Why Suffering?

                                                 Photo by Barry Doig

 

Many of us struggle to make sense of suffering, our own or others. But it takes such varied and complex forms that it has to be left to God. Often though we feel the need to try to find reasons but, as in the case of Job, there seems to be none.  His self-righteous friends thought that it MUST be that he had sinned against God, but  God put them right about that – in the end! 

Be assured that, in my musings today, I will not be trying to put your struggles to rest forever, for that is not possible.  Over the centuries many others have already tried to understand the reasons for suffering, with varying results.  These are just observations that came out of my Bible reading this morning. The story went like this……

 

Hezekiah became king at age 25 and he reigned in Judah for 29 years from about 715 BC.  Unlike his father, King Ahaz who had “encouraged the people to sin, and had been utterly unfaithful to the Lord” (2 Chronicles 28:19), Hezekiah had restored worship and faithfully followed the Lord. In spite of this 14 years into his reign Hezekiah became sick, and the prophet Isaiah came with a message from God that this sickness would cause him to die.

 

I could say that Hezekiah ‘didn’t take this lying down’, but he did, for he was laying on his sickbed.  The Bible says that he turned his face to the wall and started talking to God. “Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.” Then he broke down and wept bitterly. (2 Kings 20:1-11).  In a nutshell, God heard his prayer instantly, because it says that before Isaiah had left the middle court, God gave him a message for Hezekiah - that he would live another 15 years. 

 

The account of this in 2 Kings stops there, but when Isaiah the prophet wrote about it, he included a prayer that Hezekiah wrote after his healing.  It’s worth a read Isaiah 38:9-20. In verse 17 Hezekiah seems to have reached his own conclusion about his suffering.  He says, ​“Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; but you have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption….” I wonder if he had started to move away from God and in His kindness God stopped him in his tracks and turned his eyes back to his Maker?  Hezekiah seemed to think so.

 

For Christians who suffer I would dare to say that it is never wasted when we faithfully follow God. Some of the most beautiful poems and hymns have been written as a result of continued trust in the face of suffering.  Joni Eareckson Tada is one of my heroes of faith.  She became a quadriplegic as a result of a diving accident when she was only 18.  She just wanted to die, but she found a reason to live and to glorify God in her life.  Today in her 70s she continues to have an amazing ministry which blesses many.  Check this link out. https://www.epm.org/blog/2022/Sep/12/joni-eareckson-tada-resolve

 

Are you suffering in some way today?  Have you turned to God to make sense of it?  If you do that, I pray that he will help you to see his great love and purpose in the midst of it, and enable you to go on and allow him to use it for good.  Romans 8:28 assures believers of this…..”For we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”  The ways that God can use suffering for good are too many to number!

 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, in my struggles and suffering help me to trust that you are using them for your greater purposes. Please be glorified in my life so that I may honour your name.  Amen

Precious Things

The recent coronation of King Charles III, with all its pomp and ceremony, displayed many precious items. The crowns, the orb, the swords and spurs that were presented to Charles were probably quite priceless, certainly things of great beauty and artisanship.  

Yet among it all, the most precious, and possibly the least valued in the sight of the world, was a specially printed edition of the Bible and it is this that interests me the most.  Not just that particular volume, which I'm sure is very beautiful, but the words contained between it's covers.  Words that were written by 40 authors on 3 different continents (Europe, Africa and Asia), over a period of 1500 to 1600 years. Words that were inspired by the Holy Spirit and watched over by God for a few more hundred years until it was brought into the Bible as we have it today.

It continues to be the world's best seller with around 100 million copies sold annually.  The whole Bible has been translated into nearly 700 languages while the New Testament is in 1550 languages. It is God's word to us, his creation.  The Old Testament tells the history of his dealings with his chosen people, the Jews. Many get a mental block about the Old Testament but it deserves to be studied and needs to be studied if we are to understand the New Testament properly.  It is filled with history, wisdom, songs and prophecy.  It is fascinating, and the more you study it the more you will want to.

All this to say that the Bible is the most precious thing in all the world, (in my humble opinion!), and probably the most neglected.  It contains words of life and wisdom for living this life, it contains words of hope for everlasting life for those who choose to accept the truth of its message.  It contains comfort, instruction and encouragement.  The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor, "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true, and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives.  It corrects us and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT.

