Tag: trials

Prayer Mentoring: Endurance

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DSC_0339Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. ~Psalm 69

Waiting on God is the hardest task of the Christian. In the wait you struggle with profound emotions, the pain of the situation, and sometimes unbearable anxiety. Often times we lose sight on how to even prayer. Often this isn’t a lack of being spiritual but being mentally tired. Here is how to pray for endurance!

Search the Psalms!
Search and find a Psalm that speaks to your soul. The subtitle I give to the book of Psalms is ‘Be Real.’ The Psalms are loaded with emotion, and being real with God. We think we fail spiritually when we don’t tell God the way it is. Psalms helps us get over that and gives us the freedom to truly voice what’s on our heart. Dig in and find a Psalm.

Pray it back!
Pray the Psalm you found back to God. Make it your prayer, your Psalm, your plea. When you’re exhausted from having to endure, rest on God’s Word to guide your prayer life. This isn’t vain repetition. It’s allowing the Spirit to work through you. The Bible is our greatest resource in enduring life’s challenges.

Worship
Even in being real, the Psalms often end with praise and acknowledging who God is- even when they didn’t feel that way. Part of being real is remembering that God is God and we’re not. There are challenges we wish no one to go through, and yet through such valleys there is an aspect of God’s Glory that shines through. You don’t ever wish to go through the trial again, but you can’t help but marvel at the glimpses of God’s goodness that you see. A key to praying for endurance is worship.

You’re not alone…
Too often we think that our trials are unique to us. In some ways they are. Remember, though, that facing trials is nothing new. Trials are only new to you. The Bible is full of stories of people who’ve been there. Jesus, our great high priest, has been there too. You’re not alone.

Pray for endurance
Step 1) Find a Psalm.
Step 2) Pray it back to God.
Step 3) Make the Psalm yours.
Step 4) Worship God!
Step 5) Remember you’re not alone.

Provision through perseverance

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Often people state one’s need to enter the desert before God uses them. Others put it as God needing to break someone before using them. After reading through Proverbs 1-5, I wonder if we have it backwards. What if the desert is God’s provision?

Wisdom as an active pursuit
Proverbs chapter 1 details how we should actively pursue wisdom. It states how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs also contrasts the destructive end of foolishness and the emptiness of naïvety. The last statement brings out the biggest issue: “But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.” Thus begins the perseverance resulting in provision pattern.

Perseverance results in provision
The formula of Proverbs states if you actively pursue wisdom, it will give you life. For example:

Perseverance
Proverbs 3:1- “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments.”

Provision
Proverbs 3:2- “For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.

Wisdom takes perseverance to posses. It is more an act than a possession. Wisdom does not come by chance. Wisdom is not absorbed. One must pursue it and live it. Keep wisdom through the challenges of life, and it become yours. It takes listening, pondering, treasuring, and keeping wisdom to get it. Wisdom is forged and realized through hardship.

Fear God
Both wisdom and knowledge start with the fear of the Lord. It is here that we come to the desert. In reading through the persevering for wisdom followed by provision, it makes sense that God would use the desert. Desert moments bring clarity of thought, aptness to listen, and they confront our finite mortality.

While the desert is a life and death struggle, it is also fertile ground for transformational growth. Given the statements at the start of Proverbs, my perspective on the desert changed. The purpose of the desert is not God breaking us. The purpose of the desert is God providing for us. At the end of the desert is provision. The most essential provision God gives us through the desert is knowledge of Himself.

The bottom line:
For wisdom, perseverance leads to provision. It is by going through the desert that we obtain life. To avoid this seeming paradox we can be easily taken by naïvety or foolishness. Persevering through the desert provides us the start of life and theology. God is God, and we are not.

