Now is the time..... For Shaking

When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." Hebrews 12:26

The shaking around the Pacific Rim continues with a fairly powerful 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand recently. Still, days later, the shaking continues and the cleanup work goes on. The mercy is that there was no loss of life, probably because it occurred when most people were sleeping. The cleanup bill will probably exceed $1 billion and people’s lives have been rudely interrupted and many changed forever.

Growing up in New Zealand I was not unfamiliar with a bit of shaking; I also remember being woken by a very noisy quake during our years in Lae, Papua New Guinea in the 80’s; then there was the Newcastle earthquake, here in NSW Australia in 1989. To be honest, I don’t like earthquakes and I imagine I am not alone in that! Shaking is a normal part of the earth’s aging process and a resettling and readjustment of tectonic plates far below the earth’s surface. They can’t be seen, but their effects are certainly very visible.

Most, if not all, of us experience varying levels of shaking in our lives. It comes in the form of family or work-related issues; accidents, redundancies, sickness and death. The shaking is never pleasant but it does afford us opportunity for growth. It gives us an opportunity to find God in new ways. The shaking is often part of the process of character adjustment in us. Unpleasant though it is, let us not waste the opportunity to allow it to do a good work in us.

When the shakings of life come, and they will, make them times to grow in your faith. Let the shaking settle you more firmly on your Rock, Jesus Christ. If you can, thank him for the shaking (James 1:2-3), knowing that it will bring maturity, (2 Peter 1:5-7). In the difficulties, turn to the scriptures that remind you of a better future; a time of eternal spring and unending joy and peace, a time when God will wipe away all tears (Revelation 7:16-17).

Make sure that your foundation is grounded on the truth of God’s word and character which cannot be shaken, for prior to the return of Jesus Christ there will come a time of great shaking on the earth and in the heavens where men’s hearts will fail them for fear of things coming upon the earth, Jesus himself spoke of it in Luke 21:25-28. That will be the time when the effectiveness of our training will show, in the same way as a soldier’s training prepares him for the battlefield. If we have allowed the shakings of life to mould us, our hearts will be firm trusting in the Lord and our eyes will look up in joyful expectation of seeing his return. Fear will have no place in us.

Prayer: Almighty and faithful God, thank you that my future is safe with you through any shaking of life, as I believe and trust in your and base my life upon truth of your word. Strengthen me and help me to live this life well that my foundation be strong. Amen

Now is the time.... To Build A Bridge

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Matthew 11:25

Recently I heard the sad news that a man had been informed by a solicitor that his mother had passed away…… six months earlier. They had been estranged for some years, I am not sure what the problem or issue had been, but obviously there was no contact and now this man is left with a whole lot of unresolved ‘stuff’. Perhaps guilt, anger, or even great sorrow that there had been no time to reconcile and say goodbye. How very sad and painful.

Life is full of challenges, especially in the area of relationships; sometimes even within our own families and for many and various reasons, but unresolved issues are not worth the pain they cause in the long run. Yes, resolving relationship issues can be difficult and very painful or even humbling, but the ‘fallout’ from broken relationships is much more damaging, not only to our emotions but also to our physical health.

Even if we think we have settled our issue in ourselves and it doesn’t bother us anymore, our body will probably tell us otherwise. Buried anger often manifests in depression, bitterness shows up as arthritis, just to name two ways that our body will tell us that things are not right. You see, our body is very connected with our spirit and if one is not right, the other is affected.

In the verse today it speaks about forgiving one who may have wronged us SO THAT our heavenly Father can forgive us. Mmmm, that sounds a bit conditional, don’t you think? Well, the next verse makes the point even clearer, "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." Vs 26. If we look at Matthew 5:23,24 it gives another slant to the subject, "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.”

As believers in, and receivers of the love, mercy, grace and forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are given no permission whatsoever to hold onto bitterness or unresolved relationship issues. If we do it will hinder God’s flow of forgiveness into our own lives and will most definitely have other harmful effects on our body. We are to be channels of forgiveness, mercy, grace and love to others thus demonstrating the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. For Jesus’ sake seek reconciliation before it is too late. Don’t be left out in the cold and don’t leave anyone else out in the cold.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to love and forgive as you do. Fill me with your love and grant me grace to walk worthy of you. Amen

Now is the time... To Listen

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Isa 55:2

After a phone call with a friend I set the phone down in frustration. I had been anxious to hear what was going on with her, but I, too, had some things I wanted to ask and some things I would have liked to comment on and go into further but she had talked so long and hard that I had no chance for much comment. It had been an unsatisfying interchange. But I know I have done the same to others!

