Tag Archives: Psalm 27:13

Pain is real – So is hope

Pain is real but so is hope.

 

CS Lewis astutely observed, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” We can’t ignore it. It tortures us and crushes us. In its greatest trials it blinds us to everything else. Physical pain. Emotional pain. The pain of feeling lost and alone and without purpose. To deny it and paste on a silly grin is a foolish facade that accomplishes nothing.

 

Pain is real.

But so is hope.

 

Hope clings to the reality that what we see is not what God sees. We think there is only pain, uselessness, a wasted life of no value to anyone. We sit beneath the magnificent quilt spread across the loom and all we see are the tattered edges and loose threads. Nothing makes sense. But He sees the picture from above, the one that is completed by our faithfulness. Speaking of the great men and women of faith who suffered greatly, the author of the book of Hebrews wrote: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40) He continues,”Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

 

That’s the masterpiece that our pain can’t perceive. Only faith, your great hope, can catch a glimpse of the beauty that is yet to be revealed.

 

Your faithfulness is accomplishing far more than what you and I can imagine. It’s quite possible we won’t know until we get to heaven how God uses your faithfulness to work good in all situations for all who are called according to his purpose. I know it doesn’t seem like enough. I write this as my own pain screams at me. Hope doesn’t seem like enough. But it is enough. Jesus has his loving eyes on you and your pain right now. You are not forgotten, not alone.

 

All that counts and all that remains in the end, is faith expressing itself in love. (Galatians 5:6) And faith keeps reaching out. When there is no strength or when your invitations to help and encourage others are ignored, faith prays. And persevering prayer accomplishes as much as any deeds we do. Marcia and I were recently talking about her parents’ lives, how their last years seemed so empty and wasted. Without our family there would have been just a few to remember them. But is the goal to be remembered? Perhaps the real point of life ultimately to bear witness to the transformational power of God’s love in a way that it impacts the life of at least one other person, who in turn bears testimony that impacts another?  In that sense, your faith – expressing itself in love – continues to live on, long after your name is forgotten.

 

Whatever level of pain you endure right now, I pray that you will see the goodness of the Lord here in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). But even if that vision is clouded, there comes a time for all real believers when ALL his goodness will unfold in great abundance. We won’t be able to contain it.

 

That is our hope and it is as real as any pain that assaults us.

 

Blessings in disguise

 

There’s an old Chinese proverb about a man who lost his horse, which he thought to be a bad thing. Later his horse returned bringing a great wild stallion with him. This seemed like a good thing. Then his son went riding on the stallion and fell off, breaking his leg. This was a bad thing for sure, right? But wait. Because of the son’s broken leg, he avoided being drafted into fighting the war and stayed home with his father instead (a good thing).

 

Sometimes our troubles are actually blessings in disguise.

 

Paul experienced this. He was shipwrecked, flogged, stoned, and imprisoned. We would consider it a very bad thing if it happened to us. But Paul writes to let others know this “bad thing” was actually a good thing because it actually served to advance the gospel of Christ.

 

When I broke my leg I mourned not being able to work, but then realized the rest gave me more time for reflection I had ignored. When going through chemotherapy I thought it was bad news because it delayed our mission to Bolivia. But quickly it was revealed that there was a mission for us right in the hospital. When something is lost we take special joy in what remains. In our weakness we find God’s strength. In strength we find the ability to persevere. In perseverance we find hope. In failure we learn humility. In being humbled we find his grace. In grace we find wonder. In our doubts we find renewed reason to believe. In believing we find deliverance. In all our suffering, if it is for the Lord, there is future glory revealed, adding to our hope.

 

What troubles have brought you bad news?  The natural temptation is to want to get away from them as soon as possible. But maybe, and quite often, there is some good thing in the midst of it ready to be revealed.  To discover it, we have to take our eyes off our problems and look to God for his blessing in disguise, his goodness in the middle of our dark circumstances.

 

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. – Psalm 27:13

 

Mansions in heaven

 

We like to think about heaven but we hate to think about hell. That place of eternal torment and punishment is too much for us to grasp. Who can bear the thought of eternal darkness, and yet burning fire, of complete separation from friends and loved ones, and utter separation from God? I wonder sometimes if we forget from WHAT we were saved?! It should burn in our memory every day!

 

I remember when the reality of heaven and hell hit me. I remember the weight of my sin and the punishment I deserved. I remember the depth of my inadequacy to escape it in my own power. Even at a relatively young age I recognized that none of my God-given abilities and talents were sufficient to remove my sin problem. But oh, I wanted to escape the punishment. I remember reading that Jesus not only forgives the sins we confess and removes our punishment but has also gone ahead to prepare a place for us in heaven. Because He says there are many mansions in heaven, we think of ‘our place’ being one of them. Imagine not only avoiding just punishment but given a reward instead! I remember telling Him, that it would be quite enough if I had a little shack by the River of Life. But he would have none of that; a mansion it would be.

