Why Forgive?

Because Jesus died on the cross, we are totally forgiven. He paid the price for our sins, so we can enjoy freedom and new life in Him. Without His forgiveness, we would be doomed to eternity in hell. With it we can enjoy intimate communion with Him. Forever.

As I celebrated Easter, I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between our world today and the benefits of Jesus’ gift to us. Unforgiveness abounds.

Name-calling, hatred, and personal destruction by targeted canceling are being used for self or agenda promotion. There seems to be no thought of seeking peace, much less forgiving. Instead it seems that animosity and hatred have spun out of control.

That’s sad, because holding unforgiveness and hatred is toxic. Nelson Mandela said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” He could have used “not forgiving” in place of “resentment.” It is poisonous to the one who drinks it.

Forgiving does not let the other person off the hook. Nor does it excuse a wrong or imply that an action was all right. Instead, forgiving someone hands that person over to the Lord for Him to deal with them. It transfers the burden and responsibility of justice from me to God.

The burden of holding a person until they “pay” for what they did—while in reality, they probably can never pay enough—robs the holder of peace and joy, and negatively impacts physical health.

Most importantly, not fully forgiving blocks our relationship with God. Furthermore, Jesus modeled forgiveness, and He told us to forgive.

While He was hanging on the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Lk. 23:34). We are also told in 1 John that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9).

If we follow Jesus and He has forgiven our sins, won’t we also follow His example and forgive others?

Peter struggled with this forgiveness thing. He asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” and Jesus answered, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:21-22). That’s serious forgiving.

(For the rest of the conversation, continue reading in Matthew18:23-35.)

Matthew 5:23-26 shows that strained earthly relationships damage our relationship with God. Jesus said, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

The verses that follow the Lord’s Prayer reinforce the message that we are to forgive. Jesus continued, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:14-15).

It’s hard to misinterpret that. If we want God to forgive us, we need to forgive those who offend us.

We like the quote from Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” That verse makes us feel good when we put in our offering.

But, it isn’t just talking about giving money or even giving food to the poor. In context, Jesus is talking about forgiving. These words of receiving an abundance according to what you give follows immediately after words on judging, condemning, and forgiving. Jesus said, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Lk. 6:37-38).

I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all been wounded. We’ve all chosen to forgive. We’ve forgiven many people. Many times. Even some people many times—in spite of the fact that our sinful nature tempts us to hold grudges rather than forgive.. Our present culture reinforces the idea that we have a right to be resentful and to fight back.

However, the fact remains, if we want to experience righteousness, peace, and joy in Christ, we must choose to follow His example and forgive.

But, sometimes the wounds are deep and forgiveness is hard. At times, in spite of our efforts, forgiveness doesn’t seem to stick and the pain hangs around, returns, or bitterness creeps in.

If that’s where you are, consider the passages above and the importance of obeying what God asks of us. When you feel the weight lifted from your soul, you’ll be glad you did.

Tell the Lord you’re willing to forgive.

Ask for His help.

If needed tell Him you choose to forgive, speak words of forgiveness, and ask Him to make it real in your heart.

Also, check back. I’ll follow up with more on how to forgive.

Meanwhile, may the Lord bless you and give you faith, courage, and strength to obey as you seek to walk out your faith by forgiving those who trespass against you..

Living Letters

Image result for image of a man in a woodworking shop We had a refreshing visit with John. He was cordial, gracious, interesting, and entertaining–in a subtle sort of way. He was one of those people that make you ask, “Tell me more.”

We met him Monday when we went to pick up something at his home. Our visit lasted much longer than the errand required. We were fascinated by the projects he was working on or had recently completed and would’ve liked to stay longer, hear more of his story, and see even more. He seemed accomplished at anything he attempted, but was quite humble as he shared.

I believe it was his humility and joy of life that made our visit so delightful, but something else stood out to me first. While looking at woodworking equipment in his shop, he showed us some beautiful wooden goblets and said, “My wife loves wood, so I made her these.”

Next, John showed us a not-yet-complete table that he designed and is making because his wife wanted it. As we noted other things he had done, it was nearly always because she wanted it. He told us matter-of-factly, but joy was evident in his tone. The thought put into the work and the excellence in the tasks also spoke of his love for her.

