God's Waterfalls

“He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains”
 (Psalm 104:10).

This past summer we moved to a mountainous area of western North Carolina sometimes called the land of waterfalls because there are so many of them here. 

My husband has hiked to a number of them already.  Some are high and impressive, with volumes of water pouring over the edges. Some flow gradually with two or three drop-offs at various increments.  And some are small and unimpressive, with only trickles of water.  

These waterfalls remind me of answers to my prayers.  I want God to answer me with voluminous falls, pouring down what I think I think I need in great amounts.  And sometimes He does, such as giving me supernatural strength to get through this major move or a difficult bout of pain.  Sometimes His answers come gradually, such as when medical issues or other problems are resolved in increments.  And then there are times when His answers seem unimpressive – if noticeable at all – such as when I pray for pain relief or help that doesn’t seem to come.

All waterfalls, whether spectacular to me or not, are works of God.  The same is true for His answers to prayer.  When He answers with a trickle, He is still there.  The falls that trickle now have been filled with rushing water before and will be again.  God’s waters of love and support are still flowing powerfully even when He only displays a small portion of them.

I will continue to be surrounded by mountains of difficulties in this life, but God’s waterfalls will continue to flow over me through them.  So let me notice the quiet presence of the small ones, relish the power of the magnificent ones, and appreciate the miracle of them all. 

Prayer:  O Lord, I want You to answer my prayer requests in spectacular, powerful ways, but You don’t always choose to do that.  Help me trust in Your presence and power even when I don’t see any answers, knowing that Your source of life-giving water will never fail.  Amen.

Dealing with Defectiveness

“For the creation was subjected to frustration. . . in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  We ourselves. . . groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8: 20,21,23).

A few months ago my husband retired and we moved to a new state to be closer to our daughters.  We found a house we liked and believed it was the right choice, but it needed much more work than we anticipated.  We have spent weeks renovating and repairing. We had to buy many new things, which I normally enjoy doing, but the defectiveness of countless items robbed me of that enjoyment.  I spent hours returning and re-ordering things.  I finally had to learn to live with some defects.

Defects aren’t limited to my possessions – they are in me.  I have a defective back and muscles that limit my walking, sitting, and exercising.  Pain and age are affecting my physical appearance.  My deteriorating memory can’t recall names of people in our new church and neighborhood or directions to new locations.  My eye problems limit my reading and computer work to minutes rather than hours.  And for now, I can’t exchange this defective body for a new one.

I long to be liberated from the defects of this fallen world and one day I will be.  For now I can choose to be frustrated by them or to accept them and make the most of what God has given me. 

Defectiveness is a constant reminder that this present world is not all there is.  The defect-free body and world I yearn for will come in God’s perfect timing.  In the meantime, I need to remember that my spiritual perfection is what matters most to God.  Having a godly outlook and striving to be Christ-like in my thoughts and actions should be my primary focus, and keeping a thankful and balanced attitude about the defects here is one of the tools God is using to achieve just that.

Prayer:  O Lord, when I am tempted to dwell too much on the imperfections of this world and body, remind me that these imperfections will not last forever.  Whether these defects are simply inconvenient or whether they are life-altering,  use them to grow me in patience, endurance, and hope.  Amen.

 

Redefining Wellness

 ^“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ”

(John 5:6).

We hear a lot in the media today about wellness. What exactly is wellness?  Most definitions include the idea of being healthy in body and mind as a result of deliberate effort. 

Wellness.com defines wellness as “an active process of becoming aware and making choices toward a more successful existence.  Process means that improvement is always possible; being aware is to be continuously seeking how to improve; choices mean selecting the options which are in our best interest; success includes one’s collection of life accomplishments.”

This is a worldly definition, and as Christians we need to know and believe that the most important wellness is spiritual wellness, yielding our lives and hearts to God whatever our bodily condition.  Based on that truth, I think we can apply the wellness.com definition to our lives from a Biblical perspective.

Process - although our health issues may not change, improvement in attitude and perspective is possible because we are new creations (II Corinthians 5:17).  Aware - we become aware of how to improve by studying Scripture and following it (Psalm 19:7-11).  When we are faced with health choices, the Lord will direct us wisely (Psalm 32:8).  Success – a successful life is one which lives life for God’s glory in any condition, healthy or well (Matthew 25:21).

In a recent sermon, our pastor said, “Kingdom plans and goals are being accomplished even in illness.  To really be well is to know Jesus, and true wellness is to experience kingdom purpose in every aspect of life”.  Yes, we would like to be well physically.  But knowing and living for Jesus brings a wellness that will last forever. 

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank you that I can serve You whether I am physically well or not.  Show me how to do this in my particular circumstances.  Help me be wise in pursuing any physical wellness You desire for me, but help me seek the wellness of my soul above all else.  Amen.

 

Capturing the Wonder in Each Day

“For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the work of your hands”
 (Psalm 92:4).

Years ago I was part of a summer mission team to France.  We did some sightseeing while there, and another team member commented on my excitement and awe.  She had been there before and had lost some of her wonder.  My excitement helped her recapture it.

I was reminded of this experience as I read an article by David Jeremiah in the July issue of Turning Points magazine.  In referring to the importance and appreciation of little things, he said, “Not everyone can sail off on a whale-spotting expedition, but we can all gaze in wonder at a goldfish bowl or watch the fish in the dentist’s office”.

That comment impacted me.  My daily focus may be on what is hurting or not hurting, what I need to do and whether I will be able to do it, and what everyone else is doing that I wish I could be doing.  To capture something means to seize it, perhaps using force.  I may need to force myself to look for the wonder that God has put in my path - through creation, people, and His Presence - instead of always looking at the problems and potential sources of discontentment in my life. 

