Beginning to Sink

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

While growing up, my dad was an interim preacher for many churches. We traveled with him and sometimes would hear the same sermon for weeks. One of his favorites was entitled “Beginning to Sink”, based on the story of Peter walking on the water to Christ. Dad focused on one’s eternal future and dying. Now however, I relate the story to living.

Initially, Peter had enough faith to step out of the boat and  into the crashing waves, blowing wind, and darkness. Rather than viewing his situation from an earthly perspective, he looked with eyes of trust in and love for the One towards whom he walked. But when his eyes were drawn away from Christ and toward his surroundings, he lost his faith. The moment that happened, his fears became reality.

I am much like Peter. When I take my eyes off Christ for even a moment, I begin to sink. I look at others and am envious. I remember my past and grieve. I think of the present and despair. I look toward the future and am afraid. I lose my faith. Faith is total trust in God, believing that He is good, and that His plans for me are the best even now in my life of trials and pain.

Christ has said He will never leave me or forsake me. He is upholding me with His victorious right hand. He is greater than the one who is in the world. He is a God who works wonders. He is accomplishing His purpose for me. When I keep my eyes focused on Christ and His promises only, I too experience His miracles: endurance to press on during pain and discouragement, strength to touch others despite my weakness, and enjoyment and refreshment in the midst of struggles. He surely is worthy of my complete faith and trust, and will keep me from sinking.

Prayer: Lord, give me a steadfast faith that will not waver, fixing my eyes on You alone. Amen.

Setting Our Hearts on Pilgrimage

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca (Weeping), they make it a place of springs. . . They go from strength to strength, til each appears before God in Zion"  (Psalm 84:5-7).

The above passage is one of my favorites, and I recently noticed the word “pilgrimage” for the first time. A pilgrimage is a long journey. But what does it mean to set our hearts on it? We must realize it is indeed a journey. This walk of a pain-filled life is not brief and does not have easy resolutions. It will, however, have an ending, just as any earthly journey does. We must keep our eyes set on our heavenly destination, maintaining an attitude of faith, perseverance, and determination, regardless of what we encounter along the way. If our hearts are truly set on this journey with God, nothing will make us give up. We will stay on this road and keep going, trusting in the One who planned our trip.

As we persevere God turns our tears into pools of refreshment, not only for ourselves but for others as well. He enables us to go from strength to strength – not trial to trial or suffering to suffering. With any new obstacle we encounter – any pain, disability, or crisis – the Lord provides new strength to get us through and to continue on our journey.

Some days I enjoy my pilgrimage and other days I do not. But regardless of how I feel or what I encounter, He will be there with me until I see His face.

Prayer: Lord, may I set my heart on this journey with You, ready to accept whatever pain and trials You allow. I know that You are here and will continue to give the refreshment, comfort, and strength that I need to keep on traveling. Amen.

Standing on the Heights

“It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights”
(Psalm 18:32,33).

Although not athletic as a child, in young adulthood I discovered some physical activities I enjoyed and had a few short years to pursue them – bicycling, jogging, aerobics, and walking. Those activities left me feeling exhilarated, motivated and energized. I took the ability to do those things for granted, fitting them into my schedule as time allowed. As my health issues slowly started increasing, my physical activities dwindled. Little of those activities remain today. Although the losses were somewhat gradual, it was still extremely difficult to give up hope of them being restored.

On a visit to the mountains with my husband, we took a few short hikes.  I enjoyed that day immensely, but suffered repercussions of the walks for days afterwards and was tempted to begin my downhill spiral of self-pity. I realized, however, that although I live with physical limitations, I have opportunities to “exercise” my body and mind every day. I can endure physical as well as mental and emotional pain and do it well. God gives me strength to survive every day.  Each morning I can put on the spiritual armor and prepare to fight my battles, regardless of how tired or weak I feel. Psalm 18:29 says that with God’s help I can advance against a troop and scale a wall. My “troop” may be countless negative thoughts.  My “wall” may be the task of getting up, dressed, and ready to face the day. God can and will enable me to exercise faith and self-discipline in any circumstances.

My physical limitations are part of this earthly life, but one day in eternity I will be able to literally run with hind’s feet to the top of the mountain. How wonderful that will feel! For today, I can stand on the heights in my own way, praise God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, remind me that whatever mountains I am facing in my life, they are not too high to climb with You. Strengthen my feeble arms and weak knees, and lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Amen.

Flowers from Flaws

"The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever – do not abandon the work of your hands"  (Psalm 138:8).

Every fall there are clusters of beautiful golden wildflowers blooming along many of our roadsides. They remind me of a story I once heard about a cracked pot. A woman owned several clay pots which she used to carry water from the well to her home each day. One pot was cracked and leaked, losing half of its water on the walk home.

The pot became very discouraged and finally told the woman how useless and discouraged it felt because of its flaws. The woman said that the next day she wanted the pot to notice the beautiful flowers blooming along the roadside. The pot did, and thought they were lovely, but still felt like a failure. The woman then told the pot that she knew it had cracks and flaws, yet she chose to keep it. She planted the flowers along the way, knowing that each day the cracked pot would water them on the walk home. The lovely flowers were there because of the pot's flaws.

