Leftovers

November 28, 2011


"After everyone was full, Jesus told His disciples, 'Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.'” John 6:12

Our family enjoyed quite the Turkey Day. Ham and turkey and all the trimmings one might imagine. We finished our meal, stocked the refrigerator full of the food which remained, and consumed a second round of our Thanksgiving meal again the next day. We were thankful for leftovers. And it wasn't until I read John 6 this past week that I realized how important leftovers are to Jesus too.

John 6 records the account of a little boy who offered all he had--five loaves of bread and two fish--to Jesus as Jesus aimed to feed a crowd which had gathered before Him. Five loaves of bread and two fish to feed 5,000 men (not to mention the women and children who traveled with these men). The boy's offering doesn't seem like much but what matters most is that he withheld nothing from our Savior.

I can't help but wonder why the boy had five loaves of bread and two fish. Had the boy come with his family only to give away every last bite of nourishment they had prepared for their journey? Had the boy paid an honest day's wages for the food only to return home empty-handed? Why did the boy bother offering his food to Jesus when it obviously would fail to feed such a crowd?

Jesus took the bread and fish, thanked God for it and distributed the food amongst the people who had gathered. Scripture tells us that everyone ate as much as they wanted (John 6:11). That a crowd which likely exceeded 10,000 was fed by such a small amount of food is just one of the many miracles Jesus performed while on this earth. But what I find just as fascinating is that Jesus took extra care to capture every last piece of the boy's offering.

After the crowd had eaten their fill Jesus said to His disciples, "Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted."

Not only does the story of Jesus feeding 5,000+ teach me that no offering is too small for Jesus to use, it reminds me that nothing goes to waste in God's economy. When we surrender our lives to Him for His purpose and His glory, He promises to use every last bit of our offering for the good of ourselves and for the good of others.

Feel as if you have nothing to offer our Lord? Remember the boy and his fish and bread. Jesus said the harvest is great but the workers are few (Luke 10:2). Offer all you have to Jesus so that He may feed the crowd which stands before Him.
If there is any part of us, any part of our family, any part of our
offering left over, rest assured that He'll collect it in a basket so that none goes to
waste.

My Very Present Help

November 22, 2011


"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." Psalm 46:1

An innocent joke in Sunday school left one of our sweet daughters in tears after class this week. When I first spoke with my daughter she simply appeared to be in a very foul mood. Little by little the story began to unfold. My heart nearly burst with pride at the realization that she had come to me for help; that my normally independent, tight-lipped daughter trusted me to guide her through a time of trouble.

Oh, how our Heavenly Father longs for us to come to Him in the same manner. He is our refuge and our strength. Our very present help in times of trouble.

Though as a parent I like to believe that I am always available to help my children, there are times when I simply unaccessible. Whether my children and I find ourselves separated by a mere classroom or by some other physical or even emotional distance, there will prove to be times when I fail to be of any assistance to my little ones.

But not the Lord. God is always ready, willing and more than able to help His children when we need it most.

God is our very present help. Psalm 139:5 tells us that God "hems us in from behind and before." God has promised, "Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) God knows the trials we endure. He also knows how to use those trials for our good and for His glory. Jeremiah 33:3 tells us to call to Him

As my daughter shared her burden with me her mood immediately seemed to lift. I affirmed her concerns and offered her strategies for the next time she encounters a similar situation. After our discussion we stood together alongside our church family and praised the Lord through song.

Is there a situation which has you down?

Cry out to the Lord. He is your refuge and your strength. He is your very present help during times of need.

Why Say Grace?

November 24, 2011

"Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food." Genesis 1:29

When Suffering Endures

November 15, 2011


"Jesus didn’t trust them, because He knew human nature. No one needed to tell Him what mankind is really like." John 2:24-25

Jesus knew.

The Son of God came to earth fully aware of how mankind would receive Him. Throughout each of the four gospels Jesus clearly depicted intimate details of His death. Jesus knew that many would despise Him, scoff at His Word, and ultimately reject the sacrifice He made on the cross. Yet He came anyway. Jesus endured though the pain and agony of this life often brought Him to His knees. Why? Hebrews 12:2 tells us Jesus endured this life for the joy set before Him.

Eugene Peterson explains it this way in The Message, "Because [Jesus] never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating
finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way:
Cross, shame, whatever. And now He's there, in the place of honor, right
alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over
that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed
through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" (Hebrews 12:1-3)

How do we continue living when it seems this life has little to offer?

The same way our Savior did--by focusing on the joy set before us.

Romans 8:18 assures us that what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later.

Later?!? you exclaim. But I want it now!

That's the hard part.

God never promised to relieve our troubles in this world. God does promise, however, to carry us through. More than one woman has expressed this phrase to me, "I just don't see how I can make it staying married to this man the rest of my life." I respond, "God hasn't given you the strength to stay married to him the rest of your life. He's given you the strength to stay married to him today. And when you wake up tomorrow morning, you'll find He's given you strength for that day too" (Lamentations 3:23).

Psalm 55:22 tells us to cast our burdens upon God and He will sustain us. When we feel tempted to take the easy way out, God promises to remain faithful. He promises to show us the way to endure--a way that will enable us to hold true to His Word (1 Corinthians 10:13).