Shortly after we got there, his wife walked a good distance from the house to the shop to bring him two pieces of bacon to eat for his breakfast. He left for the shop before breakfast was prepared, so she made sure he had a little in his stomach to keep him going. I was blessed by witnessing their caring relationship after what I would guess was fifty years of marriage.

I’ve kept remembering snippets of our visit and wish all marriages were built on such love and selfless giving one for the other. A happy marriage requires sacrifice, but I’m sure there would be fewer divorces if the sacrifice were always expressed with such love and joy.

That visit also led me to wonder what people experience when they meet us for the first time. Do they sense love and joy in our marriage? Are they blessed to be in our home or to be with us for a brief time? Do they want to stay longer and hear more? Do they leave with a smile on their faces and in their hearts? I would hope so, but out of that visit, I’ve determined to be more giving and less self-serving.

While caring for our elderly parents, I was aware that the act of sacrificial giving for the good of another led to deeper love for that person. How much more would that be true in a marriage relationship?

However, out of our visit, the question that has haunted me most concerns my relationship with God. I didn’t pick up anything that indicated John was a Christian, but out of our visit, I’ve wondered if when people interact with me, do they experience my love for the Lord in the way I felt John’s love for his wife?

He obviously joyed in pleasing his wife. He spent time, energy, thought and creativity in his service to her. It wasn’t a burden to him. He enjoyed it because he loved her. Furthermore, he was quick to speak of her. It didn’t bother him to say that she was his motivation and that he was working for her.

Oh, what a testimony it would be to the world if those of us who call ourselves Christian, glowed with such a love and joy in our relationship with Jesus Christ and in eager, joyful service for Him.

After all, our lives are a testimony, a letter which He has written on our hearts, known and read by all men (see 2 Cor. 3:1-3). Others are watching and are reading our lives to see what it’s like to walk with the Lord.

We are living letters whether we realize it or not. What are others reading?

From Joy to Perfection

What do you want your Christian walk to be like? In other words, what do you want God to do in your heart and life as you walk with and serve Him?

I want to reflect the heart of God. I’d like to grow in righteousness, peace, joy, and holiness. I’d like to have a Image result for image of sunset servant’s heart, and move in the power of the Spirit, and more.

But, it seems the things I want to do, I don’t do, and the things I don’t want to do, I do. I’m hopeless without the Lord working through me.

Indeed, are we not all hopeless unless the Lord does the changing within us?

While studying faith, and considering the testing that is part of a faith walk, I bumped into a secret of growing in the Lord and into His likeness. It’s not new. The verses are common to anyone who has spent much time in church or in the Word, but it hit me in a new way.

The secret is in James 1:2-4. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

That’s what we desire, right? Would you like to be perfect, complete, and lacking nothing? That takes in righteousness, peace, joy, love, and all we desire.

But what were the conditions that lead to our goal?

Testing and trials? Hmmm. Counting it all joy when we go through the trials? Patience?

You’ve heard the saying, “I don’t know why God tests my patience, He knows I don’t have any.”?

What does patience have to do with anything anyway? And how do you “count it all joy” when experiencing trials that threaten destruction? How can we count it all joy if life is spiraling out of control?

Did you notice that James tells us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials”? If we fall into them, they were not part of our plans, and often beyond our capacity to handle them.

The only way to have joy in the midst of such is to realize that we don’t have to be in control, because we know the One who is sovereign over all. We lose our joy when our faith in Him wavers and we think we have to maintain control.

There are various reasons why we feel the need to control. We may think we have to have all the answers—or strength, or grace, or whatever is needed in the situation. We may be so overwhelmed or distracted by the situation that we don’t even think about God’s faithfulness to lead, guide, and provide when we depend on Him. Or, we may unconsciously feel that it’s too big for God to handle, or that we know what’s best.

I have never had the thought, “Oh, this tragedy is a gift from God to answer my prayer. He’s giving me what I’ve been asking for. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! I’m going through this so I will be perfect, complete, and won’t lack anything!”

We don’t tend to quickly rejoice when we encounter trials. We usually see His faithfulness more clearly when we look back on suffering, and there are times we never understand His purpose.

