Why do bad things happen

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Job 20:1–22:30 
2 Corinthians 1:1-11 
Psalm 40:11-17 
Proverbs 22:2-4

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT) "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

If you are following along in The One Year Bible reading program, you are reading through the book of Job. It can be a laborious section of Scripture to read - unless you know why it was written. 

Essentially, Job was written to deal with the problem of why bad things happen. The whole book is an attempt by various people to explain why life gets tough until God steps into the conversation to give the final word and end it.

To be sure, there are a LOT of reasons why bad things happen:

In Job's case, it was a cosmic battle that had little to do with Job. 
Sometimes, it is simply because we live in a broken world.
Sometimes, it is because we are receiving the consequences of our sin or the sin choices of someone else.
Sometimes, it is because we are being disciplined by God for unrepentant sin.
On and on and on we could go.

When we arrive at 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, we realize that whatever the cause for difficulties, there is a benefit. In a world where life gets tough, it is nice to know that we aren't in it alone and that others know what it feels like and can help us in the trial.

That is what our Verse for Today is about. It says that when we go through trials and are comforted by the Lord (in whatever form it takes), then we are able to comfort and help others when they are going through trials, too.

The Lord acknowledges that this it will get tough living in this sin-sick world (John 16:33). But, He is not content to allow us to get overwhelmed by the trials. He wants to comfort us and then to comfort each other in those trials.

APPLICATION:
How can you reach out and receive the Lord's comfort today? (Begin with slow, reflective time in His Word.)

Who can you comfort today that is going through some really tough times?

God's love and our tragedies

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Job 1:1–3:26 
1 Corinthians 14:1-17 
Psalm 37:12-29 
Proverbs 21:25-26

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Job 1:8 (NLT) "Then the LORD asked Satan, 'Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.' "

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In American Christianity, so many that claim that they are opposed to the Health & Wealth Gospel actually believe it. When something good happens to them, they immediately assume that God is blessing them. When something bad happens, they feel like an injustice has occurred. "God, I've been faithfully serving You and this bad thing has happened to me. Why?!"

Fortunately, we have the Bible to correct our erroneous thinking. And if God's Word said nothing else about the subject, the book of Job is sufficient.

The book of Job essentially deals with the topic of suffering in a messed up world. By the end of chapter 1, we read that Job had lost his livelihood and all of his children had been killed.

If that happened to you or me, we would immediately ask the question: "God, what have I done to deserve this?" That question assumes that God will give good things to those who faithfully follow Him and He will allow bad things to come to those who are not following Him. (In other words, the false beliefs of the Health & Wealth Gospel.)

But, all we need to do is read Job 1:8 (and Job 2:3 where God essentially repeats Himself) to see that sin did not bring on Job's tragedy. It wasn't because he was out of favor with God. God wasn't angry at him or disappointed in him.

None of the above things were true. The truth is that God was thoroughly pleased with Job and proud of him!

Job 1:8 (NLT) "Then the LORD asked Satan, 'Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.' "

Essentially, there was a cosmic battle taking place. Satan wanted to demonstrate that God's followers were weak and would quickly abandon Him if their life got tough. God presented Job to Satan as a trophy and as proof that his followers wouldn't quickly abandon Him.

So, Job's horrible troubles weren't because of sin or God's displeasure. No! Job's troubles actually came about ... because God was very pleased with him and proud of him!

Friend, when bad things happen to you, it would be appropriate to do a self-assessment. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your mind and heart to reveal any hidden sins that may have brought on God's discipline (Psalm 139:23-24). 

But, if there is no known sin, then don't continue to assume that the bad thing(s) is evidence of God's displeasure with you. In fact, Job's example reveals that there will be times when God allows troubles into the life of those who are thoroughly pleasing to Him. 

In those times, don't waste your energy questioning Him. Just focus on passing the test. Keep your eyes on Him, strive for wholehearted obedience, and immediately repent of any shortcoming as you receive the grace and forgiveness to get back up and keep on going.

Passing God's Test

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Chronicles 32:1–33:13 
Romans 15:23–16:9 
Psalm 25:16-22 
Proverbs 20:16-18

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

2 Chronicles 32:31 (CSB) "When the ambassadors of Babylon’s rulers were sent to him to inquire about the miraculous sign that happened in the land, God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verse for Today is one that causes us to pause and reflect. In reality, it slams on the brakes and demands our attention as we travel through God's Word.

"... God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart."

Not only was there an immense amount of pressure and stress on King Hezekiah as he led the people of Judah, there were also flash points. Namely, more powerful armies periodically came to decimate Judah and enslave the people who remained alive.

