Count It All Joy

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect

and complete, lacking in nothing."

James 1: 2-4

      In recent weeks, we have been in a trial.  I lost a job I truly loved. After many years teaching in a public school I retired but I was led to apply and subsequently got a job at a Christian school.  I loved this job. I loved starting the day with colleagues in prayer.  I loved teaching Bible and all the other subjects to the sweet second graders in my class.  As the last day of the year was winding down, the students had left excited and sad at the same time.  I was tired after a last day field trip but energized that I felt the year was a success.  Then I get a message, the principal wants to see me.  I'm perplexed but I go to her office and am greeted by the principal and a board member.  My confusion mounts.  I take a seat and the next thing I know I am being told I am no longer needed.  Just. like. that.  No real explanation, no real reason, I am unemployed.  I was in shock to say the least.  I returned to my room gathered a few things and walked numbly out the door.  Once in my car, I cried out to God....why?...what are we going to do?....what happened?...what did I do?   

        At the time, it was hard to "count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds",  still hard if I let my wander and linger on it.  But on that day, when I was crying out to God, it came to me that it wasn't what were we going to do but what was God going to do.  I stepped out in faith to retire from my public school job.  I stepped out in faith to take the job at the Christian school.   God was faithful.  When I was hired, it was believed by myself and the principal that is was a "God thing".  He has worked out the details.  Unfortunately, I do not know why things changed but I rest in knowing that God does.  

       Count it all joy.  There are twenty one verses in the Bible that mention the words joy or joyful.  Another twenty four verses use the word rejoice.  God wants us to be joyful.  He wants us to rejoice. He wants us to count it all joy no matter the circumstances or trials because when we do our faith grows. Some of the verses mentioning these words are Nehemiah 8:10 and it says, "...and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.". Psalm 4:7 says "you have put more joy in my heart". Finally,  Psalm 5: 11 tells us, "But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing for joy...". 

        When we count it all joy, our faith grows even through a testing and when the end of the trial comes, and it will come, we will be perfect and complete lacking nothing.  That doesn't mean to say that we are going to be perfect and complete as Jesus is perfect and complete but that we are closer to God.  We know He provides for us and comes through just when He needs too.  He shows up at that right time and reminds us He is there, He is watching, and He cares.  So friends, if you are in a trial remember to count it all joy and let your faith be renewed and strengthened while you wait on the Lord to show you the next steps.

Let it go!

"Then Peter came and said to Him,  'Lord, how often shall my brother sin 

against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?'  Jesus said to him, 'I do 

not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'"

Matthew 18: 21-22

     

      Let it go!  How many times have you heard or said that phrase?  I know I have said it more than a few times.  It's even a song in a popular Disney movie.  "Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know, Well, now they know.  Let it go, let it go!  Can't hold it back anymore.  Let it go, let it go!"  Letting go is probably one of the hardest human traits.   We want to keep hanging on to it, whatever the it is, so that we won't forget. So we can justify the hurt and the anger, we let it linger.  But in holding on to it, we notice it gets heavier and heavier.  It may have started small, it may have started big but however it started, in holding on to it, it just gets heavier.   

     Our peace is more important than trying to figure out why something happened the way it did, or why someone we care about treated us a certain way that was hurtful.  God gives us that peace, but we must first forgive. We must let it go. In Matthew 18: 21-22  Peter is asking Jesus how often should he forgive his brother.  Jesus tells him seventy times seven, not seven times.  Seven times is a lot to forgive someone for something but seventy times seven, four hundred and ninety times to forgive someone?  As the story continued in Matthew 18,  Jesus tells the story to illustrate to Peter and the others the importance of forgiveness.  He tells of the king who wished to settle the accounts of some of his slaves. One came to him that owed ten thousand talents, but the slave did not have the ability to repay it so he was sold along with his family.  But the slave fell before the king and begged him to let him repay the debt.  The king felt compassion and released him and forgave the debt. But yet the slave went out and found his fellow slave that owed him a hundred denarii and the slave started to shake his fellow slave demanding payment.  The fellow slave begged him to have patience that he would repay him but the slave was unwilling and had him thrown in prison.  The rest of the slaves saw what happened.  They probably knew what the king had done for this slave so they went to the king and told him what happened. In the end, the king had the slave tortured until he could repay all that was owed him.  Jesus tells his disciples the Lord will do the same to each of them if they do not forgive his brother from his heart.  Whoa....that seems harsh. God would extend to us "torture" for our not forgiving others. I don't think it means literal torture but that our hearts would forever hold the anguish and pain of not forgiving, of not letting it go that it would feel like torture. 