If we don’t have patience for things to straighten out, we tend to get in a dither trying to fix them. However, if we have faith that God loves us, has a plan for our lives, and wants the best for us, it gives us forbearance and expectancy to see how He will provide.

After all, He promised that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28), so we can rest in Him with confidence through the storm—if we love the Lord and are called by Him.

With that confidence, we can even rejoice in His faithfulness and can learn patience by focusing on Him and His desire to make us perfect, complete, and lacking nothing.

A book could be written about the fact that we won’t be perfect, complete or lacking nothing until glory because we were born with a sin nature. However, we are in Christ and He is in us. He is perfect, and lacks nothing.

As we draw from Jesus, it is ours too. We are complete in Him. Our problem is that we tend to rely on our own resources.

It’s through the trials that we are driven to Him. Therefore, let us rejoice.

When speaking of a trial when God seemed distant, Bob Mumford said, “I praised God with the praise dripping off my chin.” He chose praise when he did feel it.

If we choose to count it all joy when we are assailed with trials—even if joy drips off our chin—it will turn our hearts toward God. That will give us grace and strength to draw from Him. It will increase our confidence and faith as we realize that we aren’t alone in the trial.

Through Him we can walk victoriously. In Him and through Him, we can learn patience and be perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing. Because He is in us and we’re in Him, we can be more than we are.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13). And may you grow to be perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing.

Combatting the Enemy’s Secret Weapon

We are at war. In last week’s post, Satan’s Secret Trap, we saw how Satan tries to destroy joy and peace in our relationships by stirring up judgment between us and important people in our lives. It is a major strategy to defeat God’s children.

Image result for image of marching combat boots When we hold onto judgment, it grows in our hearts like a dark cloud. It leads to bitterness, making us, well, bitter—to ourselves and to others. The sourness from judgment is damaging. It drags us down, destroying relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

It also affects our relationship with the Lord, making it more difficult to worship, to hear or see Him, and to daily walk in His strength and grace. It robs us of love and life.

Consequently, Jesus told us not to judge, warning that we will be judged in return. (Matt. 7:1-2).

Paul told the believers in Roman, “In whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things” (Rom 2:1). He then asked, “Why do you judge your brother?” and added, “for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Rom. 14:10).

He told the Ephesians, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:31-32). As bad as this list of negatives sounds, they are all things that grow from judgment, often without our knowledge.

Nobody wants these things in his heart. We don’t wake up one day and decide to give the enemy permission to steal our joy and peace and wreck our relationships. We want to live in the righteousness, peace, and joy that is available to all who are children of God.

However, it’s not always easy to simply quit judging because you decide to. Therefore, the next step is to learn how to combat a judgmental spirit.

Steps to fight a judgmental spirit:

Take the log out of your own eye (Matt. 7:1-5). The other person may be in the wrong, but you have no right to judge, neither can you help them, as long as your vision is being blocked by sin in your life. Deal with yourself first.
1. Ask God to search your heart and to show you any unrighteousness in your heart (Ps. 139:23-24).
2. Repent of sin in your life, including taking God’s place as you judged the other person/people (Acts 8:22-23).
Forgive the other person for wrong(s) they have done.
1. Forgive them in your heart and before God, so that God will forgive you for your sins (Matt. 6:12, 14-15).
2. If it will not cause harm, ask their forgiveness for wronging them. If tensions have been strong and obvious in a close relationship, this could be important, greatly reducing the time it takes for an evil-for-evil relationship to be restored (Matt. 6:23-24).
Pray and give thanks for them daily (Matt. 5:44).
1. Bless instead of judging. Bless through praying for God to bless them, but also seek the Lord for a special way to bless the person–through serving or a gift (1 Pet.3:8-9).
2. Give thanks and guard your mind from negative thoughts. For each negative/critical thought that comes to mind about that person, think of two or three things that you are thankful for about that person. (Phil. 4:8, Eph. 6:18-20).
Be still. Wait on God. Work on your own heart (your responsibility) and trust God to do His work in you and in the other person (God’s responsibility). It will likely take time to completely surrender your heart for change. Only then will you begin to be successful in changing your thought patterns, so be patient!
Trust in the Lord. He wants the best for you and desires that you be freed from the bondage of judgment and bitterness even more than you do. You can trust in Him.

