Category Archives: Challenges & Difficulty

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July 29, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Fear & Doubt, Trusting God, Worry

LEAP OF FAITH

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. … For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. [Psalm 91:2,11-12 (NLT)]

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There are some things a grandma would rather not see and a video of her 15-year old granddaughter bungee jumping off a crane is one of them! I’ve already watched her zip line and fly off a trapeze into a stranger’s outstretched arms, but this one took the prize! Talk about a leap of faith!

How could my son trust his daughter’s life to absolute strangers at a carnival? Was the cord in good condition? Was she harnessed in properly? Did the workers have any training? As I pondered these questions, it occurred to me that for much of our lives we have to trust absolute strangers with our safety. I don’t know the mechanics, air traffic controllers or pilot when I get on an airplane nor do I know the lift operators, maintenance crew or manufacturer when I board the gondola for a ride up the mountain. I don’t know the other drivers as I speed down the interstate or stop at a red light. I’ve never met the people who made or inspected the elevators I ride or the drug company that makes or pharmacist who fills my prescriptions, yet I have to have faith in them all. If I didn’t, I’d be afraid to leave my house. In fact, if I didn’t trust strangers, I’d even be afraid to stay in my house. After all, I don’t know who built and installed the furnace, laid the gas line, or made my smoke and CO detectors. I simply have to trust that my house won’t explode and I won’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning in my sleep.

Every day, we have to trust complete strangers with our lives and safety; most of the time, they are worthy of that trust. Unfortunately, as in the case of the deliberately crashed Germanwings Flight 9225 or the driver who runs a red light, some people aren’t. Nevertheless, while we don’t fly Air Chance and we do drive defensively, we continue to board airplanes and ride in cars. While I don’t inspect an elevator before boarding it, I sometimes glance at the inspection certificate or count the occupants once on board. Although I don’t take my medicine to a chemist for analysis, I do use a reputable pharmacy and inspect my pills before taking them. Nevertheless, no matter how cautious we are, it still comes down to a matter of trust; we have to exercise faith in absolute strangers.

If we can have faith in people we don’t know, why do we have so little in a God we do know? The story is told of a man who went out walking on a dark night. He slipped and fell over a cliff. While tumbling down the mountain, he managed to reach out and grab hold of a small tree. Hanging there, he grew desperate and called out, “God, send help to save me!” A booming voice from heaven responded, “I’m here my son. You don’t need help, all you have to do is let go and drop to the ground.” Looking down into the darkness and unsure of what lay below, the man called out again, “Is there anyone else up there who can help?”

How many times are we like that man, unwilling to let go or take a leap of faith? If we can trust strangers who, even at their best, are imperfect, why do we have so much difficulty trusting our perfect and loving God? When He tells us to let go, will we trust him enough to do it? Will we take a leap of faith?

You can’t learn how to fly if you never take a leap of faith. [Anonymous]

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. [Psalm 118:8 (NLT)]

They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. [Psalm 22:5 (NLT)]

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July 13, 2015

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Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Grace & Love, Holy Spirit, Miracles, Prayer, Thanks & Praise

ANSWERED PRAYERS

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And in the same way—by our faith—the Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we don’t even know what we should pray for nor how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with such feeling that it cannot be expressed in words. [Romans 8:26 (TLB)]

Thank you, God, for answered prayers.

While it was obvious the relationship was in deep trouble, I knew neither how nor why it had happened nor what could to be done to remedy it. Realizing that this situation required divine intervention, I took it to God in prayer. As I poured out my distress, I was unable to articulate the problem or think of a solution. I just knew something was damaged that desperately needed to be fixed—how I didn’t know. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit put my lament into words as I dumped the frayed relationship in God’s lap, trusting Him to do the necessary mending. Recognizing that the situation was way beyond my job description, I stopped trying to repair what was torn or attempting to patch up what was tattered; that was clearly a task for God. While offering my wordless prayers and waiting patiently for His heavenly hand, I continued to love the person and did my best to keep the situation from further unraveling—the rest was up to Him. Praise the Lord, God came through! I don’t know how He did it, but He did!

Did the other person have a change of heart and attitude? Yes, indeed. What about me? Although I wasn’t aware of it, I think God may have made a few alterations on me, as well. All I know for certain is that prayers, even inarticulate wordless ones, can and do get answered.

