Category: faith

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Struggles in Life? God is Faithful!

Struggles in life are not a matter of ‘if they will happen’, but when.  Undoubtedly you have had days when it seems nothing goes right and everything is going wrong.  Whether your car broke down, you’ve fought with your best friend, or your only credit card was just rejected…we all have struggles in life.  Perhaps we find that there’s more in the words as we sing, “Troublesome times are here”.  We know we’ll face trials but the question comes in how you will deal with these struggles.  What will be your attitude and how will you react when you faced with difficulties; large or small?

If you are honest with yourself there are really only a couple of choices you will make as you face any of these struggles.  You might decide you have to bear down and work harder to ‘turning things around’.  Or you might become despondent and give up all together.  But are these my only choices?  Is there any other way to face ‘trials dark on every hand’?  Consider with me another option (yes, an old hymn) as you face difficult times.

William Cow­per was a song writer in the late 1700’s.  He oft­en strug­gled with self-doubt and deep de­press­ion.  It was reported that one night, in the dregs of depression he decided he would end his life.  He determined that he would com­mit su­i­cide by drown­ing him­self.  In his despair he called for a cab (horse and buggy) and instructed the driv­er to take him to the Thames Riv­er.  How­ev­er, in the thickness of the fog the driver was pre­vent­ed from find­ing the riv­er.  (Ano­ther ver­sion of this story is told in that the driv­er, aware of Cowper’s fit’s with depression, deliberately got lost.)  Nevertheless, after driv­ing for a while, the cab­by fin­al­ly brought the carriage to a stop and let Cow­per out.  To his sur­prise, Cowper found him­self back home, on his own door­step.  From his view point, and in his darkest of hours, God had sent the fog to preserve his life.

Could this be my ‘other option,’ to just wait for God to intervene and step into my life?  Part of this is true; God will step in and intervene in our life during our struggles.  But we must never be content to ‘just drive around in a fog’ expecting God to just take us home.  He will bring us home, but only after we have given Him our lives.  God sincerely cares for us, even in our black­est mo­ments, the knowledge that He is watch­ing over us will strengthen our life in Christ; but God expects us to daily move closer to Him.  Read the words written by William Cowper following that foggy night.  Take notice of verse 3 & 5 and realize struggles come.  Praise be to God…He is faithful!

1) God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

2) Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

3) Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

4) Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

5) His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

6) Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

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Sing to Me Again!

“O Lord, I thought the day would never come; when I could lay my burden’s down and walk with you.  And this morning as I greet the rising sun, the fondest of my dreams have all come true.  The greatest friend you’ll ever find is on a lonely mountain.  The highest high you’ll ever reach is when you kneel to pray.  The brightest light you’ll ever see is when you close your eyes.   O Lord, You are my first love and at last I realize.”

Sung by a young group of 13-19 year old teens, this ‘spiritual song’ encouraged my friends and me during the early mornings of our annual summer camp.  To the best of my knowledge, Camp Blue Haven still meets during the summer months in the mountains outside of Las Vegas, New Mexico.  I doubt if this song is still a favorite at CBH, but the memories and friendships that we formed there in the late 1970’s will be treasured for the rest of my life.

What about you; do you remember songs from the earlier years of your life?  The quiet evenings as you sat around the living room and sang as a family.  Or perhaps you were blessed to have a mother who would ‘sing you to sleep’.  Some of my fondest memories are hearing my mother sing as she busied herself in the kitchen.  With the window open and the sound of her “Doris Day” voice floating out into the back yard, I can still hear, “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee…How great Thou Art“.  If you don’t have memories like these it’s not too late to make them for those you love.

My wife and I made it a point to sing to our children in their early years, as they were going to sleep.  After they were tucked in, the lights were out and our prayers had been said; Vicki or I would sing to the kids.  That was almost 10 years ago (some how they learned to go to sleep without our songs), but one old hymn stills brings memories of days gone by.  Written one hundred years ago by Austin Miles, my grandmother began this early tradition that was passed on to our children.  As she rocked, I can still hear her sing, “I Come to the Garden Alone”.

Regardless the song or the number of years that have gone by, our minds race back to an earlier time when we found comfort in the words of heaven and peace and God.  Even if you’ve never had the peace that comes from a melodious past, you can always lay your burden down and walk with God.  When you do you too can say, “…the greatest friend you’ll ever find is on a lonely mountain…”

 

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Are You Listening?

