The Lord is.... (part 4)

By Wendy Wood

The Lord is….. My Portion

Lamentations 3:24  “The Lord is my portion”, says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him”.

Psalm 16:5  “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.”

Psalm 73:26  “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalm 142:5  “I cry to you, O LORD, I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

A portion is an amount that satisfies.  A portion is neither too big, nor too little.  When you go to Claim Jumpers restaurant, you a are served a gigantic dinner on an even bigger plate.  You either leave with a box of food left over or you are uncomfortably full for the rest of the day and maybe even the next day.  The meals at Claim Jumpers are bigger than a portion. On the other hand, you may go to a super fancy restaurant that focuses on the presentation of food, and you have an expensive meal but it is too small to fill you up.  After dinner, you are still hungry. This is probably a ploy to get you to order a beautiful looking, but small, dessert, too. Neither of these scenarios is a true biblical “portion”.  

“The Lord is my portion” means that God is everything we need to be rightly satisfied.  He gives us all that we need in the perfect quantity at the perfect time. We live in a culture of “super size” and “big box” stores.  We are people who are constantly looking for more and more. Whether it is food for a meal or storing up food in a pantry, we tend toward wanting more than enough.  The Lord is my portion is God’s call for us to find complete contentment in him.

Proverbs 30 quotes the wise words of Agur son of Jakeh.  He says in verses 8 and 9, “give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”  This Psalmist knew the dangers of having too much or too little. In either case, we tend to forget God. When we have too many riches, we start to depend on the riches and seek more and more. When we have too little, we start to worry about the future and take matters into our own hands to get more.  We deny God and place our trust in our riches or ourselves. God gives each of us what is “needful for me”. God knows your heart perfectly. He knows what you need and what you don’t need. He knows where you will be tempted and gives you the right portion to sanctify you and draw you to himself.

“The Lord is my portion” means that I am content when my eyes are focused on him and not my circumstances.  Psalm 90:14 says, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad in all our days.”  To “satisfy” is to “fulfill the desires, expectations, or needs of a person and give full contentment to a person”. God, in Christ, has fulfilled our greatest desire and need.  He has given us everything we need in Christ to be content and enjoy him forever. Philippians 4:19 tells us “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  When we are discontent, when we are striving for more and struggling to get what we want, we are not trusting in the glory of Christ. God’s supply of riches in glory in Christ are listed in Ephesians 1. God has given us “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”.  He “chose us in him [Christ]”, he made us “holy and blameless before him”, “he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ”, “in him we have redemption”, “the forgiveness of our trespasses”. The list goes on and on. The Lord is our portion. He has given us everything we need to be satisfied.  He has given us everything we need to be justified and made right with him, which is our greatest need.  

Is the Lord your portion?  Jesus said “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.  For on him God the Father has set his seal” (John 6:27). Are you working for “food” that perishes? A better question might be, “What food that perishes are you working for?”  Do you look to your phone to bring satisfaction after a long day at work? Do you stare at a screen to bring ease and comfort and rest? Do you look to your job for security in reputation and achievement trusting that bonuses or promotions will provide for you and your family?  Is your “food” having children that are well-behaved and achieving success in school? Does your satisfaction or contentment come and go with circumstances or times of plenty and famine? Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).  Jesus is the perfect portion for your heart. He fills our deepest longings and needs so that we can rest content without hunger or thirst for anything else.

The “bread of life” is found in the promises of God which meet every need both present and future.  The Lord is my portion because he is faithful to his promises.  

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your

 God; I will strengthen you, I will help you; I will uphold you with my

 righteous right hand.” 

The presence of God, his strength and help, his grip on you - are what you need.  Those are your portion.

Revelation 21:3  “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold,

the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they

will be his people, and God himself with be with them as their God.”

Eternity is secure for all who place their hope and trust in Christ.  The guarantee of eternity with God, living in his presence, is the portion our souls need.

Philippians 1:6  “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in

you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

God promises to bring to work the process of salvation that started when elected you, called you, regenerated, you, converted you, justified you, adopted you and sanctified you.  He will keep you persevering until you are glorified. Romans 8:30 again promises that “Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”  Your portion is secure! He gives everything you need to bring him to himself and to keep you for all eternity.

Hebrews 13:6  “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not

  fear, what can man do to me?”

God promises to be our helper!  We have no need to fear over what man can do.  When Joseph’s brothers came to him, he declared “What man meant for evil, God meant for good” (Genesis 50:20).  Everything that happens to us, including the sin of others, God uses for His glory which is what is good for us.  Our portion is forever, eternally linked in union with Christ. Our greatest need, to have the Lord be our helper, has been met.

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  God’s path of life looks different from our culture. Culture tells us to seek more riches. Culture tells us we need to newest and latest technology and fashion.  Culture tells us we need a newer car and an expensive education. Culture tells us we should hold a grudge and make someone pay for their sins against us. Culture tells us to save up money so we can retire early.  Culture tells us to have relationships for happiness. God calls us to give generously. God calls us to love our enemies. God calls us to be humble and allow our relationships to sanctify us for his purpose.  

Are you content?  Do you spend time wishing you had different circumstances or different people around you?

What things do you have on “bucket lists” of things to do, buy, or accomplish that will make you happier?  How is this not trusting that the Lord is your portion?

The Lord is... (part 3)

By Wendy Wood, CHCC Counselor

The Lord is…. My rock.

Psalm 18:2  “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Deuteronomy 32:4  “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice.  A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

Isaiah 26:4  “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

The word “rock” in scripture refers to a cliff, a boulder, or a huge rock.  This is not a pebble or a small stone you would throw and skip on a lake. A rock is a solid, large, immovable object.  God refers to himself as a rock because large rocks don’t move. “A rock is battered by a storm and it does not bend. The waves beat against it but it does not fall.  Our weight presses down on it but it does not sink. That is our God: always perfect; always just; always faithful; righteous and upright; never unjust. So you can trust him and cling to him today, tomorrow and every day.”