Why Not Wednesday? Birthday Perspectives

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1 A good name is better than a good ointment,
And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
4 The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,
While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man
Than for one to listen to the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool ;
And this too is futility.
7 For oppression makes a wise man mad,
And a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning ;
Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit.
9 Do not be eager in your heart to be angry,
For anger resides in the bosom of fools.
10 Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these ?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
11 Wisdom along with an inheritance is good
And an advantage to those who see the sun.
12 For wisdom is protection just as money is protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors.
13 Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent ?
14 In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider –
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.
~Ecclesiastes 7:1-14~

You can’t steer a still ship

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If you want to steer a ship, get it moving. Water passing over the rudder is what makes it maneuver. This is a quote that I want my boys to grasp, and it is one many need to. The concept is you need to get moving, you can always change course later. Pick. Dream. Pursue. And, let God work in you as He gets you to the destination.

Military. Job. College.
My dad gave me those three options when I started 7th grade. They were a huge motivation to do well in school. The last part of the statement went: “But either way, you’re out of the house.” Dad spoke the message clearly. Man up. I picked a direction quickly and pursued it. A key element imparted to me was variety. Broad experiences help clarifies when one pursues a direction. Direction may change from experience. It is hard to change course when you’re not moving.

“Kids don’t dream today…”
The statement surprised me in a conversing with a well seasoned pastor. It made sense. In my high school, many worried over what they were to do. Graduation became somber as much as celebration. I cannot fathom people not dreaming, of not having direction. Partly because I’m wired that way. Partly because time doesn’t stop for limbo. Dreaming is not a passive exercise.

Eat. Pray. Love (Lament).
I can see where the elements of this book & movie resonate with America. Americans do not know how to simply enjoy life. The pace of life also pours into spiritual confusion. Then, with the non stop spiritually confused state, one loses their love life. Love needs a focus other than one’s self. Kelly and I discussed this at length. As we understand it thus far, Eastern Philosophies focus on balance has two key themes: emptying (meditation) and waiting (letting things show themselves). In contrast, Christian thought is filling (God is the God who fills things) and pursuing (Pursuing God is part of waiting on Him) and answers come. This pursuit includes a sabbath principle whereby God want us to simply rest to remember.

Values over Vision; Journey over Destination
Americans love big things. We love vision. We love destinations. In this quest, our blinders go up to values and journey. How often in our literature, art, dramas, and talks do we realize this anew? In “Built to Last” Jim Collins realizes that great companies focus intently on their values more than anything. They focus on being more than doing; the key to their successed. Our thought process is best summed up by Han Solo’s statement: “I prefer a straight fight to all this sneakin’ around.” Dave Ramsey’s one piece of advice he’d give to young leaders: “Let problems work themselves out.” Our pragmatic, driven, competitive side should remember that life seldom takes the direct route.

Visions in the Bible are like cars with really bad turbo lag. Some, like Abraham or Joseph, only get a mere whisper of the vision being fulfilled and it is left to others to do it. The pattern goes like this: God gives a vision…………………………………………and then it happens. Often the trouble comes when one tries to force its accomplishment vs pursuing God in the midst of the wait. The lack of peace in the Middle East is a clear example of this. Focus on being vs doing allows you to pursue without rushing. The Bible focuses more on becoming verse doing. The fulfillment and accomplishment of our vision or destination is already secured by God.

The bottom line:
You can’t steer a still ship. Pick a direction and then let God guide your journey. Your vision may be clarified later, it may not be. You might start with one, and you might not. But, know this: time does not stand still. While anchored in indecision, you will lose lessons of what God wants you to become. If you are too set on your destination, you may run aground getting there, and lose what God wants you to become. Pick a direction and learn to navigate. Work with the currents, the weather, the sun and stars. Clarity and discovery comes to those who pursue over those who wait. Pick. Dream. Pursue. And, let God work in you as He gets you to the destination.

God to us: Where were you when…

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Job 38 is a good reminder that God is God and we are not. While it is ok to get mad at God, question Him, or even doubt, in the end we come to this conclusion: God is God and we are not. It is extremely hard to accept “I am God” as the reason for something happening. Even with all his questioning, Job did not sin. In his trial God clearly wanted Job to know that “I am God” more than the reason why.

