Abba Over the Storms

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep. They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”                     Matthew 8:23-25 (WEB)

I bet when the disciples followed Jesus in the boat they did not expect to be riding out a hurricane force wind in the Sea of Galilee. When I made the decision to follow Jesus, I did not expect to be riding through so many storms. I was looking for the rainbows and butterflies and harps propped on clouds. What really happened in my life was that the hurricanes came back to back to back. I had no absence of storms. I had the presence of an unequal-in-power LORD and Savior!

It doesn’t read like Jesus just nodded off. Mark’s gospel says that Jesus was using a pillow. It seems that this was a planned nap. There are times in my life when I have wondered if God has gotten distracted, or fallen asleep, and doesn’t know that I am desperate for His help! I do not hear Him. I do not see Him intervening and answering my need. Doesn’t God care?! I do not doubt that God can handle any situation. I am questioning His character!

Fear does that. When I am afraid, I allow what I know to be undermined. If God permits storms after I get on board with Him, does He care what is happening to me? Fear lets loose the doubts! And then my need for control kicks in. “Do something, LORD?!” “Fix this!” At the core of my fear is a loss of control. I think my life is spinning apart. I am so focused on the storm and the fear it has brought that I forget my history, my life so far, with God. The disciples in the boat forgot the healed lepers and the demons screaming over the cliff. I forgot how God took a woman with a crushed heart and made her whole. I forgot that in the darkest nights, God has been the guiding Light and strength to continue on the next day.

Fear is awful. It sucks me dry. I stop dreaming. What if the dreams are un-fulfilled? I am no longer willing to take a risk. I want the safety of a ‘sure thing’. In this case, a god who will become my ‘over-Protector’. Fear robs me of love. Love is risky. Fear robs me of giving. Giving (serving) has no guarantee of a payback.

Jesus tells me many, many times not to be afraid. Must be important. Some commentaries, who had people willing to count, say that Jesus said not to be afraid or fear over 20 times. Instead, Jesus said to have courage; to have faith.

Jesus woke up and stood up. He didn’t wave His arms or scream and shout. He reminded the disciples that it was all about faith in Him. Then He told the storm to Hush and the storm was silenced. Done. No fuss. No muss.

Are there storms in your life? With Jesus in your boat, the boat is not going to sink.

“I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression [storms]; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”             John 16:33 (WEB, my addition)

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Abba, Help me!

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”       Genesis 27:41 (NLT, my emphasis)

Bitterness became Esau’s life.  He held a grudge.  He was bitter about what Jacob had done.  Was Jacob wrong?  Absolutely! And while Jacob’s actions would cause him to be exiled from his family and live a life of fear, constantly looking over his shoulder, Esau, too, was condemning himself to a life of fear with the holding on of this bitterness.  Esau was ‘afraid’ that Jacob would not get what he deserved.

Bitterness against someone for what they have done to me and fear that they will not receive their comeuppance is the root of nothing less than vengeance.  Bitterness will cause me to miss God’s grace and the joy that life can give.

Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:14-15 (NLT, my emphasis)

Bitterness is not an amoeba.  It is not a forever one-cell ‘animal’ in my heart.  It grows.  It reproduces itself and destroys everything that it comes into contact.  It truly is a cancer in my spirit! Bitterness will manifest from inside of me when I lose my temper.  It will cause high blood pressure, irritability, sleeplessness, depression, a constant negative perspective, and inability to find joy even in praise and worship of my Lord.

How do I get rid of bitterness?  With forgiveness.  No matter what the offense, with God’s help, with the power of His Holy Spirit, I can extend forgiveness to the offender and release that person.  Reconciliation is not an essential component of the forgiveness.  But letting go of unforgiveness and bitterness is.

How can I be sure that bitterness and unforgiveness are gone in my heart?   R.T. Kendall said in his book, Total Forgiveness, “Bitterness is gone when there is no desire to get even or punish the offender, when I do or say nothing that would hurt their reputation or future, and when I truly wish them well in all they seek to do.”

I believe that my inability to release forgiveness toward someone and squelch bitterness forever comes back to anger with God.  Now there is a hard lump to swallow!  When terrible things happen in my life, it is hard for me to believe that my all-knowing, all-loving God allowed them to happen.  Where is Your plan in that, God?

