You May Grow Up

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2:1-3 NIV

A pastor of mine once asked, "How long have you been a Christian, ten years? Well, has it been ten years or one year ten times?

The point is: are you maturing or are you stuck in perpetual baby mode? Do you know not just that you sins are forgiven but, him who is from the beginning? Do you know that in Christ you have overcome the evil one? Have you learned to walk by faith even when you don't feel like it?

You know the Lord is good. You know you live in a world that is diametrically opposed to everything you believe. The world hates you because the world hates God. Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Maturity is knowing that God is Sovereign and has unfailing love for us and acting accordingly whatever the circumstances are around us. 

IT WILL FEEL BETTER LATER

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:10-11 (NIV)

I have been pretty busy lately. One thing that I have neglected is my personal fitness. I finally got in a little exercise this past week. I feel a bit better. You see, I have seen the result of exercising. I know that if I keep a consistent routine I will be healthier and feel better all around. 

I know this is a bit of a stretch trying to connect the idea of exercising and I Peter 5:10-11, but, let's go with it. Yesterday I was getting in a little cardio. My left calf muscle kept cramping up a little. When I got home and stretched, drank some water and relaxed, I felt a lot better. The connection is that in our lives we may suffer for a while, but, God himself will restore us and make us strong. In the same way that exercise can make us stronger, trials make us stronger in Christ. 

Whatever the trial you are going through know that God's plan is to bring you through it and then restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 

Father, bring us through our trails, restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast. Praise be to you in us today!

WORST CASE SCENARIO: VICTORY

"Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; 
     all day long they press their attack.
 My slanderers pursue me all day long;
     many are attacking me in their pride.
 When I am afraid,
     I will trust in you.
 In God, whose word I praise,
     in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
     What can mortal man do to me?"
 Psalm 56:1-4 

When David was writing about being pursued, attacked and slandered he was not just speaking metaphorically. People were really pursuing him to kill him. There has been times when I felt like someone was trying to kill my career or slander me, but, not actually trying to kill me. For David, his fears were real.

In the end though, David says, "What can mortal man do to me?" Well, they could kill him. But David understood that then he would just go be with his Father, God. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus taught his disciples before sending them out, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both the soul and the body in hell." 

When it feels like the world is caving in around you. When people are against you and you think it's you against the world; trust in God. Sometimes we just need to remember that the worst case scenario (in our eyes) is we die. OK, not fun, but, then you are with God in heaven. So what can the enemy do to you, kill you?  

If I live I see God work. If I die, I see God. 

Father, sometimes everything is against us and we struggle to trust in you. Help us to rest in you and open our eyes to see you working in our lives. We trust in you, what can mortal man do to us? Praise be to you in us today!

WILL LEARN VS WON'T LEARN: Titus 3:5-7

"He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:5b-7

Did you notice that everything in those verses is what God does? All we do is receive and reap the benefits. Now, there is a process that we are active recipients in. Yes, he saves us. Yes, he washes us through rebirth. Yes, he renews us by the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But, we must let God do those things in our lives. 

For the last couple of years I have been working with middle school students who struggle with their English language skills. What it usually boils down to is those who "will do" and those who "won't do". If a student will give any kind of effort they will learn something. But, if they choose not to learn there isn't much I can do. I can work with them one-on-one, set up individualized software programs, and allow them extra time, but, if they choose to not learn, they won't.

Isn't that how we are with God working in our lives? God speaks to us in ways that only we could understand, sets up individualized learning experiences (trials), and even patiently allows us extra time to learn. And yet... The point is that God is not done with you. God is still patiently teaching you that he loves you and is sovereignly in control of your life. There is hope. 

Father, help us to learn the lessons you put before us. Open our eyes to see your gracious, sovereign hand in our lives. Praise be to you in us today!

TROUBLE? GOD IS PRESENT/ Psalm 46:1-3

"God is our refuge and strength,
     and ever-present help in trouble.
 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
  and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
 though its waters roar and foam
     and the mountains quake with their surging." 
 Psalm 46:1-3

What's your trouble? God is present. Is the earth giving way? Are the mountains falling into the depth of the sea? Is your life falling apart all around you? God is "ever-present". 

As much as I don't like to be in the midst of chaos and a life crisis, I have know the presence of God there. Sometimes after everything is stripped away, only God remains. In the silence. In the aloneness. Only God remains...

Father, help us to see you and hear you when things seem to fall apart all around us. Praise be to you in us today! 

