Consider Your Way

When driving, we consider everything around us and adjust our alertness and speed depending on the conditions. Likewise, when choosing what to wear, we consider our plans and the weather. We also adjust what we say to fit our audience.

We constantly consider things as we make decisions concerning what we will say and do.

And yet, in many ways we sail—or fumble—through life without stopping to think. We follow the easy path, the exciting adventure, or the feel-good moment without reflecting on what the consequences will be.

We don’t stop to consider how our choices will affect our future. The Jews of ancient times made the same mistake.

Not only did they fail to consider what they were doing; they didn’t heed the prophets’ warnings.

And, it cost them dearly. They strayed from God, became rebellious. Consequently, Jerusalem was utterly destroyed, the temple was demolished, and they were Jews were captured and exiled.

They didn’t sit down and decide to turn their back on God. It happened as they went about their daily lives. They failed to fully obey the Lord in one area and then in another, choosing to do things to their own understanding and satisfaction.

Because they refused to listen, God turned His back on them. They were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar, and lost everything. (2 Chron. 36:5-21)

It could have been the end of the Jewish nation, but God was faithful to his covenant people.

Seventy years after Jerusalem was destroyed, King Cyrus sent some of the Jews back with instructions, materials, and supplies to rebuild the temple. They returned with high hopes of rebuilding Jerusalem (Ezra 1).

One of the first things they did was build altars and offer sacrifices to God, acknowledging His mercy, goodness, and faithfulness toward them (Ezra 3:1-6).

They then laid the foundation of the temple and had a great celebration, offering sacrifices morning and evening, shouting, and weeping with joy (Ezra 3:10-13).

But the celebration didn’t last long. Neither did their focus on the Lord and their mission. They were soon distracted from their mission.

Life in Jerusalem was not easy. Establishing homes was a challenge. Neighboring people opposed them and thwarted their efforts to rebuild the temple. Even their crops were destroyed.

Then a new king ordered a halt to rebuilding the temple. It remained in ruins for about fifteen years.

The people were probably confused and questioned their difficulties. They volunteered for the noble task of rebuilding the temple of their God—and thus Jerusalem. In return, their reward seemed to be one hardship after another.

Their efforts seemed futile. They likely wondered if God had deserted them.

Then God, through Haggai, said, “Consider your ways!” (Hag. 1:7).

He also explained their struggles, “’You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house’” (Hag. 1:9).

They may have felt like martyrs for the Lord. They might have thought He had forgotten them, but God said otherwise. Instead, they had forgotten God.

God multiplied their trials because of disobedience. They were working for themselves rather than completing what God sent them to do. God’s hand opposed them—until they returned to Him and began work on the temple.

I can understand how the faithful remnant returned with great hopes only to become discouraged. When trials come, it’s easy to be distracted by difficulties.

When we find ourselves burdened by trials, we need to stop and consider our ways. Have we been distracted from God’s mission?

When life gets rough, we tend to get distracted and seek a path of less resistance, something to make us feel better. We’ve even coined the phrase “comfort food,” for one source of satisfaction in such times. But food is not our only source of comfort.

We seek comfort in entertainment, a book, or—like the Jews in Jerusalem—fixing up our own nest. In the midst of trials, we want comfort.

Furthermore, like the Jews, we tend to seek to fulfill self-centered desires to find comfort.

Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33), and to love the Lord with all of our being (Mark 12:30)—even when (or especially when) life is hard.

David’s familiar words remind us where to find our comfort when trials come. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4). David found his comfort in the Lord, not in chocolates or fancy houses.

It would behoove us to stop and consider our ways—especially in the midst of trials. Is our heart fully focused on God? Do we love Him with our whole heart, soul, and strength? Are we running to Jesus for comfort?

If not, it’s time for adjustments, time to get back on the path that He has prepared for us.

When the Jews repented and obeyed God, He told them, “I am with you” because “according to the covenant” “my Spirit remains in your midst” (Hag. 1:13, 2:4,5). The Comforter gives grace to endure through the trial.

Paul reminds us of further benefits of seeking the Lord while suffering.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:3-5).

If we stop, consider our ways, and turn back to God, we find true, abundant, lasting comfort. Comfort and grace that satisfies and energizes.

Beware of Your Strength

A friend is in the midst of a trial that blind-sided her. She said, “I don’t understand. Am I doing something wrong? How do I get in messes like this? They seem to follow Image result for image of strength me around. What have I done?”

My understanding and perspective are limited, but I told her that her problem was her big heart. She is involved in the lives of others who have big needs, and she lays down her life to see that their needs are met. When there are complications for several people at once, it becomes overwhelming to her.

Her selfless love for those in need is amazing. It is an admirable strength that has blessed many people. But her strength also gets her in trouble.

Many of our struggles arise from our strengths.

Have you known someone who is really smart and gifted in learning but has a hard time believing something if they can’t understand it? Sometimes their intelligence keeps them from stepping out in faith to trust Jesus with a situation—or their life. Their strength becomes their stumbling block.

Likewise, I’ve known people who are skilled at stepping into any situation and serving. They instinctively know what to do to help out. But if they aren’t careful, they will be helping someone else while their own family is in need. Their gift creates problems because at home the service becomes mundane and they get special joy in serving others.

Or the big-hearted person that invests in an individual to help them get their life in order and ends up drawing that person to themselves rather than to the Lord. Instead of helping them become established, they develop a co-dependent relationship that is not healthy for either of them. And it all started with a genuine desire to help.