“The Lord is my rock” means that when life seems uncertain, or when people betray you, or when everything around you is changing, God is sure, faithful and unchanging.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”  The Lord is dependable.  The Lord is the one constant in life you can always count on.  He is faithful and will never let you down. He is unchanging, so his ways and purpose remain the same in bringing honor to himself and working all things for the good of believers.  When your circumstances seem bad to you, you have a rock to depend on.  

This is what Joseph did when he spend over 20 years struggling in Egypt after being sold into slavery.  Joseph’s brothers threw him in a pit, sold him to slave traders, covered his coat with blood and told their father he had been killed.  Joseph was falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown in jail. Joseph was forgotten in jail and left there an extra two years. Through all of this, God, the Rock, had a plan and was working all things for his purpose.  God had never left Joseph. God had never diverted from his plan. No one had thwarted God’s plan.  Everything was working out exactly as God ordained.  

In the midst of difficulty, suffering, false accusations, and fear of the unknown, there is a Rock you can lean on.  God the rock is unchanging, unwavering, solid, immovable, and constant. You can go to the rock for comfort and to find sure footing. When everything in life is shifting in your circumstances, lean on the Rock.

Another aspect of “God is my rock” is the title “cornerstone”.  

Matthew 21:42-44 says, 

“Jesus says to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes?”

There I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him”.

Jesus is the cornerstone.  A cornerstone is a huge rock that unites two masonry walls.  It is a stone representing the starting place. It is essential to a large building.  

Jesus is the rock of faith.  He is the rock of the church.  All believers must have Christ as the starting place.  His gospel remains essential to faith and a relationship with God forever.  Rejecting Jesus as the cornerstone means that you will be crushed by the weight of your own sin.  Jesus is the only way to God.  

Do you take time to think about the cornerstone of your faith?  Do you daily think about what Christ has done for you and that it is his completed work on the cross that gives stability and surety of your relationship with God?

God is my rock means that God is like no one else in His immutability, protection, and faithfulness.  Deuteronomy 32:31 says, “For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies concede.” There is nothing that can replace God.  There is no one who loves like God loves. There is no one who gives grace like God gives grace. There is no one who rules justly like God rules justly.  There is none like Him! Sometimes we try to substitute other gods in place of God. We might believe that reputation, being loved by our spouse, achievements at work or school, having nice stuff, will provide the hope and peace that we so desperately want.  But, God is clear that nothing and no one can replace him. As creatures made by God, we were made to need him and depend on him. Nothing else can fill the God-shaped hole in our souls. 1 Samuel 2:2-3 says “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.  Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.”  No one is like God. 

What are you looking to to be your rock?  Are you trying to depend on your spouse or your kids, or your job, or something else to give you stability and hope?

Only God is the rock that is dependable, unchanging, and who can withstand the weight of your hopes.  

The Lord is.... (part 2)

by Wendy Wood

The Lord is… My Light

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

John 8:12  “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

1 John 1:5  “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Light is defined as “something that makes things visible or affords illumination”.  Light makes things clear and able to distinguish. When we are in the dark, it is difficult to see objects clearly.  We may stumble around our house, tripping on things left on the floor, banging our knees against the coffee table, stubbing a toe on the corner of the doorway, all because we don’t see clearly what is around us.  Darkness can also be a place of fear. Walking down a dark street, we tend to look around us with fear. Our hearts beat a little faster, our senses are on full alert, and we walk faster trying to get to a lighted area.  Darkness reveals our weakness and timidity. Darkness inhibits life. Things that are alive need light to grow and flourish. Without the sun, our universe’s source of light, there would be no life. Earth would be left cold and dead.  Plants must have light to go through the process of photosynthesis. This allows plants to produce food and oxygen for all life on earth. Darkness leaves us blind, fearful and lifeless.

But, if we have light, all that changes.  Light gives us the ability to see things clearly, to have life, and to experience courage.  God is light. God gives us the ability to see Him clearly and to see ourselves clearly in relation to Him.  God gives us life. He is the Creator of life and sustainer of life. In Him we have eternal life. God is the source of courage.  It is in His strength and presence that we can act boldly in faith.

Psalm 119:130 tells us “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”  Without God’s word, we are left unable to see clearly, trying to figure out life on our own. We are self-centered and look for ways to solve our problems without God.   Before the fall in Genesis 3, man was made to depend on God for water, food, shelter, wisdom, understanding, and companionship. God graciously gives us the light of his word.  Psalm 119:25 says “My soul clings to dust; give me life according to your word.” On our own, we cling to worthless things. We are blinded to seeing ourselves clearly. Our sin blinds us to our own sinfulness.  Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. Without the word of God, we fail to see our need for Christ. We are left to stumble and fall in the darkness of a sinful world. God is light.  God’s word is light. God reveals himself to us. God declares himself in Exodus 20:2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” In Isaiah 43:3 God states, “For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”  In John 14:6 Jesus makes known, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” God tells us who he is. He reveals himself in the light of his word. He is our God. He is our Creator. He is our Lord. He is our Savior. He is the way. He is truth.  He is life. God shows us the way to think about him and us. Scripture tells us that we are sinners and that our sin separates us from God. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).  The light of God’s word exposes our sinfulness and reveals God’s holiness. In light of who God is and who we are, we see life clearly. We need a holy Savior and Redeemer. We need to depend on God to show us our sin. God’s word is “living and active, sharper than any double edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joint and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  God is light. He exposes our need for Him through the light of His word.  

