Tag: Faith

Happy New Year!

Today is New Year’s Day. And for most of us, nothing is really that much different than yesterday. Some of us have the day off from work; others don’t. Some of us will begin new ventures this year; others won’t. But we face January first with expectation and hope. Why?

There is something about looking forward. Sometimes, it can fill us with dread– especially if we imagine the worst or have some reason to expect a dire outcome or consequence for one of our past actions. But most of the time, we look forward to a new year with some level of confidence and even eagerness. We make plans, promises, and resolutions. We fill in calendar pages and make appointments in our planners. We dream about goals and accomplishments we hope to fulfill by this time “next” year. And hope makes us happy.

What makes you happy and gives you hope today? Is it your career? Your family? The savings you have in the bank? Is it your ability to make things happen? Or your past success in planning for the future?

What if 2025 brings disaster– to you personally, or to the world around you? What if the economy fails? What if war comes to your town (if it hasn’t already!) What if this is the year you face Cancer? Can you still have hope? Can I still wish you a “Happy New Year?”

We don’t know what this year will bring. But we CAN know the timeless and eternal Hope that is in Jesus Christ. Even if we face uncertainty, grief, struggles, pain, loss, injustice, or misery. We may not find “happiness” in this year, but we can find joy and peace that surpass all understanding (see Philippians 4:7).

How can we do this? The Apostle Paul tells us in the very same passage to “be careful for nothing.” (see v. 6) That doesn’t mean to be careless, but rather not to try to control all the variables and circumstances in our life. Instead, we are to take everything–EVERYTHING– to God in prayer. So every day of 2025, we can offer up the day, the night, and all that happens within them to a loving God who KNOWS our future. He not only knows what will happen TO us; He knows what can happen THROUGH us, AROUND us, FOR us, and WITHIN us! He knows what resources we will need, and how those resources can be made available. He knows what is truly best for our growth, fulfillment, and joy. That doesn’t mean that we won’t have to suffer or that we won’t have questions and even some doubts. And it doesn’t mean that we sit back and do nothing. But we can do our best to step out in Faith, knowing that God can redeem even our mistakes– if we let Him.

There is one other part of the Apostle Paul’s directive–Gratitude. We can be thankful, even in the midst of pain and suffering, frustration and grief. Not because we are suffering, but because we are NEVER alone, and NEVER forgotten. God’s plans may involve suffering, but they never end there. Just as we turned the page on 2024, God will one day make ALL THINGS NEW.

Someday– and it could happen in 2025 for all we know– we will be ushered into something completely new. Not a new year, a new decade, a new millennium, a new epoch, a new age, or a new phase, but a completely new Heaven and Earth.

And THAT’S a Happy New worth hoping for, waiting for, and being thankful for. Right now, and every day of 2025!

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Christmas Prayer

Father, this Christmas, I want to

Confess that I have not really comprehended what Christmas really means. There are times throughout this year when I have not made “room in the inn;” I have not welcomed Christ in the “least of these.” I have not followed the star, or listened to the message of the angels. I have not come to the manger with gifts. I have been like the people of Bethlehem– asleep and unaware of the miracles taking place under my nose. I have not acknowledged that you are

Here. Not just that you came. Not just that you lived, and died, and rose again. But that you are present with me–Now! Every moment! Forever. Here. Not just beside me, but indwelling…living in me and working through me, flawed and cracked vessel that I am. Living in and working through other ordinary people You send into my life (as You send me into theirs).

Righteous Redeemer, help me to understand better Your Wisdom, Your Power, Your Glory, and Your Holiness. You did not come to rescue us from some failed plan or cosmic mistake. You are altogether perfect in Your plan of Salvation. Even when I cannot understand Your ways, they are higher and better than anything I can imagine. And Christmas, with all its wonder and glory and contradiction was never a surprise to YOU. It wasn’t Plan B. It was timed down to the minute, scripted to the very last detail, and part of the eternal plan of Salvation.

Inspire me again with the wonder of Your Mercy and Grace. Help me to experience the Joy of the Shepherds, the Awe of the Magi, and the Hush of Heaven as You left Your throne to become a little lower than the angels who shouted Your Glory into the darkness.

