Scared?

The current pandemic has spread rapidly, and causes illness and death. To respond, there are guidelines and orders for “social distancing,” self-quarantines, shelter-in-place, and many closures, and shortages. People have had to close their businesses. There are many lay-offs. The economy is hurting.

I’ve periodically been scared, and have learned that I’m not afraid of death, but I can be afraid of life.  

What is coming? How will I cope? Will I honor the Lord?

The Future

I do not know what is coming. But God does. And not only does Almighty God know what is coming, He is sovereign over everybody, everything, and all the time. He is our (believers) loving sovereign. (See When Storms Come: Will You Be Ready?)

Jesus pointed out that worry accomplishes nothing. 

And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  (Matthew 6:27) 

Let Not

Scripture tells us not to fear, be anxious, worry, or be troubled. Instead we are to rejoice, pray, and give thanks.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18) 

Instructions

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  (John 14:1) 

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  (Matthew 6:33–34) 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7) 

Results: Peace

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.  (John 14:27) 

We have choices

We can fear what is coming or we can believe God.

We can let ourselves be anxious or we can pray.

We can worry or seek His kingdom. 

As a habit, and before fear strikes, determine to review God’s promises for help and protection. Determined to remember His loving sovereignty. Determine to pray.

When you have fearful or anxious thoughts, change your thoughts to the truth about God. Substitute gratitude for worry.

Rejoice and give thanks.

Fallen World

We live in a fallen world.

Satan rebelled against God and now is prowling about seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

Humans—including you and me—rebelled against God. Our sins—past, present, and future—cause endless trouble for ourselves, others, and the world.

Through sin, death entered the world. (Romans 5:12)

Sin is rebellion against God, and earns the sinner death. (Romans 6:23)

But God

But God, because of His great love, gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  (John 3:16)

We, believers, rejoice that we are saved from the penalty of sin, are in the process of learning how to walk in newness of life (being saved from the power of death; sanctification), and, one day, will be saved from the presence of sin. Hallelujah.

But we still live in a fallen world where Satan is the ruler (John 12:31), and is working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2).

We are to expect trouble

We are to expect trouble.

And we have it.

Jesus tells us: In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33)

What to do

We are to believe and trust in Almighty God, which brings us peace.

We are to pray about our anxieties, which brings us peace. (Philippians 4:6-7)

We are to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

We have new opportunities to tell others the gospel. Be ready. (1 Peter 3:15)

We can show others the blessing of knowing the Lord.

~~~

Father, in these trying times, please help us trust You for everything, moment by moment. Please help us speak and behave in ways that show others Your love and power. Please help us not be anxious, but pray about everything. And help us rejoice and give thanks. 

Praise in the Muddle

You are in a messy muddle with no end in sight.

If you are Christ’s follower, having received Him as your Lord and Savior, praise God in the middle of your muddle.

Here is a starter praise list:

Praise Him for now:

God saved you out of darkness and transferred you to Christ’s kingdom.

He is your loving Sovereign God.

He is with you, keeping His eye on You, guiding and helping.

The Holy Spirit dwells in you.

You are in Christ and Christ in you.

Your trial results in: 

• Endurance so that you may be perfect and complete (James 1:3); 
• Praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7); 
• Perseverance, proven character, hope (Romans 5:3-4).

God is using your situation for good, making you into the image of Christ. (Romans 8:28-29)

Praise Him for eternity:

You will be in heaven with Him for eternity.

There will be no presence of sin, in you, in others, in heaven.

You will be holy and blameless.

You will receive rewards.

In the middle of your muddle:

You are, right now, beloved of God.

You have, right now, hope for eternity.

Praise Him!

Levels of Endurance

God calls us to endure. And He tells us about the rewards He gives us for endurance.

There are instructions about how to endure. See, for example, How to Get Through It, and Look Beyond.

I just realized today, though, that there are different levels of endurance. We can be better or worse at enduring what God gives us. 

Just like learning to please God, and learning to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, we need to learn how to endure.

There are at least three stages:

Resignation

Sometimes we might just grit our teeth and passively wait it out.

We continue to believe, read the Bible, and pray. But our circumstances are in control.

Pressing On

We may be aware that God is with us in our situation, and look for opportunities He gives us to grow and testify about His loving purposes.

We’re not passive, but “fight the good fight.” We press on.

Joyfully Enduring

There is a third level.

Paul joyfully endured his trials. 

We exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations …  (Romans 5:2–3)

Where are we?

I confess I am generally in the “Pressing On” stage, but too often just resigned. I’ve known the verses about considering trials with joy, but I’ve thought of trials as short term. “Endurance” implies long term and I’d never linked “Joy” to “Endurance.”  

Well, I’m growing.

