A New Day Will Come

"I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer . . . Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something."          (Sam from Lord of the Rings)

After watching The Hobbit in theaters recently, I was enthralled by Middle Earth once again and compelled to watch Lord of the Rings.  In each movie of the trilogy, the devastation was quite intense (to the point that in some of the scenes I had to shield my eyes), but I am always moved by how good prevailed.  Frodo, Sam, and the Fellowship of the ring faced much darkness on their path to freedom, yet just when one would think all hope was lost, good would shine through. 

Watching these movies at this time in my life was purposeful, I believe.  The message of hope threaded throughout this story is one I needed to hear right now.  Physical ailments, concerns for my kids, financial needs, hurting friends and family, and the continual waiting on issues that have long been laid at my Lord's feet have weighed heavy on my heart in recent days.  Lord, will this darkness ever pass?  And then I hear a hobbit say, "A new day will come."  

In Revelation, Jesus said this too, "Behold, I am making all things new.  It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give from the spring of water of life without payment.  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son."  (Rev. 21: 5-7)  I read these words and hope wells up in my heart.  It is done!  The Author of Life has not forsaken.  This present darkness will be but a vague remembrance in the days to come.  Oh, praise His name.  There are lots of opportunities along the way to turn back.  I cannot lie.  Some days I want to pack up and leave it all behind, and on especially dark mornings, I long to pull the covers over my head and not face the day at all.  Yet, this cannot be.  With Jesus, I can and must press on, for He will make all things new.

"Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning."  (Psalm 30:5)

 Lord, thank you for promising to make all things new.  Your promise gives me hope and the strength to keep running this race.  Help me to hold on to You every step of the way. 

"Are You the One?"

"Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another?'"  (Matthew 11:2-3)

What an unusual question from one who had baptized Jesus. Hadn't John seen the dove descend and heard the voice that proclaimed Jesus to be the beloved Son of God.  However, now he was asking, "Are you the one...?"  It's probably safe to say that prison wasn't on John's bucket list of adventures for his life. The Messiah had come to save and set free. Would he not rescue John from these chains? Yet, the days passed with no sign of deliverance.  No doubt John found solstice in these words of the psalmist long ago,

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?  How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?  Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, I have prevailed over him; lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.  But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 13)

"How long, O Lord? How long, will you hide your face?" Words I have cried out on my bathroom floor many times.  Waiting on the Lord is hard. Life happens, and I long for the Lord to rescue, to heal, to save. As time passes, my eyes tend to grow dim and my heart starts to despair, and I too begin to ask, "Are you the one?" Jesus didn't answer John's question with a simple "Yes, I am." Instead he made reference to lives being changed, "...the blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up and the poor have good news preached to them." John had to decide for himself if Jesus was the Christ. We all do. When things don't go as we want, when our prayers for deliverance or healing aren't answered as we desire, will we still believe? Will we trust in His steadfast love? 

As the story goes, John ended up dying in prison, and his head was served up on a platter for guests at a party to gaze upon. What a ghastly sight that must have been. Not the happily ever after ending we all like to read. It'd be easy to think that God had failed John that day and the enemy had won. Yet, something tells me John chose to believe, even as he drew his last breath. Jesus never promised that believing in Him would shield us from life's difficulties, but He did promise that in the midst of them we would not be alone and in the end we would be saved.

Once again, Lord, I am challenged to trust your steadfast love. You know what is best.  Help me to believe this truth in the very core of my being. Light up my eyes, Lord. Be my vision.  

10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

When Things Seem Wrong

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.  Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.  (Genesis 5:21-24)

Recently I attended a small group leaders meeting led by my husband.  We were challenged to embark upon the Enoch Revolution this year, which in a nutshell means to be dedicated and intentional in our pursuit of knowing and imitating Jesus. Not much is said in Scripture about Enoch, but we do know he walked with God. Interestingly, his very name's meaning revealed the kind of man he would grow up to be. Yet as I reflected upon this passage something struck me to be odd. Why did God take him up in his prime? Men were living to be over nine hundred years old, yet Enoch was taken at three hundred and sixty-five years old. His family must have grieved over this untimely loss. Wouldn’t it have been better for him to stay longer and walk out his faith before others?  Think of the people who would have been impacted by Enoch’s witness if he had lived another six hundred years. His being taken seemed to be out of place and a waste to me, yet the story reveals this was no mistake.  God, Himself, took him. The Almighty did not intend for Enoch to live longer in order to be a witness to others. Instead, it pleased God to take him and transform a walk of faith into sight. 

