"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." — Proverbs 3:5, The Message
"Trust Me," God says, "I will take your confused, chaotic and broken life and give you purpose, peace and healing."
But I find it hard to trust.
When I trust I have to yield control, and I'm not sure I want to do that. Down deep in my mind I'm afraid that if I choose to trust God, He'll change far too many things about how I live, and I rather like doing what I want to do, when I want to do it.
"Trust Me," God says.
And I listen, as if responding to a voice mail invitation left by a telemarketer.
"Trust Me," God says as I review my VISA bill.
"Trust Me," God says as I negotiate the moguls of the highway.
"Trust Me," God says as the doctor calls about the results of Mom's MRI.
When I face a difficult decision, I hear His whispered invitation. When my heart wants to lash out and cause pain to someone who deserves it, His whispered offer fills my mind. "Trust Me. There is a better way."
So, I've been listening, or at least turning my hearing aid up so His voice comes through more clearly. The results have been a bit frightening. His voice keeps challenging me to rely on Him when I'm really more comfortable relying on myself.
The results have also been settling.
Yesterday, when I was frenetically attempting to accomplish three impossible projects in the same 10-minute space, He offered peace in exchange for my stress. Then, when I was to make a presentation for which I was unprepared, He arrived with a solution that was far superior to anything I had planned.
Beside my bed last night I prayed for Him to take charge of an issue that seems to have no possible resolution. "Trust Me," He responded. And I slept well.
Practice is making it easier for me to trust. And the results are awesome! An intense inner joy rises to replace worry and fear. Calm takes the place of tension. Thoughtfulness puts out anger's fire.
"Trust Me," God says.
And I smile with expectation!
ENCOUNTER: What life issue will you trust God in? Where are you finding yourself hesitate? Share your reasons.
Over the past decade or so, there have been numerous publications across multiple denominations that ask the question: "Why are young people leaving the church?"
There are multiple theories as to why this is. The church is to old-fashioned, they church doesn't "get it" or isn't "hip" enough. The church is full of judgmental hypocrites, so why bother to stay? The church has nothing to offer. This is just a sampling theories, and countless committees and groups have tried different tactics to counteract the trend. You see "flashier" services, complete with all the multimedia trimmings and contemporary music. Where once there were suits and ties, you see jeans and t-shirts. Many churches will bend over backwards trying to show how accepting they are, trying to be everything to everyone.
And is nothing wrong with any of that, and in some instances it does stem the exodus of young people from the pews, at least temporarily. However, I would posit that most of the mainstream discussion and reaction to it misses the core reason people leave the church: THE CHURCH DOES NOT WANT ME.
That is not an easy discussion to have, because it can be a painful one. Often, if someone brings up that the church does not want them, they are directed to a small group, or shown how the church has reached out to other people "like them" or in a similar situation. But that misses the point of the church does not want ME.
But how is it that the church demonstrates a person is unwanted? Through acts such as intimidation, humiliation, intense criticizing, insulting, belittling, and name calling that have the effect of making a person believe they are not worthwhile. Sometimes it is not always overt, but through an "off hand" remark, or encouraging volunteerism, but when the role is done cutting people off with little or no word at all. Insinuation that a person is not "good enough" or not "welcome" has virtually the same effect as if it is specifically stated. And most people, when faced with that, leave.
Some of those that don't leave, even in the face of adversity (real or perceived), may fall into a different category. They may not want to be at church, but don't leave because their family is there, perhaps their children are in Sabbath school, they may fear a public humiliation, or perhaps have developed a learned helplessness/hopefulness type of psychological dependency on the church. People that have developed a "learned hopefulness" continue to hope the situation will improve because they wish this to be the case, and often times the offending party promises to change (LaViolette & Barnett, 2000). Yet, in the end, they are hurt all over again in a cycle that appears endless and unbreakable.
Therein lies the core problem of why young people really leave the church, or why those that don't are not connected in any meaningful way. It is a painful factor of the modern church, but it must, in my view, be a part of any discussion about the exodus of young people from the pews.
One of the Seventh-day Adventist Church founders, Ellen White, gives some sage advice that we should heed:
Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, "Follow Me."
There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. If less time were given to sermonizing, and more time were spent in personal ministry, greater results would be seen. The poor are to be relieved, the sick cared for, the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.
Do we, as a church, still have what it takes to make a personal effort to befriend and come close to people? Or have we simple fallen back to good sermons, good music, and a couple of tent meetings to get people to come to us? Have we become more focused on filling pews with the proper swath of demographics, or, as Ellen White suggests, do what Jesus would do and build personal connections, friendships, deep bonds, with all people, young or old?