Hezekiah must have known that his life and success often hung by a thread. Any momentary event could radically change the status quo. And so he must have recognized his need of God's protection. He needed God to be present at all times.

Yet, we are told in our Verse for Today that "God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart."

"God left him!"

This doesn't sound fair, does it? How could God leave a man who so desperately needed Him?

Here's the simple principle: A teacher is always the quietest during test time.

Much of a teacher's time is spent pouring into his or her students. They teach and teach and teach. Yet, there comes a time when the student's knowledge is tested and the teacher becomes silent.

This is what God did to Hezekiah. He went silent to see what was going on in Hezekiah's heart.

Friend, do you ever feel like Heaven has grown silent? Does God feel like He is a million miles away? Have you done some prayerful reflection and come to the conclusion that you are "confessed up" so the silence isn't due to sin?

Then, it may be that you are in a time of testing and the Divine Teacher has grown silent for that purpose. He wants to see what is in your heart.

Let me conclude by giving you a 'cheat sheet' for times of testing:

• Continue digging into God's Word to hear from Him. But, don't just peruse your Bible. Study it! Look for truths that God would provide you with encouragement, or instruction, or rebuke.
• Resolve even more to submit to God's authority over your life, to make the necessary adjustments to conform to the image of Jesus (obedience to His Word), and repent of any failure to do so.
• Allow the silence to fuel your prayer life so that you are spending much more time seeking God in private.
• Don't become exasperated. Realize that times of testing have a start point and an end point. Times of refreshing just might be right around the corner.

So, hold on, friend. If God seems as if He has grown silent, it may be that He is testing your heart. That's always a good thing because it means that your God is committed to your growth and development. He loves you. So, don't lose hope. Find courage in the silence.

Celebrating in times of trouble

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Chronicles 11:1–12:18 
Acts 28:1-31 
Psalm 9:1-12 
Proverbs 19:1-3

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 9:1-2 (CSB) "I will thank the Lord with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous works. I will rejoice and boast about you; I will sing about your name, Most High."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


When we read our Verse for Today, we hear the Psalmist commit to thanking the Lord and praising Him. He said that he would brag about the Lord and sing about His Name.

When we read of someone committing to such positive, constructive spiritual disciplines, we may be tempted to think that things were going well for him. God is blessing him - that's why he is wanting to celebrate his God.

And that assessment would be wrong. Look at what the Psalmist said a few verses later...

Psalm 9:13 (CSB) "Be gracious to me, Lord; consider my affliction at the hands of those who hate me. Lift me up from the gates of death,"

When we read this verse, we cannot help but realize that the Psalmist's current situation is pretty dire. Things are not well at all.

So, when we hop back to verses 1 and 2, we see those words differently. The Psalmist wasn't wanting to praise the Lord because times were easy. He was wanting to praise the Lord because times were hard.

Friend, when times are tough, it is super-easy to focus on the problems. It is super-easy to get discouraged. It is super-easy to even get depressed and settle into a hopeless mindset.

But, don't do it! If you are saved, you have a Father in Heaven who loves you to death (literally!). And, everything that happens to you has to come through His hands and He's promised to work it all for your good and His glory.

So, instead of focusing on the bad stuff, focus on Him. Keep your chin up by only thinking of the things that celebrate what your God has done for you and why He is so special to you.

I have discovered that when I can focus on the goodness of my God for a substantial period of time, then when I finally get around to focusing on the problem, it doesn't seem nearly so big or so bad.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, friend!

Living victoriously in the face of trials

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 12:1-31 
John 16:1-33 
Psalm 119:65-80 
Proverbs 16:4-5

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

John 16:33 (CSB) "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

No one would deny that life is tough. It certainly has its tough moments. But, for some people, those times last much longer than moments.

Jesus speaks into our difficult times when He says, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace."

He is saying that all of His talk about the cross, dying, going away, sending an Advocate (the Holy Spirit), and so much more is necessary for His followers to experience peace in their hearts.

The Lord wants us to have peace. In fact, it's one of the tell-tell signs that we are filled with the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). 

What does this peace look like? It's the ability to have calm reign within our hearts even as the storms around us are raging. Maybe the doctor has given a bad prognosis. Maybe an unjust boss has fired you. Maybe the car has broken down and there's no money to get it fixed. Jesus is saying that it's possible for the storms of life to rage and yet have a settled peace within our hearts.