I would be foolish to say that I know the complete answer to that question.  In allowing Lazarus to die, Jesus said He was glad He wasn’t there to prevent the death “so that you may believe” (John 11:15).  If I knew the where and why of suffering and evil, I would not have to have faith in God, would I?  Romans 8:28 tells me that “all things work together for good for those who love God”.  Jesus came not to explain the evil in this world but to live a Spirit-led life despite the evil.  He came to show me graciousness, forgiveness, mercy, and agape love from the lowliness of a manger to the horrific pain of the Cross.  He deserved better.  Duh!  And yet, He showed me what forgiveness and a heart without bitterness was all about.

He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care…

But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.     Isaiah 53:3, 10-12 (NLT, my emphasis)

If there is someone that you need to forgive, do it! Take time and ask God to help you to do it. God will help you. All you have to do is ask. I tell you the truth (from my own experience), unforgiveness will slowly destroy you. Forgiveness will heal you and set you free. Indeed.

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Time with Abba

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations.
I cling to your laws. Lord, don’t let me be put to shame!
I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding.      Psalm 119:30-32 (NLT)

When was the last time you read a book just to relax?  When did you watch a movie or a show just to laugh? When did you go on a picnic, just you and your family that didn’t include 100 other people?

Sometimes I find myself only taking the time for ‘important’ books or activities.  I get caught up in legalistic thinking about my time and interest.  Unless the reading or other activity contributes to my spiritual or intellectual growth, I do not take the time.   That is a bit unbalanced and narrow in my thinking.

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.                                             Galatians 5:1 (NLT)

It is important that I take some time to produce nothing, accomplish nothing, and contribute nothing! Strolling through a park or wooded trail without a purpose or taking 3 days to drive…somewhere…are refreshing to my spirit!  Each of us have different ways to enter in to that Tent of Refreshment that God has provided for us.  Why do I think He created so many colors?  Why did God create so many different types of flowers and trees and clouds and sunsets?  To ENJOY! When was the last time I took the time to enjoy them?

Jesus died for me so that I would not be held in the bondage of sin.  He also did not want me to be in bondage to the Law!  Both suck the very Life out of my spirit.  The Life that is Jesus Christ.  The Life that is founded in Grace and Mercy, not works.

God created me and so He knows the limitations of my physical body, my mind, and my spirit. He knows well the drain that this world puts on me. He created the Sabbath for rest. He meant for me to rest. He meant for me to recharge with His blessing.

Time can be freedom for me or it can be a chain that keeps me anxious and fearful.  I choose to give God my time and let Him direct me as He sees fit in work and rest.

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Abba and White Snow

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. Isaiah 1:18 (NLT)

Have you ever seen a fresh snow fall?  In order to appreciate it, the snow has to fall during the night and you have to get up before anyone walks or drives their car over it.  It is an extraordinary sight!  It is soooo quiet that you feel like you are in a new world.  Everything seems clean and new. And then there is snow ice cream! Yum!

God says that He takes my ‘scarlet’ sins and makes them like this brand new, pure white snow.  That is what He planned and promised. He had Isaiah remind His people. Then when The Promise came,   Jesus’ scarlet Blood washed me clean.  I remember the night that I felt that clean. I came up out of the water and I felt – like I must have felt after my very first bath those many, many years ago at St. Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau, MO. This time, however, I am transparently clean.  There is nothing of the old me left.

It is a step of faith, I think, to believe what God has promised and what He has done. There’s a ‘replay’ button inside me that someone tries to keep pressing. Whether it is me or someone who reminds me of my past, it is easy to allow the tape to play in my head and think about from where I have come and what I was. It is also easy to put that ‘old pair of shoes’ back on. My old self can seem comfortable and accessible. Making a choice to stay to the path I now have is an exercise in learning a new habit. I want to learn and grow. I want to set my sights on my standard – Jesus.

And when I sin – it is a place that I can turn from and start anew. Every time I come to God with a repentant, humble heart and ask Him to make me brand new, He rejoices that His child is home. To take time every day (just like I take time to brush my teeth or my hair) and allow God to examine me, calling to my mind the areas for which I need to repent, is good spiritual hygiene.  What a wonderful way to start each day – pure white and brand new!