God is light.  He is the Creator and Giver of life.  “The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1).  It is only in Christ that we experience life. Light is necessary for our life.  John 1:3-4 says “All things were made through him and without him not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” We are born dead. Our sin separates us from God and makes us spiritually dead to truth.  Ephesians 2:1 says “And you were dead in the trespasses and sin in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we are once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”  We were dead. We all naturally choose sin and selfishness over God and others. God exposes our desperate situation and then is the answer to our problem. He is light and life. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will” (Ephesians 1:7-9a).  As the sun gives what is necessary for life on earth, God gives what is necessary for eternal life with him. God gave us Jesus. God gives us eternal life with him through faith in Jesus Christ. God lights the way out of slavery to sin and into the freedom to be a servant of Christ where true life and joy are found.

God is light.  He gives us courage and confidence to walk obediently with him through life.  God gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and gives us his power to live life in him.  When Paul address Timothy in his second letter, Paul encourages Timothy that God has given him a spirit of power to live boldly.  “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in the suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:7-8).  Instead of being fearful and worrying about what others think of us, or if we can handle a situation on our own, God is the light of courage. His spirit in us grants us everything we need to live content, obedient lives. When we fix our eyes on the Light, we see clearly that this world is not our home.  The courage to live a life that pleases God, not man (including ourselves), is a gift from the Light of the world. With light, we see clearly where God’s path goes. Psalm 119:9 tells us that we can keep our way pure by living according to his word. Psalm 119:19 says, “I am a sojourner on earth; hide not your commandments from me!”  “Your testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24). Psalm 119 is a beautiful song about the glories of God’s word. God’s word is the light to our path. He shows us the way we need to go and gives us the courage to walk that path. Throughout this chapter we see the psalmist entreating God to give him the strength and courage to live it out.  “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (verse 37). It is God who gives us the ability to be faithful. It is God who gives us power to change and be obedient. We participate with him by staying in his word, meditating on His attributes and commands. We step out in faith knowing the Light is always with us.

Which of these descriptions of light do you most need to cling to right now?  God’s light to reveal His own awesomeness and our sinfulness? God’s light to give eternal life in Christ?  Or God’s light to give courage in the face of eternity?

What needs to change in these areas in your thinking, believing, and acting?

Is God your Light?  How are you living in the Light?

The Lord is....

by Wendy Wood, CHCC Counselor

The Lord is ….. My Shepherd

John 10:11  “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Psalm 23:1  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Isaiah 40:11 “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; he gently leads those that have young.”

Sheep are dependent on their shepherd.  A flock of sheep will either flourish under a good shepherd or struggle under a bad shepherd.  A flock of sheep that is cared for by a selfless, gentle, kind, wise and brave shepherd will thrive and grow.  A flock of sheep under a careless, selfish, harsh shepherd will be thin, weak, riddled with disease and will fall prey to wolves and other wild animals.  Sheep are like humans in many ways and that is why God uses this analogy. Sheep are fearful, timid, stubborn and short-sighted. They wander and put themselves in danger.   When scripture refers to people as “sheep without a shepherd” (Numbers 27:17), it is not a compliment! We, too, are fearful, timid, stubborn, short-sighted and get ourselves into dangerous situations.  We were made to be dependent on God, even before the fall, and God is the only true Shepherd.

Jesus is the good shepherd.  He provides everything that we need.  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  The NIV translation says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.”  God, in Christ, has met every single one of our needs. In Christ, we have been justified and made right with God.  In Christ, we have forgiveness and freedom from being enslaved to sin. In Christ we have eternal life with God. In Christ, we have eternal hope and joy.  We lack nothing that we need. You may have some things that you want, but if that was what was best for you, you’d have it. Your good shepherd knows what you need and knows what is best for you.  Philippians 4:19 says “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” The glory that is in Christ Jesus, the forgiveness, grace, mercy, and eternal life with God is all you need.  The Lord is your Shepherd and you lack nothing.

The good Shepherd makes you lie down in green pastures and leads you beside still waters.  Green pastures were hard to come by in the middle east, where David was shepherding when he wrote this Psalm.  A shepherd would have to seek out green pastures for sheep to graze and meticulously plan during dry seasons for the sheep to be fed.  Sheep only lie down when their stomachs are full. “He makes me lie down in green pastures” is a picture of God caring for us and making sure we have what we need.  “He leads me beside still waters” is another picture of God’s care and provision. Sheep will not drink from running water. A wise and good shepherd must find “still waters” and lead sheep there to drink.  God feeds and waters us through His word. He gives us “food that endures to eternal life” (John 6:27) and says to us, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35).  God calls us to green grass and still waters. His ways, revealed in His Word and Son, are the best ways. God’s way of living leads to the rest and peace in our souls that sheep experience Our problem is that we think the grass is greener and the water is sweeter somewhere else.  We want to think that instead of overlooking a sin, holding a grudge will make the other person see their sin. Or we think that spending our money on ourselves will bring happiness instead of giving generously and trusting God’s word that it is better to give than receive. Only when we follow our Shepherd and listen to His voice will we find the contentment of green pastures and still waters.

The good Shepherd rescues His sheep and leads them back to the fold.  “I myself will tend my sheep and make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.  I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.” (Ezekiel 34:15-16) Left on their own, sheep wander down wrong paths and get hurt or get devoured by wolves.  In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parable of a shepherd who has a hundred sheep and will leave the ninety-nine to find the one who has wandered off. God pursues us. John 10:27-28 tells us “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Our shepherd holds onto us. Even when we wander, God pursues, rescues and restores us to the flock. A shepherd has two different instruments to use to bring back a wandering sheep.

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)  The rod is a club-like weapon that a shepherd uses to save the life of a sheep in trouble.  The rod could be used against a lion or bear, the object of danger, or the rod could be used on the sheep.  If a sheep was continually wandering off and putting itself in danger, the shepherd may strike the sheep, even breaking its leg, to keep the sheep from being killed by a wild animal.  The shepherd does not delight in hurting his sheep. But, it may be the most loving thing to do, and necessary to save the sheep’s life. If the shepherd has to break the sheep’s leg, the shepherd would lovingly bind the broken leg and then carry the sheep around his neck.  Keeping the sheep close to him was the shepherd’s protection and loving care. As quoted above from Isaiah 40 “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart”. 

The staff was a more gentle form of guiding sheep, keeping them on the right path, or lifting them over obstacles.  The staff is the candy-cane shaped crook that we associate with shepherds. The shepherd must be close to the sheep to use this tool, and guides the sheep through difficult circumstances or darkened paths at night.  The path remains the same. The path may be treacherous, dark, close to a cliff, or steep and rocky. The shepherd leads and guides the sheep down whatever path is necessary to get to the destination. The gentle nudge of the staff keeps sheep on the right track.  Or, the staff may lift a sheep over an obstacle that is too high or difficult for the sheep to maneuver alone. We experience both the rod and staff at times. Both tools are used in love and protection for us. Sometimes in life we need a rod to break us of a sin of commission or omission, and God causes pain to rescue us and bring us back into close fellowship with Him.  Sometimes God uses a gentle prod of His word or a well spoken word from a friend to reveal changes we need to make. God is the good shepherd who loves us. He pursues us and rescues us from our own stubbornness and wrong choices.

Often times green pastures come after a steep rocky path.  The best path might look like the most difficult path, but that’s the one the Good Shepherd is on with you! 

Questions to think about:

What does the path of your life look like right now?  Are you on a steep rocky path or are you in the meadow?  What evidence do you see of your Shepherd near you? What evidence do you see that you are listening to your Shepherd’s voice and following Him?

Are you seeking the green pasture and quiet water of God’s word and Jesus’ grace?  Or, where are you trying to find your contentment?

Are you resting in the loving care and provision of the Shepherd who knows what you need?  Or, what are the greener pastures you are pursuing?

Are you enjoying the tender care of the Good Shepherd?

Lord, Help My Anxious Thoughts

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

My oldest son has played sports since he was 10 years old.

He excelled in many different positions on the football field, but when he entered college, he was asked to play a new position — one he has never been in before. To say he was anxious is a huge understatement. He made many major mistakes — the type that cost his team wins. The more he tried to correct what he was doing, the worse the situation got. He kept trying different techniques, but the pressure was just too much for him.

He finally found solace when another player gave him some advice that had very little to do with the game. His friend told him his identity was not in how he performed, but his identity was in Christ alone. He told my son he didn’t have to be afraid of failing because God was with him and loved him during every single play of the game — whether good or bad.

The anxiety my son felt trying to perform on the field is the same anxiety my daughter often feels when she’s about to take a test or enter a brand-new social situation.

What my son’s friend told him echoes the words I tell every single one of my kids: You have a resting place, you have help, you have someone to uphold you, and you don’t have to be afraid.

Often when we see our kids struggling, we just want to slap a verse with some commands onto the situation to somehow make it better. We say something like, “Don’t be afraid! You have nothing to be anxious about. Things will be fine.” And while there may be a time and a place for that, it’s better to remind them of all the reasons why they don’t have to be afraid.

God says it so clearly in Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Too often we tend to focus on what our children should be doing — instead of what God has already done and what He promised to continue to do for them. Maybe it’s time to give our anxious kids some good news instead of more commands to stop being fearful. That was exactly the help my son needed. He needed to hear the good news of the gospel. I think we all do.

As believers, we’re promised in Philippians 1:6 that the One who started the work in us will complete it, as the strength to endure comes from Him. We are never left alone to deal with our anxiety. God promises to help us and our kids. He will be my help as I help them.

We each need someone in our life to remind us of these truths and other beneficial ways to support good mental health. In some instances, we need to seek out help from a trusted professional if the anxiety is overwhelming. There is no shame in asking for help.

The truth is, God is holding fast to you and your children, and nothing will ever change that. Pray the Holy Spirit reminds you that you and your kids are held, you are His, He is with you, He promises strength, and He will keep you safe in His care.

Gracious Father, You are trustworthy, and yet I forget that. Too often I try to work out every situation in my own thoughts without once acknowledging You. Give me the right words to help my child. Give me a heart of love and patience. Use me to remind them that You are with them, You will be their God, You will strengthen them. Remind me You will uphold them, You will be their help. Please be my help today. Be my strength today. Remind me that You have promised to love me and my children eternally — and that You will never leave us. Please let me rest and trust in You, and help me teach my kids the same. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (ESV)

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (ESV)

RELATED RESOURCES

If your son or daughter is suffering from anxiety, you probably have more questions than answers: What is causing the anxiety? Is this normal teenage angst or something more serious? What can I do to help? Jessica Thompson’s How to Help Your Anxious Teen: Discovering the Surprising Sources of Their Worries and Fears will help you understand the issues surrounding teenage anxiety and how you and your teen can experience greater freedom and peace.

CONNECT

For more from Jessica, connect with her on Instagram and Twitter at @thejesslou.

Enter to WIN a copy of How to Help Your Anxious Teen by Jessica Thompson. In celebration of this book, Harvest House Publishers is giving away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and email notifications to each one by Monday, August 26.}

REFLECT AND RESPOND

What are some ways you can help your children remember who God is in the middle of their anxiety?

© 2019 by Jessica Thompson. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Harvest House Publishers for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

Posted at: https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2019/08/21/lord-help-my-anxious-heart?fbclid=IwAR38T4b5aAZQvkoqZ_LeWzsaYyB88BKWq-iP5VcfYGbpZhb97cf2KzIEOA8

Humility is Not Hating Yourself

We often think of humility as a rather dreary virtue. We know we need it, but we don’t expect it to be much fun. Kind of like going to the dentist.

C.S. Lewis argued the opposite: “to even get near [humility], even for a moment, is like a drink of cold water to a man in a desert.” Tim Keller preached something similar: “There’s nothing more relaxing than humility.” As he explained, pride grumbles at everything, but humility can joyfully receive life as a gift.

So perhaps we get it backwards: we think humility is an impossible burden, but in reality it is as light as a feather. It is pride that makes life gray and drab; humility brings out the color. Why do we get this wrong? I don’t know, but part of the answer might be we simply misunderstand what humility is. Here are two ways we do so, in particular.

1. Humility Isn’t Hiding

Humility is not hiding your talents and abilities. If you can paint like Van Gogh, humility does not require you to keep your work under a veil in the basement closet. If you can pitch a 95-mile-per-hour fastball, humility will not encourage you to sit on the bench and never tell the coach.

In The Screwtape Letters, one devil advises another,

The Enemy wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another. The Enemy wants him, in the end, to be so free from any bias in his own favor that he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his neighbor’s talents — or in a sunrise, an elephant, or a waterfall.

If Lewis is right, then denying your talents is not humble — if anything, it is the opposite, since you are still focused on yourself, biased for or against yourself as an exception to the rest of the human race. Humility means the death of this craving, self-referential framework. It means valuing your contribution to the world alongside every other good thing in the world.

“True humility always produces joy. If we lack joy, we know we’ve got a counterfeit.”TweetShare on Facebook

So, imagine you are part of a team of doctors working to cure a disease. You make a discovery that contributes approximately 25% toward finding the cure. Another doctor then makes a different discovery that contributes the remaining 75% toward finding the cure. Humility means you are pleased with your accomplishment, and able to speak freely about it, while simultaneously and effortlessly three times more pleased with your colleague’s effort.

To be such a person is not a burden, but a joy and freedom.

2. Humility Isn’t Self-Hatred

Humility is not self-hatred, self-neglect, or self-punishment. The Bible never says, “Hate yourself; instead love your neighbor.” It says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Self-hatred is actually sinful, no less than hatred of others (just as suicide is a form of murder).

Musician Andrew Peterson has a song entitled “Be Kind to Yourself.” The notion of self-kindness can be misunderstood, to be sure. It must be distinguished from self-indulgence. But there is a way to take care of yourself, to genuinely have regard for yourself, that is healthy and makes you more useful to others. As I often say in counseling situations, true self-care is not selfish.

Many in our society struggle with a sense of shame, inferiority, and a lack of self-worth. We must sharply distinguish such feelings from the goal of humility. Whatever else humility will require of you, it will never rob you of your dignity as an image-bearer of God. Humble people do not regard their own existence as an evil. They do not regard themselves as corrupting everything they touch, or wasting the space in which they move. They can walk about freely in the world, with a bounce in their step.

Humility’s Acid Test

Okay, if that’s what humility isn’t, what is it? I love how Keller (following Lewis) speaks of humility as self-forgetfulness — it’s not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Both hiding your talents and hating yourself are forms of self-preoccupation, whereas humility leads us into freedom from thoughts of self altogether.

Lewis helps us once again,

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

“Pride grumbles at everything, but humility can joyfully receive life as a gift.”TweetShare on Facebook

Lewis’s word cheerful strikes me, as well as his emphasis on the enjoyment of life. This reminds me that joy is a good acid test of humility, and our entire spirituality. True humility always produces joy. If we lack joy, we know we’ve got a counterfeit. Something is misfiring.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that humility always will feeluplifting and comfortable. There will be arduous moments. But the net result will be, like exercise or a healthy diet, distinctly pleasant. So, we can think of humility like this: self-forgetfulness leading to joy.

Great Model of Humility

In the Christian gospel, we are given the ultimate picture of humility: Jesus, in his incarnation, and especially in his death and burial. “Being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). No one ever humbled himself more than Jesus. From heaven to crucifixion is the ultimate descent. Yet even for Jesus, humility was the pathway to joy (Hebrews 12:2) and glory (Philippians 2:9–11).

If we would like to grow in humility, the place to start is here, at the cross. Christ’s humiliation is the death of all ego and swagger. There is no room for pride before the crucified Savior. And his exaltation gives us a greater glory to live for than our own. Heaven is roaring with his praise, and one day every knee will bow before him — what a waste to spend our talents on any lesser cause!

So, humility is not hiding what you can do, or hating who you are. It’s the joy of thinking about yourself less, and about Jesus more.

Gavin Ortlund (@gavinortlund) is a research fellow at the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He writes regularly at Soliloquium.

Wisely Handling the Book of Proverbs

RC Sproul

Every culture seems to have its own unique, collected wisdom, pithy insights of the wise. Oftentimes, these tidbits of wisdom are preserved in the form of the proverb. We have proverbial sayings in American culture. I am thinking of sayings such as “A stitch in time saves nine” or “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

The Bible, of course, has an entire book of such pithy sayings—the book of Proverbs. However, this compilation of proverbial wisdom is different from all other such collections in that these sayings reflect not just human wisdom but divine wisdom, for these proverbs are inspired by God.

Still, we must be very careful in how we approach and implement these wise sayings. Simply because they are inspired does not mean that the biblical proverbs are like laws, imposing a universal obligation. Yet, some people treat them as if they were divine commandments. If we regard them in that way, we run into all kinds of trouble. Even divinely inspired proverbs do not necessarily apply to all life situations. Rather, they reflect insights that are generally true.

To illustrate this point, let me remind you of two of our own culture’s proverbs. First, we often say, “Look before you leap.” That is a valuable insight. But we have another proverb that seems to contradict it: “He who hesitates is lost.” If we tried to apply both of these proverbs at the same time and in the same way in every situation, we would be thoroughly confused. In many situations, wisdom dictates that we examine carefully where we should place our steps next so that we are not moving blindly. At the same time, we cannot be so paralyzed in our evaluation of the pros and cons of our next move that we hesitate too long before making a decision and lose opportunities when they present themselves to us.

Naturally, it does not really bother us to find seemingly contradictory proverbs in our own cultural wisdom. But when we discover them in the Bible, we find ourselves wrestling with questions about the trustworthiness of Scripture. Let me cite one well-known example. The book of Proverbs says, “Answer not a fool according to his folly” (26:4a). Then, in the very next verse, we read, “Answer a fool according to his folly” (26:5a). How can we follow these opposite instructions? How can both be statements of wisdom?

Again, just as in the example I gave above, the answer depends on the situation. There are certain circumstances when it is not wise to answer a fool according to his folly, but there are other circumstances when it is wise to answer a fool according to his folly. Proverbs 26:4 says, “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself” (emphasis added). If someone is speaking foolishness, it is generally not wise to try to talk to him. Such a discussion will go nowhere, and the one who tries to carry on the discussion with the fool is in danger of falling into the same foolishness. In other words, there are circumstances when we are better off saying nothing.

At other times, however, it can be helpful to answer a fool according to his folly. Proverbs 26:5 says, “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (emphasis added). Although it was made an art form by the ancient Greek philosophers, the Hebrews understood and in biblical teaching sometimes used one of the most effective ways of arguing with another person. I am referring to the reductio ad absurdum, which reduces the other person’s argument to absurdity. By means of this technique, it is possible to show a person the necessary, logical conclusion that flows out of his argument, and so demonstrate that his premises lead ultimately to an absurd conclusion. So, when a person has a foolish premise and gives a foolish argument, it can at times be very effective to answer the fool according to his folly. You step over onto his territory and say, “Okay, I’ll take your position for argument’s sake, and I’m going to take it to its logical conclusion and show you the foolishness of it.”

So, the book of Proverbs is concerned to give us practical guidelines for daily experience. It is a neglected treasure of the Old Testament, with untold riches lying in wait in its pages to guide our lives. It holds real, concrete advice that comes from the mind of God Himself. If we want wisdom, this is the fountain from which to drink. He who is foolish will neglect this fountain. He who is hungry for God’s wisdom will drink deeply from it. We need to listen to the wisdom of God so that we can cut through the many distractions and confusions of modern life. But, as with the entirety of the Word of God, we need to be zealous to learn how to handle the book of Proverbs properly.

Posted at: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/wisely-handling-book-proverbs/

The Proverbs Man: A Study in Proverbs 31

James Fields - CHCC Counselor

We often hear about how amazing the Proverbs 31 wife is. She is highly praised, loved, and even dreaded by many. But there’s something we often overlook in this passage: her husband. What does the man of Proverbs 31 look like? How do the two of them interact? What makes their marriage something worthy of celebration?

Today we’re going to focus in on 5 qualities of the Proverbs 31 man. Men, this will give us a goal to strive for, a target for what it looks like to be a godly husband.

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels

1) The Proverbs Man treasures his wife. When I first met Steph, I was immediately impressed by her hard work ethic. As I got to know her better I was drawn in by the strength of her character and how she would not let deceit stand. She would call people out for their wrong doing, and embrace them with her warm, loving, outgoing personality. These traits are just a few of the reasons my wife is so great and why I ultimately decided I wanted to marry her. If I could talk with each of you reading this, I know I’d hear similar stories about how great the character of your spouse is.

Let’s face it, your wife is awesome. When you were dating her you were constantly enthralled by who she is. How she dealt with the world around her and especially how she treated you caused you great joy. And in the end, you married her for it. You found reason to delight in her, and that’s exactly what the Proverbs Man ought to do.

Delighting in your wife came easily to you when you were dating, but sometimes it can become harder as life moves on. Don’t forget how amazing she is! If you spend more time on your hobbies, watching Netflix, or hanging out with friends than you spend enjoying your wife’s company, you demonstrate that your treasure is not your wife.

Stop right now, and write down a list of the amazing things she’s done over the last week. Let her know how much you care about her and love her. Tell her what she did recently that wowed you.

The heart of her husband trusts in her. vs 11

2) The Proverbs Man trusts his wife. I had a boss named Rick early on at my last job. He was a truly caring boss. He would ask you how you were doing, and honestly wanted to know. He would ask your opinions on how to improve the store, and he would demonstrate trust in you. He did this in several ways. First, if you had a crazy idea, he’d let you run with it even if he didn’t agree. I remember on one occasion I had an idea for improving the store. He could tell I was passionate about it, and he gave me his full support. Later he came to me and told me “You know, I didn’t agree with this idea. I didn’t think it would work, but you proved me wrong.” That’s the kind of guy he was. He would give his support to you and help you succeed.

On the other hand, I’ve had leaders who micro-managed me. In that environment, I felt stifled and incompetent. My skills didn’t change, I was still a hard worker and would seek to do the best I could for the people I was working for, but the joy in my work and the outcome of it was less than it could have been. For Rick I was rewarded with trust, with others I was torn down with thoughtless words. Godly leadership lovingly seeks to grow and aide whereas fleshly leadership often seeks to control via micromanagement and extraneous rules.

The Proverbs Man is a trusting leader. He knows his wife is amazing and capable and he seeks to help her succeed even if he’s not sure the idea will pan out. By trusting her he builds her up. She becomes more confident in her abilities and seeks to do him good in return. Her hard work, creativity, knowledge, and skill blossom into something unexplainable due in part to the trust of her adoring husband.

He praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” vs. 29

3) The Proverbs Man praises his wife. How do you compliment your wife? I’ve heard many men (Christian and otherwise) praise their wife by saying “Dang you’re hot” or “You’re so beautiful.” By giving her compliments for her physical beauty you compliment something she has little control over. God made her look the way she does, though she maintains limited control over it. When you compliment her beauty, you’re not complimenting her so much as the work God did in her physical creation. Notice the Proverbs Man didn’t praise his wife’s beauty, instead he praised her character: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” He lifts up her hard work, points to the places she’s put her effort and says, “Babe, you’ve done awesomely!” The Proverbs Man listens to his wife talk about her day and finds the areas deserving of praise. When was the last time you complimented your wife’s character?

Her children rise up and call her blessed vs 28

4) The Proverbs Man teaches his children. I love that this is the natural conclusion to point three. The Proverbs Man, in praising his wife, teaches their children to follow his example. He’s setting a standard of how to treat a woman (and especially a wife!), and enforced it with his kids. I have some close friends where the husband has done very well with this. He praises his wife after every meal, and the kids always chime in “Yeah mom, this was the best meal ever!” How kids treat their mother is often a practical demonstration of how they see their father treat her. You can’t make your kids act nice, but you can show them by your godly example how they ought to live. You can teach them with your words and godly discipline the right way to behave.

What do your kids say about their mother? Do they follow in your footsteps? Do you need to do a better job of demonstrating biblical love to your wife?

Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. vs 31

5) The Proverbs Man doesn’t deprive his wife. A Proverbs Man gives her not only what she needs but also gives her the freedom to get what she wants. Remember, he trusts her completely and she flourishes under that trust. Letting her keep the earnings of her hard work allows her the freedom to continue to be the hard worker you know her to be. By not depriving her of the fruits of her labor, you demonstrate the trust that you ought to have in your wife, and you allow her to have the freedom to pour out blessings on all that she touches.

The Proverbs Man also gives her the accolades her work deserves. I imagine the Proverbs Man in the city gate, bragging about the clothes she made him. He shows off the fact that the pockets are big enough to hold his kindle and tells everyone about just how wise she is for buying that orchard. He brags about her is a loving way. His words lift her up at home and wherever his work takes him.

What other ways can you reward your wife? The passage doesn’t call for it here, but you can take her on a date to that restaurant she likes or buy her a that thing she’s been wanting but in prudence hasn’t bought yet. Find what she loves most and reward her with more of it. Seek to make her happy with your actions and your sacrifices.

But my wife…

I anticipate that some of you reading this will be inclined to say these principles do not apply to you because your wife is not a Proverbs 31 wife. The Bible doesn’t say we should treat people how they deserve to be treated, it says we should treat them like we want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). Honoring our wives may be a challenge at times, but no matter how hard it may seem, we are called love them with the same sacrificial love that Jesus loved us (Ephesians 5:25).

Men, God has called us to treat our wives better than we are fleshly inclined. To be the godly man of Proverbs, we must love our wives, invest in them, praise them, and reward them with the fruit of their labor. He has called us to raise up our children to be godly little ones, who see the value in others and praise them for it. When we as husbands act in this way, it will stir up in the hearts of our wives passions we wouldn’t otherwise see. When we act in the same way as the Proverbs Man, our marriage begins to take a path that leads to a place of contentment and joy. And that is something worth celebrating!

James Fields

James has been married to his awesome wife since 2012. He enjoys cooking, playing games, and growing in his walk with God.

God’s Will Is Not Like Siri

Will Anderson

A friend smiled across the dinner table. “So, you’re moving to another state? Exciting! How did God reveal his will to you?”

My wife and I glanced at each other knowingly, scrambling to answer honestly without making our friend feel awkward. As far as we knew God hadn’t said anything about our move. No specific direction, no goosebumps in prayer, no timely Bible verses about sojourning to a far-off land.   

We had done our best to honor God in this move—praying together, seeking advice from friends and mentors, planning and saving for years. Yet whenever the topic came up, what people really wanted to know was how God spoke to us to reveal his will. 

People seemed to assume God always provides tangible, individualized counsel for life’s big decisions. Admittedly, the thought of receiving a custom message from the Lord, transmitted just for the Andersons, is exciting. And I don’t dismiss that longing, given the glorious hope of communicating with God face to face in ways unimaginable now (Matt. 5:8; 1 Cor. 13:12; Rev. 22:3–4). 

Maybe you’ve been there too, facing a significant decision and wondering how to discern what God wants you to do. Life’s weighty decisions—where to attend college, whom to marry, whether to take that job—make us crave divine direction. But is it realistic, or biblical, to expect an audible “go for it” (or tangible equivalent) from God before making every major decision? 

What Do We Mean By ‘God’s Will’?

Clear language matters. Unfortunately the way we define the will of God is often quite unclear in the church. Kevin DeYoung explains the confusion:

The “will of God” is one of the most confusing phrases in the Christian vocabulary. Sometimes we speak of all things happening according to God’s will. Other times we talk about being obedient and doing the will of God. And still other times we talk about finding the will of God.

Let’s turn briefly to Scripture for clarity. Theologians commonly speak of two aspects of God’s will: his will of decree and his will of desire (often called God’s secret and revealed will, respectively).  

1. God’s (Secret) Will of Decree

God’s will of decree means he sovereignly ordains all things. He totally controls the goings-on of the world. This soaring truth is seen in passages like Ephesians 1:11: “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

Nothing can hinder God’s plans. History, as well as our individual lives, are moving toward the destination God intends. This is good news because God’s heart for us, and the world, is to redeem, purify, and make whole (Rev. 21:1–5).

2. God’s (Revealed) Will of Desire

God’s will of desire refers to his biblical commands: how he wants us to live. As moderns we tend to resist imperatives, but for believers they’re the gift of a good Father who lights our path rather than leaving us to stumble blindly (Ps. 119:105).

Jesus masterfully summarizes the will of the Father in two clear commands: love God and love neighbor (Matt. 22:37–40). If you’re looking for get-to-the-point theology about God’s will, there it is.

God’s will of desire means we know what he expects of us. Instead of grasping for an individualized plan for our lives, Scripture universalizes his will for all believers: everything boils down to loving God and neighbor. 

