The Christian life is no walk in the park. The modern popular message, however, would have us believe that prosperity and a trouble-free life awaits all sincere disciples. Little wonder that preachers of this health-and-wealth gospel attract large crowds. After all, who wouldn’t want the best that this world has to offer as well as the life to come! Problem is, there is little evidence that Jesus ever preached anything remotely close to today’s popular message.

These statements by Jesus are an inconvenient truth compared to today’s popular message: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” (John 15:18) … “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) … “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24).

Better that we should have a true view of the reality of the Christian life than to be misled by the hollow promise of glitter and gold. As one modern writer has said, “This is no cruise ship; it’s a battleship.”

King David, a man well acquainted with the challenges and battles in being a man of God wrote, “Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in Yahweh” (Psalm 31:24). If our hope is in the health-and-wealth gospel we are destined for disappointment, but if our hope is in our Father, the One true God who is a constant source of strength in both prosperity and adversity, then we find strength and hope in all the seasons of life.

The body of Christ is designed to be a safe haven in the storms of life that inevitably besiege every believer. There is general encouragement found in the present of a group of believers but there is very specific help found in partnering closely with one or two like-minded believers. “No man is an island”, and the Christian life is not strictly an individual matter. Our lives were meant to be lived out in the context of a family of believers, in genuine authentic relationship.

“Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in Yahweh”. The God of all strength will provide courage and strength, and very often He provides it through His people. Stay connected and stay strong.

Steve

Few things are as distressing as family problems. Tension with people we are inseparably bound to in relationship is agonizing but fortunately, even amidst the worst family conflicts, most of us don’t have sons who are bent on killing us.

Many of our English Bibles preface Psalm 3 with the words, “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.” The tragic story is recorded in 2 Samuel 15 and was one of the most agonizing chapters in King David’s life. His own son had successfully led an uprising against him and forced him to flee from his home and his throne as king. Although David pleaded for his soldier’s to spare Absalom’s life he was killed amidst the conflict.

A lesser man of faith would have given in to despair, but David remained resolute amidst this horrific storm. “But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about.” (Psalm 3:3-6)

Sleep is often elusive amidst our worst problems but David was able to declare, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.” Sounds sleep amidst crisis and trial is a tribute to resolute faith.

Of the various crises you have faced thus far in life, have any of them overwhelmed you? If they had you would not be reading these words today. The fact is, our Father has sustained, provided and protected thus far in each of our lives. The outcome may not always have been as we had wished but the fact remains that He has intervened. And that is the precedent for what He will for us in the future.

David’s incredible faith and optimism was based on God’s “track record” in his life thus far, and so he could say, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about.” This was not idealistic wishful thinking; this is rock-solid faith for today based upon God’s work in the past.

Life is full of challenges and you may be facing a special challenge just now in your life. The basis for optimism and faith amidst this challenge is God’s work and provision in the past. As He has provided in the past, so He will today.

May you find His strength and sense His shield today and always.

Steve

The talk these days is about passion. The assumption is that the secret to a fulfilling life is to discover your passion and pursue it. Perhaps, but cultivating the right passion is foundational.

“his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:2-3)

I discovered a few years ago that there is a huge difference between knowing God’s word and loving it. I’ve met far better Bible students than myself who had an impressive intellectual grasp of the Bible but who didn’t seem driven to live and proclaim it. They knew truth but seemed to have little passion for it. In contrast, I’ve met people with a fairly simple understanding of the Bible who were passionate to live and share it.

It is a passionate love for God’s word that allows us to be like “a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season”. Mere familiarity with God’s word will not accomplish what a passionate love for it will.

Sometimes there is an assumption that “deep” Bible study is reserved for the intellectuals and scholars. In reality, the “deep” things of the Bible are not expert understandings of prophecies but putting in to practice what God’s word says. The tree that bears fruit is that of the doer, not merely the hearer and reader.

The simplest way to study the Bible is to read and look for answers to these basic questions: (1) What does it say?, and (2) what does it say to me? When we consider both the meaning of the passage and the personal application of it we’ve gone a long way in developing a passion for God’s word. From there we meditate on it “day and night” – constantly pondering the significance of what we’re read and its implications for action in our lives.

Discovering passion is important, but cultivating a passion for God’s word is considerably more important. May a true delight in His word be both your joy and your foundation.

Steve

We’re getting ready to shout even while we’re crying.

“Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

This present age, in contrast to those who would call it an age of enlightenment, is in reality an era of darkness. The daily news is a catalog of injustice and atrocities that so well characterizes this age of weeping and grief.

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness … for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5). We live in this age of darkness but we don’t belong to it. Our destiny is The Day.

A “shout of joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). How many times have loads seemed lighter, or illnesses eased when morning comes? Imagine the relief when the ultimate Morning dawns! The shouting will overwhelm the previous night’s grieving.