Remember those early years in your life when playing outside until dusk was a common occurrence?  Staying out and playing from early morning until late in the day was simply not a problem?  My mother would simply open the front door and yell out my name, “Myron, it’s time to come home!”  (By the way, only the fool hearty would ignore that call…)  It’s funny, but I was never so far from home that I didn’t hear my mother calling.  Unfortunately, many today not only have wander far away from home, they aren’t even listening for the call to come back home.  Let me suggest, the longer we stay out, the darker it will become.

For many, the idea of needing help indicates weakness and a lack of control.  We understand and believe in pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps, but without doubt all of us need help every now and again.  So perhaps the question really is, are we willing to admit we need some help?

Notice what Paul says in Romans 1:5, 6, “…Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;”  When we obey the calling of Christ, we are joined into the family of God, we come into His fellowship.  Many say, they want to follow Christ and others take the steps to be His child and yet when we fall short of His glory (when we sin), He calls us back.  If we are listening to (reading) His word we hear His voice calling us home.  It’s like the old hymn…

“When my Savior calls I will answer,
When He calls for me, I will hear.
When my Savior calls I will answer,
I’ll be somewhere listen for my name.”

Give Him your life and stay close to His will.  We often leave the safety of His embrace because we want to ‘play outside’.  But when you hear the call to come in you’d better answer it.  Folks, it’s getting dark out, listen for your Savior’s voice and come home!

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Then Sings My Soul!

Have you ever considered the impact you might have on the lives of others based on what you might, write, say or do?  You might go throughout life unaware that there are people watching, listen and learning from you.  Let’s look at one event that continues to impact millions of lives…

In the late 1880’s, a poet from Sweden by the name of Carl Boberg, was inspired by the beauty of God’s creation.  His friend, J. Irving Erickson, capturing this awe inspiring moment wrote the following: “Carl Boberg and some friends were returning home to Mönsterås from Kronobäck (Sweden), where they had participated in an afternoon service. Nature was at its peak that radiant afternoon. Presently a thundercloud appeared on the horizon, and soon sharp lightning flashed across the sky.  Strong winds swept over the meadows and billowing fields of grain.  The thunder pealed in loud claps.  Then rain came in cool fresh showers.  In a little while the storm was over, and a rainbow appeared.

When Boberg arrived home, he opened the window and saw the bay of Mönsterås like a mirror before him…From the woods on the other side of the bay, he heard the song of a thrush…the church bells were tolling in the quiet evening.  It was this series of sights, sounds, and experiences that inspired the writing of the song.”

Carl Boberg recounted the following information behind the inspiration for his poem:

“It was that time of year when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere. It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon thunder and lightning. We had to hurry to shelter. But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared.

“When I came home I opened my window toward the sea. There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of ‘When eternity’s clock calling my saved soul to its Sabbath rest.’ That evening, I wrote the song, ‘O Store Gud.'”

Years later a British missionary, Stuart K. Hine, was motivated by the poem (‘O Store Gud’, translated means ‘O Mighty God’) and wrote the words to a hymn that has touched million’s world wide.  Baptized in 1914, Hine penned the words to the hymn, “How Great Thou Art” in 1949.  Read this poem (sing this song) again…

“O Lord my God!  When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds  (works) Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

The second verse references ‘the woods and forest’ and the ‘birds sing(ing) sweetly’.  Like the first verse, the second gives us a reminder to the original poem.  But here is a forgotten verse we need to reintroduce and bring back to life.  This verse is a needed reminder from the unique, original work of Stuart Hine.

“When burdens press, and seem beyond endurance,
Bowed down with grief, to Him I lift my face;
And then in love He brings me sweet assurance:
‘My child! for thee sufficient is My grace’.”

If you enjoy learning about the history of our hymns (traditional and contemporary), I encourage you to look into the resources that can give you better understanding and clarity for the back ground of our songs of praise.  The chorus of this hymn begins, “Then Sings My Soul…”, this is also the title of a great resource for hymn history.  I encourage you to see for yourself the joy in Hymnology.  You can find it on Amazon.com

Keep your mind on heaven, your eyes on God’s word and your focus on praising the King of Kings.  When I stay close to Him, lift my voice and my heart to worship God…

“Then Sings My Soul!”

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What Are You Reaching For?

