Pressing On In His Footsteps

Isaiah 9:1, 2, 4-6 (NLT). Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.  2  The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.  For those who live in a land of deep darkness,  a light will shine…4  For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.  You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.  5   The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned.  They will be fuel for the fire.  6   For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.  The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Psalm 84:5-7 (NLT).  What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs.  The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.  7  They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

Observation

 “Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever.”  When you are in the midst of a situation that is impossible to bear and feeling overwhelmed by darkness, despair battles with hope in you. You need the help of the Lord to climb out of darkness, turn from despair and embrace hope.  If we rely on our own strength in these times, we can ignore the reality of it, bury it, blame God for it or bear it, but it will only become the yoke of our slavery and heavy burden on our shoulders if we do.  Choosing to go it on our own will lead us farther into the darkness we are trying to escape.  However, if we choose to surrender our strength, our efforts, our control, The Lord is able to take us through the Valley of Weeping and Despair into that place of refreshing springs, blessings and peace that We find in His light.     

Impact on Me

 In 1984, we had just arrived in Texas when we received the call from my sister telling us that our 15-year-old daughter had been in a serious car accident resulting in a spinal injury and probable paralysis.  Just facing the impact on our daughter’s life was darkness enough, but we were self-employed fisherman with no health insurance because the cost was prohibitive.  We recognized very early on that any effort or solution we could contribute in this situation would be insufficient to change our daughter’s condition; even the doctors predicted extensive paralysis regardless of all they could do. We needed miracles – plain and simple – nothing else would do.

Our logical minds told us to accept the reality that was humanly possible – our daughter’s future and dreams severely impacted by paralysis as well as financial ruin for us – while hope spoke to us of God’s real ability to provide and turn the situation around that seemed so impossible. We could choose to embrace darkness or Light, despair or hope, our impossibilities or God’s possibilities. Our gracious, merciful and loving Father filled us with Gift Faith to choose Light, hope and the impossible. Thirty years later, our daughter walks on crutches, has a wonderful Godly husband, 3 children and 6 grandchildren (and counting) born to them who love and serve the Lord. She is a wonderful Godly woman, self-employed, serves in many ministry capacities in her church and is a shining witness that miracles are available for those today who will embrace them.

I find that Despair and his buddies are always ready to climb on my life bus and offer to drive when I am tired, disgusted, angry, self-absorbed, whining, worried, or overwhelmed by the enormity or futility of my current struggle. As I grow in wisdom, knowledge of the Word, and experience with the Lord, I have become more assertive in kicking Despair’s team off my bus because I am committed to let Hope and Faith drive.  I am learning to let the Holy Spirit keep the map, choose the route, determine the stops along the way and leave me to enjoy the ride. Sometimes I am challenged, convicted or sorrowed by a part of the journey and sometimes I am thrilled and blessed.  All I can be sure of is that Faith and Hope know the way and will get me to my final destination.  Shalom.

PRAYER

God of my hope, Jehovah Jireh, the Light unto my path, I praise You and thank You for caring for me.  When I invite You to meet me, walk with me and guide me through my desperate times, You are faithful to be there and stay alongside regardless of my whining, my waffling, my selfish narrowness of vision.  When I invite You into my good times, You celebrate with me and remind me that I am there because I listened and walked with You through the dark times.  May my walk always coincide with Yours because I choose to move toward You and link my arm with Yours.  I commit to keep You driving my bus.  In Jesus’ name, make it so.

Habakkuk 2:2-4 ESV And the Lord answered me:  “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.  ³ For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie.  If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.  ⁴ “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 NLT   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, ¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord!  I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!  ¹⁹ The Sovereign Lord is my strength!  He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

Observation

The prophet Habakkuk lived and prophesied in Israel between the Assyrian Captivity and the Babylonian one.  His nation was far from God.  Habakkuk started his book with lamentation – “This country has gone to pot.  The rulers are corrupt.  There is no justice.  Where are You, God?”   God answers him with “If it (the fulfillment of the vision) seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay… ^4b the righteous shall live by his faith.”  God is encouraging Habakkuk to separate his hope from what he can see and choose to place his hope and trust in God’s timing, His wisdom, His justice, grace and mercy, even when imminent circumstances appear terrifying and overwhelming.  This book reflects our journey to becoming rooted and grounded in Christ – from the “Why me?  Where are You, God?” to entering God’s peace and rest through the continuing exercise of our faith so we can rejoice in the Lord in all circumstances.

