God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Psalm 46:1-3 ESV
I have always loved the word, Selah. It is like the rest in a page of music. It is the pause in which we absorb and appreciate the notes already played, take a breath and then prepare for what comes next. In a busy life, I need more Selah, and most of all, I need to meet with Jesus there. Only He can help me understand what has already happened when things seem out of control and only He can give me hope to face the future. He has promised to always be there in both difficulty and blessings, to never forsake me, when everyone else walks away, and to love us forgive us and keep us in His arms forever. Selah!
The Lord is at hand: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5b-7 ESV
If you are seeking God’s direction yet feeling as if you are at a dead end, you are in good company. It is totally normal to sometimes face difficulty, crisis, or discouragement. But at those moments, we need to recall that in the Gospels, Jesus specialized in showing up for his disciples exactly for times like those. Jesus often appeared unexpectedly, in the middle of storms, inside locked rooms and at gravesides. And when Jesus came, he always began with same message. “It is I. Don’t be afraid! In today’s passage Paul begins by reminding us that our reason for confidence and faith in our prayers begins with one fact. “The Lord is at hand.” No matter that 2,000 years have passed, that no one else is praying and in spite of our weaknesses and failures, Jesus is still so close, that we can reach out and touch Him. So, as you go about your journey this morning, don’t be anxious, instead, rest your faith on these three simple truths. The Lord is at hand, He is listening, and He has promised to answer. May God bless us as we rest secure in knowing that He is within our hand’s reach, He listens to our prayers, and He will calm every fear with this message. “Do not be afraid. I am standing near!”
But now abides faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV
The story of Jairus, is one that teaches us to hope when our hopes have run out on us. But I learned a valuable lesson on hope from the unlikely duo of two parrots. You see, when I was still in business, my possession of a pickup truck and trailer made me a very popular guy with my friends, friends of friends and, my family when it came time to move. It was really a great way to get to know people, get some free pizza and stay in shape. One December, Susan who was a friend from our church, asked my wife and I tot help her to move. Though it was chilly, the weather was not too bad by Northeast Pennsylvania standards, but the biggest challenge of the day came in the form of two large parrots. These fellows each had their own large cage, and I had left them for last.
So with the truck packed almost to the gills, After I carried out the first parrot and slid his cage carefully into the passenger side of the pick-up, I realized that there was no way that both cages were going to fit up front. So, the unlucky resident of cage number two was given the warmest spot I could find in between the boxes in the back, and I also carefully wrapped the entire cage in a blanket. Then after tying the cage in securely, and closing the tailgate, I slowly drove the eight miles or so of winding country road over to their new home. After pulling in, I first brought in my feathered friend from the front, while he was cheerfully chirping away, unfazed by the journey. The other less fortunate bird however was quite a different story. After bringing in his cage and unwrapping it from the blanket I saw him sitting as silent as a stone and virtually motionless. Whether he was suffering from shock or the cold I don’t know, yet nevertheless, after thirty minutes warming up, he seemed none the worse for wear.
The journey of these guys reminds me of that verse about hope. When everything else we have in this world is packed up and our world is changing around us, unlike the parrots, we get to choose between two options. We can ride up front close to Jesus, or we can make the journey in the back, wrapped in a blanket, safe secure and alone. Hope calls us to ride up front, close to Jesus. He promises us that even though we still won’t understand everything and that the situation is not in our control, that He will stay by our side and we can ride next to Him. I HOPE that you will like this little message that I shared with the residents at Life Care Center this Friday. Have a blessed weekend everyone!
You must be logged in to post a comment.