Take Time, and Make Time, to Pray

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.  -Mark 1:35 (KJV) 

I have been dealing with a head cold which doesn’t want to go away.  One round of antibiotics didn’t quite get rid of it and this lingering sinus stuff which creates runny nose, sore throat, and coughing appears to be hanging on.  One of my sons was telling me about his theory of how over the counter cold medicines only make the symptoms last longer.  His advice is to stay hydrated, exercise, take vitamins, and rest.  In other words, tough it out (or suck it up, if you prefer a harsher idiom).  Armed with my son’s advice I have been “toughing it out” and coping with these nagging symptoms the best as I can. 

The latter part about getting rest proved to be problematic last night.  I woke up this morning around 3:30 with my head seriously congested and after trying in vain for around 15 minutes to go back to sleep finally got up.  Our two dogs, Ada and Leon, watched me as I wandered around the kitchen, blowing my nose and sipping strong coffee, and I got the impression from their questioning looks that 3:45 AM was a little too early even for them.  Dogs are wonderfully adaptive creatures however, and after I sat down on the couch in the glow of the Christmas tree lights they settled into a comfortable doze beside me.  It was around then it occurred to me how the Lord may have waked me up for a reason.  Perhaps there was something in my heart which I needed to hand over to God.  As I began to pray and meditate on God’s Word I was flooded with a wonderful peace.  My stuffy head was soon forgotten in the blessed communion which was experienced with my Lord. 

These days I get up most mornings around 5:00 AM, yet this morning, thanks to my head cold, I was given an extended time to pray and seek the Lord.  What followed was a spiritual strengthening which I desperately needed.  Isn’t it something how we will make time for so many pursuits, yet the pursuit of God is often neglected?  This is even more common during these hectic days of Christmas dinners, shopping, family gatherings, and church events.  We seem to be able to find time to do just about everything except spend extended time with the Lord.  When I have a day where I neglect my prayer time I imagine Christ sitting alone somewhere, a sad look on His face, waiting disappointedly because I failed to show up.  He sighs heavily and says, “Dan has stood me up again.  Oh well, maybe he will show up tomorrow and we will have that talk I’ve been looking forward to.”  

Yes, my friends, it’s  that personal.  I am so often too busy to spend time with the Lord, yet He is never too busy to spend time with me.  What about you?  When was the last time you laid aside your hectic schedule, just for a little while, and communed with Christ?  Begin to observe this vital discipline each day and it will make all the difference in your life.   

Take time to meet with the Lord.  He will be waiting for you.  

The Power of Words

¹⁹But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.  ²⁰For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. -Matthew 10:19, 20 (KJV) 

Words are powerful.  They can heal, tear apart, sooth, inflame, calm someone down, and stir others up.  I recall when I was a little boy and I heard the old saying about "sticks and stone can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” I thought to myself even then; “I don’t think I really believe that.”  Words are too powerful to have no effect on us whatsoever.  The right combination of words can make us laugh or make us cry depending on how they are used.   

All the gospel needs is to be told, and while we are to demonstrate the love of Christ in the way we live we will also communicate the gospel with words.  Once the gospel goes out it accomplishes the purposes for which it was sent.  Let us never underestimate the power the gospel when we testify in the name of the Lord.  In fact, Jesus promised the disciples that when the time came the Holy Spirit would give them the words to say.  This applies to us also in the present time.  When we are called upon to testify the Lord will give us the right words to say.  Does this mean a preacher doesn’t have to prepare his sermons?  My friends, the pastor had better be prepared when it comes to preaching the Word.  We as pastors do well to have prayed about and planned what God would have us to say when we step into the pulpit.  We also desire to be open to the leadership of the Spirit as well.  Many times I had planed to say something in a sermon and yet the Lord led me not to.  Other times I had not planned on saying a certain word and the Lord lead me to do so.   

Jesus was referring to those moments when we may find ourselves under duress.  Suddenly, without warning, we are called to testify in the name of the Lord.  If someone was to take you aside and say, “Please tell me what it means to be a Christian. Tell me everything.” what would you say?  Or if they said, “How do I become a follower of Jesus?”  what would we tell them?  We do well to be able to answer such questions.  The person might even say it in a condescending, hateful, and challenging way.  Most of the persecution we endure here in America involves being ignored or not being taken seriously.  We might be laughed at, but that’s nothing.  We might be made fun of; yet again this hardly equals persecution. 

Never underestimate the power of testifying in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Keep on testifying and don’t stop doing so.  And don’t be afraid to talk about matters of faith.  We have nothing to fear, for the Lord is with us.  He will give us the words at the proper time as He promised.  You don’t have to be eloquent or a trained speaker.  You just have to be faithful and willing to testify.  What has Jesus done for you?  The answer is always a powerful testimony.