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Abba

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.                    Romans 8:15-16 (NLT)

Scripture records many references to ‘children’ or a ‘child’.  Many of them I have often read in regards to my own children and their upbringing.  I have certainly regretted that I did not read Scripture, much less study it, when my older children were growing up.  It would have been life-changing for them and me to be reading the best ‘How to…’ manual on the market!  Recently I’ve been reading those wonderful Scriptures about ‘children’ again.  My focus has been a little different as I think about God’s children, no matter what their age, chronologically.

Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.       Proverbs 20:11 (NLT)

Others may know me as a Christian and usually by my actions, correct?  Do I walk my faith or just give it lip service?  Is it rooted in my heart and bearing fruit throughout my life or just rhetoric?

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.         Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

Discipleship is an essential in every church or fellowship.  Evangelism is the beginning.  How much emphasis do we give Sunday School or Bible Study in our lives?  Do we ‘teach our children’ and set the example so well that they just know it is a part of their lives – like brushing their teeth?  If they do not do it, spiritual decay will occur!

Don’t fail to discipline your children. They won’t die if you spank them.
Physical discipline may well save them from death. Proverbs 23:13-14 (NLT)

Even in the Church, we could have debates about ‘corporal punishment’ of God’s children, couldn’t we?  We as members of God’s Church are very reluctant to call a Child of God to task.  When we see a brother or sister in sin, we do not want to offend them, so more often than not – we let it slide and say nothing.  More often than not, I tell myself that I am to just pray.  Now, I suspect that is truly what I am to do in most situations.  But God could also ‘call’ me to speak to my friend with the guidance of His Holy Spirit – and I ignore the summons.  God told Ezekiel that it was a serious thing not to speak when he was called to do so.  The ‘blood’ of those people would be on his hands! (Ezekiel 3:18)

Growing up is sometimes a reluctant phase in my life.  Growing up means taking responsibility for my actions and realizing that there is more than just me in the world.  Temper tantrums and self-indulgent ways are childish and are not characteristics of a mature Child of God.

Children can teach me a lot about the love of God.  As a parent, I saw just a ‘peek’ of how big God’s unconditional love is for me as I have felt this unconditional love for my own child.  That kind of love is all-encompassing and has such height and depth to it that I cannot see an edge.  ‘Abba Father’ is my example just as an earthly father and mother are examples.  Abba is the First and Last.

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Why Did Jesus Come?

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”        Luke 19:1-10 (NLT)

This is a familiar story so if you scanned through it – take a moment and read it again.

Zacchaeus was a Jew who was working for the Roman Empire. He was appointed to collect the taxes. He would be told how much he was to collect. If he could get that amount from 100 people, then everyone else would get a pass. I’m sure there was a ‘good ol’ boy’ system in place. In other words, if you were a ‘friend’, your taxes could be much lower than if you were a nobody. Also, Zacchaeus got to keep all the extra. Anything over what Rome wanted was his. Luke says he was rich. Guess he made sure he had plenty of extras! I also bet that Zacchaeus enjoyed that power especially if he was vertically challenged. He got the upper hand one way or the other!

Wonder why Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so badly? Maybe his life wasn’t so great? Maybe his wealth did not make him happy like he thought it would? Maybe he heard about the miracles that Jesus was reported to do? Maybe he needed a miracle.

Jesus ate with sinners. He went to their home. He did not expect the sinners to come to His. And, I believe, because Jesus came to them, their hearts were tenderized with His love and they made the decision to follow Him. Zacchaeus repented and make that turn in his life.

Jesus says, simply, in the last sentence why He came. Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. That’s it. As His disciple that is also to be my primary focus from two perspectives. First, if I am feeling lost, then Jesus is there for me. He can heal. He can lead me back to where He wants me to be. Where there is joy in my life. Second, as God’s child I have been given gifts. I have been given them to use to serve others. Jesus is there to be the example on how to do that. And there is more joy in my life when I am healed, growing in my relationship with Jesus, and serving others.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”         Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

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His Love Is Extravagant

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

It is the LORD who provides the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night, and who stirs the sea into roaring waves. His name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.        Jeremiah 31:35 (NLT)

I hope you will take time today to read Jeremiah Chapter 31. It has a lot of ‘good stuff’. If you are going thru a tough time, it is a great chapter to read. God is speaking His heart to His children.

