“This I Know, God is for me.” 

Life can throw us hard balls that hit us right between the eyes. I don't know how many times unexpected and trying circumstances have caused me to quote the old adage: "You never know what a day's gonna bring." The tough stuff of life can surely test our faith in God's good promises. While the Apostle Peter tells us not to be surprised when such things interject themselves into our lives (1Peter 4:12), we have an enemy who tries to influence us to think otherwise. This enemy lives to lie to us about God’s character and purposes. Since the garden, Satan’s non-stop mantra has been, “Did God really say?” The most seasoned among us can sometimes find ourselves asking, “Has God forgotten His promises? Has He forgotten me? Does He really keep His word to His children?” 

What can we do when we find ourselves in this place? Why does our loving God allow “the world, the flesh and the devil” to oppress us like this? I sure don’t have all the answers. But one reason I’m sure of is this: He wants us to run to Him and find shelter “under his wings.”

David had a lot of experience with such struggles and puts them into words for us in the Psalms. He shows us how to run to God for shelter. For example, while struggling through an imprisonment by the Philistines in the city of Gath, he took every thought captive with this declaration:

(Psalm 56:8-11) “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side! (“God is for me” - ESV)  I praise God for what he has promised; Yes, I praise the Lord for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? (NLT)

Read that again and notice: David acknowledges that God is keeping close track of his sorrows…God has not forgotten him. He knows that prayer is the pathway to victory. He emphatically knows that God is for him, based on His promises that David will continue to trust. Therefore, David will not be afraid of what will happen… “God is on my side, so what can mortal men do to defeat me?”  

My wife makes almost daily entries into what she calls her, “God Amazes Me Journal.” She records all that she can perceive of God’s providential blessings and “serendipities” that are showered into our lives. This exercise is helpful in creating a healthy perspective on reality – “This I know, God is for me!” So when those “fiery trials” come upon us to test us we will not be surprised as though something strange were happening to us. But we will have the grace to rejoice that we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ (1Peter 4:12-13). A servant is not above his master, if Jesus suffered, we too will suffer (for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross).  

So, my brothers and sisters, concerning those situations that test your faith in the promises of God, remember, you only see a little piece of the picture. Your God sees it all. And when the great liar tries to convince you that The God of Truth is the one who can’t be trusted, declare with all the power of the Spirit within you, “This I know, God is for me!”

"Bless Me, Or I Will Not Let You Go."

In Genesis 32:22-32, we read about a mysterious wrestling match in the middle of the night between Jacob and a “Man” who was apparently God himself (perhaps the pre-incarnate Christ; Jesus before the manger). I cannot unpack the details of the story here, but Jacob’s attitude is very instructive for us in the matter of prayer.

 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:26)

At first pass we might be tempted to think Jacob’s attitude is a bit arrogant or presumptuous toward this “God-man.” But isn’t the Lord pleased when we cling to Him for the purpose of obtaining what only He can provide? Jacob wanted the blessing of God. In the context of this passage the blessing Jacob seeks is very likely protection from the wrath of his brother Esau, whom he feared wanted to kill him.

What kind of blessings do you seek from God and with what kind of passion do you seek them? Jacob was passionately crying out to God, wrestling with Him in prayer, because he believed his very life depended on receiving this blessing. I like that. I want to come to the place where I pray like my life depends on it, because in reality does.

If Jacob really was crying out for God’s blessing of protection, I’m good with that. I need protection. Most of the time we consider ourselves “blessed” when God protects us, meets our material needs, our financial needs, our occupational needs, our relational needs, and certainly our health needs. You know... please heal Aunt Martha’s heart condition, give me a better job, save my brother’s marriage and please help my son get through High School. This type of subject matter for prayer has its place, it’s certainly necessary, and God’s answers are a great blessing to our lives. But should prayer of this nature make up the bulk of our time before the throne of God?

What is really on my heart is to challenge us all, as children of an Awesome God, to spend the greater part of our time in prayer wrestling with Him for greater blessings. Let’s write out prayer lists of a different nature.

The following is a sample of the kinds of things I want to cry out to the Lord to bless me with:

 

Prayer List:

 

*Lord, help me truly understand that You are all I need, and in laying down my life for Your glory I will find life as it is meant to be.

*Lord, bless me with the grace to “lift up my eyes” and see this world the way you see it. Break my heart with the things that break yours and thrill my heart with the things you love.
       
 *Lord, deliver me from fearing men and their opinions more than I fear you and your truth. “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

*Lord, bless me with the ability to love, understand, retain and apply what your Spirit teaches me from your Word, which is truth. (“Open my eyes that I might see wonderful things in your word.”)

*Lord, create in me a tender heart, full of compassion for others, especially those who do not know you, the only true God.

*Bless me with sons and daughters (natural and spiritual) who know you, walk with you, and fulfill your calling for their lives.