How does this happen? Is it just wishful thinking or is this peace based upon something substantive?

Notice again what Jesus said: 

John 16:33 (CSB) "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

Jesus acknowledges that we will have trouble in this world. He's not spouting off positivity talk. He's saying that life will get hard sometimes.

BUT, we are called to be courageous. We are called to stand tall. We are called to be unafraid and experience the peace within our hearts that everything is going to be OK. 

Why? What is this based upon?

Jesus answered this question when He said: "I have conquered the world." 

Simply put, the world system with all of its sin and consequences that make life so difficult is a defeated foe. Jesus, by His righteous life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection has defeated sin, self-rule, and Satan. The trinity of evil has been defeated.

So, when life gets tough, we are to remind ourselves that its simply because we live in a sin-sick, broken world. Bad things happen because Adam sinned. He essentially put water in the motor and the engine isn't running as God originally intended. Bad things happen.

But, the Holy Spirit has been given to us to help us through this broken world. He has been given to empower us to live victoriously even as we walk through trials. And one day, we will close our eyes in death and be ushered into the presence of our Lord to enjoy forever. Sin and its consequences, which presently create such difficulty for us, will never again be our experience. So, even if we are overwhelmed with trials, we should look ahead with excited anticipation of one day being with our Lord.

Is life tough? You betcha. But, we can take heart and live victoriously because our Lord has overcome it. And because He has, so will we.

Why God needs to be first place

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Judges 9:22–10:18 
Luke 24:13-53 
Psalm 100:1-5 
Proverbs 14:11-12

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Judges 10:14 (CSB) "Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them deliver you whenever you are oppressed."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In our Bible reading today, we came across a verse that told us what was going on in the hearts and actions of the Israelites...

Judges 10:6 "Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines. They abandoned the Lord and did not worship him."

Verses like these appear through the entirety of the book of Judges. It's what happens when a people are not led by a godly leader who calls them to holiness and demonstrates what that looks like in his own life.

It also illustrates what our own hearts do all too often. Instead of serving the one true God, we set up other gods: our jobs, our pursuit of success/wealth, our kids, entertainment, sports, etc.

Well, when we look back at the Verse for Today, we see that one of the "benefits" of serving the one true God is that we have a refuge when life gets tough. But, the "gods" we typically serve can do nothing about it. They cannot help. And so God's comments to the wayward Israelites was intended to point out that they had been serving something that couldn't help them when they were in trouble.

Judges 10:14 (CSB) "Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them deliver you whenever you are oppressed."

Sometimes, our "gods" can numb us to the pain of life's trials but they cannot ultimately give us a right perspective and healing relief. 

So, we are reminded of yet one more reason why we must serve and love our God supremely; why He must be first place in our life; why nothing else can even come close to Him.

While keep God first place in our hearts is certainly for His glory, it is also for our good. Keeping God first place in our hearts is ultimately for our own good.

A right attitude in the face of trials

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20
Luke 9:28-50
Psalm 73:1-28
Proverbs 12:10

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 73:25-26 (CSB) "Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The verses for today are so heart-warming, aren't they? They sound like they were uttered by someone who doesn't have a care in the world ... until you read the rest of the Psalm.

I love the realness of the Psalms. The writers don't gloss over the difficulties or seeming inconsistencies of life.

In Psalm 73, the writer is struggling to understand how the wicked are prospering. All the while, he is following the Lord and is struggling.

Listen as he expresses his heart's question:

"Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing? For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning." (Psalm 73:13-14)

Do you hear what he's saying? He's struggling to understand if following the Lord is worth it in light of the fact that his days are filled with grief.

At its core is the erroneous belief that a good heart should always be rewarded with an easy, pleasant life. We struggle with this attitude, too, don't we?

"God, why did this happen to me? After all that I've done for You, why is my life so hard? It's not fair!"

Well, friend, the Psalmist realized that to get himself to a right place, he had to change his thinking. He had to focus on something else.

So, what does he do? He focuses on his God and eternity...

"When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless until I entered God's sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny. Indeed, you put them in slippery places; you make them fall into ruin. How suddenly they become a desolation! They come to an end, swept away by terrors. Like one waking from a dream, Lord, when arising, you will despise their image." (Psalm 73:16-20)

The writer looked to eternity and realized that the current injustices were only temporary. Eventually, we will all head to our eternal reward. Those who reject Christ will spend eternity in Hell regardless of how pleasant and exciting their lives seemed on earth. Those who have submitted their lives to Christ will enjoy the splendors of Heaven forever regardless of how difficult their life was here on earth.