The Apostle Paul links righteousness and faith 11 times in Romans alone, beginning with a reference to Habakkuk in Romans 1:17 – “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”  Hebrews 11 (the Faith Chapter) certainly makes clear that living by faith is no picnic but rather a journey of learning to abide in Christ, embracing His peace, until it brings us to a place of full submission to God’s will and purpose for us regardless of the cost.  The final verses of Habakkuk are his prayer of dedication to God – Even when all my resources are gone, “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.”

Impact on Me

I have never faced exactly what Habakkuk was facing.  The Babylonians were conquering the Assyrians on all fronts and taking possession of the lands they conquered.  Both of these nations had terrifyingly bloody reputations as conquerors and rulers.  The situation seemed hopeless for those in their path.  Yet, God is asking Habakkuk to stop looking around him and look up to where his hope belongs.  I have been in this situation – so focused on what was wrong or threatening around me rather than putting my complete trust in God’s grace, mercy, timing and His ability to fulfill His promises, will and purposes when He determines the time is right.  Habakkuk and I face different specific circumstances but the same journey – from fear to faith, from being moved by what I see rather than standing on what I know, from being stuck in the valley to being lifted up to “tread upon the heights” so I can see from God’s perspective.

For me, faith is a gift, given by God for me to embrace and exercise in good times and not so good ones.  I have found that my faith will be strengthened and deepened by trusting God in hopeless, difficult and desperate times.  When I was newly in Christ, when all was going well, I tended to lean on my own strength and abilities, and, foolishly and pridefully, even gave myself the credit or counted it as a reward for being “good.”  This was a problem because it was the way the Pharisees believed which led to excluding all problematic people from God’s favor and even His redemption.  Jesus changed that perception by showing God’s favor, healing and deliverance to those same problematic people.   Thankfully, I walked out of Habakkuk 1 and into the challenge of chapter 2 when my life journey provided hopeless, difficult and challenging circumstances.  I pray that I am moving on to chapter 3 to rejoice in the Lord in all circumstances – good or bad, easy or difficult, hopeful or hopeless – because He has proven Himself faithful in them all.

Prayer

God of our Hope, Redeemer, All-Wise Father, You are faithful and just always – even when I don’t understand why You allow the difficult circumstances to arise.  I repent for the times I have rebelled against submission to You and forgotten that You are not only sovereign but also good, always working in me to fulfill Your plan and purpose for me whether I understand or not.  Help me to change my prayer from lament to dedication – “Lord, here am I.  What do You need me to be and do right now in this moment, in this circumstance?”  May I never cease to praise You in all things.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.

2 Kings 6:24; 7:3-10 MSG At a later time, this: Ben-Hadad king of Aram pulled together his troops and launched a siege on Samaria. This brought on a terrible famine, so bad that food prices soared astronomically. Eighty shekels for a donkey’s head! Five shekels for a bowl of field greens! … It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, “What are we doing sitting here at death’s door? If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live, if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.”

So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, “The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!” Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as it was—running for dear life. These four lepers entered the camp and went into a tent. First they ate and drank. Then they grabbed silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it. They came back, entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder. Finally they said to one another, “We shouldn’t be doing this! This is a day of good news and we’re making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we’ll get caught and punished. Come on! Let’s go tell the news to the king’s palace!” So they went and called out at the city gate, telling what had happened: “We went to the camp of Aram and, surprise!—the place was deserted. Not a soul, not a sound! Horses and donkeys left tethered and tents abandoned just as they were.”

Observation

This is one of my benches on the path of life, a place I stop and listen and reflect on Who and What I allow God to be and do in my life.  It reminds me always that God is not limited by what I consider possible but able to do exceedingly, abundantly above what I can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Let’s look at this story.

