Sing!

"But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

You are my strength, I sing praise to you;

you, God, are my fortress,

my God on whom I can rely."

Psalm 59:16-17

The words fall easily from my lips, natural to my carnal self.  While I don't mean to be negative, my flesh loves the pessimistic and cynical mindset.  Complaining can be a group practice, a way for me to connect with others, a common ground we share, like at the supermarket checkout.  "Can you believe the traffic around here?"  "Typical Monday; dreary and wet."  "It figures, I usually get in the line where the register runs out of paper or the cashier is slow."  Rolling of eyes, snickering under the breath, connection made.

Is this what I want to be about; all that is wrong in life?  Sure, there is plenty to complain about, don't get me wrong.  If I wanted to, I could maintain an endless list of circumstances, situations and incidents that are bad and worthy of sharing with others.  But why would I choose all that is broken and amiss in this world when I have a God who is so good?  I have much about which to give Him praise.  Why not choose to sing?

Strength.  God never gets fed up with me, growing tired of my failings or giving up on my weaknesses.  He never runs out of steam as He takes attentive care of all His children.  He doesn't need to take a break to refuel and recuperate after a long day.  God doesn't need to sleep so He'll feel better in the morning, ready to face another day of ruling over His creation.  He is the same this moment as He was the last.  His strength never runs out (Isaiah 40:28).

This is the kind of strength I need to sustain me.  I do get fed up with others, grow tired of my own failing as well as the shortcomings of those around me.  It's easy for my flesh to want to give up the fight, wondering if I'm capable of taking another step.  With all I face in life, I tend to run out of steam, needing refreshment and rejuvenation.  I can't go without sleep, but need it so my body can rest.  

In my weakened human state, I need the strength of God to sustain me.  He makes it possible for me to carry on when I'm ready to throw in the towel.  He renews my resolve when I'm done dealing with the world.  He sprouts a seed of hope inside me that gives me supernatural strength to carry on.

Why not choose this day to sing about this strength upon which I can rely? 

Steadfast Love.  It doesn't matter what I do, I can't lose it.  Even if I fall a thousand times, I will never be out of it's abundant flow.  While my behavior may give humans a reason to withdraw it, there is nothing that can make God stop loving me.  His very identity is love and it is His nature to love (1 John 4:8).  Because of His character of love, I am secure in Christ (Romans 8:35-39).  I am always His beloved child.

For this reason I need not despair when trouble comes my way.  No matter what happens I can never lose my place in the family of God under the devotion of a Father's love.  Even if my heart despairs to the point of death over my failings, my Father looks compassionately upon me as if looking upon a wounded bird who needs an extra dose of tender loving care.  When I feel the whole world is against me and I can't find a lick of sympathy or anyone to show concern for my plight, God's love is there to minister to my wounded heart.

Why not choose this day to sing about the steadfast love of God that never runs out?  

Fortress.  Life can be cruel.  The blows come fast and hard.  I wish someone would cut me a break, that the onslaught would slow.  Still, the difficulty comes like a relentless wave threatening to take me under.  Then I see it.  The sturdy lighthouse standing firm in the raging sea.  Once inside, I am safe and secure, able to rest in the midst of the storm.

God is this lighthouse against the powerful tempest.  He is a fortress in times of trouble.  He is my Rock and my Redeemer.  He is my refuge in the midst of the turmoil that swirls around me.  Resting in Him gives me inner peace and tranquility even though I should be panicked and disturbed.

Why not choose this day to sing about the God who is my fortress against the trouble found in this world?

   

It's too easy to complain, it comes so naturally.  This day, it is my prayer that I will choose a different path, that my heart will be moved to sing about all God is to me.  He is my strength, abounding in steadfast love, and providing a mighty fortress in which I am safe and secure.  For these reasons, I choose this day to sing!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can focus on the goodness of God instead of all there is to complain about.

How am I drawn to the negative?  How can I retrain myself to look instead at God and His goodness?

When am I most prone to whine and grumble?

  

Too Little, Too Late

Early the next morning they set out for the highest point

in the hill country, saying,

'Now we are ready to go up to the land the LORD promised.

Surely we have sinned!'"

Numbers 14:40

The land promised to them by God was filled with good things; grapes larger than they could ever imagine, luscious pomegranates, scrumptious figs.  All in all, it was just as God had said:  It was a land flowing with milk and honey.  

Unfortunately, it was also a land occupied by imposing giants, powerful tribes of threatening people and fortified cities.  In light of the bad news, the Israelites chose to ignore the good news and forget the power of the Almighty, His constant presence and faithful deliverance.  They chose to grumble against Moses and Aaron, blaming them for leading them to this place where they would surely die.  (Numbers 13-14)

The Israelites saw the error of their ways and attempted to go to this land promised to them by their faithful God.  They decided it would be better for them to obey later rather than never.  God, however, had already struck down the men who had come back with the bad report and declared that the rest of the unfaithful, wicked community would never set foot in the promised land. (Numbers 14:36-38)  Their show of faith was too little and came too late.

