Because of Easter We Are Overcomers

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know . . . his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:18-20).

What are you overcome by?  Pain, anxiety, despair, loss?  What about happiness, excitement, thankfulness, or relief?  Life is usually a mixture of both, but pain and problems can leave us feeling overwhelmingly overcome with negative thoughts and emotions rather than positive ones. 

More and more, I am realizing the great significance of these verses in Ephesians and how they should be impacting my life.  As I think about the power that God exerted to raise Christ from the dead, my human mind can’t fully comprehend what that entailed.  But I do know that no other power is so great, and as a Christian, that power now lives in me.

There are countless times when we may wonder how we can endure another moment of pain, depression, grief, or loss.  Jesus understands our pain and distress.  He was overcome with sorrow in the garden of Gethsemane to the point of sweating blood.  He was overcome by grief because of friends that failed Him.  He was overcome by the agony of knowing He would be separated from God the Father as He bore our sins on the cross. 

 

But hours later He victoriously overcame sin and death, and now His power and Spirit live in us.  Regardless of how hopeless things may appear at times, we CAN endure and overcome whatever God allows in our lives because of His resurrection power.

Yes, life will still be painful, and we will not always feel or act victoriously.  But the Holy Spirit reminds us of that first Easter morning and what it means to us, now and eternally.  In faith we believe and declare that we are overcomers, and we will keep overcoming until our own resurrection day.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I praise and thank You for Easter and Your victory over sin and death.  Help me overcome each day with victorious thoughts and attitudes rather than defeated ones, knowing that Your resurrection power is alive in me.  Amen.

 

Making Music for God in Our Brokenness

“My heart is steadfast, O God:  I will sing and make music with all my soul”
(Psalm 108:1).

I have wanted to take violin lessons for years.  Now my health issues would make it too difficult for me to learn.  

I read an interesting story in Catherine Weber’s book, Flourish.  During a concert in the 1800’s, the violinist Niccolo Paganini broke a string but continued to play perfectly on only three strings and became a star.  He later wrote an entire musical piece for only one string.

Dr. Weber writes, “At some time in our journey, we all feel as if we are playing with fewer strings.  Parts of our lives get broken.  However, each of us can become more determined to play well with the strings we have left, in ways that bring cheers and glory to God rather than dismay from onlookers.  Whatever your instrument or the melody of your song, join the orchestra of the kingdom of God, crying or laughing, sharing the melody of your life music.”

Many times my health problems leave me feeling as though I am playing with very few strings, and even those seem stretched to the breaking point.  But God wants me to play with what I have left.  So I write, email, pray, socialize, play the piano, and live life as I can through the pain.

I may not be able to play an entire musical piece, and it may not be concert materiel.  But if I am willing to do whatever God has given me to do with my limited abilities, it will be a concert of praise to Him and hopefully an encouragement to others.  I look forward to the day in heaven when I will play a real violin with all the strings, but my music then may not be any more beautiful to the Lord than what I play now in my brokenness.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, show me what music I can make for You by serving and glorifying You, despite the weakness and brokenness of my earthly body, and then give me the strength to play it.  Amen.

God Revives Our Hearts

“Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?” 
(Psalm 85:6).

 

Where I live, this has been one of the hardest and longest winters we have had in a while.  My contacts with friends and other believers have been greatly limited because of bad weather.  I am tired of seeing only brown and white, tired of being cold and hurting, and ready for the warmth and colors of spring.

As I drove through town recently, I noticed the welcome sight of spring revival - flowers beginning to bloom. I literally felt like crying!  God revived my spirit with the hope that this long winter will end and spring is coming.

Chronic pain may seem like an unending winter, yet God is faithful to bring moments of revival even in the most difficult times.  It may be through encouragement from a friend, reading an article or Scripture passage, a reprieve from suffering, or one small flower in an otherwise bleak place.  His means of revival come in various forms, but they are there if I look for them. 

When something is revived, it is given new health, vigor and spirit. It may also be returned to effectiveness.  How many times have I felt like giving up or shutting down, totally incapable of maintaining my own faith in God, much less being an effective testimony to others? Yet God has faithfully and continually revived me with fresh hope, perseverance, and the ability to serve Him.

The flowers I saw that day were covered in snow the next, but I knew it wouldn't last.  Spring revival is coming. And in the same way, God will revive me in the midst of my most barren and hopeless times and will continue to do so until there are no more winters.  So I will look for that one small flower in the bleakness, and rejoice.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your Word says that You live within me, reviving my heart and spirit (Isaiah 57:15).  Thank you for faithfulness to do so, and make me ever more aware of the revivals You bring through my pain and suffering.  Amen.

When I Am Faint-hearted, God Replenishes My Soul

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint”
(Jeremiah 31:25).

I have heard the expression "not for the faint-hearted" used to describe very difficult conditions, and I think chronic pain and illness fit this category quite well.  Ongoing health problems have a way of wearing me down until I feel I can’t handle any more. 

I particularly like the King James Version of this verse:  “For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul”.  When I think of being satiated, I think of a plant so drenched with water that it cannot absorb anymore.  Being replenished reminds me of a water glass that is continually refilled the minute it is empty.  And this is what God promises to do for me.

I have been dealing with continual bad headaches and eye pain lately.  I am weary of persevering through the throbbing headaches.  I am sorrowful over the limitations my eye pain brings.  But as I cry out to God in faith, He gives me the strength to endure.  Sometimes His refreshment comes through pain relief.  Sometimes He leads me to websites or other sources of information that offer me fresh hope. The Holy Spirit may bring the words of a worship song or Scripture passage to mind that calms my anxiety.  Each day God enables me to keep going.

