Streams in the Desert

 Streams in the Desert

All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me (Psalms 42:7).

They are HIS billows, whether they go o'er us,
Hiding His face in smothering spray and foam;
Or smooth and sparkling, spread a path before us,
And to our haven bear us safely home.
They are HIS billows, whether for our succor
He walks across them, stilling all our fear;
Or to our cry there comes no aid nor answer,
And in the lonely silence none is near.
They are HIS billows, whether we are toiling
Through tempest-driven waves that never cease,
While deep to deep with clamor loud is calling;
Or at His word they hush themselves in peace.
They are HIS billows, whether He divides them,
Making us walk dryshod where seas had flowed;
Or lets tumultuous breakers surge about us,
Rushing unchecked across our only road.
They are HIS billows, and He brings us through them;
So He has promised, so His love will do.
Keeping and leading, guiding and upholding,
To His sure harbor, He will bring us through.
--Annie Johnson Flint

Stand up in the place where the dear Lord has put you, and there do your best. God gives us trial tests. He puts life before us as an antagonist face to face. Out of the buffeting of a serious conflict we are expected to grow strong. The tree that grows where tempests toss its boughs and bend its trunk often almost to breaking, is often more firmly rooted than the tree than the tree which grows in the sequestered valley where no storm ever brings stress or strain.

The same is true of life. The grandest character is grown in hardship.
--Selected

Spiritually Shortsighted..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Spiritually Shortsighted

Dr. Charles Stanley

Luke 16:19-31

In Luke 16, Jesus told a story about a rich man who lived for himself and ignored God. After death, he experienced the consequences of his choices—eternal separation from the Lord.

Jesus described him as one who lived in luxury every day (v. 19), providing for himself the best that money could buy but giving little to the poor at his gate. It is important to realize that this man wasn’t judged harshly by God because of his wealth. The heavenly Father is not opposed to our success. Nor was the man separated from the Lord because of his lack of charity toward others. He did not deliberately harm others but, rather, overlooked those in need and focused on himself.

The rich man’s mistake was that he prepared everything for the body but nothing for the soul. Our culture practices a similar style of living. Acquiring material riches and satisfying self is the primary pursuit of many in our world. Having what one wants seems to be the goal whether it’s a struggle to make ends meet or the bank account is overflowing.

Scripture says we were created to be in a relationship with the Father through faith in His Son. The rich man ignored God and paid the ultimate price. Our eternal destiny depends on our decision about Christ.

Despite what our culture thinks, life is not about us. It’s about having a relationship with the Lord. Whoever accepts Christ’s gift of salvation will live eternally with Him in heaven. Those who reject God will suffer. If you know any spiritually shortsighted people, pray that they will trust in Jesus.

When You Aren’t Sure if You Should Stay..... LYSA TERKEURST

 When You Aren’t Sure if You Should Stay

LYSA TERKEURST

“Be gracious to me, O LORD , for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD , for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD — how long?” Psalm 6:2-3 (ESV)

I love today’s passage because it’s a prayer first offered up by someone who knows the pain of languishing. That’s not a word I use often, but it’s the perfect word to describe what I felt during the years of great pain and uncertainty about my marriage.

Many people ask why I stayed and fought for my marriage after my husband’s affair. The answer to that is as complicated and intricate as trying to understand what makes the ocean pull back and stop at the shore. There was a season where it wasn’t reasonable or responsible to stay, so there were long stretches of separation in our journey. Much like when the ocean doesn’t respect the boundary of the shoreline and hurricane conditions force evacuations.

But then the shoreline became safe again. And I had a choice.

To say I wrestled through fears of being hurt again are an understatement. There was also so much pain and damage done that it felt like trying again was harder than walking away. Our journey had lasted so long with many dashed hopes along the way that I just didn’t know if I had anything left to give.

So, I gave the only thing I could — and that was time.

I made the decision to let some time pass and just observe how committed Art was to pursuing healing, whether or not I was open to him pursuing me. And I sought wise advice from people who had been through life-altering heartbreaks and were now walking in healing.

Maybe you’re standing on the shoreline of your own difficult circumstances trying to figure out what to do. Here are three statements that were truly helpful in my own journey:

1. “Trust is built with time plus believable behavior.”

My counselor taught me this, and it took the pressure off me to feel like I had to figure everything out. I just had to pay attention to choices Art was making, what the Lord was saying to me in my daily time in His Word and how my own healing was going. I was honest during this season about both my progress and my setbacks. My emotions got triggered and I often wanted to talk about what I was experiencing. And honestly, the very best gauge I had was Art’s reaction. If he was patient and understanding, it built my confidence that his heart was in a tender place.

