I Will See the Goodness of the Lord

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:13-14 NIV)

Have you ever had “one of those weeks”? You might be saying, “Mark, I have one of those lives!” I often feel bad about expressing how I feel about different life circumstances. I know I’m not supposed to complain or be anxious. I know there is always someone worse off than me. I know that a better day is coming, but to be honest, sometimes I’ve just got to let it out and tell it like it is when life really hurts.

That’s what I love about the Word of God. Father knew what my week would be like and He had the testimonies of Elijah, Job, Habakkuk, Joseph, Thomas, Jesus and especially my fellow worship leader David, and their experiences included in His Word so that I could see that it’s okay to tell Father how I’m feeling. It’s okay to scream out, to cry to agonize and to hurt. However, although Father accepts us as we are, He loves us too much to leave us there. Because after we’ve had our say, He is there like he was with Habakkuk in chapter 1 verse 5 where he answered, “Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” God’s Word not only gives us the freedom to be honest it gives us the hope to endure.

David, after realizing he was up against many things, even death, took comfort in the realization that the Lord was his salvation, his shelter, his helper. Also, David was not content just to say, “a better day is coming”, he stood bold in God’s faithfulness and proclaimed that he’d see God’s goodness here, realizing that in that even in the midst of pain God’s faithfulness shines through; that even in the moments of doubt and fear, God’s presence and promises are near. He refused to forget in the dark what God had already reveled in the light.
Join me today in thanking God for the timeliness and strength that His Word gave us yesterday and gives us today and tomorrow. He is so good!

With you on the journey, MJ

Be Honest With God

“Early the next morning Abraham got up and …. he set out for the place God had told him about.” (Alright God.)

(Genesis 22:3 NIV)

While listening to one of my favorite cd’s sometime ago, I was challenged about the way I respond to God in the midst of the circumstances He allows to come my way. The album begins with a story of a grandmother being awaken at 2am by her daughter and a boyfriend who wants to drop her baby off in order to go away. The grandmother, tired and frustrated, asks her daughter why she continues to do these irresponsible things while the daughter pleads and assures her that this will be the last time. For the next moments you hear the daughter yelling, the baby crying, the boyfriend blowing the car horn, yelling, “hurry up”. Then through the noise and confusion you hear the grandmother’s voice, “alright, Lord, alright.” Then she says to her daughter, “give me the baby”. The result of that response today is a young man who is influencing the world for God.

So often the circumstances in life come in such huge proportions that it’s easy to be blinded by the weight of the hurt, disappointment, sorrow and pain. The Lord has challenged me to try something. It’s a pattern of belief that we see throughout Scripture from men and women of God who were honest with their fear, but realized that God is greater; who were unsure of their future, but confident in their God.

As we read about Queen Esther being challenged to go before the king, risking death, I hear her say, “alright, Lord.” As Stephen knelt down receiving blows from the rocks, as Paul’s body was weighed down by the shackles, as John sat alone before being beheaded, as David rose from his son’s death bed, as Jesus stood up in the garden and faced his captors, and began His walk to the cross, I hear them all say, “alright, God”.
This week, as you and I face life, the good, bad and the ugly of life, let’s try something. Let’s be honest with God about how we are feeling and then as He reveals His answer through His word, His still small voice, and/or through our circumstances, let’s say with confidence in a Sovereign and loving Father, “alright, Lord” and begin walking…early.

With you on the journey, MJ

God Himself Will Provide the Lamb

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.

"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. (Genesis 22:6-8)

Have you ever awoken early in the morning and felt like you are carrying the wood for your own sacrifice on your shoulders? Can you just imagine how Abraham felt that historic morning as he got out of bed and got dressed knowing he had to but not feeling good about the fact that God’s instructions did not come with an option to back out or compromise about killing his son?

Take a moment and think about your life. What impossibility are you facing today? What in your life is weighing so heavy on your heart that you can hardly breathe because of the intense pain?