I would suggest that if we behaved as Christ followers, truly made it about Jesus above all, and treated people as He did, that the church would be bursting at the seams with people! But if we continue the path of mirroring a Jesus who does not want ME to people, then they will do what He instructed. "And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate." (Luke 9:5)
Encounter: Are we willing to get outside our comfort zone, leave our walls, and make personal connections with people? Or are we content with the one or two that straggle in out of the dust storm?
"What day is it?"
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh. –A. A. Milne
When our daughter was still very young, she loved Winnie the
Pooh.Her childhood days were
filled with wonder and play.Every
person had the potential of being a new friend, and if they were just her size,
she was eager to see if they wanted to be playmates.Playing house only required imagination and a willingness on
my part to sit on a miniature chair as she prepared plastic vegetables for
dinner.
Over the years, I’ve grown fond of looking for stuffed toy
“Winnie the Poohs” for her as I travel and minister—Partly because the Dad DNA
in me is inclined to spoil her, and partly because it reminds me of the days
when Pooh was as real as neighbors, summers seemed to linger forever, and
school was some day when she “grew up.”
Those “todays” seem long ago.
Today, our schedule is packed full of demands and
deadlines.Between my church
commitments, my wife’s 12-hour shifts at the NICU, and our daughter’s academic
responsibilities, sports rehab, and extracurricular activities, it sometimes
feels like today’s a too-small-carry-on-packed-too-full-to-fit in the overhead
compartment.
My iPhone, and iCal, and MacBook Pro aren’t synced well
enough for me to optimally track my appointments, my wife’s work schedule, and
the various activities at the academy for my daughter. I sometimes feel like
today gets lost in the scramble to go from one critical commitment to the next.
I miss the “today” of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet.
Not that I want to go back in time, but rather, that I can
all too easily let “today” become a tool instead of a treasure.Today can be made to take a toll
instead of offer a twinkle.If I’m
not careful, today disappears in the deluge of the urgent—Too often, as of
late, I’ve made today drudgery.
“This day belongs to the Lord!
Let’s celebrate
and be glad today.” –Psalm 118:24 [CEV]
In some ways, “today” is like the stuffed animal presents I
would get my little girl during my travels.Today is a gift.Undeserved, unassuming, yet full of joy, and love, and imagination.There are smiles to be had, moment’s
brimming with gladness and celebration.Today is stuffed with enough goodness to make it my favorite day.Today can be like Winnie the Pooh and
Piglet.
However in order to receive the present of today, I need to
be present. . . today.
Encounter Prayer:
21 I praise the Lord
for answering my prayers
and saving me.
22 The stone that the builders
tossed aside
has now become
the most important stone.
23 The Lord has done this,
and it is amazing to us.
24 This day belongs to the Lord!
Let’s celebrate
and be glad today.
25 We’ll ask the Lord to save us!
We’ll sincerely ask the Lord
to let us win. Amen.
--Psalm 118:21-25 [CEV]
Much like my daughter's earliest years, today,GOD is calling you into a childlike faith, permitting you to see this day with the imagination of GOD-sized possibilities. Our heavenly Father is always thinking of you, eager to give you gifts for no good reason. His blessings happen in the unexpected moments of this day simply for the sake of His delight in you.
But so unlike my earliest daddy years, GOD, your heavenly Father, is giving you so much more than an airport gift shop stuffed animal. GOD is giving you the cornerstone of the world, Christ Jesus--He's giving you His favorite Son today, His favorite day.
May today be a gift to you from GOD, filled with all the
wonder, celebration, and joy He intends.
Encounter the Word:
For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness. –Psalm 84:10
[ESV]
Encounter:
If you were to cultivate a childlike faith, what might you see today as a gift from GOD?
Who might you share your "gifts" with today?
How might you shape your days to start seeing each one as a gift? What role might Christ Jesus play in the new shape of your day, today?
Last summer while attending a conference in San Francisco I
noticed a large beautiful building a few blocks from the conference. I found
out later it was a Synagogue and so – with my new smart phone – I googled the
area and found their website. It turns out they had a Friday evening service
for opening of Sabbath or “Shabbat” and so I went.
My life was in the midst of being completely turned upside
down. I had just left friends, family, job, car, computer, and everything in
Malawi where I had lived for three years to come back to the United States for
a new job in a new field, new town, different culture, and a new job with a lot
of turmoil and angst as well. I was in San Francisco for this conference somewhere
between buying a new car and driving a U-Haul to California. It was a time of
transition – to put it mildly.
I had never attended a service in a Synagogue before and
found it refreshing and the people welcoming. There was a poetic feeling to the
whole service with a time of celebration, a time of mourning, and teaching all
encompassed with prayers and songs to GOD. The setting was beautiful with
carved wood, stained glass, wooden benches in a circular sanctuary.
As I sat and listened to the words and prayers of those
around me in this sacred space I remembered to stop and listen to where my
heart was right then. My personal resources were completely drained and I
needed renewal. I was busy with all that comes with moving between countries
and jobs and needed that quiet space to rest and start to find strength again.
