Hope Unswervingly

  Read 2 Chronicles 20:13-19 So Jehoshaphat was facing a tough situation and he went directly to God to seek wisdom. This should definitely be our first step as well, but we can learn a lot from how he responded to the word from God as well. There is no value in seeking God's wisdom and then not acting on it! When God spoke, He brought words of encouragement and strength. "Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God's." Can you imagine how Jehoshaphat must have felt when he heard this? The burden of knowing he was vastly outnumbered, that their land and lives were in danger, and that he had no recourse was suddenly lifted. God clearly said, "I've got this. Go out there and face it tomorrow, and I will be right there with you."  When life throws those curve balls, this passage brings strength and hope. The battle is not ours, but God's. What a joy to know it is not all up to us to meet the challeng...

  Read 2 Chronicles 20:5-12 When the people had gathered to seek God together, King Jehoshaphat prayed aloud on behalf of their nation. His words are recorded in these verses. Notice how he starts by recalling God’s great and miraculous interventions for Israel as they came into the Promised Land. He acknowledges that they have been up against some impossible situations before and God has seen them through it. Because of their history together, Jehoshaphat and his people were again seeking help from the God they knew they could count on. There is a very human element to this prayer—a desperate plea for the Lord to act. You know, when we came out of Egypt, you (God) told us to leave these people alone and not drive them out. Now they are coming after us! We need you to help us protect the land that you gave us ! He is at once praising God for His power and reminding Him of His promise to the Israelite people. Once Jehoshaphat has laid everything out before God, he gets down to...

  Jehoshaphat, King of Judah. That is quite a name. He is one of a long list of kings in the old testament. Unlike some of those kings, he has quite a long list of good accomplishments to his credit. When I am thrown a curve ball in life, the piece of Jehoshaphat’s story in 2 Chronicles 20 is full of things I need to remember. With Jehoshaphat as our teacher, let’s see what we can learn. Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-4 Jehoshaphat was about to be overwhelmed. The armies of three different people groups were gathering to fight against him. It was a vast number of opposing soldiers, and they were already very close when the king learned of it. That is when Jehoshaphat made the first great decision of this crisis: He sought the Lord in his fear. In fact, it says that he RESOLVED to seek the Lord. It seems this wasn’t his automatic response – he was probably shaking in his boots and wanted to panic and run—but with an act of will, he chose to seek God’s perspective on this situation. ...

  Read Jeremiah 17:5-8 and John 10:10 For the last five years, I have skipped the New Year's resolutions. Actually, it has been much longer than that, but it was in the last five years that I have chosen a new approach that has been working for me. Instead of a resolution, I choose a word that will be my focus for the year - something that I can apply to every aspect of my life throughout the year. These words help me grow, discern choices, and give me a mindset to hold onto. Two of my favorite words have been brave and improve . I've been thinking and praying about my word for 2021. I have considered hope , adjust , and stretch . Although these all speak to an aspect of what I need for the coming year, none of these settled on my heart. Then this morning I was thinking about how we have been living during COVID-19. The mindset tends to be "just get through it" or "endure it until it is over." To survive. The Casting Crowns lyrics came into my mind. "...

    2 Cor. 12:9 -10  But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me .  So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.           Our daughter played tennis in high school, and I found it a fun game to watch. It was particularly exciting whenever the scoring got to “deuce,” meaning the score was tied and one player needed to score twice in a row to win the game. When one player scored the first point after deuce, she was said to have the “advantage,” which meant she only needed one more point to win, whereas her opponent needed three!           When we recognize our weakness and ask God to supply His strength, you and I have that kin...

  Read Isaiah 30:20-22 What truth is contained in these verses!! When we seek the Lord during hard times, things will become clearer and powerful things happen. Let's look at the three basic lessons that have become clear to me as I've studied this passage. First, God provides what we need – “meager bread and water.” Although we may be learning to do without some things, we still have a God who will meet our needs and help us become aware of our greediness for more than that. He has promised that when we first seek Him, He will provide for the daily stuff we tend to worry about (Matthew 6:33). Second, our Teacher will not be hidden and He will not be silent. Adversity helps us to grow and to learn about what God wants from us. As we stumble through the chaos, we will begin to see God in the midst of it, and God’s voice will become clearer.   He will lead us in His ways. Finally, when we are struggling, our lives get sifted. As the shaking continues, we begin to recogni...

  Read Lamentations 3:19-26 More toys than floor in the living room. Crayon art on the newly painted wall. Diapers in the bin that will curl your nose hair. Tears (some of them yours). Whining. A plate of spaghetti tossed to the floor to punctuate the sentence, "I want hot dogs!" And then...nap time. Blessed, peaceful, sanity-saving naptime. What is it about a sleeping child that melts our frustrations and anger into ooey-gooey adoration? Pure love. The child who was on the brink of a thousand time outs is suddenly the cutest thing in the world and brings a different kind of tear to our eyes, along with a softness in our hearts. When they wake up, the day is fresh and new, and the past fades away so we can begin again. God is a parent too, and He has been there. Daily He watches us quarrel, disobey, throw tantrums, and leave messes in our wake. However, as the author of Lamentations graciously reminds us, "His mercies are new every morning."  Like the peaceful sight...