Over hundreds of years people have given their lives for this Book; for translating it, for printing it, for preaching it and even for owning it.  Even today there are thousands, maybe millions of people in our world who risk their lives to live and preach the truth of the Bible.  Thousands more long to have even a part of the Bible to read.  Do you value God's word as they do?  Do you take time to read it, to think on it, to live by it?  I pray that you will, for it contains words of life-giving value for anything you may face.  I venture to say that we live in days that are becoming increasingly dark, and more difficult in so many ways, and it is not going to get better.  Press into God through a commitment to reading his word to strengthen yourself for the days that lie ahead.  

The Bible is available online and through many apps that you can download to phone or tablet.  One that Colin and I have been particularly enjoying recently is Lectio 365.  Check it out, https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/lectio-365/ 

Prayer:  Father God, thank you for inspiring the writing of the Bible, thank you for the people who have given their lives and dedication to you so that we might know you through your word.  I pray for those who still wait for a copy of this precious book, that you would answer their prayers.  Help me to have a hunger to know more of your truth, help me to read your word in some form daily. Amen

Connectivity

I wonder how many of you find yourself, like me, frustrated at the various facets of modern technology.  Yesterday and today I have been frustrated by Google and it's security.  I found that I had to change my password which has resulted in far too many requirements and texts to ascertain that it is me.  I thought I was done with it all yesterday and today it began all over again!  I wonder if I'll be sure of my own identity when Google has finished with me!!  Now another requests pops up as I'm typing....is this going to continue.  My inner voice cries out, "How long, Lord, how long?" 

However.....I must remember that there are many benefits from the connectivity we enjoy these days and decide to be thankful for them.  Actually the situation has worked for me today because I had in mind (yesterday), to write about connection - with others and with God, so here is my practical example.

I believe that humans were made for connection with each other.  Over the years Col & I have lived in a number of countries and have made wonderful friends in each place.  With modern technology we are blessed to be able to keep those connections very easily by phone, Facetime, Messenger, email, and any number of other apps available to connect with others. Unlike my mother, who had left her big family in the UK when I was just 5, who had to wait weeks for letters which connected her with her Mum and family far away.  We have it so easy today, but sociologists tell us that loneliness (i.e. lack of connection) is a big problem.  Why?

Possibly, because we connect, but not really on a deep level.  There is something about face to face contact with others that fills a need in most of us.  I enjoy time alone very much but I still find that I am 'fed' in a certain way by social contact, so I need to work on having those connections. We need the balancing factor of others in our lives. We need to exchange ideas, be challenged by opposing thoughts, because they make us think.  I often process things best in conversation with others as I'm not a natural 'thinker'.  

Deeper still (and you know I'll always tell you this!), we have an innate need to connect with God in whose image we are made.  This is the greatest privilege offered to humanity and the least used.  Prayer is that connection that is open to God through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us not neglect it because as Billy Graham said "You will never understand who you are until you understand who God is."  Wonderful Corrie Ten Boom challenges us still with her words, "Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?"

Connect afresh with God today by "coming boldly to His throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).  I commend to you one of my favourite passages of scripture - Psalm 37:1-8.  Read it here.

Prayer: God, forgive me for the times I have not turned to you first in my needs.  Help my connectivity with you be the most important thing, and then, help me to connect in life-giving ways  to those I meet.  Amen

Signs of our Times?

 

This morning I was watching an interview between a journalist and a person from an educational institution.  The topic of conversation was artificial intelligence, specifically the new chatbot called ChatGPT , launched in November 2022, which is causing some concern among some people who understand the huge and dangerous implications of AI. 

What 'floored' me was the secular journalist beginning the interview with "Tell me what's happening.  Are we in the end times or what......?" Wow, I wonder what his understanding of end times is. A discussion ensued on the incredible ability of this artificial intelligence that has even been found to lie to a question!

Earlier this month our NZ Prime Minister was caught on the hop with an unexpected question from a journalist in a press conference.  He was asked what his definition of 'a woman' was.  He apologised that he was not prepared enough to give an answer!  It should be an easy question to answer in the normal course of things, however there is not much 'normal' in our current crazy, politically correct, world.

According to the Bible the last days, or end times, are the days between Jesus death and return to heaven until he comes again in judgement.  That, at the moment is about 2,000 years.  Yes, there are many thoughts on the end times but the Bible makes a few things very clear.