We’re often perplexed about how and for what we should pray. It’s not always possible to voice our fears, sorrow, distress and longings. Thank you, God, for giving us the Holy Spirit who knows our hearts and makes our needs known to you. And, thank you, God, for answered prayers.

The best prayers have often more groans than words. [John Bunyan]

Prayer is not eloquence, but earnestness; not the definition of helplessness, but the feeling of it; not figures of speech, but earnestness of soul. [Hannah More]

But you, dear friends, must build up your lives ever more strongly upon the foundation of our holy faith, learning to pray in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. [Jude 1:20 (TLB)]

 

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July 3, 2015

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Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, Miracles, Prayer, Trusting God

WINNING THE LOTTERY

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. [Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT)]

The story is told of Jack, a man who was definitely down on his luck: his business had gone sour, the bills were mounting, and foreclosure was imminent. Jack turned to God in prayer: “God, I trust you to help me. I’m in dire straits and desperately need financial help. Please let me win the lottery this week.” When the lotto numbers were drawn, however, someone else won. Although Jack’s faithful but desperate prayers went on for three more weeks, he never won the lottery. When the lotto rolled around again, once more Jack desperately prayed: “Lord, I’ve now lost my business, house and car. We’re homeless with nothing to eat. Please help your good and faithful servant; let me win the lotto just this one time.” Suddenly, there was a flash of light, the heavens opened and Jack heard a thunderous voice from above: “Jack, my son, you’ve got to meet me halfway on this. Go buy a ticket!”

As much as we wish it, trusting God doesn’t mean we will always stay out of difficulties or harm’s way nor does it free us of the consequences of our actions or, as in Jack’s case, our inaction. Trusting God means we know He cares and is ever-present; it means we believe that He loves and leads us and intends good for us. Trusting God means doing what God says; it means that we can turn our fears and anxieties over to Him. Trusting God, however, doesn’t mean we can turn our work over to God. Let us never forget that trusting God doesn’t mean we stop toiling or striving while the world collapses around us. Perhaps, when it seems God has forgotten us, it’s not because He’s failed to do His part; it’s because we’ve failed to do ours!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)]

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June 30, 2015

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works

JOB’S FRIENDS

In trouble like this I need loyal friends – whether I’ve forsaken God or not. But you, my friends, you deceive me like streams that go dry when no rain comes. [Job 6:14-15 (GNT)]

My closest friends look at me with disgust; those I loved most have turned against me. [Job 19:19 (GNT)]

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Job was enduring unbearable suffering; surely he could count on his friends for some support! His friends came to him but, instead of the compassion and encouragement that Job needed, they opened their mouths and began to criticize the poor man. They immediately assumed the worst of their friend. It was all Job’s fault; God was angry with him and punishing him for his sins! Surely, Job’s past behavior hadn’t given his friends reason to suspect him of sinfulness; in fact, Job is described as a “blameless” man—a man of “complete integrity.” His friends, however, were quick to believe the worst of him. They became accusers instead of comforters and judges instead of supportive friends. Granted, there are a few nuggets of Biblical truth hidden in their long accusing speeches but Job needed sympathy and reassurance rather than theological arguments.

Friends like Job’s aren’t the kind we need in a crisis. They are the people in the basements of our lives: the ones who jeer and yell catcalls. Instead of helping us up, they kick us when we’re down and may even delight in our failings. Nevertheless, we tend to keep basement friends around, probably because they often praise us when we don’t live up to our potential and offer encouragement when we’re on the wrong path. They frequently tempt us or distract us from God’s plan. They may be interesting and fun, but they’re of little use when trouble hits.

Job needed a cheering section, not a jeering section. He needed friends who would lift him when he was down and strengthen him in his weakness. We all need friends in the bleachers of our lives who will cheer for us. Good friends, however, do more than encourage us. While they see our potential for greatness and offer praise, they also tell us the truth. They can be trusted to give us an honest critique of our conduct. Tactfully (and with love), they will tell us when our behavior is inadequate or unacceptable and they’ll hold us accountable. Most important, unlike Job’s friends, good friends know how to sit silently with us in our sorrow, affliction and even shame. They’ll hold our hands, wipe our tears, and pray with and for us. A good friend will help us find strength in our weakness and hope in our despair.