One of the most difficult years in my life was the year that my then 12-year-old son went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer. Prior to his diagnosis he had been a typical teen who loved baseball and playing drums. Even now, 10 years later, I can recall sitting next to his hospital bed in the middle of the night watching the medication drip into him; watching him waste away from a healthy 120+ lbs to about 80 lbs. As I have said so many times, it isn’t cancer that you battle – it’s fear.

It was in those years that the exile of the Israelites became very real to me. I felt like I was exiled from the safe and ‘normal’ life that I had known. I wondered if God had forgotten us. And then I would come across a passage like Jeremiah 31. It was God speaking to me. God’s Word is timeless.

Verse 15 is quoted in Matthew 2 as we are told about how Herod, in a rage, had every male child age 2 and under murdered as he tried to find and kill Jesus.

“A cry is heard in Ramah – deep anguish and bitter weeping.

Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted – for her children are gone.”

God knows my anguish and sees my weeping. He knows better than anyone the state of my heart and mind. He knows when my spirit is bruised and how to heal it. His Spirit speaks to my spirit. We can speak without the constraints of words. When I can not express in words what is in me – God knows.

Ten years later, I am here with a strong heart and spirit because my LORD did not abandon me. He who created light and is able to see in the darkest night just as if it was day is always with me. The key is to just call out to God when the dark rolls in. It is that simple. You may be calling out and not even realize it – until you hear His voice.

Late one night, a few weeks before he died, my son was channel surfing. He had already had one lung removed because of a football size tumor. He now had a baseball size tumor pressing on his heart. He said he was “so tired” and “I just wanted to take a breath without it hurting”. As he was clicking the remote, it stopped working. He kept clicking but it wouldn’t move the channel. There was a minister on the channel where it stopped who was just bowing his head to pray. Then he looked up and said, “There’s someone out there who has been having difficulty breathing. God has heard you and is sending you a fresh breath straight from Him!” My son said all of a sudden the constriction in his chest relaxed and he could breathe. He slept better that night than he had in months. Coincidence? You wouldn’t be able to convince my son or me of that! He was touched by the love of his Father. My son loved this next passage. It is about some other young men who were in exile. It is a wonderful response when you have received God’s extravagant love.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”         Daniel 3:16-18 (NLT, my emphasis)

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Create in Me a New Heart

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the LORD had predicted.            Exodus 7:13 (NLT)

The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in… “All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a sing thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back from squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!”       Luke 15:28-30 (NLT)

Has God ever not answered your prayers? Has He answered but not in the way you had hoped? God does have a different view than mine since He can see more than I can. Continuing to ask God for what He is not giving is an exercise that will either impress upon me to release my plan and get on board with God’s or it will harden my heart to have my way.

Pharaoh was determined to have his kingdom work his way. He wanted the Israelite slaves and he wanted them doing all things his way. He would not acknowledge that he was not in charge of the universe. He was willing to die in his pride and with his hard heart.

The prodigal son’s older brother had chosen to do all that his father asked. He was obedient and faithful. When his younger brother fell off the path, he wanted the story to end fairly. Maybe he did not wish his brother dead but he also did not think his brother should receive more than he had – especially when he didn’t deserve it! He did not even call him ‘brother’ but instead thought of him only as belonging to the father.

Oh, my brothers and sisters, I wish that I could say that this devotion was not for me. But it is. Even after all the years that I have loved and served the LORD, I am still struggling with wanting something different for myself than God has planned. I am grateful for this devotion that warns me not to go down a slippery path that can lead to a hard heart full of pride. It is pride if I think I know better than God!

The older brother in Luke’s gospel was more eager to punish than to forgive. He wanted life to be “fair”. Friends, life is not fair! I started to list some examples of the ‘not fair’ but I some how think that most of us can make our own list. The problem with the list is that it becomes about what others have and whether God is fair to me when compared to someone else. My focus is not where it should be.

“Oh, no, sir!” she [Hannah] replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD.” 1 Samuel 1:15 (NLT)

Hannah is discouraged because God has not answered her many-year prayer for a child. But Hannah continues to pray to God even when she cannot see the answer. THAT is my example to follow.

If I am struggling to see God in my life, keep praying. Ask God for help to see and to trust Him more. It may be an act of faith and desperation may seem to be lurking around the corner but check God’s promises. Call Him on His promises to answer when His children seek Him.

I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.                 Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

Posted in 1 Samuel, Exodus, Ezekiel, Luke | 3 Comments

Who Do I Say My LORD Is?