Strength didn’t come from rushing into the next day or week to my new job, new
house, and new car but I was reminded that Sabbath is needed in the midst of my
turmoil to renew. Not just one day a week – although that is vital – but a REAL
rest for my soul which comes over time.
I found the poem below at the Synagogue in their book of
prayer and it put into words the thoughts I was having and reminded me to stop
– in the midst of the chaos in my life – and listen to the GOD who loves me; to
find the stability and to be aware of His presence and
from that place of strength to “turn again to your service.”
Take a few moments to read it slowly. Read it again aloud
and listen to the words that resonate with you.
“We reach for You, our God
From our quiet places.
May we stand still, for a brief moment,
And listen to the rain –
Stand still for a brief moment,
And watch the play of sunlight and shadow on the leaves
For a brief moment – listen to the world.
Let us stop the wheels of every day to be aware of Shabbat
Find the stillness of the sanctuary which the soul
cherished.
Renew the covenant of an ancient people.
We need a quiet space to test the balance of our days;
The weight of our own deeds
Against the heaviness of the world’s demands.
The balance is precarious – steady us with faith.
Quiet places and stillness –
Where we will hear our own best impulses speak.
Quiet places and stillness –
From which we will reach out to each other.
We will find strength in silence
And with this strength
We will turn again to your service.”--from the Jewish Siddur
Encounter:
Where is GOD speaking to you now (not last week or next
month), today?
What is He saying through your “best impulses”?
Rest in the
strength here for you. Imagine the presence of GOD here, now and linger there
and listen.
Devotional by Elisa Brown. Posted by A. Allan Martin by permission.
“Worry is interest paid on trouble before it falls due.”
–William R. Inge
When Matthew 6:25 [GW] shares, “So I tell you to stop
worrying about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food and
the body more than clothes?” the Bible passage doesn’t feel completely
applicable to me.Sure, there have
been times where it’s felt very tight between paychecks, but I’ve not had to be
concerned about our next meal or clothing our children, and I’m grateful to GOD
for His provisions.
But still, I worry. . . daily.
I worry about what others will think of my actions.I fret about the future.I worry, “how my decisions will
affect my children?” I get perplexed if feelings get hurt.I worry, “Am I a good Mom?”I’m distressed if things don’t work out
just so.I worry that my Dad won’t
approve.And the list goes on and on.Verse 27 continues, “Can any of you add
a single hour to your life by worrying?”If worry could extend your life, I might live hundreds of years more
than most, but what a toll all that distress would take.
It’s exhausting!
[deep breath]
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” –Psalm 46:10 [TNIV]
The Common English Bible paraphrase of this verse speaks to
me.It’s as if GOD is saying,
“Darla, that’s enough! Now, know that I am God.”[Psalm 46:10a, CEB (personalization added)]
For all my worry, driven by a hell-bent compulsion to people
please, I was failing in my attempts to get approval from GOD; Incessantly,
restlessly, I would get bedeviled by the details, feeling tormented by my
misguided concerns.
“Let go of your concerns!
Then you will know that I am God.
I rule the nations.
I rule the earth.” –Psalms
46:10 [GW]
It seems as if GOD is saying, “Let me be God. Rest in my
love and let me take care of you.”
Yes, He rules the world, the universe, and everything, yet
He also knows my greatest desires. Only GOD will give us a lasting peace in our
hearts.
“Stop worrying.”
“Let go.”
“Be still.”
“Know that I am GOD.
Encounter Prayer:
GOD, I’m exhausted. Thanks for patiently listening to my
worries, offering me relief and comfort. Thank you dear Jesus for the peace and
rest only You can provide.Help me
be still. Amen.
Encounter Questions:
Being candid, what do you worry about?
What would it be like to “let go?”
How might you build your confidence in GOD’s ability to take
care you?
Devotional contributed by Darla Lauterbach Kendrick Posted by A. Allan Martin by permission.
Leviticus has shown us that God cares how we live our daily lives, and wants not just what is best for us, but also what is best for our relationship with Him. As David said in Psalm 119 -
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
In the beginning of Leviticus 24, God again goes over the importance of the lamps in the Tabernacle (vv 1-4). The people of Israel are to keep pure olive oil coming to the priests so that the lamps in the Tabernacle never go out. Aaron and the priests were to make sure that the lamps were always lit and had sufficient oil to stay lit.
Today we don’t keep temple lights burning continually, so this passage must be irrelevant for us today, right? Take another look at David’s psalm. God’s Word is a lamp for us, to guide our lives day to day. So if God’s Word is our light, what then must be the oil? Reading it! Living it! Establishing that relationship with God! As Isaiah says “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” (40:8). Jesus Himself reiterates that same point: “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” (Matt. 24:35)
So if God’s Word is eternal and everlasting, maybe it would do us good to ready and study it? What do you think?