Send me, as you sent the Shepherds, to make known Your wonders, as you sent the Angels to tell of Your Good News of Great Joy, and as you sent Your Son into the world to make reconciliation. Strengthen me as an instrument of Your Grace, as a Witness of Your Might, and as an Ambassador of Your Love.

Transform my thinking. Build my Trust in You, that I would spend less time fretting about my daily needs and the unforeseen circumstances of my days, and more time praising You for what you have done, and will do, and are doing. Help me to embrace Your

Might, Your Majesty, and Your mystery. That the same voice that spoke galaxies into being and the same right arm that raised up empires was wrapped up in rags and laid in a Manger, meek and tiny. That Your glory was hidden in a cattle stall in a quiet village of a conquered nation. That Your plan to bring us life involved Your own painful death at the hands of people You had raised up to power That all of Eternity could be changed in a single instant, even as the Earth slept.

Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Pexels.com

Accept my adoration, incomplete and uncomprehending as it is. And equip me to Act in ways that bring You Glory and Honor. Advance Your Kingdom, and Thank You for making it possible to be reconciled to You.

Sovereign Savior and Gracious Shepherd, let CHRISTMAS be born in me anew this season. Let me grow in Faith and Obedience. Let me shine like that first star– drawing others to worship You.

Amen.

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What Did Mary Know?

The song above asks, “Mary, did you know?” as it lists many things that Jesus did during his ministry on Earth. But just how much DID Mary know on that night in Bethlehem? From what we read in Luke 1, Mary knew only that this coming Child was sent by God to be the Messiah. But the angel didn’t spell out how that Messiah would be born or how Mary should be a mother to the King of Kings. The angel never promised Mary that Joseph would agree to marry her, or that her family would not disown her. The angel said nothing about a census; no warning that Mary would have to travel to Bethlehem, where there would be no room in any inn, and no safe, clean place to deliver God’s chosen one. Mary had no knowledge of the shepherds who would come from the cold and dirty fields to get a glimpse of her shivering infant. She had no idea that wise men from distant lands would present her with such impractical gifts as frankincense and myrrh, or that she would be forced to take her small son into Egyptian exile.

In fact, while the shepherds were visited by a heavenly host, glorifying and praising God; while the wise men were following an amazing star in the heavens, Mary was seemingly forgotten– giving birth in a cattle shed, tucked away in an unfamiliar, backwater town, without the comforts of her home and family (save Joseph, who was a first-time father himself!), without clean water or extra blankets, without the comforting voice of an angel reminding her that it would all turn out in the end.

I can only imagine how she might have felt. Was she frightened? Confused? She could have been angry or bitter, panicked or forlorn. She was not privy to the wonder of the angels or the star. She could have no idea of the miracles that her Son would do. And, while Simeon hinted at the piercing grief she would know at the crucifixion (see Luke 2:33-34), Mary could have no idea of the grueling death her Son would suffer.

Mary was so young. She knew so little. And yet, Luke tells us that she ” treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19 NIV).

This Advent season, I want to take time to ponder; to meditate on the promises of God, on His timing, and His provision. Mary’s journey to Bethlehem was unplanned– by her. But God had planned it from the very beginning. He KNEW there would be no room in the inn. God KNEW all that would happen– the flight to Egypt, the years of Jesus’ ministry, the betrayal and suffering to come. And God KNEW Mary! He knew her questions, He knew her heart, He knew her fears, and her limitations.

It is comforting to know that God KNEW, and that He KNOWS all that is to come in my life. When it feels like I have been forgotten or relegated to a place where there is no room, no resources, no welcome– I can remember that God is there exactly as He was for Mary and Joseph on that night long ago. Just like Mary, I can treasure those incomprehensible moments when God sends a shepherd or a wise man into my path; someone whose presence, though unexpected or even inconvenient, reminds me that God’s plans are far bigger than what I can know or imagine.

One thing Mary DID know was that she could trust God absolutely. May we ponder this truth throughout the season and treasure His promises today.