       When we forgive,  the peace of God washes over our hearts. In Isaiah 66:12 it says " For thus says the Lord, Behold, I extend peace to her like a river...", a river flowing freely, bubbling along, sweeping away the pain, the hurt and the anguish.  

       Moving water has always had a calming effect on me.  I love to sit by the ocean and watch the water.  It is the same with a lake or a river.  Thinking of the water washing over me like the waves, it brings peace.  "He leads us beside quiet waters." (Ps 23: 2) .   He leads us beside, not into, not through but beside quiet, still peaceful waters.  His peace comes when we forgive.  So let it go and feel the peace of God wash over you like the water of the river.  Let it go!

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; 

not as the world gives, do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

John 14:27

Live by Faith

"Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him."

1 Corinthians 2:9

      Whatever is seen is not all that is meant to be seen.  Our physical eyes cannot fully grasp the complete comprehensiveness of the spiritual realm.   God does most of His work behind the scene.  If we limit the scope of what we see, what is immediately visible, we will most definitely get an inaccurate reading of the circumstance or situation.  We as believers must live by faith.  "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 . We have all heard the saying...faith of a mustard seed...or faith to move mountains.  These describe little amounts of faith and big amounts of faith.   It's a good thing that we should have both because at times we can feel that our faith is lacking and is the smallest tidbit there.  Barely hanging on by a thread and yet there are times when our faith is huge and we are able to say to that mountain be moved.   I think that many times most of us fall in the small faith proportions.  We look at the circumstances and our faith shrinks.  We look at the situation in front of us and it shrinks some more.  It's not that it is not there.  It's just really, really tiny.   Our heart knows that God is working, but our brains have a hard time wrapping itself around it.  

      I began by reading I Kings 18 today.  Elijah is prophesying to King Ahab that there will not be rain or dew upon the ground for years except by his word. Then Elijah is sent by the word of the Lord into the wilderness and is told to hide himself beside a brook called Cherith.  God tells Elijah that He will provide for Elijah through ravens.  Now ravens may not be our resource of choice but the Lord used the ravens to provide bread and meat in the morning and evening and Elijah would drink from the brook.  But as it would happen, the brook dried up because there had been no rain.  But the Lord spoke to Elijah once again and told him to go to a widow in Zarephath and she will provide for you.  So Elijah does as the Lord told him and when he arrives he sees the widow gathering sticks.  Now Elijah asks her for a drink and some bread too.  Well, the widow replies that she has no bread but only a handful of flour and a bit of oil in a jar.  She was gathering the sticks to prepare a meal for herself and her son. She believes it to be her last meal. In essence, she is telling Elijah, you've come to the wrong place I have nothing to share.   But Elijah says, "Do not fear! go and make the bread and bring it to me first and then make some for yourselves. For the Lord says, the flour will not be exhausted, nor the jar of oil be empty until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth." (1Kings 18:14) . So the widow did as she was told and they ate for many days.  

      The story continues but this part of the passage spoke to me.  The widow is focused on the fact that she doesn't have much.  She is seeing that they are going to starve and die.  She is looking on the little bit.  BUT the little bit became a lot. This is God's way...preparing unfathomable things, even when only the slightest hints of them can be barely detected.  He is preparing.  He is working behind the scenes. He is crafting supernatural downpours behind the tiniest of clouds.  We must trust the Father is able to come through at that perfect moment no matter how far removed the possibility seems from our current vantage point.  Many times I have told others, Don't worry, God will show up just when he needs too.   I need to follow my own advice.  I need to have the faith of a mustard seed even if that is all I have to know that God will show up just when He needs too.  