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge ? 3 “Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth ? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5 Who set its measurements ? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? 6 “On what were its bases sunk ? Or who laid its cornerstone , 7 When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy ? 8 “Or who enclosed the sea with doors When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb ; 9 When I made a cloud its garment And thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 And I placed boundaries on it And set a bolt and doors, 11 And I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther ; And here shall your proud waves stop ‘?

12 “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place, 13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? 14 “It is changed like clay under the seal ; And they stand forth like a garment. 15 “From the wicked their light is withheld, And the uplifted arm is broken. 16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea Or walked in the recesses of the deep ? 17 “Have the gates of death been revealed to you, Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness ? 18 “Have you understood the expanse of the earth ? Tell Me, if you know all this. 19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light ? And darkness, where is its place, 20 That you may take it to its territory And that you may discern the paths to its home ? 21 “You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great ! 22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, 23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of war and battle ? 24 “Where is the way that the light is divided, Or the east wind scattered on the earth ? 25 “Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt , 26 To bring rain on a land without people, On a desert without a man in it, 27 To satisfy the waste and desolate land And to make the seeds of grass to sprout ? 28 “Has the rain a father ? Or who has begotten the drops of dew ? 29 “From whose womb has come the ice ? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth ? 30 “Water becomes hard like stone, And the surface of the deep is imprisoned. 31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, Or loose the cords of Orion ? 32 “Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, And guide the Bear with her satellites ? 33 “Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, Or fix their rule over the earth ? 34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, So that an abundance of water will cover you? 35 “Can you send forth lightnings that they may go And say to you, ‘Here we are’? 36 “Who has put wisdom in the innermost being Or given understanding to the mind ? 37 “Who can count the clouds by wisdom, Or tip the water jars of the heavens, 38 When the dust hardens into a mass And the clods stick together ? 39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, 40 When they crouch in their dens And lie in wait in their lair ? 41 “Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food ?

The bottom line:
Are we ok with God being God? Can we accept that?

God save me from…. because I’m bad!

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Psalm 38 really popped out at me. It’s like a divine irony. I invested much time meditating on psalms 37-40. All these Psalms focus on God’s deliverance, with a unique twist. In Psalm 38, the twist is a double whammy: sin & enemies.

I’m bad
The Psalmist realizes his depravity and grieves over his sin. While one should work under grace, patients, and meekness when dealing with their depravity, there is still a real and sickening element to sin. Sin should grieve us. Grace does not remove the sting of sin.

Pop-factor #1: In trials, we must remember we’re also fallen.
Avoid: Self-righteousness, it’s everyone else’s fault.

Save me from…
The Psalmist realized he’s lost and in grave need of grace. He still asks for deliverance. God can use enemies, hard situations and trials independently or because of our sin. In either case, we see the pattern of asking for God’s deliverance. While trails are hard and grievous, its ok to ask for them to be over.

Pop-factor #2: In trials, its ok to ask for God to end it.
Avoid: Self-pity, making it all about yourself.

God
The real issue for anything good or bad in our lives is to show God to be God. Trials may deal with our sin, or be completely independent of it. They may be to strengthen us, or they may not. The big thing the Psalmist realizes both in his sin and in his trial is the greatness of God. God is the biggest concern. God’s justice must be satisfied as well as His compassion. God upholds the righteous, but only He can make one righteous. This deals with our sin. God delivers His own, and only He can do such. This deals with our situations.

Pop-factor #3: Trials regardless of reason are about God showing Himself as God.
Avoid: Self-focus, forgetting the big picture.

The bottom line:
God delivers bad people from bad situations because He wants to show Himself as good. It’s a hard listen. But, in bad situations don’t think you’re all perfect. Deal with the sin God reveals, even if its unrelated to the difficulty challenge you’re facing. Remember, God is God, you’re not. So, God save me from…because I’m bad!