

 the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. 

Hebrews 12:1-2

Recently, I heard a story about a blind man who wanted to run the Boston Marathon.  With his helper, he started out on the 26 mile race.  Halfway through, he became terribly exhausted.  He staggered along, sometimes walking, sometimes stopping to rest, sometimes jogging a little.  When he got to the 25th mile his helper said, "This is the last mile.  You have to go in running."  The blind man reached deep down and found what strength he had and ran that last mile with all his might to the loud cheers of the crowd. Not realizing he had reached the finish line, he continued on until someone caught him and said "It's over! You've finished the race!" He collapsed to the ground.  He had given it his all.  Somehow he had found the strength to finish his race. 

We are all in a race just like that blind man. Sometimes, along our path we lose momentum, we stumble and fall or take a detour.  The race just seems too hard for us, too big, too long.  We get bogged down. Sometimes all we can do is put one foot in front of the other, sometimes just crawl.  

Then we hear the word, "Run with endurance the race God has set before you."  Where are we going to find the strength?  We must remember, we are not alone. We have our helper called alongside holding us up and showing us the way. We have the crowd to cheer us on and as we look toward the finish line we see the champion, who has gone before, waiting to welcome us.

Jesus has already run the race.  Along the way he endured the same trials and temptations that we face. He was tempted to quit.  He endured great grief and depression there in the garden. He endured tiredness and opposition.  And, he endured the cross. Through it all, he came through with flying colors and triumphant joy and is now seated in the place of honor. 

What is the word of encouragement to us?  Don't become weary and give up.  Look to your champion who blazed the trail and made the way.  He is the way.  He is the road we take on our long race.  And he is there cheering us on along the sideline and running along with us and greeting us at the finish line.  He is our champion.

                            Because of the joy awaiting him,
                                    he endured the cross,
                                   disregarding its shame. 
                       Now he is seated in the place of honor
                                     beside God’s throne.
                                         Hebrews 12:2

Hope and Faith

True hope is faith in action

 and the constancy of faith in all contradictory circumstances.

 Praying Through the Tough Times, Lloyd Ogilvie.

Hope is trusting in God, having faith and holding onto his word and promises no matter how things look in the outward appearance. Sometimes hope is hard to come by.  We may feel so discouraged and weighed down by the the problems of life that we cannot even lift our head. 

David describes that feeling so often in the Psalms.

                                     I am dying from grief;

my years are shortened by sadness.

Misery has drained my strength; 

I am wasting away from within.

 Ps. 31:10

And yet, he always seemed to find a way to encourage himself.

But I am trusting you, O LORD,

saying, "You are my God!"

My future is in your hands. 

Ps. 31:14

No matter how low we may feel, we can still say, "I trust in you, Lord.  My life is in your hands." 

Lord, we sometimes feel so impoverished with no hope or faith of our own. When we feel that low, so drained and discouraged, grant us your inspiration and your gifts of faith and hope. We put our trust in you.  We know that you are in charge and are working everything out for our good. 

So be strong and take courage

 all you who put your hope in the LORD!

Ps. 31.24

Hope

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? 

and why art thou disquieted in me?

hope thou in God:

 for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. 

Psalm 42:5 (KJV)

As I was walking this morning along the gravel roads rutted from the recent downpours here in Arizona, I was thinking about all the ruts in my own life - those areas of failure, of weakness, of shortcoming.  It is easy to become discouraged thinking about these things.  Then out of nowhere the word "hope" came to mind.  No matter how discouraged I am about myself, in God, there is hope.  

As I continued to walk along, I came upon some areas where the ruts had been smoothed out. The big, powerful bulldozer had been there, filling in all the gaps and leveling out the ruts.  In my own strength, I am unable to fill in the gaps in my life or to smooth out the road, but as I humbly entrust myself to my powerful God, confessing my shortcomings, asking for his help and trusting him, His spirit comes and does the work.  He is able to take those deep areas of need and fill them again with his spirit, his strength and his power. 

May the God of hope

 fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,

 so that you may overflow with hope

 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Romans 15:13 (NIV) 

Home

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down

 (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body),

 we will have a home in heaven,

 an eternal body made for us by God himself 

and not by human hands. 

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NLT) 

Just a few days ago our neighbors lost their thirteen year old son to cancer.  This is the second time in my life that I have known a thirteen year old boy who has died from this devastating disease.  Each was a sweet and kind child. How is it that such a young body could be filled with such destruction and pain?  How is it that a life could be cut so short?  It is so hard to understand.  It is beyond our comprehension. The grief of the parents and family is overwhelming.

Death and loss are very real experiences in this life.  When things are going along smoothly and care free we don't think about it much, but the fact is our lives here are only temporary.  "This world is not my home. I'm just passing through." as the old song says.  

The time we have here on earth is a gift from God.  But this earth is not our final home.  There are many good things here, but there is also much sorrow, strife and pain. Our bodies are weak and continually decaying. When we come to terms with that fact, it completely changes our perspective.  The grief and sadness of death do not change, but we can accept it as part of the life process and as a door into our eternal destiny. 

With this change of perspective, we will see that our purpose here on earth is not to settle in but to learn and grow - to learn how to love.   Every experience is only a stepping stone moving us toward our true destiny.  Life experiences here fit us for the real life to come and when the time comes to drop our human bodies it will be only an entrance into the beauties of that eternal life.

What about those two beautiful boys who left us too soon.  We don't know why they had to go, but we know that they have entered into their new life of joy and beauty a little sooner than most of us.  I know God has a lot more work to do in me and I look at every moment as a preparation for that day when I will enter into that beautiful place and see all the things God has in store for me forever.  