      "For we walk by faith not by sight--"

2 Corinthians 5:7 

Fresh Mercies

"They gathered it morning by morning, 

every man as much as he should eat, 

but when the sun grew hot it would melt."

Exodus 16:21

           Are you a morning person or a night owl?   I like the morning... the soft dew on the grass, the sweet scent of the morning, the quiet stillness just before the sun starts to rise and the sky brightens with pinks, oranges, and purple. The birds softly chirping their morning songs.  Then, it's as though the only things which are around me are God and his creation.  

         But then the sun starts to climb.  The heat begins to show its ugly head.  The dew evaporates and the quietness is gone with the sounds of traffic, mowers, and life.  The stresses of life show up and remind us that it is time to get to work, feed the family, or do the laundry.  The day wears on and we are overwhelmed and tired.  Our energy is gone and we are left to wonder if there is any more.  In the heat of the day's trials our strength and resolve weaken and disappear.   This is our life just as it was for the Israelites in the wilderness.  They awoke each morning to manna spread about the grass knowing that they could have their fill for the day. But if they lingered too long and the heat of the day came the manna would be gone until the next morning.

        Each morning is new.  Each morning holds for us the whisper of the Holy Spirit reminding us to fill our hearts and minds with a fresh word from God.  Just as we fill our bowls with cereal, so should we fill our hearts and souls with His words.   We should feed on His word and be open to hear what He is calling us to do in this day.  Psalm 5:3 says to us, "In the morning, O Lord, you will hear my voice;  in the morning I will order my prayer to you and eagerly watch." .   

         It is the season for me to spend my time each morning in prayer and reading His word.  Hearing his voice calling to me to trust Him in all that I do.  The circumstances do not matter.   He is in the small details of our lives and He knows each and every one.   Why should we worry about the $2500 it will take to repair the car?   He knows those details and He will provide the means to work it out.  Does that mean we should just sit back and wait for something to drop in our lap....no, but I wish it were that easy!   I am thankful that I have the opportunity each morning to renew my heart and mind in the things from above.  "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness"  Lamentations  3:22-23

*Fresh Word and Fresh Mercies *

Obedience

"But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became

obedient from the heart to that form of teaching

to which you were committed."

Romans 6:17

     Obedience is the act of submission to authority.  Soldiers are obedient to their commanding officers. Students are obedient to their teachers.  Children are obedient to their parents.  The one word which freedom, fulfillment, and victory hangs upon is obedience.   

      I began, again, the study of Priscilla Shirer's  Discerning the Voice of God.  I did this study over a year ago. I thought it might be appropriate to read through it again now.  There are so many truths in this study.  So many things I need to think about again.  I know that to hear from God I need to first be obedient and humble before Him.   Just as children don't always obey their parents, I can't always obey without flaws.  But I must obey with purpose, with my ears tuned to hear and discern God's voice. It's not likely to hear from Him unless I abandon my tug of war with Him, that tug of war  between my will and His.  Once I surrender to Him, He will start turning up the volume so that I may hear.

       Obedience is not one of the keys, it is THE KEY that unlocks all of the blessings that God intends for us.  It is also the key that keeps the communication line open. Is it any wonder that the enemy would try to cripple us with fear, disappointment, and pride and work overtime to do it. The enemy puts up roadblocks to keep us from running full tilt toward God in unrestrained submission to Him.  The enemy sets up those roadblocks where we least expect them hoping to give us even more discouragement and fear.  But to obediently run to the Father and surrender to Him and His superior will for our lives brings peace.  His superior will that if we could only hear Him say, would be " if you only knew what I could do in you, you'd never doubt for a second."   Psalm 32:8 speaks to this  by telling us, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you."  So take the key and use it and be brave enough to let God search your heart.  Ask Him to reveal to you any calloused place that may block you from clearly hearing His voice.  Finally, yield to Him any area that may be resisting or doubting that His will is best.  