Lord, guide us in our friendships. Lead us to befriend the people who will make us better and show us how to be the kind of friends who, in turn, will bring out the best in others.

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. [Henri Nouwen]

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. [Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)]

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June 29, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Faith & Hope, God's Plan, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Trusting God

WHY ASK “WHY?”

I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord! [Job 1:21 (NLT)]

So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. [Job 23:14 (NLT)]

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Life rapidly went from bad to worse for Job, a prosperous farmer who lost absolutely everything dear to him. In a matter of a few days, Job’s world was turned upside down. His flock of sheep were destroyed, his livestock stolen, his farmhands killed, and his children all died. As if the emotional pain from losing both his family and wealth wasn’t enough, Job became afflicted with boils, causing him terrible physical pain as well.

Job’s greatest torment, however, wasn’t physical or emotional; it was intellectual. He simply couldn’t understand the reason why such horrible events had occurred. In his anguish, he asked why God had turned away from him. Why was he being treated as a God’s enemy? Job, a good man, was positive that he’d done nothing wrong so his suffering couldn’t be punishment for any sins. Why then did he have to endure such woes? Even though he couldn’t understand the why of his misery, however, Job never lost his faith in God. He finally comprehended, as we all must at some point in our lives, that there will never be a satisfactory explanation for suffering and agony; our business is not to ask but to accept. Job finally asked God to forgive him for the questioning of His will. Even without knowing a reason for the tragedies of his life, the faithful Job managed to say, “Praise the name of the Lord!”

Like Job, when tragedy occurs in our lives or even in the lives of others, we feel there needs to be a reason that we can comprehend. Why we keep asking “why?” is beyond me; there is never anything close to an acceptable explanation for the tragedies of this life. We’re simply not ever going to know “why” on this side of eternity. It is a test of our faith to trust in the life a good and loving God has given to us and rather than just to trust in a life that is good. Rather than having faith in God because of what He does for us and the blessings he bestows on us, we need to have faith in God simply because of who He is and what Christ did for us on the cross. God’s plans for us are good ones and that is all we really need to know.

You, child of God, sometimes say, “What can be the design of this cross? What can be meant by that bereavement? Why am I perplexed by this dilemma? Why is this difficulty piled like a barricade across my path?” Well, you know not now, but you shall know hereafter; meanwhile, settle it firmly in your faith that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) [Charles Spurgeon]

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? [Job 2:10 ((NLT)]

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June 26, 2015

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Fear & Doubt, God's Promises, Wisdom & Guidance, Worry

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. [Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG)]

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Our land rover stopped as the bull elephant approached. He paraded around in all of his elephant magnificence and, perhaps thinking we were a cow elephant, he even fully displayed his manhood. Although our cameras were clicking away, apparently that was not the response he desired. After circling us several times, he turned his back to us, raised his tail, and did what elephants do in the grass of the Serengeti! While we held our noses and looked in dismay at the enormous pile in the road, he lumbered away.

Elephants in the Serengeti don’t like to be ignored and neither do elephants in the living rooms of our lives. There’s an elephant sitting in the room whenever an obvious but unpleasant truth is being disregarded or going unaddressed. There have been several elephants in my life that I thought could be ignored. “If I pay no attention to it,” I thought, “maybe, it will just go away.” Problems, however, like elephants, don’t take being ignored lightly. If we disregard them in the living room, they’ll just stomp around the bedroom at night and keep us awake; they may even follow us to work or visit other family members. Ignored elephants will leave a big pile of stink behind them and unheeded problems do the same thing. Paying no attention to a problem doesn’t make it disappear; it just gets bigger, messier and harder to clean up.

We shouldn’t ignore the elephants in our lives; we need to give them to God in prayer and look to His word for guidance. In answer to our prayers, however, God will probably hand us a shovel and tell us to get to work scooping up the mess. It’s often an unpleasant and difficult task, but it can be done. With God’s guidance, I’ve managed to clean up the assorted stinky piles the elephants in my life created. The task, however, would have been far easier if I had just properly acknowledged the problems when they first appeared and given them the attention they originally demanded.

Impossible situations can become possible miracles. [Robert H. Schuller]

“If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!” [Psalm 91:14-16 (MSG)]