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.

Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”           Mark 8:27-33 (NLT)

I am troubled by the choices we as Christians make for what we will stand up and be recognized as Christians.  There are principles of Christ about which I must stand and not waver.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

Love God.  No other idols or statues or priorities before Him and who He is.  Love my neighbor.  Jesus spoke of my neighbor in the story of the Good Samaritan as someone with whom I have contact, as the Samaritan did the man on the road. And love myself. I am His child. I am of worth. These are the standards that govern the principles for which I stand.

In my home state of Florida we will be going to the polls in a week. If I were to vote for those who proclaim to be “Christian”, then I would be voting for many who are running for office. Most nominees claim to be Christians. And yet most nominees spend time telling me why I should not vote for their opponent, calling them liars, felons, and liberals (because we all know there are no liberal Christians!).

What principle of God does this represent?  How do I vote in a way that represents and honors God?

In the Scripture today from Mark’s gospel, Peter has just made the proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah! In Matthew’s gospel (chapter 16), Jesus tells Peter that only the Father could have revealed that to Peter.  Jesus is pleased with Peter and his open, public statement.  But then when Jesus tells the disciples the truth of how He will appear weak and die in order to rise from the dead – Peter rebukes Jesus for saying something out of his preconceived idea.  Notice that Mark says that Jesus turns and looks at “his disciples” and then rebukes Peter.  Jesus knew that Peter was a leader and that his disbelief and off-track idea would pull the others off also.  Jesus knew that He must bring the leader back online and not let the enemy have an opportunity to use this controversy of what the Messiah is and is not.

Is the enemy using the media to get us as Christians ‘off line’ about for whom to vote?  It is difficult to make an informed decision because it is difficult to find the truth in a campaign. To me it requires a great deal of prayer, asking God who knows my heart as well as the hearts of these candidates to reveal His wisdom and knowledge to me.   How I speak of those who disagree with me, does change how Jesus will look upon me.  He looks for an unconditional love in my heart while teaching me about His never-changing principles.  It is in fact one of His principles: to love as He loves.

I want the Holy Spirit to keep my eyes on “center court” and not be distracted by a “ side game” being played by the flashy and loud enemy.  I want to keep my eyes on Jesus, the Christ, and His will and plan.

May God bless all the candidates with the presence of His Holy Spirit, driving away the darkness until we are left on our knees, seeking only Him.

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Yet I Will Rejoice

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Jody Neufeld

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.       Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT)

My parents both grew up on a farm. They grew up on these farms during the depression. My mother used to tell me how she had dresses made out of feed sacks. My parents worked very hard and were good stewards of God’s blessings. My mother was only allowed an 8th grade education and my father was brought home after 10th grade. My brother and I both went to college. I often think that my parents thought this their greatest accomplishment.

I tell this story because I suspect there were many days, weeks, months, maybe even years when my parents could have pointed out to God that their crops were failing and their barn pretty empty. I can’t say I ever saw my parents overtly rejoicing during these times but I can say that they were faithful in their worship of God. They worshiped Him with their prayers, their presence in worship, and their tithes. Even when Dad was laid off from his job and Mom took a job in a retail store and we had very little, I remember them putting something in the offering plate. I would call that rejoicing!

It is so easy to wallow in bad circumstances. The more I focus on difficult or unreasonable events the less I have eyes to see new opportunities for resolutions or the possible blessings that can be hidden.

It is also easy to pull the covers over my head and hide out from God and others that He sends to support and encourage me in times of famine in my life. When life is most difficult, I must move in closer to God and others. In my weakest moments, I need God and ‘Aaron and Hur’ to hold my arms up and battle turns to victory (Exodus 17:11-13).

It is God who provides a ‘sure-footed’ path out of the deep valley or conflict that I find myself in. It is God who provides wisdom and wise people who will tell me, not what I want to hear, but His truth.

It is vital that I take time daily to remember the goodness of God. Just as I remember the ‘good’ of my earthly parents, so I remember how God has entered into my life and carried me through when I was too weak to walk. It is in that remembrance that words of rejoicing come from my heart and across my lips even though I may still be seeing failed crops and empty barns. I can rejoice because I am not alone but have the only One who can bring me through and bring me out into the sunshine, if you will, where joy and thanksgiving return to God for what He has done once again.

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