The prophet Daniel was given much information by God about 'the times of the end' when 'many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase'. Daniel 12:4.  Timothy wrote to the early church 'that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 Timothy 3:1.  "That word perilous can mean, harsh, savage, difficult, dangerous, painful, fierce, grievous, hard to deal with. The word describes a society that is barren of virtue but abounding with vices". (Quote from a note in my Spirit Filled Life Bible.)    In his previous letter Timothy had written this,  "Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.  These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. " 1 Timothy 4:1-2

Jesus also spoke of end times in Matthew 24:3-13, what it would be like.  Check it out for yourself here, (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/matthew/24/3-13 ). As I watch world news I become more and more convinced that time is short.  Wars, famine and floods are everywhere. Evil is rampant as are the elements. The apostle John wrote...."we know that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (Satan)". 1 John 5:19.

So where does this leave humankind?  Peter said, "Therefore since these things will be dissolved (i.e. the heavens and the earth), what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness..." 2 Peter 10-11).  

Daily I am thankful for the peace that I have through faith in Jesus Christ.  I don't wonder what the world is coming to because the Bible tells me clearly what it is coming to and I do not fear, because He has me, and all those who confess his name and walk in obedience to His truth, under his protection and destined for a new world which is eternal.  You can have that peace and assurance too. You have a choice to make. All are welcome.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. John 3:16-19

                              

Are You Really Enough?

                                                                                                         Photo: Barry Doig

Increasingly I see 'inspirational' slogans appearing to encourage those who feel, lost, weak and inadequate.  One of them is 'You Are Enough'.  This sounds good, and self talk is important and helpful. It might help for a little while, but unless it is founded in truth, it will fail us, because truth is the only reliable foundation for an authentic life.

'What is truth?'  is a question that Pontius Pilate put to Jesus (John 18:38), and it's a good one to ask ourselves.  What is truth?  Today the world tells us that we each have 'our own truth'.  But how can that be?  If your truth is different from my truth, then what is THE truth?  Yours or mine?  Surely we can't both be right! How many truths can there be, and what does it have to do with the question this blog post asks, 'are you enough?'

Jesus gives us the answer in John 14:6.  He said, 'I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life......  The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:160 'The entirety of your Word is truth...'.  The word of God, the Bible is the only reliable source of truth, and unless 'my truth' is founded in its truth, it is not THE truth.  If it's not THE truth, then it must be a lie.....of some sort.  Lies lead us to believe that something is true when it is not, and if we base our life on a lie we set ourselves up for failure, disappointment and discouragement which can lead to hopelessness.  

What sparked this train of thought for me this morning, was my Bible reading in Matthew 5 where Jesus is beginning what is called 'The Sermon on the Mount'.  He said, 'Blessed (happy) are the poor in spirit...' (vs 3), and what that says to me is that the ones who KNOW they are NOT enough are the happy ones.  Why?  Because they are the ones who will call out to Jesus for help.  The truth is that without a faith in God, and in HIS truth (embodied in Jesus' teaching), we are doomed to live a life that is not enough.  A life that has as its foundation just sand, that when the storms of life come, will not have anything to hold it firm. When we have faith in our great and mighty, unchanging God who created us and knows our innermost thoughts, our foundation will be strong. Check out Psalm 139!

THE truth is that we are marred, sinful people who need to be reunited through faith with a pure, holy and righteous God.  A God who sent his son, Jesus Christ to teach the truth, and die for the truth that we might be made good enough to be enough.  If we have Christ as our foundation we really WILL be enough.

PRAYER: Oh God, forgive me for thinking that I am enough without you.  Help me to find your truth as the foundation of my life. Help me to stop believing the lie that on my own I am enough. Help me to humble my heart and believe and grow in your truth.  Amen

Purpose?

 What is my purpose? This is undoubtedly a good question to ask oneself at the beginning of a new year.   Probably better than making a New Year's resolution. Some people often choose a word for their year which will motivate them to grow in personal development.   For example someone I follow found her words for this year ....'love well'.  

'What is my purpose', is a question that can broken down into a few parts, many more than I will list.....

    * Do I feel I have lived purposefully this past year?  

    * What has given me a reason to get up in the morning?

    * What has given me joy? 

    * What is to be my purpose this year?