This small section of Scripture challenges me to live intentionally as I walk with God, but it also reveals to me the sovereignty of God. His infinite wisdom is far greater than my finite mind will ever be, and His timing is always perfect.  Will I trust Him this year when things happen that don’t make sense or seem out of place?  I want to because God is worthy of such trust!

Lord, I pray that 2013 would be marked with a deeper level of intimacy and trust in You.  When things seem all wrong, help me to walk with You and rest in Your sovereign plan. 

God's Word Dispels the Darkness

“My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness; raise me up and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.”     (Psalm 119:28 Amplified)

It was dark outside as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling.  I hadn’t slept much that night, so I longed to fall into a deep sleep, but instead I seemed to only fall into a pit of despair.  Anxious thoughts flooded my mind and worry gripped my heart.  With heaviness mounting, I lay in bed and wept. 

Deciding to fight sleep no more, I retreated to my chair in the corner of the room and opened my Bible. These are the very first words I read, “Don’t worry about a thing.” (1 Samuel 17:32)  I sat there and stared at the words.  I could hardly believe what I had just read.  Don’t worry about a thing!  Tears of joy started to flow freely down my cheeks.  God wasn’t chastising me (although He rightly could have).  Instead, He gently lifted me up and strengthened me with His word. 

I am so very thankful for the Bible.  Years ago, when depression plagued me, I pleaded with God to open my eyes to the truth.  Darkness abounded within, and I needed the Lord to set me free.  I had never been a student of His word, but I was determined to draw closer to God.  In order to really know His heart, I had to dig into the Scriptures.  As I did, I asked the Holy Spirit to teach me, which is a prayer He graciously answered and continues to answer.  I can’t really keep thoughts of fear and worry from coming into my mind, but I do have a choice what I will do with them.  So on that particular morning after a night of unrest, I chose to believe God’s word and not worry any more.  As I laid my cares at His feet, a peace settled deep into my heart because I knew He would be true to His word. 

Abba, I thank you for the Scriptures.  When darkness clouds my way, Your word always dispels the darkness.  As the Psalmists prayed, I too pray, Lord, teach me Your statutes.  Open my eyes to behold wonderful things in Your word, and may this craving for You and Your word never die. 

Sight Vs. Faith

 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.     (Judges 21:25 NLT)
 

     As I approached the courtroom, it surprised me to see the amount of people standing there. When the doors opened and the people pushed through to take a seat, I began to realize my friend would not be the only one standing before a judge that day. A heavy, forlorn mood filled the courtroom as we waited for the judge to arrive. As this man of great stature entered the room and we all stood, it was clear people knew their fate lay in his hands.  Case after case presented daunting facts.  Stories of armed robbery, embezzling, drug distribution, and offenses against the innocent gripped my heart.  Why had these individuals resorted to crime?    

     The book of Judges holds the answer I believe, for the stories shared in that book weren’t much different than the ones I heard that day at the courthouse. “All the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”  People were walking by sight and not by faith.  Occasionally when life got difficult they looked to the Lord to get them out of the messes they’d made, but for the most part they just did whatever felt right in the moment. Proverbs 14:12 says,  “There’s a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death”   DEATH!  Death isn’t always physical.  For those in the courtroom that day, death of dreams and hopes took place.  Life would never be the same. 

     There are days I'm guilty of walking by sight.  With my rational mind, I want to understand and figure things out.  I grow weary of waiting on the Lord.  Convicted by my own lack of courage,  I hear my Lord beckoning me to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Him up Golgotha.  For that dreaded climb up the hill opened the doors to new life.  In faith, Jesus abandoned himself completely to the will of the Father.  His fortitude amazes me.  His love leaves me speechless.  Walking by faith isn’t easy, yet it gives me joy to know I have a King who died and conquered death for me. 

Jesus, thank you for dying so that I can live.  You are the Author and Perfecter of my faith.  Help me Lord to trust You with every fiber that is within me.  And Lord, send me to others who need to know You as King.