He has allowed the other person/people in your life for a reason. Could it be that they are tools to shape you into His image? Could it He is allowing you to go through this hard time so you can experience greater freedom, fuller life, and richer communion with Him than you’ve ever experienced before?

The freedom and life you will find is worth the battle. Endure. Fight to the end for kingdom life, trusting the Lord to do His work in you.

Satan has been defeated. The war has been won. You don’t have to be weighed down because of the enemy’s wiles. You can reign in life through Jesus Christ and enjoy righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

———————

The story of my struggle with judgment and bitterness and how I overcame it is available through the free e-book, The Judgment Trap, available for download in the side bar at the top of the page.

What Brings You Joy?

What do you enjoy in life? What are the top three things that bring you joy?

(If you haven’t chosen three things, please do so before reading on. It will help if you’ve considered your answers.)

Do you make those things a priority in your life?

Last week, I expressed the opinion that Jesus’ primary goal in coming to earth was to bring glory to His Father, rather than just to save us from our sins—as we tend to think. In that post, I quoted the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which says, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

I only discussed the first part of the answer. I ignored “Man’s chief end is to enjoy God forever,”

But God didn’t ignore it. I was challenged as the Lord led me to look at what I enjoy, and to consider how my choices in life reflect my idea of what brings me joy. Doesn’t it seem that one would pursue what brings them joy?

The Lord’s been wooing me this past year, calling me to a closer relationship and deeper intimacy with Him. And yet, I confess, when making a list of my goals in life, enjoying Him was not the first thing I thought of.

What about you? Was enjoying God high on your list? Do your daily activities and choices in life show that you enjoy God?

Too many times, I’ve chosen responding to e-mail and shallow cruising of Facebook when I could have made time for real fellowship with the One who loves me most. That’s sad. I could do without many posts, but I like keeping up with family and friends. Through them, I also run into some thought-provoking and challenging articles that I wouldn’t otherwise see.

However, when compared to intimate, face-to-face time with the Lord, time spent on social media is empty and of no account. And that’s just one of the activities that I too often put before enjoying the Lord.

This past week, I had a peek into what it means to enjoy the Lord.

At their Last Supper, Jesus closed His intimate time with His disciples with prayer. John recorded that conversation with His Father, and we get to listen in. We’re privileged to hear Jesus’ heart as He wraps up His earthly ministry before going to the cross.

As He prays in John 17, He speaks lovingly about His disciples, recounting His love for them, that He has given His glory to them, that He prays for them (and for all who will follow Him), and that He wants us to be one as He and the Father are one.

He closed the prayer with a picture that describes for me what it’s like to “enjoy Him forever.”

Jesus said, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:24, 26).

As I read that, I saw the picture of the perfect father—the kind that is always loving and patient, spending time with him because he delights in being together. I can see him sitting in the overstuffed chair with son in his lap, reading a book to him. Giving him a lap-ride on the tractor or lawn mower, holding his hand as they walk through the woods, or sitting quietly on the bank fishing.

He pleasures in his son’s company and longs to share life with him. He makes time to play in his son’s world, but also brings the son into his world to share his life too.

That’s what Jesus wants with us. He delights in being with us, in sharing life, He wants us to be with Him, to experience His world to experience first-hand His relationship with His Father. He desires that we experience the Father’s love and glory so that we will love Father as He does, and that we will be one with Him.

In return, the young son delights in being with his father. He watches for him to come home from work, and runs to greet him. He drops whatever he’s doing to be with his dad. Furthermore, he watches his dad closely and copies what he’s doing. He feels his father’s love and responds with his whole heart.

We all need and long to be loved, to belong, to feel secure, and to know someone cares about “me” and wants to share life with us.

Jesus longs to fellowship with us. I ask you, as He asked me, is knowing Jesus’ love and enjoying Him high on your to-do list?

Indeed, He’s knocking, inviting us to such a relationship.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Rev. 3:20-21).

We can glorify Him enjoy Him forever, beginning now.