*Bless me with fruitful ministry that I may hear you say on that Great Day, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

*Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23-24)

So, let us be challenged by the life and death passion with which Jacob wrestled with God for his blessing. And, let us examine the nature of our prayer life. May we take hold of God for the greater blessings of conformity into His image and the grace to produce fruit for His glory.

JESUS...He's Been There and Done That!

Through some missionary friends serving in Peru, I became aware of the plight of a fellow believer by the name of Antonio and his wife Carmen, who have several young children. Antonio was  accused of a crime and has been imprisoned for the last three years while his case has crept through a corrupt judicial system of bribed attorneys and sleeping judges. Strong evidence demonstrates he is innocent of the accusations against him. Nevertheless, this past week he was sentenced to 35 more years in prison. Antonio and Carmen are traumatized. Many who have faithfully prayed are in shocked unbelief. Why has God hidden Himself? Have all our prayers been in vain? Is God really a God who loves and defends His own? In times like these even the strongest might be tempted to ask if God even exists.

For those of you who are presently experiencing a life of sweetness and bliss you can tuck away the following observations for future use, but for the "Antonio's" out their who may be struggling with difficult providences from God...I hope this helps.

Consider Joseph:

In the book on Genesis we have the fascinating account of Joseph. (You know, the favored son with the colorful coat and a bunch of brothers who considered him to be incredibly arrogant and obnoxious.) Joseph's life was profoundly affected by the unjust actions of others: his brothers sold him into slavery, he was falsely accused of rape, resulting in a long undeserved prison sentence. Can you imagine how Joseph's faith was tested as he rotted in that prison; the questions he must have wrestled with after he had been so faithful to God? Had God forgotten him...or, does God always have a plan? You know how the story turns out. This is Joseph's conclusion on the matter when he says to his brothers, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." (Selah) (Read Genesis 45:4-8 and Genesis 50:15-21)

Let Us Fix our Eyes on Jesus:

The greatest example of false accusations, unjust trials and the condemnation of an innocent man is the experience of Jesus Christ Himself. It is indeed hard not to question God's love and faithfulness when we find ourselves on the receiving end of injustice or when circumstances hide God's face from view. But we must ask the question, how much did God love His own son? We clearly know the answer. But the Father not only allowed the unjust suffering and death of His son...He ordained it. The early believers demonstrated their understanding of this aspect of the cross when they acknowledged, "Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will." (Acts 4:27-28 NLT)

Here is the principle we must never forget: Jesus never asks us to walk through anything that He has not already walked through Himself. This is a profound reality! We do not have a High Priest that is unable to sympathize and identify with the things we suffer...He has been there and done that.

Consider (Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT) "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

Please, never doubt your God. Never doubt His unfailing love. Fix you eyes on those like Joseph as a human example but especially on Jesus, He has been through it, He has experienced it, He is our victory.

Please pray for Antonio, Carmen and their children...
 

Lift Up our Eyes!

It has been said that, "When all is said and done, a lot more gets said than done." Well, that has been my story in relation to writing a blog. I've been talking about doing this for a very long time but the time for talk is over. It's a new year, a new season in my life and it's time to crank this thing up. So, here we go...

My intention in writing this blog will be to make observations in relation to the Scriptures, life and worldview. As I do so I hope to encourage you, motivate you, challenge you, exhort you, and maybe even entertain you. I know your time is precious and I will do my best not to waste it, but to help you redeem it.

Why have I named this blog "Lift Up Your Eyes?"

Jesus commands us to lift up our eyes...John 4:35 "Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’?Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white (ripe) for harvest. (NASB). In another translation it says, "open your eyes" (NIV,) and in yet another, "wake up and look around" (NLT). 

So, I've named this blog "Lift Up Your Eyes" in hopes that you and I will do just that. Blog after blog I want to encourage you to "fix your eyes on Jesus"...where else can we look...from where else does our hope come from? This command has captured my heart and my meditations over the last several months. What is being called for here? What is Jesus trying to convey about the focus of our gaze? Would you agree that we are "navel gazers" by nature? More often than not it is our own little kingdom that we are constantly surveying, building and securing. What has been the subject of your thoughts over the last 24 hours? What direction have your eyes been looking? Are your eyes looking down at your own little world or have you found the grace to lift up your eyes and behold the desperate world into which God has sent you as His ambassador?

The great commission requires this of us. God, the true God, is a missionary God. He left the glories of His heavenly homeland and clothing Himself in human flesh He lived and died to seek and save that which was lost. And He says to all who claim to be His followers, "As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you" (John 20:21).

How should this commission affect our daily lives? How would it change our priorities if we actually cared about what Jesus cares about and fearlessly and selflessly followed in His steps? Or, have we been so anesthetized by our materialism, technologies and entertainments that massive numbers of us who claim to know Jesus Christ just don't care anymore?

These are sobering questions to contemplate, but we need to ask them of our own hearts...often. What matters of course is how we answer...how we respond...do you care anymore?