This mindset is what led the Psalmist to express his adoration for his God.

Psalm 73:25-26 (CSB) "Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever." 

The guy who wrote this didn't have an easy life. Instead, his life was filled with questions, difficulties, and frustrations. Yet, he chose to focus on the Lord in spite of it all. He looked to his eternal reward and found joy in it. It is in light of this that he was able to come to a positive mindset in the face of life's trials.

We can do the same, friend. If life gets us down, we can look to Heaven and realize that our God is to be enjoyed both in eternity and today.

But, as New Testament believers, we also realize that we are never to be satisfied that the wicked are headed to Hell. It should break our hearts. We have wonderful Good News that can bring new life to the hardest of hearts. Let's be open today to share the Gospel with whoever God will send our way. 

Wrestling with God

In my Bible reading this morning, I came across a fascinating story ... when God took a human form and wrestled with a man! Here is the narrative of Genesis 32:22-32 in the New Living Translation:

²² During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them. ²³ After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.
²⁴ This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. ²⁵ When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
²⁷ “What is your name?” the man asked.
He replied, “Jacob.”
²⁸ “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”
²⁹ “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.
“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
³⁰ Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” ³¹ The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. ³² (Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)

There is so much that we can learn from this short story but let me focus on only one point. It is this: There will be times when God "wrestles" with us. And He has good reason for doing so.

Up to this point, Jacob had lived up to his name. The name "Jacob" meant "heel-catcher" or "deceiver." He was a man that lived by his own wits. There wasn't a problem that could come his way that he couldn't handle. He was self-confident ... and unusable to God because of it.

In order to be usable to God, we must be confident but not "self-" confident. We must be confident in Him. And that is the reason for the wrestling match in Genesis 22. God set out to show Jacob that while he was good at what he did, he wasn't good enough. With a touch, God could render him completely incapable of winning a struggle. So, instead of depending upon himself, God pointed out that Jacob would do well to depend upon the God who can do anything He wills to do.

That lesson applies to us as well. Often, God brings trials into our lives for the same reason He wrestled with Jacob. God wants to strip us of our self-reliance. He wants to break us so that He can rebuild us (our military knows the benefits of breaking and rebuilding new recruits). God wants us to be confident but that confidence needs to be rooted in who He is and what He can do in our life.

Who do you depend on to get you through the moments of each day? If there is any chance at all that God could have great plans for you, you must learn the joys of trusting in Him. Lose your self-confidence and learn the joys of trusting in Him. If you are God's child and you haven't yet learned this lesson, God may wrestle with you by bringing difficulties into your life.

But, what you learn in those times is well worth the experience!

The purpose of trials

None of us like it when life gets tough. When finances get tight or a relationship sours or a loved one gets a bad prognosis ... we try to pray it away. We can't imagine how going through such trying circumstances can be a sign of God's favor or God's sovereign reign over His creation.

Yet, throughout Scripture, we read that times of trouble are a good thing. In my Bible reading this morning, I was reminded that God often uses undesirable life circumstances to test our faith... - to see if we are truly children of God on our way to Heaven or whether we are on our way to a Christ-less Hell.

After all, you don't want to get it wrong. Imagine the horror of thinking you are on your way to Heaven and only a moment after closing your eyes in death opening them in torment in Hell. Imagine it hitting you like a ton of bricks that this will be your plight for ever and ever and ever. It will never, ever end. Jesus warned that many will experience this very thing! (Matthew 7:21-23).

So, how do you know that you are saved? How do you know that you have a genuine relationship with God and that your eternal destination is Heaven?

Trials are what God uses to give us certainty of our eternal destination!

God sends difficulties into our life to test us. How we respond says a lot about who we really are on the inside.

When your life gets tough, what's you knee-jerk reaction? What do you do for consolation? Is your natural response to find comfort in spending time with Him in prayer and reading His Word? Or do you find some other thing to bring some sort of inner peace?

What is your response to God? Do you find it natural to say "Your will be done, Lord" or do you naturally question Him and His motives? Do you ignore Him or get angry at Him?

Of course, even the most devout of Christians will have struggles. For a time, they may experience some undesirable mindsets and behaviors. However, they will eventually find their comfort in God like a moth is drawn to a light at night.

Yes, trials are our friends. They are God's gift to us to test the genuineness of our faith. They are intended to comfort our hearts (while not necessarily in this life) with the assurance that we are truly children of God. It is certainly possible for us to experience peace and joy in the midst of trials but ultimately, those trials give us comfort in the fact that we are headed to Heaven.