But we have to open the door and invite Him in.

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11).

How to Stay Hopeful When Things Seem Helpless

Do you know someone who is on the path to destruction? Someone making the wrong choices in life and unwilling to listen to counsel—or unable to overcome addiction so they can make reasoned choices.

It’s heartbreaking to watch them self-destruct. If you’re close to the situation, you feel helpless as you watch and can do nothing to halt their steady decline.

We celebrate the fact that God gives us free will . . . until we want to take control of someone we love in order to rescue them from self-destruction. All efforts are futile. There’s nothing you can do if that person doesn’t choose to listen.

Nothing but pray, seeking God’s mercy and intervention.

There are many situations where you are helpless to fix the problem, times of sickness, financial stress, relational problems, and more. Times when you’re easily overwhelmed by the circumstances and find it difficult to keep going.

If you aren’t careful, it can affect you too. As you grieve your loss—of hopes, dreams, relationship, productivity, even life–it robs you of peace and joy. If you let it, you’ll be pulled into the vortex of the difficulty.

If you remain focused on the problem, trying to figure out what you can do and how you can help, the darkness of helplessness and hopelessness will engulf you.

Jesus said, “if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matt. 6:23). That’s what the enemy wants, for us to lose sight of the Light and walk in darkness.

Don’t let the enemy pull you down. Several simple steps will help you live in victory, even in the midst of the trial.

Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12), and the source of our light (Eph 5:14). Furthermore, He called us out of darkness and into His light (1 Pet. 2:9), and told us to seek Him (Mt. 6:33).

As you seek God, your eyes will be toward the light, allowing your body to be filled with light—with hope, strength, faith, peace. When your soul is weighted down, turn your eyes on Jesus to let the light in and chase away the darkness.

You can’t ignore the problem. It’s too much in your face and/or too deep in your heart. When darkness begins to invade, bringing fear, confusion, helplessness, anger, hopelessness, guilt, or . . ., run to the Light. Gaze into Christ’s marvelous face.

If you want to walk in daily victory, gaze at the Lord and glance at the problem throughout the day. Don’t give the darkness a chance to creep in. Live with you gaze on Him.

God is bigger than any problem that we might face. Give Him all your worries and cares. He has won the victory.

Taking the problem to Jesus doesn’t guarantee it will work out the way you imagine, but He will not leave you (Mt. 28:20). He will not let the burden be greater than you can stand (1 Cor. 10:13), and He will strengthen you for the journey (Ps. 31:24).

Furthermore, you can be confident that when things don’t go your way, it’s because He has purposes that are beyond our understanding (Is:55:9, Rom 8:28). When things seem overwhelming to us, later we can often see how He worked good out of the devastating trial.

Second, remember that God is bigger than the problem. Think of times when He has been faithful in your life—times when He rescued you or when he worked good out of what seemed bad. Think on the times He was faithful in the lives of Bible heroes: David and Goliath, the miracles that freed Israel from Egypt, Daniel in the lion’s den, and so forth. God is sovereign. He has power over all, and He is faithful.

Third, ask the Lord for a rhema. Ask Him to speak to you and listen for His answer through His Word. Read the Bible seeking His Word for you for NOW, the verse or the phrase that jumps off the page and speaks to you, filling you with hope. Then hold onto that Word when your faith begins to falter.

Memorize it so it becomes part of you and will be quick to come to mind. It will be your salvation.

God said, “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh” (Prov. 4:20-22).

In one particular relational struggle, God told me, “Don’t return evil for evil, but give a blessing instead, for you were called that you might inherit a blessing” (1Pet. 3:8).

Another time, He said, “Fear not!” (I was terrified of what I imagined for my loved one.), “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, . . . for I will fight for you, and you will hold your peace” (Ex. 14:13-14). (I was worried sick about how to “fix” the situation, but God told me to be still. When I began to fret, I held onto this verse and God did fight for me. He took care of it.)

Our hope is in the Lord. Not in ourselves. Not in other people. Not in the circumstances. If darkness of helplessness or hopelessness threatens to steal your joy and peace, run to Jesus. He is our hope and the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).

“Isaiah says: ‘There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him [Jesus] the Gentiles shall hope.’ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:12-13).