I’ve known several elderly people who become very fearful when they are weakened by age and physical challenges. It surprised me because the fearful ones had been strong, independent, I-can-take-care-of myself individuals as adults, whereas the seemingly weaker individuals don’t become so fearful.

I wonder if the problem is that the I-can-take-care-of-myself people never really learn that God will take care of them. Could it be that the strength of those strong individuals becomes a troubling weakness?

Then there is the strongly self-confident person who has few friends because it seems he thinks he is always right and won’t listen to anyone else. And yet, isn’t it a strength to be self-confident?

Our strengths are a gift from God, and they are given so that we will use them to bless others and strengthen the body. But we need to beware of our strengths. They can lead us into trouble if we aren’t careful.

First of all, we need to realize that they are from God. If we take credit for them, we’ll become proud and will be less appreciative of the gifts that others have. Consequently, we will think too highly of ourselves and look down on others.

Second, we need to submit our strengths to the lordship of Christ. If we seek Him about when and how to use them, He will guide us, either opening more opportunities to use them, or leading us to say no so we won’t be stretched too thin. He will give grace for the work He has prepared for us.

Third, we need to use them as a way to serve God and others, not expecting acknowledgement or reward from man. If we—and our strengths—are surrendered to the Lord, He will reward us (1 Cor. 15:58; Col. 3:23-24).

Forth, we need to be willing to walk in our weaknesses rather than in our strength. It is in our weakness that His strength is most clearly made known (2 Cor. 12:9). If we seek to hide our weaknesses and only engage in activities that use our strengths, we are denying God the opportunity to work through us.

When we do that, we are missing much of what God has for us in life. By not depending on God to work through us when we are weak, we do not experience His grace and faithfulness or the joy of living as His child. There is tremendous joy in seeing God use you when you go beyond your abilities. It builds deeper faith and confidence in Him (2 Th. 1:11-12)..

Denying opportunities that require us to walk in our weakness also limits the opportunities for God to use us for His glory. If we work in our strength, we get the glory, not God. If we acknowledge the Lord in the process, He can get the glory, but if we are weak and dependent on Him, God will be glorified and others will be drawn to Him.

Use, develop, and enjoy the strengths God has given to you, but beware, they could trip you up when you aren’t expecting it.

Overcoming Trials: The Harder I Row

Have you ever faced an impossible situation and longed for a way to overcome the trial? I’ll let you in on a secret. The secret to overcoming trials is not in trying harder.

My mother was an excellent role model for a good work ethic, dependability, and perseverance. When she made a mistake that interrupted progress, she’d mutter, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” When in similar situations, I tend to repeat the
familiar phrase.

While reading Mark recently, I thought of that expression and wondered if I need to change the words to “The harder I row, the behinder I get.”

Mark 6 tells about Jesus teaching Boat in rough seas thousands of people all day long, then asking the disciples to serve them bread and fish. Afterward, they collected bushels of leftovers. Jesus then told his disciples to row to the other side of the sea while He stayed to pray.

After an exhausting day, the disciples got in a boat and began to row. Soon the winds picked up, waves battered them, and they weren’t able to make headway. Laboring at the oars with wind in their face, they were stranded in the middle of the sea. The harder they rowed, the behinder they got (Mark 6:45-47).

Jesus came down from the mountain, and “seeing them straining at the oars, . . ., He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them” (Mark 6:48).

Ahhh! Jesus is near. There’s nothing to fear.

Or is there?

Did you see the end of the end of the verse? “He intended to pass by them.” Why would Jesus choose to pass by his closest friends while they were having trouble obeying Him?

After praying for understanding, I remembered the days when our children were home. Sometimes they were more open to counsel than other times. It was often better to stand by as they struggled, waiting for them to ask for help—especially during the teen years. Offer aid too soon, and they’d have the “Mother-please-I’d-rather-do-it-myself” mindset.

The disciples needed help. They were exhausted, faced with an overwhelming task, and making no progress. You’d think they’d welcome assistance. However, in verse 52 we can see that they weren’t open, “for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.”

In spite of the great miracle they’d just witnessed, their hearts were hard. Why weren’t they open?

Maybe because they were grieving the death of John the Baptist. Maybe because they had to feed the crowd right after Jesus had told them to go rest. (Did they feel entitled to their rest?) Then—as if their day hadn’t been long enough—Jesus asked them to row across the sea.

Now, they were stranded. But they kept rowing, working harder so they could reach the other side. When they saw Jesus walking on the water, it frightened them.

Suddenly, they knew they needed help. However, not until they cried out in fear, did Jesus identify himself and enter the boat with them.

The winds calmed immediately. So did the disciples.

Sometimes the winds of life are too much. Occasionally, we might even feel like Jesus is asking too much of us. When we are overburdened or sidetracked by perceived needs, we tend to fret—maybe even get angry—and row harder.

But, often we can’t do it on our own. The harder we row, the behinder we get.

When overwhelmed we’re usually not aware that our hearts are hard, blocking us from receiving grace from Jesus. I figure that if I replace “The hurrier I go” with “The harder I row,” it might remind me to seek the Lord. I know that without His grace, I don’t find peace.

Jesus won’t intrude. He is our Bulwark, Strength, Stronghold, and Tower. He is w Serene suset over sea IMGP9572 (1) ith us always. However, if we keep rowing harder rather than calling on Him, He might pass us by so we’ll notice Him and ask for help.

When we do, Jesus will enter our boat and carry our burden for us.

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation” (Ps. 68:19). He will help us overcome trials.

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