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Leaning…

(Note: this is an edited and updated post from a couple of years ago.)

“What a fellowship; what a joy divine,
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms…”

Bethel Church, Penn Twp., Michigan

Years ago, growing up in a small community, and attending a tiny rural church in southwestern Michigan, we sang this song often at church. As a child, I liked the tune, but had little idea what the song meant. In fact, when I was very small, before I could read, I misunderstood the lyrics– I thought the congregation was singing “wienies” on the everlasting arms. I made my grandmother laugh when she heard my interpretation! She helpfully corrected me. So I knew the basics. I knew the word fellowship– that was what we called the pot-luck meals and social times we had in the church basement. I knew that Joy was like happiness, only better. I knew that “divine” referred to God and Heaven, and Holy things. But I also knew that leaning was frowned upon– I was told to stand up straight, sit up straight, and never lean back on the two hind legs of the chair in class. How could there by fellowship, and divine joy in leaning? And what were the Everlasting Arms? It sounded like the name of a hotel. It was a long time before I began to understand the joy of leaning, or even falling into the “everlasting” arms of the Savior.

As I have lived, I have grown to understand and cherish these words. There IS a fellowship and a joy divine in learning to lean on the Everlasting Arms of Jesus; to experience the strength and peace that passes my own understanding when I trust fully in Him, instead of in my own plans, whims, dreams, or wishes. There is no shame in leaning on God– in fact, if we don’t learn to lean on the solid wisdom and faithfulness of God, we will slouch into bad habits, “fall” into false teaching, or simply collapse in our own limitations and weaknesses, much like a chair leaning on just two legs! And this fellowship is not only with my Creator, Sustainer, and Savior; it is with all the brothers and sisters around the world who have learned to trust Him, too. I can travel to foreign countries, with different languages and customs, and still feel the kinship and “belonging” with other Christians. It is deeper and more mysterious than just the recognition that we are fellow human beings. It goes even deeper than the love for others who are loved by God. It is the recognition that God’s Holy Spirit surrounds us, flows in and through us, strengthens us, and unites us IN HIM. We are fellow travelers; fellow workers; fellow members of a universal family– one that is more inclusive than nationality, race, ethnicity, language, ideology, or denomination. We can (and do) lean on the ONE who is eternally trustworthy, eternally faithful to walk beside us, empower us, comfort and heal us, and lead us home. And we can lean on each other, knowing that our mutual strength comes from Him.

I love worship services, and I’m thankful that we have an active church where people worship; where the Bible is taught and revered; where families and individuals are welcomed and loved. But I sometimes miss the old “prayer meetings” in the church where I grew up. Every Wednesday night, while the children were (supposedly quietly) playing games, singing songs, and listening to the great stories of the Bible, a faithful (and sometimes rag-tag) group of adults were upstairs in a huddle. Some pulled up chairs and sat in a circle; others knelt the whole time. They prayed for nearly an hour–prayers of thanksgiving and prayers of urgent needs; prayers expressing worship, and prayers expressing inadequacies and failures; prayers for the children downstairs, for other members of the church family; prayers for the community, the country, and the world. As I became a teenager and a young adult, I was privileged to join in. I watched wise, older men and women express their confidence in God’s provision, and pour out their hearts for their children and grandchildren. I listened to young adults asking for wisdom and guidance as they raised families and witnessed to co-workers. I felt the joy and grief and true “fellowship” that came when several hearts turned as one to God.

I have since attended many “prayer meetings”– some planned, some spur-of-the-moment; some held in churches; others held in homes or dorm rooms, even on street corners or grocery stores; some lasting only a few minutes; others lasting hours. I am blessed to be able to attend a weekly “prayer meeting” on Wednesday mornings at my local church. There is something mystical about communal prayer– listening and sharing in prayer with others. The prayers of God’s people are compared to incense– and communal prayer is like a delicately-balanced blend of fragrances, infusing the very room with blessing, and even a touch of Glory. (For more about how prayer is likened to incense, see https://the-end-time.org/2017/06/13/how-is-incense-like-prayer/) It is yet another miracle of the power of prayer, that we can combine hearts and voices to honor God; to lift up very human concerns to the One powerful enough to hold each one in the palm of His hand. It should not replace personal prayer and Bible Study, or communal worship services, but it is a wonderful practice for any Christian to “come alongside” in prayer with fellow believers. It is also humbling to think about how such a seemingly small act can have far-reaching consequences.