~~~

Father, thank You for showing me I need to learn to be joyful in endurance. Help me give You thanks in everything. Help me honor You with my thoughts, words, and deeds.

How long? How long?

You may be in a seemingly never-ending hard situation. It may feel like forever already and there may not be any sign of improvement. It may not be possible for you to change it.

If the Lord is leading you to improve your circumstances, work at it. But, you may have to endure.

Remember

            God is with you, helping you, guiding you.

            God promises to use this hard spot to make you more like Christ.

            God is in control of the situation. He is in control of the depth as well as the length.

            God at the proper time will act. It’s Not Forever, Just Until.

When the time is right

 God tells us, over and over, that He acts when the time is right.

The time was right for Christ to come

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6) 

The time was right for our salvation

But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles … (Galatians 1:15–16) 

The time was and will be right for God’s wrath

Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, in due time their foot will slip; for the day of their calamity is near, and the impending things are hastening upon them.  (Deuteronomy 32:35) 

The time is and will be right for God’s reward

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. (Galatians 6:9) 

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.  (1 Peter 5:6) 

Our times are in His hand

My times are in Your hand… (Psalm 31:15) 

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.  (Ecclesiastes 3:1) 

Thank God our times are in His hand!

~~~

Father, thank You that You are in control of all things, including this hard situation. Thank You that we are always on Your mind and that when the time is right You will act. Help us remember Your loving sovereignty. Help us hope in Your grace and mercy. As we endure, help us honor You and testify about You to others.

God Knows Best

The US polio epidemic peaked in 1952 and the vaccine began testing in 1954. It was a scary time, with lots of cases and deaths. When my mom told me I would get immunized, I said: “I’d rather have polio!” “No, you wouldn’t,” she said.

I didn’t know much about polio, but I was very clear I did not like that HUGE needle.

Of course, my parents knew best.

The application to us as adults is clear.

Something we don’t like happens or we have to do something we don’t like. “Why me?” “Not fair.” “I don’t understand.” “No!”

But God knows best.

Remember

God knows everything. (See Praise the Omniscient)

God is everywhere. (See Praise the Ever-Present God)

God can do everything. (See Praise the Almighty)

God loves us. (See His Enormous Love)

God has a purpose and plan for us. God will glorify us (believers). We (believers) will be holy and blameless. We will be with Him for eternity. (See God’s Loving Promises)

God’s dealings with us, including things like polio vaccinations, are all for His loving purpose. (See  Praise our (Perfect) Discipliner)

Decide

Decide to believe those truths.

Pray, expecting His perfect peace. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Decide to trust Him. 

And repeat! The harder the situation, the more you may need to go deeper into these steps.

Press on.

Blessings of Pruning

Jesus is the true vine. (See Praise the Vine)

Those who believe in Jesus Christ and have received Him as Lord and Savior are the branches attached to the vine. (John 15:3, 5)

The Father is the cultivator, the vinedresser. (John 15:1)

For us, believers, the Father works in us (Philippians 2:13) and prunes us (John 15:2) so that we bear more fruit. 

Pruning is the process of cutting away parts of branches that reduce fruitfulness. Branches may have multiple growths that take energy and might produce fruit, but diminish the overall productivity of the branch. Areas of the branch are cut off with knives, pruning shears (of various sizes), or saws (hand saws or powered saws).  Ouch!

And that is what the Father does to us. For a loving purpose, He continually (“prune” is a present active indicative tense) cuts off areas that diminish our fruitfulness, which may hurt, but results in blessing. 

Pruning includes the Father cutting off areas of current service which are producing grapes in order to produce more fruit elsewhere.

What precisely is pruned is specific to the believer. What we can know is that:

            God the Father continually cuts off areas in our lives that reduce the fruit we produce.

            God prunes for a loving purpose so that we will bear more fruit. And so that those bearing more fruit will bear much fruit.

            We will be rewarded for the fruit in our lives.

This is a blessing, and we are called to rejoice that the Father is tending us to produce fruit.

~~~

Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are the vine, providing life, strength, and ability for us to produce fruit. Thank You, Father, that You tend to us, continually cutting away areas in our lives that reduce our ability to produce fruit to You. Help us trust Your loving purpose and rejoice in Your care.

~~~~

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:1–5)