 Read Romans 5:1-8 Virtually the entire Old Testament, from Genesis 3 to Matthew, is the story of God’s people waiting. Adam and Eve chose not to follow God’s command and sin came into God’s perfect creation. From that time, people were waiting for God’s Messiah to come and save them from their sins. God promised to bring salvation to all people, delivering them from under Satan’s dominion. They were not always conscious of the waiting, but it was always there. As the prophets began to speak about the promised Messiah, there was an anticipation of the event. However, that was not always enough to keep God’s people on track and living according to God’s plan. Why in the world did God not offer the sacrifice of the Messiah right away when it was first needed? Honestly, I do not know the answer to that, but it has to do with waiting. And God’s justice. And patience. And perfect timing.   And demonstrating the faithfulness of God. And it’s about providing hope for the future. ...

 Read Galatians 4:5-7 We sat on the steps leading to the beach at a pristine northern Minnesota Lake. We were surrounded by tall Norway pines which swayed and whispered in the wind high above us. The sun sparkled on the clear water. There was beauty all around, but my attention was mostly drawn to my 2 1/2 year old grandson, Matthew. Matthew had discovered a jumping spot - a place where railroad ties held back the sand and offered an 18" drop - perfect for a little boy to test his jumping skills. After taking his first tentative leap, Matthew decided this was a very fun game, and circled back to the steps beside us, approached the ledge, and jumped again. Over and over, he made the circle. However, he added one step as he repeated his leap. Each time he came to the ledge, he patted his daddy's head, sweetly asked, "How 'ya doin', Daddy?" and then jumped. Sometimes he landed on his feet, sometimes on his knees, and a few times, he almost face-planted in the sa...

Read Psalm 25, especially focusing on verses 16-22. David closes this Psalm with heartfelt words, speaking all the things He needs from God at this time. This is exactly what God wants of us. We have declared our trust and are living it out by keeping our eyes on God. Now ask. Speak to God from the depths of your being and tell Him what you long for. I often find that when I’m hurting the most, words don’t come very easily. However, reading the Psalms as prayers often express exactly what I’m feeling. Verses 16-22 give a wonderful example if you don’t know where to start. I am alone. (v. 16) Our distress can leave us in a dark and empty place, feeling like there is absolutely no one to whom we can turn. Acknowledge this feeling and remember that God does not EVER leave us alone. Bring me out of my sufferings. (v. 17) We’ve already mentioned that the Christian life does not prevent suffering, but that God always provides a way through it. Look to Him for the solution. Take away ...

Read Psalm 25:12-15 Much of the waiting process has to do with learning where your focus needs to be. If we focus on what we don’t have or don’t yet know, we lose out on so much of what God has for us right now. These verses of Psalm 25 remind us of the benefits of keeping our eyes focused on God. The one who lives in worshipful submission to God Almighty will be given direction in life (v. 12) Our human understanding does not give us a complete or accurate picture of what it will take to get to the end result of our waiting, but God does know that picture. If we stay focused on Him, we will receive His guidance as we navigate this unfamiliar road. I’m one who likes to travel with a map in her lap. I enjoy looking ahead at the route, knowing the final destination, and marking off the cities and landmarks we go by on the way there. I am less enamored with a GPS that only shows me the next turn I’ll need to make. I guess that requires a lot more trust in the device than I tend to hav...

Read Psalm 25:1-5 Psalm 25 is a prayer of one who waits for the Lord. If we break it down, we will see a basic pattern for prayer that will help us to pray effectively in times of waiting, much like the Lord’s Prayer teaches us a pattern to use in our daily prayer time. David starts out by declaring his dependence on God. Verses 1-5 state that he trusts God and turns to Him for what he’s waiting for. That kind of trust will not disappoint, but misplaced trust will cause problems. On top of this basic declaration of trust, David pleads for understanding and guidance to teach him along the way. Putting these verses in more blunt language of today, it might read “Lord, I know I can trust you. Don’t prove me wrong.” This is an excellent place to start our prayers. When we declare our faith in God, even when we don’t feel it so completely, we put our focus in the right place. The solution to our problem or situation will not come from somewhere else; it will come from God. God wants t...

“I don’t know what to do!” My sister and I would start to make this comment (usually with a whiny voice) during summer vacation from school as soon as the initial novelty of “free time” wore off. My mother would often list off some ideas – some fun, and some work – and we would consider whether each idea was the one we would choose. Eventually, if she didn’t say something we wanted to do, we would decide to go figure it out ourselves - much to Mom’s pleasure, I’m sure. We can easily get caught up in figuring out God’s specific instructions to us in a particular situation. We ask, “What should I do, Lord?” But when we don’t hear a specific answer, this can paralyze us. I don’t know what to do so I won’t do anything yet.   Satan can put thoughts in our head like these: ·          God doesn’t care about me or He would answer. ·          There must be something wrong with me that I can’t hear from G...