I see similarities here in my own life. I look at other people and am sharply aware of the cracks and flaws in my body. The woman in the story did not choose to discard the pot, or even seal the cracks with mud or clay. Its very flaws were accomplishing her purpose. So it is with those of us who feel “flawed”. God is using us just as we are for His purposes. Some days He may allow us to see buds of our influence, but many days we may have no idea of the flowers we are watering along the roads we travel. Yet God knows, and one day all will be made plain. Until then, we are fulfilling His purpose here on earth, and He will never abandon us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am the work of Your hands - beautiful in Your sight, created for a purpose, and never left alone. Help me to accept my flaws and imperfections, that through them You may bring blessing to others and glory to Yourself. Amen.

Living through Changes

“We who are alive are constantly being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, that his life might be revealed in our mortal bodies” (II Corinthians 4:11).

I have realized that change is challenging for me. Perhaps it comes from the fact that I moved around frequently as a child and felt insecure in having to attend new schools and build new relationships. For whatever reason, I dislike change.

Each of us has changes in our lives that have been difficult to overcome. Some of my most challenging physical changes have been chronic health and pain issues and their resulting losses. An empty nest proved to be extremely difficult emotionally. I read something a few years ago that made an impression upon me. I do not recall who wrote it, but it said, “Life involves change. Change involves loss. Loss involves death. Every time we are delivered over to a death of any kind, we are challenged to allow the loss to bring gain for Jesus’ sake. We do this by allowing his life to be revealed in our mortal bodies.”

Changes in our health do bring loss and what could even be called dying to parts of ourselves - loss of abilities, activities, relationships, experiences, hopes, and plans. There is pain and grief in that loss. Yet the above verse speaks of the good that can come out of those changes. Somehow every “death” that we experience on any given day can bring glory to God. Perhaps it is by praising Him and trusting Him to get us through, rather than by listening to the voice of the enemy and giving in to fear and discouragement. Perhaps it is by sharing our experiences with someone else as a word of encouragement or empathy. Whatever the circumstances, in life or death, our ultimate reason for existence is to glorify God. If it takes change in our lives to do that, let it be so.

Prayer: O God, how thankful I am that in the ebb and flow of my life’s days, You remain the same. Remind me that regardless of changes taking place around me and within me, You give me strength to walk in newness of life with You. Amen.

The Solid Rock

"Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn"
(Isaiah 51:1)

There are times in my life when I forget the spiritual roots of my new nature in Christ. When I am in the midst of a setback in pain, anxiety, or depression, how quickly I revert to my old nature of doubt and unbelief. I need to remind myself not only of Who lives within me, but of my Christian “family tree”. Hebrews 11 is the great Hero Hall of Fame in Scripture, bearing testimony to the believers who lived by faith, regardless of their physical circumstances and sufferings. Our Lord Himself was the perfect example of faith and trust in the Father’s plan, never fearing or wavering during times of trial and temptation.

We are “cut” from the solid rock of Christ. I see the stones in His “quarry” as representing the countless believers who have lived and will yet live through time. These stones vary in shape, size, and usage. Some of them may be crushed into finer pieces than others. Some may be more prominent than others. Yet they all are chiseled from the same block of stone – Christ, the Chief Cornerstone.

When I am tempted to fear and give up hope, I need to remember that I have the strength and solidarity of Christ, and that I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses which includes my fellow believers in heaven as well as here on earth.  I’m not only standing on the solid rock, I’m part of it.

Prayer: Lord, when all around me gives way, help me to stand on You – my solid rock. Let me not forget my spiritual heritage, and may it be a source of comfort and inspiration to me today. Amen.

The Mountains of God

“I will lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1,2).

What is there about mountains that attract us? We enjoy climbing them, vacationing to them, and photographing them. Gazing up at an individual mountain peak or a vast mountain range is awesome to behold - beautiful and majestic in any season of the year. Whether they are bare, snow-covered, green, or golden, mountains evoke feelings of strength, protection, and peacefulness – wonderful visual images of God’s might and power.

Yet mountains can leave us feeling isolated and lonely as well. At times I associate mountains with difficult obstacles in my life, such as my daily pain and ongoing health struggles. In those moments when mountains do not seem so pleasant, I need to run to the Lord and His Word.

Psalm 97:5 says the mountains melt like wax before the Lord. Think about the weight of even one small hill and the power it would take to move it. This is the power of our God. The God who created, melts, and moves mountains is the God who loves me and lives within me. He is reigning over the entire earth, including my individual life. Nothing that comes my way can keep His power and peace from reaching me.

I can choose to allow the mountains in my life to build faith and trust in God rather than allowing them to leave me feeling desolate and alone. God created mountains – even mine. We will either climb them together, or He will remove them. Whatever He may choose, my help comes from Him.

Prayer: Father, as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so You surround Your people now and forevermore (Psalm 125:2). Surround me with the mountains of Your love, peace, and strength today. Amen.