1 Peter 1:6-7 - "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." (New Living Translation)

Kim: "I'm thankful for breast cancer."

I wrote the following and posted it on my Facebook page on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2013. As of today (11/30/2013), it has received 138 'likes' and 36 comments. I'm so glad that God is using Kim's story to encourage others.

 

_________________

 

 

Earlier this afternoon, my family was listening to Christian contemporary radio in our minivan. In between songs the radio host said, “I’d like for some of you to call and tell me what you are thankful for that you never thought you could be thankful for.”

Immediately, Kim told me: “I’m thankful for breast cancer.” Let me tell you two main reasons why she was able to say that with complete sincerity of heart:

First, I have watched my wife intently to see what God was doing in her life and how she would respond. I have noticed that her grappling with the cancer and the radical surgery necessary to eradicate it drove her to her knees. Without a doubt, Kim has struggled with times of discouragement. "Discouragement" is really an understatement but if I had gone through what she's gone through, I would probably not have responded so well. Kim has recently started taking medication to help her manage the discouragement and hopes to be off it soon. But again, if it were me dealing with all she has dealt with in her life, I would probably be taking something, too!

Out of all of this, I have watched Kim rise once again more beautiful and godly than when she entered the valley. A few days ago, she told me: “I feel so close to the Lord right now. I’m enjoying time in His Word and in prayer. I don’t want this to go away.” As I have observed her and listened to her become completely transparent, I love what I see God doing in her life. Even though the breast cancer wasn’t pleasant and the surgery and recovery was even worse, what it has done in her life is incredible. For that, she is thankful to God for the breast cancer.

Second, as we ran up our medical debt with the breast cancer debacle, we approached the end of the year and realized our deductible had been met. Because of that, Kim decided to have a colonoscopy. She had no reason for having that procedure except that she was approaching the age when she would need to get one and since our deductible had been reached, she might as well do it now.

Kim and I went to the Vanderbilt Medical Clinic in Nashville yesterday for the initial visit with the surgeon. They did another scope and took pictures. When I came back into the room, the surgeon held up a picture of the mass inside Kim's body and said that if Kim had not had the colonoscopy, the pre-cancerous mass would almost certainly have become cancer. The surgery required at that point would have been much more radical with long-term unimaginably undesirable effects. It was a great thing that she had the colonoscopy! Why did she have it? Because she had breast cancer!

We have seen God work through the details of this whole thing. We could get stuck in doubt or anger and ask, “God, why do You keep allowing these things to happen?” However, while we’ve asked that question more times than we care to admit, we’ve realized that in our particular situation there is a more appropriate response to our God: “Heavenly Father, THANK YOU for working overtime in the details to get Kim the care she needs well before these problems got out of control.”

Our God is awesome!!! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Where to get joy when times get tough

How do you respond when life gets tough? Whether we like it or not, sooner or later, our life will take a turn for the worse. That's not pessimism. That's reality. Someone will get horribly sick. Someone will lose their job. Someone will mistreat us. Someone will die. Something is going to happen that could send us into a tailspin.

So, given that there are certainly mountaintop experiences but th...ere will also be times of trouble, we need to determine how we will respond to those negative circumstances when they come.

The book of Habakkuk helps us to come to a right conclusion in this matter. The prophet Habakkuk began this Old Testament book that bears his name by complaining to God. He knew that because of Judah's sin and their unrepentant heart that God was going to bring the wicked Babylonian army against them. The Israelites would die from battle, famine, and disease.

As Habakkuk looked into the future of his nation, it was dark. He knew that if he relied upon those depressing future circumstances for his joy, he would remain depressed. So, he focused his attention not upon his circumstances but upon His God. As he trusted God, he knew that even in dire circumstances, he would be ok. In fact, he could even have a deep seated joy amid the turmoil.

"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,
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.
(Habakkuk 3:17-19 - New Living Translation)

Praying for God's glory and our deliverance

Sometimes the greatest victories in our life come when we have run out of options. When we have nowhere to look but up. Where we have nowhere to go but down on our knees.

That was what happened to King Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-37. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, sent one of his top military leaders with a massive army to attack Jerusalem and take its inhabitants captive. The Assyrians knew how to do this, too! They could lay a siege around a city so that no one went in and no one came out. Eventually, the inhabitants would run out of food and water. With no food and water, some may resort to consuming their own refuse (see Isaiah 36:12). Still others may even resort to cannibalism (see 2 Kings 6:24-29).