The Importance of Having Knowledge of God’s Word

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.   -Hosea 4:6 (KJV) 

I have a theory that at some point in their lives all men have the irrepressible desire to restore a classic car.  This desire is in no way dependent upon the knowledge or required skills for such an undertaking.  I have observed men who possessed little mechanical skills of any kind all of a sudden purchase an old car in need of total restoration.  Then after years of tinkering and kicking at flat tires they sell the wreck to anyone willing to take it off their hands. 

I understand these forces perfectly, for I have been experiencing them myself lately.  I was thinking recently how great it would be to have my old 1974 Plymouth Satellite back, a car I drove through my late teen years and sold when I was 24.  The problem is any of this model in existence is in need of such extensive restoration as to be far beyond anything I might undertake.  A hobby such as restoring old cars requires knowledge and skill I simply do not possess.  

God told His people in Hosea 6 that a large part of their problems stemmed from a lack of knowledge of His Word.  The people had become complacent to the point of believing that the outward practice of religion would suffice.  They had forgotten that God desires a changed heart far above going through the motions.  If they had taken time to delve into God’s Word they would have gathered the crucial knowledge of what God required of them. 

Anyone can go through the motions of religion, yet God expects a transformed heart.  Anyone can mutter prayers or even verses of the Bible, yet God expects His followers to have hearts of compassion and mercy.  Most anyone can look fine on the outside, yet a relationship with Jesus Christ changes us from the inside out.  People can easily give lip service to matters of faith, yet Christ has called us to love one another, pray for our enemies, turn the other cheek, forgive those who have wronged us, and practice grace every day.  Such dedicated lives of faith require hearts which have been touch and then changed by the power of God. 

God’s Word is a veritable treasure trove of knowledge on how to live lives which honor God and bring peace to the heart.  Should we reject this vital knowledge we miss out on the blessings the Lord intends for us to have.  Look to God’s Word and begin experiencing the blessings of growing in the knowledge of God.

Finding Peace in Life’s Trials

¹⁷Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.  ¹⁸He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. -Psalm 55:17, 18 (KJV) 

Have you ever considered some of the oddities of the English language?  We say and use them so often we rarely give it much thought.  For example, the phrases, “I could care less” and “I couldn’t care less” have exactly the same meaning.  Or imagine someone trying to learn English and having to figure out the many uses of various words.  Here are a few examples: The bandage was wound around the wound.  They were too close to the door to close it.  And one of my favorites would have to be, “The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.  I like this one because so many people have no clue as to the difference in spelling “desert” and “dessert.”  

Indeed, many words in English are spelled or pronounced the same, yet have completely different meanings.  Consider also how we often make statements that while may sound different also have essentially the same meaning.  When people makes statements such as, “I am so unhappy,” “I feel like I am just barely holding on,” “I don’t know how I will make it through another day,” or “Why have all these bad things happened to me?” they are all expressing similar sentiments regarding the pain and anguish being expressed.   

We often wonder if there is any hope of getting through our problems and experiencing lasting peace.  As difficult as life is there is indeed hope in Christ.  A relationship with the Lord can lift us from the darkness of despair and into the blessed light of Christ.  Countless people are no longer living but instead are simply surviving.  This is not God’s plan for us.  Christ has the power to help us find joy in life even in the center of our struggles, problems, and heartaches.   

There is a good possibility that right now you are facing problems which seem hopeless.  You may find yourself wondering how it’s possible to have any peace and joy in the middle of it all.  My friend, you are not alone.  You need not go through these trials by yourself.  Christ stands ready to offer comfort, assurance, and hope in the midst of whatever you are facing.  Look to the Lord, cling to Him, and do not give up.  Do not despair, for a brighter and blessed day is coming.  

The Lord will bring you through and will never forsake you.  This is Christ’s promise to us.  Claim His promise today.

Trusting God and Dealing With Sickness

⁹The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: ¹⁰I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. -Isaiah 38:9, 10 (KJV) 

As I write this I am battling one of the worst head colds / flu sort of things I have ever had in my entire life.  This has been nagging at me for nearly two weeks and the other day I began to feel a little better.  I even began to feel kind of self-confident and was making plans to visit my favorite Chinese restaurant and enjoy the buffet.  You know, sort of a reward for two weeks of stuffy head, runny nose, persistent cough and sinus headache.  Sadly, this little infection had other plans.  Late in the day this past Friday my cold came back with a vengeance.  The next day, at the urging of my wife, I went to a local urgent care clinic and was found to have a fever of 102.4!  I don’t think I have had a fever that high since I was a child. 