When my life springs are dried out by suffering, God drenches and satiates my soul with the waters of His love, mercy, compassion, and grace.  His strength carries me through all may pain and problems, no matter how intense or long-term they may be.  There has never yet been a time when He has not replenished my ability to endure, and I am clinging in faith to the truth that there never will be, praise God.

Prayer: Lord, you know how hard it is to keep enduring through my pain and trials.  But You have given me Your strength and refreshment until now, and You will keep giving it, no matter how faint-hearted I feel.  Let me press on today believing  that truth.  Amen.

 

 

Renew a Right Spirit Within Me

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12).

We are entering the season of Lent in preparation for Easter, when many people choose to give something up as a sign of repentance and in memory of Jesus’ sacrifices for us. One message I heard suggested giving up or adding a behavior or attitude that would draw us closer to God, and I thought of this verse.

I am constantly battling negative attitudes related to my pain.  I’m tired of the cold, the headaches, the eye issues.  God understands my struggles, but I can express my feelings and still maintain a right spirit.

One commentary describes a willing spirit as constant, steady, determined, and yielding itself to God.   Many times my spirit is not constantly yielded to God, and I am certainly not focusing on the joy of my salvation.  So what do I do?

When my emotions cause me to doubt God’s goodness, power and plan for my life, I need to repent and ask for forgiveness.  I need to pray that the Holy Spirit will change my attitude to one of faith and trust.  This may mean keeping my focus only on the current moment, not worrying about how I will endure tomorrow or even later today.

 

I need to choose joy – “a contented resting in God”.  Joy and pain really can coexist if the focus of my joy is on the right things:  seeing God’s mercies and blessings even in my suffering, praising Him for His constant faithfulness, and placing my hope on an endless eternity of active and pain-free communion with and service for Him. 

I may not succeed at maintaining a right spirit every day, but by God’s grace I will keep aiming for it.  And my hope is that these changes won’t just be for Lent, but for life.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, as I think about Your sacrifices for me, I want my spirit to respond in gratitude, praise and trust, rather than in negativity and complaints.  Help me choose to be joyful for all that You’ve given me now and all that is yet to come.  Amen.

Dealing with the Construction Zones of Life

“But he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).

We have lived midway between our nation’s capital and our state capital for more than thirty years. Traffic has always been challenging, but over the past decade it has gotten much worse. Construction is always going on somewhere.  A trip that should take thirty minutes can take two or three hours. 

I try to avoid construction areas whenever possible.  They cause delays. Sitting for long periods aggravates my back pain. I get frustrated and impatient. If I have to take a detour, I may get lost.  But there are times when construction zones are unavoidable if I want to reach my destination.

My health problems remind me of construction zones. My ongoing pain, discomfort, and problems cause delays.  I lose out on things I want to do. I sometimes have to take detours and follow new routes, such as trying a new medicine or exercise, eliminating a certain food, or changing my sitting or sleeping position.  I become frustrated and impatient.  I want to move on.

But what is the purpose of construction?  Usually to build something newer and better.  God has a purpose for the construction zones in my life.  He knows what thoughts, attitudes, and responses needs to be improved to conform me more into the image of Christ.  The changes He is making in me are part of His grand design and roadmap for my life, so that I will accomplish His purposes for me here on earth and for all eternity.

The Lord knows the difficult roads I must take now.  My patience and my faith are being tested. But by that same faith, I must believe it’s worth going through this construction in anticipation of the heavenly roads that lie ahead.

Prayer: Lord, this life would be easier without construction zones, both physical and spiritual.  Give me patience, perseverance, and a willing attitude to travel the roads You have planned for me, knowing the trials they bring are for my benefit.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving Our Anxieties to God

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken”
(Psalm 55:22).

Anxiety is a well-known word in our culture.   One source I read said that it is the most common mental illness in America - affecting at least 40 million adults - and I am one of them.

Some definitions of anxiety state that it is based on unreal or perceived problems or circumstances rather than on conditions that are legitimately threatening.  I understand that differentiation, but sometimes I feel my anxiety is based on very legitimate possibilities. 

Right now I’m anxious about the logistics of our upcoming retirement and move out of state.  I’m concerned about health problems of friends and family that seem to be unending.  I’m anxious about my continual headaches and eye problems.  These may seem to be legitimate concerns, but when I am anxious for any reason, I am not trusting God’s sovereignty in my life.

In her book, Calm My Anxious Heart, Linda Dillow described a great visual way of dealing with anxiety.  She found a decorative box and called it her anxiety box.  Whenever she was troubled by a situation, she wrote the problem down on a piece of paper and put it in this box.  She then prayed about it, committing it to God. 

 

Afterwards, whenever she found herself becoming anxious or worried about that problem, her box was a reminder that she had given that situation to the Lord and it was in His hands.  Periodically she would re-read the papers inside the box, praising and thanking God for the situations He had resolved and recommitting the worrisome ones to Him.  What a great visual reminder to cast our burdens on the Lord, knowing He will carry us through whatever comes.

There was a popular marching song during both world wars that said, “Pack up your worries in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile”.  I would say, give God your worries in your anxiety box and pray, pray, pray – and then smile and keep marching forward in faith!

Prayer:  Lord God, I confess that many times I become anxious over circumstances in my life rather than trusting You for the outcomes.  Thank you for the wonderful comfort and privilege of being able to give them to You, knowing that I do not need to be shaken because You will sustain me through them all.  Amen.