Have you seen how a small child acts when he wants something from his parents?  He might hold his arms out and plead for the ‘gift’.  His actions might look sincere and earnest, or they might just be cute.  But either way, it’s obvious that he is earnest in his request.  He might even be unaware of how much he does, or doesn’t, need what he seeks.  But nonetheless…he wants it!  Even the undisciplined child, sometimes in an inappropriate manner, might beg for something.  Again, he doesn’t think about whether or not he ‘needs’ it, he just wants it.  But this pleading isn’t limited to children.  We as adults are often guilty of ‘begging’ for things.

It might come in the ‘professional venue’ as we approach our boss and ask for a raise.  You know you work hard and perhaps feel that you ‘deserve’ the salary increase.  Or it might be as simple as waving your hand in the restaurant and desperately signaling your waitress for a refill.  In either case, though we most likely would not consider this ‘begging’, we are taking three short steps: 1) we’re seeking 2) we’re seeking something specific 3) we’re seeking something specific from someone who has the ability to give it to us…just like a child.

Now let’s ask the pressing question, what are you seeking?  What is it that you either feel you can’t live without or that you desperately need?  If you cherish this world and things of this world, be careful!  God’s Son (our Savior) told us to be careful about what we plead for.  What we treasure in this world, and think to be important isn’t long term, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, whether moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21

It’s natural, God-given, that we recognize when our bodies are hungry and thirsty; that we seek something to quench that thirst and fill that void.  When you work hard, your labor is to be rewarded (Luke 10:7, “…the laborer is worthy of his wages.” Christ is referring to the preaching of the word.)  So it makes sense that we should seek for something specific, and we seek from the One who can fulfill our needs.  The beggars outside the city gates was pleading for alms (money), but notice the response he was given, “I do not posses silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you…” Acts 3:6.  Peter & John knew this man needed something physical, but instead they gave him something spiritual.  Too often we are stuck in the same situation; looking for physical handouts when our real need is from God.  Would that we truly understand, accept and sing this old hymn.

Give me the Bible, Star of Gladness gleaming
To cheer the wander, lone and tempest tossed
No storm can hide that radiance peaceful beaming
Since Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Chorus:
Give me the Bible, Holy message shining
Thy Light shall guide me in the narrow way.
Percepts and promise, law and love combing
Till night shall vanish in eternal day!

I pray that we will eagerly reach out and take hold of the Bible.  That we will desire God’s Word.  That we’ll seek it, ask for it and come to know that it is exactly what we’re needing.

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May We Truly Worship…

In 1944 a hymn was written that reminds us of the reason we partake of the Lord’s Supper.  A song that calls for God’s help to see more clearly His love for us.  We still sing this song today…in some congregations, but what did the author and composer (Tillet S. Teddlie) want us to take away from this beautiful hymn?

“Oft we come together, Oft we sing and pray;
Here we bring our offering on this holy day.”

Do you think of your worship to God as an offering?  When you ‘sing and pray’, who are you singing and praying to?  To gain further insight into the song and the rationale behind it’s inspection we need to read on…

“May we keep in memory all that Thou hast said,
May we truly worship as we eat the bread.”

Coming together on Sunday morning we are focused on a specific obligation: a beautiful opportunity.  We come to worship, honor, and give glory to our God!  If we come for ourselves or if we come ‘looking for something’, we will be sorely disappointed.  Worship to God is not about what I can get, it is wholly about what I will give.  The second of these verses is a focus on the supper that commemorates our Lord’s death.  It’s to remember what Christ gave to us.  Read on…

“May we all in spirit, all in one accord,
Take this cup of blessing given by the Lord.“

Unity in Christ is something our Savior prayed for hours before His death on the cross.  But notice how Jesus prayed that we would be united in John 17:17-21; “Sanctify them in Your truth; Your word is truth.  As You have sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.  I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”  We are united in Christ when we understand and that Jesus is Truth.  Paul told the young preacher Timothy, “I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”  (I Timothy 3:15)

The old hymn concludes…
“Help us Lord, Thy love to see,
May we all in truth and spirit worship Thee.”

We come together each first day of the week to remember the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  When you meet next Sunday with God’s family, will you be united in heart and spirit with the family?  Is the truth of God’s word present in your midst?  How will you conduct yourself? As a ‘pillar and support of truth’?  When you do… you’ll come to understand and know “True Worship”.