2.“He will either be in recovery or relapse.”

A wise friend of mine who knew how addictions can complicate healing situations shared this with me. It isn’t as clear-cut in some situations, but for me, I could tell by his daily choices. The choices someone makes often point to the habits they are establishing for their life moving forward. Healthy choices become habits that become healthy patterns that become a healthy life of recovery. My part in all of this is to always be honest about what I’m seeing … health or unhealth? Recovery or relapse?

3.“Lysa, what do you ultimately want?”

This simple question also proved incredibly helpful during this season. My answer was that I wanted to be able to enjoy simple moments again. And if that’s what I wanted, I had to make choices that fed peace into my life rather than constantly jumping on the emotionally charged opportunities that are often presented in moments of relational crisis. I didn’t do this perfectly, but I did do it intentionally. I intentionally chose not to take the bait Satan offered me to say cutting remarks, pile on shame or present myself as the one who made better choices.

Forgiveness is a process. Healing is a long journey. And after time had passed, I realized it was possible to heal together. But I’ll never ever criticize another person for choices they made that were different than mine when placed in the same horror and heartbreak as me. And certainly, if it’s not possible or safe to stay … you can feel like you have no choice at all. But, always remember, reconciliation and redemption are not the same. Even if your situation doesn’t allow for relationship reconciliation, redemption with God is still yours for the choosing.

So, my dear friend, if you find yourself in a situation today where you feel like there’s nothing else to give but time, I know that painful ache all too well. That’s why I don’t want you to miss these words near the end of Psalm 6, after David’s honest cries about his troubles: “The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer” (Psalm 6:9, ESV).

God hears your plea.
God accepts your prayer.

And whether it’s redemption with reconciliation or not, God will breathe life into the shattered pieces of your story and create something new and more beautiful than ever before. In His way. In His timing.

God, thank You for working on my behalf even when I feel at the end of my own strength. I trust You to bring beauty from my story even when the pieces of it feel so broken. Thank You for carrying me through this day and through this season. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 34:18, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (NIV)

Give a Little Grace..... by Debbie Holloway

 Give a Little Grace

by Debbie Holloway

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters (Romans 14:1).

Winter weather is pretty bipolar in the great Commonwealth of Virginia. One day it can be warm and sunny, and the next day you curse your bad luck for not wearing earmuffs and gloves when you walk out the door. However, when bad weather is forecast, local reactions are solidly predictable, specifically when it comes to “preparation” and driving in abnormal road conditions.

“Snow? SNOW? IT’S GOING TO SNOW?!”

People around here freak out and buy a lot of bread and milk when storms are predicted. If your significant other suggests, “Hey, we’re out of ____, can you stop by Wal-Mart?” on the evening a snowstorm is predicted to hit: forget about it; society is on crazy pills. Additionally, nobody around here can drive in the snow either. Obviously greater caution is called for with icy and slippery road conditions, but people see white stuff and generally throw out every rule they ever learned about How to Be a Good Driver.

Such reactions generate a lot of scorn from imported northerners. After all, children in Michigan attend school daily in the wintery months in upwards of a foot of snow. Why do Richmond kids get classes canceled at the forecast of snow? There is definitely impatience and indignation – and no doubt it is well-deserved!

After doing a fair amount of grumbling during our recent snows, I thought, Hmm, this seems familiar… spiritually...

Isn’t it easy to find ourselves being “northerners” when we find ourselves around those at different points in their spiritual walks? We find it easy to look down upon, mock, or judge people who have difficulty living with restraint, modesty, chastity, gentleness, or a host of other spiritual virtues. We roll our eyes at people unfamiliar with the Bible, who can’t rattle off verses by memory as quickly as their ABCs.

Essentially, we are impatient with those who have less (or different) theological, spiritual, or biblical exposure and knowledge. But how is that fair? In reality, many people are ill-prepared simply because of their upbringing. Many come to Christ as adults, out of nonbelieving families. Many people don’t have much time (or the inclination!) to devote to in-depth biblical or theological study. Many people grew up in a church where only the most basic of Gospel truths were touched on, and become paralyzed when more complex life situations rear their ugly heads.

Should all Christians have an intense drive to make themselves as knowledgeable and as spiritually “prepared” as possible? Well, yes. But we live in a busy, imperfect world full of busy, imperfect people. Everyone’s experience is different; everyone is part of a unique story.

So when the “snowstorms” of life come, don’t mock the “southerners” in your midst who freak out. Instead, be there for them. Extend grace, love, and friendship. Not everyone can be prepared for what seems like No Big Deal to you. Everyone’s hard place deserves validation in a Kingdom of God marked by compassion, equality, forgiveness, and love.