With this impending doom, the Assyrian military commander outside the wall was wearing the inhabitants of Jerusalem down with his words. He intended to get them to lose heart by doubting God’s ability to save them. He said:

“Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, ‘The LORD will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the LORD can rescue Jerusalem from me?” (Isaiah 36:18-20 – New Living Translation)

Hezekiah, the king, had run out of options. He had no military might to fight the vast army outside Jerusalem’s walls. He knew his people were terrified. He also knew that the Assyrian leader in his arrogance would not leave.

So, what was he to do? He inquired of Isaiah, the prophet of the Lord. And then, he sought the Lord for himself! Isaiah 37:14-20 tells us that Hezekiah went to the temple and got alone with God. He poured out his heart and made it clear that God’s glory was on the line. Hezekiah prayed that God would move powerfully so “that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone are the Lord.” (Isaiah 37:20).

The end result is that God DID move. By the end of Isaiah 37, the Assyrian army had left and Jerusalem experienced peace.

When trials come into our lives, we cannot sit back and simply pray. If there is something we can/should do, then we should do it. A farmer would be foolish if he prayed that God would give him a good harvest if he failed to plant his own field!

Yet, too many of us may have forgotten this powerful tool in our Christian arsenal called prayer. Realize that God is powerful. He delights to hear from His children. We may forego many answers to prayer if we never drop to our knees in prayer.

Why not bring your burdens to the Lord today? And keep praying until the Lord either answers your request or directs you in what adjustments you must make before He provides His answer.

Why bad things happen to 'good' people

An issue that humanity has struggled with probably since the beginning of time is: "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Many well intentioned Christians ask this question without realizing that the Bible says: "None is righteous, no, not one;" (Romans 3:10). In fact, Jesus said that "no one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18).

When we ask why bad things happen to good people, we're implying that the one who is going through trials did nothing to deserve the bad thing. They were living exactly the way they should and therefore, there is no justification for why life got tough. If we hold to this view, we give humanity far too much credit. All of us struggle with sin ... every day.

So, why do bad things happen to folks who are at least striving to live a righteous life? Well, there are a number of reasons: First, we live in a broken, sinful world and bad things just happen. Second, we are sometimes at the mercy of other sinful people who make choices that affect us. Third, we make personal choices that have negative consequences. This list could go on and on.

But, in the book of Job, we see yet another reason. In fact, the book begins by making it clear that Job's troubles weren't brought on by any sinful activity he engaged in. Job 1:1 says, "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." And yet, his world was about to turn upside down. His children would be killed and all of his possessions destroyed or stolen. The only thing he would have left was his life and a wife who would tell him to curse God and die (Job 2:9). And the Bible makes it clear that it was not brought on by sin.

So, why did this happen? Throughout the book, Job's "friends" came up with all sorts of reasons for why his life took a turn for the worse. However, they weren't privy to the conversation that God had with Satan in the first two chapters of the book of Job.

Essentially, the conversation was over how loyal Job was to God. God was proud of Job (see Job 1:8) and held him in high regard. Satan, on the other hand, believed that God's followers were wimps and would curse Him when life got tough (Job 1:9-11). The challenge began in Job 1:12 when God told Satan: "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand."

Why did Job's life get tough? Was it because he simply lived in a broken world? Nope. Was it because of his sin or someone else's sin? Nope. It was a cosmic battle that focused upon whether or not he would remain loyal to his God when life got tough.

Hmmm. I wonder if this sort of 'back and forth' with God and Satan still takes place. I wonder if it has happened to you or me. I wonder if we glorified God in the trial or we gave Satan a reason to laugh in victory. I just wonder...

Running, Endurance, Trials and the Christian Race

As I was finishing up my morning run today, I realized that I had not allowed enough time to recuperate from yesterday's run. My legs were tiring out and felt like I had taken them about as far as they wanted to go today.

I was reminded of a bit of information I had picked up in a running book recently - if I'm going to run longer distances, I need to develop muscle endurance. 

Muscle endurance isn't dealing with the strength of muscles. It speaks of a particular muscle's ability to perform a particular activity for a prolonged period of time.

Now, there's a lot of variables that go into a muscle's ability to endure. But, when you boil it down, to build muscle endurance, you have to run long distances. Pure and simple. To get your leg muscles to take you on a 3 mile or 10 mile run, you've got to train your muscles to endure for that long by running those distances. 

As you are training, your legs are going to get soar. You're going to feel tired the day after. You've got to make sure that you consume some carbs immediately after the run and make sure that you're taking in more than the amount of water that you lost on your run. You've got to do muscle stretches.