Ben-Hadad is the king of Aram-Damascus has come to conquer Samaria, a territory ruled by King Arab of Israel. Both of these men are bad kings, ruthless, idolaters.  Ben-Hadad has surrounded the city for a long enough period of time to create such famine within the city walls that people are eating human flesh to survive. The prophet Elisha has predicted a sudden and complete overturn from famine to feasting through God’s miraculous intervention. This seems unbelievable and impossible even for God. Enter the four lepers into the story.

Lepers were pariahs, shunned, usually forced to live away from the general public, often wretchedly poor and malnourished without family caring for them. True leprosy affects the nerves and lepers often lost fingers, toes, noses, and became lame or otherwise struggled physically. There would have been no hope for food from inside the city during the famine. As they look at their options:   “What are we doing sitting here at death’s door? If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live, if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.”  So, close your eyes and imagine it – four hobbling, shuffling starving beggars struggle to their feet and head off toward the enemy camp.  Here is where God enters the picture.

Over in the enemy camp, “The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march.”  This is miraculous, something impossible without the direct intervention of God. Every soldier in the army of Aram panicked and fled leaving behind all of their equipment and supplies, enough to feed the entire city that was in famine.

Impact on Me

So, I come and sit at this bench often to contemplate this story because I am reminded of several critically important keys about Who and What I need to be and do to allow God to be large in and through my life.

First, God is not limited by my Possibility Box; He wants me to experience and live in His wide open possibilities no matter how impossible it may seem to me.

Second, it is better to be obedient than ready or fully equipped. Who else would choose the weakest, most despised outcasts to save the entire city? (I am always reminded here of Jesus’ crucifixion – the most shameful of deaths – that was always God’s way to save us.)

Third, look past the skin, the current condition, of a person and seek to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit to encourage, bless and assist him or her to become what God dreams for him or her. I am sure there is so much more for me to learn and pray that I will on future quiet times on this bench.

Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, merciful and gracious, wonderful and so, so good, help me to stop at the benches You set in my life to sit, listen and contemplate what You would have me understand.  Will I ever understand reason for the pathways on which you lead me?  Will I ever stop worrying about my ability to do what You ask and trust absolutely in Your ability to equip me as needed to accomplish Your will and purpose?  Will I ever stop telling You how and what should be done and instead ask You what You would have me do and be in every circumstance?  Remind me always about this story and how simple it is to just be obedient and leave choosing the team, the plan and the execution to You.  Make it so. Amen.

Isaiah 9:2-7 NIV  The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Observation

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.”  No matter what translation you use, this place in Scripture is arresting.  In these times of upheaval, war and tragedy, doesn’t your soul ache for peace that will never end and One Who can truly rule with peace, fairness and justice?  It seems so impossible, so hopeless, when we look at our turbulent world, our own society’s norms and sense of security up ended, the anger and division evident in public demonstrations, all the trauma from broken relationships, war, natural disasters, and terror attacks. Doesn’t your heart cry out for a respite, time to recover, freedom from being on the alert every moment, a return to feeling safe and secure?  How do we answer when asked, “Where is God?  How can a good God allow this to happen?” The “fixing” of it all seems insurmountable. Where would one even start?

Impact on Me

I think each of us starts with considering and judging our own condition and where each one of us stands with Jesus because He was always – even before creation – God’s answer, God’s fix, God’s eternal unfailing King of peace, fairness and justice. Every Christmas when I hear this Scripture, I have to ask myself who is my king, to whom am I submitted, where is my hope, on whom can I depend?  I can be ruled and moved by earthly governments, powers, authorities, circumstances or by the One called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  I can be first a citizen of the United States or first a citizen of Heaven. I make that choice. Jesus was born and lived under two oppressive, unjust, murderous ruling powers – the Romans and the Sanhedrin – but, through faithfulness and obedience to God’s rule, His plan, managed to become the pivot point on which my (and your) eternal destination rests because He simply chose to be first a citizen of Heaven. 