God “inhabits” the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). When we show up and participate in communal worship and prayer, we get a greater sense of God’s presence, His power, His Glory, His Love, and His eternal purpose. What a Fellowship! What a Joy, Divine!

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Praying For Justice

There are a lot of unjust things in this world. And there are a lot of things that seem unjust to us, even when we know they will happen; even when we know they are part of God’s will.

Death seems unjust. So does disease. Poverty seems unjust. Natural disasters seem unjust. Yet they are the just consequence of sin. All have sinned; all must die. Sin causes an imbalance in God’s world– therefore, nature acts in ways that cause disasters and disease. Poverty stems from many sources– greed, laziness, theft– and while some of them may be caused by our own sin, many of the causes stem from the sin of others. And justice is usually beyond our ability to exact.

It is deep in the human heart to cry out for “justice.” But most of the time, we only want what we think is fair or proper from our own outlook. And we want it “NOW!” We want things to be simple and convenient. We want to be justified. We want to be “right” and to be “rewarded” for being so.

Jesus told an interesting parable in the book of Luke. It concerns a widow who was denied justice by a corrupt judge. Even though her case had merit, he would not hear it. He was not interested in giving her justice. But she persisted. She finally annoyed him so much that he gave her what was rightfully hers.

18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Luke 18: 1-8 (ESV)

Jesus does not mean to imply that God is like the unjust judge. God does not close His ears to our cries for justice; But He also does not see our situation from our point of view. God WILL allow our loved ones to die. He may hear our prayers for temporary healing, but He will not prevent us from all grief or loss. And we may have to live through disease, poverty, and other circumstances that seem unfair or unjust– at least for a while.

Jesus is reminding his disciples (and US!) that God not only hears our prayers, but He cares about our needs, and He hates injustice even more than we do. God will not just act reluctantly to bring about justice for one widow. God will end the sting of death, the corruption of sin, and the need to cry out for justice once and for all. And even in this life, He can and often will give us miraculous answers to our problems with injustice. But there is a caution at the end of this parable. Do we have faith? I don’t mean the kind of faith that hopes and wishes that everyone in a particular situation will “get what is coming to them.” Nor is He talking about a faith that says, “God helps those who help themselves.” Rather, Jesus is talking about a faith that lifts up a situation to Him, knowing that He– and He alone– WILL keep His promises in His time and in His fashion. The kind of faith that can rest secure in knowing that “HE WILL DO IT!”

Are you trusting for justice today? Are you still waiting? Don’t stop praying. But more importantly, don’t stop believing!

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“Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep…”

When I was still a young child, and a new believer in Christ, I learned this bedtime prayer:


“Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the LORD my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake;
I pray the LORD my soul to take.”

I didn’t use this bedtime prayer every night; my parents taught me to say more personal prayers, whether at bedtime or throughout the day. In fact, I found this prayer to be somewhat morbid– praying about death before lying down for sleep. Still, it was an easy prayer to learn, with its rhyme scheme and easy rhythm.

As an adult, I look at this prayer from a very different perspective. I learned it from books, which had included it from revisions of earlier books, including old Mother Goose rhymes. The prayer (or a version of it) dates back to the 17th century https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/now-i-lay-me-down-to-sleep-prayer/, and I imagine the thought of dying in the night was far more persistent than it is now for most children. This prayer offered comfort, not just about one’s own death, but the sudden death of a baby brother or sister, or the death of a neighbor, or one’s parent. Death, which often came in the night, was not to be feared, because God was bigger than both the night and the grave.

