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) 

Peace

Tim Howard, goalie

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.

 And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. 

So don’t be troubled or afraid. 

John 14:27 (NLT) 

Jesus has left us the gift of peace.  So many times we forget to open it.

If anyone should be feeling stress and anxiety it should be Tim Howard, goalie of the U.S. National Soccer Team. The U.S. Soccer team is moving on in the 2014 World Cup due in large part to the tremendous goalie skills exhibited by Tim Howard.  Even with all those hard shots coming right at him, he seems to maintain a sense of peace and command.

As he states here, Tim has found his sense of peace from a source other than success in sports:

The most important thing in my life is Christ.  He's more important to me than winning or losing or whether I'm playing or not. Everything else is just a bonus.

Today, I am blessed to be living a dream. And yet, if it all went away tomorrow, I know I would still have peace. That probably sounds crazy to most people, but that's the kind of peace Christ gives. It is rooted in His love, and it surpasses all understanding. 

You can experience this same sense of love and peace, too. All you have to do is ask for it.

That is such a great reminder to all of us.  No matter how stressful our situation may seem, we can open that gift that Jesus has given us.  We cannot find it any where else in the world, but we can experience it by tapping into Jesus, our only source of Peace.

Tim Howard Talks About Faith

Tim Howard: The Goal Keeper

Lead Me On

Roman Road and Arch, Donnas, France

When I walk through the darkest valley

 I will not be afraid because you are close beside me.

Ps. 23:4 (NLT)

There are times when things seem so dark we can't see our way.  We are weighed down with confusion and fear.  In times like these we need even more to trust the Great Shepherd who is always there and will never fail to lead us on. 

I am so thankful for the rich tradition of scripture and song that I have been surrounded with these last 47 years since I came to know Christ.  In times of trouble, a scripture or a song comes to mind to encourage me. This morning I woke singing Precious Lord, Take My Hand, written by Thomas A. Dorsey, the father of Black Gospel music.  

He wrote this song a week after the tragic loss of his wife and son in childbirth. As he tells the story:

I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then. I felt at peace. I felt as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody. Once in my head they just seemed to fall into place: 

'Precious Lord, take my hand lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.' 

The Lord gave me these words and melody. He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. 

And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comeswhen He will take me and gently lead me home.

How much encouragement we gain from listening to the stories of those who have experienced the dark times and have found God faithful to carry them through. 

Oh Lord, let us always cling to you, trusting you to lead us on toward the light no matter how dark it seems.  We know you will bring us through because your grace is unchanging, your love unfailing.  Give us eyes to see, give us faith to believe that you are always there close beside holding our hand.

Click here:  Elvis singing Precious Lord. (In honor of my mom who was an Elvis fan.)

Sacrifice

American Cemetery and Memorial, Normandy, France

On our recent trip to France we visited the beaches of Normandy where the allied troops landed to begin their assault to free Europe from the Nazis on June 6, 1944.  This year commemorates the 70th anniversary of that invasion. There we visited the Memorial where thousands of crosses mark the graves of those who gave their lives.  Their sacrifice allowed the people of Europe to be set free from a vicious enemy. 

As I meditate upon the sacrifice of those brave men, I am reminded of the sacrifice of Christ.  It is because of his willing and courageous sacrifice that I have life today.  As those thousands of crosses represent new life and freedom for the continent of Europe, so that one cross represents new life and freedom for all who identify themselves with it.

Omaha Beach, Normandy, France

Sin & The Cross

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ

so that sin might lose its power in our lives.

 We are no longer slaves to sin.

 Romans 6:6 (NLT) 

Sin isn't a popular word these days.  People don't want to be categorized or condemned about any aspect of their behavior, but all we have to do is look around and see the things happening in the world to realize that sin is a reality. 

Sin is destructive - destructive to our lives in the form of addictions and negative behavior and destructive to our relationships in the form of hurtful words and actions.  We don't love ourselves and others as we should.

It doesn't take long to realize that we are prisoners of our sinful nature. God, in his great mercy and love, being very much aware of our condition, devised a plan to set us free.