 

Have you ever wondered what a heavenly mansion will look like? Since we will have heavenly bodies it seems likely it might not be a brick and mortar building like we imagine. But it will be magnificent. He’s given us temporary earthly bodies to be the home for His Holy Spirit. And even in the frailty of these bodies we can sense some degree of God’s glory within and around us. Imagine having a glorified heavenly body that could serve as a ‘mansion’ for ALL of His glory! If you could take the feeling of any moment of wonder that took your breath away and multiply that a million times, it might be that much goodness. . . enough to fill a mansion – and beyond!

 

Did you know we can experience a piece of that here and now? As we learn to commune with the Holy Spirit throughout the day, He reveals more of God’s glory to us. And the more we exalt God’s goodness and glory, the more His Spirit fills us. The more we grow thankful hearts the more the goodness of the Lord and His ever sufficient grace pours over us. It runs through our pain and sorrow. It’s not a patronizing conciliation. It’s the truth. God’s goodness remains constant in spite of our troubles and our feelings. That piece of heaven, however small it seems, is available for our discovery each day.

 

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

 

 

Well done!

 

 

Well done, good and faithful servant! Matthew 25:23

 

We all long to be praised even if sometimes we are embarrassed. Deep inside we long for a life of faith that is lived well.

 

But we get side tracked. Our attention turns to the bills, the never-ending chores, the constant demands on our time. Just keeping our head above water seems like a challenge. Where do we find time or energy to do more? Fortunately, the answer is not found in doing more but in doing whatever we do well:

 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

 

What His Word really says is that we should enjoy His presence in everything we do. Enjoy Him when you get dressed, when you brush your teeth. Let your joy over His goodness spill over the way you work; let it overflow onto those you encounter. Be purposeful in your interactions with His love, truth and grace in mind. Rest in His presence that restores you, not in recreation that leaves you ‘wrecked.’ Remember also, sometimes the answer to living a life of faith and honor is in doing nothing, but in waiting on God:

 

Wait on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

 

Be honest, waiting is a hassle! We wait for the coffee to brew, we wait for the end of the day, we wait for our paycheck to come, we wait and wait for the answer to prayers. We hate waiting. But in waiting, we stop tapping our toes impatiently and start to silently bow our heads. Waiting makes us humble and draws us closer to the God who lifts us up, the God we so desperately need. We are eager to press forward with our own plans and efforts. But waiting on God’s timing and providence ultimately reveals more of who He is. We sometimes think we can wait no longer, but we can, because:

 

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

 

It doesn’t seem that way. Life beats us up just as Jesus said it would. Maybe you sometimes feel more defeated and enslaved by suffering than victorious over it. Me too. I wish I could tell you the secret to making suffering end right now. But it won’t. You don’t want to hear it, but the truth is, the immense weight of suffering we feel now will appear light compared to the glory of God that will be revealed through it and in fact produced by it. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

 

Believe it, not because it’s easy, but because it’s true. Even though pain shouts at us, God speaks loudly through His whisper of grace and peace. So, let’s cast our anxieties aside and focus on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living:

 

Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Philippians 4:8

 

And rest in peace, good and faithful servant.

 

 

Are you ready for a rest?!

One week before Christmas: Is the tree decorated, lights up? Christmas cards sent out, gifts purchased and wrapped? Christmas meals and activities planned? Whew! Sounds like you are ready for a rest! But as you lie your head down, do more to-do lists pop in your head? Where oh where can you find rest?

During this last year with leukemia I’ve gone through phases where certain medications were needed to manage one condition but at the cost of my sleep. And there have been other times, like now, when the medications made me too sleepy, and very little ‘awake’ time for activity. Then there were those exasperating times when two medications were needed, one keeping me wired and awake and the other making me drowsy. It is quite the balancing act! And where do we find real rest?

It seems the answer is both simple and evasive. Jesus says simply, “Come to me all of you who are weary and heavy laden. And I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Coming to Jesus involves leaving the rest of the world, our worries and preoccupations, our ambitions, our lists, even our pain, behind. Interesting, how we sometimes cling to these thoughts that we know are robbing us of peace. It involves suspending all this for a season, while we allow ourselves to drift into God’s presence.

What does that mean to you, to drift into God’s presence? Perhaps you can imagine an overcoat you have where every pocket is overfilled with plans and worries. As you intently hang up that coat in the closet and shut the door, can you see yourself walking away and trusting the outcomes of those concerns to God? That is the path to God’s presence.

Can you feel yourself warming to his presence as you lie down and contemplate how faithful God is, or the nature of his everlasting love for you? Can you let your muscles relax as you realize that no day, no matter how stressful it had been, has ever completely overcome you. You’ve made it through every one of them! Can you feel a gentle smile form on your face as you start listing everything for which you are thankful? I think it is a very long list once you start! These too are paths to God’s presence.

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13

Let your mind rest in the thought of this goodness.