Although to onlookers I would seem to be a person with many words because I can write and sometimes get opportunity to speak to groups, in personal conversation I am usually happy to be the listening ear. In fact I am a bit of a lazy communicator day to day. However, there are times when I have things on my heart to share or ideas to bounce off others (my best way of ‘thinking things through’), and that’s when I would like to be heard…… please!

As I thought about my frustration I suddenly felt rather guilty because I realised that I often treat God in the same way……. I come with my “please God list” and rattle it off and rush off to my day. Yes, I talk to God all through the day on and off but I have to confess that I don’t listen very much. I love it when God manages to break through and share an insight with me, or gives me words for a poem or a verse of encouragement for someone. It is so good to hear from the Lord that I am surprised I give so little time to really listening to him. In the verse from Isaiah 55 you will notice that it says “Listen, listen…”, an urging to listen well.

The children of Israel were always being called upon to listen to God; Psalm 50:7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak..”; Psalm 81:8 "Hear, O my people, and I will warn you..”. The communication in their day was mainly spoken through the prophets, priests and kings.

When Jesus walked the earth the people were urged by God to listen to him. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" Matt 17:5. Jesus himself called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand.” Matt 15:10

We will only hear God if we listen to him. We can listen with our hearts by reading his written word and meditating on it, discovering what God wants to say to us for today; we can listen with our spirit by quietening our busy minds and focusing on God in praise and worship and in quiet; we can listen to the word of God preached; we can listen to each other. I love this verse….. The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. Isaiah 50-:4. Yes, we can hear God for others too if we will just give him the time to speak. We need to listen in order to be taught by God, and any good relationship is built on two-way conversation. Are you listening today?

Prayer: Thank you God that you are one who hears my cry and listens to my prayers. Help me to listen to you with an understanding heart and be willing to be obedient to what I hear. Amen

Now is the time.... To Reach for the Promise

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

The rainbow has become the sign used by kindergartens, businesses, philosophical groups, but rarely by churches. In fact some Christians have become suspicious of anything with a rainbow sign. I think that is a shame because the rainbow is the sign of God’s covenant to his people. Whenever I see a rainbow in the sky my heart is always reminded of God’s love and promises and it causes praise to rise from my heart to His.

There are times in life when we have to more actively reach for the promises of God than others; times when it’s a battle to remember and hold onto those promises. These are the times that exercise our faith and show what we are made of. In these times the psalms become a great place to meditate and take encouragement from. Many of the psalms (and many of my own poems) have been written from or during times of great difficulty and grief.

As I wrote the last paragraph I got a call to pray for a young couple whose lives will be impacted by loss. My heart goes out to them but I am most thankful for their strong faith, knowing that they have the promises of God’s comfort, strength and plans for their good to draw on at this time. The fight will be on, though, as they work through their grief and try to understand why’.

When bad things happen our first cry is usually “Why God, why?” It is a natural response to something we cannot understand, and it’s okay to ask the question so long as we realise that, this side of heaven, we may never have the answer. When we have asked the question it is then time to turn to God’s word for comfort and strength. The knowledge that He is my Father who loves me and is committed to me and no matter what catastrophes life can bring, His love will not change or diminish in strength. God is for me, so who can be against me.

I love the confession of the psalmist in Psalm 27:13 – 14 where he says, in the face of difficulty, “I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." That is, on this earth. Then he encourages himself, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Sometimes we just have to reach out for that promise, take hold of it and wait. Can you do that?

Prayer: Loving Father, please help me to grasp the promise and comfort from your word that I need today. Help me to confess your faithfulness and speak your truth, for your word, O Lord endures forever. Amen

Now is the time - To Rise Up

Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?.... No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:35,37

One day while I was lining up a lovely picture of a kookaburra on a visit to the vineyards, a noisy mynah bird descended right into my picture as I snapped the shot. The result, as you can see, is a great action shot that I couldn’t have taken if I’d tried, but not the shot I was looking for.

Sometimes life can be like that. Suddenly something will happen that will totally change life as we know it. Trouble descends in many forms, sickness, adversity, redundancy, death, depression… there are any number of ways that life can deal its blows and we get totally thrown off track. The test for us comes in how we respond.

We must always bear in mind the truth of John 10:10 in which Jesus said, “The thief comes only to rob, kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have abundant life”. We should also keep in mind that, as with Job, sometimes God allows adversity to come. I want to share some thoughts that came to me while I was praying for someone who has taken a huge ‘hit’ from the enemy.

The first response for many of us when we get targeted by the enemy is not to get angry at the enemy, but to get depressed. (Not everyone is like me in this but I know that many will be.) Self pity is such a human response that can sometimes take us quite awhile to overcome. It is vital however that we do overcome otherwise it allows a foothold for the enemy to create more chaos for us. Self pity leads to depression, depression can lead to overeating, overeating can lead to self-condemnation or self-loathing which can bring isolation from people and even from God. In times of adversity we need God and we need people, which is why the enemy likes to isolate us by making us feel unacceptable, unworthy or hard done by.