There, upon the cross, Jesus took upon himself the weight of our sin. All of the pain we have caused to ourselves and others fell upon him. This is a great mystery, but, if we, by faith, see ourselves dying in him and with him on that cross, we are set free.


There are still the residual effects of sin in our lives and our feelings often don't agree, but we are declared to be righteous before God because of our faith in Jesus. From this position of acceptance, we can continue to grow in goodness and love. Just as the prickly old cactus sprouts beautiful flowers, so our lives can sprout the good things that bring joy instead of destruction - all because of the Cross.

Care

 Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow.
 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers

that are here today and gone tomorrow, 

he will certainly care for you. 

 Matthew 6:28, 30 (NLT) 

God cares for us and cares about us.  He is our ally, the one who is always there to help us.  He tells us to cast all of our care upon him because he cares for us.

There are times that we may not feel his love and care.  We may feel alone and abandoned.  But his care is a sure thing.  It never fails.  One of the central characteristics of God is his unfailing love and mercy.  We need to constantly remind ourselves of this fact.  

Why is it sometimes we do not remember?  It is hard to wean ourselves from the idea that we have to take care of ourselves.  We become worried and anxious about things forgetting that God is ready, willing and able at any moment to help us.  It is so hard for us to understand that dependence upon God is not weakness, but strength.  When we depend on his unlimited resources to solve our problems we are so much better off than when we rely on our own limited supply.

Maybe we feel we don't deserve his care because of how we have failed. His faithfulness is far greater than any of our failures.  We read in Nehemiah about how the Israelites failed God, they were proud and stubborn and paid no attention to him.  They refused to obey or recognize all the good things he had done for them and yet he did not destroy them but sustained them.

You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. In your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.  For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!  Nehemiah 9:16-21 (NLT) 

Jesus has not abandoned us and left us as orphans (Jn 14.18).  He has sent his holy spirit to be with us and in us.  Let us bring to remembrance the constant and unfailing care of God and turn to him quickly in our time of need. 

He remembers us in our weakness. 

His faithful love endures forever. 

Psalm 136:23 (NLT) 

He Gives More Grace (Click to Listen.)


He giveth more grace when the burden grows greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials
His multiplied peace.

Chorus:
His love has no limit,
His grace has no measure,
His power has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again!

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

He Speaks Peace

 Now may the Lord of peace himself

 give you his peace at all times and in every situation. 

The Lord be with you all.

 2 Thess 3:16 (NLT) 

One of the blessings of seeking, trusting and getting to know God is the blessing of peace.  God offers quietness of heart as an antidote to the feverish activity and strife of our lives.  An orderly and quiet life is a precious treasure.

We know God is interested in our peace.  He is called the God of Peace (Heb 13.20).  He is the author of peace, not confusion (1 Cor 14.53).  One of the symbols of Christ in the Old Testament is Melchizedek, the king of Salem which means king of Peace (Heb. 7.2).  He preached peace (Eph 2.17).  He has called us to peace (1 Cor 7:15).  Practically every book of the New Testament opens and closes with prayers for God's peace.

He especially speaks peace in times of distress or trouble. After his crucifixion, when his disciples were behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus appeared among them with the words "Peace be with you" (Jn. 20.19). He confronted the boisterous wind and waves of a violent storm with the words, "Quiet! Be still!" (Mk. 4:39).

Feelings of anxiety and fear are natural in the face of trouble, but God is greater than our hearts.  If we give in to feelings of anxiety we will have few resources to handle our problems.  A harmonious state of soul and mind actually encourages the development of the wisdom and power needed to better handle every difficulty.

God values peace.  He speaks peace to the disturbing forces in our lives. As we open our hearts to him, as we cast all of our cares on him, his peace will rule in every situation.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

Col 3:15 (NIV)

The Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier writes these beautiful words:

Drop Thy still dews of quietness

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress, 

And let our ordered lives confess

 The beauty of Thy peace.

Listen to the hymn:
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind