Safetypinlove

None of us are exempt from life-altering conditions and/or circumstances that change us. A serious cancer diagnosis, a loss of a spouse, a devastating house fire, or a fatal car wreck can instantly remake our life. And suddenly there we are , looking at the half glass of water…trying to decide if it’s half full, or half empty. In I Peter 4:12-14 it’s quite evident, trials are our destiny, to one degree or another. For in these sufferings we can intimately identify with and unite to Christ & His sufferings for us…and through this participation of suffering, the power of Christ’s resurrection can be manifested in our lives as Christians. We were never promised a life without suffering and it’s our choice to bloom where we’re planted, or to rot in the ground.

Four times in the Old Testament we see a man sit by a well and God brings him his wife. Isaac & Rebekah in Genesis 24:16, Jacob & Rachel in Genesis 29:10, and Moses & Zipporah in Exodus 2:15-21. In John 4:1-42 we see a man sitting by the well – Jesus- and a unnamed Samaritan woman. She was a half-Jew outcast, shunned by even her own people, and a social reject with a scandalous past. But despite it all Jesus had traveled into Samaria for this divine appointment. But the marriage He was arranging was preparation for the Bride of Christ, the Church. His mission and purpose there, to speak eternal words…words of life & living water to that lost woman. This encounter so important in the fact, that it was the first time Jesus declared to anyone that He was the Messiah.

Paul sometimes accepted support for his ministry from the established Churches. But when preaching in a new city where he wanted to exemplify the freeness of the gift offering, he worked for his keep. (Paul was a tent-maker & weaver of black goat hair used for tent material.) But he also plied his trade in Thessalonica to set a strong example for those who were refusing to work. That’s because certain members of the new Church had erroneously concluded that since Christ was returning soon they need not worry about being gainfully employed and instead, wandered from house to house daily gossiping & meddling in other people’s business…to the point of becoming a burden on the rest of the Church members for their needs… when they were fully capable of working. And as a result, their lifestyle had become lazy & undisciplined and the Church was forced to deal with it all.

Many of you may be in the same Season as I of caring for elderly parents. There is a delicate balance of showing respect while keeping them safe, & of honoring who they are while still desiring what is best in the current situation. As this Proverb shows, physical strength may wane, but white hair and wisdom increases with age. And the Lord is constant in His care for His people…from before birth to old age…and we should also be constant in caring for those who first cared for us, with dignity & grace.

Hurt people don’t always have to hurt people. Some of us by the grace of God heal, grow, and live our lives helping others heal, grow, and live for Jesus. So what makes the difference? We can either hang on to our hurts & wear them like a badge of honor, reacting anytime we are confronted with thoughtless & reckless words of retaliation…or we can take to heart God’s Words in Exodus 15:26 when He said, “I am the Lord, Who heals you.” For only the Lord has the power & mercy to heal in the peace of His salvation…our healing from the damage inflicted by sin only coming through Jesus Christ…by whose wounds we are healed. But the decision is ours to either heal, grow & live for Him by submitting to His authority…or holding on to our hurt & growing bitter.

Jesus was back in Cana in Galilee when a royal official from King Herod’s court found Him and begged Jesus to come and heal his son in Capernaum. We are not told if the man was Jew or Gentile, but he had obliviously heard of Jesus performing miracles and was desperate to have Him heal his boy. But Jesus did something extraordinary…He tells the man to go back home, that his son would recover from his illness. But then this man does something equally as extraordinary…he believes what Jesus is telling him. Seven simple words, spoken emphatically, declared, not merely prophesized…but holding the power to heal. Seven words spoken at a distance but yet yielding the divine power to give life back to a dying child. What caused this man to trust Jesus? Was it the authority in His voice…the assurance in His eyes…the trustworthiness in His manner? Whatever the man saw & heard from Jesus, he went away, convinced his son would live.

Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried. The season of being used mightily by the Lord has ended & you feel forgotten, useless, & put out to pasture. But consider this – maybe the Lord has actually planted you and you are being prepared. We all know that seed planted in the soil doesn’t germinate & sprout overnight…there’s a time of development and preparation. Just think, God may be preparing you to burst forth soon for Him. That’s because we are God’s field (I Corinthians 3:9) … and He has promised that we will flourish and still bear fruit in old age. (Psalm 92:12-15)

There will be many times in our life when the path ahead is darkened by confusion, shrouded by pain & suffering, or obscured by grief. That’s when we must remind ourselves of the simple but profound verse in II Corinthians 5:7, “Walk by faith and not by sight.” We may have no idea what the future holds, or what lies in the days ahead…but God does. And we can rely entirely upon His Word with confidence. And so we move forward, one step at a time, in faithfulness and obedience…listening to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit. And He will direct our footsteps according to His Word. (Psalm 119:133)

We get into trouble every time we do what we want. It’s the difference between a self-made life or a sent life…a life filled with pride & ego or a committed life of reverence for the Lord. The fear of the Lord is all about growing in wisdom from the Author of all wisdom, and the ability & joy then to rest satisfied in the care of the Lord.

Paul addressed these precious sisters in the Lord by name concerning some unknown disagreement. These two ladies were not unbelievers, but rather treasured saints who had both worked closely with Paul in establishing the Church in Philippi…possibly charter members & even deaconesses. But now sadly their silly feud threatened to split the Church. Paul asked them, with the help from fellow Believers in the Church, “to agree with each other in the Lord.” In other words, to put aside their differences and become like-minded. (Philippians 2:2) To look beyond their petty bickering and become one in Spirit, purpose, and affection that gladly honors the other…equally yoked together and pulling in the same direction for the sake of the Gospel.