An Imperative I Can't Ignore

“I command you—be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9 NLT)

While staring at the blank intimidating screen, my heart sank with discouragement.  “This is too hard, Lord,” I thought as I typed and deleted countless words.  One little comment from a critique to make my words more lively had crushed my spirit, and I didn’t want to continue any more.  You would have thought I was facing a whole army of terrifying Orcs by the way I fretted.  The longer I sat and stared at my computer, the more fearful I became.  It’s ridiculous I know, but then again fear and discouragement don’t always make sense.  For days I waited for the Lord to say, “It’s okay, Amy, you don’t have to do this anymore if you don’t want to.”  Instead, He said, “Be strong and courageous.”

Discouragement is debilitating.  Once my mind starts feeding on negative thoughts, I’m wasted.  Nothing profitable comes forth when despair takes over. Maybe that’s why the Lord gave this command.  He didn’t say to Joshua to try not to be afraid or discouraged.  He said, “Don’t be!”  Imperatives hold a lot of weight.  God knew the giants that would be encountered along the way.  It was a life or death matter.  There was no room for fear and despair.  However, the command wasn’t the last word spoken.  The Lord went on to promise Joshua he would not be alone.  We cannot muster strength and courage on our own.  It is only by God’s grace and presence we can face the giants before us.

More of You, less of me is my prayer today.  May the Lord find me faithful to trust Him and obey no matter what lies before me.

Whatever Orcs you are facing, be strong and courageous dear friends, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

More of You, Less of me

Lyrics by: Amy 2001

Jesus, help me to live each day surrendered only to You

I can’t walk the way I want to

My body is weak and my mind is full

My feet stumble and my words they come out cruel

Jesus, help me to live each day surrendered only to You

(chorus)

More of You, less of me is what I pray

Help me abandon every wicked way

Take me Lord, break me Lord; I’m Yours today

More of You, less of me

More of You, less of me I pray

Jesus, help me to live each day surrendered only to You

I can’t think straight and I am confused

Doubt and fear, well they tend to get me down

The dark surrounds me and I feel like I might drown

Jesus, help me to each day surrendered only to You

(ending)

I can’t carry this burden, and I know You don’t want me to

You say, “Come unto Me; I will take care of you”

So here I am Lord, falling on my knees

Ready to surrender, wanting to be free

Here I am Lord, falling on my knees

Ready to surrender, wanting to be free

Silent!

"But the Lord said to Moses, 'Because you did not trust Me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!"  (Numbers 20:12  NLT)

Ever wish you could do a day over?  If Moses could have done anything over in his life, I wonder if it would have been this day.  The great hero of our faith had seen the burning bush and stood on holy ground.  He had witnessed the ten unprecedented plagues and walked on dry soil through the Red Sea.  The glory of God radiated before him when God's laws were entrusted into his hands.  There are few in Scripture we esteem more than Moses himself.  Yet on this day, those awesome acts of power didn't make a difference when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it.  Disobedience stemming from distrust changed everything.

There are days I wish I could hit the rewind button.  One moment in particular stands out.  As I drove my car to band practice one night, God spoke to me in a vision, which transformed my life, but with that vision came the command to be silent.  I disobeyed.  Circumstances and feelings dictated my behavior instead of God's instructions.  I speculated far too much and shared things with people that only brought confusion and division.  As a result, the ramifications were devastating.  Friendships ended, and the ministry my husband and I were leading changed.  My heart was broken.  If only I had trusted and obeyed, things would have been different.  I knew God forgave me, but it took a long time to forgive myself.

It's been years since those difficult days, and God's grace has enabled my heart to taste and see His goodness.   As I sat in my chair this morning and reflected on Moses's disobedience, I remembered the time I too distrusted.  The dark valley that followed was great, yet God's grace was greater and His love permitted me to climb heights I didn't even know existed.  If Moses could do it all over again, I don't think he would.  For it's in weakness we become strong.  Moses had seen God's power shake the mountains, but it was His love and grace that transformed his life, equipping Him to be God's vessel.

When all seems lost and you long for a do-over, look to Jesus and abide in His love.  He makes all things new!

Abba, Your grace amazes me.  Thank you for forgiving me.  I don't like the fact that I disobeyed You.  It grieves my heart to think about it, but I'm learning that where sin abounds, Your grace abounds even more.  Help me to abide in You, Lord, and empower me to trust and obey.