How often I do the same.  I know God wants me to trust Him, yet the cares of this world get in the way.  How can I avoid stubbornly taking advantage of God's grace by refusing to accept the good He has for me now, even if that good seems to be wrapped up in a package of suffering, hard times and difficulty?

Stop Complaining

Murphy's Law is a 20th Century saying that states simply, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."  This pessimistic point-of-view often frequented my lips as I navigated life with little faith and a worldly mindset.  As I grew closer to God, however, He showed me that my focus on the negative was a form of complaining.  I completely missed all the good because I concentrated so much on the bad.

It is easy to get caught up in a cycle of grumbling.  I live in a fallen world that is filled with difficulties and hard times.  When I choose to see only the negative, however, I am completely missing all the good that God has placed all around me.

I fall sick and I wonder if I'll ever catch a break, thinking only about the work I'll miss or the ministries I'll let down in my absence.  Meanwhile, I'm missing the point that God is forcing me to slow down and take some time to rest from my hectic schedule.  Instead of rejoicing in the fact that I have a Father who looks out for my welfare, I whine and moan about my so-called bad luck.

Other times I may struggle with paying the bills, feeling sorry for myself that I work so hard but can barely eke out a living.  Meanwhile, I'm missing the faith-building opportunity to trust my Father who knows my needs and provides in ways that reveals His power and sovereignty.  (Matthew 6:32-33)  Instead of praising God for His good provision, I object to living in a constant state of strain.

Then there are the times I seem to be living in a perpetual state of grieving as I lose one loved one after another.  I wonder what God has against me that He would take so many away at once.  Meanwhile, I'm missing the chance to experience the comfort only the Father of compassion can give as I rest in His loving arms.  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)  Instead of soaking in His grace and mercy so that I can later use it to comfort others who are suffering, I complain about my bad state of affairs.

True faith sees the good that comes from God mixed in with all the bad.

Stop Assuming

She had never seen things happen this way.  The angel told her she would bear a child, but she had never been with a man.  It would have been easy for Mary to doubt the angel Gabriel's message based on her past experience and knowledge of how things usually work.  Instead, she believed the Word sent straight from God and trusted that everything would happen as the angel had said it would.  (Luke 1:26-38)

I often jump to conclusions, assuming if something seems impossible, then it won't happen.  If the doctor says there is no hope, I tend to agree with him, forgetting that I worship a God of the impossible.  (Matthew 6:26)  

If I watch my child travel down a road headed away from the Lord, I may think he's never coming back, forgetting that I worship a God who specializes in changing hearts.  (Ezekiel 36:26)  

If I lose my dream job, it's hard for me to imagine there could be anything better, forgetting that I worship a God who holds the blueprint of my life in His hands.  (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

True faith sees a way where there seems to be none.

Stop Fearing

She lived in a constant state of fear, worrying about the safety of her children, fretting over the darkness of this world, refusing to submit to God's calling to use her in a way that took her out of her comfort zone.  Fear paralyzed this woman to the point where God no longer ruled her life.

I live in a world with much to fear.  Terrorists seek to destroy freedom-loving people everywhere.  Killers hunt for their next victim.  Rapists stalk unsuspecting women.  Financial ruin threatens my sense of security.  If I'm not careful, fear can hamper my faith, rendering me useless in God's kingdom.

Instead, I can choose to believe that if God is for me, who could be against me? (Romans 8:31) Many could try to thwart my efforts, or steal my peace, or stand in my way, but God is bigger than all.  Even my Enemy whose mission is to steal, kill and destroy has no power against the One who created him out of nothing.  (John 10:10)

We were not created to live in fear.  (Romans 8:14-15)  Instead, we were made to walk with our Shepherd who loves us and will never let us come to ruin.  (Psalm 23, Psalm 55:22)  While Satan loves it when I am paralyzed by fear, God gave me a spirit of power, love and self-discipline to propel me through the darkness.  (2 Timothy 1:7)  I must choose to walk in this strength, however;  it does not come naturally to my weak and lowly flesh to turn away from the temptation to fear.

True faith sees only God's power and sovereignty in the midst of a world filled with frightening possibilities.

The Israelites were standing on the cusp of the Promised Land, so close to grabbing hold of the good things God had stored up for His people.  Instead, they chose to doubt, complaining and grumbling about the hardship of the path God had chosen for them.  When they finally did agree to comply, their feeble attempts to obey after the fact were too little, too late.  To avoid falling into this same trap, I must be careful to walk by faith, looking for the good mixed in with the bad, believing there is a way when circumstances seem impossible to navigate, and seeing only the hand of my mighty God in the midst of a dark and scary world.  In these ways, I will walk by faith not by sight, and please my Father who is always by my side.  