Research has shown that people who know their purpose in life do better in many ways.  This is a quote from an article I read on a blog called Psychology Today....."According to Time Magazine, purposeful living has been linked to a lower risk of disease, better sleep, and other healthy behaviours. And, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry, having a purpose in life helps ageing people maintain their function and independence. People in the study, who reported having a sense of purpose, were less likely to have weak grip strength and slow walking speeds, both of which are signs of declining physical ability and risk factors for disability. They also noted that people with purpose are more proactive in taking care of their health. Additional studies reported that purpose-driven people have lower levels of inflammation." Wow!  There are quite a few good reasons for having a purpose in life.

I often find myself asking young people "What do you want to do in life?"  That was not a very complicated question in my day.  The opportunities were much more limited......nurse, secretary, teacher, scientist, inventor, pilot, train driver.....you get my drift.  Today the possibilities for career are almost limitless, and probably quite confusing.  It takes much longer to decide and I find many just cannot really answer that question at all.  A better question might be "What are you passionate about?"

We have been created for purpose (and passion).  The Westminster Catechism says "Man's (read mankind's) chief end (purpose) is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  God created us for the purpose of worshiping Him and enjoying fellowship with Him.  His plan went quite wrong early in the Garden of Eden but it doesn't have to stay wrong for us.  Having faith in a loving and faithful God who wants the best for us, just as a good father wants the best for his children, gives us a good reason to worship Him and find enjoyment in having a relationship with Him. Having purpose in your life will enrich your days, improve your health and bring you joy.

Knowing God has a purpose for us, should encourage us to find out what it is, because it will improve and enrich our lives, and the lives of others.  But in the 'doing' or working out of your purpose, don't forget the chief purpose you were created for.....to worship God and enjoy Him forever.

If you find yourself not enjoying life then perhaps now is a good time to ask yourself 'why?'  Then find a reason to get up each day.  Make a plan to meet with others, take a walk, bake a cake for someone, write a letter or make a call.  Do something for someone else that will ease their burden, make them feel they matter or make them smile.

Jesus stated his purpose for us....."my purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." John 10:10b.  I have believed that for many years, and walking in that knowledge enriches my life.

Prayer:  Father God who created me for purpose, please help me to find and to fulfil my purpose in life.  Amen

To Pray is to Love

 On our recent trip to Australia some dear friends gave us these little wooden praying hands.  These friends have prayed with us, and for us, and for many others over many years, so it was a very fitting gift. The first thing I noticed about these little hands was the natural heart in the woodgrain, and as I look at this each morning during my time with God, it has occurred to me that to pray is to love.  How so?

Firstly, to pray is to acknowledge and turn one's heart and mind towards God. Jesus was our example as he often went off alone to pray - to talk with his Father.  He prayed for God's will to be done in his life, and in his death (Luke 22:41-42)  He prayed for his followers (John 17:9-26). He prayed for the sick on many occasions.  He prayed because he loved. He cared about his world and its people. Prayer formed the foundation of his life on earth, and he continues to pray for us as he intercedes for believers at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25).

My own growth in prayer has been quite strange to me.  I have never considered myself to be much of a pray-er but God has put in my heart a desire to pray.  I have been a reluctant pray-er but God seems to have nudged me on.  I've loved to read about people of prayer and books on intercession but those people have always seemed to be on a different plane from me.  However, in quite a few churches I've found myself, usually reluctantly,  thrust into heading up prayer ministry.

Prayer is not a spiritual gift, it is a spiritual discipline, an act of love towards God and our fellow humanity. It is a confession of our reliance upon God, an act of humility, it is a gift of love, as we worship God and pray for others.

Feeling anxious about what 2023 will hold?  God's word encourages us......Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. This is practical advice from the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6.  Practical because, as Jesus said, "Can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?"  The answer is, of course, NO.  So let's not waste our energy on a fruitless act, but rather turn our anxious thoughts into trusting prayers.

May this year find us growing in, and giving ourselves more, to prayer.  Our world needs it and we need it.  Enjoy the fellowship and learn the discipline of praying with others.  The more you do it, the more you will want to do it.  It will be time well spent.

Jesus, thank you that you demonstrated prayer in your own life and taught your disciples to pray when they asked you. They recognised its, value but confessed their need of learning how to pray. Please increase in me this year, the desire to pray and the discipline to do it. Amen