We do not grieve as those who have no hope. (1 Thes. 4:13)

That is why we never give up. 

Though our bodies are dying,

our spirits are being renewed every day.

 For our present troubles are small 

and won’t last very long.

 Yet they produce for us a glory 

that vastly outweighs them

 and will last forever!

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now;

 rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.

 For the things we see now will soon be gone, 

but the things we cannot see will last forever. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT) 

Incremental Improvement

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Phil 1:6 (NLT)

One day as I walked by a Cholla close to the walkway at the clubhouse, I noticed two baby birds hunkered down in a nest.  Each day as I walked by, I'd check on the little creatures. 

 

Soon fuzz began to appear and they were always ready with their mouths wide waiting for a morsel from mama.

 

One day, I checked the nest and the babies weren't there.  I looked and there I saw one sitting on a branch in the cactus.  The next day, there it was again just sitting there. The day after, it was gone.  The little bird had grown its feathers and flown.







Those little birds were nurtured along until they were able to be on their own just as God nurtures us so that we will grow into maturity.  Often, the growth is imperceptible.  We grow by small increments each day until one day we realize we have made a little progress. We find that something we were not able to do before becomes easier for us.  Or, instead of having our usual negative reaction we actually respond in a positive way.

Its a little like my golf game.  It seems I'm not making any progress, yet each day I make a few more good shots.  Other days, things continue to go wrong but I know if I keep my eyes on the prize and continue to work at it I will improve and change will come - incremental, imperceptible change.  We can't expect to be changed overnight, but if we continue in faith, praying and believing change will come in God's time.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Phil 2:13 (NLT)

Renewed

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? 

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. 

He never grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. 

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NLT)

When I feel weak, tired or discouraged, I love to read these words from Isaiah 40.  I realize that my feelings are cyclical and that I will be renewed again as I wait upon God in hope and trust.  What a great promise!  Those who put their hope in the Lord will again be lifted up to soar as eagles.  God will not fail to lift me again to the heights.  But not only that, he will give me new strength to run the race ahead of me and to accomplish my daily duties without fainting.  When he renews me again, I will soar above my circumstances in great joy.  He will give me strength to run and work hard toward the goals he has given me and he will give me endurance to accomplish all the tasks of the day. 

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalms 62:8 (NIV)

The Power of Love

How incredible is this thing called love. 

It is the most powerful force in all the world.

  Nothing can defeat it. 

Love bears.  Love bears, always protecting.  Love is like a rising tide that covers all the debris on the beach.

Love believes.  Love always believes the best.  Love covers and in that covering believes for all good things. 

   

Love hopes.  Love holds out hope for the future against all odds.  It is not just wishful thinking, but a sure anchor in the promises of God.

 

Love endures.  Love overcomes every obstacle.  It endures anything and everything with patience and joy.  Love keeps on loving no matter what happens.

Love covers sin and in that covering believes for all good things and has hope for a good outcome as it endures with patience because it trusts in the great Lord over all things.

This love is so incredible that words fail.  It is far beyond our understanding yet we pray and yearn to know this love and to experience it.  It is a gift of His Spirit.  Let us come boldly and confidently into God's presence and ask for this love to be reproduced in us and let us declare:

I will bear up under all my circumstances.  I will believe all his promises.  I will hope for all good things.  I will endure through everything because I know love will win in the end.

Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,

how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 

May you experience the love of Christ,

though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete

with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Eph 3:17-19 (NLT)

 

Dealing with Depression

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.

Psalms 139:11-12 (NIV)

Even in our times of darkness, discouragement and depression God faithfully stands by to help us through.  He never abandons or condemns us when we are suffering in low times.  This is what we need to keep in mind when dark and negative thoughts flood our minds.  As we mature and grow we realize that these moods are not the final state and these thoughts do not define the ultimate reality of who we are.  The more we can hold onto God's truth and his word the sooner we will rise from our despair and the more comfortable and accepting we will feel as we are going through it.

So many successful people have admitted that they were subject to down times of discouragement and doubt. (Picasso, Van Gogh, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill.) 

Amy Grant in her book, Mosaic, writes: 

Whenever I am in a bleak mental state, I think about these people whom I admire and realize that this condition is not unique to me.  

Probably my age and the circumstances of my life have softened the downward spirals for me, but winter is still a struggle every year.  Maybe subconsciously that is part of the reason I've made so much Christmas music - to focus on hope and joy and store up a lot of good thoughts for the dark months ahead.

What I've learned so far is that depression can be, but is not necessarily, about circumstances or about a particular event.  It is physical.  It is hereditary.  It is cyclical.  Its onset is like traveling down a road and suddenly hitting a patch of deep sand, wheels spinning and no visible forward motion.

The good news is, I've learned to recognize it and not be ashamed of it.  I know as surely as it comes, it will go.*

Perhaps, during this darkest time of the year, you are suffering with depression.  Don't be down on yourself.  Remember there is no end to God's faithfulness.  He never changes. The light of his love shines continually as bright as the sun no matter how cloudy your day may seem.  Encourage yourself.  Even if you feel discouraged and sad, put your hope in God.  He will lift you again and restore you to the joy of his presence. 

 

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

Psalms 42:11 (NLT)

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Psalms 31:24 (NLT)

Listen to Amy sing Breath of Heaven
http://youtu.be/6RVTZDgcpqM

*Grant, Amy, Mosaic:Pieces of My Life So Far (New York: Doubleday, 2007), pp.167-168.