By nature I’m not a morning person. The bane of my existence is the inconvenient shriek of the morning alarm. But these days my morning walk coincides with the darkness of night giving way to the bluish-yellow glow of dawn, and there is something awe-inspiring in seeing the birth of a new day, ripe with possibilities and potential. Who knows? This day could be That Day.

The believer’s true reality is not the sirens of this day’s calamities and tragedies but rather the joy of the Age To Come, and I would prefer to live this day in the hope and expectation of that Day. That perspective allows us to see the shackles and burdens of this age as light and temporary.

As we live this day as though it were That Day we can declare with the Psalmist, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” (Psalm 30:11-12).

Let’s do some shouting today.

Steve

Bad things happen to good people. We desperately wish it were otherwise but unfortunately this is a given in a less-than-perfect world. Consider the heart-cry of an innocent man of God:

“Hear a just cause, O LORD, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; Let Your eyes look with equity. You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent. My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped.” (Psalm 17:1-5)

David is not boasting of his own righteousness; he is objectively stating the fact of his spiritual condition all the while that he calls upon his Father for relief from unfair oppression. A good man is suffering a bad experience.

I’ve endured plenty of “just suffering” – fair punishment for wrong deeds. But I’ve also undergone seasons of opposition and oppression that seemed undeserved. And, like David, I’ve sought relief. More often than not, He supplied strength to endure rather than a plan of escape.

We’ve heard it said that “it’s a jungle out there”. Living the Christian life in the devil’s domain (1 John 5:19) is no walk in the park. We may not face outright opposition as David did, but the unseen enemy will taunt and terrify and do everything possible to destroy us. “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).

A recent conversation reminded me again of an important priority for living in a hostile world – don’t leave home naked. Make certain that you clothe yourself with necessary spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:13-17) in the face of certain opposition and warfare (Ephesians 6:12).

Bad things will happen to good people, and we are those good people. But, as someone has said, “life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it.” As James says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2). He admonishes us to make it a choice to see the potential for good amidst the bad.

Stand strong today, kingdom citizen, because we have a Father who vindicates the cause of His people and provides daily strength for the battle.

Steve

It’s a recession-proof plan. There has yet to be an economic downturn to affect it, no matter how severe.

“You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth. You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth. You have crowned the year with Your bounty, And Your paths drip with fatness.” (Psalm 65:9-11)

God’s abundant provision is a constant in a fickle and changing world. He is immune to budget cuts and supply restrictions. His provision is aptly described with such words as “overflow”, “full”, “abundantly”, “bounty”, and “fatness”.

Is there even the slightest possibility that the God of abundance would fail to provide for His people? The Psalmist says, “I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25). God’s track record of provision is impeccable. Little wonder then that the Psalmist also refers to our Father as the one to whom “all men come” because “You … hear prayer” (Psalm 65:2).

When the world’s supply gives way people who rarely pray beg for help from the God of provision. But how much better to acknowledge Him and His provision always, in both prosperity and adversity. “How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts.” (Psalm 65:4).

Rare is the individual or family not affected by today’s economic downturn. Those closely tied to the world’s provision are suffering from depression and anxiety, even among the family of God. But those with resolute trust in our Father remain steadfast, testifying that “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21). Through thick or thin, we still praise Yahweh, our Father.

Times are tough. The job cut or job loss is draining your meager savings, and the mortgage and/or car payments loom larger than your ability to pay. Retirement income is reduced, and medical bills mount. Making ends meet seems like an elusive goal. And yet “I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25). Either there is a God who provides or there isn’t. And if He exists and does provide, it is in the desperate hours when we are at the end of our trust in the world’s provision that we are ready to accept that which He alone can provide.

In an age of anxiety and uncertainty it is comforting beyond words to trust in the One “Who stills … the tumult of the peoples” (Psalm 65:7). Regardless of circumstances, may the peace that comes through trust refresh your soul this day.

Steve

I’ll dare say there is at least something weighing on your mind today. It might be a financial concern, family conflict, work deadline, or just the burden of living the Christian life in an imperfect world. But you are not the only one carrying that weighty matter:

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation.” (Psalm 68:19)

The Creator of the vast universe and all the intricate creation that surrounds us involves Himself with our burdens and concerns on a daily basis. And, like Father, like Son:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

The burdens you may have thought you were carrying alone are being borne alone by a divine team. Did the weight suddenly seem lighter as that truth soaked in?

“The God who is our salvation” (Psalm 68:19) has bigger things in mind for you and I than the press of the things of this world. If His ultimate plan is for us to rule the world with His Son (Revelation 20:6), then it is totally inconsistent with His plan that the things of this world that we are to rule should conquer us! If His purposes are to succeed then it is imperative that He carry the burdens that threaten to overwhelm us.

The moon has approximately one-seventeenth the gravitational pull that earth exerts on us, a fact attested to by the astronauts of bygone years lightly skipping over the lunar surface in their bulky suits. A different environment made a huge difference with their weight load. And so it is for us with our burdens: conditions are changed as our Father and our Savior take our burdens upon them. A normally weighty burden suddenly weights less, as if it were under the reduced pull of the moon’s gravity. Truly, as Jesus says, “My burden is light”.