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to turn away from fear.

When do I make it a habit to live in a state of ingratitude by feeling sorry for myself?

How am I revealing my lack of faith by losing hope too soon? 

Shine as a Star

"Dear friends,

you always followed my instructions 

when I was with you.

And now that I am away,

it is even more important.

Work hard to show the results of your salvation,

obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

For God is working in you,

giving you the desire

and the power to do what pleases him.

Do everything without complaining or arguing,

so that no one can criticize you.

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God,

shining like bright lights in a world full of

crooked perverse people.

Hold firmly to the word of life;

then, on the day of Christ's return,

I will be proud that I did not run

the race in vain and that my work was not useless."

Philippians 2:12-16 NLT

It was so dark that I could not see a thing, no matter how long I let my eyes adjust.  I carefully felt around me, trying to gain my bearings.  Where am I? I wondered groggily.  The fog of sleep still enveloped my mind, making even the simplest of thoughts difficult.  Then it all came flooding back when my hand touched my sleeping bag and the scent of canvass filled my nostrils.  Oh, that's right.  I'm camping.

As my mind came awake, the need to relieve myself overpowered the dread of a trek to the latrine so I groped for my flashlight.  As the dim beam pierced the inky blackness, the darkness suddenly seemed less formidable.  Even a small amount of light immensely improved the surroundings.

In the same way, I am a light that can shine into the shadows of the world that does not have the advantage of the Truth of the Gospel.  How can I shine into this darkness where Evil rules?

Work Out

It didn't make sense.  God said he would be the father of many nations, but he and his wife weren't getting any younger and still they were childless.  How will all families on earth be blessed through me when it looks like my name will end at my death? (Genesis 12:2-3)

Even though Abraham had a lot about which to be skeptical and he doubted for a time when he took matters into his own hands (Genesis16:1-2), in the end, Abraham trusted God and yielded to His plan.  In the same way, I can trust God's plan for my life, yielding to His sovereign work as He moves all the pieces into place in order that His name will be glorified. 

This means I must be sensitive to His leading, waiting when I sense the need, and acting when His Spirit moves me.  I also need to develop a reverence for God and His absolute sovereignty as well as to His holy nature.  Expecting to be able to understand the details of His plan is unreasonable.  Part of faith is trusting without seeing how things will work out but knowing without a doubt that they will work out.

I shine my light in a dark world who has no hope or purpose when I let God have His way both in the big decisions and in the small details.

Spotlight

I remember the Whiners on the older episodes of Saturday Night Live.  No matter the circumstances, this family always saw the negative side of things and were never shy about making their displeasure known.

As one who has been saved by the grace of God through the sacrifice Jesus willingly made on the cross, I have no need to whine and complain.  Instead, I have everything to look forward to in Christ!  Consequently, my attitude should reflect this hope I have been given.

To change my outlook, it is necessary for me to focus on the good that God is doing all around me.  In order to guard myself from falling into the trap of whining and complaining that comes so easily to my sinful nature, I must intentionally look for the fruit of God's handiwork.  As Isaiah said, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"  (Isaiah 43:18-19)

God is constantly bringing life into what seems like a hopeless situation, but in order to notice what He is doing, I have to pay attention.

I shine my light into a dark world who has no hope or purpose when I adopt a thankful spirit that looks for the good that God is doing.

Hold Out

His Father's Word was always on His lips.  Whenever He entered a situation, whether it be in the desert to be tempted by Satan, or in the Temple when people were looking for wisdom, Jesus often used Scripture to encourage, instruct and preach.  His words brought life to every situation.

As His follower, I am called to use God's Word in much the same way, holding it out before me as I go through my day.  Is my coworker down?  I can lift her spirits with the hope found in God's Word.  When a friend is confused, the truth of scripture lends a sense of discernment and adds godly perspective to any situation.  If a family member is ready to give up, the Gospel can bring a new-found purpose.

God said through the prophet Isaiah that His Word is similar to the life-giving precipitation He sends to water the earth, resulting in fruit for us to eat.  In the same way, His Word always accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)  A well placed word of encouragement from scripture will bring about results we never could have imagined.

I shine my light into a dark world who has no hope or purpose when I hold out the Word of life to lift up those who need help.

There is no doubt that this world is dark.  Thankfully, though, I need not adopt the attitude of those around me who do not have the advantage of the Truth of the Gospel.  Instead, it is important that I work out my own salvation, keep a positive, grateful attitude, and make it a habit to use the Word of God to instruct, encourage and guide those who need help.  In this way I will shine like a star in the night sky!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can purposefully look for the good things God is going all around me.

When do I focus more on the negative instead of the positive?

How am I using my own common sense to counsel others instead of the Word of God?