Where’s the Joy and Peace in the Midst of Grief?

Christmas is a favorite time of the year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Even those who don’t believe in Him celebrate by giving, and see the season is a time of joy and peace.

But for some, it’s not so easy. Peace, joy, and celebration elude them.

I have three close friends who’ve lost their spouses within the last six months. Thanksgiving was difficult. Christmas is already harder without their loved ones in the family circle. We’ll attend another funeral the end of the week and just received news of still another friend’s death.

A father was recently told he had 4 to 5 weeks to live, but he’s bravely embracing the days he has left. How do you celebrate as you look forward to loss? A widowed mother who just learned her son is in jail–likely headed to prison–is wondering about his future while aching to have her family all together for Christmas.

I’m not personally affected in my daily life through any of these losses, but I ache for my friends. Where is Christmas peace and joy in the midst of loss, sorrow, and grief?

The loss and pain are real and can’t be ignored. Traditions and trappings of the season bring back memories when least expected, reviving the ache, reinforcing the sorrow. Grief overshadows all of life.

The experts say it’s good to grieve and that it’s necessary to move through it. If you try to suppress it, it takes longer to move on with life.

But, how do you move on when the joy of the season is offensive to the ache in your heart? How do you embrace joy and peace in the midst of pain and sorrow?

I don’t have an answer. I haven’t lost a spouse, so I can only imagine the depth of the pain. But as I ache with my friends in this joyous season, I am encouraged by familiar phrases from Isaiah 53. It gave me comfort when I heard it a few days ago.

Jesus was a man of sorrows. He was acquainted with grief. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Is: 54:3-4).

The verses are familiar, but it comforted me to be reminded that my friends are not alone in their grief. Jesus understands. In fact, God wanted to be sure we know that He not only understands, but He is carrying their griefs and sorrows with them, and with me as I mourn with them.

Those overwhelmed with grief are not alone. Jesus is in the yoke with them, pulling the load.

The Babe whose birth we celebrate willingly took on flesh and entered into the pain and sorrow of this world to redeem us. He understands suffering, loss, and pain. Furthermore. He is Immanuel, God with us. He will never forsake us, especially not in our loneliest, lowest moments.

That doesn’t undo the loss of a loved one, but confidence that Jesus is by our side, carrying the load can bring peace that passes understanding and even glimpses of joy in the midst of the pain of grief and sorrow.

Anticipation and Expectation

A recent visit from our children led to an unexpected end.

Our three sons and their families came from out of state for a few days together. With high expectation of a joyous time of fellowship, preparation for their visit kicked into gear weeks ahead of time.

First, I needed to clean and make preparations to sleep 16 extra people for sev Vacuuming floor 13720025797l1h0 eral nights. Beds were made, pads and sleeping bags pulled from storage, and bathrooms cleaned and supplied.

Things in closets had to be moved around so dress-up clothes would be handy to the girls’ room, the cars to the boys, the toy box to the little ones, and so forth. Small details were considered so everything would flow smoothly during our time together.

Meanwhile, joy and excitement built along with anticipation.

Menus were prepared and shopping lists upgraded daily. As much as possible, food was Food preparation 1376796371wr0lj made ahead of time. The card table for extra seating was hidden behind a door close by. Things were ordered so our focus could be on relationships rather than on food and housekeeping concerns.

Down time was used to search the internet for activities that would be fun for all ages and build family connections. Meanwhile, joy-filled days passed quickly as I looked forward to seeing family.

I did have an agenda item for our tech-savvy kids. If, while they were here, they could help with a smart phone question and figure out where most of my contact list (on computer and phone) went, it sure would be a blessing.

As the weekend approached, growing excitement supplied energy to get everything in order before family arrived. Everybody could sleep comfortably, meals could be prepared with minimal effort, and activities for young and old were easily available. We could devote our time and attention to family.

And we did. The time together was all we dreamed of, with one exception. We enjoyed our visit so much that we completely forgot to ask about our need for technical help. It was lost in the glow of love and fellowship with family.

After the last son departed, I sat in the den, resting and reliving special moments of our time together, when suddenly the visit took an unexpected turn.