The burden you bear today is not yours alone to bear. It may feel as heavy as a large sofa on your back but realize that there is Someone on the front end and Someone else on the back end lifting and so in reality the burden is merely a shadow above you.

May the load feel lighter today as the true reality lifts its weight.

Steve

Sometimes trouble just won’t go away. Conflict with a co-worker or family member, financial burdens, the darkness of depression, health issues. We relate to the Psalmist as he speaks of walking “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4).

The great man of God, King David, was well acquainted with times of trouble and darkness. His candid expressions in the Psalms reveal his heart:

“Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away; Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed. And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O LORD– how long? Return, O LORD, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness. For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks? I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. My eye has wasted away with grief; It has become old because of all my adversaries.” (Psalm 6:2-7)

These may sound like the words of a man destined for the psychiatrist’s couch, but it truth they are the honest words of a man in the valley who ultimately foresees rejoicing on the mountain (Psalm 6:8-10)

Trite as it may sound the old saying is true: this too shall pass. Life is full of seasons and ultimately each one – the pleasant and the unpleasant – will pass. A long view of the kingdom of God reminds us that ultimately every season of this life will give way to an unending period of indescribable bliss. But we still live this side of the kingdom, and the road to the Kingdom can be treacherous.

The Apostle Paul realistically described our journey to the Kingdom: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22). This was the message he shared in “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith” (Acts 14:22). The cruelest message of all is to proclaim that all will always go well for citizens of the kingdom.

Even our sinless Savior is described as a “man of sorrows”, yet His humble obedience ultimately results in God highly exalting Him (Philippians 1:9). And such is our hope.

Troubles will come, and sometimes it seems as though they will not go away. But they will. As David confidently asserted, “the Lord HAS heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord HAS heard my supplication, The Lord RECEIVES my prayer. All my enemies WILL BE ashamed and greatly dismayed” (Psalm 6:8-10 – emphasis added).

If today is a season of trouble, hold on and never lose sight of your ultimate victory.

Steve

Sometimes the silence is deafening. No matter how hard we try or how fervently we pray, it’s as if God either isn’t there or isn’t listening. It’s reassuring at such times to know that we aren’t’ alone in our experience; the so-called giants of the faith have had similar experiences.

“How long, O Yahweh? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1)

I’m forever indebted to King David for his honesty and transparency. This man after God’s own heart made no pretense about his spiritual condition. He struggled with the sense that God had forgotten and forsaken him.

Down through the ages numerous writers have alluded to “the dark night of the soul” – periods of time when God seemed completely absent or deaf. Painful as the experiences were they became exercises in faith and patience. And so it was with David:

“I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:5-6)

The present silence won’t last forever. God has actively spoken and intervened in the past and will do so again. This present darkness will give way to rejoicing and singing in the future.

Sometimes all we can do is hold on. It’s as if the silence and darkness descend upon us like a great storm and all we can do is ride it out until the skies clear and the sun shines again. But during those times our faith and patience grow unlike at any other time. And perhaps that’s God’s purpose in the silence; He trusts our maturity and character enough to remain silent even as we long for His voice and touch.

Perhaps the silence is deafening in your life just now. No matter how hard you try, it seems as if God is either absent or deaf. Be assured that He is there and He hears and cares. It is a great compliment to your Christian character that He can trust you with His silence as you patiently hold on in faith. But the silence will not last forever. Your greatest times of communion and intimacy with your Father may be just around the corner.

Steve

You can hide a seed in soil but it won’t stay hidden for long. The same is true with that which we hide in our hearts.

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV)

Jesus’ parable of the sower is all about the condition of our hearts, as represented by various kinds of soil: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.” (Matthew 13:19)

It is a given that something will grow from our hearts; the only question is whether it will be the word of God or our sinful nature. Jesus said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” (Mark 7:20-23)

Left to itself, our heart is like an overgrown weed patch. The most natural thing is for our hearts to grow that which is displeasing to God. But, like a flower or vegetable garden, God’s word can be planted and cultivated and bear fruit pleasing to him.

The question that begs to be asked is, “How is your garden growing?” Is your heart carefully weeded, the seed of the word of God cultivated and watered? Or is it overrun with sinful weeds?

Using another analogy, our hearts are like computers – “garbage in, garbage out.” A God-pleasing “program” cannot run if the commands entered are corrupted. The results are completely consistent with the input.

We are ultimately the sum total of the input into our lives. The greatest delusion of all is to believe that we can sow the things of the world into our hearts and cultivate a spiritual crop. Sooner or later our hearts betray or confirm that which is sown into them.

God’s word – ultimately, “the word of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:19) – needs to be liberally sown on a daily basis. It sounds cliché’ but it’s ultimately true: get in to the word in order for it to get in to you.

Steve