Read Isaiah 30:18 Our loving God has demonstrated His own patience in waiting. How can we do less? Isaiah 30:18 says “Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God.” “Just" means fair – imposing sentence when needed. We sometimes lose sight of this quality of God, overemphasizing His love to the point of distortion. I’ve heard people wonder why a loving God wouldn’t just allow everyone into heaven, or allow only good things to happen. To even begin to understand, we must go back to the illustration of the parent and child. Does a loving parent never impose discipline or punishment? Does she always protect her child from the consequences of her choices? We have all seen the results when love is not balanced with fair discipline of children. This gives us just a little hint of the reason we must acknowledge both God’s love and His justice. Both are essential parts of God’s character and cannot be ignored. Isa...

Read Proverbs 16:9 Why does waiting seem to be so hard for us? We tend to see waiting as an idle or pointless delay in our plans, hopes and dreams. But what if there is purpose to it? What if I can be active in my waiting? How would that change my perspective, my attitude, and indeed, my life? From the start of life we are impatient, and some of us never “outgrow” it! The toddler whines to get the toy he wants right now. The teenager gets upset at the phone when the video is slow to download. The adult goes into debt so that she doesn’t have to wait for that wonderful fill-in-the-blank that will make life so much better. Each of these is a symptom of impatience, and a sign that we have not learned God’s lesson that waiting is an essential part of our Christian development. Without it, we become a world of Veruca Salts of Willy Wonka fame, going around pointing at all of our wants and desires and screaming out, “I want it now, Daddy!” As I look back on my prayers in my earlier fa...

Read Isaiah 30:18 When a child asks his parent for candy at 5:00 o’clock, the answer will typically be something like, “You may have one after supper.” The child may whine and complain that he wants it right now, that he’s hungry, or that the candy will not spoil his appetite. But parents with their child’s best interest in mind will say, “No, you have to wait.” Why do they do that? It’s because they know that good nutrition must come first before sweets for their child to be healthy. They know it is better to teach their child to wait than to give in to his demands at every turn. Parents know that there are things for which a child must learn to wait because it will be better and more beneficial later than it is right now. God is the ultimate Parent. He knows this principle better than any of us, and He uses it in our lives to teach and discipline us as well. Remember that His plan always comes out of His goodness and grace. A parent saying “no” or “wait” does not mean he does not...

Daniel 10:15-19 When he was visited by the messenger of the Lord, Daniel was physically and emotionally overwhelmed. He describes himself as speechless, anguished, and powerless. Breathless. Daniel asks this powerful question that continues to echo in my mind. “How can someone like me, your servant, speak with someone like you, my lord?” Indeed, how can someone like me approach Almighty God and speak with Him? To be in His presence would leave me speechless in awe, anguished in my sin, and powerless to do anything for myself. How grateful I am that God does His best work when we are in this state of weakness! When we humble ourselves at the feet of Jesus, acknowledging our sins and weaknesses, that is precisely when Jesus will reach down, take our hand, and respond in the way the messenger did to Daniel. “Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong.” Fear flees and strength grows. With the burden of our sins removed and the assurance of God’s...

Read Daniel 10:12-13 It is impossible to address the topic of waiting without speaking of impatience. When I say a prayer, most of the time my preference would be to have it answered right away rather than endure any amount of waiting. The message in Daniel 10:12-13 clarifies for us that sometimes the reason we must wait is for the spiritual battle to be fought. “From the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia.” This passage is a bit confusing to understand. The New Living Translation uses the terms “spirit prince” and “archangel” for “prince” and “chief prince.” This helps us see the spiritual aspect of what is being discussed here. Here is a helpful explanation from the HCSB Study Bible: “The Persian...

Continuing with Daniel 10, especially verse 12 The messenger from God about being treasured helped Daniel to stand, but he was still trembling. Daniel hears the reassuring words we all need to hear every day, “Don’t be afraid.” Virtually every time an angel comes to speak to someone in the Bible, he begins with “fear not” or “be not afraid.” Seeing a being sent by God is not an ordinary experience and would likely cause a bit of fear, simply due to awe and wonder, if nothing else. But God does not come to us to cause us to fear. He comes to us to express what we need to hear – words of encouragement, direction, correction, comfort. We need to get past the fear to really hear what God wants to say to us. If we are afraid to ask God to speak to us, what’s behind that? Are we afraid of what He might ask us to do? What we might have to give up? What He might show us about our inner hearts? If fear is our reaction, we must go back and reread the section before this and remind ourselv...

Continuing in Daniel 10 When Daniel begins to hear from Go d’s messenger, the words that first come to his ears are, “Daniel, you are a man treasured by God.” What a blessing it must have been to hear those words directly. Before you start saying “that has never happened to me,” consider the scriptures. Throughout the Biblical narrative we find God’s message that He loves and treasures each one of His creation. Some of us struggle to believe that based on our earthly experience that may not have included unconditional love or any kind of recognition of our value as a human being created by God. However, God’s biblical message to you is clear. He loves you. He treasures you. He took great care in making your unique person. He has a plan for your life designed just for you. Before we hear God speak to us, it is important to hear God’s words of love for us. That is foundational to everything else He will say – even the hard stuff. Everything He does and says comes out of His great l...