Later one of my sons found out about my temperature and said, “Wow dad; you could have wound up in the hospital in a coma – your brain was just frying you know.”  “Gee, thanks son.”  I replied.  His comment was honest, yet not too reassuring.  Now, about that fever; the doctor immediately placed me on a powerful antibiotic and recommended rest, fluids, and chicken soup to keep up my strength.  So, here I am trying to shake off this bug or whatever it is, and get on with my normal life. 

I went back and read in Isaiah 38 about the illness of King Hezekiah of the Old Testament.  He was a good king; he didn’t worship idols, he led the people back to the worship of God, and by all accounts he sought to be a good man who kept his faith.  And then he was stricken with a sickness.  In fact, Isaiah the Prophet confronted him and told him this sickness would lead to death and he would not recover (Isaiah 38:1).  We don’t know the exact nature of the king’s sickness, yet it had the potential to be fatal.  Earlier today as I lay in the bed, groaning, sweating, and aching all over, I couldn’t help but wonder about good King Hezekiah and his illness.  For a while there I wondered if this is what it feels like to be in the throes of death.  Was God getting ready to call me out of this world?  I began to wonder, for as I said this was as sick as I had been in my life. 

Hezekiah did not give up.  The Scripture says he prayed and asked the Lord for healing.  God answered the king’s prayer and granted him 15 more years (Isaiah 38:2-5).  What a relief to begin to feel better.  Once I am over this illness I intend to throw myself back into my ministry with a new sense of gratitude for my health.  Who knows when any of us might be called out of this world?  Let’s be sure to make the most of life and every opportunity the Lord gives us.  May we ever be faithful with the time we have.   

 

In the meantime I am waiting for the antibiotic to take effect in earnest.  What is needed is more rest, so I am going back to bed now.  See you next time. 

A Greater Treasure

⁶Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: ⁷That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.  -I Peter 1:6, 7 (KJV)

The headline, “Guatemala's trash 'miners' risk lives to find gold” got my attention.  In the country of Guatemala numerous people make their living by daily sorting through toxic trash in search of anything valuable.  They daily risk disease, drowning, and serious injury in search of various metals found in landfills which can then be sold for a profit far exceeding average income.  In a country where the average wage is around $270.00 a month, finding valuables in a toxic landfill becomes extremely tempting. 

The article reminds me of the story I heard many years ago of a man in a third world country who found a shining object in a landfill and brought it home.  What he didn’t know was that it was radioactive material and he unknowingly exposed his entire family to harmful doses of radiation.  This tragic story reminds me of the devastating power of sin and ungodliness in the world today.  The things people view as treasure will often bring to their lives trouble instead of hope and happiness.

The Scripture speaks of faith in Christ as being more valuable than gold.  When our faith is tested it is like a refining process in which our faith is made more pure and perfect.  The encouragement we find in God’s Word is to stand firm and not despair in the face of life’s trials.  Instead know that our faith is being made stronger and purer.  No doubt you are going through some situations which are testing your faith.  When we trust the Lord in these circumstances we do not grow weaker, but instead we grow stronger. 

Faith in Christ, which for the believer is a priceless treasure, is one which will bring us good and not harm.  The treasure of faith is meant to be shared with everyone around us.  They will see the power of Christ in us and will hopefully come to receive Him as Savior.   Do not lose hope and do not give up.  There is hope in the Lord.  Stand firm, for your faith will indeed grow stronger.

He Fills us up with Good Things (God Things)

⁴Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; ⁵Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.  ⁶The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. -Psalm 103:4-6 (KJV) 

A couple of weeks ago I was typing away on a sermon I planned to preach when my fingers began to get ahead of my brain.  It seemed that anytime I attempted to type the words “good things” I inadvertently typed “God things.”   After several episodes of this I sat back in my chair and thought, “Okay, Lord; what are you trying to teach me here today?” The answer came in a quiet conviction of how during those times when we experience the Lord’s power it becomes a “God thing.” The good we experience, whatever the situation, can indeed be Christ’s leading in our lives. 

This isn’t to say the Lord will only work in the good which comes our way; far from it.  Romans 8:28 reminds us “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Be sure to underline this important word “all.” This includes all we experience whether good, bad, or somewhere in between.  What begins as a frustration or trying time may be one of those “God things” in which we will be challenged and strengthened in our faith. 

Consider also that through the process of having our faith strengthened comes a wonderful development of personal growth, peace, and wisdom.  You may not have seen the elephant just yet, but every succeeding trial can result in a strengthening of the total person we are intended to become in Christ Jesus.   

Going through a rough patch right now?  Do not despair or give up.  Look at it as a God thing.  Is your life in a good place?  Be thankful and be watching for the God thing to come about.  The Lord will being blessings, peace, joy, and grace, even in the most trying times.  Claim this blessed promise today.