When the pain and suffering of this life seem too much to bear, strip off every weight that slows you down--especially the sin that so
easily trips us up--by surrendering it to the Lord. Run with endurance the race God has set
before you. Do this by keeping your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 2:1-2).

Why is Death so Hard?

November 14, 2011


"He has also set eternity in the hearts of men." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Why is death so hard to embrace? I once heard a trained counselor say that it takes six to nine months--sometimes longer--for the heart to accept what the mind already knows.

My beloved father-in-law passed away unexpectedly in his sleep this past Wednesday. I loved him like my own dad. We carried him to his final resting place this past weekend. Yet the death of my father-in-law still seems so foreign, so surreal, so . . . wrong.

Though our minds recognize the finality of death our hearts long for something more. God made us in His image (Genesis 1:27) and set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Death was not part of God's design. Death entered the world on account of one--the thief who came to steal, kill and destroy.

The Good News?

Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Jesus overcame death so that through Him we might overcome death too. Not might as in maybe. Might as in the MIGHTy power of Christ which works in us and through us as believers to present us before God as righteous (Romans 3:24).

Because of Jesus we need not grieve the loss of a loved one as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Though our physical bodies pass away, those who have trusted Christ--not good deeds or family heritage but those who have trusted Christ--to bring them into a right-standing before God will live for eternity.

Eternity. He set our hearts on it for a reason. We were made for eternity.

Have you made the choice? Have you trusted Christ to cover your sin? I praise my Father in Heaven that my father-in-law did . . . just three short months ago. My father-in-law's death reminds me of just one thing: our time here is short; our days, numbered. We must, MUST reconcile things with our maker. One day it will be too late. But it's never too soon.

The Bible says that none are righteous (Romans 3:10). All have sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard (Romans 3:23). The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). But God so loved the world that He gave is only Son to die FOR us. That whosoever should believe in His Son should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

One day the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Until our time comes, because of his profession of faith in Christ, I know my father-in-law awaits us in Heaven with a grandbaby in each arm.

Pawpaw, you loved me as your own. As a wife to your son, a mother to your grandchildren, and a teacher to those who composed your crown, you were a continuous source of love, encouragement and support. You are greatly loved and will be missed tremendously.

In Loving Memory of RHH, 8/7/47-11/9/11

Living in Fear

November 4, 2011


"'Do not be afraid of ________________, whom you now fear. Do not be
afraid of him,' declares the LORD, 'for I am with you and will save you
and deliver you from his hands.'" Jeremiah 42:11

I know of an ugly four-letter word. It begins with the letter "f." Dare me to say it?

Fear.

How many prayers have we whispered to the Lord at night, Oh Father, please keep me safe. How long have we searched for that feeling of security, an assurance that no harm will ever come our way? We falsely believe, If only someone could guarantee my safety, I would live in such peace.

Call off the search parties.

Look high and low, and no place will you find a promise of physical safety. Stop searching. It simply isn't there. Instead, we must learn to place our trust in the arms of the One who guards both our bodies and our souls.

The Lord says, "I, yes I, am the One who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? I am the Lord your God . . . I have put My words in your mouth and hidden you safely in My hand." (Isaiah 51:12, 15, 16)

David claimed, "I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?" (Psalm 56:4)

Jesus said, "Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body;
they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul
and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you [yes--YOU!] are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." (Matthew 10:28-31)

Home security systems, dead-bolts, a barking dog--all good attempts to bestow upon ourselves a sense of comfort and security. But it is God who ensures our safety for all eternity.

Harm may come our way on earth but God causes all things--ALL THINGS--to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). He promises that all things--ALL THINGS--are for His glory (Romans 11:36).

Sexual assault is for God's glory? Being beaten in our own home is for our good?

Absolutely not.

But when we turn to the Lord for healing He empowers us to become more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Romans 8:37). When we live in peace despite a horrific experience in the past, God gets the glory.

Rather than lying awake at night in fear of what may happen to me or to my children, I remind myself of God's truth. Satan has to ask permission--PERMISSION--to sift us like wheat (Luke 22:31)! Why does God grant the enemy such permissions? Only eternity will tell. But God promises that He is in control, that He loves me more than I can fathom, that my dignity and honor come from Him, and that as His child, and as the Father of my children He will redeem every experience I endure. True peace comes, not from the guarantee of my physical safety, but from the security of my spiritual life.

How do we transfer our trust from worldly things unto Him?

We must know Him.

Our carnal minds would fail to trust a stranger to guard over our most valuable possessions. Even if we'd heard from a friend that this "stranger" was trustworthy doubt would disrupt our peace. The same proves true with our relationships with the Lord.

God is faithful, for He cannot deny who He is (2 Timothy 2:13). God is trustworthy. But we will not discover true peace until we come to know Him ourselves.

How do we come to know Him? Through His Word. Bible reading isn't something good Christians do. Intimacy with God's Word is our very life and breath. His Truth is where peace, comfort and security are found.

If you want to know God better, I'll join you on your venture. If you want to meet Him for the first time, find a friend, a pastor, a Bible-teaching church, someone who can introduce you to Him.

Jesus says, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Want to know God? Find Jesus first. Accept Him as Lord and Savior of your life. Then God's peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live--not in fear--but in Christ Jesus.