        Remember this...obedience to God is not a "no", but it is His best "yes!", which is crowned in grace and guides us to freedom.   It will open us up to His unrestrained blessings and abundance. His providence and provision will shine through as long as we take that step of obedient faith and listen and look where He is leading.

      " I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, because I do not see MY OWN WILL (emphasis mine) but the WILL OF HIM who sent me."  John 5: 30

       My will is submitted to him in faithful surrender and my prayer is to know His will for my life.

Circumstances

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you,

In God, whose word I praise,

in God I trust;  I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 56:4

       Circumstances. Those pesky circumstances. They can feel overwhelming.  There is fear.  Discouragement settles in like the deep freeze of a winter day.  Hearts are heavy and lead to a hopeless feeling.  Leaving me to believe things will never change....

        And yet, God can change the circumstances. He can align His timing and placement with His sovereign and preplanned purpose.  He can change circumstances with a whispered word.  Ecclesiastes 3:1 states " For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.".  This is a season.  A season to rest.  A season to trust.  He has not forgotten, not then and not now, not there and not here.  Proverbs 16:9 says "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.".  My heart is trying to plan my way but God has a different plan.  He is all powerful and able to move in my life today, tomorrow or even next year.   I need to live my life as God has wanted me to, with joy.  He deserves and demands my trust.  So I place it gingerly into His hands.  It's fragile right now like finely blown glass but He takes it and holds it.  He knows if I hang onto it, it will surely shatter but in His hands it is safe. God doesn't expect me to understand, (remember His thoughts are not mine!) but He does expect me to trust Him.  

       So as I sit here this morning, this dreary summer morning, I look for the silver lining behind those clouds.  The silver lining that if I place all my trust in God and keep my eyes focused on Him and my ears open to His quiet voice of the Holy Spirit and if I spend my days in His Word, then my life will be one that is well lived.  I will spend my days in worship because that puts my problems into the right perspective.  This worship song soothes my beaten soul today.

      "I stand in awe, I stand in awe of You. All glory, all honor, all worship and all praise, all blessing all power how worthy is Your name.  I stand in awe, I stand in awe, I stand in awe of You." -Chris Tomlin's Holy Roar album

       Be encouraged, God is working, even though you and I can't see it......yet.  I will not let the circumstances overwhelm me.  I will not be afraid.  In God I place my trust.

Trust in the Lord

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

   and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him and

   he will make straight your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

     This passage is a popular one.  One that I have read many, many times but seems to have more significance this month.   I do trust in the Lord with all of my heart.  The thing I need to do now is not lean on my own understanding.  My own understanding is lacking.   Isaiah says in chapter 55 verses 8-9, "for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." Good thing.  My thoughts have not been kind.  My thoughts have been broken, trying desperately to figure out the why.   But His thoughts are not mine.  His ways are not mine.  What I thought was to be the best for me, because I truly believe that it was God that set it in motion, has now plummeted to the pits. I was thinking the other day, "what a testimony",  what started out as a testimony showing people that God answers our step of faith, has now perhaps turned the other way.  How can this be a testimony to follow God's call on your heart, I ask myself.  Others are going to see it as, I was just mistaken, I messed up, and am now where I am because of that.  I believe that God will change all of that.  I believe that God will "work all things together for good." (Rom 8:28) . I believe that God will have an even bigger display of His glory for this testimony in His time.
       Proverbs 3:7 goes on to tell us to "be not wise in our own eyes".  Our eyes are limited in what they can see.  We see what is temporary.  We see the here and now.  We see what we want to see.  We don't see what God sees.  We don't see how He is working behind the scenes.  Yet we need to simply look and we will see His hand there, in the little things.   We are to trust the Lord because it is safe. We can be confident He will be there.  We can be confident that He brings peace.   The Lord's power  and wisdom will remove obstacles and the debris in our path.  The straight path is a window into who God is.  Trust doesn't tell us to be careless but be care less, to strip away the cares and put them at the feet of Jesus.   When we do these things "it will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones." (Prov. 3:8) . We can rest knowing that He is refreshing and healing us.  He is refreshing and healing the hurts and bringing peace to our hearts.   God is the restorer.  He will restore all things.