God interrupted my musing. He asked, “When have you anticipated our time wiith the same enthusiasm and excitement with which you anticipated the time with your children?”

When had I been so thorough in my preparation?
When had I worked so hard to avoid all distractions?
When had I had such high expectation of good fellowship with the Lord?
When had I been so caught up in the joy of being with Him, that I forgot to submit my requests to Him?

In short, do I delight in the Lord? Do I look forward to my time with Him with great joy and excitement?

Obviously, if I a resoundingly positive response,, He wouldn’t have asked the question. I’m convicted to see how I’ve begun to take the privilege of time with the loving, living, Almighty God for granted.

What about you? Do you look forward to time with the Lord in great joy and excitement?

I anticipated a wonderful time with my children and their children. I didn’t expect the Lord to turn that special time of expectation into an object lesson, but I’m glad He did.

Will you join me in praying that the Lord will quicken your heart to delight in Him? May Micah’s words be true for me and you too:

“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me” (Micah 7:7)

Abiding Love

Everybody needs and wants to be loved. In fact, psychologists and sociologist describe love, affection, or belonging as one of our top fundamental needs of human beings. In order to thrive as individuals, we need love.

Consequently, for various reasons, people who—for whatever reason—don’t feel loved are constantly seeking it, often in the wrong places. However, I don’t want to focus on the negative indicators. I’d rather talk about the good news.

The good news is that we can all experience daily love. Every day. No exceptions.

The living God loves us and His love will never fail. He said:

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” (Zeph. 3:17).

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, [nothing]shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:35-39).

Furthermore, He asks us to abide in His love as the branch abides in the vine, to live in His embrace and share His joy. He wants our joy to be full. It doesn’t get better than that.

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:9-10).

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

“Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deut. 7:9).

We experience such love from God only as we give our love to Him. “Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for Him” (2 Cor. 2:8).

Are you abiding in God’s love? If not, why not? Valentine’s is a season of making and declaring commitments of love. It is a good time to reaffirm your love for the Author of love—the One who loves you most.

It’s a Choice

I’m late posting this week because I went to see a dear friend who is battling cancer. Actually, it isn’t because I made the trip, it’s because I accidentally left my computer at home and didn’t realize it until I arrived at my destination seven hours later. Consequently, I was without a computer until I got home tonight.

Mrs. Alice, my elderly friend, had breast cancer three years ago and fought it like a trooper. She never complained and did all she could to not impose on anyone. And yet, in early November, it was obvious to those of us who are close to her that she could no longer manage on her own.

Her son came down just before Thanksgiving and took her home with him. In January, they discovered cancer in her brain and she is now in treatment. For her, life is now difficult and doesn’t make sense. We went to encourage her.

On the trip up, while flipping through the December Woman’s Day—yes, I’m a little late reading it—I ran across a quote that spoke to me. Instead of posting the blog I’d started, I thought I’d share the quote.

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day” – Henri J.M. Nouwen, a Dutch priest, professor and writer.

My heart was heavy as I traveled to see Mrs. Alice. I still ache for her, but now I’m choosing joy–to remember positive things that I’m thankful for. She knows Jesus. If treatments don’t have the desired effect, she will meet her Savior face to face–and her husband and the infant twins that she never got to hold. I’m grateful she’s with caring family instead of all alone, and so forth. There is much to be joyful about.

Mrs. Alice needs others to lift her up now. She needs us to choose joy so we can share it with her.

I’ve realized several things out of the juncture of this quote and situation.

I can choose joy. It doesn’t depend on the circumstances I’m in.
Others around us are struggling and joy alludes them. If I am joyful–if I carry joy, I can bring light and hope to them. I can make a difference.
If I want to be an instrument of joy in other people’s life, I need to be practice choosing joy myself. I never know when someone else will need encouragement, I want to be ready.
If I choose joy and keep choosing it every day, and choose it multiple times through each day, I can help others and multiply my strength and grace (and joy) too!

It’s a win-win situation for everybody.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10).

“Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).

“Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; praise is becoming to the upright” (Ps. 33:1).

“In [God’s] presence is fulness of joy” (Ps. 16:11).

Robert & Kay Camenisch encouraging and equipping relationships