It is imperative that we rise up when trouble descends. If trouble has come then the Lord knows about it and is with us in it. We are not separated from his love, neither are we separated from his help and strength to walk through it to victory. Our job is to grasp the experience with one hand and the word of God with the other and walk through this with praying friends. It is a privilege to stand alongside others in their distress and bring comfort and encouragement to them from the times that the Lord has comforted us (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

Prayer: Dear God of all comfort, please strengthen me to rise up in the midst of every trial that comes my way by grasping the truth of your word. Amen

Now is the time... To Get Out of Your Puddle

He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Isaiah 40:29

Recently we were away for a night to celebrate our anniversary. The weather, being winter, was cool and showery and as we lunched near the marina we were fascinated to see this pigeon just sitting in a puddle. At one stage a child came and shooed it off, it flew off briefly but soon returned to the puddle. Remember, it’s winter and cool, (I can’t say cold or my North American friends laugh and say we don’t know what cold is!). Why on earth would this pigeon want to sit in such an uncomfortable place? I could at least understand it if it was summer. Perhaps one of you is going to shed light on my question.

However, as I pondered this I got to thinking about people who sit in their ‘puddles’. Puddles of self pity, puddles of misery, puddles of pride or poverty, unbelief, bitterness or I-can’t-ness. There are many puddles that we can find ourselves in and sometimes we get like this pigeon and just get comfortable in our discomfort. It becomes a place of familiarity with safety in its own funny way, but it is not a good place to be. The problem is that the longer we stay in our puddle, the harder it can be to get out of it, so we stay right where we are.

Sometimes we try to get others to join us in our puddle and we invite them to pity parties or faith-free forums in which we bemoan our situation and do no service to our poor listeners. Have you ever found yourself in such a puddle? Perhaps you know someone who is in a puddle right now and you are wondering how to help them to dry ground.

There is a way out and it is through faith in the word of God. Often in our ‘puddle times’ we neglect the word of God, but in it lies our strength. I don’t think we realise how much strength there is in the Word. Proverbs 4:21-22 says this, “Don’t lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning.” There is strength in God’s Word and there is a word for every season and every situation, we just have to be a student of the Word.

Amazing things can happen when we take hold of God’s Word and begin to declare it over situations and over our life. Our thinking changes as the Word goes to work in our heart. Psalm 119:30 says “The entrance of Your words gives light.” The Word lights up the darkness that our puddle has brought around us, the darkness of unbelief that keeps us a prisoner of our problems.

The best way we can help someone else out of their puddle is to point them to God’s Word and help them find God’s truth for their trouble. The Word is living and powerful and comes with the grace of God to bring change as we activate it. God’s Word cannot fail because He is the Word. (John 1:1)

Prayer: Father, help me to receive your grace to leave my puddle. Amen

Now is the time..... To Worship

……Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2

Recently there has been a lot going on around me which has taken a toll on my emotions and left me feeling quite fragile. Although I seemed to be doing a lot of talking to the Lord, I wasn’t feeling strengthened and refreshed. One afternoon the thought came to me “Just worship”. So I put on my favourite worship music, lay face down and just worshipped the Lord. I just soaked in the presence of Jesus – my strength and my redeemer, my glory and the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3). During that time my peace was restored, the feeling of fragility left and I came away strengthened and refreshed. There is great healing for our emotions in the presence of the Lord.

Tonight as I write I am sitting beside our dying friend. We think this may be his last night. He cannot really communicate any more but as I read verses from the psalms earlier on, he tried to communicate agreement over the greatness and faithfulness of God. When I stopped reading, thinking he may want a rest from my voice, he became agitated. He turned his head and looked at me through almost vacant eyes. I asked him if he wanted me to read some more and he managed what passed for a ‘yes’. I continued to read and I could tell that he was trying to agree with the truth of the scriptures. We were worshipping the Lord through reading His word and reminding ourselves of God’s goodness and wonderful ways.

There are many ways we can worship the Lord. Another is by walking in his ways, being guided by the wisdom he has given us in His word. This brings great peace and harmony to our life, not to mention the blessing of knowing He is pleased with us.

We were made to worship our God; the need to worship is part of our DNA and without it we lack something very significant in our lives, something that keeps us strengthened and refreshed. I am reminded tonight of the short span of time we have on this earth, not much time to worship our God and make His love and goodness known in the earth. Why not do yourself a favour today – find a way to worship the Lord our God who is worthy to be praised. You will reap a beautiful benefit and your Father in heaven will be pleased.

Prayer: Wonderful and loving God, I praise you and thank you for my life. I thank you that I have life and breath to praise and worship your name. Help me to daily draw my strength from you. Amen