But as a adult, I also appreciate the simple trust that is expressed in such a short prayer. I often find myself at night fretting and praying about details and issues that I have tried to rationalize or “fix” in my own power. This prayer puts things in perspective– I pray the LORD my soul to keep. Basically, I lay everything, including my very soul, into God’s hands. Thus, I CAN “lay me down to sleep,” rather than stay up reciting a litany of little worries about which I can do nothing, or have already done what I could.

“If I should die before I wake…” The older I get, the more this line resonates. Not that I believe I am at death’s door, or anything, but death is less of a “monster under the bed” sort of concept than it was as a child. Death is a reality, and yet I can trust God to “take” my soul, snatching it out of the grave and raising me to eternal life with Him. Not because I know better than I did as a five-year-old, or because I have done “good” things over the past half-century and more– but because God said so in His Word, and I can trust Him to do what He says. Just like I learned to do when I was five!

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Anywhere…

Anywhere! Anywhere!
Fear I cannot know;
Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go!

I was reading in the Psalms the other day, and I fell on one of my favorites, Psalm 139:

 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

Psalm 139: 1-12 (ESV)

This portion of the Psalm speaks of God’s Omnipresence. But often, when I read it, I read it from a negative viewpoint. It speaks of hiding from the Lord…it is impossible to escape the Lord’s presence and His omnipotence. I cannot hide my thoughts or deeds or feelings from God’s all-seeing, all-knowing presence. And this is a good thing in the end. But what about when I am not trying to escape from God, but some other threat– guilt, pain, heartbreak, or even death?

God’s omnipresence is also a metaphysical reality in a very positive sense. I cannot stray outside of God’s presence. He will not remove it from me; He will not hide from me. He will never send me into ANY situation where He is NOT already there, and where He will NOT be with me.

I know this. But I needed a reminder today. God will be with me on my best days, and on my worst. He will be with me in sickness or depression, or celebration and strength. He will be with me whether I am “alone” or surrounded by strangers. He will be with me in the darkness where I can’t see anything, as well as in the blinding bright lights of an operating room, or the eerie haze of a foggy morning.

Wherever I am, God is figuratively holding my hand; He is hemming me in all around. I am protected and supported by His Almighty Right Hand. When I am tempted to doubt– He is there! When I am distracted by the din of other voices– He is there! When I have turned my back on Him– He is STILL there; waiting for me to turn back!

I don’t know where I will have to go today. It may be to the grocery store; it may be halfway across the world…I may be called to do unexpected things, to go in an unexpected direction, to turn a frightening corner or face an unknown foe. But I can go anywhere with confidence– not in MY wisdom or abilities or strength– God is WITH me. God goes BEFORE me and BEHIND me. God is OVER me and UNDER me, and all AROUND me.

Recently, there was a news story about a submarine with passengers who were going to visit the wreck of the Titanic. Tragically, the submarine failed and their lives were lost. Just like the passengers over 100 years earlier, they were far from any human help. But God was there. I don’t know if any of the passengers were believers, but if they were, they could face their last earthly hours in confidence and peace that passes human understanding– God was there. Even though their bodies were not saved from this tragedy, their spirits were never out of God’s reach; their hearts were never lost to God’s loving gaze.

May we rest in that assurance today. There is no place on Earth– or in or over or under the Earth!– where God does not watch over us. The going may not be pleasant. It may be dangerous or even deadly. But we– our soul; our spirit– can go anywhere without fear. We can face the transition from life to death with calm assurance. We can face the empty threats of Death and the Grave without flinching. We can face our fears, and defeat them, when we trust that God’s presence in constant and completely sufficient.

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Praying For the Ashes

“Playing for the Ashes” may not be a familiar term to many. It refers to a Cricket Rivalry between England and Australia, dating back over 125 years. The term “the Ashes” was first used by a sports writer lamenting the loss of a Cricket match. The team from Australia had defeated the English team on its home soil, and the writer wrote a tongue-in-cheek “obituary.” Over the years, the two teams now play for a trophy shaped like an urn, which supposedly contains ashes of something related to the famous game. The rivalry is real, and the teams give their all to win each match “for the ashes.” But the trophy itself is little more than a joke. The phrase has come to mean playing all out for something that is already (figuratively) dead or worthless.