Love God and love neighbor. If you’re looking for get-to-the-point theology about God’s will, there it is.

God’s Will of Direction

Still, some wonder if God reveals his will for everyday decisions not directly addressed in Scripture. In addition to his will of decree and desire, people seek his will of direction. 

You’re at a fork in the road, poised between option A and B. Which way, Lord, should I go? 

The issue isn’t in the question; we should seek God for wisdom (James 1:5). The problem is how we expect God to answer. The popular conception is that God, through some obvious means, will answer us. Perhaps it’s option A vanishing, or a feeling we get in prayer, or a Bible verse that seems to nudge us in one direction, or . . . fill in the blank.

But what if much of the time God simply invites us to choose? What if option A or B fall equally within his will, in ways we can’t explain or comprehend? What if, instead of option A versus option B, God is actually interested in how we walk the road, not which road we take?

Again, DeYoung is helpful:

God is not a Magic 8-Ball we shake up and peer into whenever we have a decision to make. He is a good God who gives us brains, shows us the way of obedience, and invites us to take risks for him. We know God has a plan for our lives. That’s wonderful. The problem is we think he’s going to tell us the wonderful plan before it unfolds. We feel like we can know—and need to know—what God wants every step of the way. But such preoccupation with finding God’s will, as well-intentioned as the desire may be, is more folly than freedom.

Along those lines, a friend once shared this principle in a sermon: “God’s will is a compass, not a road map.” 

We’re often preoccupied with the destination—where God wants to take us. But maybe he’s most interested in who he’s shaping along the way. The point is not to disparage well-meaning Christians from wholeheartedly seeking God’s will for their lives. It’s just that . . . maybe he’s already told us! 

God’s will is a compass, not a road map.

Unsustainable Expectation

For too long faithful saints have been told that God’s will, like a divine Siri, will call out step-by-step directions at every juncture. When God doesn’t direct in this way, a plethora of false narratives about him are born. In the perceived silence, some contrive answers, putting words in God’s mouth. Some feel abandoned by God, like he’s left them in a lurch. Others feel guilt, assuming God is being dismissive because they lack faith or have sinned in some unforgivable way. And still others become paralyzed, frozen in indecision until the desired answer comes, if it ever does. 

Ultimately, the expectation for God to reveal every decision for us is unsustainable. There’s a better way.  

Freedom of God’s Will

It’s been about six months since my wife and I moved; and, for multiple reasons, we’ve now moved back home. Here’s the new question we’re getting these days: “So, do you regret moving away in the first place?” 

Our answer is a resounding no. Moving out of state wasn’t a step out of God’s will. Things didn’t turn out how we thought they might, but the beauty of God’s will is that returning to square one isn’t a bad thing. God’s resets are progress, even when they shatter our paradigms of advancement and success. 

God’s resets are progress, even when they shatter our paradigms of advancement and success.

What was God’s will for us in this move? I don’t fully know, but what I can say confidently is that my wife and I have drawn closer to Jesus in these past six months. We’ve stared into the gaping holes in our faith, asked for forgiveness, and tried to learn how to fulfill Jesus’s words to love him and neighbor with everything we have. We know that, regardless of which city we’re in, this is his will for us. 

Do you see the freedom in this view?

Since God’s sovereign hand can’t be thwarted, ditch your fear of wandering irrevocably off the path of his will. Stop fretting that you’ve rabbit-trailed beyond the bounds of providence. Plan, obey biblical principles, seek the counsel of others, bathe it in prayer, then make a decision! Don’t worry if God isn’t calling out turn-by-turn directions along the way. Just love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength—that’s your true north.

Will Anderson (MA, Talbot School of Theology) is a pastor at Mariners Church in Irvine, California.

Posted at: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/gods-will-not-like-siri/

Hang on to God in Hard Times

Shepherd’s Press

Psalm 46 was written for difficult times, times like this past weekend in El Paso and Dayton. These opening verses are filled with the drama of life-dominating events. But even in chaos and turmoil, God is our refuge, the one we can hang on to:

“God is our refuge and strength,

a helper who is always found

in times of trouble.

Therefore we will not be afraid,

though the earth trembles

and the mountains topple

into the depths of the seas,

though its water roars and foams

and the mountains quake with its turmoil.”

Jacob was someone who knew that he needed to trust God. He made a mess out of his life. He struggled with God and with people. He conspired with his mother to steal his brother Esau’s birthright and blessing. He was deceived by his father-in-law about whom he would marry. He, in turn, managed to turn the tables and deceived his father-in-law to get his best livestock. Finally, it all caught up with Jacob. He fled from his father-in-law only to learn that Esau was coming to find him. One night when he was alone and worried he came across a man. But it was not just an ordinary man. Jacob wrestled with the man all through the night and would not let him go. The man, actually an angel of God or a theophany, responded by injuring his hip. But, still, Jacob would still not let go, so we read in Genesis 32:

Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

Jacob, the conniver, the con artist, is nonetheless a model for your faith. He held on to God with all that he had. He understood this is God’s world and he needed the blessing of God to survive. Jacob’s story is not one that would be typically held out as a model to follow. But throughout his life, he knew that God was God and he was not. Hebrews 11 lists Jacob as a man who lived by faith.

As Psalm 46 reminds us that the God of Jacob is our refuge and our strength. No, Jacob did not get everything right. But he got God right. Jacob is an example to you and to me that our hope lies not in how good we are, but in how good God is. Jacob knew that the most important thing in life is clinging to the promises of a faithful God. Many of the days of humanity are dark. But even in the darkest valley, God is still our God and merciful shepherd. Follow Jacob and hang on to the living God of heaven and earth!

Posted at: https://www.shepherdpress.com/hang-on-to-god-in-hard-times/?fbclid=IwAR2E80pC6IFeL-NEq9cxdmHMWUZf_9vGptXMZMU438TISXTDXhMunVPx5KY