Put that in perspective to Abraham’s situation. Here he is, a godly man and one day God comes right out and says, “Kill your son!” Abraham, being human like us, probably had deep emotions inside that surrounded his heart. What had God meant; all of the hopes, the dreams, could this be right? Could God really be telling him to kill his son? At that point in his journey, Abraham had nothing to hold on to except God’s promises. God’s word!

If Abraham had looked at his circumstances even if he had just looked at God’s command, he could have been very discouraged and rightly so. The situation he was in looked entirely different than what he had been told. God said that through Isaac that all nations would be blessed and that Isaac would be his heir. Well, if he killed him, how could this be? Abraham had such faith in God at this time that he knew that even if he had killed Isaac that God, in order to keep His promises, would have raised him from the dead in order to keep His word!

What is your Mount Moriah? What are you carrying that is causing you to think that if you have to carry it to the end that it will be an impossibility for God to come through with what He has promised?

Remember, He is Jehovah Jireh – the God Who Provides!!

Stand in Awe

“Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"”

Genesis 18:10-12

It continually makes me stand in awe as I think that the King of kings and Lord of lords loves me, and not that he loves me alone, but also desires for me to be in relationship with Him.

As I read through Scriptures, I notice several times when God is so grieved over man’s unfaithfulness, sin and rebellion, that He states that it is His desire to destroy them. However, as wicked as man has been, God has never destroyed all of mankind. And as a matter of fact, on many occasions, because of the prayers of faithful men, God changed his plan.

No matter how many times God proved his faithfulness, no matter how many times He proved that His promises are true, men and women through Scripture and still today cry, keep silent and or laugh in disbelief because of our lack of faith. Sarah was such a person. God had told Abraham and then Sarah that through them many nations would be born and blessed. Sarah had a hard time believing that especially since she was 90 and Abraham at this time was 100 years old. She had been barren that long, how could she possibly give birth for the first time now?
The Bible teaches that, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2^nd Peter 3:9)

Now, I imagine that God was at least hurt at Sarah’s disbelief, but His was probably also angry. He had provided, led, and guided them without fail up to this point and still she laughed with disbelief. Yet God kept all of His promises and delivered. Right on time!

What a gracious, loving, forgiving God we serve that in spite of our doubt, He still blesses. In spite of our fear, He still delivers! In spite of our unfaithfulness, He remains faithful.

Take a moment and consider the alternative. Do you agree that we indeed have reason to praise him for his faithfulness?

Take a week and do so.
Pastor MJ

Humble Yourselves Before The Lord

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:10 (NIV)

The images are many. From David and Goliath to Rocky and Apollo Creed to the United States of America and the rest of the world; the truths of “pride going before the fall” and “the bigger they are, the harder they fall” remain true.

It has been a flaw in the heart of creation ever since Satan wished to be like God. Pride caused his fall and that same pride caused him to tempt Adam and Eve to think that they could become more than they really were, actually like God.

Scripture teaches us that God is a jealous God. "… for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. Exodus 20:5 (NIV)

He’s not jealous because He’s afraid that someone else will get what’s rightfully His, He’s a jealous God because everything that exists is rightfully his and exists purely and solely for His honor and glory.

Anytime we do or take part in something without thought, concern or regard to what it means for God’s glory, we cross over from humility to pride. There is not a breath that we should take, or a plan we should make that does not first desire God’s will above all else. We are not to fit Him into our plans, rather we are to see His will and allow our plans to flow from His leading and guiding our hearts by the power of His Holy Spirit.

What recent plans have you made that, in your heart, God was not the Prime Mover in? Have you started on any journey that did not have Him at the wheel? Did you remember to say, as Scripture directs in James 4:13-15? (NIV) “Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."”

Today, let’s renew or begin our resolve to be humble before the Lord and allow Him to lead, guide and direct us according to His perfect will, not our own.