VICTORY IS OURS!/ Psalm 44:4-5

"You are my King and my God,
     who decrees victories for Jacob.
 Through you we push back our enemies;
     through your name we trample our foes."
 Psalm 44:4-5

If there is going to be any victory in our lives it is because of our Kind and God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just as the Psalmist realized the victories were all about God, we too must realize, only God can bring the victory.

"Through your name" we trample down our foes. I was just reading I Samuel 7 this morning and few things apply. First of all Israel repented (verse 2), and while they were seeking the Lord their enemy, the Philistines, decided to attack (verses 7). Isn't that the way it goes? We start to seek God in earnest and the trials start to come. The Israelites sought God and he gave them the victory (verses 14). 

Here's the deal: There will be battles. We will seek God and he will give us the victory. 

Father, help us to seek you. We look to you for the victories we need in our marriages, children, jobs and finances. Praise be to you in us today!

DOWN NOT OUT: Psalm 41:10-12

"But you, O LORD, have mercy on me;

     raise me up that I may repay them.

 I know that you are pleased with me,

     for my enemy does not triumph over me. 

 In my integrity you uphold me

     and set me in your presence forever."

 Psalm 41:10-12

Let's face it. We all need the grace of God. As Christians, we are enemies of this world. Just believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and that be died and rose again puts us in direct opposition to a world that wants to believe we came from chaos, formed from chance, and live with a moral compass that points only to what you believe will fulfill you at any given moment; self-fulfillment without restraint. 

Are you under attack? Have you been knocked around? Are you still alive? You are down, but not out. God is still Sovereign. God is still in control. Whether you need to be forgiven or to forgive, God is still God over all. He has unfailing love for you. 

I personally don't know what God may do to get you, or me, out of whatever situation that seems to make us out of it, but, he does. Look to him. Wait. He is faithful. 

Father, show us yourself, raise us up that we may glorify you. Praise be to you in us today!

THERE WILL BE TROUBLE, BUT GOD IS OUR SALVATION: PSALM 37:39

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
     he is their stronghold in time of trouble." Psalm 37:39

The question of the day: What do you look to in times of trouble? Do you turn to your bank account? Do you turn to the television? Do you turn to your computer? To alcohol? To drugs? To someone else?

David reminds us that our salvation comes from the LORD. The LORD is who I am supposed to look to for help when life gets hard. 

Notice that David does not say that the righteous won't have trouble. Everyone has trouble. Trouble is part of life, whether we want it or like it, trouble will come. If you are like me, sometimes it seems like I have a particularly strong attraction to trouble.   

Trouble will come. We turn to God. That does not mean hiding from trouble. It means seeking God in the midst of trouble and by faith acting in righteousness. Acting righteously by faith is the Christian way of fighting your way out or trouble. Seek Christ, do the right thing by faith, love as Christ loved you and God will be your stronghold in times of trouble.

Thank you Father, for being our stronghold in times of trouble. Help us to walk by faith, to fight by faith as we trust in you to be our stronghold in times of trouble. Praise be to you in us today! 

GOT PERSEVERANCE?: II Thessalonians 1:4-5

"Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgement is right, and as a  result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering." II Thessalonians 1:4-5

I have seen some very good teachers in my time as an educator. Frankly, none of the best teachers I have known teach honors classes. It is easy to teach A students because they already know how to get an A. Teaching low performing students how to  improve, now that's a challenge. My point is that I know people who just want to "teach" good kids and not be bothered by any students who have issues. Well,  seeing an educator endure all the trials of a challenging group of students is proof to me that they are a good, if not a great, educator. As a Christian, persevering by faith through persecutions and trials is "proof" of authentic Christianity. 

Sometimes we get things backwards in that we think that going through difficult times is proof that God does not love us. Trials and how we respond to them are the test to see if we are worthy. Listen, I know this is not what we want to hear, but, it is what the Bible says, so it is the truth by which we must govern our lives. 

The encouragement is that just because you are experiencing some hardships that does not mean you are outside of God's will and protection. Remember Romans 8:28, that God will work all things out for the good. Think of Joseph and how after years of being sold into slavery and prison time for honoring his boss (even though his bosses wife was anything but honorable), he ends up basically ruling the known world and saving his family. 

If you are in a trial, seek God and endure, persevere and walk by faith, knowing that God has you where he wants you and he will work it out for the good. 

Father, sometimes it is hard to see that you are with us in the middle of a trial. Show us yourself. Be our rock of refuge today! Praise be to you in us today!