I do not ignore my responsibilities as a citizen of my country and am not unmoved by the actions of earthly ruling authorities; I strive to honor God in obeying the laws and praying for unity and my leaders to be ruled by Heaven (rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s). I also remember Daniel’s prayer (see below) and find peace and comfort in knowing that, regardless of the circumstances – what I see and how we as people have messed things up – God controls the destiny of all nations and people. Because He has assigned me in the United States, He has a purpose for me here and, if I will be like Jesus and choose to be first a citizen of Heaven in all I do, perhaps others will chose to emigrate and also become citizens of Heaven. All of this is possible because this child was born to us, given to us as a gift. What an awesome gift He is!

Prayer

Lord, Savior, Immanuel, Perfect Lamb, You came as a baby with Your future set out before creation.  Never let me forget that Christmas was the beginning of the fulfillment of this Scripture, Immanuel coming to earth to dwell among us.  I choose to set my heart, soul and mind to be always first a citizen of Heaven, to put my hope in You as the One Who controls all destinies, to put my faith in the One You have chosen to rule and allow His light to pierce the darkness around me, to embrace this Son given to us and rejoice as I allow His kingdom to rule in me and spill over on everyone I meet, everyone I hug, everyone who will hear You speak through me. I pray this all in the name of Jesus. Make it so.

Daniel 2:20-23 NIV  Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.

Matthew 6:9-15 AMP  ⁹ Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.  ¹⁰  Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.  ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].  ¹³ And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.

Observation

We memorize verses 9-13 above at a very young age.  This is Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray simply and effectively.  How very rarely we include in that memorization the 2 verses following this familiar passage. We need to take note that some version of the word “forgive” (e.g., forgiven, forgiveness) appears 40 times in the Gospels.  As Messiah, Jesus lived and died for forgiveness and salvation to flow into and out of us freely.  According to Jesus, the unwillingness to forgive leads to “nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God.” This results in leaving our own sins unforgiven. Jesus is not asking us to forgive only because it will release someone else.  He is asking us to forgive because ultimately it releases, frees and heals us. 

Jesus’ meaning of verses 14-15 are expanded by Him in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18).  The servant who was forgiven much and released from his debt proceeded to unmercifully turn with unforgiveness on his own debtor who owed little.  This story tells us that his lack of gratitude and withholding of mercy was noticed and ended up with his huge debt being reinstated.  The Bible Point of this story is Matthew 6:14-15!   This does not mean that we condone sin.  Absolutely not!  It does mean that we approach and deal with sin in love with healed hearts because we have forgiven and released the hurt.

Impact on Me

Forgiving others is often not easy.  It can be easier when I believe the injury was accidental or caused by a misinterpretation or when the person is expressing regret or sorrow over the hurt.  However, when I am hurt or embarrassed or shamed by another who is not asking for forgiveness or caring about the injury to me – in other words, “their reckless and willful sins” which make them not innocent in my sight – this is a different matter.  That voice inside that wants to lead me astray will say, “They don’t deserve to be forgiven!” or “Teach them a lesson by hurting them back!” or “It is your right to hold a grudge.”  But, I believe that leads to “nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God.”

I have had many opportunities in my life to withhold forgiveness – times when I was unjustly accused or a target of anger or otherwise hurt, embarrassed or shamed.  The Holy Spirit made me aware in these times that Jesus did not qualify forgiving with “for those who deserve it”.  The servant who owed much did not deserve to have his debt forgiven.  It was because he would not be merciful and forgiving in gratitude for his release that his debt returned upon him.  Don’t I have the same choice?  I gladly receive the salvation and forgiveness provided by Jesus on the Cross – given when I did not deserve it because of my reckless and willful sins.  How can I be selfish with mercy and forgiveness for others in that same place when He was so generous with me?    

Prayer

Lord God, Everlasting Father, Redeemer, Teacher, Lover of my soul, the only inside voice I want to hear is Yours.  When I want to be selfish with mercy, grace and forgiveness, remind me of my filthy condition when I first came to embrace Your salvation.  Help me to see past the ugliness that is the evidence of a soul in anguish because it has not yet embraced You.  May Your love, grace, mercy and forgiveness be my story and the epitaph of my life.  Make it so, in Jesus’ name.