But, to build endurance, it's really not that complicated. You've got to just get out there and put in the miles.

Knowing that one day I will run much longer distances, I fought through the discomfort this morning. While my left calf was beginning to ache and I realized that I did not have nearly as much energy today as I did on yesterday's run, I fought through it.

Why? Because the pain today means gain tomorrow! I'm building muscle endurance with every run I take. 

And that's when it hit me ...

That's a lot like the Christian life. The Christian life is a runner's race (see 1 Corinthians 9:24-27). To effectively run it, we've got to develop endurance.

And guess what. God almost ALWAYS takes us through difficulties to build that endurance.

But, take joy in the fact that as you go through those trials, it's God's way of equipping you to build the endurance you need to be victorious in your Christian race!

James 1:2-4 "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing."

Powerful praying in troubling times

Have you ever been overwhelmed with "life"? I mean, life got so tough that you didn't know which way was up! It's in times like those that we realize just how vulnerable we are. While some believe themselves to be "the master of their fate" and "the captain of their souls," it is in those times of trouble that we are reminded just how powerless we really are. 

Yet, there are many words of comfort and instruction to be found in Scripture for those traveling through difficulty. One of my favorites is found in Isaiah 37:14-20.

Let me explain what the problem was and then give you a four-step prayer that God was pleased to answer.

Sennacherib was the Assyrian leader who wanted to defeat Jerusalem. Long story short, he had the ability to do it and the track record to prove it. Jerusalem was just one city in a long line of cities that would be demolished by this warrior. And just to make sure that Hezekiah, King of Judah, was clear of Sennacherib's intent, the Assyrian leader sent a letter to him to explain his intentions.

What King Hezekiah does with the letter is incredible and is easily applicable in 21st century American life. Hezekiah took the letter to the temple of the Lord and prayed.

Let me share just a few thoughts from God's Word about how to pray in tough times.

1. Acknowledge God's sovereignty ...
That just means that you take your mind off the problem and begin your prayer thinking about how awesome God is. Realize that He is powerful enough to handle anything that you are dealing with ... ANYTHING!

 

Hezekiah did this in verses 14-16 - "Hezekiah took the letter from the messengers, read it, then went up to the Lord’s house and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: 'Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are God – You alone – of all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth.'"

2. Plead for God's full attention ...
You may feel uncomfortable with this point but Hezekiah wanted to make sure that God was giving him His full attention.
 
Listen as Hezekiah prays in verse 17 - "Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; hear all the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God."

3. Elaborate on the problem ...
Let's admit it. God already knows everything we're facing before we tell Him about it. But, for some reason, God enjoys it when we come and tell Him.
 
Listen as Hezekiah informs God in verse 18 and 19 - "Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated all these countries and their lands and have thrown their gods into the fire; for they were not gods but made by human hands – wood and stone. So they have destroyed them."

4. Ask for God's intervention ...
Hezekiah ended the prayer by telling God what he thought should happen.
 
Verse 20 "Now, Lord our God, save us from his hand so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord – You alone."
 
But, here's an important point. Notice that Hezekiah asked God to move based upon God's benefit. God is about the business of glorifying Himself among the inhabitants of the earth. He desires to draw all peoples to Himself. So, Hezekiah based his request upon the fact that God's desire to glorify Himself and draw people to Him depended upon Jerusalem's salvation.

So, what happened? Read Isaiah 37:21-38 to find out. Hint: Within 24 hours, Hezekiah was jumping for joy because of what his great God had done.

Why does God let life get so tough?

Sometimes the roller coaster of life can really leave your head spinning. A doctor looks you in the eye and says you have cancer. A phone call in the middle of the night informs you that a loved one has departed. The boss hands you a pink slip. The car breaks down. A child begins to make some horrible choices and won't listen to your counsel. The list could go on and on.

Why do those things happen? In fact, with our belief that God is sovereign and reigns supreme over the events around us (Ephesians 1:11), how are we to think about these tough times? I was recently reflecting on that question. Let me share my thoughts.

Exactly 21 days ago, I set out on a mission. I had told a young "Timothy" who I am mentoring that he should pick out some task that he didn't want to do but that would benefit him in the long run and just do it. I realized that I needed to take my own medicine and so I "googled" a plan for beginning runners.

I HATE running. Not much about it is appealing to me ... but I LOVE the results: more energy, better attitude, less stress, higher metabolism, providing the Lord with a healthier "temple", running with my boys, and on and on.