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Are You Standing…or Sitting?

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Thru eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God…

Written in the late 1800’s this old hymn reminds us of where we should be standing in life.  The encouragement from this song (in verse one) is to stand with God throughout time, for our whole lifetime in praise to God.  So let’s continue looking at the other three verses;

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God…

How will you handle the ‘storms of doubt’ that come into your life?  We’re reminded by R. Kelso Carter, author and composer, that we can handle (prevail over) the storms of doubt and fear by reading, trusting and following the word of God.  Actually the word prevail, by definition, means to ‘gain ascendancy through strength’…by the word of God.  Now that should make us stop and think about the amount of time we actually spend in God’s word!

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God…

Do you consider yourself ‘bound’ together with Christ?  The statement, ‘to be bound’ infers slavery…do you see yourself as a slave?  Consider the text, “…but now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.” Romans 6:22  Too often we don’t want to see ourselves as ‘bound’ to anything.  But the facts are clear.  You are either a slave to sin, which leads to eternal death, or a slave to God which leads to eternal life.  (Romans 6:15-23) I think it’s interesting that we, as bond servants to God, have been equipped with tools of war…the Spirit’s sword.

Standing on the promises that cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God…

Do you listen to God’s instruction?  How do you take your ‘marching orders’ in this life?  As a child of God who is ‘standing on His promises’, we can rest in knowing that His has promised and is calling us to follow and serve…to stand with Him.  But you have to ask yourself a simple question when it comes to this old hymn;  Are you standing on the promise that God gives us?  Are you overcoming daily?  Will you be bound to Him forever?  Are you listening to Him ‘every moment’?  Unfortunately many have said, “Yes, I’m standing on the promises”, but they miss the reminder from this hymn that there is more to living for God than just standing.  Perhaps too many of us are sitting on the premises rather than standing on the promises.

Let’s do more than just stand up, let’s get to work!

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Who Is Leading You?

When things don’t go the way you would like for them to, or the way you had planned, what is your response?  Do you accept things as they are or do you complain and wish for different circumstances?  In 1820 a family was blessed with a little baby girl.  But in the early months of her life she caught a cold that caused an inflammation in her eyes.  Her doctor, in an attempt to treat the sickness, applied a salve (mustard poultices) to her eyes to draw out the infection.  The cold and infection eventually left, but because of the hot poultice, so did the babies eyesight.  If you know the story of this historical hymn writer, you know this baby as Fanny J. Crosby.  Her hymn writing is legendary.

When Fanny J. Crosby wrote the old hymn, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”, she was expressing her own sentiments of living a life with God as her guide.  Read this hymn and take note of the references she makes to being guided…

“All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt the tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me, cheers each winding path I tread.
Gives me grace through every trial, feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps my falter, and my soul a thirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me, Low! a spring of joy I see,
Gushing from the Rock before me, Low! a spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me O, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised in my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings it’s flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages: Jesus lead my all the way;
This my song through endless ages: Jesus lead my all the way.”

So let me ask you again…when things don’t go the way you want them to, what is your response?  Too often we not only get upset, but we find our day becomes dampened, depressed and despondent.  Some will even blame God for their misfortune or streak of ‘bad luck’.  Even as death plagues your family, who is leading your thoughts?  Consider what Miss Crosby said later in her life about the her blindness; “…it was the best thing that could have happened to me…”  She continued, “How in the world could I have lived such a helpful life had I not been blinded.”  On another occasion she is quoted as saying, “Don’t blame the doctor; he is probably dead by this time.  But if I could meet him, I would tell him that he unwittingly did me the greatest favor in the world.”

When (not if) things ‘go south’ in your life; will you ‘give up’, ‘give in’ and blame someone else, or will you seek guidance?  If we truly trust in God; if we truly seek His favor and if we will sincerely honor our calling we’ll know the answer to the question…Who is leading your life?

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Lost? It May Be Time To Go Home!

Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is calling.
Calling for you and for me…
See on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Come Home, you who are weary…come home.
Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling, ‘O sinner, come home.’

If you read the last post you might think this is a follow up…it is, sort of, but I really just wanted you to think about Heaven as your Home.  If that wasn’t clear enough earlier, please let me reiterate the idea that you have a Father who desires your company.  Better put, God wants each of us to return home!  All of us have been separated from His side at one time or another.  (Romans 3:23) While there are many striving to live a life that is close to His heart, unfortunately there are far too many who don’t even realize they’re lost.