Intersecting Faith and Life: The next time you hear someone complain about someone else (say, a crazy driver) – let it remind you that everyone’s story is unique, and every situation has a context.

Further Reading

Romans 14:1
1 Corinthians 12:25

We are Placed Where We are on Purpose..... By Meg Bucher

We are Placed Where We are on Purpose
By Meg Bucher

The hallway light flicked on at 5am, and the pitter patter of sweet little feet followed by a flush and a brush and a spit gave way to a sweet face up and ready to start the day.

“Mommy,” she whispered, “you weren’t downstairs reading your Bible yet, can I read with you today?”  (God sometimes give us an easy, ‘yes,’ doesn’t He?)

We sat there side by side in the dark early hours, reading our Bibles and writing prayers in our journals. All I kept thinking was,

‘If anything ever happens to me, I’ve done such an important part of my job as her mom. She knows how to find You, God …’

Today’s verse reminds us that if Jesus was not here on His own authority, neither are we. Our days are compassionately numbered and passionately purposed by our God. It’s easy to think of our children as our own, but most important to remember that they are here on His authority, too.

In the New American Standard Bible, the word ‘come’ is used in place of ‘here,’

“I have not come…” 

According to Strongs Concordance, the translation of this word, erchomai, metaphorically means:

1. to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence
2. be established, become known, to come (fall) into or unto (Strong’s)

Not only do we come to being under His hand, but we come alive.

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we begin to establish our faith and discover those compassionately numbered and passionately purposed days of our lives. Being here takes on new meaning, and He is evident everywhere.

“Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” John 5:25

The time was “now” then, and the time is “now” …now. Jesus is, was, and ever shall be.

Here and now, we can walk into our destiny.

Here and now, we can be free through Grace. Here and now, we can seek Him and find Him when we seek Him with all of our hearts. (Jeremiah 29:13) Like in the dark hours of morning, quietly seeking…

We may not always say the right thing to our children. May not always set the right example. It’s impossible to say and do everything right on their behalf. But we can speak life into them here and now. And we can seek God in His Word, here and now. When we seek Him, they will notice.

Here they will see Him. Now they will follow.

Father,

Praise You for the way You take our efforts to seek You and lead our children to Your feet, as well. Thank You for the authority and love You proclaim over our lives and theirs. We confess that sometimes we think we’ve blown it for them on account of our mistakes, and pray blessing over our steps …the ones they see and hear …and the ones they don’t …yet.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

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A Prayer to Fight Feelings of Shame..... By Heather Caliri

 A Prayer to Fight Feelings of Shame

By Heather Caliri

Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. - Psalm 34:5

My most consistent spiritual discipline has been shaming myself about spiritual disciplines. Is that really what God wants for me?

Shame takes a lot of mental energy. It also makes spending time with God seem like a chore, something I do because I should, not because I’m legitimately thirsty. Shame is incredibly corrosive.

Here’s what’s crazy: the shame is a lie. I’m not in charge of my spiritual life; Jesus is. I’m not responsible for healing and change; Jesus is. And even if I don’t feel adequate, Jesus most certainly is.

Turning over that shame to him is a work in progress, though. Here’s how I’m practicing.

I’d like to want to pray as much as I want to go play a round of Angry Birds. Sometimes I do want that, of course: praying with my prayer partner, resting on the Sabbath, studying the Word in my small group brings me lasting joy. But often, at 8 pm, I don’t feel like picking up my Bible. I’d rather go zone out.

The usual ‘disciplined’ response to this conundrum is to try harder. But I have a tricky relationship with trying harder after experiencing abuse (spiritual and otherwise) early in my life. I spent years being “good” under threat. Trying harder repeats patterns that shredded me.

I sense God tugging me towards surrender instead of more effort. When I feel shame about not wanting to pray, I stop, and offer up a super-simple, one sentence prayer:

Help me desire to come close to you, Jesus.

I’m trying not to judge the results. I’m trying to stop trying and start depending. To trust that God can change even me.

Shame lies about how hard I have to work at faith. Shame keeps me blind to the ways God is already growing and healing me. Shame substitutes a checklist for a relationship. It uses the logic of the marketplace instead of the dear, loving embrace of a Father.

I’m dropping my yardstick and falling to the ground, ready to depend on the One who whispers beloved.

God, these tiny little prayers feel like cheating. Does that even count? Yes, I know they do. Help me combat these feelings of shame by speaking truth, by offering up these small prayers of surrender as I can and trusting they are enough. Give me freedom from the shame I am feeling. Help me fix my thoughts on you, not on my past, my failures or hurts. Give me eyes to see your goodness. Amen.