In his book Recapture the Wonder, Ravi Zacharias says, “Wonder interprets life through the eyes of eternity while enjoying the moment, but never lets the momentary vision exhaust the eternal”.

I will enjoy the special moments of wonder that God brings.  I will anticipate all the wonder of eternity that I long for. And I will pray to see wonder on the painful, mundane days, knowing that God can bring gladness and joy through them, even as I wait for the wonders to come.

Prayer:  Gracious God, sometimes I become so focused on my pain, the cares of this world, or envying others that I fail to see the wonders around me.  Increase my awareness and appreciation of all the gifts You give –whether great or small – and may my response be gladness and thankfulness to You.  Amen.

 

Differentiating Between Necessary Comfort and Selfishness

“Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain” (Psalm 119:36).

I have never liked being uncomfortable, and my health issues make me more aware of discomfort than ever before.  I don’t like being too hot or too cold.  I don’t like uncomfortable seats.  I don’t like staying up too late. I don’t like noisy places.  I like eating earlier rather than later.

My pain level contributes to my being self-focused, and that is understandable.  But sometimes self-focus becomes selfishness, and I need to differentiate between the two.

While on earth, Jesus made many sacrifices of discomfort for the sake of others.  He gave up a home.  He lost sleep.  He ate what others prepared.  He walked miles to minister to others.  Following His example, there may be times when I should take the focus off my comfort level and trust God with the results.

How do I determine whether I am being selfish or have a legitimate need?  I need to examine my heart in the light of God’s statutes.  Why am I making this choice?  Am I trusting God’s sufficiency?  Am I using my pain as an excuse, thus missing an opportunity to show His power in my weakness?  Am I so focused on my own needs that I am insensitive to the needs of others?

I know my limitations, but I also know God’s limitlessness.  Whether in little daily decisions or big life-changing ones, I need to seek God’s Word and wisdom.  There will be times when seeking my comfort level is quite legitimate.  But there may be other times when God wants me to endure some discomfort for the sake of others or for His glory.  If I have a willing and open spirit, God will show me the difference.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, You know how hard it is for me to enjoy and focus on serving You and others when I am uncomfortable.  Help me to continually evaluate my choices in the light of Your example and Word.  Show me when my choices are based on selfishness rather than necessary comfort.  Amen.

 

The Gift of God’s Holy Spirit Revives Us

“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”
 (Titus 3:5,6).

This devotional is written in remembrance of Pentecost Sunday – the day that we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on believers after Jesus ascended to heaven – which falls on June 8^th this year.

Have you ever thought about what life was like for believers before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost?  Although certain individuals were anointed with the Spirit at various times, the gift of the Holy Spirit was not given to all believers until after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The Holy Spirit is our comforter.  He speaks the truth of Scripture into our minds and hearts.  He encourages us to keep going.  He gives us guidance and direction.  He is the presence of God in us.  And He has been poured out generously  - abundantly and unsparingly - within us.

Various Scripture passages associate the Holy Spirit with water, and I recently came across a good analogy of how the Spirit works in my life.  I am a tea drinker, so this analogy appealed to me. There is a certain kind of tea called flowering tea.  It comes in the form of a pod or ball and looks like dried up grass.  But when placed in a tea pot of boiling water, as the tea leaves soak up the water, they unfold into a lovely flower.

Just as the water causes the dry tea loves to soften and bloom, so the Holy Spirit revives our dry, hardened, or discouraged hearts.  The Holy Spirit renews our hope and speaks peace to our souls.  He fills us with power. 

I enjoyed watched my flowering tea pod unfold, but then the flower disintegrated into pieces and could not unfold again.  As I drank the tea, I thanked God for the way the Holy Spirit continually washes over and through me, reviving me, renewing me, and strengthening me for each challenge I face with my pain and problems.  What a precious gift!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, when my spirit is discouraged and dry from dealing with my pain and problems, Your Spirit infuses me with comfort and strength to keep going.  Thank you for this wonderful gift of Your Presence within me.  Amen.

 

Running Our Marathons of Pain with Confidence and Perseverance

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised”
(Hebrews 10:35,36).

In May the Marine Corps hosts a half marathon in our community.  My mother’s apartment complex is on the race route, so this year we went out to watch. 

As I saw the waves of people come in to view, I thought about the appearance of the runners.  Many looked extremely fit and confident, but many did not.  I wondered if some of them were going to finish. Yet they made it the 13 ½ miles, some walking and some running.  I’m sure they had all been persevering through months of training.  I’m sure they all wanted to maintain confidence throughout the race that they would receive the reward of reaching the finish line.

As I looked at the shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities of the participants, I thought of those including myself who are running the marathons of pain-filled lives.  Some of us are able to walk or run on our own.  Some of us race with canes, walkers, and wheelchairs.  Some of us are being carried or pushed by others.  Whatever our abilities or disabilities, we are all persevering in faith toward our final finish line, trusting that God’s strength will bring us through.

Tears came to my eyes as I thought about this unseen race and how valiantly we are trying to run it.  Although it is not a race of our choosing, we are bringing glory to God and encouragement to each other as we run.  Our confidence and perseverance will be rewarded with the promise of an eternity of pain-free living with the Lord.  We’re in it together, we’re going to make it, and I look forward to seeing each of you at the race’s end.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, many days I feel I can’t keep running in this race of pain and suffering.  I don’t know how I will ever make it to the end.  I pray that I will not lose my confidence in Your power and grace in my life, that Your Spirit will enable me to keep persevering, and that I will stay focused on what awaits me at the finish line.  Amen.