So, I followed the online instructions and ran the first day. It called me to run 1 minute/walk 1 minute and do it ten times. I almost killed myself doing it. I was gasping for air and felt horrible after the run.

The next day, I got Day 2's instructions in an e-mail. I had to do the same thing as Day 1. My legs were still killing me and my lungs were protesting. But I ran anyway. I pushed myself to do exactly what the running plan called me to do.

Well, long story short, I just finished today's run. It's Day 21 and I ran for 5 minutes/walked for 1 minute and did it 5 times. I was tired but not nearly as bad as that first day!

If you were to ask me if I enjoyed the training, I would quickly (and I mean quickly) say "No!" It was hard work for a guy that was out of shape and overweight.

But if you were to ask me if I'm glad I did it, I would quickly (and I mean quickly) say "Yes!" Why? Because I'm enjoying the results. You see, I fought through the tough times because I knew they were preparing me for the good times.

How does that flesh out in our spiritual walk? Simply, that God brings difficulties into our lives for various reasons but often, it's because He's developing us. He's toughening us up. He's getting rid of the spiritual flabbiness and laziness and making us usable to Him. Being used by Him is what we were made for!

We only get one shot at life. The rest of eternity will give us time to reflect on what we did with these few, short years on earth. Often, God sends us to the "gym" to work out so that we can much more clearly reflect His glory in our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. He is equipping us for service to Him.

Don't resist God's work. Is it fun when you are in the "gym" and difficulties come? No! But does God promise to work it out for your good (Romans 8:28)? You betcha!

Don't get upset when trials come into your life. Realize that God is using them to make you more usuable to Him. Who knows what may be around the corner. God is training you for something!

Reflections on 14 years of marriage

Kim and I recently sat down to watch our wedding video. We had not been able to view it for about 12-13 years because our VHS copy had decided long ago that it would much rather show lines and snow on the screen. Kim and I would have rather watched the wedding but we had no choice in the matter. So ... we were overwhelmingly surprised when we found out that my Mom had another copy of our special day. I immediately converted it to digital. Then, Kim and I sat down to relive what took place on May 10, 1997 in the sanctuary of Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky.

One of my favorite pictures from that day was taken immediately following the ceremony. We had just been married and we peered longingly into each other's eyes with smiles on our faces. (Something this picture shows very clearly is who got the better end of the deal. ME!!!) One of the primary reasons I love it is because it captures a moment at the beginning of our lives together when we were filled with thoughts of joy and hope. In our minds, we felt that we could take on the world because we had each other. Everything was right in the world. We could not fathom in that moment that the sea of life would soon get terribly rough.

Before I mention specifically what those rough times were, let me make one comment from my vantage point 14 years after our wedding day. Little did I know on that day that our marriage would not simply be a reason for my own personal joy. (Being married to my best friend has provided plenty of joy!) I had no idea on that day as "two became one" how having a front row seat to the story of Kim's life would grow me in so many different ways.

Quite possibly one of the greatest qualities that Kim has is her ability to experience difficulty and constantly rise above it. Kim has had ample opportunity to model this in her life. Very soon after our wedding, her grandmother who lived in Campton, Kentucky, who had been such an encouragement to her in her growing up years, passed away. This was someone that Kim had grown remarkably close to throughout the years. Her grandmother was her friend, her counselor, her ear and her shoulder to lean on.

But the greatest blow of all took place when her mom was diagnosed with cancer only six short months after our wedding day. For 9 months, I watched as Kim sacrificially took care of her mother. Even as Kim was carrying our firstborn son in her womb, she selflessly served the woman who had shown my wife how to be a godly woman. When Kim was 5 months pregnant with our firstborn, we attended her mother's funeral.

Since then, Kim has undergone an emergency c-section as we feared for the life of our firstborn. She has experienced the death of her father and a grandfather. She has sat helplessly as a doctor looked her in the eye and informed her that she had cancer.

But from my front row seat, I've seen her find strength in the Lord to get back up and keep on going. Whatever the trial, whatever the circumstances, I've never seen her wallow in pity or discouragement unless it was for a very short time. I've seen her discover the strength that the Lord has made available to her and she keeps going. She still has the sweet smile and heart of gold. She hasn't allowed bitterness to characterize her. Instead, she is known by those around her as someone who has a tender and compassionate heart.

When I peered into her eyes 14 years ago, I had no clue how blessed I would be by my lifelong union with Kim. I pray each morning for my boys' future wives and pray that God will bless my sons with a wife as incredible as the one He gave to me.