Along with being our guiding light, God touches on another topic that is still popular today: justice. But given what we just learned about God’s Word never being irrelevant, Leviticus 24:10-16 seems a little harsh. Stoning someone for blasphemy?
The punishment is extreme by modern standards. It was also extreme by Roman standards when the Jewish leaders were trying to trip up (and then resorted to falsely accusing) Jesus and demanding His execution for blasphemy (John 19:7). But what God is showing His people (including us today) is how seriously we need to take our relationship with Him. How many times to we use His name in swearing, or just plain acting like God doesn’t exist (we don’t want to be branded a “religious nut” after all)? But as Pastor Reams of Forest Lake said a little while ago, God is HOLY, and after everything He’s done for us, He deserves to be treated with reverence (which we all seem to have forgotten)! And remember, it’s God who will have the last word, not us.
In finishing out Leviticus 24, God gives guidance to judges (most of which is still effective law today). For example, we still have the death penalty for someone who murders someone (Lev 24:17 & 21). But if you look over God’s advice for judges, what He is saying is that the punishment should fit the crime. Back then, if you were to kill a neighbor's ox, for example, you would have to repay your neighbor with a new ox. That was the only way he had to plow his fields, and you as the offending party needed to make it right. And this was true if your neighbor was an Israelite or a foreigner, God’s law applied equally.
So the next time you do something to hurt or offend someone, don’t let it simmer. Make it right with that person, even if you don’t want to! As Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians: And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil (4:26-27).
We’ll close this chapter of Leviticus with what Jesus taught the people about getting along with their neighbors:
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. (Matt. 5:23-24)
Encounter: Will you spend time with God today in His Word?
Perhaps you’ve noticed lately that the world seems a bit….divided. In America, we are encouraged to rip to shreds anyone who disagrees with us.
In Greece there is anger at the government for not being responsible and running the country’s economy into the ground. The Scottish are talking about breaking away from the UK to be their own country. The Russians have gone through a contentious and suspect election cycle.
In Asia the Koreas as threatening open war again and the Iranians are just threatening everyone, while Pakistan can barely hold it together.
In the Middle East, Syria openly slaughters its own people and Israel threatens to pick a fight with Iran that will drag the rest of the world in.
In Africa, the Sudanese have turned from Darfur to the Nooba people. Congo is still fighting itself, and people the continent over are starving.
In South America, Venezuela bullies its neighbors, and Mexico is ripping itself in half.
Australia and the U.S have agreed to "naval exercises" to saber rattle against China.
When you think about it, the only continent with nothing going on is Antarctica.
That’s kind of a lot of doom and gloom…or the evening news. But we can’t really be bothered with that, because we’re too busy tearing each other down…except for that hour a week we’re at church, and most churches would prefer to hide under a rock and hope it all blows over. When the Church has weighed in on the social issues of our day, it is not to help bring peace, but to stoke the fires of rage, hate, and discontent.
However, as Jesus said, “If they keep quiet, even the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:40). And so they have, in a manner of speaking.
While the world yells and screams and the church (when not hiding) joins the madness, the rock band Nickelback quietly released a new song. It is not a song of rage and angst, but a cry to unite and stand together for the benefit of humanity.
Here’s is what Nickelback, the rock band, lifts their voices to say:
One more depending on a prayer
And we all look away
People pretending everywhere
It's just another day
There's bullets flying through the air
And they still carry on
We watch it happen over there
And then just turn it off
They tell us everything's all right
And we just go along
How can we fall asleep at night?
When something's clearly wrong
When we could feed a starving world
With what we throw away
But all we serve are empty words
That always taste the same
The right thing to guide us
Is right here, inside us
No one can divide us
When the light is leading on
But just like a heartbeat
The drumbeat carries on
And the drumbeat carries on
(Just like a heartbeat)
Chorus:
We must stand together
There's no getting even
Hand in hand forever
That's when we all win
That's, that's, that's when we all win
That's, that's, that's when we all win
Yet our church, who by its very name declares us followers of Jesus, has not listened to His words.
“You will always have the poor, but you won’t always have Me.” (John 12:8).
“When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” (Luke 14:12-14)
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matt 25:34-40)
There are many, many other instructions in the Bible about taking care of each other, of looking out for one another. We are called to lift each other up! Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven! (James 5:13-15).
So how about it? Can we set down our hatreds, our squabbles, our petty differences, and instead fulfill what Jesus has told us to do?
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35)
Or will we, as Christian followers, remain silent (or join in the world’s hate fest) to the point where the rocks must cry out?
Encounter: How can you be Jesus to someone this week?
In Greece there is anger at the government for not being responsible and running the country’s economy into the ground. The Scottish are talking about breaking away from the UK to be their own country. The Russians have gone through a contentious and suspect election cycle.