“Playing for the Ashes” is also the title of a mystery novel, in which a cricket player is murdered. I am not a Cricket fan, but I am a fan of mysteries, and in reading the book, I learned a little bit about a sport I have never followed. But the book builds on rivalry and the theme of investing one’s energy and dreams for “Ashes.” The main characters of the book have wasted their money, energy, and life force in the pursuit of power, revenge, fame, and status, only to find themselves losing everything they ever worked for. The book is very well written, and it made me think. But it also left me sad and somewhat empty at the end.

I began thinking about how various life pursuits might compared to playing for the ashes. I write about pursuing prayer, but what is my goal and aim? Am I pursuing prayer with the right goals? I may answer that it is part of my pursuit of living like Christ; that I want to grow closer to God; that I want to grow in my walk with Christ…any number of “Spiritual” answers. But is that always true?

How often do I spend my time playing for, and even PRAYING for “the ashes?” How many times do I try to “fix” things first, and only pray as a last resort? How many prayers are spent asking for things I “want” to happen, instead of seeking God’s will first? What dreams am I holding on to when I pray– unwilling to lay them on the altar? Am I praying in line with God’s will, or do I feel like prayer is a rivalry (either with God or with my circumstances)? Prayer IS a pursuit, but it is not a game or a rivalry. The “prize” of prayer is not getting the answers I want, or getting God’s “approval” of my desires. The “prize” is eternal, abundant life from– and with– the Father! It is not getting God “on my side”, but growing closer to the heart of God!

God wants to hear our requests and our desires– but He also wants to hear our desire to follow Him above all. We should be running for the true prize, not playing (or praying) for the ashes!

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Do I Serve or “Deserve?”

It struck me just the other day how similar these two words are in English. To serve is to work for; to perform a duty; to labor on behalf of someone else. A servant performs duties for a master; a worker serves his or her employer; I serve my customers as they visit my shop. To “deserve” is to work in such a way, or to show such qualities as to merit reward (or punishment).

Much of our Christian life here on earth is centered around service. I serve at church; “I serve a risen Savior;” even this blog is a way of serving– sharing the Gospel and what I continue to learn about prayer. Praying for others is a way of serving them.

But much of our culture centers around what we “deserve.” Even our service is often qualified and judged as being more or less worthy than other service. If I serve on a board of directors, it is considered more worthy, more deserving of respect, than if I serve as a janitor, a junior clerk, or a night watchman. If I serve in a public capacity as an elected official or an ambassador, I am considered more deserving than if I serve as a humble citizen. We see some positions as deserving of more money, more power, more respect, and more worth.

But that is NOT the way God sees our service. God gives good gifts, not because we “deserve” them, but because it is His nature to give. God sends the sunshine and the rain to everyone, regardless of whether they have “earned” a sunny day or “deserve” lovely flowers to grow in their garden. Similarly, when God allows for natural disasters, they affect both “good” and “bad” people in a region. Occasionally, God will show His divine favor by sparing a group, as He did with the Israelites in Egypt. The Egyptians were victims of ten plagues, while the Israelites, living in the land of Goshen, were spared. But that wasn’t because the Israelites “deserved” to be spared, nor that every Egyptian was “deserving” of punishment. Rather, the horror of slavery and oppression of the Israelites caused God to show His righteousness and His power to save those who were being unjustly treated. (A lesson our world has yet to fully learn!) And God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would be with their descendants forever, saving them from those who would oppress them. But in daily life around us, innocent people often struggle, while “bad” people seem to prosper. Why doesn’t God give us what we “deserve?”