Why is that so many fail to see the comforts of being in the presence of God?  The world (Satan) has deceived many of your friends and family into believing they are on our own and that’s OK.  Without any hope or comfort (except in themselves) and the only thing to do is ‘take care of #1.’  That is sad condition and I shutter when I think how many have bought into this lie.  It might be your son, or you father.  Maybe your brother has turned away from what he knew was right on to follow a deceptive, dead end.  When was the last time you called them to see if they would ‘come home?’  Have you called them lately and ask if they think of home?  Many times we don’t because we don’t want rejection.  Ignore the obvious and continue with business as usual.

But I wonder if sometimes we don’t make that call, because they might actually want to come home.  And quite honestly, we don’t know how to receive them back.  Jesus would (He does) not only receive the lost ones, He’s actually seeking them.  (Oh yes, the prodigal son’s father ran to meet him because he saw him  when, “…he was still a long way off…”, Luke 15:20.)  If only we had the same desire as the Father, to not only be looking for those who want to return, but to seek those who are lost (the coin and the lamb wasn’t looking to go home, they were just flat out lost.  (Luke 15:4-10)

There are many who are lost and don’t even know it.  Some of them might be sitting next to you on Sunday morning.  Could that be true?  Would a ‘Sunday morning church goer’ still be lost and not know it?  Just like the lonely sinner who sits on the other side of the world waiting for someone to ‘bring him home’.  Let’s be more diligent about talking to each other about going home…

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Homesick…But Are You ‘Weary’?

Have you ever been homesick?  This is best described as a time when you were away from the comfort and secure of what you know and love.  During the months when a child goes to summer camp, ask them what it means to be homesick.  In the lonely winter months before his Thanksgiving break, a college freshman might be feeling a bit homesick.  Even that dream vacation can be tiresome after too many days away.  Why?  Maybe it’s the fact we miss the comfort of our own bed.  Or maybe it’s the home cooked meal that we’re missing.  Perhaps we just miss sitting together as a family and talking (do families still sit together and talk?)  To be sure we all have experienced a time when we were ‘sick of being away from home’.  At one time or another each of us have been homesick.

But ask yourself, ‘Am I really homesick?’  Do you long to be home or have you been away so long that you’ve grown comfortable with where you are and don’t think much about your home?  I’m reminded of a young man who was tried of the family and decided to pack his bags and leave home.  He enjoyed his vacation and even when he lost his new found friends, he still refused to go home.  He was alone, lost all the comforts and security he once knew, but he wasn’t ready to ‘go home.’  His ‘vacation’ turned to misery and the comforts of home were just a memory…but notice this, he remembered where home was.  Luke 15:11-32 details this young man and his return home.  We often refer to this story as “The Prodigal Son”.  He finally got the point he wanted to go home.  And you know who was waiting and watching for his return…

This Biblical account reminds me of the old invitation song, “God is Call the Prodigal”.  It’s a song that calls the listener to come back to God.  One who has left what he knew and “…wandered so far from His presence,”.  We know what it means to the parent whose child has ‘forgotten’ his/her way home, but do we realize the application for ourselves?  Are we really weary of this world and longing to be ‘home’?  Look again at these verses from this old spiritual song…

“God is calling the prodigal; come without delay; Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee.  Tho’ you’ve wandered so far from His presence, come today; Hear His loving voice calling still…”

“Patient, loving, and tenderly still the Father pleads; Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee.  O return while the Spirit in mercy intercedes; Hear His loving voice calling still…”

“Come, there’s bread in the house of the Father, and to spare; Hear, O hear Him calling, calling now for thee.  Lo!  The table is spread and the feast is waiting there; Hear His loving voice calling still…Calling now for thee, O weary prodigal come.”

It’s true that each of us at some time or another have been homesick and wished we could go home.  But unfortunately many, unlike the prodigal son, are simply refusing to go home.  Sitting in the darkness of the world, refusing to admit that life isn’t what they want it to be, too many have decided that they’re not homesick enough to go home.  My prayer is that we will never become comfortable living in this foreign land.  You might be feeling homesick, but the prodigal son had determined that he was weary.  You might be homesick but you won’t go home…until you’ve grown weary of this world.