What we “deserve” in this life is the consequence of our sin and rebellion against God’s holiness–and that is DEATH. A God without any mercy would simply allow for those consequences to take effect without any opportunity to repent or to experience His Blessing. God does NOT give us what we “deserve” here on earth. However, He notices our “service”– our desire and capacity to do good–at every level. He does not give higher value to those who serve in positions of power or authority– in fact, Jesus taught just the opposite:

25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,  28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28 ESV

Prayer often seems like a humble service– we often pray alone or in small groups. Very few people are praised for being “prayer warriors,” and many pray without anyone even knowing about it. Except God knows. He hears and He delights in our prayers. We don’t pray in order to “earn” God’s favor, or anyone else’s approval. But we pray to a God who gives us far more than we “deserve.” And we serve a God who delights in even the humble acts we do for others. A God who has promised us Eternal life with Him in Heaven! Not as a reward for our service; not based on our worthiness or self-righteousness, but based on the worthiness of Jesus! Heaven is our reward for His great sacrifice. We don’t “deserve” it, but we can rejoice in it, even as we serve quietly and humbly here on earth.

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Prayers of Protection

My husband and I just returned from a week-long vacation. We had a very nice time, just getting away for awhile, relaxing, doing some fishing, and enjoying nature. We like to travel, and we like to take the “back roads” and scenic routes. Even so, we pray for God’s protection as we travel.

Praying for “travel mercies” or safety as we travel is not a magical formula. We were not expecting that God would somehow grant us a problem-free trip. Prayer doesn’t change the possibility that we could be involved in an accident, or our car might break down, or we might be subject to bad weather or natural disaster (on that note, we are praying for those impacted by Hurricane Helene– both residents and travelers). Rather, praying for safety in our travels is an acknowledgement that God knows what the future holds, and we do not. God is able to protect us from harm in a miraculous way, if He so chooses. But He is also able to bring us THROUGH tough times and even disasters. Prayer reminds us that we are not the sole authors of our own circumstances.

Nor does prayer negate our obligation to practice safety–we obey the traffic laws, check to make sure the car is in good condition, we wear seatbelts, and pay attention to driving conditions. Prayer simply reminds us that we are not the sole authors of our circumstances. We expect certain outcomes, but God knows both the expected and the unexpected outcomes; we proclaim our trust in Him, no matter what.

So what happened on our vacation? Was it all smooth sailing (or driving in our case)? Not quite. Yet I believe that God answered our prayers and showed His faithfulness. We took our Jeep and drove almost 500 miles away from home without any major incident. We did have to “pump up” one of our tires, and we experienced some rough driving when we went “off road” due to a wrong turn we took. (We ended up on a designated trail for off-road vehicles, thinking it was a short-cut to a rocky beach!) And, just as we were entering our home town at the end of our trip, we witnessed (but were not involved) in a bad crash involving a vehicle fleeing from the police.

I believe that God was with us–not just because we had a good trip with minimal troubles, but because He has promised to never leave us! I know faithful Christians who have died in terrible car accidents. Two years before I was born, my mother and grandmother almost died in an auto accident. God was still with them! Someone once asked me to think about all the “close calls” and even unknown dangers that none of us can see–We have no idea how many times over we “should” have died or “might” have faced grave dangers. In fact, on another vacation a few years ago, we were within 30 miles of home when we hit a deer. No one was hurt, but it could have been a disaster. The accident that injured my mother was along a route that she drove every day. In fact, most accidents happen within 25 miles of home. How easy to pray for protection for a long trip into the unknown and forget to pray when we are traveling to church on Sunday or to the movies on Friday night! Yet God may have protected us from death a hundred times over in our lives without our knowledge. It is only when we see the frightening possibilities that we acknowledge the miracles of His protection in our lives.

It can be difficult to see the hand of God when a miracle doesn’t happen. When “good” people die or suffer extreme pain as the result of a freak accident. We want life to “make sense.” We want our plans to, well, go as planned. And it can be too easy to claim credit when things DO work out just the way we expected. God did not let bad things happen to other people because He didn’t love them. And He didn’t let David and I have a great vacation because He somehow loves us MORE than others, or because we are somehow “better” or “more deserving” of a good vacation.

God answers prayers of protection– not because He has to, and not always in the way we expect Him to–God’s ways are NOT our ways. But we can trust Him, and continue to pray for protection and mercy as we travel through each new day. He IS Faithful. He WILL not leave us to face the unknown alone.

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